Missy B

I am considering picking up another horse, a teenage OTTB,, who experienced an Overextension of a front leg while on track. Horse was a broodmare for a few years, then put in training, and done a few local shows.

Currently the horse will begin the show day in excellent shape. By the end of a long day (or an all day trail ride) she looks over a the knee. She continues to trot sound, though.

Owner says she is on a joint supplement but not bute/previcox/injections etc.

Tell me all your thoughts.... future problems, past experiences, potential issues etc...

My horse is really well educated all ready, he's done a ton of WP and W. trail classes, and for the last year and a half I've been showing him hunt seat. We also jump up to about 2' (that's about his confidence limit right now). He is a 9 yo APHA gelding.

So this winter I want to get back into dressage with a new friend at the barn. My horse has all the lateral movements all ready.... side passes, half pass, turn on haunches, turn on fore etc. He is excellent as long as he's on the bit.

Where I have trouble is the free walk. Remembering that he was originally a WP horse, his walk is like a 0 in dressage. If you relax and encourage him to stretch down into the bit, he sticks his head way down into WP frame. Grossly down. And his pace is grossly slow. If he's bridled up I can get a lovely medium walk, collected walk, and an extended walk. But the minute I drop contact his head goes down into WP land. WAY WAY DOWN. Then using leg to encourage movement, I get a WP jog. I've tried breathing my legs behind the girth a bit and I've tried alternating leg pressure, both with the extending rear leg and with the opposite side. I've tried everything.

What exercise can I do to break through the WP trained walk? I've also tried having him in a very extended walk and slowly dropping contact while keeping the impulsion with my legs, but his head goes very low and I get the WP jog....

My good friend has a 25 year old arab mare. Two days ago about 10am she was laying down and refusing to get up. Vet came immediately (he is awesome!). Although they couldn't prove colic (gut sounded normal, no sand, not biting at sides, not rolling, normal temp, no sweating, not really giving any of the signs of colic) he tubed her and gave her banamine also anyways. He also gave her something else but I wasn't there, I believe it was Ace or Valium, based on how she acted later, just chill and lethargic.

Vet ran a bunch of bloodwork and all of it came back with nothing...

Vet says it's a mystery what happened. Not colic. Not impacted.

So 2 days later and mare is back to herself in all ways.

Just wondering if anyone else ever experienced this, and what did it end up being?

It's that time of year when I know folks start doing a lot of mashes. I've never been much for mashes. Then today I got a SmartPak pamphlet in the mail and their vet says mashes aren't really as healthy as we once thought.

I've only had one horse that a vet had suggested he be put on a daily rice bran mash, for fat, salts and fluid. He was a hardcore X-country horse and super hard keeper even at age 6. He would run himself into exhaustion in turnout even.

So, do you give mashes? Which kind? How often? For what results? Have any good recipes?

Cold weather is coming and my horse suffers from mild - moderate arthritis in his hocks and sometimes stifle I suspect, during the coldest weather.

I am very conscientious about caring for him correctly during cold weather (supplements, turnout, lengthy warmups, liniment rubs etc etc)

Specifically, I want to know if you've had or are having great luck with magnetic therapy for arthritis?

If so, specifically which brands and items are you using? I see Back On Track items, but they look expensive and I think the old-school ranch cowboys at my barn will giggle at me with magnetic wraps...

I'm willing to suffer that if they really do work well.

At my barn there is a 5y/o pinto with no papers. He is genuinely 5 though, he was born there so I know.

He had 30 days at 3 years old and nothing since. Standing in a stall for 2 years. UTD feet, teeth, etc. That's the only handling he gets is the farrier and shots.

His conformation is good except for a fugly head.

Owner asking $1,200. I believe he's worth $500.

My friends, who are horse newbies but have 2 ancient, solid, beginner horses, feel they're ready to step up to this project and feel $1200 is fair.

I'm not getting involved either way, I just showed them some other horses available at that price (finished, solid types) via craigslist etc and told them to take a look around before jumping in that's all.

But what would a unregistered, essentially unbroke, flashy big-headed pinto get in your area?

I have had a deposit put on a puppy from a breeder, and I'm choosing my puppy on July 1. The puppy will be just a few days shy of 8 weeks old, and we are stopping at the vets on the way home to get 1st round of shots.

My neighbors have a puppy who is now 16 weeks-ish, that suffered from Parvo , but lived with vet help. It still hasn't been vaccinated, they are waiting for him to feel fully better (he seems to now).

We share a driveway and their puppy has been all over my yard. They moved here after the Parvo session, but I'm sure it's all over the place by now.

Puppies need to be socialized and housebroken. Anyone have any ideas for housebreaking my new puppy basically, until he's fully vaccinated?

I am a stay at home mom so Time is not a big deal.

I have put a deposit on a puppy from a well known breeder, I can go choose the puppy in a few weeks. He will be 7 weeks old.

I am considering ear cropping my pup. His tail and dewclaws are all ready done. He has not yet gotten shots but will be getting his first round the day I pick him up.

Experienced Dobie people... at what age do you crop? How long do you tape them? Do they have to go back to vet for suture removal or do the sutures disintegrate? Pros - cons of cropping?

Oh, one more question. What are your thoughts on male vs female? Is it true that a male pup will bond stronger to female owners and vice-versa?

Please no "cropping is cruel" or PETA answers.

Someone I know has a 26 year old arab who has been well maintained all her life.

She has always had an issue with one rear leg, always stocked up every day, managed with hosing, exercise etc. Never been "off" in the gaits. Trail horse.

The horse gets turned out every other day for 12 hours in a huge grass pasture. Additionally turned out for an hour for stall cleaning on non-turnout day in smaller arena. Ridden 1x per week for an hour or two trail ride at walk anymore, just to keep her happy, recently quit this due to....

