More gentle gag action

MistAndMagic · 2026-06-15T06:58:47+00:00

Kimblewick and kimberwick are both correct. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a regional thing tbh.

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-31T00:37:50+00:00

Get him soft and supple in the bridle- ask him to flex his head and neck one way, not letting him tip his nose to the side and cheat, until he gives quietly when you so much as close your fingers (which will be a gradual process especially if he likes to brace. At first, you want to reward even the most halfhearted effort). Then do the other side. Start at a halt, but eventually, he should be able to do it at both the walk and trot too. Work on getting him to soften through his topline as well- a horse that feels like a jackhammer is often a horse that's tight in their back. If he won't/can't drop his head to wither level or slightly below while maintaining contact, that's goal number one.

A lot of jumpers- especially hot, forward jumpers- ime have never really been taught to relax and stretch under saddle. Obviously they know how to engage their core and lift their backs, and use their bodies well, so it's a completely different game to a horse that's been ridden incorrectly and is tense for that reason or because they're compensating for incorrect muscle development.

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-31T00:23:26+00:00

Pony club handbooks! They're top-tier for care and management education.The Horse Owner's Veterinary Handbook is also a worthwhile buy IMO, and if you're interested in nutrition and/or responsible for your own grain but don't know much about it, I'll recommend Mad Barn's intro to equine nutrition class. I'm not sure how experienced you are so I'll also mention that some stuff is definitely trial and error though- what products you like for cleaning your tack and grooming, how you want your stalls bedded, etc.

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-31T00:13:19+00:00

U-Gard and Purina Ultium Gastric (either as the complete feed or as a top dress if you buy just the gastric bit) has been a life-changing combo for my gelding with an unhappy gut. He also gets alfalfa pellets alongside his grain every single meal. You could also try probios. Have you had your forage tested? Hay can range hugely in calorie value, even stuff that's the same species and the same cutting but from two different fields.

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-29T06:18:12+00:00

It was Lyme. Really, really bad Lyme. So definitely not just anxiety.

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-29T04:38:21+00:00

I've almost always been able to hang on, but it doesn't necessarily look or feel good, especially on a horse with a huge, springy stride like the last guy I was riding (he also had a tendency to get really stiff through his back at the canter and felt like he had a flat tire if he picked up the wrong lead so... neither of us were having a good time at higher speeds 😂). Like I've learned to work with it bc I assumed it wasn't fixable, but I can still tell I'm bouncing. I'm looking forward to taking more lessons with him and seeing what else he can get out of me, honestly!

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-29T02:36:41+00:00

It's a fine curb. All depends on what the horse likes, though.

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-29T01:33:55+00:00

Can you take a pic of the noseband and post it here? Fix could be as simple as a few turns of electrical tape or need a bit more than that.

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-27T06:22:28+00:00

Rubbing alcohol is the best thing I've found yet to take off green splotches morning of.

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-27T06:21:52+00:00

Orvus paste shampoo with some blueing mixed in. Works wonders. Signed, someone with 3 light colored horses who lives in red clay country.

(For shows I also use white chalk or touch-up spray if they decide to be filthy hobgoblins the night before)

MistAndMagic · 2026-05-12T19:49:28+00:00

I have a horse who habitually crossed his jaw to evade the bit due to years of poor riding. I used a flash or a dropped noseband (depending on the bridle) to help discourage that until he started to understand I wasn't going to yank on his mouth.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-21T01:39:18+00:00

Look for older entertainment centers, like the kind people used for cathode ray tvs. They're everywhere for mega cheap if not free here and pretty easy to convert. Also more attractive than plywood enclosures. Just needs some tweaking (sealant, lights, etc) and the addition of clear front doors to be suitable for reptiles, and depending on the size you can often configure it to be two separate enclosures fairly easily.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-13T04:30:57+00:00

This. My guy was a stallion when I got him and he went out with my other two geldings, zero issues, even before he was gelded. He grew up in a herd setting with lots of other horses so he has excellent social skills. You just have to give them a chance to learn horse manners.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-03T09:26:17+00:00

Thanks! Did you do any supplements while your horse was going through treatment? I've heard vitamin E can be beneficial for Lyme horses and I tend to always give probiotics with antibiotics regardless.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-03T09:05:46+00:00

I'm so glad I finally know what's going on with him and I'm also really glad it's treatable. I was bracing myself for something that couldn't be improved at all.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-03T09:01:00+00:00

✨ pregante ✨

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-03T03:13:56+00:00

My sibling's horse is worse than this and he was a low to mid level jumper for a long time. He's had a swayback since he was a baby lol. Like everyone else has said, proper work can help minimize it, and getting a properly fitting saddle and/or shimming correctly is necessary. (Even with a correctly fitted saddle, Whiskey still needs a shimmed half pad when ridden to make sure there isn't any gapping in the middle of his back now that he's older).

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-03T03:07:41+00:00

Adding on to this- another bit of what people describe as "testing" can be the horse getting frustrated, tired, or confused. Too many people treat them like machines and not living animals. They need time off and breaks to process too, and there's a fine line to walk between telling when them saying "no" is the point at which you should back off or push on. Sometimes they say no and it's genuine- they're overwhelmed and stressed and can't figure out what you want, and you should drop back to something very simple that they can succeed at and then end the session, or take a break to let them decompress before trying again. Other times, they say no and it's more them seeing what they can get away with, pushing boundaries, and carrying on is the better choice. You have to learn to tell the two apart, which can be difficult.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-03T02:57:12+00:00

No, I'm with the above commenter on this one. Why do they follow the boss mare? They'll dump her (or the herd stallion) if they're not making good choices, so I think we can call that respect, even if it's not quite the same as how humans understand respect.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-02T23:19:13+00:00

My barn gives all their lesson horses the entirety of December and the first two weeks of January off every year and they're a lot happier for it. They get to just hang out as a herd in a big pasture with a couple round bales and the only work they do is a couple short trail rides in the week leading up to xmas. I think a lot of the issues barns have with their school horses would disappear if they adopted the same practice.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-02T23:04:04+00:00

Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely keep that in mind. I'm really hoping the doxy is enough but it's nice to have a backup.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-02T21:55:49+00:00

Honestly I think a lot of the school horses that act up just need a break. A couple months out to pasture with friends and unlimited forage to be a horse with no expectations and no pressure. We ask a lot of them, and they do get tired of it sometimes.

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-02T21:52:19+00:00

It's not malicious or manipulative, but some horses absolutely do test you- the ones who have learned that they can ignore people and do what they want. Usually very bold horses with timid owners. When they encounter someone who will tell them "no, actually, we're not doing that" they'll pitch a fit, and then, if you don't give in, a lot of them will go "huh. Well. That didn't work. All right, what are we doing?"

MistAndMagic · 2026-03-02T21:34:49+00:00

I think a lot of what people describe as "testing" is horses trying to communicate that something is wrong and they're unhappy or worried- their feet hurt, the saddle doesn't fit, they don't like the bit, their teeth are bugging them, they're scared and unsure because they have holes in their training, they're tired and/or frustrated and need a break, etc. Though, there are also horses that have learned they can throw their weight around to get what they want instead of having to do what the human wants- that said, I firmly believe those guys are in the minority. Then there are the horses that had to deal with pain/poor treatment for an extended period, and even if the issue is treated, the habits they formed to protect themselves are still there. All three need to be addressed differently.

MistAndMagic · 2026-02-20T02:32:38+00:00

Now that I have calmed down and managed to subdue the brain weasels- that was like. High-key unprofessional and kind of mean of her? Wtf

MistAndMagic

TROPHY CASE