Recent content by Orangehorse

That is so sad, how hard. All I can do is send you a hug.

Muntjac deer are very good eating. It doesn't taste strong at all. There are numerous people who will stalk deer, but you want to make sure that they have proper licence, etc. and can sell to game dealer (they need an extra qualification to handle the venison as food). I know someone who is...

My daughter and her friends go there sometimes. All have been Pony Club members in the past, but very, very rusty and unfit for riding. She loved the horse she had last time they went.

Yes, I had a horse with this. Made him a bit head shy, and I had to put on the bridle carefully. Clipping and plaiting wasn't easy - but we lived with it and looking back he was probably the best horse I ever had, competition wise.

If you look at who attends a meet - there is a big cross section of society who have a common interest, and several who certainly get a proportion of their income from those attending or supporting the hunt. Our local hunt has arranged a whole year's programme of social activities, most...

There are numerous tabards, coats, rugs, etc. that have bold messages for drivers that you can wear. As a local vet said, we dress horses to go across country, we should dress them to go out on the road too. Everyone says that a well advertised hat-cam is probably the best. Good luck.

I have seen an In Hand Trec competition near me. What obstacles are used? I used to do Trec with my horse, so I have a bit of an idea, but it was a time ago. So I'm guessing S shape, standing still unattended for 10 seconds (hands behind your back), backing up between poles. What else?

I've been to a few racing yards now, big, well known names. Some do train from the field, several turnout after exercise (unless the depths of a horrible winter).

In the UK we don't have the "work for accommodation, live off tips" type of jobs that are in the USA. Best to wait until you are 18, unless you can find someone willing to take you through family contacts or personal recommendations via a visiting instructor, for instance.

Well no. Because horses die when being exercised, see my examples above. Just stop riding horses, not breed them, that would stop it.

Well unfortunately they do sometimes gallop happily one minute and then drop dead. Sometimes they die in mid-air over a fence. Given warning a jockey would pull up. Horses die on the gallops, on cross country, out hunting, and I knew of a 12 year old event horse that was being exercised over...

I think the problem always is if a neighbour complains. It is one thing having your stable, with your horse smells in your garden, but it is a bit much to impose that on a neighbour, hence they will complain. If you are far enough from anyone who makes a fuss then you will probably be OK.

My first trailer was a converted pony trailer with a higher roof, it was timber. I avoided motorways, but I only wanted to go to local things - shows, riding club, out for hacks. It would only ever be large enough for one horse, but he used to stand diagonally across it and it was really quite...

Is there such a thing as a combined massage and heat pad for horses?

As you say, it sounds as though there was something else going on, that it was a symptom of an internal problem rather then a "feet" problem. But I can understand why you feel unhappy. Having turned up with normal for the blood tests, the vets might have thought it was something else and...