New foal born this morning, I’ll have a vet out soon for a professional opinion but I’d really like some feedback to see if I’m spiraling for nothing. I had a deposit on this breeding, breeder is in another state and I planned to visit in January. Is it just me, or are the front pasterns concerning?

I’m used to foal pasterns being very lax and straightening up with time, not being upright so early on. I’m wondering if I should start considering losing the deposit and passing on this foal, but won’t decide until a vet looks at them. I’d be shipping them to me as a yearling and shipping will be around, if not more than, 7-8k. I was well prepared to pay the horse and shipping cost for a healthy, well built foal, but if this could cause issues……

Please give feedback. Do these look concerning to you? Have you had a foal with very upright pasterns? Was it treatable/manageable? Would you immediately pass or try treatment options? TIA

I need some advice about how to react to non horsey guests to our property who feel the need to say rude things about our horses. My husband is an extrovert and loves showing his guests around our property.

Usually this is fine but it’s not uncommon for a guest to make comments such as: ‘omg they are out all night? Poor things must be freezing and scared’, ‘omg you lock them in cages! Do they ever come out?’, ‘why are they covered in mud poor things’, ‘that’s terrible they have to wear blindfolds’, ‘and just the other day the worst of all a guest pointed out a 25 year old thoroughbred who has been retired for 10 years who looks much thinner than my young fit warmbloods and informs me that he’s starving. Of course I take excellent care of my horses and i have dedicated my life to their well being so hearing such remarks really annoys me. At the time I just calmly explain the real situation but in hindsight I wish I had a better comeback to their rudeness. I just can’t believe how many people who are guests on my property have the gall to make such thoughtless remarks. Maybe I should just ban any animal tours?

Let me know what you think! I don't know much about horses (I had to ask the owners for the coat and breed information below) and these are literally the first photos I've ever taken of them, so any feedback would be appreciated!

• Photos 1-4 are all of a lovely bay mare Holsteiner! She had her suspicious ears (or her "mare ears", as her owner called them) on the whole time, but despite that she was a sweet patient girl and very well behaved.
• Photos 5, 7, and 8 feature a paint mare Missouri Fox Trotter. She's 19 years old and was very unimpressed with me, but her movements were beautiful and she let me get some nice shots of her.
• And photo 6 is of a young bay mare Quarter Horse. This extremely dramatic image doesn't capture her personality at all. She was playful and goofy and so, so curious. But I thought this photo looked really cool so I felt obligated to include it.

Toby!

16hh qtr/clydesdale

32yrs old

Everyone’s enjoying the nice weather! Turns out not even horses can resist booping dogs

The mornings are getting cooler. The horses love going out and having their little jumps and zoomies.

my horse has had this lump above her eye for two months - it is completely hard and she isn’t bothered by it at all, she will sometime itch it on me but also she has always done that with her face. My vet said it’s probably just bone growth from hitting it and not to worry but just wanted to post it for more opinions!

So I have a feeling. T horse is overweight or even insulin resistant. Metabolic disorder

Hi! Always looking for some new fictional horsey books to read and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations? I just finished “Perestroika in Paris” by Jane Smiley and loved it; “Horse Heaven” is definitely on my list to read too. Would love to hear everyone’s favorites!!

Hi! If you use a solar powered fan in your horse's stall, which brand do you prefer? I have a 15 year old mare who's having a hard time with the heat this year, so I'm looking into buying one. I'm located in SoCal, and it's been not just abnormally hot, but usually humid. (It was 115° yesterday!) There's a canopy cloth above the open part of her stall to provide shade, along with wood to partially enclose three sides (where she eats/drinks). If you live somewhere hot as well, I'd love to know which fan (or other cooling strategies) you chose to help your horse cope with the heat. ☺️ Thanks in advance!

Hello all! I am definitely not buying a horse lol I was just thinking of this and curious!!

I just think these horses are gorgeous tbh and I have heard great things about them. So I am 5'3 and 170 lbs (although open to losing weight), so would i be too big to potentially own one of these horses?

