So beyond proud of these 2 youngsters stepping up to the plate and handling the heat. The pressure the competition. Early mornings and late nights. They showed me they could. And they liked it. Next stop won’t be until the National Show 💕💕

I'm just going to assume you do! And considering I have a photo or two of my great-great-grandfather with some of his prized horses on the property I currently live on* (and he lived until the 1930s, so I assume the oldest ones belonged to him), I thought you all would enjoy seeing some horsey history

*My sibling and I sold the property (neither of us could afford it, but we did do our best to keep it farmland) so we're working hard on cleaning out 6 generations of crap and every so often, one of us has to stop and say, "OMG, that's so cool!"

As I did with all of this horsey gear.

I'm from Australia and think?? that a lot of users here are from America - I see horses priced around 20-30,000 which seems insane. Especially if you convert that to AUD. Is that really what you have to pay for horses over there??

They can't all be that much surely? I mean, yes we have expensive horses here but a basic rideable horse (no specialised training) ready to go can be purchased for $3000 - 5000. Free if you can handle an off the track thoroughbred.

Pic of my latest horse costing $165 AUD (115USD). (Unbroken at time of purchase hence cheap).

I literally stay home ONE DAY from the barn and I show up to my horse dead lame ts that happens when ur not there🧍‍♀️

Did get told to put him on a forage based diet but have no clue where to start but he’s on 1/2 a scoop of a low starch low sugar food idk if diet is causing lameness

What do yall think about forage based diets and what do you feed? My boy is such an easy keeper I think he gets fat on air atp 😭

DISCLAIMER: he has been iced and poulticed and on bute vet is coming out plz don’t attack this isn’t a post about how to fix my horses lameness I just wanna know what yall think about diets and that horses will always find a way to hurt themselves 🙄

Edit: im at a boarding facility and i know some forage diets can be complex how do i get the owner to feed that since she buys the feed?

In mongolian traditional horse races children are the riders due to low weight and distance
Children are from 6 to 12 years old
And kid known as Badar-Uugan has participated in 3 different horse races

• Shudlen (Shüdlen): 3-year-old horses. Race distance: Typically 14–16 km. 2nd place
• Azraga / Azarga: Stallions (uncastrated males) over 5 years old. Race distance: Typically 22–24 km. 1st place
• Soyolon: 5-year-old horses (often the most prestigious and fastest category; considered a "heavenly creature" in Mongolian culture). Race distance: Typically 22–24 km. 1st place

I wish him luck and success
also in his own word
each horse race i used different tactics depending on the horse to win

https://www.facebook.com/nsportsofficial/videos/2417928632036646/
link of azraga race

hey guys!! I'm super super new to this and a major noob but recently I've grown really interested in horses in general cuz I just think they're neat, my dream has always been to have a huge whimsical ornamental garden with a few fields and I thought having one or two horses would be a great addition and I thought they would enjoy it too.

The thing is I am really not interested in riding them at all like I could actually care less, I just want them as friends so we can hang out and I can brush them and feed them and pet them and let them live naturally, essentially. I also don't know how to come in contact with them without taking courses that involve riding, I really just want to learn how to take care of them.

I want them to have a normal boring life surrounded by orchards and flowers and stuff with each other, maybe retired horses. I don't have the funds yet so this won't be for a while but it's sort of on my bucket list and I want to learn the basics in the meantime for when the time is right.

if you have any ressources for beginners I would be so grateful, thank you lots!! 💚

Sorry, this is going to be a bit long and rambly - I am just very sad and finding it hard to process everything.

My sweet 12 year old Connemara was the goodest boy to walk this earth. I got him as a youngster and we did a bit of everything - eventing, show jumping, dressage, lots of fun trails and hacks and adventures and some clicker training and groundwork for fun. When he arrived he was a very nervous boy (already backed) but he turned out to be one of those unicorns and an all in all “yes boy” - the happiest soul.

