Recent content by oldjumper

Always good to have curiosity and a spirit of adventure? I discovered a brand new bitless attachment for a Miklem bridle in our tack room so thought I’d have a go. My horse (TB) also never experienced bitless before but he’s very polite and well schooled so🤞cracked on as normal…schooled...

Don’t be sorry - celebrate! Much older (25 years) than you and lifetime of riding/competing but still euphoric after a good hack on wonderful horse (and still learning) 😂 It’s why we do it!

Sorry to hear about your horse. I can only share my experience after TB diagnosed with similar about 5 years ago. Injections do mask symptoms for about 6 weeks to buy you time to begin rehab without causing pain. I followed suggested rehab of lunging in pesoa to the letter every day. Always...

This is all bril advice. One suggestion I could add (based on food averse TB who stopped eating even grass at one stage) is that what saved him from starvation was contacting nutritionist at equine exceed. Following her advice I started him on their gut supplement which I had to syringe for...

How refreshing to see a horse in a show ring that’s not overweight! He looks lovely 🥰

Sorry to hear this. My horse was diagnosed 5 years ago when he was 14. Only advice I can give is get a rehab plan from your vet and stick to it - every day. I found pesoa v useful and effective though I know they’re not flavour of the month! My horse had to have a second injection a few months...

Many decades ago my first pony was branded under the saddle. He was a (fabulous) new forest pony🥰

Treat training around livestock like anything else you train your horse to do. Introduce the process unmounted in a quiet place and do it gradually, patiently and make sure every tiny step forward is positively rewarded. You need to take introductions ‘one cow (or sheep, donkey, turkey) at a...

And how???

Even with accurate weighing and vet advice it can be very hit and miss the first time. Our mini cob can have whole tube and still be ready for adventures while big TB only has to sniff the packet to go bye byes…

Also in cold upland area and for riding out in bitter weather find stretch ski clothing (worth trawling charity shops) best with buff or balaclava under hat. I wear heated gillet but remove battery when actually riding as it sits against hip and feels a bit risky in case of unscheduled dismount...

Dilute detol on damp cloth rubbed wrong way into coat works brilliantly and doesn’t need repeating too often. It reduces scurf in coat though so probably more appropriate in summer.

I highly recommend equine exceed gastro pro. (Even accepted by v picky TB - totally transformed him). Worth contacting and discussing your horse - I found them incredibly helpful.

My old horse that I had ridden for 15 years suddenly started behaving v oddly. He was pretty hot and forward but not particularly spooky. At 25 he was still being ridden daily until he had 2 major meltdowns whilst hacking on road. Apparently reacting to something only he could see/hear or smell...