Recent content by CallMeKate

'the vet can't see any lameness' so in fact it MIGHT not be a lameness issue!!

Not an 'assumption' but a suggestion that this might be the issue....why did I make this suggestion? (which you seem to have taken offence to... where ther was none intended at all) you said somewhere that the vet's did not find lameness...so, thinking outside the box, the lack of forward might...

The handbrake being on feeling, ie not going forward could absolutely be a training issue. If (and this is an if, not a criticism of you) you are being encouraged to ride your horse in ‘a frame’ then you are potentially actually APPLYING the handbrake with rein/bit pressure and then confusing...

The grazing with the left foot forward is not a concern. Horses have ‘handedness’ just like humans (Dr Andrew Mclean) and will graze with a preferred foot forward often, and usually step forward with a preferred foot first.

My Vet (I'm in NZ) doesn't do arthramid! Not sure exactly why, but we had the discussion last year. When making the appointment today the vet nurse said 'we do steriods and pentosan'...pentosan needs monthly injections so not an option. I might push the point and try and find an alternative...

Very pertinent discussion for me. My 18 year old Irish had hock injections 10 months ago (steroids only as vet doesn't do hyaluronic acid injections....research doesn't support their efficacy apparently)....anyway he has just had minimal pottering about for much of the last year. He LOVES to be...

Okay, so you are a new partnership and your horse was frightened by the noise. First, believe your horse, his behaviour showed that he was frightened, so his flight instinct/adrenaline kicked in to take him back to where he felt safe. He did not feel safe with you, or in that situation, this is...

So…mud fever is a combination of bacteria and fungal infections. So treatment and prevention are two very different processes. For the infection to take a hold there must first be a hole in the body’s primary defence mechanism…the skin and hair in furry animals. No lesions, no infections! So to...

Haha, will do! She looks like a rather short ott at the moment. She was better made up as a 2 year old (seen videos) which says something. I love transformations as well. She is still en route to my place at the moment, traveling from the South to the North Island. the joy's of living in New...

She seems great though a little anxious! The breaker (who wasn't selling her) said she would have bought her for herself if she had had space and that she was a very cool little horse! She has been under saddle since 3 and bought back into work between foals, but that 'work' has only ever been...

Good advice, but I've actually bought her! If she stays 15.2 it's just fine! But of course an extra inch would be lovely! I was interested in people's experiences as I have never bought an ex brood mare before, or in fact had anything to do with breeding. The vet was a little scathing of the...

Thank you so much for your reply. Good advice about getting her checked before starting work. She is 15.2 which is fine! I bought her because I felt we could be good together and I see so much potential! The fashion for enormous dressage horses should pass soon (haha ;)). She will have some time...

Mare is a 15.2 trakhener. She's not in great condition now, a bit skinny. She had reasonable nutrition and care through her 2 pregnancies. Does anyone think that the foals could have impacted her long term health?

YES, my opinion is that there definitely should be a ceiling of 15 % of the horses weight. For a pretty substantial heavy weight draft type horse that would be ~650 kg that would mean a rider would have a max of about 82 kg....now I realise that there will be a few people in denial here who...

Hi all from muddy, cold, damp wintery New Zealand. I'm a British expat who has a couple of neddies here. Missing the British horse scene if truth be told!