finding a horse trainer

[cjatthefarm]

Quote:
Well. Somebody better say something.

This is a sad situation. I was a little girl once always wanting a horse. I got him when I was 38. Because then I had the means and the opportunity to provide for the horse.

I do not know this young woman; I feel she is wanting to do the right thing. However, I don't believe she has a way or the idea to do that--if she knew what that was.

The horse is underfed and is in a very dangerous fencing, isolated and bored with no physical or mental stimulation.

My dear woman, wanting something and being able to provide and living breathing creature formed by the hand of God; a viable living situation are two very different things.

I don't know how you came to have this horse, if it was a dream come true or just a whim. If you love the beauty and grace of this most magical creation, then please, please make a change in this horses life. Whatever that means.

 

[arabianequine]

@ welsummer the things that happened in training was not done by me if that is what you are referring to....I did not know or do it knowingly and she was removed and trainer questioned and better since coming back here. As far as not having friends is not abuse it is even more boring for her however....but why get another animal I have to be responsible for that I don't want or need. I am looking for a horse I can use that can be her friend too. There will be more animals here in the spring.

ETA:same with the two farriers was not me that did it or condoned it. They are not welcome back either....I was uneducated that is my fault. I did however say things to you in confidence and not to be used against me. Thank you for respecting my wishes.


As far as the fencing that was up when we moved in here and it works for now....we are gonna run electric on the inside of the fence soon like I said.

As far as her being under feed I don't believe so......I don't thinks she should have free choice hay.....she did when younger but she is not being worked and would be severely overweight if she did. She has not had anyone out in that pasture with her since march this year but there were cows right next to here that were just butchered to and before that up till march there was horse and cows with her. I do agree she is very bored. However, I am looking for a new trainer and contacted someone yesterday actually. It is a holiday and I will contact another one soon. I am bored for her and want to work with her more. You are very right in that she needs that stimulation physically and mentally.

I am looking for a horse I can use and be her friend but till I find that she will be the only one. I don't need or want to pay for an animal I can't use.

She really is not that bad of a horse....like you guys see or hear something and hold on to it. I just want to be in a safe position when working with her and want her to be used not just a pasture ornament.

I have nothing to hide so why don't you all show your horses and set ups so we can all critique them?

 

[patandchickens]

Yeah, nobody *ever* has trouble with barbwire and bare t-posts -- "they work fine for us" -- right up til the moment when suddenly they DON'T, and it's usually a pretty serious and gruesome accident. People don't usually believe this til they've seen it. I've seen it WAY too often, generally happening to people who the previous day or week were expounding on how their horses are smart about barbwire and nothing bad will happen. Replacing the barbwire and capping the t-posts needs to be a HIGH priority, much moreso than horse shopping or even a trainer IMHO, as in like "should have been done when you brought the filly home and certainly do it before doing anything else".

Regarding feed, in my experience actually fairly few horses will eat themselves fat on free-choice hay as long as they have an adequately interesting and congenial situation, but there are a few "goldfish" who don't know when to stop. I would not assume yours is one, but, <shrug>. So fine, feed her twice a day like you are, nothing wrong with that. What *weight* of hay is she getting though? If these are small-square flakes you're talking about (rather than slices off a 600-lb big square bale), obviously flake size varies as does bale size but two flakes would typically be in the 5-10 lb range. Which is just not enough roughage intake for a horse's physical and mental needs, even if it's good enough hay that the horse is not undernourished. (If you HAVE weighed your hay and KNOW you're feeding 20+ lbs per day, then of course disregard the above

)

I think you're doing a great job of trying to do what you can to give this filly a good deal. I am not criticizing. I am just trying to point out that a couple factors may matter a lot more than you realize.

Pat

 

[arabianequine]

True Pat on the wire....not my choice but I can't do that all myself as far as replacing the wire. My husband needs to help me too. I do keep telling him and now winter? It is the plan though and has been here recently. I highly doubt I will get another horse in the winter months. As far as a trainer maybe do a little with one of the mentors I found....but not much cause winter time we will see what they say and are willing to help with after the holiday. I will weigh the feed this evening and make sure.....why do you say 20 pounds so I know is it a percentage based on her weight, size, or age? Now that is 20 pounds total right so if I give her alfalfa or oats that is included in the total weight of feed for the day?



