Do You Ride Horses? V.4

[MochaTheLlama]

A little frustrated right now...

When I bought Noah, his old owner claimed that he didn't need to have his teeth done. She claimed he had some 'special stuff' on his teeth. Well, I noticed he opens his mouth a lot while riding and when he eats food falls out of his mouth. So, we called out the vet to do his teeth.
The vet was astonished, and said he didn't think Noah had had his teeth done in over two years. He was in so much pain while they did his teeth that they had to fully sedate him.

Also, apparently Noah's back is out of line too. The vet said with a consistent work schedule he should be fine and realign himself, but if not we'll have to get a chiropractor for him.

Then, I got out to lunge Noah yesterday aaand... his foot is all messed up. Like cracking really badly and that kind of stuff. So I couldn't work him. Luckily, the farrier comes out Tuesday so hopefully we can fix that soon. He's also on Farrier Feed formula now too to help strengthen his hoof walls. We might have to put him on some hoof moisturizer later on in the year, but for now it's so humid out that it wouldn't be a good idea.

[OmgItsPattie!]

xx

[Nocte Luna]

Today was just...terrible. I don't even know where to start. Riding was blegh.
The BO was here...and I did I mention she's really intimidating? Well, she's really intimidating. Maybe I just keep thinking about all the crazy rules and I just had negative thoughts or something. I have no idea.

[Shirosashi]

@Shirosashi - Hopefully not repeating what you've gone over, but have you checked all your options? Does the saddle fit? Might not like the bit, could have a health related issue (sore back, something out of place, teeth, ect). Since you say he's from a horse shelter I presume he is a rescue or abandoned or something of that sort? He could have past history that he connects faster gaits with something unpleasant. If he's an OTTB then this following would be wrong, if not - he might never have been taught how to carry a rider at a gallop?

His saddle is ok. I checked out the bit with our vet, she had to help since he bites and she said that the bit was no problem. My dad looked at his papers and he doesn't have any health issues other than a very small hearing impairment. The shelter's records have him down as a rescue, his last owner couldn't take care of him because of old age. We contacted him and he told us that when his daughter tried riding, she almost lost control when he bucked. She was the one who took him in but the only place he could stay was her father's, she said the bucking/biting problem developed and got worse when he was there.

My only solution is that space over there was a problem so he thinks that since he was there for so long, he's still confined to a tiny area? Not sure. I take him out in the big field as much as possible to get some energy drained but he sleeps most of the time unless Rusty is out, then they run together and play with an old exercise ball I put out for them. Unfortunately, I can't take Rusty out all the time because he stays at GD a lot during the week when it's busy.

[ShortyTheHobbitess]

@Enchanted - We're still not quite sure what caused her to colic, its possible it was the weather change since the day before it went from 90F & sunny to 60s & drizzling all day, but there's been times that the weather has done that & she was fine. Couldn't have been her grain since she gets a small handful, she hadn't been worked at all, has free in & out from the barn & dry lot, the paddock had some various weeds but none are toxic that I know of.

Glad your mom is on your side about building a stall, I always like the option of having enough room to partition horses off as needed.

@June Bug - I agree, is there a little door that could be put up while someone has a horse at the cross ties? Or maybe start giving him a tap on the nose & say no to discourage him from playing with things?

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Watched & checked Shorty for the past few days & she's feeling fit as a fiddle now. As I said before, we're still not sure what caused her to colic, it very well could've been the change of temperature, but who knows...

Rode for the first time this year finally >.< I kept my rear cinch a hole looser then normal to stay off her stomach just in case she was tender/sore (felt her pre-ride & she didn't react at all). Overall she was very good, did mostly walking & some trotting. Apparently Pearl has a quicker stride than Shorty does as half the time we had to trot to catch up. Speaking of trotting, 3/4 times of trotting I was posting, it seems slightly more natural to do even though I only picked up English lightly 2 years ago & rarely ride in it.

Ma learned 2 things today though, 1) that the English saddle doesn't fit Pearl very well & 2) how much of a saint Pearl is. At the beginning of the ride I told ma we shouldn't ride too long since we didn't know how well the saddle would fit, so we went for almost a mile ride anyway -.- When we got back up to the house the knee roll was past Pearls shoulders. I went off to work with Shorty & then heard ma yell that she needed help. Turns out ma was walking figure 8s, asked Pearl for a stop, & then drug the saddle & herself half way up Pearls neck. Ma's feet had gotten stuck in the irons, so I came over to help her get off, we were both concerned that Pearl might react violently/panic. Instead Pearl stood there patiently the entire time, she didn't move a step, she took it in stride & had she freaked or moved, ma easily could've gotten hurt. I can't say enough good things about this little mule right now, when we went to test ride her she was a bit spooky, but she seemed to have concern about her rider. I'm terribly thankful that she took all of this event in stride & had the brains to stay calm about it.

