?

I have a ten year old belgian x halflinger mare (yeah, imagine the neck on HER). I got her when she was nine out of New Holland. She is surprisingly agile for a big hefty mama. I am hoping to start eventing training with her in the spring, and am doing conditioning now.

With me, she has only ever had a very mild eggbutt snaffle in her mouth. Recently she has begun to realize that if she really wants to have her own way, the snaffle isn't going to do much to stop her (the neck, people... it has to be seen to be believed!). I do not want to get in all out tugging war with her, as she DOES have a soft mouth and we are beginning to discuss collection.

Does anyone who has been in a similar situation have an bitting suggestions? Save me the 'bitting up' lectures, if you would please. I have considered a waterford, but you cannot use them in dressage, and I don't want to get her accustomed to one bit only to have to switch it out right before a competition.

Thanks!

I have never been a huge fan of supplements, but recently I started my TB gelding on three: flax seed, fastrack, and focus weight gain. He receives 1/2 oz of each supplement AM/PM to spread them out. The flax seed is for his weight and coat, the fastrack for his digestion (he is prone to colic), and the focus weight gain because he is the hardest keeper I have ever owned. I have considered putting him on a joint supplement, but have never found one in my budget that is proven to work.

What supplement(s), if any, do you give your horses? Why? Have you seen them work?

I was in the drug store today getting some face moisturizer. I stumbled into the wrong aisle and can across those long rows and rows of supplements. One of the supplements was something very similar to this:

http://www.puritan.com/glucosamine-chondroitin-045...

And I couldn't help but think -- would this work for a horse? I'm sure you've all seen the price of equine glucosamine supplements... $70 for 30 days, some as high as $150 and up (yikes!!).

So is this possible? I am genuinely curious.

What worming protocol do you use for your horse(s)? How often do you worm? What products do you use? How do you know if it is working/not working?

Every single morning my TB gelding spooks at the same exact building. It's a small white hayshed. It doesn't move. It doesn't make any noise. No one jumps out and yells BOO! Yet every single morning like clockwork, whether he is walking out by himself or with another horse, he whirls to the side and snorts and has a panic attack.

So what does your horse do that is incredible annoying and no matter what you try to do to fix it, it just keeps happening?

Or, as some of them prefer to be called, equine podiatrists. Does anyone (or you) at your barn use a "barefoot trimmer"? I did for a time and while I liked the woman, she was twice as much as my regular farrier and I just couldn't afford it. My TB gelding has been barefoot for 4+ years and has never had any hoof issues, whether I used a so-called barefoot trimmer or not. So what are your opinions? Good? Bad? Just a new fad created by the natural horsemanship people?

So I have been having trouble with my belgian x halflinger cross flipping her tongue over the bit. Right now she is in a hunter D ring snaffle. For such a large/strong horse, she has a very soft mouth and is very light in her your hands. The biggest problem I have is that she has constantly been flipping her tongue over the bit. She has always been mouthy with the bit, more so in the beginning of the ride (15 minutes in she settles down). She is healthy and just had her teeth done three months ago by a very good equine dentist. I have ruled out pain and discomfort as the cause. I think it is more a case of "what is this thing in my mouth? I think I'll flip it around".

I do not want to ride her in hackamore because I plan on showing dressage this summer, so that is not an option. I would prefer not to put a drop flash on because I'm not a huge fan of them (and you can't use them in the hunter ring) but am running out of ideas. I have tried tightening the bridle and loosening it. Nothing seems to work. Any suggestions?

Here is a video of my horse (the big bay in the green blanket) and his three turnout buddies playing with orange cones they found in the snow. I've bought my horse countless toys from the tackshop (jolly balls, those stall roller things, likits, etc.) but he always plays with them for about 10 seconds and then gets bored. To date his favorite things to throw around are cones (go figure) and his own halter.

So what toy(s) does your horse love to play with?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0kFbu5r04M

My eight year old TB gelding has become VERY nervous/tense/uptight. I have owned him for five years and he didn't used to be this way, but about a year ago I switched jobs (became a barn manager at a new farm) and he came with me. The facility is MUCH larger than what he is used to with three barns, various turnout fields, and horses/children all over the place. I had hoped that in a year he would settle down, but no such luck. I am looking for a supplement that you or someone close to you has used to successfully take the "edge" of your horse. I don't want him acting drugged, but I can't have him leaping straight up in the air and tensing every single muscle in his body when someone pokes their head in the indoor ring to see how my ride is going. Once he does get tense, he stays tense until I get off, untack, and put him back in his stall.

