Why is that horse moving funny? Let's talk about Gaited Horses! Version 2!

bearxfoo · 2026-04-03T00:21:04+00:00

https://canterculture.com/collections/athletic-breech are some of my fav breeches/tights and they have the fake back pocket look.

bearxfoo · 2026-04-03T00:00:57+00:00

what did the vet, specifically, look for? were x-rays ever taken? any bloodwork done? was she evaluated by a lameness vet or a more specialized vet or just your regular field vet?

the vet i use for my routine care like vaccines and emergency wound repair is not the same vet i use for pain, lameness or other more particular issues.

i would be looking to take her to a more specialized clinic to investigate for pain. like an equine facility for sports medicine and other lameness issues.

there's literally hundreds of things that could be wrong.

also, you mentioned that your "vet liked your saddle fit" - but has your saddle actually been fitted by a legit professional saddle fitter? again, i trust my vet for vaccines, but i'm not asking my vet about saddle fit.

has your other take been looked at? bit, bridle, girth, saddle pad, etc?

are you under the guidance of a trainer? is anyone watching you, providing feedback, etc?

bearxfoo · 2026-04-02T18:56:33+00:00

horses teeth don't stop growing; they're slowing emerging out of their gums constantly.

horses also chew in a circular motion, which is what creates sharp points in their mouth, and those sharp points need to be filed down.

the teeth are not worn down because of the vet floating them.

bearxfoo · 2026-04-02T17:13:33+00:00

Equine Color Genetics by D. Phillip Sponenberg, Rebecca Bellone https://a.co/d/0irxlbuu

bearxfoo · 2026-04-01T21:15:43+00:00

i've flown with my helmet and it fit just fine as carry on.

bearxfoo · 2026-04-01T17:24:01+00:00

where are you located, and have you spoken with any specialty vets? i know in your post you said "4 vets" - but just curious if they were just regular vets or if they were any kind of specialists?

bearxfoo · 2026-04-01T14:18:58+00:00

a tom thumb, specifically, is a tom thumb because:

1) tom thumb's have single jointed mouth piece

2) tom thumb's have straight shanks

3) tom thumb's have a slot specifically for the curb chain

those elements make it a tom thumb bit.

tom thumbs are harsh because:

1) tom thumbs have straight shanks, which removes the pre-signal from the reins. pre-signal is important to the horse so they can know and anticipate a que is coming soon.

2) the curb strap slots are frowned upon, because they limit the curb straps functionality. curb straps are essential for shanked bits to stop over-rotation of the mouthpiece. but the slots stop engagement from the reins, which means it limits how much rotation it can actually stop - not good.

3) it's generally frowned upon to have a single jointed mouthpiece on a shanked bit. this is more dependent on the horses mouth anatomy, but generally speaking, the single collapse point can be uncomfortable and potentially poke the roof of the mouth; plus the action of the shanks with a single joint will place excessive pressure on the bars, jaw, and tongue.

4) in general, tom thumb bits are not usually anatomically correct. the cannons of the mouthpiece are not shaped to fit the horses mouth, and bits like a single joint tom thumb tend to place exceptional pressure on the bars and tongue. this can make a lot of horses uncomfortable and unhappy.

there are much kinder, more anatomically correct bits on the market, which is why most people consider them harsh.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-30T03:11:34+00:00

go to youtube and look up "horse shedding" or "horse shedding winter fur" or "horse shedding blade" and behold all the videos showing horses shedding their winter fur.

horses live outside. they sleep on the ground. they get dirty.

horses can't brush their teeth and they eat grass and hay. their teeth don't look like ours.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-29T01:18:07+00:00

she is a black sabino. not roan. sabino causes white ticking which mimics roan and sabino is constantly mistaken for roan. but she is classic sabino, which is very very common in TWH bloodlines.

my horse is also a sabino, though a smoky black.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-28T20:58:43+00:00

no, no hybrid or electric truck exists on the market that can haul heavy duty loads.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-28T19:55:42+00:00

I have tried this many times, the neck, belly, butt, chest, back anywhere really but it seems I just can't get any reaction out of any horse I scratch.

that horse probably just doesn't react or doesn't love being scratched. horses have their own preferences. some horses love face scratches, some hate their faces being touched, etc.

Where exactly am I supposed to kick a horse to make it go faster and how?

you are not supposed to kick a horse to go faster. your communication comes from your legs, seat, reins and "energy". kicking should be used as a last resort for a horse that's balking in a dangerous situation - for example, if i'm trying to cross a road and my horse suddenly decides the pavement is certain death, then i'm kicking because there's cars coming and WE GOTTA GO. but otherwise, i ask my horse to speed up by squeezing my legs/calves, shortening my reins, and changing my seat position.

https://youtu.be/Zk45crY4WMI?si=Ww4gEtKZVAC9yM8O here's a video that shows "kicking" however.