[alyson1]

I'm a recently beginning rider, and am totally out of shape and my legs get tired really fast when posting, trotting, etc. Anyone have any good workouts for your legs, or methods of perfecting your posture (which I I'm horrible with) I know, total noob over here.

[ξƞçɧαƞtєđ]

♥═─alyson─═♥: A favored work out of mine is sitting in an invisible chair with your back against the wall and your arms bent and at your sides. It builds up not only calve and thigh muscles, but also your core and it helps with your position and balance while in the saddle. Also try short power walks or jogs, that will build leg muscles as well and improve your stamina.

MochaTheLlama: I understand completely where you are coming from with being lied to when buying a horse. The only true thing about Buck that I was told was that he is indeed, a buckskin color and is TNWH. Other than that, his old owners might as well have told me he was a unicorn and could walk on water. Some people will just tell you anything to make some money.

Sadly though, there isn't much you can do about though be glad you're finding all these problems out now rather than a while down the road where it could have escalated into something much worse and something much more costly. Glad he's found the right owner to take care of him and hopefully he's already half way down the road to recovery for both your sake and his!

Nocte Luna: How is the owner intimidating? Does she just glare at you while you ride and make comments or criticize you openly? I've met people like that before and you just need to learn to block them out- don't be worried.

Shirosashi: I don't think it's the problem of him still thinking he's in an tight space...if it was, he wouldn't be bucking, he'd more than likely just be unwilling to move period. I'd still get a vet to check his back and legs and mouth for any possible injuries that his records don't have listed down- horses never go by the papers. XD But the fact he was a rescue with little knowledge of his past leads to many possibilities- for all we know, he could be an ex-bronc and he is only doing what he's been taught to do his whole life. He may have also been a prior abuse case and had a bad experience under saddle he doesn't want to repeat, or he may just be burning off steam. Try lunging him before you get in the saddle so he can get the excess bucks and bolts out of his system before you climb on. Hopefully all goes well for you.

ShortyTheHobbitess: I used to work with hot-blooded horses (mostly TB's and purebred Arabians) and they would colic at a drop of a hat. Is Shorty a hot-blood, warm-blood, or a cold-blood? The Arabians were an especial pain since we lived near the Canadian border where it is really cold- and they originate in the dessert so early spring and winter was a terrible time before they'd either colic at a minor fluctuation of temperature or weather, or if they got early spring grass and got all the nutrients, they would colic over that too. I'd double check with the weeds in the pasture just to be safe- my pastures are very weedy but my babies seem to know what is safe and what is not and if I come by a plant I don't like or an iffy about, I'll tear it out and throw it out.

Haha, I miss posting and sometimes I do end up having to do it if Buck decides to break gait into a trot. But I know what you mean with it coming natural- it does make the ride a whole lot more comfortable.

Pearl deserves an apple. I know a few horses who would have done anything but what that good little mare did. Glad it all went ok for you.
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Ugh...stupid me. I put extra shavings in the stalls yesterday right before work and I was forgetful enough to leave the razor I used to open the bags in the donkey's stall- particularly, in Willow's feed bucket. I had meant to put it there for a minute or two while I got something else, but I must have forgotten about it. Last night I couldn't notice it because I went to work at 3pm and was there until 10pm, so it was up to my dad to bring them in for the night and I guess he wasn't paying enough attention to see the razor either. Today, while feeding, I noticed it and the little rubber spiral used to put the cap on the razor (which I thankfully did do, so no cuts on her mouth or anything), but the spiral string was chewed in half- I don't think she ate any of it and I checked them both for any signs of colic, and so far, they both seem fine. I'll be on watch throughout the day though and hopefully they just thought it was a new, boring toy they left alone after a few minutes. It makes me so angry at myself that I left it in there though...ugh! On top of everything else...figures. I told my mom and she said it shouldn't hurt anything and if she can't digest it, she'll pass it whole if she did end up eating any part of it. But still, I can't believe I made such a newbie move.