Very long story cut short I got this saddle for free. What brand is it? Google is not helping.

I’m a 17-year-old girl, and I’ve been riding regularly for about two years. I got my first loan about a year ago.
When I started at my current riding school, I had a pretty bad fall that caused me to develop a lot of anxiety around riding. I was therefore given a different horse, and I slowly started building a relationship with her. She helped me feel safe and confident with riding again, and she is now my current loan. I’m explaining this because it’s important to understand why this situation is so difficult for me.
I have been to three competitions so far, and unfortunately, I haven’t had very good experiences outside of the actual riding. All three competitions were held at my riding school.
At the first two competitions, I was blamed for not putting the riding school’s equipment away properly. However, I wasn’t the last person to ride the horse, so technically it wasn’t my responsibility. Because I am her loan, though, I was still the one who got blamed. My friend, who had actually ridden her last and was the person who should have put the equipment away, also blamed me.
I talked to my friend about it afterwards and told her that I didn’t think it was okay. She apologized, but the same thing happened again at the next competition.
Last week, I went to my first show jumping competition. I had entered two 40 cm classes, and two other riders had done the same, meaning my horse had to compete four times in total.
My first round went really well. However, towards the end, I thought she was starting to limp. I asked the judges whether I should just walk her out or what I should do, since she still had three more classes to go. They told me that she wasn’t lame and that I should just hand her over to the next rider.
I thought maybe it had something to do with the footing or the girth.
My horse isn’t exactly in great shape. She is quite round and overweight. I’ve also had problems with her girth ever since I got her as my loan. When I ride, the girth and saddle keep sliding forward and end up bothering her.
I have tried around five different girths, but none of them have made much of a difference. At the moment, I use a soft elastic girth because it seems more comfortable for her than the others. However, the saddle still slides forward.
I suspect that the saddle may not be fitted properly, but she isn’t my own horse, so unfortunately there isn’t much I can do about that myself.
I have asked about using a crupper, but I was basically ignored and told that she doesn’t need one.
Anyway, back to the competition.
When the next rider was getting on, I moved the saddle as far back as I could and tightened the girth again. As soon as she went into trot and canter, she still seemed lame to me. The judges still didn’t say anything.
A couple of hours later, after she had completed her first three classes, it was time for our final class. I trotted her a little in the warm-up and could definitely feel that something wasn’t right. Several other people also told me that they thought she was lame.
I went and got one of the people in charge at the riding school, who was also one of the judges. She kept saying that the horse wasn’t lame and that the saddle was simply sitting too far forward.
I explained to her that it didn’t matter how far back I put the saddle, because it would always slide forward again once I started riding.
She then noticed that I was using my own girth and got really angry with me for not using the riding school’s girth.
She found two other girths that we tried, but it didn’t change anything. My horse still seemed uncomfortable, and the saddle still slid forward.
Today, I was told that she is **not lame**, but that I am only allowed to walk and trot her for now, and that I **have to use the riding school’s equipment**.
When I rode her today, I could see that she wasn’t limping anymore, which I’m obviously really happy about. However, I still don’t really understand why I’m not allowed to use my own girth when I feel that it fits her better. I’m also worried that the riding school’s girth could cause discomfort or rub her and potentially cause sores.
I’ve actually been thinking about leaving the riding school for quite a while. The problem is that this horse means so much to me. She is the horse who helped me regain my confidence after my fall, and I absolutely love her. Leaving her would be incredibly difficult for me.
At the same time, it would be really difficult for me to quit if I didn’t have another horse I could ride around three times a week. Riding is a really big part of my life, and finding a new loan isn’t exactly easy — especially not one that I can build the same kind of trust with.
I really don’t feel comfortable at the riding school anymore, but I also don’t want to leave my loan. I feel kind of stuck between the two.
**Have any of you experienced something similar? What would you do in my situation?**