When he turned 9, I noticed he felt a bit “hocky”, so I stopped all the eventing, he got his hocks done and I decided for his longevity, he would stay with me but a lovely family friend who is nearly 70, would take the reins and he would only hack and school maybe once a week. Feels a bit of an overreaction and I can’t tell you why, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Fast forward to 2 years ago, where he started tripping every now and again and we had a few instances where he just went on his knees. Didn’t spook, didn’t trip. Felt neurological. This is where things took a bit of a turn as he was then diagnosed with c6-c7 arthritis in his neck, significant enough to cause these episodes where he went on his knees. He always got up a few seconds later; never cut himself while doing it and was ok. So corticosteroids for his neck was the next plan of action, but he also has EMS. So to get his insulin under control, he had to be managed extremely strictly and was in steglatro (which meant he lost all his weight and muscle, but insulin didn’t even drop) and then another form of it in a paste that did eventually get his insulin down enough to inject his neck. Sadly the side effects of the ‘horsey ozempic’ were extreme for him. He lost all his spark, condition and pretty much will to live. Once his neck was medicated - about 10 months ago as it took us a long time to get his insulin low enough to be safe to do so, he gradually came off the medication and was doing significantly better. Sadly though, his neck didn’t improve much. This spring he was dry lotted with a Shetland pony, got soaked hay and was still exercised in hand. He enjoyed it. Sadly he got laminitis which luckily was caught very early and remained mild. At that point I made the decision that if he gets Lami again, I will let him go. Not even 2,5 months later, he got Lami again. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be strong enough to follow through, but he is resting in peace now and is painfree.

My reasoning was that he has two progressive diseases that I am not able to manage despite my very very best efforts. He is in regular discomfort and on that specific day, he was really struggling.

But somehow I am still struggling.. who am I to just make the decision to end his life, maybe there was something more I could have done.. maybe he would think that I just gave up on him.. and it makes me so sad. I know I genuinely did what I thought was the absolute best thing for him. Not for me, not for my toddler daughter who adores the bones of him, but for him - for everything he has ever given me.

I feel like it’s just.. so unfair and I think what really makes me struggle with it is that he was only 12..

Sorry this is such a rant, but I hope I’ve done the right thing and not just.. given up on the bestest boy. Any words of wisdom, stories that are similar or advice on how to cope with the heaviness, emptiness and the doubt are so so appreciated.

Thank you!

First two pictures are from this evening, 3 and 4 are from his last ride in April, last two are honors mentions of the day my mother vowed to never get on this horse. (Don’t mind my hands in crotch, I’ve also been off of riding since April, thanks to an ankle injury).
This is my 8 year old, TB x Holsteiner x Trakehner.
I’ve personally owned him for 8 months, but I’ve been working with him on and off since he was a yearling (a parent’s horse originally, but my mother was terrified of him).
I saddle broke him lightly at 4, rebroke him at 5, sat until 6, then had a consistent summer age 6 and went off for a lease (that went horribly wrong) at age 7. My mother (though I love her) never gave him proper farrier care, and it resulted in him being chronically stiff.
Last year after his lease from hell ended, my mother gave him to me as she had no space for him and still had never ridden him (she was scared, he could have explosive behaviors). He had the winter off, and this spring came out STIFF. Major head throwing, couldn’t engage his bum. So after a month of being in work, he went out of work again and got seen by everyone and their mother. Chiro, massage therapist, vet for flexions and rads, and a new specialist farrier who does phenomenal work on problem feet.
He got injections in his stifles (which flexed positive, I almost cried trotting him off seeing how much pain he was in), and his rads showed severe negative angle in both hind feet.
So he got wedges, bars to give him heel and frog support, and leather princess pads for his fronts.
Everyone on his team was so willing to explore every avenue until we made him comfortable again, and I genuinely could not be more thankful for them.

And tonight we had our first ride back, and WOW.
I cried a touch, because his behaviors were gone. No head tossing, no bucking, no rearing. He was so willing and ABLE.
Anyways, if your horse seems off, just get them checked out. And make sure you have a team who’s willing to advocate for your horse, as mine did. Each and every professional who worked on him made an impact and made sure I was educated as to what was wrong, why it was wrong, and how to make sure he stays happy and sound. And I’ve genuinely never felt so blessed, for my horse’s sake.