Me and dad got into another fight yesterday too...when I brought up building another stall. He then proceeded to tell me he was sick of all this and he just wanted to sell all my god-forsaken beasts because they were just ruining me and making me worry over the most stupidest things and that he wished we had never gotten them in the first place- so right now, we're not talking and personally, I'm fine with that. I have $270 saved up, which should be enough to buy part of the wood or at least the gate to the stall- if I have to buy and build the whole thing myself, than so be it. I'm done. And if he even thinks for a moment we're getting rid of any of them, I'm out, and I'll find a friend to stay with who has room to hold them if he doesn't want anything to do with them anymore. I'm already buying everything- the grain, the hay, the shavings, the tack, the treats, and farrier and vet visits- I don't know what his problem is except the fact he just doesn't want to 'waste' his time building another stall.

[June Bug]

@Granix being a turd
I did give him a firm bop on the nose when he was trying to mess with baby (which is why he didn't get to the point of throwing stuff at her. She used to rear all the time on crossties and I was not about to let that start again, haha) and when he poked his nose out to try it again yesterday while I was getting her prepped, I threatened to bop him again, but he seems to have gotten the point as he backed off pretty quick and decided to just sit in the corner of his stall and glare at me. There's no barrier or anything to keep him from poking his head out, so I'll just have to keep an eye on him when I've got another horse there. He's fine when other people have horses on those ties so while I could install a stall guard, I don't think it's worth the effort.

@Enchanted
(I read your question about Hope's previous trainer, but forgot to answer it in my last post) Yes, the previous girl who tried and failed to train Hope had a short temper and favored a violent approach to discipline. She had 'success' training a few stupid, submissive horses with that technique, but Hope is not stupid and does not tolerate bad handling. If she doesn't like something, she tells you and if you turn it into a fight, she will lash out. She always warns you when you're pushing her though so as long as you recognize it and re-direct, she's fine, but this girl makes everything a fight. :/ We can't use a crop or whip with her either (though she doesn't really need one anyway) and I'm fairly certain it's because this chick lost her temper when lunging and hit her a few times so now she's terrified of them. Fortunately, she no longer works at my barn. Thank god for that. >>

That's frustrating to hear about the stall. :/ My parents and I have similar fights about my animals all the time. Every time I ask if they want to come see a show or something, their first reaction is "why do you spend so much money on this hobby?" and then it becomes "we don't like your dog/cats either, animals are useless, I'm taking 'x' animal to the shelter next time it sheds on my laundry/barks/etc" even though I pay for, and care for, everything myself. It sucks living with people who don't share your interests. :/
Do you have any handy friends who might be willing to spend a day helping you get things put together once you've got the stuff? If dad isn't being helpful and fighting you about it, just show him you can get things done without him.

Good luck on the results of your MRI!

Oh god, I was picturing a horror story when you started that knife story! Glad to hear no one cut themselves up! I'm sure you'll remember how close you came to a disaster every time you open shavings now though, so you'll be less likely to forget in the future.

@Mocha
Ah yes, the 'ol 'If we lie, we'll sell it quicker and then it wont be our problem anymore!' xP Most of the horses we get are mysteries since they come from auction, but the ones we did manage to get info on, usually ended up being nothing like what they were sold as. This one girl's thoroughbred was sold to her as a 'finished' schoolmaster with no vices. In reality, he's a huge ass. He kicks the walls of his stall constantly (hard enough that he kicks holes through the walls at least once a week, sometimes sending wooden boards flying into neighboring stalls), bites/kicks at people with no warning, and she has to ride him in a gag just so he doesn't take off galloping and bucking when she's riding him. He's thrown her more than any other horse has thrown a rider at my barn this year. He even managed to toss one of our best riders (his bucks are amazingly acrobatic). Poor girl is afraid of her own horse now. :/

@Nocte Luna
I'm sorry you're having issues with you BO. :C I know that feel and it's not fun.

