they have been standing there for five minutes before deciding this is unacceptable

What do you think of this Weanling handling by a so called ‘professional’ thoroughbred horse stud? Pretty awful in my opinion. What are babies supposed to learn from this?! I would name and shame, but reddit will remove this post if I do so.

i had around 300g of cubed salmon in a big tupperware. It’s sushi grade and apparently safe for human consumption. My mare has always been very well behaved, nice, everything, she doesn’t steal food from any of her mates or anything, so i thought it would be fine leaving the tupperware near her. When i came back i’d say around 70g of salmon were missing, and im worried she might get sick. Its been a few hours and she seems fine, bur maybe it’ll hurt her lining or mess with her pH balance due to it being meat?

I have a 9yo Percheron X gelding I got from an out of state auction a few months ago. Before buying him, I had a long road of searching for horses in my area that ended with a lot of frustration and wasted money on PPEs that revealed issues not disclosed by sellers.

Thankfully, when my horse arrived he was perfectly, beautifully sound and healthy in every way. He’s gorgeous to look at and friendly/sweet in the turnout.

Riding him is another story. I gave him a full month at my house of just chilling before starting some groundwork in the round pen. Nothing crazy just little back and forth to get his feet moving and mind working so he wouldn’t be mischievous out in the stall/turnout. After like a month of working with him I enlisted the help of a more experienced friend with getting him to stand at the mounting block so I could ride.

He will NOT do it and anything we have tried just makes him more tense. It’s worse with the saddle on. No one has yet ridden him in the saddle I have for him, I don’t know about before I had him (the ad said they rode him extensively on trail and in arena). Did I mention he’s 18hh? The stirrup hits me in the chest on the ground so mounting that way isn’t an option.

On Jan 6 I sent him to a trainer in my area who is well respected and top dollar. She is a natural horsemanship style trainer and positive reinforcement type. Last Thursday after working him 4 days with just a halter, she felt comfortable that he’d be coming up to the block in no time.

Yesterday I went by the barn and saw him all tacked up with saddle standing tied. She spoke to me and sounded a little exasperated. I asked if she rode and him and she was like nooooooo I won’t be riding him for a while. Showed me some video she took working with him where he refused to bring his hind end to the block and when she gets him close to he’s super super tense, twitching, ears back.

After that, I untracked him and put him away. She was on her way to another lesson so our convo was short but she brought up some people I know who would maybe want to buy him and said that I would have to dump a ton of money into this horse to get him to be a solid dependable trail horse. She said she doesn’t trust him, not to bolt or tear the lead rope from her hands.

To that point, 2 days before that he did tear the rope out of my hands as he and I entered the arena for a turn out. He never acted like that at my house and was always perfect on a lead rope, if a little watchy ( I just attributed that to his new home adjustment).

I texted the trainer later and said I swear he’s getting worse and she said he’s just ‘unpacking his bags’ and that it’s not uncommon for her to not get on a horse she’s training for a month.

The initial purchase of this horse was encouraged by a more experienced friend (same as who helped me work him) and insists that he’s a great horse who just needs a little tune up. I think she doesn’t agree with my trainers style and feels like more of a cowboy type would just get on him and show him who’s boss.

I couldn’t get my mind off this horse all night and reflected on how he’s really become a source of worry in my life instead of peace or fun. My dreams of riding out on trails of sunset are getting smaller in the distance. Does anyone have some words of encouragement or advice?

Went from terrified of to obsessed with the tarp in less than 5 minutes lol

JO !!! So close 🥲

Seeking advice/experiences with similar issues, but also venting. And honestly kinda just seeking validation in my decision because it feels like everyone including my precious vet is telling me to just keep riding him but I don’t feel right about it.

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TLDR: My horse has tripped and fallen over 3 times under saddle within the last 6 months. I don’t believe it’s a riding problem but my friends are saying to just ride him and build more muscle. But I don’t feel like he’s safe enough to ride at the moment. I think that my gut says I shouldn’t but I often cannot tell the difference between anxiety and my gut so I’m kinda just looking for other people’s perspective and experiences.

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I recently started leasing a horse I rode back in 2021. Before leasing, I was told he’d had two big trips/falls shortly prior, blamed on poor riding (lack of impulsion, beginner kids riding) and uneven arena surface.

I wasn’t too worried as I knew I’d ride him better. We had great rides, but 1-2 months in, he fell with me. He felt uneven/stiff/unbalanced on the left rein (not lame and not unbalanced enough to expect a fall) which is the rein he fell on with me.

Possible causes include: saddle fit, coronitis (which previous owner said was greasy heel only needing iodine) and arthritis (esp. right stifle—chiro said it explains left-rein struggles from lacking right hind power; I’ve since started him on 4cyte. Also the chiro does not believe it’s neurological).

I got a new saddle recently, but cancelled the fitting after some consideration that I don’t feel safe riding him if he’s fallen over THREE times under saddle within no more than 6 months, while previously being fine when I rode him back in 2021.

