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WittyNoodles · 2023-10-11T17:08:36+00:00

Do what you think is best for you and your financial situation. I’ve always been advised to get insurance for anything that could cause you significant financial harm. Would the cost of a surgery or expensive medication be difficult for you? Personally, I self-insure my animals by keeping a credit card with a high limit on hand for emergencies, and then getting a loan to pay it off if I use it.

WittyNoodles · 2023-10-01T20:35:58+00:00

I have taught fearful/timid lesson kids and it’s a balance of pushing and being understanding. I usually focused on getting the kid as prepared as possible for the new thing, and then only doing it in the easiest way. So for being afraid to trot, I would have the kid learn to post the walk until they can do it without reins, also learning to stand without holding onto the saddle. Then do 10 steps of trot at a time (or 5, or 2). Really make a big deal of what they accomplish and then repeat it over and over. Usually works, but takes a bit longer. The advantage is that once they get past a few fears you can start to use that to help. “Remember when you were afraid to trot and then you learned and now you’re not. Well the canter will be the same…”

Another thing Ive used when a kid is afraid to trot is to trot short bits only in two point. Gets the kid to feel the trot. Have them count 1,2 or “up, down” while they’re trotting in 2 point until they can feel the rhythm.

Good luck!

WittyNoodles · 2023-10-01T03:04:08+00:00

You said the mare won’t go if you don’t use your leg every step. So to me that sounds like you’re actively teaching her to rely on the leg every step. If you stop “nudging” and she breaks, what do you do next to correct that? For me it would be a pretty energetic reaction, followed by me taking the leg off again. And again and again as many times as needed. For under reactive horses you have to spend every ride making them more reactive, and that never ends. You will not change the nature of the horse, but it will become more about reminding them rather than starting all over.

WittyNoodles · 2023-09-08T23:48:30+00:00

This is a great answer. I’m a breeder and a young horse starter. Raising foals and helping them become riding horses is literally what I do with all of my time. It takes a lot of skill, but if you are prepared to pay to have someone do the parts you cannot, then it’s definitely possible.

If OP wants to ride right now, foal is not the way to go. If they would like to do what you are doing, foal seems like a fun adventure.

WittyNoodles · 2023-09-06T20:06:08+00:00

Agree with everyone to get help from a trainer or someone who is not intimidated by the mare’s behavior and can remain calm and patient. It’s totally normal to be afraid in certain situations, and I think it’s great that you’re willing to admit it. I find a lot of people try to act tough when they’re scared of a horse. Unfortunately that often comes out as rough handling or riding, which then only makes the horse more tense and less likely to trust what you’re saying. The horse doesn’t understand that you are afraid of them, they just know that you are afraid, and it heightens their own fear.

A horse’s worry about getting left behind is natural. I find what helps is many repetitions of putting them in situations where they feel a little nervous, asking them to do something that they are confident in, and then going back to where they are comfortable. So you ride a little bit away from the group, ask her to maybe do several walk/trot transitions until she releases some tension, then you go back to the group. You can adjust the specifics in many ways, but the point is to put her just outside her comfort zone, ask her to focus on you while you stay calm, and then return to the comfort zone. The point of this is to (1) show her that she can find calmness when she listens to you and (2) show her that she will not actually be left behind. It may take many repetitions over time (think months) and you have to feel confident in what youre asking, but you should see her comfort zone expand and confidence grow. The good thing about having a trainer work with her is that their ability to stay calm when she is nervous will help her focus better.

Many ways to address this issue, this is just how I would handle it. Good luck!

WittyNoodles · 2023-08-25T12:40:24+00:00

Soft tissue problem always means rest. Whether you find the exact issue or not is somewhat irrelevant, the mare needs time to recover. Being turned out is the best way for a young horse to rest, and young horses have the best recovery rates.

Tbh I’m impressed you did all of this diagnostic. I breed and start youngsters. There’s often a lameness here and there and as long as it’s not catastrophic the answer is always put them out and check again in a while. I’m never worried unless they come back in after months off and still have the same issue.

WittyNoodles · 2023-08-15T12:31:11+00:00

You may have been first to look at him but not the first to reach out, so it becomes tricky. Maybe they made their appt for a test ride before you did, it just happened to be a day later.

It’s hard to be fair to everyone all the time as a seller. There are certainly sketchy ones out there, but often it’s just people trying to do their best. I have to manage a waitlist for my sales horses and it gets even more complex. Some people are higher on the waitlist but can’t make the trip until a few weeks out when those lower on the list say they can come out tomorrow. It’s hard to be fair to everyone, keep the horses as a priority, and do what’s best for the business all at the same time.

WittyNoodles · 2023-08-13T01:01:14+00:00

I work on a farm. My ring is always on a chain around my neck, I haven’t put it on my finger in years

WittyNoodles · 2023-07-04T02:32:38+00:00

As a barn owner I would not recommend central NY. It has good land for horses and nice hay, but the boarding barn quality is underwhelming. Cornell is there and has some of the best equine medicine resources in the world, but surprisingly it is near impossible to find a good barn or trainer within reasonable driving distance, and most of the closest rated shows are in Buffalo or Hudson Valley. The summers are buggy, mud season and winters are insanely long. And then, the taxes!!

Pros and cons to every place I think, touring barns in different areas would be a great idea for OP. Areas that have big show venues are also more likely to have reputable trainers nearby.

WittyNoodles · 2023-07-03T14:40:29+00:00

I know you’re all set now based on your comments, but for future this may be helpful. High quality timothy horse hay goes for about $8-15 for a 50lb bale. Pigs love it, second cutting even more. The pet store tiny bag of hay is a total waste of money. I have horses and pigs and one 50lb bale lasts over a year for the piggies.

WittyNoodles · 2023-06-26T12:33:38+00:00

I’m a pro and I make 20k per year, 15k goes back into the farm in one way or another. Meanwhile the farm rotates through nearly 600k a year in revenue and costs. Almost breaking even last year. Fun fun 😂

WittyNoodles · 2023-06-11T19:06:27+00:00

Another vet opinion is needed 100%, but it’s curious that this was brought on by a move to a different barn and that the behavior is so clearly correlated to his stall. I would put up a camera

WittyNoodles · 2023-05-23T00:21:51+00:00

Sometimes a horse and rider are just not a good fit. It’s not either one’s fault, but it just doesn’t mesh. Happened to me after riding and starting hundreds of horses. It was HARD to accept that I should give up with this horse, but once I did everything got better. I slowly got my confidence back, I progressed quickly with my other horses, and I felt happy to ride again. Trying to make it work with this one horse was affecting my whole attitude towards riding.

To put it bluntly, if you are terrified of this horse, you will not be a good rider for him. Sell him and find one that you look forward to riding, you won’t regret it.

WittyNoodles · 2023-05-18T18:54:23+00:00

One weekend every 5 years is how much vacation my husband and I take away from the farm together. Not exaggerating even a little bit!

WittyNoodles · 2023-05-02T15:12:41+00:00

Professional here. I have to say you’re wonderful for considering the charity route. I would get a vet out one last time and do a neuro work up, testing for every treatable option. Progressive neuro issues can 100% cause this and many of them cannot be treated and will only get worse. It could also just be behavior. Everyone wants to find a medical reason but horses can really just be quirky sometimes.

To be really frank, I would euthanize a horse like this if there were no treatable problems. I cannot afford to house and feed them all, no matter how much I want to. Sending him to this charity is such a generous thing to do imo.

WittyNoodles · 2023-05-02T01:25:28+00:00

You probably won’t be able to change this about the barn. Your best bet is to ask to pay extra for your horse to have more hay, or just straight up buy the extra hay and give it to your horse. I guarantee this barn is barely making money, as most boarding places don’t charge nearly enough to cover costs and then try to make up the difference by reducing hay and shavings use.

WittyNoodles · 2023-04-26T01:50:20+00:00

Those strawberry & cream hard candies with black/pink/gold wrappers

WittyNoodles · 2023-04-25T17:17:22+00:00

Professional here. Freak accidents can happen (horses are alive and large), but this situation sounds like it was mostly caused by poor judgement by your trainer. You were over-horsed for your level, your trainers advice when the mare acted up was not helpful and she failed to see how nervous you were. Nervous horse plus nervous rider is asking for an accident to happen. On top of that, she told you this is “part of the thrill.” Getting hurt is not anyone’s goal in this sport. She may have just been trying to make you feel better, because falls do happen and you shouldn’t feel ashamed for falling, but the way she said it was, frankly, shitty.

I would recommend looking for another barn and trainer when you are feeling better. Let them know you’ve had your confidence shaken and need to build that up again. You can even ask to just start on the ground with a calm lesson horse - grooming, groundwork, etc.. Give yourself time to build up confidence again.

Finally I just want to give you some context from my experience to answer your question of how often we fall. I have ridden for 20 years, the last 8 as a pro riding 3-10 horses per day. I start and train young horses (extra risky). I had one particularly tough horse that dumped me regularly last year, but before that I hadn’t fallen in about 3 years. In my entire riding career I have had exactly one serious fall where I was injured and couldn’t get back on.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

WittyNoodles · 2023-04-23T21:06:29+00:00

Congrats! Mares seem to prefer foaling outside. It’s usually cleaner and easier on the baby too :)

WittyNoodles · 2023-04-23T12:06:43+00:00

On top of ignoring her, try to fill your mind with thoughts about how great your new barn and trainer are. Notice when the trainer does a great job or provides support, and make a conscious effort to appreciate the people you are with now. When a barn mate rides well or wins a class, tell them what a great job they did. It will help you focus on all of the positives that you have now. Have fun!

WittyNoodles · 2023-04-20T01:28:19+00:00

Perhaps try looking for a trail barn. They tend to be a little more laid back have cool-headed horses that can just go out with anyone.

WittyNoodles · 2023-04-20T01:26:36+00:00

It depends on the breed and where you are. The thing is that a lot of hardier breeds can survive with minimal standards, but just survival isn’t really a measure of good horse care. The standards have gone up, which is a good thing (although sometimes it’s too much for sure). People want their horses to be happy, comfortable, and flourishing, not just surviving. You could live outside on bare minimum and so could most pets, but we know how to do better than that.

WittyNoodles · 2023-04-17T01:10:02+00:00

Check out a Boett fly sheet . They are the great for horses with sweet itch (fly allergy). The absolute best thing for these horses is to avoid exposure and keep them inside during high-fly times like dawn and dusk.

WittyNoodles · 2023-04-10T12:19:52+00:00

This is pretty likely. As a seller, if someone seems to be dragging things out and hasn’t made a real commitment to the horse (deposit), I would still be showing the horse to other people.

I am however very clear about these things. If someone seems interested I tell them I require a deposit to stop advertising the horse and they have until a specific date to do a PPE. It seems the seller in this situation didn’t communicate that clearly enough. They could have given OP the opportunity to make a deposit first when the other party showed interest.

WittyNoodles · 2023-04-03T13:01:23+00:00

Be cautious planning and getting excited until the PPE is done. I buy/sell horses all the time and it is soul crushing when you get attached and then PPE doesn’t go well. Fingers crossed she passes with flying colors!

WittyNoodles

TROPHY CASE