The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread NINE

See our "who's who" page! ^

[CindyDawg]

Figure it out because when mine comes in you may need to show me how you did it:')

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Charlie got mine all fixed up for me, I needed another hole in the bit straps, and he put that plate I won at the ride on the nose band. I think they were designed for the check strap, but it would have gotten all scratched up quick with the snap for the bit straps. So he put it on the noseband. It may bend a bit now but I think it will be OK, and will look really cool when it's on:)

I'll get a picture tomorrow when I ride. My broken camera doesn't take too bad of a picture.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

While you are here, can you tell me how to get a horse to pick up a front leg? I have Sarah Lee going over poles (we are pretending it's a tree:'). She always bumps the second leg. Sometimes she will step with her left 1st, sometimes the right but bumps the second.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Oh and I took the brow band off too. There was a little keeper to hold the throat latch to the halter strap, so I couldn't see the point of the brow band, and I think with it, he's got too many straps running over his face.

I can put it back on if I find I need to, but I'm going to try it without. Halters don't have brow bands, and headstalls don't have nosebands.

Becky

[Beaker]

...Perhaps. I've seen a lot of abuse cases though, and it'll amaze you what people will do. There's a national lost horse registry, let me dig around and see if I can find it. I just find it odd that no one has reported a missing horse. I apologize to all, I just don't trust people when I see a horse looking like that.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I really don't have a clue. I'm sorry.

Is she starting her step over too soon maybe??? Try to get her closer to it before she has to step over...

Hairs better at this sort of thing:), she gets them to do it with a lunge line...

Becky

[CindyDawg]

She moving at a walk. Both when we are on the ground and I'm in the saddle.

[HairOfTheDog]

Raise it up higher so she has to lift higher or find a bigger log :~D

Might be clumsy, might be lazy.

[CindyDawg]

It's about a foot high already but I can do that. I think she clumsy because she tries to do what I ask.

[Beaker]

If you want to follow the lost/stolen horse route, here are some links: Netposse.com- international stolen horse registry

Pillion.com - A website with a whole bunch of different lost/stolen horse registries. Netposse is one of the links. I'm not sure if the listings on the actual page are up to date, they claim to be from 2003.

[HairOfTheDog]

You might cluck and squeeze, wake her up and get her moving at a brisk, rather than lazy, walk. Say something like "watchyerfeet!" before going over. I do that with Bay, when he's tired on trail and I see hazards like rocks or roots and I'm not sure he's paying attention. And try it at the trot on the lunge. If they're moving faster, they exert better, better than if they can just slop over it at the walk.

[HairOfTheDog]

Is she hitting it with the front or back? If she is just dragging her feet, it might help to have a series of poles, not just one, to exercise and get her to stretch and lift for a few strides at a time.

[CindyDawg]

She kind of drags the second leg over.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Right, but it may be that she is trying to step over before she is close enough to clear it. It could be just laziness too.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

It's about a foot high already

Woah - let me back up... a foot high? It might just be too tall for her to walk over easily. She's a pretty low kneed, low hocked horse isn't she? She might not be that limber if she's not used to that kind of thing. I'd lower it to poles on or near the ground, and work on her gymnastic ability with more poles, not higher ones. You'll want to work out the spacing so they are just one footstep between them. If you ever really come upon a log that big on trail, she'll figure out how to clamber over it. :~D

[CindyDawg]

If yall have a horse come up missing, let me know. We get drop ins every so often. They just show up, wanting in.

[CindyDawg]

Yeah, it's one of those cross poles. She has no hesitation. We have been practicing a couple of weeks. Just wondered how to teach her to raise the second leg higher.

[Beaker]

It seems like Pony has a salt deficiency, or is bored or both and that might be a reason why she's going at the salt block like a fiend. Since this is a new behavior, I want to say that it's because she has a salt defiency. I took a peek at the Merck Veternairy Manual. It said that a horse can develop salt poisoning, or salt cramps if a salt deficent horse is allowed sudden free choice of salt and not enough water to drink in turn, or even just sudden free choice of salt, but seeing as she pees like well... a horse, or several horses, she's obviously drinking enough water. There's debate, however, over whether or not salt poisoning occurs because of lack of water or sudden free choice of salt. Here's the link: Merck Vet Manual

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

You know I've told you about the guy behind me that built the gate across the path I ride, but he left one side low enough for the horse to step over. Harley stepped over it at first with no hesitation, but he always banged a back foot when going over. Here lately he's been refusing, I've had to really sink spur to get him to go. I've wondered if it was because he banged his foot a few times. He does great with the front feet. It's about 18 inches high. He's started hopping a bit now with his back legs, but is still banging it...

The only part that bothers me about the situation is on the inside coming out the guy drove a short piece of t post as a stop for the gate. It sticks up about 6 inches. When Harley refuses to go over he starts going backwards and I worry about him tearing his leg up on that piece of t post. I've been practicing going over it from the other way where I don't have that to worry about...I'm not sure what to do to get him over it better with his back legs.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Cluck and wake her up approaching it... tell her to pick up her feet. Goose her a little if she touches... caution, if you goose too hard, she may hop it :~D