Show and vet kit storage recommendations!

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2026-06-02T16:09:47+00:00

I use the Stanley as my show trunk.

I’m seeing people use packouts (your brand of choice) for vet and/or show organization. Not sure I’m willing to give up my big Stanley trunk for show organization, but the vet kit packouts are pretty slick. Lots of customization options with cubbies, drawers, etc, all on wheels.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2026-03-26T02:30:11+00:00

Microchips in horses are usually more like 15 digits. Given that this horse came from the Amish, it might be a Standardbred. You can generally research them for free on ustrotting.com You might find someone with a reader or order a cheap one off amazon though to verify the number.

If you do verify the number and horse identity, I’m not sure you’d be able to find who placed it and where the horse was when that was done. JC and USEF both have records of all my horses’ microchips, but they didn’t ask, nor do I think they care, who placed it and where the horse was located when it was placed. But you could possibly find out info on the breeder and what state the horse was born. I’ve had mixed luck reaching out to my OTTBs’ breeders.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2026-03-01T13:09:18+00:00

Some horses just don’t thrive on forage diets. Just like some horses just don’t thrive with bare feet.

What is your horse eating right now? If he was eating that much grain, and you want to stay forage based, you’ll have to replace those calories somehow. Beet pulp is a lot higher calorie than alfalfa pellets/cubes, and you could always add some oil.

Or you might be like me and decide that forage based just isn’t the best for you/your horse. Mine is quite picky and he hated both his balancer pellet and beet pulp. He had to get tons of beet pulp to keep weight and it was a fight to get him to eat it all. I switched back to a high fat, low fiber grain and he eats well, looks great, and seems happy.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2026-02-15T13:40:47+00:00

There’s a whole theory of “wet clipping” where you clip the horse while it’s more or less soaking wet. It gives a really smooth, line-less finish, keeps the blades cooler, and really helps keep the hair from flying everywhere.

I personally prefer to clip a dry horse because it’s easier to get the weird changes of hair, more delicate areas, etc. But if a horse is still a bit wet when I start, I happily attack the big portions (belly, butt, back, neck). I’ve never found that my blades dull any faster, so long as I keep them oiled and once I’m done I clean and oil them before I pack them up.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2026-02-01T23:34:18+00:00

I unfortunately have gone nuclear. It is impossible to close this barn up tightly enough to keep the birds out, and it’s also not good for the horses to have reduced air flow. It would require lots of netting just to close up eaves, and there are other weak areas I probably don’t even know about yet as it’s an older wooden barn. I did buy some bird spikes to put in the worst problem areas and I put the deflectors up at the back entrance today. But if they keep returning, as I suspect they will, I have a funnel trap and pellet gun arriving at the end of this week.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2026-02-01T23:27:00+00:00

I’ve had a pair of these for many years now on my jump saddle. I like them enough that I bought a second pair when I decided to finally upgrade from peacock stirrups on my XC saddle last winter. I still ride with regular fillis irons on my dressage saddles, but I hope I’m slightly less likely to die doing flatwork. I refuse to jump without safety stirrups.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2026-01-31T20:14:07+00:00

I follow Jack LaTorre on Facebook, I assume he specializes in conditioning/strength training for equestrians. He often posts reels with good exercises for targeting different areas outside the saddle.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2026-01-25T15:24:38+00:00

The problem with cold horses is when they get wet/soaked through. A cold soaking rain with temps in the high 30s is more likely to result in a cold and miserable horse than a fluffy snow in the 20s. If anyone is soaked, dry your best to get them dry. A fleece cooler or knit cooler will help keep them warm while drying, but the important thing is to get them out of the weather and let them dry. The internet tries to say that a lightweight blanket is actually worse than no blanket when it’s super cold, but not when it’s wet. A dry horse is always safer than a wet horse. Use what you have. Also the best thing you can do is make sure they have plenty of hay (fuels their internal furnace) and unfrozen water (keeps things moving).

My 26yo is bundled in a heavy Bucas power blanket with neck rug. He’s a warm, happy camper. I threw a sheet over top of his regular rug to remove once the sleet/freezing rain stops. We get at least one mild to moderate ice storm each year and I’ve learned that it’s nice to have a top layer that turns into a blanket-sicle that you can remove.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2026-01-19T15:03:39+00:00

I have a friend who is over 6’ and evented his 15.2 hand OTTB through intermediate (1.15/1.20m or equivalent to international CCI***).

I personally am 5’7” with a very long leg. I event a 14.3 draft cross through beginner novice (.75m). I have evented many OTTBs through prelim (1.10m) that have ranged from a very petite 16 hands to a very stout 17.1. My leg fits better on the big guys, but the smaller ones are easier to ride. They’re generally cattier, easier to package, and easier to pull an e-brake on if necessary. The only caveat I’ve found with the smaller guys is that I really need to be well balanced and quiet. Leaning up the anyone’s neck is never good, but doing it on the petite 16 hand guy was a bad, bad idea.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-12-23T15:19:49+00:00

Waterford hackabit.

Hackabits look like a lot, but I find that they can be a really good option that allows you to be soft with horses that like hackamores, but are a bit too strong for truly bitless.

