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Thread III: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1311311/posts |
Posted on 04/26/2004 12:06:41 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
Free Republic has a lot of horse people that have found each other on other threads…. And since we all like to talk horses, how about a thread where it is not off-topic, but is THE topic?
A few of us thought it would be interesting and informative to have a chat thread where we can share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. We may not ~always~ have a lot of activity, but when we do, it will be fun. I will put a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts… look for it there and wake the thread up!
I will also develop a ping list for horse threads that are of interest. As FreeRepublic is a political site, our politics and other issues will probably blend in…. There are many issues for horsemen that touch politics… land use, animal rights/abuse cases that make the news…. Legislation that might affect horse owners.
I am hoping this thread will be a fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.
Just talked to the vet and Rusty does have something wrong with him, but it is fixable:). He has a low grade viral respirtory infection, and could have had this all along.
I am on my way now to Wal Mart to buy Echinacea. It is some kind of herb that will build his immune system up to help fight the infection. I will give him 10 capsules a day for seven days, then repeat in a month.
Interesting about Rusty! Would be super for him if he can get that solved so you can work him normally!
I talked to the vet again, as I had some questions after I thought about what all he said. Rusty also has some enzyme elevated in his liver, and the vet said to give him 2 eggs a day for that. My question is rather I should ride him, or if it would be better to put him on rest time. He said it would be OK to ride, but not to get him hot, sweaty, and tired. LOL...that's kind of hard this time of year, so I'm just going to lay off him for 30-45 days, give everything a chance to work and do it's job. Then start him back slow when things aren't so hot. What you think?
Becky
Sounds good to me to rest him...
I would also, because it is respiratory, try to protect him from dust.... another hard thing to do this time of year... can you water down his paddock area daily with a sprinkler or keep him in the least dusty spot you've got? I'd suggest wetting down his hay, but you don't feed hay... are the pellets you feed pretty dust free?
The pellets have no dust at all. He is real bad to stand in the sun during the hot part of the day. I'm thinking of locking him in his stall where he will be shaded and not so pestered by the flies. If I do that I will keep the ground in the stall moist to keep the dust down.
I find it hard to imagine him having a respirtory infection for so long.....altho it is mild the doc says. I sure hope this will fix him. I'm willing to give him the two months off.
Have you ever heard of Echinacea. I'm going to google it. It supposedly was used by Indians to help immune fuction. My vet is real into herbal stuff and things like acupuncture. Harley got rather excited when I took him the other day and the vet started massaging the tip of his hocks. He said that was a spot to press to help relieve nervousness. ?
Becky
I've used Echinacea myself. Popular to take it when you feel yourself fighting a cold, and it seems to keep the cold from getting too bad.
I'd feel funny if he has something this chronic and that is ~all~ he prescribed... but if it's viral, then I guess antibiotics wouldn't do anything either.
Haven't heard of that, and I am not sure I want to be back rubbing the hocks of a nervous horse.... kindof a vulnerable position! ;~D
Antibiotics won't work on a virus. I'm going to give it to him, but I'm almost of the opinion that the rest will do more for him then anything. I ride all year round. He does seem better in the winter, so the heat must keep him from shaking it and he just doesn't ever get rid of it entirely.
When the Doc was press the horses hocks he was in the stocks:).
Becky
Yes , I take it if I feel a cold coming on, it lessens the severity of the symptoms and length of colds. Also, if I know I 've been around someone who has a cold, I will take Echinacea and double my vitamin C dose for 3 days. Usually this prevents me from catching the cold, so I would say it works well.
You might want to ask your vet about giving Garlic oil(comes in capsule form) along with the Echinacea-makes a pretty powerful immune system booster. I hope your horse gets over the infection soon.
Congratulations again.
Some pics of family going on horsie rides at our place
Horses and carriages would have been harder to pull off actually!
Thanks!
BM
Well JJ made one day of camp only. He wasn't interested in group activities like crafts and films and standing around observing grooming and horse talk. He wanted to play in trees, sand and RIDE HORSES which didn't happen until the end of the day. He was so cute when he finally got to though. Pictures coming. The instructor applying the balance of what I paid and going to give him lessons because that's what he's really intersted in.
As for me. I didn't get to ride much this week (health problems) but when I did it was good. People have gone from acting like I'm a dumb ass to remarking how calm Okie acting and what a good job I'm doing with him and riding. I did get teased the other day though. One of the boarders told me they watch me and counted 25 times one day that I brought Okie back to the mounting block before getting on. She told me "you wear that horse out until he stands perfectly still and does just what you tell him" and didn't know where I get the patience. Oh well, I found my style and it works for me and he likes me talking to him gently instead of getting on to him all the time. Whatever works huh? The main thing is that I'm having fun, right?.
We did a lot of trotting this week, est with turns. I'm going to skip the serious posting for now though and just continue to keep chipping at it. I want to go on to cantering. I couldn't this week. Lot's of areas still wet and too much horse traffic. (sharing the area with about a dozen other riders)
Interesting about the vitamins and herbs. The ViSorbin doesn't seem to have hyped Okie up. I think being pastured and taking off the supplement balanced him but mainly the pasture. When he was in the stalls he would want to play and kick in the round pen. Now he just drops his head and gets the job done and has to be encouraged to trot/lope. I did notice him walking different across the caliche roads to the grass. Maybe what yall call gimpy but it was like he was stepping high and softly like a person going thru stickers so I though he was still sore but he does beautiful in the grass and actually not bouncy at all. Didn't seem to bother him.
well, I need to go to bed. We are going out of town to pick up a car this weekend. Yall have a safe 4th. Catch the thread later this week
JC
Look forward to the pictures!
Glad you are doing well with Okie. Good luck cantering.... compared to trotting, it can be a lot smoother. Crowded arenas with everyone going different speeds can be mayhem. Hope you find a quiet time to work on it!
Thanks just got back from riding. Only me, but rained again last night and my space just limited so we trotted. May I ask you a question though? I can't find the answer in my book. I can't seem to find a marker on when to rise up. I try looking at his shoulders but I have to lean forward and look down. I can make myself sit down in the saddle but if I don't he raises me up a little with his gait. Is that the pattern? I don't wan't to just be bouncing around on him. If it is then I can come up some instead of resisting it.
Boy.... This is so much a "feel" thing for me and I have a hard time trying to explain it. When you ~get~ it, even for a few strides at a time, you'll know it. And you'll feel it when you lose it.
The perfect time to rise is when his motion is part of what lifts you, and then begin to sit when that foot is on it's way down.... "ride it up, and then ride it back down again." if that makes sense. I think it does, if that is what you mean by "raises me up a little with his gait." If you are exactly on, you stand assisted by his momentum as his back comes up, and you won't feel yourself sit back down again as a 'bump', you' just settle in when his back is on the way down. If you feel a bump, you've caught him a half-second too late, coming down when his back is on the way back up again.
Also ideally, your motion feels like one continuous motion, not a sit stop stand stop, but one continuous rising and falling, like his motion. The slower you are going, the harder that is. At a slow trot, it will look and feel more jerky than at a faster rhythm.
I look down only to determine for sure which diagonal to be on... Rather than looking, try to feel his rise and fall so that you can tell when he is at the highest point and the lowest point. Posting is a tough art, and it just takes a lot of practice to master. Keep him at a medium to brisk pace, I really think it is easier than slower.
Pinging AAM.... she may have a more helpful way to phrase this.
This thing:) is actually a chalk board to leave messages on. I have never seen anything like it, and thought it was pretty cool.
Becky
You can write on the horse's big ole belly? With white chalk? That is the funniest lookin' thing I have seen ever!
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