Lately she has been falling down in the pasture and cannot get back up by herself. She got stuck once in a corner and kicked her own butt being cast. Now when she goes out she falls down, butt end first. Then lays there and won't look at you.

She still has an excellent appetite and other than being embarrassed of the falling, she is in great spirits. Eats grass roams around etc.

Vet is coming next Monday. Owner wants to try hock injections as a last resort.

I do not think hock injections will help. Is it time to euth her though? She seems happy other than the falling issue. I find the falling to be dangerous for her and for humans.

Her owner has had this horse for 21 years.....

She does have other horses.

I've been trying to suggest that it's time? But I'm not really sure. She doesn't have that "I want to die" look at all.

I'm thinking of getting a bling browband. I ride hunt seat, obviously it wouldn't be for show. Just for fun.

Anyone else blinging their browbands?

I just ordered a new XC saddle, and I'm going to use a Dressage bridle with it, and an AP pad. And I just do not care what anyone thinks!

What is something in the horse world that YOU just don't care what the other equestirans think or do, you just do it your own way?

I'm getting a new XC saddle for Mother's Day, it's black leather. I'd like a black bridle to match it, but not a dressage bridle if it can be avoided. I'd like to keep it in the $100 range, give or take, less is better.

Also, I'd like small straps, not big ones. My horse's head is tiny and delicate. Amost arab size.

I have a Paris Tack bridle that has held up really well.

Any suggestions?

Man I've been trying to ask this for days LOL and it won't post!

New colt a couple weeks old, medicine hat paint with 2 blue eyes, 1 eye is all pink skin around it. Also pink muzzle.

Sire is money earning APHA, does cattle work stuff, can't remember which organization he does, maybe NRCHA or similar, reined cow horse, sortings etc. He is close to 16h and has a super athletic build, big roman nose but handsome.

Dam is halter stock. Big, thick halter type APHA mare. Never broke, never shown etc. She is at least 16h of thick muscle. Big girl.

Colt is obviously APHA, pinto eligible.

Appears well put together, should mature around 16h. It's hard to say with babies about conformation but he's quite active and everything seems right.

I'm thinking $400? What about you?

New baby I like... Fancy medicine hat paint color. 1 blue eye, 1 brown eye, the blue eye does have the pink skin around it.

Sire is APHA ranch work money earner, around 15.3h, has earned money in stuff to do with cattle, I'm not sure exactly which organization, NRCHA or similar.

Dam is Halter bred, no show experience, not broke, nothing. Big big momma, 16h of thick halter breeding.

Baby appears sound and built well, though you know how it is with babies.

I'm thinking $400?

I post a question similar to this every once in a while. Another horse question got me thinking about it again.

Just for discussion: what are some issues with horses you will tolerate (perhaps that others don't), and some issues with horses that you will absolutely NOT tolerate, even though others don't care? It can be anything soundness, vices, colors etc.

For example, on my personal horses I'll tolerate a big ugly head, and roman noses. I even kinda like roman noses. I'll also deal with whites and greys, even though it means tons of washing. But I will NOT own a solid brown horse with no white marks, you know real brown, the one that is almost black but has brown muzzle and such? Can't stand that color with no white.

My medicine hat paint is not halter stock, but he'll hold his own in a halter class and we'll usually pin.

This year I am chasing a high point award at a certain series and halter class points do count. So I'd like to get out of the 4th- 6th range and pin just a little better.

Conformation wise, again, he's correct enough to pin everywhere we go.

His coloring, though, makes his shoulders look more narrow than they really are. He's white and has a dark patch in the center of his chest (a "shield" it's called). But it kind of makes his shoulders, which are not extra-wide-halter-stock to begin with, seem more narrow than they are. Because it makes this optical illusion of a narrow chest. Like his chest is the dark spot and his barrel is white. But it's not, his white shoulders go all the way out to almost his rib width. He is fairly correct, just the coloring makes it hard.

So, what kind of exercises can I do with an average-width chest stock horse? Or grooming hints?

We do lots of lateral work every day each way, and we do lots poles on the ground and such.

Any thoughts...

My medicine hat paint is not halter stock, but he'll hold his own in a halter class and we'll usually pin.

This year I am chasing a high point award at a certain series and halter class points do count. So I'd like to get out of the 4th- 6th range and pin just a little better.

Conformation wise, again, he's correct enough to pin everywhere we go.

His coloring, though, makes his shoulders look more narrow than they really are. He's white and has a dark patch in the center of his chest (a "shield" it's called). But it kind of makes his shoulders, which are not extra-wide-halter-stock to begin with, seem more narrow than they are. Because it makes this optical illusion of a narrow chest. Like his chest is the dark spot and his barrel is white. But it's not, his white shoulders go all the way out to almost his rib width. He is fairly correct, just the coloring makes it hard.

So, what kind of exercises can I do with an average-width chest stock horse? Or grooming hints?

We do lots of lateral work every day each way, and we do lots poles on the ground and such.

Any thoughts...

My friend is considering selling her mare. She is NOT SOUND, 15 yo, 14.2, AQHA.

She is super well bred, like WP royalty. She has minor arthritis, super small feet, contracted heels (hasn't worn shoes in years), and some sort of on-off lameness in her right front (there some days but not all). Xrayed pre-purchase, vet has no specific reason for unsoundness, not visible injury or rotation etc.

Mare has had 3 nice babies, all futurity and all showing national level and congress.

The thing she does have going for her is endless sweetness and level of training.. She is an awesome kids horse, you can put any beginner on her and she will just loaf along. You can really trust her around little ones. We put our 5 and 6 year olds on her and let them jog around.

My friend is considering selling her, but wonders about price. In my area she is worth $500 at this time. But as high end breeding stock, is she worth more in your area?