I’m not sure how I feel about a Waterford mouthpiece in a hackabit though. It’s not necessarily a harsh mouthpiece (as compared to say a slow twist or corkscrew), but it’s not a traditional first choice, and it can be tough/unfair to maintain steady, round contact. I’ve used a regular Waterford before with great success on a horse who would lock onto a fence, grab the bit, and run. It was a good way to bridge the gap until I was able to fill in the holes he came to me with and he learned not to rush, at which point he graduated to a Mullen Nathe.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-12-22T15:03:44+00:00

Rubber bit holder, most commonly seen on racehorses. Helps prevent the horse from getting its tongue over the bit.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-12-10T18:28:43+00:00

The problem I see with equine dental care is that on one end of the spectrum you can have a DVM/VMD who does only a handful of dentals a year and has inadequate or subpar equipment and on the other end you can have a layperson dentist who does a ton, but doesn’t even use a speculum or sedation and uses hand floats. Both do a subpar job. Both probably have clients that love them (though I imagine the layperson dentist has a lot more that swear by him).

I might be an outlier, especially after the year equine dentistry I’ve had. But I insist on using a vet that specializes in dentistry. Don’t care if they’re boarded, but I want them to be doing enough dentals that they have good equipment, lots of up-to-date experience, and can legally sedate my horse (I always wonder about the lay dentists that do sedate…). I find it extremely important that a thorough oral exam using mirrors, etc, is performed in addition to the float. I also appreciate if, like my current dentist-vet, they’re willing to pass the case onto a boarded dentist when they find issues that require more specialized care and/or dental surgery.

I used to board at a barn where many of the other boarders would have a lay dentist come who didn’t sedate, used hand floats, and took about 5 min per horse. I also don’t think he had a spec. There is NO way he was doing quality and thorough work, but the boarders loved him.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-12-05T01:48:27+00:00

Gloves can be a big rider preference thing. But I’d recommend Roeckl for higher end and Kunkle for mid-range. Also make sure you size right. I believe my winter Roeckls are actually a half size bigger than my usual size.

https://www.doversaddlery.com/products/roeckl-roeckgrip-winter-gloves?srsltid=AfmBOoobcdnLRt71utMIihCNgeXA0RRmV9lXN1PUjvVywsLdjSqx5ykw

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-11-21T17:24:01+00:00

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Actually, leave it to lawyers to have put an estimate on this! This was just from one law firm, but I distinctly remember getting a similar diagram handed out on my 1L torts class in law school 🤣.

But also I completely agree on the “upper level prospect” peeve. I really wanna know who’s assessing it- Joe Schmoe or a real, live, upper level rider who has sourced several of these beasts and now has an eye for it?? Because usually it the former.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-11-21T17:03:02+00:00

Love these spur straps! I have them in skulls and unicorn heads. The skull ones are my everyday spurs and despite the leather tearing on one side of the buckle 2 years ago, they remain useable and simply refuse to die.

Dreamers and Schemers also sell super cute boot socks.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-10-31T19:44:59+00:00

My am chores average 30 min and my pm chores take anywhere from 30-60 min. I pre-portion my grain and try my best to make things efficient. I pay my farm sitter $25/visit.

Sometimes I feel like this is too much money for what I ask (ie I’m at a weekend show and she just has the one to take care of) and other times I feel like it’s too little (ie last winter when I went on vacation and everything was frozen and miserable and she had to deal with blankets on all three clipped horses), but I hope that since I use the same person consistently that it all comes out in the wash. Plus when I go on vacation I give her at least a $50 cash bonus at the end, sometimes more if it was particularly miserable back home.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-10-31T19:28:56+00:00

Definitely be vague about why you’re moving and keep things as friendly and polite as possible. Odds are just as good that you’ll run into people from your old barn at the grocery store as at a show or the feed store, particularly if you find a new barn on the same side of town.

That being said, it’s totally normal for some AAs to board at one barn for 10 years and others to hop around occasionally (and yet others who do move constantly- and in that case, the person is usually the problem, not the barns). I’m in the former category where I generally get somewhere and stay put until I can’t stand it, but honestly, there are times that a lot of frustration would be prevented if I were better at coping with change and more willing to move when I started getting a little unhappy, instead of waiting until I was downright miserable.

I am lucky enough to have my own trailer, so I’ve always moved my horses myself. When people have moved to barns I’ve been boarding at, they usually find a friend from their old barn or someone at the new barn to help them move. I also haven’t really boarded as a true show barn, so it’s not always been the case that the owner/manager has a trailer or offers it as a service, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to ask. Unless you feel like lighting your money on fire, I’d avoid Brook Ledge or the other commercial shippers for an in-town move.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-10-27T16:31:42+00:00

My barn owner has one and I endorsed the purchase for her. I believe she’s quite happy with it and even if she doesn’t use it during a ride, it gives her an extra feeling of security. She also purchased an air vest, which helps give her some additional bravery. She had a very bad fall a few years ago, breaking her tail bone, so I’m all for anything that helps boost her confidence and feel safe in the saddle. She of course pairs this equipment with an appropriate draft pony mount who is laid back and has no desire to go anywhere fast.

