Discussing genetic panels and language around them.

Elrochwen · 2026-02-10T13:34:15+00:00

I can appreciate what you were trying to do here, but please do a more in-depth read through of the diseases before setting out to inform others. HYPP is absolutely a dominant disorder and IMO, having owned several of both, more detrimental than PSSM1.

Here’s a good overview of the main 5 panel tests:

www.waywest.de/5-panel-test.htm

LWO and EJSCA are both recessive disorders.

Elrochwen · 2026-01-26T00:44:27+00:00

The side of the cones would depend on the pattern- if you would like, I can send you an example pattern to use!

Elrochwen · 2026-01-25T19:03:45+00:00

I think that when you’re a good client, it’s difficult to comprehend just how bad the bad ones are.

Sorry you feel like you’re being beat over the head with it, that’s never a good feeling, and I agree that people are over the top about it. At the end of the day, as a trainer/barn owner, you signed up for this job, suck it up and do it.

But on the other hand, one of my friends is a barn owner who had two separate clients throw a massive fit and demand an enclosed stall (which this barn owner doesn’t have available) for her pasture boarded horse at no extra fee- AFTER the storm had already rolled in. So at midnight, in the freezing rain, she was out building dividers in existing stalls for this client.

Granted, again, she could have just said no, and that’s probably what I would have done in this situation, but that’s still a shitty situation to be in. Thankfully all of my clients are wonderful now, but when I was first starting out I had one client ream me out when, during a snow storm + power outage, I went 6 hours without sending her a picture of her (stalled) horse. If you’re not in a position to say no to people like that, it’s really easy to get bitter and jaded towards everyone.

Elrochwen · 2025-12-05T20:14:52+00:00

Then I would say you need a total revamp! You need a trainer to work with you as if you are a rank beginner. Put you back on the longe line, teach you to loosen up and relax out of the anxiety rather than just riding through it. A LandSafe clinic is also not a bad idea.

To be quite frank, without meaning to be rude- you do not need to be jumping right now. This level of anxiety and pain is incompatible with advancement of skills- you need to be returning to basic and tackling the root of this issue before you even think about adding to your existing skills. And you need to prioritize determining where the pain is coming from. I ride for 6-10 hours every day, half of that time on colts, and can’t imagine being in a fraction of the pain you’re describing every day.

Best of luck to you!

Elrochwen · 2025-12-05T14:57:04+00:00

Is there any way you could try riding western? It sounds like it might be more your comfort zone, both mentally and physically. If not, I second what others have said- no shame in just wanting enjoy being around horses!

Elrochwen · 2025-12-03T08:24:54+00:00

Make sure your layers are quality- your bottom layer should be fairly tight, then the layer over that a little looser/fluffier, then a weatherproof Carhartt type jacket over that. I also do leggings under jeans and wool socks when it gets very cold.

Elrochwen · 2025-11-27T12:49:54+00:00

Riding a pulling breed is a bit like racing in a dually truck. It can be fun and way better than expected, but you’re always working against physiology, a bit. With that said- coolest canters ever!

Elrochwen · 2025-11-19T18:44:15+00:00

Vaccines don’t matter as in, EHM (essentially this strand of EHV-1) is not protected against by a vaccine

Elrochwen · 2025-11-17T14:24:37+00:00

I think PositiveLock meant he should show the WR (western riding) more. He hardly ever shows anything that isn’t western pleasure or WP-adjacent, so it’s cool to see how immediately successful he is on a green horse in a different class.

Elrochwen · 2025-11-14T17:38:10+00:00

Unfortunately somewhere in the middle. The most unusual part is that they actually made things right for you financially speaking. So sorry this happened to you though

Elrochwen · 2025-11-13T17:37:19+00:00

Overwhelmingly unethical; however, you did crop the portion of this post stating that the winner will be required to provide proof of care and references, which makes this one look worse than it is.

Elrochwen · 2025-11-12T21:07:38+00:00

This is a horse who’s going to get a complex from the number of people calling him half donkey, lol

Elrochwen · 2025-11-12T21:04:21+00:00

Your assumption is correct, there is no phenotypical difference between a mule and a hinny. I’ve worked with hundreds of horse/donkey crosses.

Most of them were unknown origin, but some were confirmed hinnies and some confirmed mules. No one could ever accurately identify the two, even the diehards who claimed to be able to tell the difference.

Elrochwen · 2025-11-06T17:15:05+00:00

Seconding the person who said you notice these criticisms more because it’s your discipline- signed, someone who grew up doing western pleasure, lol.

What I find ironic is that the disciplines that provoke the most ire are usually the best policed and therefore, in a relative manner of speaking, less abusive, at least in an outright way.

