Rant!!!! If you're gonna give your horse away.......

[Akane]

Shoes only make bad feet worse not better. I don't shoe a horse unless it's trail riding on gravel or similar ground. I don't shoe my competition horses. They run just as well barefoot and have less hoof issues. We found barefoot even worked better and faster on our severely foundered horse than trying to keep shoes on him and tearing up his hoof walls more. Unless the hoof is at risk of damage or bruising from terrain it's far better to go barefoot and even better to use good quality well fitted boots than shoes.

Beet pulp would be a good idea. You can replace a good percentage of the hay they are getting with beet pulp and it will put on more weight. Boss would also help put on weight far better than grains. I rarely feed my grains anymore. We've completely switched over to BOSS especially for hard keepers.

Rearing and bad teeth can go hand in hand. I would try riding bitless for awhile. Start her back in a hackamore in a round pen or small area and work your way back up. She may give it up on her own. Some horses though are just never good alone. We had a wonderful mare that you could put anyone on and do anything with. She'd run western gaming events, do trail class, and then go through a jump course all in the same day. Then you could stick complete beginners or little kids on her and take her on a trail ride. However you could never get her more than 20' from other horses. She'd whinny, rear, spin, and dance about until she was back near the other horses. She was a great horse, well trained, and both my sister and I used her for many things growing up including taking to 4-h horse camps and all our horse shows. We then retired her with another permanently injured mare to a family that just wanted something for their kids to sit on. Despite all those years and much work though she could never be seperated from the other horses. She was perfect so long as you always had another horse nearby. We finally just accepted it as her own quirk since she was everything we wanted in every other way.

 

[txredneckmedic]

I agree with the going barefoot idea. It sounds like she has extremely brittle hoofs. I had my ex farrier convince me one of mine needed shoes and after he put them on I couldnt get him back out there. She ended up throwing her shoes, I put them back on and she kicked them back off. Talked to a buddy of mine and he is now helping me with trimmings and teaching me how to do it. I do a nicer job than my ex farrier.

 

[Kansaseq]

I'm sorry they were so dishonest with you.Whether or not they were in a pinch, they should have told you the truth about this mare.
Free horses do exist; I got one in my teenage years. He was a spirited Thoroughbred, and taught me so much. I have many fond memories of us riding together.
Just this month, my neighbor was given a very nice Quarab gelding. He's pretty, sound, and a nice boy. Has been great with the kids she teaches (for free). So yes, good, free horses do exist. However, some people are dishonest and don't care enough about their animals to make sure the new owner can handle them. Thank you for taking such good care of your new girl, being responsible when the former owners weren't. Good luck.

 

[paintedsavvy]

Here are some websites that have helped me.

Tons of info on taking your horse barefoot- http://www.star-ridge.com/

Taught myself how to trim my own horses with these two books-
http://www.star-ridge.com/page5.html
http://www.star-ridge.com/page36.html

Easy boots- last way longer than shoes. I have two pairs of the "Epics."
http://www.easycareinc.com/Our_Boots/easyboots/easyboots.aspx

Parelli Natural Horsemanship- Learn it, live it, love it, do it!
http://www.parelli.com
Reveal your horse. Discover your potential. Live your dream.

Really any Natural Horsemanship method is usually great. My choice just happens to be Parelli. Clinton Anderson would be my next choice, along with John Lyons, Craig Cameron, and on down the list.

What I really try to do is be as natural with my horses as possible and get to the psychology of the problem. What natural instincts are making my horse behave like this? Is it because she thinks she is going to die if she gets too far from the other horses? Possibly. Kind of puts things in perspective.

Ooooh. I also love the Cloud series from Nature on PBS.
http://thecloudfoundation.org/

Watch the full episode online-
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/cloud-wild-stallion-of-the-rockies/introduction/29/

 

[fowler_chick]

Bite your tounge amarook!!!, not all horse that are being given away are DUDs...i was given a horse last year because the person could not afford her any more, she knew i could...it's sad to watch people having to give up there horses, but it's happening....

i have to agree with the bearfoot triming, luna came here with awlful hooves and bearfoot trimming has done wonders for all 3 of my horses,

just a reminder to those who are being given free horses, ask for the horses vet records, if they say they don't know where they are assume then that the horse has not been seen for reg shots...ask for vet's name so you can call them to get a idea of what and if the horses has been seen in a while, also ask for ferriers numbers too just to get a idea...

when Luna came off the trailer last year, she was a nervus reck, but with time she has calmed down, also the night we picked her up we brought our vet with us, which was helpful

 

[paintedsavvy]

Here's my proof that sometimes free horses can be fab!

This is my little sister and me in our neighborhood. She's on my Paint, Bette, who I got for $600, and I'm on Lilly, who I got for FREE! She is a black 9 year old Appendix QH.

This one is us out packing in the Uintas. My horses are barefoot and if you do it right, meaning natural, they can pack around with no problems in these rocks!

In these pics Lilly is a little hard to see, but she is flippin gorgeous.

 

[cw]

good lookin horses, your paint reminds me of mine ol may (short for may mule) a friend always made of me and her and said he could hear her in the barn goin, hee haw, but to the point of the story. i had my 2 for 7 years, rode up and down these hills of ky. untill i was in a car wreck. shattering my right femur, realizing my fate i ended up giving my 2 horses away, i guess i ve been on both sides , but when i gave mine away i did it before they got skinny, and half wild from not bein messed with

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
You ever hear that old adage, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"? That surely applies here!

Someone gave you a horse for free....didn't cost you a dime....

Did it ever occur to you why someone was giving the horse away?

 

[paintedsavvy]

I say screw being polite. Look a gift horse in the mouth, look a gift horse in the feet, and you might even learn something by looking a gift horse in the butt hole. Then look your gift horse in the eyes, ears, nose...get my drift?

 

[cw]

Quote:
yea cause you may end up kicking a dead horse