Do You Ride Horses? V.4

[APH Italy]

I mean going in and getting the general stuff as a large animal vet, then going on the the second college to get more depth on horses. I didn't mean horse training, sheep

[#Sunkist•]

I ride ^^

[ξƞçɧαƞtєđ]

spring.: Well if your looking for a new horse and if you go and see her and her personality suits you and fits your needs, then I'd say go for it!

Shirosashi: He sounds like a love on the ground- but the bucking, biting thing worries me. I don't believe it much of a behavioral issue though as it might be a medical one. Get your vet to possibly take some x-rays of his back, withers, ribs, and have him check his mouth for any lingering signs of injury or abscesses. A horse that sweet on the ground shouldn't be as big of a problem as he is under saddle. Also get his legs checked- are his tendons warm to the touch or swollen? How about his hooves...do his shoes fit well and is there any signs of founder or laminitis. The list can go on and on. The best bet would be to get a vet out to check him and see what his deal might be.

However, it might indeed be a behavioral issue as well, especially if he is a ottb. If he's fine with walking and trotting and only resists you in the canter/gallop requests, he might be getting flashbacks of his time on the track and him bucking and resisting you the way he is is his way of letting you know he doesn't want to go back to work in that manner. I knew a ottb mare who was fine in all her gaits except a gallop and sometimes, even a canter. She's immediately start throwing her head and crow hopping because she didn't like to gallop because it brought her back to her time a racehorse- and the reason she was sold was because she didn't /like/ being a racehorse. If this is the issue, try some ground training and slowly work up to the canter and later on, the gallop. If he does pull those stunts again, ride it out, and when he's done, ask him again for the gait he refused to do. Make sure his tack is fitting him good, he's stretched and warmed up before rides, and when he does pick up the gait you want him to without much fuss, reward him, and eventually he'll come to realize listening to you is a whole lot more rewarding than all the trouble he goes into to try and fight you.

Lye: Sheepishlie does have a point, but if you are confident in the career you have chosen and are willing to work the endless hours it takes to get to where you want to be, I say go for it. My lifelong dream to it make it as a large animal vet, majoring and specializing specifically in horse science. But on top of that, a off to the side career for me would be training/rehabilitating horses and other equines. Vet school is very hard and very costly to get into and most likely, it will take more than just the required time in college to achieve it. I plan to become a Vet Tech before I become a full fledged vet so I can get the experience under my belt and help out with bills and student costs from my paycheck. Scholarships and grants will be your best friend so I'd suggest getting into clubs at school, getting some volunteer work done, perhaps shadow a vet or two, and keep your grades HIGH, then you'll have a fighting chance.

But as for you getting a degree in vet sciences and then going to the second college, that would help your reputation and higher your experience and knowledge, so it is a good plan in theory.

Sheepishlie: He has some pretty good conformation to him! All the standardbreds I've met have always had pretty bad long backs, had high withers and low hindquarters, etc. which is why I lost interest in the breed- but he is beautiful!

ShortyTheHobbitess: I'm glad she's feeling better. Every hour or so check her vitals (pulse, respiration, and temperature) and hopefully she's worked the colic out on her own. What's changed with her that might have triggered it? Did her grain change, her turn out time, her time being worked, was there a sudden change of temperature, was she let out into a new field for her to pick up rich grass or perhaps even a poisonous plant? I'd try and find these things out to avoid her colicking again and to avoid other horses from colicking too. I'm glad she's pooped though, so it's passing by little by little. Just make sure she has adequate water, don't let her roll, and walk her as much as you can so she can work out the last of the gas and manure that's built up. Good luck!

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Any of you know a way to fill in a horse's croup/flanks? I've tried exercise and I've tried a balanced diet, but everything on Buck seems to be filling out except that huge indent on the side of his croup, making his hip bones still stick out even though now, the vet says he just needs to gain about 20-30 more ibs and he should be good. Any tips?

