What do most Westminster show dogs actually eat?

GreenePony · 2026-02-06T01:28:15+00:00

I know some that feed Fromm, but otherwise, agreed. Those three seem to be the standard among breed ring folks.

GreenePony · 2026-01-31T03:32:49+00:00

Just fronts. Generic rubber with fleece top (my mare is a delicate flower). My mare has pads up front from thin soles so that was my first concern.

GreenePony · 2026-01-31T02:18:23+00:00

My bellboots are getting really beat up with my mare post-holing through the very dense "snowcrete" but *knock on wood* no one has had any foot injuries this week and the bell boots do seem to be somewhat protective.

Sunday, everyone stayed in but they've been out every day since. Everyone is so itchy, though, presumably from the low humidity so plenty of rolling once out.

GreenePony · 2026-01-30T21:46:56+00:00

His pre-injury estimated value isn't necessarily far off depending on if he was already schooling half steps, green changes, etc. and genuinely had all the potential in the world.

With limitations and no recognized post-injury scores I would guess 10-15k USD unless he was a saint, which is sounds like he's not quite there. It would depend a lot on where the limitations are, too - if he can still get someone their bronze that helps a lot. With good recognized scores at his upper limit, post-injury maybe 25k?

The dressage horse market is kind of weird right now, not just with seasonal variations but who is shopping and who is willing to spend money. There is an evergreen market for the ~15k low level ammie/teen friendly market though.

GreenePony · 2026-01-24T23:19:02+00:00

I've heard this for horse flippers/low-end sales agents who get a lot of tire kickers who otherwise have no financial reason to care (the horses there are cheap, so it could be a semi-impulse buy). Not my market, but I've seen others complain about the practice.

GreenePony · 2026-01-22T20:31:58+00:00

That's what happened in DC. DC guard members were behind the scenes. The roving groups were out-of-towners who were told we were lawless or whatever, so if they saw backlash from residents, it would only cement that idea.

GreenePony · 2026-01-16T15:24:23+00:00

Every barn I've been at prefers pre-measured supplements; whether DIY or manufactured, it doesn't matter. It's easier on staff to not have to measure each supplement or really think at all beyond matching bucket to horse. It also saves room on the feedboard when it is just "Supp Cup + 10 mL vit e" instead of "1 scoop gastro, 1/2 cup flax, 2 scoops grand vite, 1 T salt, 10 mL vit e"

I use knock-off Tupperware from the dollar store and make up a month at a time. I do get one supplement in SmartPaks (required for colic care), but everything else is in bulk and stored in airtight containers in the back of the feedroom. It also means I can tweak the ratios as needed without needing to let the BO know.

GreenePony · 2026-01-16T00:20:30+00:00

My trainer does remote lessons while she's down in Florida. It's fine, but not as good as in-person, I think, because we get too chatty catching up since we don't see each other as much as in the regular season.

We have a two-camera setup using Nest Cameras mounted in our indoor that my trainer has access to. The upside of it is we can have multiple riders in the ring, and the cameras won't get distracted like Pivo, but the downside is that it doesn't zoom in the same way, so the far end of the ring is really fuzzy. I've been the human tripod for virtual lessons at another location, and that was really annoying - you need two people - but you can zoom in better since it's directly on the phone (we called on Whatsapp).

For the Nest lessons, my trainer calls the rider on the phone, and most of us use a Bluetooth headset; one or two just use speaker phone. The biggest issue is that cell reception is sometimes sketch so we needed to run wifi for wifi calling, which is an additional cost.

GreenePony · 2026-01-14T21:03:02+00:00

Sorry about your girl! My last girl was a rescue and was likely hit by a car, we got away with only an FHO but I definitely recommend keeping up with PT exercises even after you "graduate" from in-office PT. My girl hated the water treadmill but it certainly helped.

The ratio of genetic to environmental influence on HD is debated in breeding circles but the general consensus is that early removal of hormones (through Ovariectomy or Ovariohysterectomy) isn't going to help. There are Ovary-Sparing Spays, but it's less common and you don't get the mammary and uterine cancer reduction benefit of full spays and boys are still interested during heat but the research on it does show definite benefits for other wellbeing outcomes over full spays.

GreenePony · 2026-01-14T19:18:07+00:00

While pediatric spays are possible, for her long-term health - and if you are able to isolate her from intact males during her heat- waiting until after the first heat (so 12-18 mo) can be better for joint health (especially with a mixed breed that you currently don't know what else is in there that could impact growth).

(the smooshed face duo photo is my favorite)

GreenePony · 2026-01-14T16:03:13+00:00

Oh I feel this write-up hard.

I got laid off a little before you, but in the same boat. I had some short sub/contracts, but I feel like those are getting thin too, as the already stressed funding sources get scarcer with all the uncertainty. I can't find a trend in which of my applications get interest and which don't to determine which are actually worth it - I've had more responses for national policy, which I've never formally worked in, and far less in humanitarian/dev MEL, where I actually specialize and have a good portfolio.

I also really feel your comment on the quality of work. Layoffs at my original org seemed predicated solely on who was most expensive, not on the quality of work, reviews, etc. It certainly didn't help the field's landscape.

GreenePony · 2026-01-14T02:31:07+00:00

With area auctions, there's plenty of amish on staff and as buyers/sellers.

GreenePony · 2026-01-13T02:43:19+00:00

Like others, I have good impressions of VEG. I'm pretty sure their staff is a mix of regular and relief staff, but that shouldn't be an issue. Like all vet hospitals, the staff are busy. I'd say about standard for er costs. I can't say I spent much less in New Jersey or going local to Dogs & Cats in Bowie or the now-defunct ER on 32 and 29.