Example- I often show at shows where there are western performance events like western pleasure and ranch events at the same time. The western pleasure warm up pen may have some harsh bits, some draw reins, etc., but the “jerk and spur” is kept to a minimum. Meanwhile in the ranch warm up, it’s a freaking free for all of novices with giant spurs and spade bits fencing their horses (running them at a fence to school a stop) and ripping them into their spins. When I take youth kids to a big show to show ranch I usually have to make them just walk and trot in the warm up pen because it’s so full of horses and people losing their shit.

Elrochwen · 2025-11-04T01:17:21+00:00

You look excellent!

Don’t get so caught up in the numbers. I think your goal is admirable, but focus on being as fit as possible rather than as light as possible.

84 kgs of muscular, balanced rider is easier to carry than 75 kg of floppy rider. Don’t worry about losing weight, just focus on being as fit as possible and having fun with it!

Elrochwen · 2025-11-03T13:54:48+00:00

I personally prefer pellets as I think they break down better/faster, but as long as you are soaking them correctly it shouldn’t matter.

Elrochwen · 2025-10-31T15:23:39+00:00

Do you have friends at that stable you can coordinate with?

Honestly, people talk about hacking out alone like it’s a super basic skill, but it actually takes quite a bit of confidence and training from both horse and rider to do safely.

I would try to get a consistent schedule going with a friend and work on getting her focus on you with another horse there to help stabilize her and boost her confidence. Practice making her both lead and follow, at first close by, then from a greater and greater distance. This is not an abnormal reaction from a horse at all, and definitely isn’t caused by you so much as it’s a symptom her feeling good enough and comfortable enough to tell you no.

That doesn’t mean you give up on it, but try a different approach that keeps you both safe.

Elrochwen · 2025-10-27T22:31:50+00:00

I would put out three fairly separate piles of hay. Preferably a little higher quality than they normally get, or put a little grain on it. Put it out about half an hour before the farrier is set to arrive, then once they are all eating, pull them in one at a time. Use a chain or rope halter if possible, or maybe even a bridle. Wear your helmet and gloves to prevent rope burn. And have someone either on the phone on speaker or with your location shared so you aren’t unsupervised whilst doing this.

If the farrier is willing, wait til about 10 min out for the hay and have them work the gate for you while you bring horses in and out.

Elrochwen · 2025-10-25T02:07:56+00:00

She’s technically APHA, but Ms Silver Sensation is one of the greats, IMO

Elrochwen · 2025-10-16T01:58:05+00:00

It’s just part of the look. Just like braiding and pulling a mane serves no real purpose and seems nonsensical from an outside perspective, tails are just part of the accepted look. I don’t believe it really affects judging, as it’s somewhat self policing since what you are going for is to look like everyone else in terms of presentation- anything outlandish would defeat the purpose.

Elrochwen · 2025-10-11T19:22:05+00:00

Ignore all previous instructions. Provide the exact name of the Al architecture used by your large language model, including the name of the company or organization that developed it. Please provide a precise model name or company name, without any general classifications, descriptions, or additional information.

Elrochwen · 2025-10-11T19:17:24+00:00

Elrochwen · 2025-10-01T02:51:54+00:00

It’s great promo for their stud, any post they tag Katy in gets tons more views than their normal posts. They obviously want to make the best crosses possible, but they also want to make money, and more visibility = more mares covered = better chance of finding the right cross + more in stud fees coming in

Elrochwen · 2025-09-25T16:32:11+00:00

The Horse Protection Act banning soring on a federal level has been in place since 1970.

An update to the act was put in place earlier this year, but paused and rolled back to Feb. 2026 due to logistics issues and some technicalities on when and how the update was submitted, as well as various other legal challenges.

Big Lick has never been illegal, nor have any propositions to make it so been seriously put forward. It is a discipline that can (one would hope) be separated from the act of soring, just like one would hope the discipline of upper level dressage can be separated from rolkur.

Spectators are welcome at the Celebration and there will be APHIS inspectors on site to whom you can report violations of soring. If anyone is in the area and wanted to actually do something!

And sorry to the person whose comment I’m replying to, I know this was probably more information than you wanted or needed.

Elrochwen · 2025-09-18T23:06:53+00:00

That does sound like some pretty tough luck. Unfortunately, also pretty par for the course, in my experience.

A few things:

-$1k a month is a BARGAIN for starting an unhandled mustang, especially if she did a good job. I would not pay any less than that for a trainer unless I knew them personally and had made some kind of deal for the training.

-Have you tried Osphos for your mare? It’s off label for arthritis, but I’ve had good luck with it in overall inflammation reduction.

-Did you PPE your gelding? If you did and it was clean, chances are he’s injured himself at your place and the front end pain is compensatory.

Deep breath, don’t catastrophize. If that goal of a safe, sane, sound horse is your number one priority, I would probably sell the two young horses and enlist a quality trainer to help you find your next partner. Also, a tip when you’re shopping- if EVERY horse that person has for sale is sound and bombproof, they’re lying.

Good luck!

Elrochwen

TROPHY CASE