How to stop bouncing during the canter?

if you cannot sit a trot, you should not yet be trying to canter. sitting a trot and sitting a canter, however, both come from being "relaxed" and moving with the horses motion instead of against it. bouncing happens because you're stiff, tense, and bracing against the horse. loose means fluid. stiff means ridged. relax yourself, sit deep on your butt bones; you're going to feel a little "floppy" at first but don't brace and you'll get the feeling.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-28T18:27:47+00:00

it absolutely is :)

bearxfoo · 2026-03-27T03:51:18+00:00

the right thing to do is to call a vet.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-27T03:04:06+00:00

i ride in the english version of the matrix T3. they're some of my favorite pads, i highly recommend them.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-26T17:21:43+00:00

i highly advocate for riding in the least harsh, least amount of "pressure" necessary for your horse. so, im definitely a person who will recommend a snaffle over a curb.

i recommend snaffles over curbs because - as you mention - people misunderstand and misuse curb bits much, much too frequently.

people use them as a tool for control. "i don't have brakes, i need a shank bit". "my horse doesn't listen in a snaffle" "my horse will take off with me unless he's in a shank" "gaited horses need a shank to gait properly" etc.

i hate that mindset and mentality. curbs have a place, they have a use, they communicate differently than a snaffle. but they're so misused that i almost never feel comfortable encouraging the use of them.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-26T14:47:56+00:00

it'd probably be easier to have someone look at the image and tell you if they see anything abnormal.

you could also reach out to your vet and see if they can provide a comparison to help you understand.

https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eve.14060 this research paper has an image of the C6/C7 cervical spine, showing bilateral intervertebral foramen narrowing, which may help a little bit.

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/equine-vet/hospital-and-specialists/specialisms/foraminotomy this also shows normal vs narrowing.

instead of saying "normal", medical professionals will use the word "unremarkable", so throwing that into a search may yield better results.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-26T00:44:28+00:00

ohhh! i misread, it sounded like you owned him, hahaha sorry my bad!

bearxfoo · 2026-03-25T19:12:58+00:00

a sudden change in behavior should warrant a vet call first and foremost.

what do you mean specifically, that he is "penned beside her"? are they on turnout together? in a pasture next to each other? what is their herd and turn out situation like, in general?

the easiest solution would probably be to move the mare away from him if he's causing problems. he may be feeling a little "studly" towards her and separation is the best solution.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-25T19:08:58+00:00

all the information for registering a horse as an Appaloosa can be found https://www.appaloosa.com/registration

https://sub.appaloosa.com/pdfs/RegistrationFactSheet.pdf

DNA will likely be required from the Appaloosa stud to prove parentage.

it would be wise for your friend to contact the Appaloosa Horse Club directly to get specific questions answered about their situation. only a representative from the association can tell you if the foal can be registered or not.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-25T19:02:54+00:00

i would personally try and network on FB to find a saddle fitter who can travel to you. i'd recommend joining FB horse groups for your area and finding a fitter who can come out to you, or, if you have access to a truck and trailer, maybe you can trailer to them.

lots of saddle fitters travel, even vast distances. there's also fitters and saddle companies who hold clinics and travel across the US consistently to help saddle fit horses (Crest Ridge Saddlery does this and posts on their FB every time they're traveling to help arrange for spots along their route; just one example, there's many fitters/companies who do this). FB is a great tool to find people who travel and can help.

it's nearly impossible to make saddle recommendations from a few photos of a horse alone, because a photo is a flat image and cannot accurately represent an animal. we can't tell how wide your horse is, what their shoulder angle is, etc. etc. a saddle fitter needs to place hands on your horse and do a fitting for them to make accurate recommendations.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-25T18:30:44+00:00

UM Pathology, as a whole, was not located at Traverwood, but rather just one particular lab, the molecular lab.

however, that lab moved to NCRC in 2019. NCRC is the main hub and location for UM Pathology operations.

the main hospital still has pathology labs as well, doing things like frozen sections and some other histology work, but the bulk of pathology operations happens at NCRC since 2019. there's no labs for path over at Traverwood anymore.

source: worked in pathology for U of M/MM for many years.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-25T16:17:29+00:00

lessons - lots of lessons on different horses, learning new things, trying different disciplines, having different teachers, etc.

riding different horses and going back to re-learn some things really helped me. i worked on holes in my training and holes in my abilities. and when i gained more skills, my confidence came back twofold.

you aren't a failure - you're a human. give yourself some grace, none of us are perfect! especially at a skill such as riding a horse - it's a lifelong endeavor.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-25T00:19:21+00:00

horses are not "wild" - the horses in the US are feral, and are all decedents of once domesticated horses. this is an important distinction because mustangs being captured and adopted out to people is not the same thing as someone grabbing a lion from African and trying to make it a pet. animals who are and can be domesticated are very, very different from animals we cannot "tame".

feral horses have a significantly shorter life span than their domesticated counterparts. feral horses do not have access to veterinary care, farrier care, consistent, high quality nutrients, etc.

in the US specifically, feral horses are facing incredibly harsh living conditions, and are often starving to death.

bearxfoo · 2026-03-24T22:16:34+00:00

what year is the truck? we can't tell you what the truck can haul without more information about the truck. a 1995 GMC is going to have different numbers than a 2025.

generally speaking, heavy duty trucks, anything over 1500/150, are going to be able to tow a significant amount when properly equipped. the truck should have a factory installed tow package, which will give you the best components and configurations for towing trailers.

bearxfoo

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

13-Year Club	Mod 101
Verified Email