skttl969

Hi, I have a client with a TB that is just turning 3. He is off the track but has been in full training for almost 6 months now and is doing AMAZING. We have begun to teach him to jump small jumps, however the owners want to push him to go faster... I want to find some information to help them understand my two points:

1. While jumping a 3 year old horse is "ok" you have to be careful to go slow and not skip steps in the training or overwork their bones and muscles. Jumping more than once a week is unnecessary as well as is jumping over 2'6".

2. The knees should be Xrayed prior to jumping on a regular basis OR jumping higher than about 2'.

I have tried to explain all of this to them but their "friend" that they bought the horse from keeps telling them that I'm just trying to waste their time and money... I told them I absolutly will not jump the horse higher than 18" until they get the Xrays done and I am seriously considering telling them to just take their horse elsewhere if they aren't going to trust me - but I wanted to try to find some decent information that I can show them before I do that...

Thanks!

I am considering opening a small tack store on my property (boarding/lesson barn) as well as a small mobile tack store at the local horse shows.

I am trying to find wholesalers to set up an account as a retailer - does anyone know good companies to contact?? Anyone with any experience in this?

We do only english riding, mostly h/j, so i need someone who sells quality products for us.

Thanks!

Ok, I know next to nothing about goats and am trying to research like crazy. I run a large horse stable and the local SPCA came to me asking me to take in two mini goats they rescued from a slaughter house. They are not pygmy goats... The "mom" goat is all white and about knee-height on me... The "baby" is almost as big (no longer nursing) and is all white except for her head and her four feet & ankles.

My vet is a horse vet so only knows a little about goats from vet school. We worked out a feeding program for them and got the dewormed. They seem to be happy and healthy and putting on weight.

However, the "mom" goat has put on a LOT more weight. He udder is not very big though (when the 'baby' stopped nursing it got smaller and has stayed that size). We had the vet ultrasound her and she is pregnant with at least 3 (possibly 4) babies.

However, we have NO IDEA when she was bred. She put most of her weight on over the past 3 weeks, but her personality has not changed much. The babies seems pretty well developed with all their bones and such....

So here are my questions:

I have heard it is dangerous to have more than 2 babies - what are the chances they will all survive?

Since mine are "minis" I have also heard it is dangerous for her to be bred to "full size" goats but we don't know... What if she has been? Is it dangerous? How big will the babies get?

Do I have to seperate her from her older baby? I doubt it will try to nurse, but it was never dehorned so it has little 3/4 inch horns and I don't want it to hurt the babies.....

How and when do you castrate the babies (I don't want any more after this!!)

How and when do you dehorn them???

Thanks in advance for any info or weblinks you can provide!

OK, so I already know that upright pasterns are "bad" because they increase concussion to the bones in the leg, and that it is usually accompanied by short, choppy strides, and an upright shoulder.

However, what if the horse does not have short, choppy strides or an upright shoulder - how bad is it then?

The horse in question is a 17.1H AQHA registered 8yr old gelding. He has been used as a hunter for the 3' divisions for the past 3 years with reasonable success. He is SUPER quiet with easy lead changes. His stride is actually very good length and his conformation is good except for his upright pastern (his shoulder is well sloped) - although I don't like the way his feet are trimmed (not enough heel) but it appears to be a bad farrier not bad feet.

My question is how big of a deal would you make of the upright pasterns if his conformation is otherwise good, he has had no soundness issues and his stride is of reasonable size and is very fluid?

What do you think about the fact that he has this problem and he is so big (17.1)??

The horse is one I am considering for a client to purchase and everything about him is great and we are getting a GREAT price (the girl quiet riding and parent's don't want to pay 1200/mo board anymore). What do you think???

My husband and I are looking to purchase a home in the Ft. Lauderdale, Fl area. We want to spend around $300K and have the 20% down payment from the sale of our previous property...

However we had a small business that we just closed (which is why we are moving back to that area)... We closed the business because it was not making any money and, in our efforts to keep it open, we have greatly reduced our credit scores....

He is now working full time in the area at his previous job and I will be starting a new job (in the same field I worked in previously) soon. Our credit scores are between 580 and 610 (or pretty close). Like I said we do have the 20% down and we have found several homes in the $300K range (3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage, pool, large yard, etc...).

We are going to ask sellers to do a lease-option or owner financing... but I was wondering if anyone here knew where to start to try to get a mortgage with our position. I know we will pay high interest.

Really more of a comment then a question...

Many of the people here are beginners and I think that several of the responders over-react to the lack of knowledge of come posters... not just here, other forums too. You are doing the right thing in trying to get answers!

That said, you can not rely on annonymous posters on the internet to teach you everything you need to know to ride, handle and care for horses - working with horses is a BIG responsibility and lack of education can be dangerous for you and your mount. (we've all heard the stories of the people who have 'never' taken a lesson but they are still 'great horsemen' - it's possible, but not common)

Taking regular riding lessons is the MOST important thing you can ever do for your equine education. Your instructor will be able to answer ANY question you may think of posting here. If you have a trainer and don't feel comfortable asking "stupid" questions - FIND A NEW TRAINER!!! That's their job - to educate you!

Has anyone ever used a "segunda d-ring" bit? It is a D ring that is double jointed (like a french link or Dr. Bristol) but the centerpiece is a medium height port. I am have been told that this is a good bit for a horse that needs a bit more than a snaffle but a kimberwick is too much (which is exactly where my horse is!)... However I'm a bit confused... I was always under the impression that ports (unless you get to the very high ones) work by allowing more space for the tongue thereby being fairly mild on the tongue (working on the bars) and that double-jointed bits work by following the shape of the mouth thereby being mild on the bars and working on the tongue... however this bit was recommended to me by two VERY well known hunter trainers in the area for my horse.