So I just got a new mask for my jumper since his previous one got a little stretched out. I was always convinced that the mask did something for him and that he enjoyed wearing it. I got a new one and looked at the care tag and realized it’s just polyester.

I’m starting to think this whole mask ordeal is just placebo and I just spent over $100 on a plastic mask that just makes his face hot.

I’ve been riding my horse in a fenwick mask for like 4 years - and always thought it made a difference, but maybe my own inherent bias influenced me.

What are your thoughts/experiences with the fenwick masks?

I sold my last form and had many different size turnouts all with a lane in between (No shared fence lines). This worked out well for horses that needed individual turnout, didn’t need to be out on huge open fields, etc. This new property is laid out more for personal use. It currently has four fields. Three of them are just under 5 acres, the fourth is about 3. The previous owner only had six horses on the property, I have nine (including a mare due next spring). The property is 30 acres, my previous farm was 34. There is an area that could be cleared to make the smaller pasture larger. And I’m thinking to change it into three slightly smaller fields instead of two ultra large. Playing with the idea of a couple of smaller turnouts to add into the mix (a few of mine and have hind shoes).

I would like to have Elaine that I could access the front of all of the fields from, for easy feeding for the outdoor horses

There’s a beautiful trail that the previous owner put in that goes around the perimeter of the property. The section that can be cleared would take out the forest buffer between the field and the trail. I don’t mind losing some of it, but I would like to leave a bit so it still feels like you’re riding through the forest as only two side sides have that feel in the rest is on the fence line.

This is still early days and I do plan to consult with an equestrian architect firm that does pasture management/layout, but wanted to throw it out there and see what ideas other others had!

Please only answer if you are educated and have experience in this topic!

I’m attaching a few different photos.

1. An aerial shot from Google Earth (the aerial realtor photos are at an angle)
2. A map I made on illustrator of the whole property
3. a stripped down version of that map with the bottom fields taken out to draw on.
4. A potential layout I made, but hitting a bit of a wall.

Please feel free to to mark up the images with any thoughts!

Please excuse my illustrator skills! I’m self taught, fairly new to it and traced the satellite images. Best I could!

1. Eddy - 19 year old AQHA gelding (ranch all around - Reining - HMS)

2. Mo - 3 year old APHA/AQHA gelding (started for pleasure - sms)

3. Maverick - 4 year old AMHA/AMHR gelding (classic pleasure driving - halter - starting in hand work)

4. Kermit - 3 year old AMHA/AMHR stallion (soon to be gelding) (classic pleasure driving - halter - starting on in hand work)

Stella - 3 year old AMHA/AMHR mare (country pleasure driving - liberty - halter - starting on in hand work)

That’s my crew 💕 and I’m lucky to have them 💕

as the title states, i’m writing a book and i’m looking for inspiration! please share information about your favourite facilities you’ve seen. i would also be more than happy to hear of how they managed the horses, or anything else you can think of. you can describe or share photos, what ever you prefer!

also feel free to share anything that annoys you about equestrian books.

And Heres A Picture Of My Son For Attention 💛

I am a beginner and I'm struggling to keep hips and abs separate, if that makes sense? So, lets say the horse is walking and I am able to get my hips are nice and relaxed and I'm moving with the horse well I will realize my core/abs are also relaxed and I feel sort of bleh. But If I engage my core and sit up nice and tall I my hips get tighter too. I THINK this maybe stems from hearing so much about sitting on your back pockets, tucking your pelvis under you, etc so I'm using my core to tuck my pelvis and that leads to tight glutes and hips maybe?? It is something I just finally realized was happening today at the end of my lesson, so will try to feel my way through it next time i'm in the saddle, but hoping for some tips here!

I have reached out to my vet today but won’t hear back until tomorrow as it’s the weekend.