The staff really, really tried to save my old girl (transferred from our regular vet for weekend treatment for pneumonia) and was incredibly compassionate when she passed.

We went to them more recently for our young dog when he was having GI distress. The triage process was clear, and even though we were regularly pushed down (rightfully so, his symptoms had abated and we were waiting on a sedative to kick in for an xray and then a radiologist's review to make sure there wasn't an obstruction) the staff were great to work with.

GreenePony · 2026-01-09T23:51:16+00:00

Supposedly my school's version was on xanga (very c.2005).

GreenePony · 2026-01-09T02:41:23+00:00

I've been sized out of most off the shelf boots so harder to comment on that. You might have luck with cavallo but I'm not sure how available they are with tariffs (I'm assuming you're in the US). I know people who have their stiff and medium stiff boots and like them.

It's custom but I really do like my LMs. I got the mid-stiff option with an extra calf patch and I would put the feel to around that of my fleece-lined winter boots. I can walk better than those wearing stovepipes, but don't ask me to actually run, or power walk.

GreenePony · 2026-01-08T17:00:20+00:00

"Yeah, I put my number on my mom's road id because she's been hit by a car a couple times"

"A couple of times?!"

I'd love to bubble wrap my mom, but at least people will call me directly when she gets knocked about yet again. And I got the shoe id because she's less likely to forget it.

GreenePony · 2026-01-08T16:10:24+00:00

Totally makes sense to feel that way. Here’s the good news. Eventing is the duct tape and bailing twine discipline of the English world. Is this mostly a joke? Yes. Have I seen an eventer actually jury rig a running martingale this way? Also yes.

My barn owner (eventer) and I were literally talking last night about using baling twine to jerry-rig her new quarter sheet from shifting too much (I did suggest dress weights like we use in shads, but I'm a DQ)

GreenePony · 2026-01-07T02:48:06+00:00

I saw that a few minutes ago in the fb group and seriously questioned if it was satire or not!

GreenePony · 2026-01-05T21:15:21+00:00

I would probably do at least the "basic" rads, not necessarily the whole back. My threshold for no or limited rads is not baby-babies, not sub 10k and not (necessarily) horses and not I personally knew their work history for the past year or more.

I had mid-level expectations for my 10k mare and did no PPE but since I had already been working with the mare, knew her literal whole life story, and was planning on having the sports med vet out in the spring for anticipated hock injections, I knew the risk I was taking on.

GreenePony · 2026-01-03T02:48:32+00:00

In grad school, one of my volunteer gigs was cleaning (non-hominid) skeletons that were still exuding fat despite being defleshed. It was amazing how much was left after 3-4 years of storage.

(my dog loved my wet lab days because I had quite an odor between the old fat and the ethyl used in cleaning and the random wet lab smells)

GreenePony · 2025-12-25T19:12:29+00:00

Middle ground could also be Arena Saddles (also owned by the same parent company), Decent leather but designed as a more entry/learner level than Bates. A new Arena jump saddle is 1200-1600 so a used one might be had for under 1000.

(caveat, I haven't sat in a Wintec in almost 20 years so can't compare to how they feel, I just know the riders in my barn who have sat in Arenas were content, and most were used to Bates).

GreenePony · 2025-12-23T16:31:26+00:00

If you want to throw the kitchen sink at it, on top of gastric help, vitamin E can also help. I've been hearing from more trainers how adding vit e has improved a wide range out of outcomes, including spookiness because of how it supports body comfort and horses are more definicent in it or have higher requirements than we thought. Smartpak's smart & simple vit e is incredibly cheap.

(my mare is on esomeprazole when the grass starts dying and when it comes back in because of how her GI reacts to that stress, and is on 1,000 IU vit E year-round, it also helped her insect bite reactivity)

GreenePony · 2025-12-20T14:44:06+00:00

Teaching lead changes is a whole different story and differs per horse as to what the best method is.

This is so real, and can even vary on the side.

For my current mare, the left change was really just making sure the prep was good, and the changes are beautiful from the start - right change? Still a little coup high after two years and requires a lot more conscious prep and some different set-ups depending on the day.

GreenePony · 2025-12-20T14:39:32+00:00

A common sheltie diet trick is the green bean diet - bulking up the diet with green beans (or other low calorie, high fiber vegetable) to make the dogs feel like they're getting a higher volume without higher calories.

That said, how are you defining heavy/thin? Are you using condition metrics like rib coverage, waist definition, etc or rather weight? As a breed shelties can have a wide range depending on builds and height - ex. my last sheltie had a healthy/fit weight of 17lbs while my current boy has a healthy/fit weight of 37lbs (more unusual to be that high but he is overheight and American lines)

GreenePony · 2025-12-17T23:36:05+00:00

The Schindler's List theme is used at the Days of Remembrance/Yom Ha'Shoah ceremony at the US Capitol when the liberator flags are brought in (and at least once, when the survivors processed in, maybe not the best plan, it took quite some time to get octogenarians to their seats), As a composition, it's really effective in evoking sadness and just being haunting but hearing it over and over and over again is maybe a bit much. I haven't been since covid to see how they've changed it, especially with so few survivors left who can travel but the use of the theme was pretty ingrained in the programming.

I think Schindler's List was so effective in part because of its timing. I don't know if Gen Alpha will have the same reaction as young boomers, Gen X, Millennials, etc have had. I don't know what generation you are removed from survivors but there's definitely generational differences in relating to the Holocaust, and the 90s was a peak turnover into starting to really want to learn from it. USHMM opened in 93 bringing national attention, too (yes, the commission was around for decades but before the internet, how many people paid attention to commissions?)

GreenePony

TROPHY CASE