Pictures!



He gave me a 30 minute battle to get it on, but he's happy he has something to keep the flies out of his eyes. He helps me put it on now- what a good boy.





Willow says hi to everyone- she looks like she has the makings of a afro going on. She's so curly- I love it! XD



It's a Willy in deep thought while Willow eats in the background. Right after that pic he stuck out his tongue to the side and just flapped it around. Such a wise donkey. XD



Hay belly or baby belly? I don't think she'd start showing this soon but there might be a chance he bred her before I knew he dropped? If you look at her chest and neck, you can see the missing spots of hair I'm talking about too...the baby oil is hopefully gonna start working though *fingers crossed*.

[Hime]

@Shorty: Good to hear she's doing better. c:

@spring: Hopefully yes. ^^

That stable sounds wonderful and respectful kids are great thing too. ^^

@Mocha: Congrats! He looks pretty cute. There's something about that trot I kinda really like, even though I don't often like QH trots... XD

@Lye: Vet school isn't the easiest to get in, however they rarely care if you have actual experience with any animals or not(but in all honesty it helps a ton later on in the job and certain amount of common sense too). True story: L had a summer worker years back, smart girl and all, had just gotten into vet school and what does she ask L? Do horses eat hay. Yes, she seriously asked that. XD Anyway, if you are motivated to get in and become a vet, go for it. Even if it takes several tries to get in, keep trying if it's what you really want.

@Sheepishlie: That one sticks out to me as kinda short and thick bodied for standardbred. Almost reminds me of a riding horse body, rather than racer's... XD

@Enchanted: Hill work? Canter work is pretty good too, if he really works from the hind properly. Might be slightly a conformation thing as well...
Heta pushes her head into hoods and her itch rug too. ^^ They know the hoods makes them feel more comfortable.
If Willow is pregnant she's unlikely to show it until closer to half way of the pregnancy. I remember with Heta at 3 month mark, I couldn't tell if she was still pregnant based on her belly shape alone, so was super nervous for the ultrasound. Then came winter and it got really obvious she was pregnant. So what miss Willow has showing there is likely a hay belly. ^^ Also if she just recently showed clear heat signs(and once before that I believe as well?), then she most likely hasn't gotten pregnant before you noticed Willy had dropped one.

[MochaTheLlama]

@Hime - Thank you so much! He's pretty springy for a QH I think... thank goodness for the thoroughbred in him!

@Lye - I don't necessarily think that's a bad choice, no, but I would be wary of Meredith Manor. They're really not all that they're hyped up to be. The facilities are not at all what you're going to see in ads, and I've heard at least a handful of complaints about the college that you obviously won't see on their website. But, of course, I don't attend college there. I'm only going off of what I've heard. I would look into other colleges first, and even look into Meredith Manor more, before you decide.

@Enchanted - I'm sure your vet is right! If you want, you could start him on supplements like SmartPak's MuscleMass. But, I would try a good diet and good exercise before you go to using supplements! Also, what Hime suggested is also extremely beneficial. I've been doing a lot of hill work with my horse and he's starting to fill out a lot better. Just remember to never canter when doing hill work. You'll get the most benefits by doing walk and trot. But don't do hillwork every single day, or every single time you ride. I think that goes for any type of work you do. Switch it up, or he might get sore if he's not used to working those muscle!! If you don't have a hill, stick to whatever program you're on. Muscles take time, he'll fill out soon enough! Hope that helps. c:

[Luzien]

wow there you go away for some Moment, and so many did write....
i will try to answer and read all tomorrow
but i like to say something to this^^