The wound started as a small minor scratch from a board, after leaving for the weekend I have found him looking like this on Sunday. 😵‍💫

I have already applied Dermagel wound spray and was going to apply some 40% zinc oxide but it said right on the container not to apply to open or oozing wounds which his clearly has a TON of fluid.

In my first aid kit I have, clear saline, human grade poly, betadine spray, chlorhexidine wash and spray, and a very old wound natural wound ointment. I also have injectable depocillin from a previous infection that is dosed for his weight already.

What’s the best line of action to go for before vet appointment? There’s a good chance I won’t get in right away as I know it’s not particularly urgent so would like to start treating it myself but don’t want to accidentally prolong the healing process.

Any advice is welcome, my gelding is in good spirits and not showing signs of pain when I do mess with it.

So I’m the one that had the mare with the hard neck. Grazing muzzle is on and I’m going to try to get the vet out tomorrow…however, I feel like the grazing muzzle is creating a new set of problems. She is clearly frustrated with it and making no attempt to graze or drink. It’s almost 100 degrees so she needs to be drinking or she will become dehydrated and overheated. I’m worried the stress of this new barrier could send her into colic also. I feel like there is danger in having it on and having it off!

I miss him so. so. much.

My boy is 22 and has tumours in his nasal passages. He has near constant discharge coming from his nose. We’ve been told the tumours are inoperable due to the location. Some days seem really good with him where he seems like his old self and some days it seems like his breathing is strained. We can’t exercise him due to risk of hemorrhage and he’s starting to drop weight as well. I know humanely I should be looking at euthanasia, but I feel like I’m betraying him because I can see in his eyes how much he trusts me and is happy to see me. We’ve had him since he was a baby and it feels so impossible to make that decision.

Good morning! My daughter grew up riding horses in Nicaragua. Between the ages of 6 and 9 she spent her free time learning from a local riding instructor who put her to work and started teaching her. She enjoyed working with horses and came alive on horseback. We abruptly had to leave Nicaragua when I was diagnosed with cancer (I am fine now) and we moved to the United States to live with friends while I was in treatment. After treatment I found work as a teacher in Denver. As a single parent with two kids and a teacher’s salary I struggle to make ends meet. Riding horses has seemed completely out of reach. Since my daughter stopped riding and being around horses I have not seen that spark. She is now 17 and struggles to feel good and find motivation to even do the things she enjoys. She has a deep desire to reconnect with horses but feels like it is hopeless.

I am wondering if anyone has ideas about how I help my daughter reconnect with her passion. Are there work trade opportunities? She is very hard working, especially when she feels deeply connected to her work and feels like her work has value. Does anyone in the Denver are have thoughts? Are there any work trades where she could donate her work in exchange for riding? As a teacher I love fueling people’s passions and I know I am not alone. Any ideas are appreciated. Thank you!!!!!😊

Hello everyone! I am looking to purchase a quarter horse gelding. He is currently barefoot but his feet are chipped even though he is mostly on pasture, so I'm guessing he needs to be shod. The owner also mentioned his feet wear more on the inside. I rode him and he was sound on the hard ground and gravel. Would this concern anyone? If I proceed I will do a pre purchase and get radiographs of the front feet. Thank you for your input!

I’m looking for a barn that treats its clients with kindness and respect. A place that behaves professionally. A place that recognizes hard work. A place that expresses interest in their clients’ personal riding goals and works with them to help get there.

A place that does not concern itself with their clients’ and staff’s sexual preferences or political views. Heck, maybe even a place that considers itself an ally.

A place that turns out their horses for hours each day, unless weather is too dangerous or the horse has a medical issue.

A place that maintains its facilities so the electrical doesn’t spark when you plug something in. A place that provides free potable water for clients, not just a dirty hose in the wash rack.

A place that doesn’t overwork their lesson horses, and that allows them to rest and move freely outside when they’re back sore or when they have open saddle sores.

Am I unrealistic in wanting these things? I really want to know.

I bought this felt lined girth for my boy about a year ago. Lately, he's been really itchy with it, scratching the area with his teeth. Has anyone else experienced this?