Tell me AAALLLLLLLLL about horses...

[welsummerchicks]

When a horse hits his back feet on his front feet, he's got a problem. It wouldn't mean anything good in dressage as the legs are not coordinated.

If it's just a click, it's called forgeing. If it's more than that, and injures the heels, ankles or pasterns(sometimes also pulling off the shoe...), it's called an 'over reach' injury.

Usually, it means there's something wrong with how their feet are being trimmed/shod. Their feet are being left too long without a trim or reset from a good farrier, so his hooves are too long or unbalanced. The answer isn't lopping off their hooves so they've got little tiny hooves - but to just get a more balanced foot and trim more often.

Too, the horse might be getting ridden in a way that makes him do that. If he's got too much weight on his front legs, meaning, he's off balance, he can't get his front feet out of the way of his back feet. Some horses you can get them into a nice balance pretty easy, others, not so much.

But even the best shod horse will hit himself if he's just - tired. A lot of times toward the end of that long once-a-month long ride, we start hearing click-click-click - horse is tired. If they aren't 'in a program' (frequent consistent riding) they get tired.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It's an over-track or over-reaching. It means that his hind legs were coming underneath him--which in dressage--that's a good thing, sounds like a nice big flexible walk with good energy.

Um, no, you are thinking of having the hind foot land in front of where the forefoot landed (so the hindfoot hoofprint is in front of the forefoot hoofprint), which is desirable (although a lot of people mistake a horse that is simply loose-jointed and 'forward' for a horse that is really *using* him self to track up, the latter being of much more importance in dressage than the former).

But if the feet are in any way ENCOUNTERING each other, that is a totally different thing, not usually related at all IME and certainly not *desirable*.

Pat

 

[WIChookchick]

Granted I have a "green" eye, but her conformation looks to be very good. I mean this in the nicest way (because I want to learn) but does she have any faults?

Indi is very narrow chested, and has a narrow front end, which goes up to having high narrow withers, which makes her very hard to fit for a saddle. VERY VERY hard to fit.
And despite being 15.2-3 HH she has cob sized ( arab/ large pony) girths and headstalls. My DH calls her a leggy supermodel.
She cannot handle being in a show, even a fun show. She gets too nervous.

Which why saddle fit is so important.
IF you plan on keeping a horse at home, vs boarding.. you will need to look at hay prices, and supplements, find out places or farmers to purchase hay from, Either pre-purchase your hay,
so that you know you can lock in prices, and so you won't run short. In CA hay prices skyrocket in winter/spring. Getting it from a feed store is just too pricey.
IF you can get hay cubes, they store easier, tend to have a better DNV that holds during the winter months.
My brother and his wife keep horses near Sacramento, I had horses in Sac too, before moving to WI. 17 bucks a bale at a feed store is about normal for alfalfa mix. 7 during the summer. In CA.

Perhaps look to a horse rescue to get your next horse, they train the horses, assess their training and can help you choose the best horse to fit your personality, riding ability and needs.
If for whatever reason you cannot keep the horse, you would not have to worry about finding it a good home, GOOD rescues retain ownership, so that you can return the horse, and if the horse
doesn't work for you, they can help you find another that better suits you, usually for no more money.
So-Cal has a few good ones.

WHile I am not a huge fan of the Fugly Blog... she has some good links to rescues in the SoCal area.

Go to or contact horse clubs, and 4H groups to find out if they do tack swaps, my brother and his wife have found good deals that way.
AND the CL is a pretty good place for tack. I would stay away from it for horses in SoCal.. just because there are dealers and horse flippers and just some
unsavory types on there. More horror stories than good ones.

Hope this helps.
Carol​

 

[Peaches Lee]

Quote:
It's an over-track or over-reaching. It means that his hind legs were coming underneath him--which in dressage--that's a good thing, sounds like a nice big flexible walk with good energy.

Um, no, you are thinking of having the hind foot land in front of where the forefoot landed (so the hindfoot hoofprint is in front of the forefoot hoofprint), which is desirable (although a lot of people mistake a horse that is simply loose-jointed and 'forward' for a horse that is really *using* him self to track up, the latter being of much more importance in dressage than the former).

But if the feet are in any way ENCOUNTERING each other, that is a totally different thing, not usually related at all IME and certainly not *desirable*.

Pat

Oh, yeah, now I see--stupid me thought this was happening when she was riding him!...

 

[patandchickens]

It wouldn't be a good dressage (or any other kind of riding) thing if is happening when *ridden*, either (actually like you I was assuming she did mean this happened mainly when ridden)

Tracking up, good. Interfering, not good (insofar as it is not a hoof-mechanics issue, it's typically a sign the horse is on the forehand too much!).

Pat

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:
Um, no, you are thinking of having the hind foot land in front of where the forefoot landed (so the hindfoot hoofprint is in front of the forefoot hoofprint), which is desirable (although a lot of people mistake a horse that is simply loose-jointed and 'forward' for a horse that is really *using* him self to track up, the latter being of much more importance in dressage than the former).

But if the feet are in any way ENCOUNTERING each other, that is a totally different thing, not usually related at all IME and certainly not *desirable*.

Pat

Oh, yeah, now I see--stupid me thought this was happening when she was riding him!...

It did seem to only happen while I was riding, and very infrequently. I had brought it up with both farriers I was using and both of them said his hooves were fine.

 

[welsummerchicks]

If I was shoeing the horse I'd say his shoeing and trim was fine too.

LOL.

There are other possibilities as well - how the horse is ridden and if he's not conditioned and is getting tired.

If it was mine and I was confident my farrier had everything in good trim I'd try to have the problem evaluated by a trainer and see if the trainer thought there was anything in the riding/training that could be causing it.

The main idea is that if the horse's movements are balanced, his front legs move forward before his hind legs reach forward - if all his movements are coordinated he doesn't hit his feet on his other feet or legs.

 

[michickenwrangler]

School and turnout in bell boots.

 

[turney31]

Quote:
LOL

I will read your posts with a different tone now

I'll try to read them with a different tone.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Occasionally, we do get worried at this house about our sense of humor. But at our age, it's pretty unlikely to change, unless money changes hands.