Old fashioned horsey tips/tricks

[Ratface]

Stockholm tar seemed to get used for every hoof ailment.
Sprigs of elderflowers were tucked into the browband to keep flies away.
Relief from laminitis was to stand the horse in the stream.
Hardly anyone owned a rug.
And does anyone remember Barbara Woodhouse demonstrating how to teach a difficult horse to load?
So glad we now have more enlightened views!

Barbara Woodhouse was a very interesting woman. I took my wilful Afghan Hound to her for a two-day training session.
She was a determined woman: determined to demonstrate what ignorant dog owners we were!
She had lived in Argentina for some time, training polo ponies and worked on rewarding positive behaviour and ignoring negative behaviour. That was in respect of the animals. She wasn't so benign with their owners! However, I learnt lots of useful things from her, mainly to make it fun and rewarding for your dog/horse to do the right thing and ignore any perceived wrongdoing. Such behaviour will, in her view, be triggered by the humans ignorance. Watch, reflect and learn.

 

[SmallPony]

Good heavens, Cortez! I was taught how to do that too.
Also, to walk the first and last mile out and back, Guinness in the feed after a hard day's hunting and to praise and pat one's horse after every ride, whatever level of success (or none) you had achieved together. To never stop asking questions of people who know more than you, and to actively listen to what they tell you. However, never compromise one's own standards.
Our Head Groom once said to me, prior to my hacking off to a big local show, "Just remember, Miss, you'll always bring the best pony home."
As usual, he was right. And I always have.

Love this post! I started riding age 10 on a yard run very 'old school', then had a break as a young adult before coming back to it now (late 20s). It amazed me how attitudes/ ideas had changed so much in just 10 years.

Doing Pony Club at the yard we didn't get to ride until ponies, yard and tack were spotless, and even now I can't bring myself to ride if I haven't completely brushed out my horse's tail! It all really instilled in me that the welfare and care of the horse was the priority, and I am glad of that as not sure that is the prevailing attitude taught to children now? (Maybe it is, that statement is purely off of what I've seen out and about! Would love to know other people's opinions!)

Does anyone not say thank you to their horse after a ride?! I can't imagine not giving them a cuddle or pat and saying well done!

 

[BBP]

I always used to stretch legs out after girthing, but I’m pretty sure I (shamefully and ignorantly) used to overtighten girths. Now I do girths way less tight and never really see the need to stretch the legs.

 

[Fieldlife]

I've realised I'm one of the few that still stretches both front legs out after doing the girth up...

SBloom said this is no longer recommended.

 

[Squeak]

Saddle cloths and rugs should be put on slightly too far forward and slid back into place. They should never ever be pulled forward against the direction of the hair.

Eta. This was the same with rugs and you wouldn’t pull them back so that the front was tight on the shoulders, you’d always leave them far enough forwards that the horse has room around it’s shoulders without the rug pulling or restricting them.

 

[ponynutz]

*sits on same bench as teapot * ?

*Perches on the end of said bench*

 

[Sossigpoker]

My old instructor said that "back in the day " the "treatment" for girth galls and spur marks was to apply lead paint ! I hope no one does this any more!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

SBloom said this is no longer recommended.

Only with certain girths.

 

[scruffyponies]

Here's a couple of VERY old tips/tricks.

Knackermen of old didn't just collect fallen stock. They also used to take broken down horses. Many were dispatched immediately, but good knackermen made a great deal of money by using their judgement and turning the odd one away for a few months. Time and rest is often the best medicine.

On a similar vein, many travelling preachers used to finance their ministry by buying stumblers. They were of course cheap, because it was assumed they were lame or worse. These men rode thousands of miles per year, usually reading their bible as they rode with a loose rein. Being left to find his own balance and feet, the horse would learn to carry himself properly and could be sold at a profit.

 

[PapaverFollis]

My horses like me stretching their legs. I only gently move them forwards enough that the skin slides slightly under the girth. Both of them offer their legs for stretching as I approach. ? So I assume they like it.

After I've ridden I thank the whole herd! ? The ridden horse earns a biscuit for everyone. Communism? (That's not old fashioned, obviously, just mad). I can't imagine not thanking the horse I've just ridden!

I'm trying to think if I do anything "old-fashioned" but I'm really not sure.

 

[Squeak]

Something I’d thought was just common knowledge but was surprised to realise some people didn’t know was to do the girth up gradually - put the saddle on and do the girth up with no tension and then tighten it a bit more in a minute or so and if needed tighten it again before you get on.

 

[lynz88]

Squeak, I was taught to do up the girth gradually and still do it today. I was also taught that most people tend to put the saddle too far forward and should put it really far forward and slide everything back and where it naturally stops is where the saddle should be.