Any suggestions?

I am honestly curious. Lots of people on YA! ask how to do join up. It seems to consist of using a round pen, occasionally a long length of rope, and...?

Do you have first hand experience with join up? What is it? What does it do? Who did you learn it from?

As a riding instructor, I'm curious. I don't set the price of the lessons I teach -- the barn owner does that and I work for her on salary. We are in Southeast, PA and teach mostly english lessons. We have a huge outdoor with jumps and a good sized indoor that allows us to teach year round.

A one hour private lesson is $55

A half hour private lesson is $38

A semi-private lesson (2 students) is $45

A group lesson (3-4 students) is $38

What do you pay for lessons?

kind of horse would you buy and what would you use it for?

I was galloping my thoroughbred around a dirt track that went behind the barn. Stupidly, I left my dog in the kennel that was between the track and the barn. As I went past, he jumped up and spooked my horse who leaped one way while I flew the other -- straight through the air and then headfirst into a fence post. Thankfully, I was wearing a helmet and got away with only a big scrape on my back and a few smaller ones on my arms.

What was your worst fall?

What are the top three things you look for in a boarding facility?

I'm looking for a bit for my eight year old draft/halflinger cross and would love some input from people who know about bits or have a similar horse to mine.

Poppy is still in basic training, about to start collection and a bit of lateral work. Right now she is in a thin hunter d, but I need a wider (length wise) bit (5 1/2 inches) and don't think the bit I have now is quite the match for her.

She has a soft mouth, but can occasionally try to pull through and rest on my hands. I know this will progress with time as I rebalance and build up her hindend, but I do need a bit that she will respect if I need her to get off of it. I like the idea of a port because of tongue relief and have looked at a few Mylers.

Any suggestions?

How often do you vaccinate your horses and what vaccines do you give? I used to vaccinate my two horses twice a year (spring and fall to spread the shots out) but after the barn owner took titers on her five horses (who have not been vaccinated for anything in five years and counting) and found out they where just as high as if they had been vaccinated that year, I began to spread the vaccinations out to every three years.

On a side note, my horses do NOT show and rarely, if ever, leave the property. If they did, I would reconsider vaccinating them more regularly.

I do get a coggins every year.

So how often, with what, and why do you vaccinate?

How do you discipline your horse or pony on the ground when they misbehave?

I always wore a helmet when I rode as a child and through college. After owning my TB for two years I got a little lax about it; if I was just hacking him around in the ring I would occasionally leave my helmet off. Then one day I was just "hacking him around" and my dog spooked him. He leaped to the left and I went to the right, flipping forward over his shoulder and head first into the rail post. Thankfully, that day, I had decided to wear my helmet and have worn it every since.

What about you? Do you wear a helmet? Why/why not? Have you ever had any experiences where you know a helmet definitely helped save you from some major brain damage?

I rescued Jet three weeks ago from the pound. He is about five months old and weighs 20lbs. He was a stray, so his history is unknown. At first, because of his coloring, I thought he might be a cattle dog. Now I believe he has a lot of corgi and maybe some aussie in him. His coat is medium in length and very smooth. One ear flopped over when I first brought him home but they now both stick straight up. He has a curly tail. He doesn't bark very much, but does make lots of whining and "talking" sounds when he plays with my other dog.

Any thoughts?

http://bmblog.webs.com/011.JPG

http://bmblog.webs.com/jet1.jpg

http://bmblog.webs.com/jet2.jpg

http://bmblog.webs.com/jet3.jpg

http://bmblog.webs.com/jet4.jpg

http://bmblog.webs.com/44216_522866584811_80000227...

(sorry the pictures aren't higher quality.. he is VERY wiggly and it's hard to get him to hold still for more than a second)

Because everyone does it a little differently, I'm just curious:

1) How often do you deworm your horse(s)?

2) Do you do rotational worming? If so, what is the rotation and with with brands?

3) Have you ever have fecals taken? If so, what where the general results?

4) Why do you deworm the way you do?

xxThanks!