Recent content by MPop

I purchased a 3.5 tonne box for £4,800 about a year ago and I absolutely love it. I go everywhere on my own as well and I love the fact that my horse is directly behind me and I would know the second that there were any problems. I have been lucky in that I haven't had any problems at all with...

I own a 10 year old 16.1hh Shire x TB. He is much more Shire than TB in looks and is very heavy set but has smaller legs than a pure bred shire. He is very quiet and completely looks after me - although he does have a stubborn attitude and could easily walk all over (literally) his handler if he...

I don't mind people competing in Intro and Prelim on the same day, but I do mind when riders consistently score 70% in intro tests and keep riding them. It's just glory hunting and wanting to collect red rosettes. I'm no great dressage rider but I like to give it a go and have some fun, and I do...

I would ignore their requests for cash and just leave a cheque. I would never put that amount of cash in a shed - you need to get a receipt as proof of payment for a start. Just say that it's impossible to get that amount of cash out and you are not going to do it. I can't see why any reasonable...

So sorry to hear about your accident. I am another who doesn't ride on the roads. I had a very nasty bolting incident over 20 years ago where I was almost hit by a car on a bolting horse and it terrified me. I have since had therapy to get over the sheer terror of it and now can at least ride...

Thanks for this - it does make sense. I find him very hard work on the lunge so I don't tend to do it that often. I can get him to do a very half hearted trot, and sometimes he will go into canter but it's such hard work that I prefer to ride him. I can't actually remember the last time I...

I have tried this, but it doesn't have any effect at all when I am leading him in from the field as he is rugged and doesn't feel it. I could swing the leadrope around my head and it great big circles around him and he wouldn't even flinch his ears! He also doesn't seem to learn from it -...

Yes, I do agree that I need to find something positive to make him want to work, but what? He is very food motivated, but I never treat him because he becomes very muggy and constantly asks for food. Perhaps I need to rethink this and treat him appropriately when he has done well. I tried to...

My horse has always been difficult to lead. He is not strong or silly, but he is just so slow! I constantly feeling like I am dragging him behind me and I can't make him walk forwards at all without an initial pull on the lead rope. I am getting more involved with in-hand showing and horse...

I have the ariat grasmeres, and they are completely trashed after 2 years. They have about 4 holes in each boot where the leather has cracked and all the stitching has come undone from the back. For £250 I would have liked them to last longer, but they are the most comfy boots I have ever had...

I can't believe how busy this forum is! I don't log on for a day or so and come back to loads of replies - it's great! To address some of the questions: He is in 'full' work to the extent to which I can manage it. He is ridden every single day and we do a variety of activities - although all...

That's a really lovely comment and one I don't hear very often. My friends are very kind and tell me that he is not that fat, but I know that he is. I would never forgive myself if my vets warnings turned into reality because I did not take action when I was warned to. Unless you have owned a...

I would only turn him out naked on a very mild night (like it was during the whole of September), or if it was colder and his clip had half grown out. For the last 3 nights he has worn a light weight rug. I'm not actually sure if this is a rainsheet or a weighted rug (don't know too much about...

Yes, I did take his muzzle off when I first clipped him in September. I was worried that he wasn't getting enough to eat to keep himself warm when he was clipped, but in hindsight I wish that I had kept it on. However, while he has put on a tiny bit since then (perhaps 10kg on the weight tape)...

Thank you Honey08. It's so hard to balance his needs. I have been working so hard on getting him fit and healthy over the last year. We have been doing so much jumping and faster work, I really thought that we were making progress, so when the vet told me that he was still far too fat I was so...