Horse Talk

[abigalerose]

Well. I was riding June and we were just moseying past my garden and something spooked her and she flew to the left and I... didn't go with her. Lol I went straight down. Here I thought I was improving on my balance. I was all embarrassed and frustrated until I remembered I've only been riding since April.
Anyways, any advice on keeping my seat? Aside from this accident where I slipped right off, I feel like I've been extra bouncey in my trot lately too, and I've been relaxing, letting my hips move with the horse, and even pulled myself down by holding onto the back of the saddle a couple times. My cousin said it looks like I'm sitting the trot good and barley moving, so I guess maybe this is how it's suppose to feel and it's all in my head. She also said June's got a really bouncey trot. But still, I could use some advice on getting better balance! I've been trying to practice with my bareback pad too but I mostly just hold tight to her mane when I do that, which makes it hard to steer.

 

[GingersHuman]

Sometimes those sideways slip-offs just happen! It's good practice (and good for the horse's back) to learn to post a trot too.

 

[abigalerose]

Can you guys tell me anything and everything you know about these bloodlines? Paint bloodlines are like a foreign language. I think there's a lot of halter lines too which may also be why I don't know any of the names

 

[GingersHuman]

I don't know anything about Paint lines. Maybe this site will help...
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/intimidatin+ladyinred
You can click on horses in the pedigree and some will have pics and info.

 

[res]

I would suggest doing a Google search for each animal listed... If you find a lot of "halter lines" then I would STRONGLY consider NOT buying the horse as a riding horse.

Halter horses, in both Paint and Quarter Horse lines, have very poor conformation for riding. Typically big bulky bodies with teeny tiny feet - a recipe for navicular and general lameness. You also have to watch for HYPP and EPSM/PSSM.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Why would people breed animals like that? Seems kinda unethical to me. And also they seem kind of worthless? I mean then you have to pay for an animal that you can't even ride? Although I guess maybe they're not worthless if they win a lot and become a big name, then you can probably make big big money, but I still don't see the point in having a horse you can't ride plus they're ugly. Minimal effort though I guess. Don't have to really train the horse except to lead and maybe stand in position or get used to the crowds but basically just leading a horse around rather than training him to even ride and then to do all the maneuvers and then training a person to ride him and do it right and communicate correctly too. Lazy I guess or cheap and easy way?

And can they be ridden, they just wear out faster? Or they can't be ridden at all?

 

[res]

Why would people breed animals like that? Seems kinda unethical to me. And also they seem kind of worthless? I mean then you have to pay for an animal that you can't even ride? Although I guess maybe they're not worthless if they win a lot and become a big name, then you can probably make big big money, but I still don't see the point in having a horse you can't ride plus they're ugly. Minimal effort though I guess. Don't have to really train the horse except to lead and maybe stand in position or get used to the crowds but basically just leading a horse around rather than training him to even ride and then to do all the maneuvers and then training a person to ride him and do it right and communicate correctly too. Lazy I guess or cheap and easy way?

And can they be ridden, they just wear out faster? Or they can't be ridden at all?

It is just a "thing" for some people... I do not understand it myself. Halter classes have always been around, but about 3 decades ago, winning Quarter Horses in halter/conformation classes slowly started to move away from normal "working" horse body types, to literal Arnold Schwartzenegar body types.... Same type of thing that happened in stock type Western Pleasure classes - the horses have not always traveled with low headsets and jacked up gaits.

Halter horses *can* be ridden, but they just don't hold up to it. A horse is built on it's feet and legs, and if the feet are tiny and the legs are fine boned, well...

Winning halter horses do sell for a lot of $, and there is definitely $ to be made at the upper levels of competition.

As far as training, halter horses are EXTREMELY well trained and responsive on the ground. There is nothing like working with a well trained STOCK TYPE halter horse, they are a joy. (But please do not think that Arab-Morgan-Saddlebred-etc halter classes/horses are the same way - TOTALLY different handling and type of class)

Training, conditioning and feeding a competition halter horse is quite different than any other competition horse. Lots of trotting in straight lines, and standing around/tied up in sweats, and wacky feed schedules & supplements. There is also a lot of things that happen behind the scenes to amp up halter horses before classes... like injecting their muscles with peanut oil to build them up...

