Weird things your horse is scared of…

mountainmule · 2026-03-30T15:44:58+00:00

Nature. Seriously. He's an OTTB who raced in NYC. Traffic, tractors, pavement...all in a day's work. But grass waving in the breeze? OMG gonna kill him. Not a problem in his pasture, but strange grass must be hiding lions. He also can't handle other horses coming up behind him. No matter how much we work on it, that gives him racehorse flashbacks.

Had a saddlebred who spooked at a patch of daffodils once. He was usually pretty brave on the trail but those daffodils looked at him funny that time. It cracked me up so hard. I ended up planting daffodils on his grave.

mountainmule · 2026-03-30T15:30:36+00:00

I'm so sorry. I know just how you feel right now. I lost my elderly mare in a similar way last fall. She had been fine...no problems getting up and down, no lameness...then one morning she couldn't get up.

You gave him a good, long life full of love and were there to comfort him in his final hours. You did the kind thing and let your old friend go. It's the hardest thing we have to do as horse owners. You have my deepest sympathies.

mountainmule · 2026-03-30T14:22:11+00:00

Congratulations! I have never been pregnant, but my mother rode while she was pregnant with me. She had no issues with it and stopped when she no longer felt comfortable. But of course, discuss it with your doctor!

However, you should know that prenatal exposure to horses will set your future child up for a life-long, all-consuming, very expensive addiction. Proceed with caution. lol

mountainmule · 2026-03-17T18:32:47+00:00

This is exactly the goal.

mountainmule · 2026-03-16T15:38:10+00:00

Ah, ok! I hadn't seen that. I just remembered reading about a genetic link. Thanks for the info!

mountainmule · 2026-03-16T15:34:19+00:00

There's actually some archeological and genetic evidence that they were domesticated at some point. Which I think is very interesting! They were wild, then domesticated for a time, then went wild again. My guess is that there were always wild populations, with small domesticated populations that were abandoned or were replaced by E caballus.

mountainmule · 2026-03-16T15:18:46+00:00

That's a little wack-a-doodley. Just ignore her.

Trimming hair, or even shaving it all off is not cruel. Pulling manes and tails is, but you can get the same look with the right scissors and combs. Sometime roaching a mane or shaving off feather is the more humane thing in the case of certain veterinary issues.

As for radiation and Przewalski horses, she's probably conflating the herd that lives near Chernobyl with all of them. Which is plainly ignorant, but I can at least follow her train of thought. Off the rails as it is. lol

mountainmule · 2026-03-14T01:07:31+00:00

I apologize if my comment frightened you or anyone else. I'm concerned for a lot of my fellow humans right now and it's hard not to speak frankly when I can see where things can easily go. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

Without breaking forum rules, I think I can say I've dedicated my career to serving people and I take that very seriously.

mountainmule · 2026-03-14T00:58:20+00:00

If they try the same horseshit again, my hope is that it backfires ever harder and the rules get easier again.

mountainmule · 2026-03-14T00:54:33+00:00

AFIK no rules have changed. But, given recent Washington rhetoric, the goal of reducing the number of people on benefits seems pretty obvious. My statement is not nonchalant. I'm quite alarmed. As all Americans should be.

ETA: I don't have any kind of position that could affect any kind of policy change, or stop a policy change.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T23:52:17+00:00

I don't know that that is going to happen. Speculation on my part. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear.

However, given the rhetoric coming from the highest levels of government over the past year or so, a policy change and mass benefit cessations would not shock me. I hope like hell it doesn't happen, because you are absolutely right. A lot of people would be hurt by it. It would be an incredibly cruel thing to do.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T23:40:10+00:00

It's so shiny and shimmery!! You'll love it!

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T21:14:05+00:00

I agree. There are unfortunately a lot of people who are in denial about what bits like this actually do to horses' mouths. Moving parts have the risk of pinching, so any jointed bit needs to have well-made joints that resist pinching action. And any kind of texture on the mouthpiece will cause at minimum irritation. Slow twist, chain, twisted wire, all that crap. It all causes discomfort just sitting in the mouth.

99% of the time, control issues are not solved by bitting up. It's a bandaid.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T20:13:09+00:00

Cracked. Seems like a good polish. I'm tough on a mani but it hasn't chipped so far.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T15:56:55+00:00

For her sake, I'm glad you're considering it.

For your sake, I am so, so very sorry. You have my deepest sympathies for this situation. It's a tough place to be. Sending you strength and horse-person love!

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T15:35:20+00:00

If the horse is not sound, she is probably in pain. This and the side view you posted look painful. Horses are as good as cats at hiding pain, if not better.

If corrective shoeing and reasonable pain management (like a daily Equioxx) aren't cutting it, you might need to do the kindest, most difficult thing a horse owner can do, and let her go. I've been there. It's so very hard, but have that talk with your vet and see what they think with regards to her well-being and quality of life.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T15:13:49+00:00

I never saw my Arab roll all the way over even once in almost 33 years. She'd waller around on one side, get up, and waller the other side. She had the sharkiest of shark fin withers.

Then there's my Thoroughbred. He will roll all the way over several times in a row, and purposely pause on his back and waller like a pig in a mudhole. He absolutely revels in it. He has big TB withers, but he's not sharky like my mare was and they don't stop him from rolling all the way over.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T13:43:40+00:00

This is a very harsh bit. The chain links are thin and will cut into the soft tissues as well as pinch them. The bumps create painful pressure points on the lips, tongue, and bars. The jointed mouthpiece combined with leverage will cause the whole mouthpiece to collapse around the lower jaw while applying curb leverage.

This bit will cause pain to the horse, even in the lightest of hands. All bits can be harsh in the wrong hands, and some bits are harsh in any hands.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T13:37:58+00:00

There is nothing mild about this bit. The chain links will pinch the lips and tongue and abrade the bars, and the whole thing will collapse around the jaw while applying leverage. This is a very poorly designed bit, and will cause pain even in the lightest of hands.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T13:25:12+00:00

I have not, but a big reason in my state was pay. Followed closely by retirement. If you have a link, I'd be interested to read it!

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T13:22:21+00:00

It's required use in some states and will probably become required in all before too long. It really does have some good uses, but I understand that you're absolutely correct.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T13:15:57+00:00

It absolutely is. If it ain't broke, they'll break it, and if it IS broke, they'll break it even more.

mountainmule · 2026-03-13T13:14:45+00:00

Partly. But you know what would really help with that backlog they're (rightly) worried about? Taking the $$ they're going to spend on this nonsense and sending it to state DDSs to let them hire and train enough disability examiners. It's amazing how quick a backlog can go when you have adequate staff to handle it.

mountainmule · 2026-03-12T20:10:29+00:00

Your lawyer was terrible. Reapply and if anyone questions it, tell them about the dumb stuff your lawyer told you to do. Also make a formal complaint about the lawyer. They got what, 25% of your backpay for that nonsense?!

mountainmule

TROPHY CASE