Horses!

[ShrekDawg]

I don’t know of any good books, but I would highly recommend Dr. Kellon’s articles. She also does offer classes on equine nutrition as well. As far as grasses a lot will depend on your region. For grasses, I knew I absolutely did not want clover, limited rye and any fescue needed to be endophyte free. I settled on a mix that was Bluegrass, Orchard Grass, Timothy, Endophyte Free Fescue and was supposed to have only 1-2% alfalfa. Well that was a lie because my pasture is covered in alfalfa which I did not want. I have used seed mixes with as much as 20% alfalfa and I did not have as much alfalfa come up as I did with the supposed 1-2% alfalfa in the seed mix. Alfalfa has its place, but it’s one of those legume grasses that I think should be able to be used or removed from a horses diet as needed. I just don’t personally like to give my horses tons of alfalfa. Once I get my other pasture up I am going to spray the alfalfa to kill it off and have a mill do up a custom mix of bluegrass, orchard grass, timothy and seed very heavily. Then let those pastures sit for 8 months, switch the horses around and repeat on the other pastures. We recently had flooding the bluegrass and orchard grass seemed to fare very well compared to the other grasses so I am going to stick with those as my main two types in the pastures. http://www.drkellon.com/resources.html

Oh wow!!!!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I don’t know of any good books, but I would highly recommend Dr. Kellon’s articles. She also does offer classes on equine nutrition as well. As far as grasses a lot will depend on your region. For grasses, I knew I absolutely did not want clover, limited rye and any fescue needed to be endophyte free. I settled on a mix that was Bluegrass, Orchard Grass, Timothy, Endophyte Free Fescue and was supposed to have only 1-2% alfalfa. Well that was a lie because my pasture is covered in alfalfa which I did not want. I have used seed mixes with as much as 20% alfalfa and I did not have as much alfalfa come up as I did with the supposed 1-2% alfalfa in the seed mix. Alfalfa has its place, but it’s one of those legume grasses that I think should be able to be used or removed from a horses diet as needed. I just don’t personally like to give my horses tons of alfalfa. Once I get my other pasture up I am going to spray the alfalfa to kill it off and have a mill do up a custom mix of bluegrass, orchard grass, timothy and seed very heavily. Then let those pastures sit for 8 months, switch the horses around and repeat on the other pastures. We recently had flooding the bluegrass and orchard grass seemed to fare very well compared to the other grasses so I am going to stick with those as my main two types in the pastures. http://www.drkellon.com/resources.html

Thank you! I’ll have to look into Dr. Kellon’s articles. I do have one book just haven’t started it yet as I’m reading about some other things right now.

 

[calicocows]

Hi!! I know I’ve been scarce for a bit. Marching band has definitely been kicking my butt! I’ve had a bit of a riding breakthrough, and jumping is feeling way more natural/instinctive! Or, was, for a weekend? It’ll come back, I hope. I’m also trying to work through some ongoing difficulties getting the trot to canter transition. If I don’t get it within a few steps, I get increasingly flustered/uncoordinated/disorganized, and it’s pretty common to see me do circles and circles and circles trying to pick up the canter because I panic and slow the trot down and try again, repeatedly. There’s this one pony (maybe horse? If so, small one) who I don’t have this problem with, he’s usually got nearly automatic canter transitions, but didn’t this past weekend, and I was okay! The next day, I rode my other favorite horse, who I definitely struggle to pick up the canter with, and I didn’t reach my normal level of [aaaa] and kept it together longer than usual during the upwards transition! I know how to ask for the canter, at least in theory, but in practice, I just seem to be very ineffective? I also struggle to keep my balance while asking, or I struggled 3 years ago and my brain hasn’t caught up, or… something.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Hi!! I know I’ve been scarce for a bit. Marching band has definitely been kicking my butt! I’ve had a bit of a riding breakthrough, and jumping is feeling way more natural/instinctive! Or, was, for a weekend? It’ll come back, I hope. I’m also trying to work through some ongoing difficulties getting the trot to canter transition. If I don’t get it within a few steps, I get increasingly flustered/uncoordinated/disorganized, and it’s pretty common to see me do circles and circles and circles trying to pick up the canter because I panic and slow the trot down and try again, repeatedly. There’s this one pony (maybe horse? If so, small one) who I don’t have this problem with, he’s usually got nearly automatic canter transitions, but didn’t this past weekend, and I was okay! The next day, I rode my other favorite horse, who I definitely struggle to pick up the canter with, and I didn’t reach my normal level of [aaaa] and kept it together longer than usual during the upwards transition! I know how to ask for the canter, at least in theory, but in practice, I just seem to be very ineffective? I also struggle to keep my balance while asking, or I struggled 3 years ago and my brain hasn’t caught up, or… something.