I know you are just trying to help and I appreciate that. Thank you!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Based on that's about a minimum for what a horse needs. They can get by (just barely) on 1% bodyweight in roughage if they have to but that will not generally give sufficient calories and IME 1% bodyweight may be enough to avoid the worst colics and behavior problems but will NOT produce a contented relaxed horse.

You said you're not giving her alfalfa or oats -- and indeed you shouldn't be, certainly not oats or anything else that comes in a bag anyhow!! So I am not sure of the relevance of that. But, if you were, she would still need AT LEAST 10% of bodyweight in roughage (hay, or the dry-matter equivalent of whatever she grazes) and as I say that is really not enough for most horses to do well on. It is NOT a matter of total weight of feed though, as grains and concentrates work much differently than forages.

Quite honestly, in my experience and in my opinion, there are only two circumstances where it makes any sense to push the limits of how little roughage you can feed a horse. One is if the horse is racing or in similar very hard training, such that you don't want his innards being full all the time and slowing him down. And the other is if you are in the throes of a *serious* drought, like the kind they get in Australia (not just 'it's not a good hay year') or had a few yrs ago in parts of the US, and absolutely cannot GET enough roughage of any sort, so you are in the position of having to decide whether to limit it to just barely what you can keep 'em going on or start putting bullets through skulls.

For normal horses in normal situations, horses really do MUCH better getting at least 2% of bodyweight in hay (and/or the dry matter value from whatever they graze), and many do best on noticeably more than 2%.

So it would definitely be worth your weighing maybe half a dozen (or more) flakes of hay and seeing what the average and range is, so you can estimate what you are likely to be feeding her on a typical day and see how that stacks up.

Pat

 

[cjatthefarm]

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[arabianequine]

I do Pat or have in the winter feed some alfalfa and/or oats when bitter cold....for more warmth/energy to stay warm.

Pretty horses thank you for sharing.....and looks like good fencing to me. Did you put it up? If we had put ours up it would not look like it does. I don't like the barb wire but was here and a big chore it will be to replace and we are planning on it.

Good timing on that pic the bay has all four feet off the ground. I love the second picture sure is a pretty horse.

Happy Thanksgiving to you guys!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It doesn't really work that way though. Fiber keeps them warm, and total calories sometimes need to be supplemented.... but neither alfalfa nor oats is a terribly efficient way of doing either. Usually what you would do is feed more hay (up to "free choice", and possibly even a *poorer* grade of hay if they get too fat on free-choice your-regular-hay). That is PLENTY for most idle horses to keep them warm and healthy weight over the winter.

If you have to supplement with something more to make up total calories in midwinter, it's most effective to make it either straight corn (if you won't be adding much) or some form of mixed-grain or concentrate, possibly with oil added. Oils (corn is naturally high in oil, or of course oils *are* oil <g> but must be fed on something else for palatability) give you the most 'bang for your buck' so to speak. Anytime you are adding grains or concentrates though you need to review the nutritional balance of the diet, ESPECIALLY for horses under 4 or so, because it is easy to slip into problems with Ca balance and such.

For what it's worth, two of my horses are fairly hard keepers (both TBs off the track, one middle-aged, one elderly); they live outdoors 24/7 all except usually about 2-3 nights per year, with an uninsulated turnout shell most of the winter or a midweight blanket when it's getting down to like -30 F, and they do FINE with just free-choice hay and a *small* amount of ration-balancer pellets (like, I dunno, quarter to half a pound per horse per day; and only because my hay is usually kind of 'enh', not bad but not super good either).

Certainly if you have reason to believe she will get fat with free-choice hay, that is likely to be all she needs over winter to stay warm! And hay will keep her warmer than any other feed anyhow (weight for weight).

Pat

 

[welsummerchicks]

oh i give up

 

[arabianequine]

I can say that because I did not just dump her there.....this is a trainer that I was told to go to by word of mouth around here and from family and friends, I told you that so please don't twist this all around like I am a bad person and abuse and put my horse through abuse it is not so. I did go there 2-3 times a week too. On two days I noticed marks on her and questioned them to the trainer. She was moved back home and here since the last which I did not have pics of.

The point of this thread is not to have to put her through that again and how to find a good trainer....right? Not to criticize me for taking her to a bad trainer....I already know that and she won't be going back there. darn if I do darn if I don't.