Horses!

[ShrekDawg]

I guess I really don't get why! With the price of hay going through the roof, land getting harder to find and increasing like crazy, inflation in general making prices for grain, fencing materials, general farm supplies increasing, why has the price for horses generally gone up instead of down?!
Last time this happened in 2008-2010, people couldn't get rid of their horses fast enough. Not only was there a glut on the market for well-bred and trained horses selling for pennies, there were SO many starving, neglected horses that people couldn't even give away.
Not that I want that situation to return! It was heartbreaking!
But where is the middle ground?

Good question!

 

[littledog]

I think average is about $60 for an hour for private? Some areas it’s only $40-$50 or even less and some areas it can be like $100 or $120. In my area it’s usually $75-$80 for 1hr private with some places being closer to $100.

That's about what it costs here too - like $35-40 to teach steering and rising trot to a kid, going up to $100 for a jumping or dressage lesson from a well-known (locally) trainer.

 

[littledog]

What’s your first favorite breed!

I don't care all that much about a specific breed, as long as they have the conformation and mindset I like to ride. Forward-thinking, good sturdy legs, a strong front-end, not too short a neck, with a free-moving shoulder, not too long a back, some power in the hind end.
Not generally a fan of stock horse types due to downhill build and small hooves compared to their weight, but I've ridden many exceptions. Like Appendix TB/QH, once had an awesome Appy, of course I love the Warmbloods and Warmblood/TB or Arab crosses, Morgan, Saddlebred or Standardbreds and crosses, as long as they are not gaited.
For me, it's all about them enjoying and having the ability to do the things I like to do.

 

[littledog]

I'm so happy today! I had a vet appointment and both my senior horses got in-depth exams, and the results were better than I was preparing myself for.
My retired Arab/Trakehner gelding who just turned 29, has good teeth for his age, some cataracts but he can still see, his Cushing's disease is under control on his medication and has not progressed. Less arthritis than expected for his age, he still moves around pain-free as enthusiastic as he did 20 years ago, in spite of his loss of topline. He's on a diet now - when he was first diagnosed with Cushing's his weight was fluctuating and he got really skinny at one point, but now he's a little too pudgy, nowhere near the point of laminitis though. On his medication, he's pretty stabilized and we cut his gain in half.
My other horse, 25-year-old OTTB mare, I was worried if I should still be riding her or should I retire her. I couldn't figure it out, since riding her, she was never really lame but would occasionally miss a step on her right rear like she was stepping in a hole, and I wondered if she was in pain. The vet found she does have a heart murmur, not too bad, but it's not like we're going on 5-mile gallops, I just need to pay attention and let her rest when she gets tired. Her back is fine and not causing pain! For her movement - the vet saw the same as I did - she tends to turn her right stifle joint to the side when trotting. The vet thinks there's not any joint issues, it's just muscle weakness, and my mare's trying to compensate by taking weird steps. We're going to put her on a course of Adequan, change her diet to increase protein, concentrate her exercise on things to help her thigh muscles, like trotting poles and walking up and down hills. The vet even cleared us to do small jumps once she builds up those muscles - my sweetie mare loves jumping, but for now we'll limit it to a couple under 2-foot jumps at the end of our ride,
I'm overjoyed I can keep working her - at a low lever for sure, but I'm getting pretty old myself and just want to have fun with my horses,

 

[Silkie Princess]

Two clear rounds today!
Snows was an absolute legend

I also lost both my stirrups after the second fence

 

[ShrekDawg]

I don't care all that much about a specific breed, as long as they have the conformation and mindset I like to ride. Forward-thinking, good sturdy legs, a strong front-end, not too short a neck, with a free-moving shoulder, not too long a back, some power in the hind end.
Not generally a fan of stock horse types due to downhill build and small hooves compared to their weight, but I've ridden many exceptions. Like Appendix TB/QH, once had an awesome Appy, of course I love the Warmbloods and Warmblood/TB or Arab crosses, Morgan, Saddlebred or Standardbreds and crosses, as long as they are not gaited.
For me, it's all about them enjoying and having the ability to do the things I like to do.

Those are all good traits!

 

[ShrekDawg]

That's about what it costs here too - like $35-40 to teach steering and rising trot to a kid, going up to $100 for a jumping or dressage lesson from a well-known (locally) trainer.

Around here it doesn’t really vary between kid or advanced.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I'm so happy today! I had a vet appointment and both my senior horses got in-depth exams, and the results were better than I was preparing myself for.
My retired Arab/Trakehner gelding who just turned 29, has good teeth for his age, some cataracts but he can still see, his Cushing's disease is under control on his medication and has not progressed. Less arthritis than expected for his age, he still moves around pain-free as enthusiastic as he did 20 years ago, in spite of his loss of topline. He's on a diet now - when he was first diagnosed with Cushing's his weight was fluctuating and he got really skinny at one point, but now he's a little too pudgy, nowhere near the point of laminitis though. On his medication, he's pretty stabilized and we cut his gain in half.
My other horse, 25-year-old OTTB mare, I was worried if I should still be riding her or should I retire her. I couldn't figure it out, since riding her, she was never really lame but would occasionally miss a step on her right rear like she was stepping in a hole, and I wondered if she was in pain. The vet found she does have a heart murmur, not too bad, but it's not like we're going on 5-mile gallops, I just need to pay attention and let her rest when she gets tired. Her back is fine and not causing pain! For her movement - the vet saw the same as I did - she tends to turn her right stifle joint to the side when trotting. The vet thinks there's not any joint issues, it's just muscle weakness, and my mare's trying to compensate by taking weird steps. We're going to put her on a course of Adequan, change her diet to increase protein, concentrate her exercise on things to help her thigh muscles, like trotting poles and walking up and down hills. The vet even cleared us to do small jumps once she builds up those muscles - my sweetie mare loves jumping, but for now we'll limit it to a couple under 2-foot jumps at the end of our ride,
I'm overjoyed I can keep working her - at a low lever for sure, but I'm getting pretty old myself and just want to have fun with my horses,

Awesome!!!

 

[calicocows]

Two clear rounds today!
Snows was an absolute legend
View attachment 3486509
I also lost both my stirrups after the second fence

Awesome job! That looks like quite the jump

 

[littledog]

I also lost both my stirrups after the second fence

What a nice horse you have, such good jumping form. Great job to keep going after losing your stirrups!
Happens to all of us - one time my horse got bouncy through a water combination, I got left behind jumping out of the water, and by the time we were on dry land again, I was sitting behind the cantle! My trainer happened to be there to see several of us students as we went through, how embarrassing! I had to come back down to a trot and shove myself back into the saddle properly, but at least I didn't fall off and we completed the course with only a few time penalties. So thankful my horse is the type who can "take a joke" in other words, shrug off my mistakes and keep going.
Looks as if your horse has that quality too!

I had a really nice ride on my old girl today. Following the vet's advice to strengthen her stifles, we warmed up by walking up and down some small hills on the property for 20 minutes, then we went into the arena and concentrated on walking and trotting over poles, with bending circles in between each line of poles to try to keep her supple and relaxed. Not that she wants to relax, she thinks she can still go, go, go, and jigs when she's supposed to be walking, typical former racehorse, LOL! So we called it a day after both directions of walking a small circle calmly, getting a relaxed trot over the poles, halting in the middle of the set of poles, then continuing the rest of the poles at trot.