amandap
Well-Known Member
One of my mini Shetlands is trickier to manage (feed wise) than my TB!
I know what you mean lol. I own a number of TBs and all of them have terrific feet, are totally sound and have been unshod for years and years. They are often a little more sensitive than other breeds, that's true, and they generally have to be treated with a bit more consideration than my other breeds (AQHAs, Holsteiners and Hanoverians). Mine are all in great shape however they do get fed more than my other breeds of horses. None of them need calmers or any of that rubbish; they're just handled with respect and mine all know how to behave very well.Being tb, my horse is sensitive, is flighty, is sharp, has flat feet, is a diva, has bad feet, can't go bf, has to have a calmer, has to have 'conditioning feed, basically has to be treated like he isn't a horse....
A horse is a horse
I agree with this. I do think their usual management often leads to physical problems... ulcers etc. They are so often fed up with high calorie feeds when they actually need more forage!The issue with TBs is that sadly many of them carry physical issues which to often are dismissed as them being TB they are in fact just being horses in pain when you add to it the fact they do need retraining if they have been in training it's easy to see where their reputation comes from .
Whilst I don't discount what you are saying... Let's take this for example. My friend runs a racehorse /rescue & rehab charity. Almost everything that comes to her door (and she has many) have crappy feet, flat soles, many have navicular, underrun heels, cracks... You name it... Every single one of them has their shoes whipped off and hard work and diet change put in. Every single one has improved, come sound, developed strong hooves and good concavity. Every single horse has blossomed on a high fibre, oil rich diet, grass and hay, they nearly all rough off for the winter, those that NEED rugs have them, but not all. Brushing off fixable faults and using genetics as an excuse to not resolve issues is just wrong.
Smokes is sharp as a tack, spends most of his life in a hazy state of high excitement and is a poor doer who randomly puts himself on diets just to wind Al up further. But actually this is all very manageable and he's a lovely little horse who is easy to do in all ways. We love his little 'things' and Al finds his whappy behaviour fairly amusing because he does settle down and go very well once it's out of his system. He could probably go barefoot but as he needs studs he won't be.
Reg was actually a very highly strung, tricky horse. For a very long time we had to be very careful with him and we did make excuses for him- he was very much of the 'racing' mindset, he couldn't be stabled for more than a few hours without stressing and trashing the place, he got very upset by random things and was genuinely one who needed to be treated with kid gloves. Fast forward a few years and he is the most relaxed, happy horse I know. He is calm and easygoing, he rocks up at shows and is just as chilled out. He recently took part in a bridal shoot with Al riding him bareback round a huge field with teepees and other distractions galore, with Al wearing the biggest, flounciest dress I've ever seen and he didn't bat an eyelid.
Sometimes, spoiling them and treating them very carefully does work. There were always boundaries and he was never naughty but genuinely worried or stressed, and his stable manners are impeccable now. I don't think excuses should be made but there is more than one way to skin a cat and if you'd got cross with Reg he would have completely lost it.
Drives me insane when on facebook I see posts all the time, and specifically from someone I know, that start with 'so and so the ex-racer' 'he did this because he's an ex-racer' 'he wont be expected to stand at a mounting block, he's an ex-racer!' 'Oh, I have to take him at the front whilst hacking as he's an ex-racer' and so so many more.
AAAARRRGGGGHHHH !!!
By the way, my lovely loan Daisy was an ex-racer, and if you knew how to ride her she was safe sane and sensible! Never used to spook at anything, only thing she would do is calmly spin and go the other way whilst hacking now and then. So just used to turn her back the right way and kick on, problem solved!
Whilst I don't discount what you are saying... Let's take this for example. My friend runs a racehorse /rescue & rehab charity. Almost everything that comes to her door (and she has many) have crappy feet, flat soles, many have navicular, underrun heels, cracks... You name it... Every single one of them has their shoes whipped off and hard work and diet change put in. Every single one has improved, come sound, developed strong hooves and good concavity. Every single horse has blossomed on a high fibre, oil rich diet, grass and hay, they nearly all rough off for the winter, those that NEED rugs have them, but not all. Brushing off fixable faults and using genetics as an excuse to not resolve issues is just wrong.
This bugs me too...the 'ex racer' tag when they have maybe done 1 race at 2/3 and then nothing after
i,ve got onePssssst . >>>>> advert over there for safe sensible TB do you think they may be lying? Is there such a thing .?
*waves*PapaFrita welcome back.
Actually justabob... I would have a tb for your reasons!!
Plus I like a hot ride.
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