Is It Natural For Horses...

Big Ben said:
Hand walking over ground poles, have them set that he has to actually look where he is going and has to pick up his feet.
Ditches, I live in the flat prairies, but we have wide ditches, so I 'lunge' well combination of lunge and drive up and down the ditches, make them go slow and use themselves.
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i might try the backing up thing but otherwise nope, my stables is a riding school and imho things can get very restricted because at the end of the day its a business and time and resources can't be wasted.
 
AprilBlue is this a pony that you had on loan from the riding school and then bought or did it come from a private seller?
 
AprilBlue said:
i might try the backing up thing but otherwise nope, my stables is a riding school and imho things can get very restricted because at the end of the day its a business and time and resources can't be wasted.
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That is such a sad statement :( Time spent getting a horse physically able to do it's job comfortably should be counted as investment, not waste.
 
The only way the same thing would happen is if he put on a lot of muscle or drastically changed shape in which case the new one wouldnt fit. This is the trouble with treed saddles, they are fixed and rigid, a horse is not. This is why many of us have treeless or soft treed saddles.

The saddle not fitting isn a result of how someone rides, although that can exacerbate the problem. In the long run its more expensive not to have a well fitting saddle as you end up with large vets bills.

Why is he being used in the RS if you've bought him? Also as you are now the owner not a riding school pupil cant you choose where you go?

I recommend this saddle

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/flexee_intro.htm


And these books

http://www.enlightenedequitationshop.com/enlightened-equitation-188-p.asp
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schooling-Exercises-hand-suppleness-ebook/dp/B006NZ67IA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359404227&sr=8-1
 
Spring Feather said:
A padded numnah will make things worse :confused: If this saddle is too tight then the horse needs a new saddle. How about calling around the saddle fitters and see if a fitter could try to find a second hand saddle to fit him?
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That's only if the saddle is too tight, and not slipping down at the front. Just said to get the saddle checked before rushing into buying a new one!!
 
TigerTail said:
Fat doesnt turn into muscle...... Far better to be lean and muscle than 'show condition' ie fat and cresty.
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I never said fat and cresty? But I wouldn't start trying to condition a horse that was so thin :confused: I'm talking literally a bit of padding over the ribs?
 
Y can see the existing saddle is too tight pigeon. Y don't even need a saddle fitter to tell y that.
 
tallyho! said:
Y can see the existing saddle is too tight pigeon. Y don't even need a saddle fitter to tell y that.
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You can't say that from looking at one photo from a strange angle! She needs to get a professional to look at it!

AprilBlue, can you not move yards?
 
i have just rung my YO. And she said that it only got fitted last year and it looks like he has muscle wastage because of his age. my horse is 18 years old.
is that the reason why?
 
Agree with what others have said. And to be frank, your riding school sounds pretty pants. As a new novice owner, you might not have noticed the saddle doesn't fit. But any half decent instructor should have noticed that straightaway. The fact they haven't is a rather worrying insight into either how clueless they are, or how little regard they have for the horses in their school. Also, if this horse has been used regularly long term in the school for jumping, or anything but beginner lessons, then I would question the standard of riding from the lack of decent top line. Any horse worked correctly on a regular basis should have more topline imo.
 
AprilBlue said:
i have just rung my YO. And she said that it only got fitted last year and it looks like he has muscle wastage because of his age. my horse is 18 years old.
is that the reason why?
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No it should not be the reason why if he is in regular correct work.
 
well i am just really out of ideas now and i don't know what to do because my YO always knows what she is talking about and i don't want to say anything against her incase i am the one that is in the wrong
i'm not saying i am but you know, incase
 
18 years old isn't old. I suggest the YO feeds the horse more of the correct type of feed to help. I also think this horse is underweight and I'm a TB girl so very used to handling racing TBs. There's a difference between lean and muscular (racing fit) and what we see with your pony. Sorry I know it maybe looks like we're getting at you, we aren't, we're just saying what we see and I can't believe I'm alone in thinking poor horse gets it in the neck due to incompetence :o
 
AprilBlue said:
i have just rung my YO. And she said that it only got fitted last year and it looks like he has muscle wastage because of his age. my horse is 18 years old.
is that the reason why?
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Think how much you fluctuate through a year April Blue - if you're anything like the rest of us females you can bloat yourself up at least a size when its that time of the month ;) Now imagine all that change with you wearing a steel girdle......