Hopefully you’ll get there!!! I’m sure you will!!!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Hi!! I know I’ve been scarce for a bit. Marching band has definitely been kicking my butt! I’ve had a bit of a riding breakthrough, and jumping is feeling way more natural/instinctive! Or, was, for a weekend? It’ll come back, I hope. I’m also trying to work through some ongoing difficulties getting the trot to canter transition. If I don’t get it within a few steps, I get increasingly flustered/uncoordinated/disorganized, and it’s pretty common to see me do circles and circles and circles trying to pick up the canter because I panic and slow the trot down and try again, repeatedly. There’s this one pony (maybe horse? If so, small one) who I don’t have this problem with, he’s usually got nearly automatic canter transitions, but didn’t this past weekend, and I was okay! The next day, I rode my other favorite horse, who I definitely struggle to pick up the canter with, and I didn’t reach my normal level of [aaaa] and kept it together longer than usual during the upwards transition! I know how to ask for the canter, at least in theory, but in practice, I just seem to be very ineffective? I also struggle to keep my balance while asking, or I struggled 3 years ago and my brain hasn’t caught up, or… something.

I know when I ride I often overthink it and actually just need to calm down and take a breath and then I can do it so much better. There have definitely been things that I struggle with I hope it works out for you!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I rode cici bareback for the 3rd time today! The first two I just walked on her this time a trotted and cantered for a total of like five minutes! Cici was fantastic and I wasn’t slipping or sliding but it was extremely painful!!! I put her tack on and ended the ride cantering in the field. Not sure how you guys ride bareback at faster than a walk! lol

 

[ILoveDaffy]

I rode cici bareback for the 3rd time today! The first two I just walked on her this time a trotted and cantered for a total of like five minutes! Cici was fantastic and I wasn’t slipping or sliding but it was extremely painful!!! I put her tack on and ended the ride cantering in the field. Not sure how you guys ride bareback at faster than a walk! lol

I haven't cantered bareback so far since Max isn't fully 100% and my roundpen isn't quite big enough to get much speed, but I have trotted bareback. Max is barrel shaped so he's pretty comfy bareback, as long as I don't slip to the side !

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I haven't cantered bareback so far since Max isn't fully 100% and my roundpen isn't quite big enough to get much speed, but I have trotted bareback. Max is barrel shaped so he's pretty comfy bareback, as long as I don't slip to the side !

Cici does have a bony back maybe that’s why. I think my coach did say something like that! There’s a green pony at the barn that I might work with when cici goes back and his back looks very comfortable!

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Cici does have a bony back maybe that’s why. I think my coach did say something like that! There’s a green pony at the barn that I might work with when cici goes back and his back looks very comfortable!

The older girl I rode bareback a couple times is very bony. She was not comfy bareback, but she was soooo smooth.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

The older girl I rode bareback a couple times is very bony. She was not comfy bareback, but she was soooo smooth.

That’s what it’s like with Cici! It’s pretty much fine at a walk but I prefer to have a saddle when doing anything more then that!