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Posted on 02/24/2006 9:12:25 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
This is a horse chat thread where we 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. In the previous threads we have had a great time talking through lessons, training, horse lamenesses, illnesses and pregnancies... and always sharing pictures and stories.
I always have 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 also have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and MissTargets will now be pinging everyone most mornings. Let MissTargets and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list. 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.
So... like the previous threads, this is intended as 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.
Previous threads:
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - thread ONE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FOUR
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FIVE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SIX
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread EIGHT
New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!
Water's cheaper too.
You take any pictures of SL's feet last night or didja still feel bad?
The seminar last night was really good. Celia and I were pleasantly surprised, Purina picked up the tab for supper:)
The guy from Purina talked about all the different horse feeds Purina makes, and their purpose, (all the feeds except Horse Chow:() I think they push the Equine foal/adult/senior more. I asked the difference he said none. I told him what I do, and how my horse looks (a bit fat:). A big part of his talk was feeding your horse so he has the proper nutrition to supply the amount of energy he needs. Protein is the least effecient source of energy, then fat then carbs. If you don't feed enough fat and carbs for their energy, then they will burn protein and that will cause a loss of muscle. Increasing protein is NOT the fix. Once again I wondered about how much he was selling, but for me he recommended that if I stay with Horse Chow that I use a supplement Purina makes, when I'm competeing to make sure Harley has what he needs for energy...Equine Adult already has it added.
He said Protein will NOT make a horse hyper, to much protein will just be expelled thru the urine.
The bit man was interesting, and very informative. Our feed store is going to start carrying this brand of bits (Mylar). The demonstration of bits was very interesting, but being the skeptic I am:), I wonder how much is just a sales pitch. I did learn tho that snaffle bits are not at all gentle, especially in hands that are not effecient at using them. I knew it took some know how to use a snaffle but I thought if you didn't have that know how the bit just didn't work good, I didn't realize it really could cause extreme discomfort to the horse. And that bits with ports, shanks, and curb bits are actually less uncomfortable to the horse. They give more room for the tongue, and they spread the pressure over more area, the chin, bars of the mouth, and polls, where as the snaffle every bit of pressure is on the tongue.
There is alot more to equine dentistry then just running a float over the horses teeth. The vet that did that demonstration lives here in Bixby and she seemed to be very up on the latest information on the subject. But once again I wonder how much was selling...
They owner of my feed store said after she worked on his horse, his horse worked 110% better. He said it takes her about an hour and half to "float" teeth, and it was about $75. She recommends once a year floating.
Becky
I'd actually kinda thought that myself, just by thinking about the mechanics of it, but it's nice to hear it from somebody else. I'd always thought that a snaffle seemed like it would have a "nut cracker" effect, pinching the lower jaw. I realize that snaffles are meant to be used by pulling one rein or the other to get lateral flexion, not both at the same time, unless you're asking for vertical flexion, but like you say, inexperienced riders mostly pull on both to stop, like they would in a curb. I've actually been thinking about going to this bit...
The mouthpiece swivels on the shanks, so it's always laying flat on the bars of the mouth. They've just got it tilted in the picture so you can see how wide it is. It looks severe, but it's actually supposed to be milder than most regular round low port curb bits. It's supposed to give more control with less pressure. So I don't know. Like I way, I'm just thinking about it.
That's interesting about the feed. I always thought that more protein was better. I guess I need to rethink my feeding habits.
I knew that equine dentistry was more of an art than most people realized. That's why I really don't like the way my vet floats teeth. He did finally get a power float, but he doesn't like to use a speculum. He just pulls their tongue out to the side, and to me, you can't see what you're doing that way. I think that to really do a good job, you've got to have their mouth open wide enough, for long enough that you can see and feel all the way to the back teeth for long enough to tell that you've got a good level surface on the teeth. God Bless Him, I love him for everything else, but he just doesn't think equine dentistry is that big a deal, and it is.
Yeah, until last night I would have thought "Oh the poor horse" if I saw that bit, but now I realize, especially since it lays flat that that is a very soft bit.
I'd like to try one of the bits I saw last night. I think they would be very good, probabley better even then what I'm useing now. I just don't have the $80 for one right now. The guy said alot of the shops/feedstores that are dealing in these bits are letting people "rent" then one at a time and the price of the rent goes towards the eventual purchase of the one you want.
I hope my feed store does this.
This vet uses a speculum, heavily sedates the horse, and has a power float. Sounds like she really know her stuff. She even mentioned the cons of the power float and what she does to keep a problem from happening.
Becky
Becky
Yeah, a power float definately is a weapon of mass destruction in the hands of an inexperienced user. You can grind off WAY too much tooth if you don't know what you're doing, or can't SEE what you're doing.
This equine dentist I use also puts a special halter on them and ties it up to the top bar of the stancheon so that it that supports their head at the right height after the speculum is in their mouth so he has both hands free to work. It looks a HELL of a lot easier than having a 300lb horse head hanging on one arm, or on your assistant's shoulder while you try to hunker over and see up into his mouth. I just don't get it why my vet doesn't do that. I know that part of the reason is that he's nearly been brained by a horse with a speculum in it mouth, but I'd think that he just needed to be sedated a little more first. He also says that he can be done by the time he gets all that contraption on, but I keep thinking "yeah, and how good a job are you doing by getting done that quick?". So I guess he has valid reasons, to him, but I'd just rather use somebody else for that particular service, even if it means I gotta trailer an hour.
The horse, NOT the vet! ;o)
Bay gets his teeth done once a year, the mares went longer, it depends on age and their bite how quickly they need it again, I think.
My vet uses a crutch to hold their head at the right height... and I hold his tongue (the horse's) out of the way while he works :~D
That's a good idea with the crutch since when he's at a client's barn it's very unlikely that they're going to have their own stancheon. A good set of adjustable cross ties might accomplish the same thing too.
We're having rolling black-outs. Yesterday, I put some taters in the oven right before I left the house to pick the kiddoes up from school. I timed it so I could have dinner ready early but lo and behold, the oven was off when I got home. The electricity had gone out while I was away from the house. The oven doesn't come back on when the power comes back.
Bummer about the taters (and the blackouts). It must be a digital oven coz I would think that a standard, low-tech, knob-type oven would come back on.
LOL, it is digital.
Working on pics of Tuffy's feet....
Anxious to see pictures:)
I'm at Jenny's she ran to town to get us some lunch. Dot is saddled and tied and doing fine. Jenny could probably get on with no problem, but she's decided to wait till tomorrow. She is going to come up to the house and get on in the arena.
I brought Harley with me. He is standing out there tied and saddle too.
I'll have pictures when I get back home. I can't remember the password for my picture hosting site.
Becky
Is it not going to rain there this afternoon? We're surrounded by it and it's heading this way. I just let Tuffy out for a bit but I'm going to have to bring him right back in, it's really gonna storm. Good chance of heavy lightning, large hail and a slight change of tornadoes. My pics are taking forever to download, I may have to wait until I get back from picking the kidlets up before I can post them.
Oh, wow, this is cool. I could view these videos on Jenny's computer:). Boy he was lame in that one day, but looked so much better this week. Was it just your voice command or were you doing something to get him to do the poles?
Anyway you can point me to Frogs video of her horse gaiting?
Becky
We have just a very slight chance of some storms late tonight into tomorrow morning. I don't think it's enough to help tho, even if we get it.
It's a beautiful day here. Not so hot.
Becky
Here's the video of Frog coming down the tricky staircase into the creek, then they rack off down the trail a bit.
And here's a clip of her friend at a pretty good racking clip...
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