horselover_2240

I teach at the local pony club (NZ) and have run into an issue with one of my students horse. He's obviously had a lack of proper training during his prime (he's 18) and when she bought him he was a confirmed bolter. I don't know the background situation that caused this initially but now the bolting has become a habit. She's gotten him all checked out for pain, correctly fitting saddle etc. He's much better than he used to be but despite her best efforts when she's jumping him he becomes stronger and stronger as she goes until it turns into an outright bolt. She can usually get over 2 jumps before he takes the bit and runs. She can stop the bolt with a one rein stop but obviously can't do a course of jumps with him. She's committed to re-training and working to be able to just control him in his snaffle but at this rate it will take another year or two! She needs to be able to jump a small course for pony club and also his bolting is dangerous to others. He obviously completely ignores an ordinary snaffle so I'm looking for advice on a bit that might be a bit stronger or just offer more control just for events or similar situations. Would a martingale give her that control? I've always ridden my horses in plain snaffles or french links and have never advocated stronger bits or martingales but this horse needs something to allow the poor girl to have more control. I'm just a bit unsure what to recommend as I'm afraid a gag would be the wrong choice and was thinking along the line of a pelham???

My mare had been performing brilliantly when one day she went unlevel at the trot. I gave her some time off as I thought it might just be a sore muscle or similar. She didn't improve so I got the vet out. After nerve blocks, x-rays etc she was diagnosed with a bone chip in the joint between the short pastern and the pedal bone. I was told this was actually an old chip (smooth edges) and it seems the most likely reason for her mild lameness is that this chip has been moved/irritated by some trauma to the area. I was told to give her 2 months off to allow the chip to try and settle as surgery for this area had a very low success rate (10-20%), then check and see how it's going. Basically I have a 50/50 chance that she'll be sound again or no longer be suitable for riding (she's a competitive show jumper/dressage horse who's not suitable for trail/pleasure unless in full work). I'm wondering if anybody has dealt with a similar issue and if their horse came sound again? Any suggestions on supplement or similar which might help? Thanks.

My husband and I were watching the olympic speed skating today and we were arguing about how they put the flags for each competitors country on the ice for each round. I said that they are projected onto the ice and therefore are visible to the people in the stands too. He said that they are computer generated images stuck on to the footage as it airs... So who's right? Or are we both wrong? Thanks in advance if you can clear this up. : )

I'm trying to find out more about this mare. Is there any website or similar that has a bio for her or similar? I'd also like to see a conformation picture as I'd like to find out what makes Sapphire so good. It's just out of curiosity but I can's seem to find the information anywhere when I google it. Thanks!

How to begin. I moved to NZ 1 1/2 years ago and purchased a lovely Tb x mare. She had lovely feet but hated the farrier I tried first (needed sedation) so I went looking to try and find a farrier that she got along with and could shoe her. Remember that I didn't know hardly anybody at the time. I finally found a guy who could shoe her with any problems at all and get her to stand very quietly so for the last 6 months he's shod her and all had seemingly gone well. Then the winter hit and I noticed her feet were cracking, she was getting some hoof wall separation, and her toes seemed to long to my eye and I thought of switching farriers. Two weeks ago she got what the vet/farriers etc diagnosed as an abscess, no lameness but swelling in the pastern of the right front. I did the normal abscess treatments with no success so I asked another farrier for a second opinion. He diagnosed her with a sheared heal and showed me what was going on. It makes perfect sense and I wish I had caught the fact she had some unbalanced shoeing going on before. Obviously I switched farriers and started getting corrective trimming and shoeing (she can't go barefoot for other reasons).

The farrier certainly answered most of my questions but I want feed back from others who have had this problem. How quickly did your horse recover? I was told to I can ride her (since she's not lame) but very gently on soft surfaces at the walk with a tiny bit of trot, is this normal? When was the horse able to start jumping again? Any advice?

Thanks! I feel very badly as she gets the best of everything and I can't believe this happened : ( so any encouragement would be great!

I have a 6 year old mare who is in moderate work. She recently developed what looks like windpuffs on all four legs. What I can't figure out is why they developed and so quickly. I'd like to reduce the trigger factor as obviously it's a sign of wear and tear but I don't know what it is. Any ideas?

She is kept in pasture and is ridden 5-6 days a week. This consists of 30-60 min of work, flatwork/dressage mostly with jump schooling 1-2 times a week depending on weather/footing. Nothing has really changed recently in her work schedule. There have been a lot of flies lately (I live in NZ) and she's been stomping at them quite hard, would that do it? Could have something to do with shoing angles? She does have relatively long pasterns which might have contributed... Thanks!

I have a freshwater tropical tank with a mix of species. I originally purchased 4 platys, 1 male and 3 females. They started reproducing a while after, recently one of the fry has grown and now he resembles a swordtail! Is this just birth "defect" or is there something in the genetics in the past which caused this? Thanks!

I've been buying normal 1 liter jugs of milk at the supermarket and have been trying to figure out why they seem to go thick and clumpy after just a few days? They aren't even close to expiration dates and are stored in the fridge. I've tried different brands etc, but I just can't drink milk that fast. Does anybody know what causes this and how to prevent it? Can't find anything online about it.

Today I pulled out a couple girths, a pair of english tall boots and a saddle to clean them up. I keep my gear in top condition and was super surpised to find little bugs that look like white aphids on everything. I googled bugs that eat leather etc, but haven't come up with anything. I'm wondering if maybe there are traces of sweat on the gear that they might be eating instead of the leather as they seem concentrated on the little creases that you can't clean well. Anybody know what these might be and a safe way to get rid of them?? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I've been looking at horses recently for doing both jumping (to about 4'3"), and dressage (3rd level or so). I've always tried to avoid purchasing horses with croups that slope quite a bit as I was always given the impression that it wasn't desirable. However, some of the best horses I've looked at display exactly that. What do people think? A sign of weakness? More powerful? A thing to avoid? At what angle does this become a problem? I know certain disciplines actually think of this as desirable but I'm just a little hesitant to purchase an english horse with a sloping croup. Pictures are fine to demonstrate. Thanks!

I'm just looking for some tips on how to get my pony more forward. He doesn't respect leg aids or crop to go forward and I need him to not just go really really slowly! I've taught him lateral work no problem, jumps really well and forward, done ground work/lunging, goes on the bit etc, but if he decides it's too much work he just doesn't go anywhere. Rather irritating as he's so good otherwise. Any ideas to try and get to go forward off my leg without kicking him repeatedly? I've always had horses that after a bit of repetition got the hint about moving forward off the leg...this little guy is plain stubborn sometimes. Thanks!

Can you help me solve this? I have a small welsh pony in training and he recently grew in his very fuzzy winter coat (I'm in New Zealand). For some wierd reason he grew quite a bit around and on the exterior of his sheath. Now the hair keeps trapping the smegma when he drops to pee and gets all black and gross. Is this indicative of something? Is there a way to try and keep it clean besides cleaning it every week or so? Thanks!

I love mexican infused dishes with green chilies, however I recently moved to New Zealand and can't find them anywhere. Is there any good substitute? Or can you grow your own and where would I purchase seeds or seedlings? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

I have an adorable dappled grey welsh gelding that is a training project and he's going to his first show next month and I need a more intelligent sounding show name. His current name is "Arnie" and I'd like to something to the effect of "Aren't I..." or similar. Nothing having to do with arnold please....Every man around wants me to call him arnold schwarzenegger and he just doesn't fit that. Lol! I'd love to hear any name that sort of fits in with his current barn name. Thanks!