I was also taught not to brush the tail unless there was a "need". Also if you are going to braid the mane for a show, not to shorten it first - braid down and then cut it before "rolling" it up. If the mane is slippery and you are lacking Quik Braid (or similar but I've always like QB!), then dampening the mane and rubbing some dirt can work in a pinch.

 

[scats]

I’ve always stretched legs after girthing and I do the girth up gradually both sides.
I fully remove girths from saddles after riding, can’t stand the girth being left done up on one side.

Was always taught to brush tails only with a body brush.
I still ‘set fair’ my stables before I leave.

 

[southerncomfort]

*Perches on the end of said bench*

Budge up guys....room for one more?

Bo loves having his legs stretched.

 

[milliepops]

as it keeps coming up, I believe it's not about the stretch itself but more about pulling extra skin in front of the girth in a place it would not normally be during motion, i think. I was taught to stretch warm muscles rather than cold, but otherwise I don't think there's an issue with stretching a horse, more that if you have one that struggles with girth rubs on loose skin perhaps do them before girthing up

 

[cauda equina]

My old instructor said that "back in the day " the "treatment" for girth galls and spur marks was to apply lead paint ! I hope no one does this any more!

I remember putting lead lotion on windgalls

 

[scats]

as it keeps coming up, I believe it's not about the stretch itself but more about pulling extra skin in front of the girth in a place it would not normally be during motion, i think. I was taught to stretch warm muscles rather than cold, but otherwise I don't think there's an issue with stretching a horse, more that if you have one that struggles with girth rubs on loose skin perhaps do them before girthing up

Yep, I was taught it was to smooth any skin out that was wrinkled under the girth. More pulling legs forward than stretching them. It’s so ingrained in me that I think I just do it out of habit now.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I remember putting lead lotion on windgalls

And to cool tendons too, but that was over 40 years ago now!
Poured onto gamgee and then stable bandaged on, left overnight.

 

[catkin]

Something I’d thought was just common knowledge but was surprised to realise some people didn’t know was to do the girth up gradually - put the saddle on and do the girth up with no tension and then tighten it a bit more in a minute or so and if needed tighten it again before you get on.

And to loosen the girth when walking the 'last mile home' too, and to loosen girth off immediately you'd dismounted but leave the saddle on the horse's back for a few minutes.

 

[Irish-Only]

If your horse has a girth gall or even a slight 'rub', sleeve it with an inner tube to prevent further rubbing.

 

[rabatsa]

If your horse has a girth gall or even a slight 'rub', sleeve it with an inner tube to prevent further rubbing.

Something I still do.

 

[Lou_wizzard]

I remember putting lead lotion on windgalls

We were told to use Surgical spirit for girth rubs to harden to skin ??

 

[Snowfilly]

We were told to use Surgical spirit for girth rubs to harden to skin ??

Works well for human blisters!

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I think if I put surgical spirit on a blister you might have to peel me off the ceiling.

 

[Widgeon]

Definitely NOT something to say when amongst non-horsey people ???

And that is a whole other thread of its own!!

 

[paisley]

For horses prone to breaking out in sweat after exercise (even when they've had a proper wash and dried off)- either towel off the ears, or put stretchy riding gloves on the horses ears.
Once the ears are warm and dry, the horse usually stops breaking out. Plus, the added bonus of having a faux reindeer for a while.

 

[Rokele55]

All these and then some! We had green oils for everything. I think it was the forerunner of dermobian (which I loved). Bailer twine ropes, haynets, holding anything together. Tack room boiler with barley or linseed for a warming snack when mixing feed. None of these ready mixed feeds, horse and pony nuts and the rest just as it came out of the field. No big bales. Hay not to be fed until it was a year old. Exercise tack that fitted everthing, and only ex ersize in plain snaffle and plain noseband, no extra fancy bits to clean. Vets only summoned for stitching up deep wounds, good grooms were supposed to have far more knowledge than any vet. Bread poultices anyone? I could go on forever

 

[dogatemysalad]

We were told to use Surgical spirit for girth rubs to harden to skin ??

Old nursing tip from my early days. ( never on broken skin though.)

 

[Palindrome]

After exercise, always start hosing the legs (from the bottom up) of the horse and avoid hosing the body as much as possible, never using soap just plain water.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

A tradtional Irish horseman taught me (when trying to syringe bute, which we all know gets stuck in the tube) to cut the narrow end off of the syringe and then fill the top with dry bute/antibiotics/antihistamine or whatever you have (also worked with liquids though) and then syringe into the side of the mouth as you usually would. Because the plunger can now go through the whole syringe and out the other side, you don't have anything left in the syringe and the horse also can't spit it out as it quickly binds with their saliva.

God send when trying to syringe vast quantities of both bute and antibiotics into my 18.3hh, who thankfully was a dream to syringe and really mannerly but wouldn't touch anything if it was fed to him, and would spit things out.