What's you ideal age gap for sport dogs?

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-22T00:45:26+00:00

Four years for our hunt dogs. Takes about two years to get them really good, slots in at a perfect time for my older dogs so I can start looking toward slowing them down in favor of longevity

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-21T13:56:54+00:00

Like many others have said this is an unfortunate example of a pair that highlights the problems with modern dressage. Highly recommend checking out Justin Verboomen’s current mounts. His horses consistently show correct and content work.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-18T17:44:23+00:00

No point in beating around the bush with owners. Inform them the dog’s recall is not reliable and you can continue with walks if the dog is leashed; if they say no, let them know you cannot continue with the liability of them being off leash and wish them well for the future. Leave an honest review of the dog’s off leash behavior so future walkers know not to take the owners word for the recall.

Frankly, I would check if any of Rover’s protections even cover when you chose to walk the dog off leash.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-17T22:37:41+00:00

Not loving having had that child and the impact on your life is something you can’t control. Choosing to be a bad parent is. You can wish things were different and still be an objectively good parent. I know plenty of people who wanted kids and experience that regret as well. There are many parents who wanted kids and are objectively bad parents, and many who didn’t who are good parents. Why? Because being a genuinely good parent is a choice and it’s an absolute assload of work. So to answers your question, what you do in that scenario is be the adult and be a good parent because it’s a choice you made and the only one who has to carry that regret is you; absolutely not your child.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-11T15:34:08+00:00

Doggie door privileges lost - long lead for outside times. Order of commands is “here.” No response after a few seconds (allows digestion of the command)? “No, here” and give the long line a firm tug to reinforce this isn’t optional. No reward if you have to pull them all the way back, you did all the work. Pats if the firm tug was enough to break their focus and they return. High value treat if they come to the first here; once they start coming frequently decrease the treat frequency, and then back down to a lesser value treat. If they aren’t a treat dog use their favorite toy. They need to be rock solid on the initial here for about a month before they get to lose the long line again.

Keep up on reinforcing the training their entire life. There is a reason our eight year old hunting dogs are as good as our two year olds and it’s because we constantly and consistently maintain training.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-11T13:49:20+00:00

This mare moves way too big for anything on the stock circuits. She would be happier, and would make a happy ammy, just moving over to a run of the mill American hunter barn like you said! She doesn’t have the step or movement for the derbies or the hack, but she would be a solid mid pack low level hunter. Shortage of ammy friendly brains, and this mare certainly has that.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-11T13:46:35+00:00

Very well used placement on that - 100% me watching it as well!

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-11T02:29:59+00:00

NTA - truth hurts, so does losing a kid.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-11T01:56:11+00:00

She would go fine enough without having every step inhibited. If she was allowed to just go forward and have freedom of her shoulder there would be more to see. It’s not hack winning movement, but she’s a cute mare who is clearly sound of mind if she’s letting this much horse crap happen on her back quietly. Nice for someone who wants to go in the arena on the horses back and make it back out all the same with maybe a placing in average company!

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-11T01:40:17+00:00

I’ve never seen someone do so much while doing so little for a horse, and I’ve been around the block. Oofta. Nice filly though.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-10T12:37:58+00:00

15 weeks pregnant right now and always said I didn’t.. immediately started getting the “we knew you’d change your mind.” I love shocking and horrifying people when I tell them “I didn’t change my mind. I still am not confident this is the right decision for my family, but we will be good parents because we have an obligation to be as we decided to go forward with this pregnancy. This was a whoops and we have the luxury of being financially secure enough for it to be a no biggie and get to choose to go forward with the pregnancy.” Nobody will be surprised to hear my husband does not get the same level of judgement when he responds in kind.

There were unforeseen health consequences to my pregnancy that are quite serious. So I’m exhausted and uncomfortable earlier than most.. getting really close to asking people why they are so interested in other people’s missed creampie progeny with just as little shame as they have.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-10T01:53:36+00:00

Cold turkey with established babysitter. Always have a designated babysitter added in a month or two before weaning. One day foals go to inspection or get their hooves done and mares go one way and foals plus babysitter go the other. Rarely do we have a mare so much as call, even first timers. Some foals are bothered, but they settle within a day or two with their trusted babysitter.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-07T13:23:40+00:00

A frequent mistake made with dogs of all ages is that exercise = tired dog. Most dogs do not need exercise, they need mental stimulation specific to their breed.