I have good friends that I love to death that are heavy into competing their QH and Paints in halter classes, and JUST halter classes - NO riding. I have learned a lot more than I want to know.... And I have had several "retired" halter horses boarded over the years at barns I have managed. NONE of them have stood up to consistent riding - not even easy walk/trot lessons a few times a week.

 

[ShrekDawg]

​It is just a "thing" for some people... I do not understand it myself. Halter classes have always been around, but about 3 decades ago, winning Quarter Horses in halter/conformation classes slowly started to move away from normal "working" horse body types, to literal Arnold Schwartzenegar body types.... Same type of thing that happened in stock type Western Pleasure classes - the horses have not always traveled with low headsets and jacked up gaits.

Halter horses *can* be ridden, but they just don't hold up to it. A horse is built on it's feet and legs, and if the feet are tiny and the legs are fine boned, well... 

Winning halter horses do sell for a lot of $, and there is definitely $ to be made at the upper levels of competition.

As far as training, halter horses are EXTREMELY well trained and responsive on the ground. There is nothing like working with a well trained STOCK TYPE halter horse, they are a joy. (But please do not think that Arab-Morgan-Saddlebred-etc halter classes/horses are the same way - TOTALLY different handling and type of class)

Training, conditioning and feeding a competition halter horse is quite different than any other competition horse. Lots of trotting in straight lines, and standing around/tied up in sweats, and wacky feed schedules & supplements. There is also a lot of things that happen behind the scenes to amp up halter horses before classes... like injecting their muscles with peanut oil to build them up...

I have good friends that I love to death that are heavy into competing their QH and Paints in halter classes, and JUST halter classes - NO riding. I have learned a lot more than I want to know.... And I have had several "retired" halter horses boarded over the years at barns I have managed. NONE of them have stood up to consistent riding - not even easy walk/trot lessons a few times a week.

Thanks for all the info and sorry about my reply, rereading it I realize it probably as a little bit rude. I had no idea there was so much training and conditioning involved (or even really fully what you do in halter classes I admit); certainly didn't mean to imply they were lesser in anyway or anything like that and I realize I was probably wrong about the lazy part, maybe halter is harder in some ways. I guess people just enjoy different things.

I just personally don't get the appeal of having an essentially eventually crippled horse or why they couldn't just use regular horses? I guess it's like show and working dogs? Almost different breeds.

And peanut oil? Wow. And that's not illegal? And they can't just condition normally??

Guess it's like dogs and race horses, make everything so extreme and unnecessarily complicated.

 

[abigalerose]

Here's the mare to go with the papers lol, you can tell her feet look a good decent size, I think the halter lines are a little ways back. She's 12 and not broke, she's been used as broodmare

 

[I Love Layers]

So I've decides to join back here since Volleyball got done.

I've got bad news though, on Monday Sneaks got cut by some wire on her forearm, coronet, and point of shoulder. The coronet isn't that bad, the point of shoulder is medium but the forearm is really bad.
There's not enough skin on the point of shoulder or forearm cut to get stitches. We've been putting vetericyn on 2 times a day. Currently her and our other horse, our old mare, are in the corrals probably for the rest of the winter so that I can keep an eye on her.
There's no infection and she's taking good care of it.
I haven't been able to see the cut in good light til today so here's some pictures.

Whole leg

Forearm

Point of shoulder

As you can probably tell from the pictures, anything competitive or rodeo is out of the picture and I will never be able to really run her much after this.


My grandpas younger horse went lame due to a muscle injury so it's just a pasture grazer now, but I'm hoping when he's looking for his new horse he will find me something also that I don't necessarily have to be worried about when working cows etc, as bad or mean as it sounds to Sneaks...