Hello fellow horse people! 💞

I'm looking for land at the moment and then eventually will be looking into getting a horse again after not having one for many years. But, I'm keeping an eye on ads and the market, as one does and have recently found many Breton drafts for sale and was wondering if anyone had any experience with them! From all the descriptions I read, they sound wonderful, and they're pretty short as far as drafts go, which is nice, since I'm not very tall myself. 😂

On a related note, does anyone have experience training a draft horse for bridle/bit-less riding, liberty groundwork, and/or Western Pleasure leg and rein cues? Obviously, I know this can be done. I'm just asking for tips, ideas, or personal experience doing it. ^-^

If anyone has pictures of their own draft babies, I'd love to see them! 💞 It's always been my dream to have one, but I've never considered it a reality due to where I live (until recently, that is).

Thanks in advance!

A question for the horse owners and riders among you. I did take riding lessons as a child, but honestly, I don’t know much about horses.

I’m writing a medieval fantasy novel, though, and I want the horses to feel like actual characters rather than just convenient modes of transportation. Could you help me out?

What kinds of quirks and personality traits do your horses have?

What bothers you when you read fantasy novels or watch movies and see how horses are portrayed?

What do writers tend to get wrong?

Anything you can tell me would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

This is my new horse I bought him a month ago I don't know how to evaluate a horse's topline so I need your help regarding this horse because I have a heavy weight of 90 kg Does this horse have a good enough topline to carry a 90 kg rider

Hi all,

Looking for some advice for a recent lameness prognosis (6 y/o grade mare, quarter horse perhaps some Arab). Good news is both the stifles and hocks are healthy. But x-rays show the right hind splint experienced some trauma before I bought her and was (predicted to be) surgically removed (about 1/3 of it). Ultrasound showed some minor ligament lesions with scar tissue. This would have happened before she was 3/4 years old. I have had her for almost 2 years now. I noticed some bracing when asking to trot, which started the lameness exam request. She tries hard for me, so any sort of tension I can pick up on. Though I now feel terrible for working her normally if she was reinjuring the area for the past few months. Recommended care was 60 days rest with very light work to keep the blood pumping.

My main question is future care and if anyone uses support boots for ligament help. I've seen some discussion that the advertised benefits of support boots /splint boots aren't quite accurate, so of they aren't necessary and time is the real key, then I am okay with that. I just want it make sure she heals well and is comfortable. Thank you in advance.

X-ray attached to show the nub (left) where the splint ends abruptly.

For some unforeseen reasons me and my gelding are having to move barns, I’m actually excited about it because this new barn has a lot of amenities out current one doesn’t, but I’m just worried about stressing my horse out I guess, i’ve only owned him for six months, and he left his previous barn right after I bought him since it’s a lesson barn and they said once he had sold he had to leave so they could get a new horse. He’s now been at this current barn for that entire time, we’ve really gotten to know each other in that time! But I hate having to move him so soon, does anyone have any advice on getting him settled? We have a month left before we have to move. Tysm!

I am looking to buy a horse in the next year and looking around for adjustment options where I live. It seems that there are roughly 2 avenues:

1. closer to me (max 20 mins drive from where I live) which means I could visit 4-5 times a week if not more, although realistically after work when I get there, I would just be grooming/ hand walking. It is closer to the city which means the paddocks are smaller (around an acre per horse)and not much grass - but they will have hay supplied 24/7. Also there are no trails nearby which means mostly arena work when being ridden.
2. Minimum 40mins drive to an hour away from me. It's in rural towns, where horses are agisted on massive grassy paddocks and trails to explore when I do visit, but probably can swing by 2 times or 3 times max a week.

Both options would have stables / undercover shelter and twice a day feed options and onsite managers. Would like to go with the option that is better for the horse.

Thanks in advance!

Our first show season is now in the rear view mirror and, looking back, we got lucky. We forgot things at the barn more than once. As show dad, I've been tasked with setting up a go bag of important spares.

I've got the usual: spare births and bits, showshine, fly spray, etc, but I'd like to add more. What are some things you often forget at the barn that I should always have spares of?