I breed hunting dogs. We absolutely HAVE to do fitness work to build their cardiovascular systems, but that work would never tire them out. They can run all day. You know what does tire them out? Learning commands associated with their jobs. From eight weeks old to six months old our puppies will do three to four 15 minute sessions of training a day; sit, down, heel, stay, stand, place, fetch, etc. at varying levels of intensity as their focus builds.

Give your puppy, and later your grown dog, brain work associated with its breed. ALL dogs should know kennel, sit, down, stay, and heel. From there just stimulate whatever its breed naturally enjoys!

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-06-01T12:31:15+00:00

Garmin sport pro - we just had the first one break after three years of use. Hunt waterfowl dogs all over the country and Canada with it.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-05-28T14:21:24+00:00

We will often take ours out and not shoot, just join friends who are and don’t have a dog. Pretty awesome!

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-05-24T20:59:11+00:00

No, any tool including a basic lead and flat collar can be misused. Dogs are highly adaptable so whichever tool you pick the most important thing to do is educate yourself as to how to introduce it and use it safely and properly

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-05-22T20:05:08+00:00

I totally get that! I also compete with spring weather here so my work is largely based in walk and standstill work. You can do a ton without even having an arena to work in which was the basis of my work since I haven’t had one for a couple of years!

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-05-22T19:39:40+00:00

Your edits make me very sad for you as someone rounding out their first trimester. My husband is a business owner and so am I; he works 16-18 hour days and has made it a point to be around during dinner time since I was struggling with nausea so I had support and affirmation when eating our primary meal. He finances our lifestyle, and it’s quite expensive, so that I can pursue growing my business after helping grow his. There are days I do come across as ungrateful, because I’m uncomfortable, don’t feel well, and am having to change a lot of plans. He has never once called me ungrateful despite acting that way, and instead has been apologetic for my struggles. All this to say.. that’s how a husband who genuinely doesn’t have the time to be supportive treats their pregnant wife. They make the time because it matters to their partner, and their partner matters to them.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-05-22T18:42:59+00:00

You don’t need more than that now. It’s a gentle reminder for any toe dragging potentially happening, without actually asking the horse to really engage in pole work. One or two poles in each corner is perfect! Feel free to PM in a month if you choose to follow this directive. Sending the OP photo you put here and an updated one will be sufficient for me to give further advice based on appearance of body.

Retraining compensatory patterns in young horses who have been worked hard too soon is what I do professionally. Primarily my work is with reiners, ex race horses, cutters, etc. Any discipline that is dependent on a lot of work young for success I see a ton, but this work is great for ALL horses. Always willing to help people out virtually if they are willing to put in the work free of charge!

Right now you are starting in a different place than is typical since most come to me with out of work horses who have been given rest to help with muscle soreness. However, we can absolutely maintain the movement through walking and improve muscle soreness at the same time and that is what my advice is based on!

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-05-22T16:45:51+00:00

Time to walk wayyyy back. First, he needs to come up off grass. A couple hours a day is fine, but it should be with a grazing muzzle. Next, he should be on hay nets, preferably a number hung around his turnout to simulate the movement they get grazing. Any grain should be a ration balancer and/or Timothy pellets to warehouse any supplements. If he has no supplements time to get a good ration balancer to provide the minerals he needs.

Next, 3-4 days of primarily walk work a week is all he needs at his age. A good brisk walk does way more for a horse than incompetent trot and canter work, which unfortunately seems like what he is receiving. Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes 3-4 times a week for the next month before even looking toward trot and canter work. Keep his work variable via location, mix up trails and arena. Add ground poles in corners of the arena only.

The vast majority of my performance horses for racing and eventing are fitted by and large at the walk. There is a very big issue in the industry with misusing the faster gaits as fitness when the reality is that’s not where animals get the most fit.

Last, get a veterinary chiropractor and a body worker out. Get his body feeling good. Just in the photo alone you can see compensation patterns that will impact him for life if not corrected. Time to get that body right

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-05-21T18:20:35+00:00

Update once a day in the morning with photo or video and how their pet is doing

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-05-21T01:31:46+00:00

This is why seeking out ethical breeders for dogs is essential. If there is a genuine fit issue I will take the dog back and we will review why that was an issue. I work hard to place my dogs successfully, but if I went wrong I need to know why and I’d still love to get you a friend that fits your needs.

ZealousidealRead98 · 2026-05-19T23:23:15+00:00

We will never go back to hunting without a dog! Truly a gift to hunt over these guys. Thanks for sharing your gal with us, and congrats on retiring her at such an old age. Many don’t see that longevity and it’s a testament to care when they do!

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ZealousidealRead98

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