I got a horse, now what? update 1-22-11

[Kansaseq]

I LOVE my wintec. Got it nearly new off of Ebay, and it's SO comfortable. I would try to sit in one first, though, to see if it's comfortable for YOU. They are probably the best name in synthetic saddles because they are well made and last. I would buy a bridle separately. You can even even find one used on CL, same for the saddle, just check them over carefully first.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

My horses have never had thrush, but many people do battle it down here in Florida- especially if the horses are kept outside in muddy pastures.

Having keep horses for years and years in Florida, I do have an opinion on this one. JMO but if you buy a thrushy horse and turn him out in your flooded pasture in Florida, soon your whole herd will have thrush. But if nobody in the barn has thrush, your horses can spend the summer in standing water and never develop thrush. Their feet may crumble from all the water, but they will not get thrush. That's been my experience anyhow. Likewise, if you take a horse without thrush and put him in a stall formerly inhabited by a thrushy horse, 9 time out of 10 the new horse will come down with the old thrush.

And I agree with Cara about the saddle. You get what you pay for. I bought a new Tex Tan way back in the early 70s and I am STILL riding that saddle. I bought a new Hereford back in '79 and that one is STILL my favorite saddle. I can sit that baby for 10 hours a day and not have an ache or pain from it! Good leather lasts for almost forever if you take care of it.


Rusty​

 

[twentynine]

Update--------------------

1 1/2 inches of rain yesterday, basicly has brought all work on the farm to a halt. Friday AM before the rain, we cleaned up some brush around a few trees, put the safety caps on the tee-post, then got wet running back to the barn.

This morning cloudy, 10 -15 mph wind, 100% humidity, 35*. No way to set the remaining 4x4s, maybe 12 left to go. We did set and additional 20 tee post. No way to hang the gates. So we are sitting with hands in pocket.

Interesting occurrance over the last week. I have a parish (county) maintained canal that runs through my property, no right of way has ever been signed by me or any member of my family. Prior to building a fence across the canal I contacted the parish gov. told them my intentions. Informed them that if they wanted access to cut the canal banks the would need to install a gate, plus a flap gate across the bottom of the canal for livestock security. They came out, I showed them what was going on, we "spotted" where the gate was to be installed. Thursday they come out to install the gate in THE MIDDLE OF MY PASTURE fully 100' from the canal. Can you guys battle royale! The gate is now install on the bank of the canal on there claimed 15', with a power pole right in the middle. After all the harse words were spoken to me about how they were going to deny me access to my own property, that's where it ended up. Further they were instructed that if I so much as see a bent blade of grass off that 15' their equipment will be impounded and the operators arrested for illegal tresspass. By the way my wife handled the on the spot inforcement, I was at work. Sounds mean I know, but I have 30 years of bologna dealing with this thing.

We have a saddle and tack. Came with a twisted wire snaffle on o-rings. Cody took the bit into his mouth okay, but he didn't like it. Frankly from the information you guys have given me, I have come to the conclusion that this ain't the right bit. Head shaking, ear pinning, constant mouthing. I am not going to put the bit back in his mouth until I get a good dental report on him. After that I will get a trainer (more for me, than Cody), + consult on "bits". Good news is he seems to neck rein well, I was only on him for a few minutes, slow walk, whoa and walk, figure eight around a couple trees. At this point I believe he is more trained than I am.

Okay now that is done.

Cody's condition and appearance continues to improve, he is gaining a little weight, staying warm, dry and clean.

The vet will be out next week to check teeth, vaccinate, and give him a once over. Cody will get whatever is reccommended.

Bad news------------ farrier called. She is broke down. She had a ruptured bowel and will be out of action for an extended period. I do hope she recovers.

 

[Kelly G]

Quote:
Having keep horses for years and years in Florida, I do have an opinion on this one. JMO but if you buy a thrushy horse and turn him out in your flooded pasture in Florida, soon your whole herd will have thrush. But if nobody in the barn has thrush, your horses can spend the summer in standing water and never develop thrush. Their feet may crumble from all the water, but they will not get thrush. That's been my experience anyhow. Likewise, if you take a horse without thrush and put him in a stall formerly inhabited by a thrushy horse, 9 time out of 10 the new horse will come down with the old thrush.

And I agree with Cara about the saddle. You get what you pay for. I bought a new Tex Tan way back in the early 70s and I am STILL riding that saddle. I bought a new Hereford back in '79 and that one is STILL my favorite saddle. I can sit that baby for 10 hours a day and not have an ache or pain from it! Good leather lasts for almost forever if you take care of it.


Rusty

...also white line disease. eta: not contagious, though. And I still maintain...moisture is a breeding ground for bacteria.

 

[Kelly G]

Good job getting the dental assessment before evaluating him for proper bit fitting. Make sure that they check on his wolf-teeth..they can cause a bit problem (but not always).

Is it a single twisted wire snaffle or double wire? Is it a thick or thin bit? They CAN be a pretty strong bit...it just depends on what the horse needs.

I always assess my horses starting with a simple D-ring snaffle (usually broken - as in: jointed) if they don't come with their bridle...many show-horses come with the bridle when you buy them (at least in the world of Saddlebreds and Morgans). It is considered the classy thing to do, and I really have come to appreciate the tradition!

