Horse Talk

[Bunnylady]

how exactly do you know when you're pushing them too hard

In a general way, it's like with people - you need to push a bit to build fitness, but push too hard, and you do more damage than good. One way to check is with recovery - rest a bit, and check pulse and respiration after a certain amount of time has passed. If it hasn't come down to a certain level, the person/animal is thought to be fatigued, and it's time to back off or quit entirely. The organized endurance rides have periodic vet checks; any horse that can't pass the vet check is done for the day.

 

[ShrekDawg]

If humans were meant to eat just veg, we'd have jaw muscles like gorillas - which we don't (gorillas are the only truly vegetarian apes). We have versatile dentition, and are designed to be omnivores.

Good point. Even chimpanzees and bonobos hunt and eat meat.

I don't know about this one, I don't know that anyone has tried it, but, there HAVE been rodeo bronks that could be saddled and bridled like normal and ridden without bucking and then would explode when in their bucking tack. They know when it's time to work and when it's not.


I have a little Arabian gelding that when he's in shape is the energizer bunny, you spend the entire ride holding him back and all it takes to go cantering off is to let the reins out an inch.... That's the way most event horses are, they are all "GO! GO! GO!" most if not all of the time. If the rough conditions are obvious, I tend to let the horse set the pace, if it's something like mud with leaves on it and they might not know about the mud until it's too late, then I will pull them back to what seems to be a safe speed, that could be a slower canter or it could be a walk, it depends on the terrain, the horse, and if you're just going straight through it or if you are turning or jumping while in the bad terrain.

That's so interesting they know their jobs and I never knew broncs could be ridden.

And thanks for the info on the eventing too.

That makes sense.

In a general way, it's like with people - you need to push a bit to build fitness, but push too hard, and you do more damage than good. One way to check is with recovery - rest a bit, and check pulse and respiration after a certain amount of time has passed. If it hasn't come down to a certain level, the person/animal is thought to be fatigued, and it's time to back off or quit entirely. The organized endurance rides have periodic vet checks; any horse that can't pass the vet check is done for the day.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I hadn't thought about checking pulse and stuff

 

[BridebelieverDD]

Does anyone know about why horses might get a bloody nose? Calypso has gotten 2 in the last 4 days. The only other thing that might possibly be connected with it is that his tear ducts are clogged. Is it something to be overly worried about?

 

[res]

Does anyone know about why horses might get a bloody nose? Calypso has gotten 2 in the last 4 days. The only other thing that might possibly be connected with it is that his tear ducts are clogged. Is it something to be overly worried about?

Any chance he whacked his poll on something? Bloody noses are common when horses "bump" their heads. There are LOTS of capillaries lining the nasal passageways and it doesn't take much to get on dripping.

If you live in an area that is cold and dry right now, and he was exerting himself running around in his pasture, that can cause it, too.

It might be worth a call to the vet, though, as bloody noses can also sometimes indicate nasal tumors or fungal/bacterial infections of the sinus cavities.

Most of the time, the blood loss is minimal. Extreme tumors and infections can sometimes lead to a fatal blood loss, but it is not common. Horses can loose an amazing amount of blood without concern. One of my 14 coliced on Wednesday and the vet hit a gusher with the NG tube. The horse easily lost a gallon of blood, if not more. It ran from both nostrils in a steady stream for an hour before it clotted up. There was a HUGE puddle and path wherever we walked the horse.

 

[abigalerose]

Today was a long day. Woke up, still recovering from the flu, it was 9° outside and i just knew my pregnant cow was gonna pick today to give birth, so i put on 4 layers of clothes, trekked out in the snow, and sure enough there was a little baby laying on the ground. Half froze. So i scooped him up (not true, i made at least 5 efforts before i got up with him because calves are apparently heavier than they look) and carried him a few feet to the shed and sat him down inside, got some hay from the barn, made a bed out of it for him, and then left so momma could clean him and get him up. I went back out two or three hours later and he was still stretched out on his side shivering and raspy breathing. Not good. So i covered him with towels and sat with him for a couple hours, he finally lifted his head up and rested it on my leg for a while so i took that as a good sign, wrapped him up tight, and went in for 30 minutes to warm myself. When i came back out he was sprawled on his side again, eyes closed, more rattly breathing. So i rubbed him all over AGAIN, stood his back end up, yelled encouraging words at him and FINALLY he started making an effort. After i helped him 3 or 4 times he was able to stand on his own. He’s still wobbly and trying to figure out the milk situation but he’s finally up and doing good.
And a majority of the time, June was bugging us. Lol.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Today was a long day. Woke up, still recovering from the flu, it was 9° outside and i just knew my pregnant cow was gonna pick today to give birth, so i put on 4 layers of clothes, trekked out in the snow, and sure enough there was a little baby laying on the ground. Half froze. So i scooped him up (not true, i made at least 5 efforts before i got up with him because calves are apparently heavier than they look) and carried him a few feet to the shed and sat him down inside, got some hay from the barn, made a bed out of it for him, and then left so momma could clean him and get him up. I went back out two or three hours later and he was still stretched out on his side shivering and raspy breathing. Not good. So i covered him with towels and sat with him for a couple hours, he finally lifted his head up and rested it on my leg for a while so i took that as a good sign, wrapped him up tight, and went in for 30 minutes to warm myself. When i came back out he was sprawled on his side again, eyes closed, more rattly breathing. So i rubbed him all over AGAIN, stood his back end up, yelled encouraging words at him and FINALLY he started making an effort. After i helped him 3 or 4 times he was able to stand on his own. He’s still wobbly and trying to figure out the milk situation but he’s finally up and doing good.
And a majority of the time, June was bugging us. Lol.
View attachment 1239154 View attachment 1239155

Awww how cute!! Is she not that good of a mother or was he just weak/it's cold out there?

 

[abigalerose]

Awww how cute!! Is she not that good of a mother or was he just weak/it's cold out there?

She was licking him and everything he was just too cold! This is her first. She did a good job with him

 

[ShrekDawg]

She was licking him and everything he was just too cold! This is her first. She did a good job with him

Aww that stinks! That's awesome she's doing well though.

 

[Welshies]

Hey guys. New to THIS thread but not to BYC or the horse world! I train and compete horses

 

[ShrekDawg]

Hey guys. New to THIS thread but not to BYC or the horse world! I train and compete horses

Nice! What kind of competition?