@Enchanted - I'm sure your vet is right! If you want, you could start him on supplements like SmartPak's MuscleMass. But, I would try a good diet and good exercise before you go to using supplements! Also, what Hime suggested is also extremely beneficial. I've been doing a lot of hill work with my horse and he's starting to fill out a lot better. Just remember to never canter when doing hill work. You'll get the most benefits by doing walk and trot. But don't do hillwork every single day, or every single time you ride. I think that goes for any type of work you do. Switch it up, or he might get sore if he's not used to working those muscle!! If you don't have a hill, stick to whatever program you're on. Muscles take time, he'll fill out soon enough! Hope that helps. c: [/size][/center]

like Hime and Mocha did say....hillwork, but also in the forest troting around trees...up and downhill....^^

to the not cantering up the hill....nahhh...you can!
it depend on you, your horse, how fit it is, how good his Basic Training is, and how good you know him, and if you can feel when something is to much or to fast, as it is different when a Trainer is with you or alone.

when you Train your Boy at the hill you start with walk then sometime later with trot and go over to canter.
I know from a race horse Trainer who lets his horses trot in warm up 1mile to the Training hill or field, when they do hill work they canter with the untrained the 1/4 to a 1mile hill(it depend how steep it is) up first half slow(the easyer part) the last part full power as fast as the horse can and wants to...and down in walk. When the horse is longer in Training and is fit enough they send it up a second time. and back to the barn in trot again, cooling down in walk for an hour and then the first bigger feed. in afternoon a light second Training or non at all. Most of the horses where fit as hell.
but part of the Training you also can use for normal horses, when you put the length down a bit to your needs....

So you can canter, it depends only how sure is your horse of his feet, and his Training says how fast you can go.

i myself did like to Train tolt on the hill^^
slow and sharp trot (but also walk) around trees, and all gaits on different ground....but never do fast trot or canter on stone-rock ground or some ground like this. or hill training in faster gait then walk after rain.

and Switch Training that a good idea, also cavaletti work is good, Swimming too.

Dont worry when you vet did say anything is ok and he only Needs some more Pound then dont worry, he will gain muscles with your Training with time^^

[ξƞçɧαƞtєđ]

I have plenty of hills and he does get quite a bit of hill work every single day just by taking a ride to our round pen and then back to our tiny barn. We have some pretty steep hills but I'll try and spice it up with perhaps maybe doing hill work on the lunge line? I free lunge him in our round pen, but I don't believe he's ever been on the lunge so I'll need to train him to that most definitely. Thank you all for your input and I'll be sure to get back to you with the results!

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Welp...no work today- I had to call in because when I went to the pasture to say goodbye bye to my furbabies, Willy had a AWFUL limp on his right front leg. So of course, I ran back to the house to tell my dad who again blew up in my face because I was worrying over every little cut and scrape and that I needed to grow up and if he's walking, he's fine, yatta yatta yatta. *rolls eyes* Anyways, I called my vet who didn't answer his phone. So near tears out of worry, I grabbed my first aid kit, got the cooling get, scissors, vet wrap, and hoof pick, and went out to the pasture to find Willy was laying down and wouldn't get up. Starting to panic, I put the cooling gel on his hurting leg, checked for any other swelling other than his knee and canon bone, and right then my vet called back. He talked me through comparing the legs and he said he'd be over in a few hours as he had a few scheduled appointments to make and in the meantime, wrap up the leg and put him in his stall. So I did. Well, Willow and Buck were not fond of the idea of their fuzzy friend being allowed in his stall and they were still stuck outside, so Buck protested by plopping down in our lower pond and rolling before taking some racehorse-speed laps around the whole place only to decide to make a 90 degree turn at the last second and fall on his side. Seeing as one buddy was hurt, I guess everyone wanted to get hurt, so I had to take Buck into his stall after a quick bath. Then Willow was all by herself so I brought her out for some brushing, hand grazing, and a tiny sprinkle bath to cool her off before putting her back in with Willy. I then spent the next hour a half sitting in their stall and waiting for the vet to get here after I was done brushing both Willow and Willy. But after a while, Willy's limp got progressively better until it was narrowed to only a lame step every so often. So I told my vet about this and he said there'd be no need for me to pay him for a vet visit if he's already getting better on cooling gel and he'd like an update in the next few days and if he's better, than great, and if not, than he'd come check it out. Until then, he prescribed the weirdest concoction...4 tiny 200mg pills of advil dissolved in coke (the soda) to help with the pain. Have any of you heard of this?