Sorry about the miserable rain - we're having it here, too!

 

[Kansaseq]

Twentynine,
Just wanted to say, I've been sort of following this thread, and and think you are doing an awesome job. Sounds like you don't have much background in horses,but you certainly do have a very natural intelligence and ability with them. Cody has found a great home, in my opinion, and I look forward to hearing how he's doing. He's a pretty boy, too.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Have you debated riding with a bosal instead of a bit?

http://www.cowboyway.com/What/WhatIsBosal.htm

It takes the bit out of the picture and uses pressure to keep him in check, if he should decide to make a run for it at some point in time. Some horses prefer the bosal.

I use a copper snaffle bit with a ring. Max likes to work the ring and he looks forward to having it in his mouth so he can play with it. Eventually we'll move up to another bit, but in the meantime, I prefer for him to accept the bit willingly instead of fighting for it.

 

[twentynine]

Quote:
Yes! I looked on the internet and found a picture of a horse's "wolf teeth" and near as I can tell he's got'em. Plus a young guy I hired to help me out last week, turns out he is lots more "horsey" than me, confirmed, my observation. Teeth? Cody is not dropping any hay or feed, no unground grain or hay in his apples, so I think in a general way his teeth are good. Course I am feeding him his pelleted feed in a wet down mash. That was reccommended by another member, here.

Bit. It is a double wire twisted snaffle, with a joint in the middle. The two strands twisted together maybe like 3/16" at most 1/4" diameter. About 3" o-rings on each end. Curb strap hangs loosely under his chin. Also I looked very closely at his lips and the corner of his mouth, I found no obviously irritated places. I made sure the cheek straps (? straps that hold the bit and run down the side of the horse's head) were not to tight. Can they be to loose, allowing the bit to fall into his wolf or front choppers? I took the bit and placed it in the crook of my arm, closed my arm around it, pulled it a little bit. It snags the hair on my arm. Being inexperienced and not being a proper judge, it still seems pretty severe to me.

Not being a horsey person, I do not have a selection of bits hanging around. As far as Cody comming with his briddle. All Cody came with was an appetite and the hair on his back. While bits do not cost an arm and a leg, and I am not with out resourses, I can't just run out and buy a rounded out selection of bits. Frankly I don't even know any one I could borrow one from. I did go by the feed store/saddle shop and look. I came to the conclussion that I could spend a couple hundred dollars and still not have a properly fitting bit. So I decided it was time to drop back and punt, go into a holding pattern where we are doing no harm. We might not be making headway right now, but we won't be loosing ground either. I feel certain that if I persist with this bit Cody will for sure get some bad habits.

It is entirly possible that it is ME! The bit could be right and I am being hamfisted, to hard with my movements?

 

[Cara]

The bit you describe sounds like this:

You're right, it is for the most part bad news. If a rider thinks they need to use something like that, there is something lacking in their horse's training. His head tossing is probably a reaction to too much bit as i'm sure it pinches, and it doesn't take much to be heavy handed in a bit like that.

A good bit for now doesn't have to cost a fortune. A plain D ring snaffle like this might be better.

You can get a decent one for $30. Chris Cox has one that suits many horses but it is $75. Good brands include Reinsman, Classic Equine and Myler.

The curb chain isn't necessary with a D ring snaffle as it is usually used with a snaffle bit to prevent it pulling through the mouth, but the D-ring design prevents that (kind of like belt and suspenders having both). You can tell how to adjust the cheek pieces of his headstall by looking at the corner of his mouth. You want one or two small wrinkles.

He's lucky to have an owner who is so considerate

I can see you're really getting attached to the big guy.

A good way to tell how severe a bit is is to examine the width of the mouthpiece. Generally the narrower it is, the more severe it is. If it is twisted it is even more severe. The longer the shanks, the greater the leverage and therefore the greater the severity. Some horses will prefer a narrow mouthpiece because it fits in their mouth better, but we won't go there yet! And obviously it depends who is at the other end of the reins as to how severe a bit is.

 

[duckluck]

Sorry to hear about your farrier! Hope she gets better soon!

As for the twisted wire bit, ANY wire bit is simply brutal on the horse's mouth. You don't have trained hands yet, so that's worse. I would go with just about ANY standard snaffle, sidepull or bosal before one of these. I have seen a chunk of a horse's tongue excised by one of these bits. This is likely why Cody is objecting...he knows better!

I personally have Herm Sprenger KK Ultra double-jointed bits for my mares, similar to french link snaffles but milder still, but these are too pricey for most people's tastes. My horses do love them, though, and have readily accepted them. My one mare moved up from Training level to Second last summer in one. If your horsey friend is able to help you find out a correct size of bit (there are also tutorials on the web for bit fitting) I do have several other used snaffles available for sale for reasonable prices as I am weeding out some stuff that I am not using any more or don't have horses that they fit. PM me if interested. Though the wolf teeth should certainly get pulled as well, and you'll want him to be checked for retained caps too. Not all horses can or do lose their baby teeth.