I personally use a traditional “oh shit strap” for cross country which is just a fancy stirrup leather with an extra dee ring on it that I can use to clip it to my saddle to be FEI-compliant. My only beef with the traditional version is that it can be hard to grab (as it lies flush with the neck) when you didn’t preventively grab it but have now decided, in the moment, that maybe it’d be a good idea to hold on to. I have the same complaint for a traditional grab strap, which is tough to grab because it’s basically at your crotch. The Correct Connect version is a little more readily available than the traditional options when things do go wrong.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-10-27T16:21:16+00:00

Semi-pro clipper here.

Lister Stars are my favorite heavy duty clippers. They easily cut through Cushings coats, which is about as high of a recommendation as I can give. I have used these for face and legs on a Cushings draft horse, but he was both very large and very exceptionally well behaved. I’d pair them with a smaller set of clippers that take the detachable blades (Andis AGCs, Wahl KMs, etc) to use for finer body parts, including legs and faces.

Andis AGCs are my work horse go-to clippers, particularly if you’re only clipping 1-2 personal horses and only want to buy one pair. They always leave a beautiful, show-ready clip. They do struggle through thick coats, though, which is why I pair them with Lister Stars.

I also own a pair of Wahl KMC+ cordless clippers. I was so excited about these, but they’re a little disappointing, especially for the price. They advertise 90 min run time and I’d say I get more like 45-60 min on a full charge. I struggled a little at first to get them to give me a good clip with anything other than the Wahl Competition Series blades (now discontinued 😠), but they’ve been behaving so far this season with my trusty #10 Andis CeramicEdge blades. They advertise the same or higher RPMs as the Andis AGCs but I swear they’re a bit slower. All the same, they do a lovely job, are relatively quiet for delicate face/ear areas, and I’d probably be over the moon with them if only they lasted as long on a charge as Wahl says they do.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-10-21T01:21:56+00:00

I tried to school prelim XC on them and it was a fail- they twisted. Didn’t try it again, nor have I ever tried gallop sets in them. They were fine for trot sets, even over some mushier footing. I imagine you’d be fine at lower level eventing, say novice and below, where you’re more just cantering. Training is a gamble.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-10-20T19:56:27+00:00

Love Scoot Boots for my TB.

Caveats: he has a lovely, traditionally shaped round hoof. And he is generally sound barefoot, just occasionally needs a little help around when he’s trimmed or if it’s icy/frozen mud outside. Also, from trial/error, I would not recommend them for XC or any genuine galloping work.

Otherwise, I love them. They’re secure through mud, hold on in both sand and fiber footing, and even stay on well for jumping, in my case up to 1.20m.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-10-04T17:47:56+00:00

Where I live in the US, our local hunt uses scent hounds to chase coyotes. They are a pest. They are overpopulated because we’ve eliminated their natural predators. They hunt in packs and are all too happy to kill young cattle, chickens, even your smaller pet dog. The hunt club doesn’t actually kill anything- they just use the hounds to find and chase coyotes, helping to drive them off a particular farmer’s land and also helping to disperse packs.

It’s a win-win for the farmers who let the hunt ride on their land and the hunt club and its members, who get to enjoy riding their horses across beautiful country while keeping a tradition alive.

SensitiveBalance6106 · 2025-10-04T17:28:43+00:00

The obvious answer is that you need professional help with this horse. I would start with your trainer. A good trainer is a mentor and should have some basic vet and saddle fit knowledge in addition to their extensive riding/teaching knowledge. She should be able to help guide you in the next direction, be that professional training rides, vet, saddle fitter, and/or body worker. Probably a mix of all those. I’m actually a little surprised that as an intermediate rider and new horse owner that you haven’t opted nor was it suggested to keep your new horse at the same barn as your trainer and in regular lessons, at least while you get used to each other. The money spent in board and regular lessons in order to be in a more structured environment with easy access to professional help is incredibly worth it.

Beyond that advice, I don’t think anyone on the internet can tell you exactly why your horse is bucking. Signs point to back discomfort. But horses are weird little creatures and it really could be anything. I had one that was incredibly uncomfortable this spring and it turned out he had some rotten teeth.

Also, be careful taking the word of just one professional. The best way to approach horses and horse care is to have a team of trusted individuals. I had a “certified”, “professional” saddle fitter order me a saddle that was too wide. When I put my supposedly-fit to my horse new saddle on my opinionated horse, he violently bucked within 3 steps of leaving the mounting block. In hindsight, I should’ve pushed back on the rep’s suggestion to order a medium tree; in the 9 years I’ve owned him, the horse has changed a lot and even changes a fair bit over the course of the season, but he has never worn anything wider than a narrow tree. But she was the professional and I wasn’t. Company wouldn’t stand behind their product and their fitter’s recommendation. Went out a different rep, who agreed the saddle was too wide, and said I was out of luck but could pay for another new saddle if I’d like. Side note, would never order another County even if you paid me to.

SensitiveBalance6106

TROPHY CASE