Yes, they are a bit uncomfortable, not painful. For 8 seconds. 8 SECONDS. For horses that, for the most part, would end up at meat auctions if it were not for their considerable value as rodeo stock. Now, granted, there are some contractors who raise bucking horses - the Calgary Stampede for one; an...

I think it is significant that I have many times watched retirement ceremonies at rodeos for broncs that are 25, 28 and in one case 31 years old. Abused horses don't live long, healthy lives like that.

AGAIN, the strap does not cause PAIN, it is just vaguely uncomfortable like a girdle and they are padded with sheepskin. Do you really think they would be "torturing" a horse that is worth $100,000? (some of them). One of the Calgary Stampede STALLIONS can be handled by a child, he just ca...

No Tsavo, the strap isn't that tight, and it's padded. The horses would buck anyway. They just wouldn't kick out as high. It's like a woman wanting to get out of a snug girdle. And while it isn't true that the strap is painful (please do remember that there are humane society officers at every RECOG...

So I'm watching the NFR every night (which runs through this coming Saturday). I generally skip watching the "tie down" roping (The way they've renamed calf roping so it doesn't SOUND as bad).* Anyway, I enjoy the rough stock events, but I was just cracking up at some of the broncs. One ca...

Well, here we go, ever onward. Vet saw horse yesterday. Another "slight" improvement. (He actually feels pretty good to me under saddle, but I may be compensating w. regard to any unevenness.) So...we're at roughly five minutes trotting - four laps at working trot, two laps at lengthened t...

Ah, well, so DST is ending and we're heading into winter, though admittedly, a California winter, at least in the SF Bay Area, is more wet than cold. So. My beloved beastie is STILL not 100%, but last ultra sound showed improvement. There's some calcification, so you can't entirely see ALL the ligam...

Dresseur - Don't know if you frequent the COTH board, but I was going to comment that, "Oh you mean you're not teaching him Levade, like Nick Peronace?" (If that means nothing to you, it's a guy who promotes himself as a dressage trainer, and claims that as a kid he taught his Appaloosa &q...

Just to let y'all know that Mr. Mark's knees seem to be doing all right after his faceplant a week ago Sunday. I'm ready to buy stock in Desitin (or Walgreen's for their generic version), I'm using so much of it. So far, so good. No issues with the front legs, all puffiness pretty much gone, and the...

Abby, I used to ride my old horse, Erik, bareback all the time. While he had sharkfin withers, he also had nice shoulders and a round back, so he was pretty comfy. I didn't have any health issues, but I did find I did a lot of things -especially lateral work - better bareback. He was also completely...

Well both knees and part of lower left leg filled, but I rode him for 35 mins, mostly walk, three sets of four long sides of the arena at trot. You better believe I did NOT let him stretch his head/neck down when riding down the driveway!! He seemed fine and swelling much reduced after ride, though ...

Well, shoot. Maybe I'm borrowing trouble, since I'm still at work and haven't been to the barn yet today. Had resident trainer (not my trainer, but a nice gal) ice his knees today. She says there's more swelling, but he doesn't seem distressed. Talked to vet, she said, ride him, keep him moving, 1 g...

And darn it, he scars easily. Thin skin, fine coat (half Arab). He's got a major (though surface) scars on his right hind leg and on his front right pastern from running through a fence as a weanling/yearling when chased by dogs. When he was at the colt starter's place as a 3 year old, he fell while...

So my horse is now being allowed to trot straight lines - working up to five minutes from Sept. 13 - to vet appointment on Oct. 19. We're at 12 long sides of the arena. The rest of the time I walk outside on the pavement and gravel (vet's instructions). So on Sunday, we're walking down the driveway ...

Sigh. It's been a while. Horse had bad suspensory injury (hind) in late 2015. After a 16 months, we were almost back to full work, and he re-injured (partially). We were up to 20 minutes (not all at once) trot, and were just going to start cantering, and it was back to walk (at least under saddle, n...

Oh Mari, you're way ahead of me. I am in month 10 of a suspensory injury (hind). As of about a month ago, we were up trotting 31 long sides (walking through the corners) in "sets" of 4. Vet now says we can trot the corners, but we were to start with 5 mins (out of 45), adding 5 mins every ...

Well, late to this one. Native San Franciscan, now living (for about 40 years) in the East Bay. I'll be 71 in July, but still working full time because.....horse. Just paid off the mortgage on my mobile home, though. OMG - :o - I'm trailer trash!! I'm a legal assistant. Started up-down lessons in th...

I think the term "blindfold" is part of the problem. I mean, actual blindfolds, like sleep masks (or "Would you like a blindfold before we execute you?" *shudder*) Just sounds like it would look weird and it just DOES create a kneejerk negative reaction. Perhaps they'll implement...

Hope this works. Trying to insert picture.....not a really good one, but kinda cute from a dressage show costume class during the 2014 World Series. You'll note that even my horse is wearing eyeblack.

Adding a bit to my prior post to give a little more detail on my Appy. Now, his dam was in the 90th percentile of Foundation breeding, and true foundation horses are considered "warmbloods" in the technical sense, more closely related to Spanish horses than the modern, heavily QH Appaloosa...

Well, just an update As you may or may not remember, after my little darling dumped me while cooling out (You know, by now I should know that a total loose rein and lack of full attention is not the best attitude when riding outside of the covered arena....), besides my bumps, bruises and minor frac...

See my user name! ;) Current beastie is a 16.2 chestnut with snowflake blanket and some roaning, blaze, two hind socks....Araloosa. His Arabian sire was a USDF All Breeds winner at 1st and 2nd levels and a champion show hack. I bought him because he's an Appy, but I have to admit the quality of his ...

LOL. Uneven markings, indeed. My very first horse was a chestnut 7/8th TB Appendix QH mare, purchased for the munificent sum of $650 (1970). Those days, an "A" quality hunter eq horse cost $6,500. She was by Seven Bars (by Three Bars-TB) out of a TB mare that was a granddaughter of Triple ...

I would also throw out there that if the study was done in Britain, I would imagine that more of the "spotted" horses are Knabstruppers, i.e., warmbloods, rather than American-style Appaloosas (ugh....Quarterloosas). Most of the articles I've seen in the (yuck) Appaloosa Journal (I have to...

I don't think you can interpret this as a colour bias necessarily. I think breed would be a better predictor of scores than colour. If you consider all the breeds whose scores would be incorporated into the solid colour group versus those that would be included in the block and spotted colour group...

Ah....but Knabs are considered WBs, spots or not. LOL (I wonder if the bias is waived for horses that are known to be Dutch Pinto or Knabs, per this: True story. Acquaintance was showing very successfully at 2nd level on a mostly TB Paint. She needed only one more score to qualify for Regionals and ...

Now seriously, I've been opining that while there may have been color prejudice in dressage in the past (like 30-40 years ago), the vast majority of dressage judges today judge the ride in front of them and don't consider the color/breed of the horse. Maybe so for some/most (?), but..... did you see...

Those who value a true western horse are, fortunately, turning to the Ranch Horse competitions (reining, trail, roping, cutting). WP - what a laugh. Really, think they'd cover much ground inspecting fences or driving/chasing cattle - or even getting from Point A to Point B in those gaits? I guess th...

I'm baaaaack. :lol: Reposting from UDBB. Well, I'm the senior, the horse is not. But I got my previous horse when he was 4 and I was in my 40s, and had him for 20 years, so we were senior rider and senior horse at the end :lol: Currently I am riding.....not at all (well, once or twice a week doing W...