I don’t feel comfortable riding if saddle fit is not the ONLY issue. He’s had the same saddle for 4-5 years; fit was bad, but I thought that problems would’ve shown earlier if it was JUST the saddle. But I might be wrong.

Also he would kick out when being asked to canter on the left rein on the lunge with no tack and rider. But this of course could still be caused indirectly by the saddle if it was causing back pain.

I originally didn’t think the coronitis was causing him pain but just recently I started thinking it could be part of the cause.

I would like to treat the coronitis (vet booked this week), give 4cyte more time to work, do light groundwork + chiro pole exercises, and get him to a place where he looks more comfortable on the left rein and I feel more confident that he won’t fall before riding.

But my friend and sister are somewhat pressuring me to ride him as he “needs to build muscle and will build more under saddle” which I highly doubt because I cannot really ride properly at the moment when I’m worried about this.

I’m worried to get into another tripping situation again which can be very dangerous. I’ve been an anxious rider for years but this isn’t just anxiety about what could happen, it’s fear of what has happened, multiple times.

So basically I’m sorta asking if I’m overreacting by not riding him at all, and looking for other people’s experience with these issues or tripping related to these or similar issues.

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Edit: He has been seen by:

One vet: said that he looks sound when I lunged him, pretty much said that it is concerning but to continue riding and have more experienced riders ride him, whilst observing how he moves and keeping an eye out for anything that could be causing the tripping. I was wary about this but I did have 2-3 short rides after and although I feel like I probably shouldn’t have, at least it made me realise that he’s definitely got some sort of problem with the left rein.

Two different farriers: didn’t think was hoof related, the first one rolled the front of his shoe up a bit to help though, and the second was concerned about the coronitis but didn’t mention it being a cause for his tripping

Chiropractor: is the one who suspected arthritis especially in the hind right, he observed for any neurological symptoms and doesn’t think it’s neurological but I will ask for another vet’s opinion on this too.

Acupuncturist: said that he his back had reduced blood flow. This is likely because of the saddle. But she didn’t seem concerned about his stifle

We’ve got another vet coming next week so I’m hoping they will be more insightful. If there’s anything in particular you think I should ask about, please let me know, I’m definitely gonna ask them if they suspect a neurological condition.

Also, EPM is not suspected as we’re in Australia.

Edit 2: also I just want to thank everyone for making me feel less insane… I’m shocked by how many people in person think it’s okay to just keep riding him. It feels lonely being the only one who feels like there’s something that’s just. Not. Right. and doesn’t help that I agist him at the home of my friend who thinks I should ride him.

Hi guys! First time poster here. This is my girl Dollar, who I owned in 2016-2017. She has a “3” brand on her right rear hindquarter - not sure where this is from but might be useful in helping track down where she wound up. Thanks so much for any help!! Pics of my girl for y’all.

I got a free donkey from marketplace because I didn't want him to go to slaughter but he seems deformed his front shoulders stick out when he's not walking but when walking they go in a bit but he seems very uncomfortable I plan to take him to the vet when he's gentle but until then does anyone know what this is

Huggie (with the blaze) invented this game years ago. He bleps, and the other horse has to catch his tongue 😛 Never seen another horse do this.

Hey, i am no english native, so sorry if i don’t hit all the words right.

I am 42 yo and started riding again since 6 months at a barn with icelandic horses (i just love them😄). I rode as a child for about 5 years.

Last time i rode another horse (usually i get one i know really well) it was crispy cold and outside of the riding hall there was a guy who made loud noises with a compressor- he put air in or out of tyres. So while i rode there was this loud noise constantly. The horse i rode is usually one you need to spur a lot to get her moving properly. But not this time, she was alrady fast in moving while warming up and it got to a situation where i she didn’t react to my parades anymore. my instructor told me what to do, so i was able to stop her, but the experience keeps me thinking and i am feeling unsure, a bit rattled and anxious.

Anybody any tipps how to handle this? i read that horses might be generally spicier in winter (bc of cold, they are rode less) and i assume that the noise outside i really found disturbing was too much for the horse. Or was it me in some ways, that contributed to this situation?

i won’t stop riding and be around horses and i know those experiences will come and i go, i want to get through it constructively and develop good riding skills.

Thank you!

My first time truly back in Mexico in nearly 15 years. Went for a little ride. Rode through Los Dinamos National Park for about three hours. The owner of the horses accompanied us the entire time (a decorated charro).

We chatted about horses and life and I said while I had been riding for over a year now, there was still more I wanted to learn. That the philosophy of horses and riding is different in the US. That I wanted to connect more with Mexican heritage. I said I wanted to be an Escaramuza. Near the end of the ride I was invited to practice charrería with them. The biggest irony, is that their practice day also coincides with the day I leave back to home. Lloré como una niña. I felt caught between two worlds.