A horses weight and muscle level fluctuates constantly, it also needs to be able to lift its shoulders, round its back and then drop them again depending on what activity you are doing. Trying to do that in a saddle that pinches and pokes is very uncomfortable - this is what accounts for a lot of rs ponies that nap, buck, bite when the girth gets done up etc because they often cant afford frequent saddle changes.

His age isnt THAT old, and if he's in reg work his muscles shouldnt be wasting. Its the saddle.
 
AprilBlue said:
well i am just really out of ideas now and i don't know what to do because my YO always knows what she is talking about and i don't want to say anything against her incase i am the one that is in the wrong
i'm not saying i am but you know, incase
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AprilBlue, without being too specific on towns etc, what county are you in because I know that you try hard to learn and find out and it might be that someone would be happy to come and have a look at what's under that saddle cloth and also help to show you how to ride him to get the muscle built up correctly again. Certainly if you were anywhere near me I'd be happy to come out.

If no-one is near or you don't want that sort of help have a look at this link, it shows how to ride your lad to hopefully get the sort of muscle that he used to have. I do think you need the saddle fitter out to check the fit though.
 
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AprilBlue said:
well i am just really out of ideas now and i don't know what to do because my YO always knows what she is talking about and i don't want to say anything against her incase i am the one that is in the wrong
i'm not saying i am but you know, incase
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Oh dear indeed :( Maybe you should consider looking for a more suitable yard to keep your horse at. One where you ride where and when you want to and one with a knowledgeable YO who will help you.
 
If this horse actually belongs to you - full ownership have a receipt etc then move asap!

You have a very funny set up anyway by the sounds of things and the RS seem to want to get money from you. Like I said, if you want to be riding your horse this time next year get a new saddle and move yards. You'll only regret it when you can't ride your horse.
 
I do sympathise op, if you are learning from your rs, & the rs is not the best its not your fault if you get things wrong. And it must be awkward having a load of unknown forum members telling you the person you look up to isn't actually doing things the best way. Especially if you can't afford to just move to a yard with experienced staff/managers to help. If you are on a tight budget, your choice is either cheap diy or working livery as you are now. Cheap diy wouldn't do either of you much good, you seem very keen to learn & I think you need the back up of people to hand. And working livery where you are isn't helping you or the horse. Could you give your rough location, & perhaps any of us who know the area could pm you with our opinions of rs in your area that do working livery, those that we'd recommend & those to avoid.
 
It does sound very much as though your YO is playing on your naivity and inexperience. There is no way on this planet I would let any Tom, Dick & Sally ride my horses.
Sometimes you have to do things on your own initiative and not rely on just one persons opinion. Here you have MANY very experienced opinions, which you have actively asked for and I would imagine the other posters are now banging their heads against the wall.
It is your horse, move it from the yard your on and with an open mind allow and take on board good advice when its given.
 
AprilBlue - one of the things you learn early on as a horse owner, usually the hard way unfortunately, is not to trust the 'professional' blindly. Just because someone says its so, doesn't make it so. You need to learn to do your own research, take different peoples opinions and then formulate your own. You are your horse's voice, his advocate - so you have to be able to sleep with the decisions you make.

If you're anywhere near me Id be happy to help, show you my horses backs etc.

This is what the tree of a saddle looks like in case you've not seen one before :)

IMG_0359-1_zps2b1e2176.jpg
 
rachaelstar said:
If this horse actually belongs to you - full ownership have a receipt etc then move asap!

