What do you think you lack knowledge in?

[LEC]

Other than feel which really is developed through time and a good trainer - what are the things you would like to improve your knowledge in?

What way of learning (apart from practical) do you think helps you learn the best?

 

[seabsicuit2]

The skills and methods in producing horses for high level showjumping and dressage.

Feet. I think there is so much disastrous farriery around which the owners and a lot of vets are not even aware off. I can look at a foot and know exactly what it is about the shape and size of a foot that's been badly done but I wouldn't even be able to begin to explain why or how those feet had been done wrongly and what parts the farrier had been trimming correctly or incorrectly, if that makes sense.

I was recently working in a yard of horses where every horse had been very lame or had problems. Every horse walked with a heavy , cumbersome step. ( these were quality Horses that came from the best horse dealers)I suddenly realised that this yards farrier had shod one of my youngsters many years ago, and she had also walked with 'heavy feet' after being shod by this particular farrier. That horse was later retired with feet problems. And years later here I was in this yard with this same farrier and all these horses were suffering in exactly the same way, and were unable to work or even get fit.

To the outside eye these horses feet looked fine, I would never have been able to explain what it was about this farriers shoeing that was making them all heavy footed. The irony was that this yard had one of the top vets and he never seemed to notice or point out this heavy footedness. It has to have been the farrier it is no coincidence that the same thing happened with my horse all those years ago.

So yes, in a nutshell I'd love to know more about feet and correct shoeing , the shoeing done by the experts is way beyond the standards of most farriers. A horse shod by a great farrier moves so much better and easier than a horse shod by an average farrier. I'd like to be able to explain what it is they do, and how they do it. People don't seem to realise they can get so much more athleticsm out of their horses. As they say, no foot, no horse.

 

[siennamum]

I absolutely agree about farriery, I constantly see badly shod horses, I don;t always know what the farrier would do do to correct it, or always how to explain it but know the feet are wrong.

The other area I would be interested in finding out more about is the kind of fittening done by long distance riders. I think a session at a vetgate would be very interesting.

 

[viola]

I would love to be more knowledgeable in schooling & management for soundness (that includes feet!).
So many problems with horses stem from bad riding, management or training and so many are so easily solved by long time patient work in-hand without any gadgets.
I read about people bringing their horses back to work after they'd been operated on suspensories or kissing spines by putting them in Pessoa or similar equipment and hair stand on my head. Even worse when such way of rehab was recommended by a vet.

There is so much waste of money, resources and emotions through lack of knowledge.
I've become fascinated by it ever since working with rehab horses and it's definitely something I would love to know inside out :-D

So yes, knowing practical biomechanics for soundness, teaching it well, doing it well - I feel like I've grazed the knowledge but I am hungry for much more

 

[wellsat]

I know far too much about hooves and soundness. Genio had a specialist out to him today so I'm hopeful things are on the up now.

I'd like to know more about saddle fitting as it can be so hard to find knowledgeable fitter.

 

[MandyMoo]

Farriery. I am sad to say I know next to nothing about farriery other than ''trim hoof, nail on a new shoe every 4-6weeks'' and some basic remedial shoeing techniques such as bars and the like.

But I regret to say I don't REALLY have any idea as to what makes a ''good'' farrier........... I am happy with mine as my horses stay sound, their shoes stay on and they do the job... but frankly I would love to know a lot more about blacksmiths and what they do..... so I can fully understand what they do to my horses !!

Anyone want to teach me?

 

[Scarlett]

I would love to be more knowledgeable in schooling & management for soundness (that includes feet!).
So many problems with horses stem from bad riding, management or training and so many are so easily solved by long time patient work in-hand without any gadgets.
I read about people bringing their horses back to work after they'd been operated on suspensories or kissing spines by putting them in Pessoa or similar equipment and hair stand on my head. Even worse when such way of rehab was recommended by a vet.

There is so much waste of money, resources and emotions through lack of knowledge.
I've become fascinated by it ever since working with rehab horses and it's definitely something I would love to know inside out :-D

So yes, knowing practical biomechanics for soundness, teaching it well, doing it well - I feel like I've grazed the knowledge but I am hungry for much more

Thats a fantastic answer, and a subject that should be thought about and understood by every horse rider and owner.

We need a greater knowledge and more understanding of how the decisions we make day to day in our management and riding affect our horses, and how we can make positive changes day to day that will keep our horses sounder and happier for longer. We need to know what the equipment we use and things we feed do to our horses, and we need to be able to look out the box at alternatives without bias or pre-concieved ideas.

Personally I've found a good system for my horses that keeps them mentally happy and physically sound, but I'd like to learn more about improving myself as a rider. When I look through pictures of my horses I see improvement in them, but it's not always mirrored in my riding. Like most of us though I have a full time job and limited resources so as much as I'd love intensive training on a schoolmaster I just can't fit in in the schedule or the budget. Help with both the physical and mental issues we come across as riders (and owners) would be fantastic, whether that was in the form of exercises, videos, fitness regimes, help with core strength and suppleness, NLP, exercises to aid confidence etc etc. I know I need to sit up, but just telling me to sit up gets me nowhere, I need to know why I'm struggling to sit up, what my body is doing, what it needs to be doing and how I get between the two! That would be knowledge worth gaining!

Most of all I'd like to read the experiences of people I can relate too, amateurs who struggle along trying to do the best by their horses, who aren't the most talented, or competative but who love what we do and just want to improve themselves and their steeds - to share their experiences would be a useful learning tool too.

 

[Scarlett]

Farriery. I am sad to say I know next to nothing about farriery other than ''trim hoof, nail on a new shoe every 4-6weeks'' and some basic remedial shoeing techniques such as bars and the like.

But I regret to say I don't REALLY have any idea as to what makes a ''good'' farrier........... I am happy with mine as my horses stay sound, their shoes stay on and they do the job... but frankly I would love to know a lot more about blacksmiths and what they do..... so I can fully understand what they do to my horses !!

Anyone want to teach me?

Don't ask me! I took shoes off all of mine as they weren't sound in shoes, now all barefoot, in work and sound.

I wish I had known more, I wouldnt have let my farrier do such a bad job for so long.

 

[spookypony]

Timing. I know what I should be doing; I'm just really imprecise and inconsistent, and need my butt kicked around the block on a regular basis.

The history and reasoning behind various training methods. I know enough to know just how much I don't know, and I think it's both fascinating and essential.

Land management! Gotta learn fast, now that pony's at home!

I need both a thorough theoretical understanding of a topic, and an instructor who believes in my ability and will push just the right amount to make sure I perform. I have strong instincts, but perhaps unfortunately, my analytical faculties are very developed. I have a hard time trusting my instincts, if I don't understand intellectually why something should work. That makes me inconsistent/inefficient.

 

[NaeNae87]

I would love to be more knowledgeable in all areas. Riding, Training, Management, Hoof Care, Biomechanics, Saddle Fitting etc I don't care - I want to learn more. The way I see it, the more I know then the more my horses benefit and it will make me a better horse person.

There is no such thing as knowing too much and in this industry, there is always something new to learn. The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked.