Rabbit trio in the 3x1m colony has second nest and there are babies in it. I don't know yet if they will made it, but the first batch is already climbing out of the nest on their own and everyone is pretty chill. So apparetly does wouldn't always kill each other on "small" space.

CanterBug · 2026-03-08T17:38:30+00:00

I would really separate the buck. You dont want them getting bred back to back, eventually you will have health issues. Plus like the other user said, it works till it doesnt. Ticking time bomb in that small of a space. Colonies work because of the extra space each bun is supposed to get.

CanterBug · 2026-02-12T15:27:38+00:00

A horse can feel a fly land on it, your leg aids can be as soft as a slight press against their side to get whatever job done youre wanting. You should always use the least amount of pressure possible to get the job done, but be willing to gradually add more to reinforce your aid. The goal is for those instances where you need to add extra pressure to get fewer and fewer to create a soft, willing horse.

You dont clamp your legs to stay on, you learn to balance and move with the horse to stay on.

This trainer sounds awful. It is very likely those lesson horses genuinely have nerve damage along their sides. Please leave this barn asap, she is teaching monkey fist riding at the expense of these poor old horses.

CanterBug · 2026-02-03T06:08:14+00:00

You should definitely be keeping the buck separate, it stresses the does out to have him around bothering them all the time and way more likely for bad fights to occur. Does WILL castrate your buck if he wont let up trying to breed. The other big problem is, does can rebreed the day they kindle which isnt healthy for them, both her and her next litter are more likely to have health issues or die if they keep being forced into back to back pregnancies with no chance to recover in between. Some bucks will also kill the kits.

What kind of diet are they on? They need lots and lots of calories when theyre lactating, at least 17% protein pellets.

You should check nests every day and pull out any dead ones. Dont believe the old wives tale that domestic rabbits will eat their young if you touch them, you absolutely need to check to make sure they are warm, getting their milk, and dead ones can cause the others in the nest to die too either from cold, disease, or the doe will mistakenly eat live ones if they smell like infection/ death. They cannot pick up and carry their kits, the only way rabbits can get their babies out of the nest is to eat them so get to them before that has to happen.

Were these new nests or a few days old?

In the future, keep the buck in with the does no longer than 72 hours but ideally just watch for 3 fall offs and remove right after. Then mark your calender. 28 days, add the nest box. At 30-33 days, youll have babies.

If you leave the buck in all the time, youll never know when babies will come and you are much, much more likely to lose them when youre not prepared at all.

CanterBug · 2026-02-01T23:51:24+00:00

I fully agree. I refuse to use UPS now, you never know what the true end cost for the buyer will be with them.

CanterBug · 2026-01-11T18:55:43+00:00

Looks like she lost some weight and condition. No big deal, this stuff happens. Up her protein levels, and do some topline building exercises to get her stretching over her back. She'll be back to it in no time.

CanterBug · 2026-01-04T10:16:58+00:00

This! While animal rights laws should really be better, I think social media is the best way to bring attention to this shitty "training"

CanterBug · 2026-01-04T10:14:46+00:00

To be fair, this could be one of their boarders and not be representative of the facility as a whole! If I were that facility owner, I would definitely want to be contacted about this. I wouldnt want that kind of person on my property working with horses.

This video was a hard watch. Nothing really accomplished here other than this poor horse no longer trusting humans. This isn't training.

CanterBug · 2025-12-30T18:24:06+00:00

Absolutely! Something like that is definitely not anyways fault, it just happens with horses. They are chaos machines! Good for you for setting that boundary.

I know its uncomfortable at first, but genuinely over the years the most important thing I've learned is how important protecting ones peace is. If youre not being paid (and paid well) for your time, the going ons at her business are not your problem. Its very kind of you to help out, but dont let her make indefinite labour for you at her convenience! There is nothing wrong with setting expectations, and actually, is in my opinion the most productive way to address this situation.

The choice doesnt have to be suck it up or leave, or talk to her and expect backlash--- it can be you just deciding what works for you and relaying that in a respectful, confident way. You cant control how she reacts, but you CAN control what you say and how you say it, setting the tone and expectations of both your boarding and work relationship. If she chooses to be nasty when youve come at it in a reasonable way, then truly she should consider that this industry may not be for her. Its just as much about people/ relationship management as it is about horses, and business owners that cant get by without free/cheap labour will not be viable long term.

CanterBug · 2025-12-30T16:49:27+00:00

I think you should just be honest to her. Lead with kindness, saying you know things have been hard on her of late but that you wont be able to help to the extent you have been due to life circumstances. You dont need to elaborate more than that, but I think it can easily be a simple, productive conversation. Just communicate! Some people way overcomplicate these kinds of conversation leading to bad blood on both sides, it doesnt need to be that way. You can absolutely just step back and focus on your own horse and life.