[June Bug]

@Enchanted
I second everyones suggestion of hill work! Hills are great for building up all those nice hind-end muscles. If he were english trained/ridden I'd also suggest laterals (leg-yields, shoulder ins side passes, etc.), as that area is where all the muscles needed for things like that are. I don't know enough about western to know what the equivalent of lateral work would be though. ^^;

And hopefully that's just a hay belly! The last thing you need is a baby to deal with!

I've never done it personally, but I know a few people who swear by putting pills in yummy drinks to ensure their horse gets the full dose. It works with any drink really so if he doesn't like coke that much, you could dissolve it in something else that he does like.

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Turns out a friend of mine had to scratch from the show tomorrow, her horse accidentally kicked her in the head last weekend, so I talked to A and she let me have her spots since I had already sent in the correct payment and everything (We've been having some issues lately with people not paying for shows/coaching/trailering. Like, a lot of people)
So Hope and I are doing Intro A and B tomorrow!
It'll be the perfect way to introduce her to showing. It's a home show so we don't have to worry about trailering or getting used to a new place and all that jazz. We will have to go out early to let her see the judges' tent since they aren't putting that up until tomorrow morning, but I rode her for about 20 minutes or so in the ring so she could get used to the chain & post setup.
J is opening the show with her horse, Gin, early in the morning, so by the time Hope and I ride, she'll be all done and ready to help coach us a bit in our warmup. She coached me a bit tonight too and was really happy with how we look together.
I have three or four people wanting to take pictures of us too. I'm so excited to maybe finally have a decent picture of her under saddle <3

Granix has also suddenly developed a streak of jealousy.
Every time he sees me touch another horse, he screams at me. >n>
My friend, 'T', brought her horse, Arthur over from a different barn for the show and was doing her prep tonight since she rides early tomorrow. The cross-ties just happen to be right next to Granix's stall, so every time I stopped fussing with him and tried to talk to T, the little jerk would take something off the hooks and throw it at poor Arthur. It was kind of funny until he decided to take Arthur's saddle pad off the saddle and throw that, which spooked Arthur, who then broke his halter and ran out of the barn. -___-; He seemed very proud of himself.
He tried to mess with baby too when I was tacking her up. He kept grabbing the tie and yanking on her face. :C She was very good to put up with it, but I need to find a way to break him of that behavior.

[Luzien]

ok im terrible....i only jump in to answer a short thing
but i will write more later....im sure^^

@ Enchanted: thats great, please tell how hill work goes

the pills ....i give in the Moment two to my Girl...at first she got pain meds and now she gets some for the infection...from 4 to 2 pills.--> i crush them to fine powder(between some paper with a bottle -but anything else woorks too^^ it only has to be crushed as fine as possible)
then i mix it in her herb mix give some lineseed oil to it and some cinnamon....

you could give him his pills with cinnamon and oil and/or applesauce...most horses you can trick with cinnamon and/or applesauce (maybe with a Hand full of there feed) to eat the Medics.....but im not sure with coke or any other Soda drink, it could be bad for the stomach...(or when he eats fast you could put the crushed pills in an apple, but i did this once ...the horse munched a bite and spite the rest out, and did not accepted something from me fortwo days...but with cinnamon and the applesauce to a handfull of her feed it did work as she did only see her food^^) ...or dissolve the pills in warm water and give it in the mouth like worm Treatment paste...not sre what he likes more.

