Do You Ride Horses? V.4

[Nocte Luna]

I have a few little mini discussion topics that I'm curious to see people's thoughts on. Feel free to respond!

Mini-debate topic #1:
Hard brush: Do you brush your horse's legs with it or not? Why or why not?

@inkyy
What kind of boots did you put on? Bell boots might help protect the hoof a little bit, while splint boots would protect the legs themselves, which may not be a bad idea if she's hitting her hoof.

@ghosttownxk9
Good to hear that they got a new horse. It's just unfortunate they drugged the horse in the first place.

@sleepypony
I agree with Kestrell. A whole new saddle can be quite a process, so I'd say try and find one that fits him better for the time being. Also, remember when fitting a saddle, pads can't correct an incorrectly fitted saddle, so be cautious if/when looking for a new one.

@My riding
Nothing super exciting. Still working on a lighter seat. I've ridden (sassy) Gabby 3 times this week, she was pretty good, except for her hesitance to canter. K recommended halting, backing her up, then asking, which worked really well. Hopefully she'll continue to progress and become a better jumper again. Once my time with Senator is up, I think I'll be riding her, Pete, or Patrick a lot more often.

Patrick was very ehh yesterday. I could barely get him to canter. Usually I can get him to do one lap at the least, but yesterday just didn't work very well.

Pete's been coming along very nicely, with all the work he's gotten and how much he's settled in, he's quickly becoming a favorite to the more advanced students. c:

[allo vera]

@mini debat #1 --
I brush their legs with a harder brush if there's a lot of mud, but it really depends on what tools I have available. I see no problem with it as long as you are gentle and considerate of the horse.

@Nocte Luna
Oh my, two horses you ride are called Patrick and Pete? Who names the horses? Or did they come with the names? What do they think of each other?

[Hime]

Mini-debate topic #1:
Hard brush: Do you brush your horse's legs with it or not? Why or why not?

Yup, most commonly if I brush the legs I use a hard brush(if it's not shedding season). Works nice if there's dry mud on the legs, though magic brush works nice in that case as well. The hard brush I have is not really that much harder than my flick brush(the only differance is the bristle lenght which makes the hard brush firmer), so either one works, but the hard brush is better for stubborn dirt like mud. Soft brushes imo are just for finishing touches, at least with Icelandics.

[Chaotic Queen]

Well I'm gonna be a first time donkey owner! I will be adopting 2 mini donkey geldings who are 10 months old and they are 400 each so I'm paying 800 to adopt them. Then they are coming from VA! I will post pictures when they are avalibal! So any Advice?

These will be my only equine animals till May 15th when there is a Open barn in NH and the barn is Tiz A Miniature Horse Farm, they havevery calm personality horses. And we are getting 2 of the miniature horses named Flicka and Misty! And my boss and I will be giving Cart rides in May! I can't wait

[Mercury.Muses]

Hey guys!
Sugar and I are doing well, rode bareback tonight and actually jogged! Second time bareback while riding sugar so it was an accomplishment.
She is now loping without any troubles too! And she's mighty fast.

Quick question for tips? Sugar has been stiffening up when she doesn't want to turn and I was wondering if I could do anything to loosen her up? Just more neckbends or?

[Kestrell]

@RunningRace

Before you get on, do some carrot stretches(or try some other types) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx6rfJYVQ64 <I love this video.

When you are riding, how long do you warm up before trotting or loping? She could be stiff because of a lack of a proper warm up. You should (ideally) be walking between 10-15 minutes before you pick up the trot/ start actually working. During this time, you can flex Sugar's head and neck by bending or counter bending https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj9Hl4A5kZg < not a fan of how 'extreme' this is, but maybe try a slight bit or lower intensity version of this type of bending and flexing.

[sleepypony]

Thanks for all the lovely replys!
Jack is fine now, after his encounter with the electric fence. I do wish we didn't have barbed wire at the yard, and I have asked the yard owner to remove it, but nothing has been done. I will ask again though cx
Thanks for all the advice on the saddle! We had a saddle fitter come in, and she said something about it being ok for now, and that it's a bit too big for me and for Jack, and that she would recommend getting front gullets (I think that's what she said). I'll go tell my mum about trying other peoples saddles too, and update on it ^3^.

[Mercury.Muses]

Thanks for the videos and suggestions, Kestrell!

I typically do warm-up sugar for about 10 minutes, and she usually neck reins with ease in her walks and jogs, and isn't too bad with loping, but what she does is when we're walking the direction towards the gate/ front of arena (We have 2 gates so I've been taking her out of the other one to try and deter the draw to the gate.) is we're walking/trotting/loping along the railing and then when I ask her to turn, she turns her nose to the railing/the opposite way so I have to do a slide through.

She gets fired up once we start jogging and loping, and that's when she starts to do this ^ it's not with all of her turns but mostly with that direction and it can get troublesome when we're loping and then I go to turn and she stiffens like that.


I've noticed too that she doesn't bend her head as much as the other when doing nose-bends, but the thing is, the way I'm turning is the side she nose-bends better with.


Also, for those who ride onehanded/if this applies to twohanded, would your 'lead' hand be the inside one? I typically ride with my outside hand ( my left at the time.) but my trainer said I had the wrong hand the other day when Sugar had a nice neckrein, then she said it's actually correct to ride with mainly your left hand?

[:Toucan:]

sorry for being so nonexistent, I've been so busy! But I have been reading everybody's posts! I only have a month left of the semester, and I'm excited to go back to my home trainer...though my one at school is good too. I just feel like I have been really scattered in my progress, you know? Some sort of exciting news is that my mom wants to lease a horse! But we have to find the "right one". She wants a really bomb proof one (she hasn't fallen off yet, and doesn't want to) ....so we will have to wait for the right one to come along.


@hard brushes
I will definitely use a hard brush on the legs to loosen dirt... I even use the end of the curry comb sometimes to kinda pick at really hard clumps. I just make sure I am super careful and not causing any uncomfortableness. Sometimes soft brushes just can't get the job done!

@Soul of Winter
That is so exciting! Please post pictures when you have them Do you work at a barn? I have always wanted to learn to drive.

@Running Race
In my Western lesson, my trainer has told me I could use whichever hand is more comfortable (I am so awkward with my left hand, I can barely steer) so I use my right hand. Then you let the reins fall to that side as well over the horse's shoulder. I am not too advanced in one handed riding but that is the info I have!

[evol]

Expensive pony pets at Spycoast farm tour! Equine overnight was great ;u;

these horses are worth more than my life I want 10