@Shorty
Wow! If the saddle was bad enough to move that much, it must have been really really off. Pearl deserves lots of goodies for being such a good girl about that! Unfortunately, english saddles are designed very differently than western saddles. Western saddles are designed to fit most horses and the type of pad used with them ensures that weight is distributed nice and even no matter the horses shape. English saddles, however, must be fitted to the horse by a trained professional. It's fine to try a saddle before buying and fitting it, but it should at least be the correct width for the horse (or in your case, mule) so that it neither pinches for being too narrow nor sits on the spine for being too wide. A badly fitting english saddle can cause a lot of trouble, short and long term trouble. ^^;
Have you had it fitted to any of your equines or is it something you just decided to pick up and try out? I definitely suggest having it professionally fitted to whatever horse it is meant for and if you want to use it for any others, consult the fitter and ask if it's possible to do so with or without correctional equipment. My saddle is fitted to my horse (so he can wear it comfortably with no correctional additions), but I also had it evaluated for Hope and had the fit Okay'd with the use of a half-pad as it sits differently on her and could cause discomfort if ridden in without a little extra something.
Sorry if you know/have heard all this before, I'm super squidgy about saddle fit as my barn was not always good about it and I've seen good horses ruined under ill-fitting saddles. ^^;

@Alyson
I agree with Enchanted, the invisible chair is an excellent workout for riding muscles. I'm also a fan of standing on the edge of the bottom step of stairs (with the balls of your feet being what you're standing on) and squatting. It's a great way to work on pushing your heels down and exercising your two-point and heel.
We were all beginners once. Your position will improve more and more as you get stronger. :]

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Wanted to give Granix a bath today after he came in from turnout, but just after bringing everyone in, the skies opened up and we had a massive downpour. :C So I guess he's staying dirty for another day. Camp is starting tomorrow at the barn and I'm beginning my new, full time schedule, but I hope I'm not too tired after work to do it then, he really needs a scrub down, not to mention, the attention since I'm not going to have much time to spend with him now.
He is otherwise good. And luckily, he was outside all day so he wasn't there to be all jealouspants while I was getting ready for my lesson.

Hope was amazing for the show <3 The manager was very surprised (and I think a little concerned, lol) when she heard I was going to ride her in it, but that doesn't surprise me as the two assistant managers don't like her and have had a hard time handling her (she still reacts badly to negative vibes like fear and anger so she's caused a bit of trouble for them). I'm sure She has only heard bad things about her.
BUT! We showed her! >]
I took her out to look at the tent before starting prep and she wasn't phased at all. Since that was all I was worried about, I knew we were going to at least get through the thing in one piece.
She was a little antsy about washing her socks, but she calmed down after a minute or two and had no more fuss. We're really lucky that she's exactly the color of the dirt she prefers for rolling in and has a naturally glossy coat as she shines up quickly and beautifully even without a bath. She also stood patiently for braiding, another first for her. We had no idea if she'd let us do it, but since this was an informal schooling show it wasn't necessary. If she didn't like it, we would have just left it and worked on it before next time.
I got on, warmed up, and when I took her into the ring, I went straight for the tent. J suggested I say hello to the judge (who was a really nice woman from our sister barn) and let her know that this was a baby in her first year of training and our intent for the show was experience, so I did. We made our attempt and it went just about as well as I expected, a little wiggly here and there, circles a little uneven, but we managed a good, fairly consistent pace and she was really trying so I was very happy with her. Our second test was a little better, better bending, better stretch at the free walk, but she was getting a little frazzled (I was on her for almost 2 hours including warmup time since my tests were weirdly spaced) so she was a little stronger and our transitions weren't as clean. Luckily, in B, you do most of your transitions between two letters so I didn't miss any, barely.
The judge was really impressed by her. She loved her gaits and how hard she's trying despite being so green. We need to work on bending and correcting her habit of popping her left shoulder, but most of the other stuff (funny steering and like) was just her being a baby and will correct itself as she gets used to carrying and responding to a rider.
We got a 60% (2nd place) in Intro A and a 65% (3rd place) in Intro B!
I'm so so proud of her <3

This was her today after a fun lesson. It was hot and humid so we just played a couple of bending games (which she really got into, haha)


And my favorite feature on her, her specklebutt <3 The roan-y lightning mark on her hock is a close second, but I forgot to take a picture of it.


Not sure if anyone got any photos of us at the show. Most people were hiding in the shade. :C

wow, that was long, sorry. xD

[OmgItsPattie!]

xx

[MochaTheLlama]

@Enchanted and @June Bug - I honestly can't be surprised at this point. She also told me he gets really hot if not ridden multiple times a week, and that he's not a lap dog type of horse. Ha... I didn't ride him for two weeks while we were dealing with lameness issues, and we didn't have any issues with him being hot! And he was in a quarantine pen that whole time. Also, he loooves attention! He gets so upset if he's left alone in the crossties for even a minute! He's a huge lap dog.

@Alyson - Squats are a very good exercise to do, just make sure you're doing them correctly! Otherwise... it's just hard work and consistent riding to get yourself into shape!