@ June Bug: im not sure what to say....my Girl is also jealousy^^
but i have no Problem, she is not to bad, and when ...i will ignore her for the next time, maybe stomp my feet like an angry horse...but she only takes it out on the other horse after it on the pasture when im out, so why should i do something more, she is the Defender of her herd and second leader so she is right to be....^^
but when it goes that Granix "attacks" an other horse with things or bites them when somebody is near them...then its not so good...someone could have been hurt by the spooked running away....when he trys it again be fast and kick his wooden stall wall or say sharply NO he will get a scare and maybe trys it again a second time but he will learn....you are the leading horse of your Little two being herd^^ so he has to accept what you think is right, when he stands without being a Terror you can take him out to eat a bit grass or give him a nice grooming, and when he is a Little idiot, you kick his wall like a horse would do , and maybe even say NO or ksch or Hush or whatever to tell him of and Show him your not happy. And dont talk with him or touch him in this time, groom the other horse or stroke it and Show yours the cold shoulder....and only then when he Looks in the other direction or so then you can go to him and tell him that he was a goodd Boy....its a bit time work, as it depends how fast he learns, some get it after the second time other Need some month to accept that there human can also be with other horses and they still get more love then the other horse, but only after or when there human wants too!
not sure if this helps you, maybe you need to find something else...i did it with a Young stallion and a mare.

good luck and tell how it did go

[ξƞçɧαƞtєđ]

June Bug: I'd have just never heard of giving human medication to an animal in a human carbonated beverage. XD I had to have him repeat the treatment over the phone a few times because I thought I wasn't hearing him right. He said the carbonation breaks and dissolves the medicine quicker and the taste of coke makes the medicine sweet and easy to give. It's not much coke- he said a little less than half a can with 4 200mg advil pills placed in it. He gets started on his treatment today and we'll see how it goes.

Not sure if you know or not, but a few weeks ago, I found out that Willy had indeed dropped one testicle and I caught him breeding Willow out in the pasture- the next day she was out of heat and Willy showed no interest in mounting her again, so I'm just praying she went out of heat on her own and it wasn't because she was successfully bred- but by the end of July, if she doesn't go back into heat, than I'll need to start preparing for a baby...*sigh*.

Granix sounds like such a character. XD Equines of all sorts are about as jealous as jealous can get, and small fights break out in the pasture with my babies when mommy comes for a visit because they all want their hugs and scratches /first/. There's not much else you can do about it though, other than moving to where you cross tie, or if you have a top latch on Granix's stall, close it so he can't reach for things outside of his happy little box until you're ready to leave, than have him throw his little horsey tantrums. I bet he's regretting being stupid in the pasture now. XD Hopefully he'll learn from this and think 'I can't pretend to be Pegasus today- if I do, mommy will start playing with other ponies again instead of me'.

I am very happy for you and little miss Hope! Pictures and detailed updates are a must now.

Luzien: I like the applesauce idea a whole lot more than soda...I may have to run to the store and get some of that instead and hopefully that'll ease my worry of giving him two foreign things at once instead of just one as Willy luffles his apples. XD

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Mom is now completely on my side with building a new stall- with or without baby donkey #3 on the way. I'm just tired of Willy coming out of the stall stiff and sore because Willow pushes him around in it and it'll pay for itself soon with all the vet bills we won't end up having to pay because they can't get to each other through the wall. Now it's just a matter of getting another run in and the wood and the ability to force my dad to help us build it.

Took my MRI today too, will get the results by the middle of next week and hopefully all checks out ok! *fingers crossed*

Willy's limp has gotten much better and though you can tell he's still favoring it some and is a tad stiff, he seems to be coming along (he feels good enough to start chasing and wrestling with Willow again at least...*eye roll*. Buck also tore up his fly mask already and the Velcro and still muddy from his taking a romp in the pond...Willow seems to be the only one not causing problems besides being her usual diva donkey self. I work today, but am going to try and start Buck on the lunge line in the round pen and see how that goes as he needs to learn to contain himself as he loves to gallop when being lunged, but I can't hold onto him if he starts that in the open, so we'll see how everything goes.