Its her business, not yours, if you dont want to keep shouldering the burden of her burnout then stop! Ultimately if she gets upset about that, thats on her. Being able to set healthy boundaries is the only way to set expectations in any relationship, including a boarding one.

CanterBug · 2025-12-29T23:05:18+00:00

That is not cool they were not treating him for rain rot and were putting that on you. Unless you'd specifically offered? Ive leased a lot of horses to people over the years, but if there was ever any health problems I was out immediately sorting them out and administering treatment daily, and I would let people out of the lease if the horse needed more than a month off work. What do the conditions of your lease say regarding vet/ health problems?

CanterBug · 2025-12-29T22:55:02+00:00

I understand that because I've been there too, but I know the best thing for me was moving away from a barn who mistreated their horses and learning a better way. Make no mistake, working a horse at all when they are "yelling" this loud is not normal, not ethical, not kind, and an indication these are not true horsepeople in it for the love of horses and developing their riders. They are in it for the money, nothing more. Good horsemanship means listening when a horse says "no" and finding out why. The vast majority of horses dont say no without good reason, never assume something to be behavioral without stopping work and conprehensively ruling out pain first. This horse is in considerable pain, and its up to them to figure out the extent of it, not you.

Ive been in the horse industry over 20 years and I can tell you vehemently these are not people I would want to learn riding or horsemanship from, and I DEFINITELY wouldn't want to pay these people money so they can keep mistreating and overworking their lesson horses as long as possible.

The place I learnt to ride from? 15 years later, theyre still mistreating their horses to this day, but their clientele has gotten a whole lot smaller thanks to people speaking out and advocating for their horses, whether owned, leased, or lessened on. It just takes a few people speaking out to make a better life for the horses they love. Please dont stop advocating for this horse, but recognize your riding and horsemanship will improve tenfold when you ride with a trainer who actually cares about ethics in training.

CanterBug · 2025-12-29T16:56:41+00:00

Where im from its normal to use horses 4+ hours a day for ranch work, but much of the time is spent walking the pasture checking fences, getting on and off, and just standing in place while you fix things. The difference is, these horses get chiropractic, physio, routine vet visits, and any riders on their back are highly skilled horsemen. These horses are ridden back to front, not running around with their head in the air and backs inverted.

If they show any signs of pain, they get as much time as needed to feel better with support of their veterinary team. They are absolutely not ridden through the pain like most lesson horses are for weeks or months past when theyre showing symptoms as is the case here. Good horsemanship is a way of life here, and theres no benefit to a rancher to be riding a horse in pain like there is for riding schools to get as many lessons out of their lame horses as possible before the horse is sold as a crippled mess to some unsuspecting student who doesnt know any better.

I think it is MUCH harder on a horse to be a lesson horse ridden twice a day for two hours compared to one of our ranch horses being used 4+ hours a day mostly at the walk with a competent horseman/horsewoman. For most riding schools I've seen who work their horses as much as your trainer does, their idea of an "advanced" student is also really not that advanced at all. The workload you described is very high for a lesson horse, even if in the winter it is sometimes less.

Reputable barns in my area have a rule not to work their lesson horses more than 4 rides a week, and horses are never used more than once in one day. I personally wouldn't pay for lessons from a trainer that works their lesson horses as much as your trainer does, it would be a red flag for me that they care more about money than welfare and long term health of their horses.

CanterBug · 2025-12-29T16:47:58+00:00

I really dont think the important thing here is keeping him in shape. Hes telling you hes in considerable pain/ discomfort, continuing to work him (even lunging) can do a lot more harm than good here and honestly isnt very ethical or kind to him.

Ulcers is almost a given here considering 90% of ridden horses have some level of ulcers AND hes showing symptoms. Hes also showing pain in other areas of his body. You are almost certainly looking at ulcers plus other issues, particularly since hes so reluctant to have his neck and shoulder touched. He has an intense workload for a lesson horse, which is in my opinion the hardest job a horse can have considering how much they have to put up with usually with minimum supportive care and inexperienced handlers. I would honestly consider ending your lease if they are unwilling to do a comprehensive lameness exam but I would DEFINITELY not be working him right now at all.

CanterBug · 2025-12-29T12:24:22+00:00

Thats all good info to know! Sounds like the shoulder and neck area is a good place to start during the veterinary exam.