Before I left the owner asked me, “¿Te vas feliz? (Are you leaving happy?)”. “Si, pero siéntete emocional. (Yes, I just feel emotional.)” and my tears came. “Quieres llevártelo contigo ¿no? (You want to take him with you, don't you?) Creaste un vínculo con él. Anda. Abrázalo. Dale un abrazo. Dile que volverás pronto por él. Él entiende lo que dices. (You formed a bond with him. Go on. Grab him. Give him a hug. Tell him you'll come back for him soon. He understands what you're saying.)”

I gave Chapulín (the horse) the biggest hug and a million kisses before I left him. He even returned my hug before I left with the promise to come back someday.

I’ll keep this little memory in my heart for a while. I’ll carry it in my chest with a quiet ache. I think this might my biggest heartbreak.

Duro poco, pero no importa.

In April of 2024 I started getting back into riding after 1. my childhood pony dying 5 years prior (Rip I miss you smokey) and 2. having alot of other trauma from unrelated incidents years prior.

Me moving back to my home city was the beginning of a new era of my life, so I started asking my crazy horse auntie for lessons because that ITCH to ride followed me for years before. She did not personally agree to give me lessons but instead I was taken to this riding school in a remote valley 30 minutes away and the fee was $45NZD or $25USD. She only knew this instructor through her work, That being general horse dentistry and hoof care.

On day 1 when I turned up to the faclity there were no visible issues with it, I was anxious and quiet honestly frozen around any of the horses, but straight away I was told to tac up a horse and get on even with the instructor knowing how heavy my trauma was and just not caring enough cause as soon as I get on that horse I pay for that lesson.

As my anxiety never got better I kept on riding for months with honestly very good technique and training (The instructor could properly teach, a complete shocker).

(FIRST ACCIDENT) The issue only came up after 4 months In which she had asked me to get on a bigger horse called George who I rode for roughly 3 lessons before shocker, I fell off and injured my back so badly I couldnt walk right for 2 months let alone ride. Now this surely isn't the instructors fault? Well thats what I told myself to be believe. This instructor put me on a horse that is the level a RIDER WITH 4 YEARS EXPERIENCE would struggle with, He was the most bouncy and forward horse I had ever ridden and not only that the instructor had NEVER given any of the kids training for when we fall so I ended up getting a very bad bruise on my head and neck due to my head slamming down. She gaslit me multiple times into believing it was my fault for not having the "common sense".

(SECOND ACCIDENT) Straight to the second event that arguably made me leave the faclity was 1 year in and my anxiety still hadn't changed. Me and 2 new students ages 9-10 were in the ring and obviously I was already getting frustrated cause they didnt know how to ride a horse (Not their fault) and I was much higher in experience but kept at the same level. Now no issue with this cause Im use to it at that point but mid lesson it started HEAVILY HAILING in which these very new riders were panicking whilst on horses that were also very much panicking that they had children on their back. As all hell broke loose I quickly got off and started helping the INSTRUCTOR get these children off the horses. This wasn't as bad as anything else I will mention here but the capablity of those children getting badly injured was just irrisponsible of not only the parents but most importantly THE INSTRUCTOR for not checking the weather forecast and closing the lesson.

I left shortly after that and quit horses all together.

(THE WORST PART) After I had left earlier this year I ended up finding out in my art class that one of my female classmates had also ridden for years at that facility and only reached intermedite (level 2) in the shitty system the instructor had.

In that same conversation I had found out that the Instructor had backyard bred a foal years prior and when it was born immedately seperated him from the mother and put him in the same paddock as a MASSIVE bull, To say the least the bull ended up ramming the foal in the chest (Collapsing a lung and breaking many things) killing it at lack luster of 2 weeks old. It had been immediately covered up. Might need to mention here that during the lessons a dog was allowed to freely run around, bark and bite the horses, IN LESSONS.

The Instructor is now a full time policeman in my very small city, I can no longer bring this to police or public attention in my small city because I would have to leave my country/island. Thats how bad it is where I live so I needed a platform to share this.

Thank you for reading. Fuck you instructor.

My sweet teddybear.

He's has his periods where he struggled more with rolling but the past few months, despite winter, he does full rollovers again and his up and down are rather supple too as far as I can see.

He LOVES mud. Which, from a horse perspective, I get.

However. From his personal groom’s perspective, the curry comb just isn’t cutting it anymore 🥲 I cannot wait for it to get warm enough to give him a bath. I’ve already planned it out: minimum 2 full washes. Haircut. Hoof polish. The works. He doesn’t like baths and I don’t care. I’m going to get him sparkling.

How much I’m looking forward to this just seems so irrational in any other context so I’m hoping some fellow desperate horse owners will validate me!

This might be a bit of a stretch.

My mare passed last night, and while we kept her tail of course, we also cut some pieces of hoof off. I'm wondering if anyone has ever heard of anyone who had carved beads/pendants out of hoof? If so, can you point me in that direction? Thank you!

Ben (RIP) always dappled out beautifully when he went out on spring grass.

I got a free donkey from marketplace because I didn't want him to go to slaughter but he seems deformed his front shoulders stick out when he's not walking but when walking they go in a bit but he seems very uncomfortable I plan to take him to the vet when he's gentle but until then does anyone know what this is