You have a very funny set up anyway by the sounds of things and the RS seem to want to get money from you. Like I said, if you want to be riding your horse this time next year get a new saddle and move yards. You'll only regret it when you can't ride your horse.
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I wonder if there is something in your first statement there; it would explain why she is unable to do anything with her own horse! What a terribly constrictive and bizarre setup.
 
AprilBlue said:
well i am just really out of ideas now and i don't know what to do because my YO always knows what she is talking about and i don't want to say anything against her incase i am the one that is in the wrong
i'm not saying i am but you know, incase
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Evidently your YO doesn't always know! Your horse needs a new saddle/a reeflock. And if you get the saddler out and you don't need a new one they don't cost a lot just for a check.
Also as a side note, your noseband is too low and you need to move it up out of the way of the bit.

I am also with another poster in regards to enlightened equitation/ heather moffett saddles. We have thoroughbreds who had bad muscle atrophy/wastage and these saddles have helped massively!
 
It sounds like the yard isn't helping you or the horse!!

Also you sound pretty inexperienced, I feel that you should move to another yard, where you have more freedom over his regime, and can enlist the help of a recommended instructor. They can help you learn about things like tack and stable management as well as how to work the horse properly, without the restrictions this riding school is giving you.

Here's a before and after of one of mine, he looks a bit like yours at the beginning. There's 18 months between pictures. You can turn a horse around in only a few months with the right work, but it is not a cheap thing to do by any means.

21l4gp4.jpg


uwsid.jpg


Mine didn't come with tack, so I didn't have a choice in buying a new saddle, but even discounting that, tb types in particular take a lot of feeding, supplementing, vet care, dentistry, farriery bills, even equine physio! As a horse's age increases, it needs these things even more.

A horse with an ill fitting saddle is in pain, I'm afraid :( How does he move when you ride him? And do you fund him, or do your parents? Horses are horribly expensive I'm afraid, there's no getting away from it, and it sounds as if you've jumped in at the deep end! Saddles don't have to be majorly expensive, you could go for a synthetic one?
 
Dee O'Dorant said:
AprilBlue, without being too specific on towns etc, what county are you in because I know that you try hard to learn and find out and it might be that someone would be happy to come and have a look at what's under that saddle cloth and also help to show you how to ride him to get the muscle built up correctly again. Certainly if you were anywhere near me I'd be happy to come out.

If no-one is near or you don't want that sort of help have a look at this link, it shows how to ride your lad to hopefully get the sort of muscle that he used to have. I do think you need the saddle fitter out to check the fit though.
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thank you soo much for the link, i have tried to trot my horse on a very loose rein to lift its back up and round it up so he can stretch better ect. but he still keeps his head as high as he normally does in trot. is this a symptom of pain?
 
ex racer rider said:
Also as a side note, your noseband is too low and you need to move it up out of the way of the bit.QUOTE]

yeah, i realised that aswell so i moved it up a few holes the other day. i just chose that pic because it was the most recent one of his body :)
thanks for the reminder though ;)
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AprilBlue said:
thank you soo much for the link, i have tried to trot my horse on a very loose rein to lift its back up and round it up so he can stretch better ect. but he still keeps his head as high as he normally does in trot. is this a symptom of pain?
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Could be, or possibly because that is the way he has always worked, and so that is what's comfortable for him. Does he put his ears back or pull faces when he is being ridden?

I suppose the first move would be to get a saddle fitter out! If you need a new saddle they might even take your old one in part exchange.
 
Yes, it could be but as well as that it could be because he doesn't understand what you are asking.

You need to get the pace established with normal rein length and then keep your leg on to maintain the forward momentum, don't tip forward and wiggle or "sponge" your fingers till his head drops and then let the reins out so that he stretches to the bit. With most horses if you just give them a long rein and keep pushing on they will stretch their neck out straight in front of them but you want his head down low and you need to tell him how to do that

Ideally you do need someone with you (called "eyes on the ground":D) to tell you which bit to do next and yell "YES!" when you've got it:D
 
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