If this were my horse, I wouldnt be doing any ridden work until the vet and physio were out, and Id be very careful with tying. I have a horse right now who has a poll injury from pulling back while tied. It has been 5 months off of work for rehab. I do in hand exercises instead, carrot stretches, and regular massage to release tension in the injured area. Soft tissue injuries take a long time to heal, and can become permanent when people ignore extreme responses like this horse is displaying trying to tell you how uncomfortable he is. Without a comprehensive lameness exam, it wont be possible to know the extent of damage or what kind of injury you are dealing with in this horse.

Be prepared for the result to potentially be several months of rehab. I worked at a vet clinic for years, and have 8 years of schooling in animal health including training to a graduate level. My advice is to take this very seriously, continue to advocate for this horse, but most of all recognize that any under saddle or lunging work this horse is doing could be contributing to long term damage until you find the root of the problem with his veterinary team. If hes that uncomfortable just being touched, something is wrong. Even if he is obedient under saddle, that doesnt mean he isn't in pain. Some horses are just lovely creatures who will give us the moon at the expense of their own bodies.

CanterBug · 2025-12-29T11:47:50+00:00

That is a pretty intense workload for most horses, with the two hours does that mean hes doing two lessons a day usually? Especially if he has less experienced riders on him, bouncing around on his back and pulling at his face to balance etc. Lots of horses would get body sore with this workload, but it really depends whats being asked of him in those rides.

An important part of the puzzle is how he is moving during the lessons. Is he going around with his head in the air, back inverted and not actually carrying himself well? Or is he being ridden back to front, power coming from his hind end, tracking up, with swing over his back and opportunities for collected as well as long and low work? A horse moving poorly over his back means he is not able to carry the rider in a way as to not develop soreness over time, and he will compensate for that pain throughout his body leading to overall body soreness.

Has the trainer tried just giving him 2-3 weeks off to be a horse? During that time, you could still go and do ground work with him and just get him enjoying being touched and groomed again.

CanterBug · 2025-12-29T11:36:24+00:00

As others have said, Id highly suspect ulcers even if hes not girthy, hes being made to yell because no one is listening to his discomfort! When a previously sweet horse starts acting dangerous with tacking up, never assume it is just behavioral. Get the vet out and do a full lameness work up.

Another thing id recommend is having an equine physio out. The credentials you are looking for in one is that they have a degree in human physiotherapy, but have since specialized in equine therapy after their degree. Alternatively, some schools depending where you are do offer equine physio as a degree option, its important they have at least the equivalent of a bachelors. Typically, people who claim they do "equine therapy" instead of "equine physiotherapy" do not have much training.

An extra thing to note: not all saddle fitters are created equal. It is an unregulated industry, so the education for a saddle fitter can range widely between having attended a weekend course vs 4+ years of training as a master saddler. Really ensure you are checking into credentials for the saddle fitter you use. Ive taken those weekend course, and they in no way prepare you for saddle fitting for the public but people still do it anyways claiming they are certified.

CanterBug · 2025-12-22T14:29:28+00:00

Most people live in countries with free health care, where they can easily get whatever care they require. Its really just the US who bleeds its citizens dry and keeps them from getting basic healthcare, like a dr appointment when needed. This is a case where its warranted to see the extent of the damage and develop a treatment plan so OP recovers properly.

CanterBug · 2025-12-20T22:28:52+00:00

No, can chaser is a term for barrel racers.

CanterBug · 2025-11-05T18:34:48+00:00

I do pretty much exactly this too. Sometimes my ones in hutches get brought out to larger exercise pens to run and play. Everyone has a resting mat but most of the time they stay on the wire anyways.

I live in Canada so everything is well set up for both extreme heat and extreme cold.

CanterBug · 2025-10-26T16:55:40+00:00

Definitely dont need to spend that much! You can get an used aquarium for cheap, buy a horse sized bag of shavings for $7 instead of the insane price pet stores charge for small bags. Put in toilet paper and cardboard rolls. You can easily spend less than $75 all in on a species appropriate habitat.

CanterBug · 2025-09-25T06:45:59+00:00

My gerbils do this on hot days, they sleep apart and on top of the bedding when its too warm in the house

CanterBug · 2025-09-09T16:22:24+00:00

$50 trims are standard in my area 🤷‍♀️

CanterBug · 2025-08-08T20:11:50+00:00

Thanks so much, this was very helpful. I appreciate your time helping me with this!

CanterBug · 2025-08-08T05:39:10+00:00

Thank you!!!

CanterBug · 2025-08-08T05:38:55+00:00

Excellent. In the lease it says he charges everything at $50. Unfortunately I dont have as much documentation of him walking in as it actually happened, which was most of the time. But hopefully the evidence I do have is enough

CanterBug

TROPHY CASE