What do you guys think of these colts? Pics on page 3,6,7,8 & 12

[WIChookchick]

Can you try a good english saddle? with a wide to medium tree?

 

[EweSheep]

Yes, that! Try it and find out!

If their saddle is making their horses sore, then time to get your own saddle out if it does fit him. Otherwise get a loaner if you can.

If he is not grouchy at the end, then you must have found the culprit in their horses.

 

[danischi24]

I don't have any equipment in this country yet & I haven't seen a good English saddle since I arrived. They have one or two English saddles here-I'll try them & see if they fit. His grouchiness is more about his temperament than pain. He gave me the biggest fireworks display when I didn't have a saddle & his back was fine. With the saddle, he is quite good now & I don't push him. Before he gets reluctant to move forward, I call it quits. I rode him 14 minutes today. Its strange how the water seems to make him much worse & when he is dry, it's better again. I wonder if he doesn't have a cold type back.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Also, all their horses have sore backs sad. I assume that these western saddles are doing a lot of harm unfitted

It always amazes me that so many people think that every stock aka "Western" saddle fits every QH. This is SO not true. They have to be just as carefully fitted as any hunt seat or dressage saddle--maybe even more so, considering the beatings they take over the years if you work cattle with them! And throwing a bunch of pads on first can make matters worse instead of better.

And he could easily be tender-backed from getting very little riding up til now. Add the two together and you get a horse who is hurting. You want to cure that before he associates being ridden with pain.

Rusty​

 

[welsummerchicks]

Sore backs, especially in young horses, can take months to heal up. Sometimes they never heal - sore backed is one thing one never, ever wants a young horse to be.

 

[Orchid]

Also, some horses can become very sore from bareback riding, due to your seat bones digging in and the weight being concentrated more in one spot on their back rather than spread out the way a properly fitted saddle will do. You did mention that his worst blowup was when you were riding bareback, which could have been his reaction to exacerbated pain in an already sore back. So I wouldn't recommmend thinking that this horse's sore back can be cured simply by riding him bareback.

Retired trainer, really? How old are you? You look quite young in your pictures to be retired...maybe you just age really well.

 

[arabianequine]

I took that as she is just not doing the training anymore

 

[Orchid]

Quote:
Ah.

Think I'll tell my hubby I've retired from cleaning the house and see what he says!

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Ah.

Think I'll tell my hubby I've retired from cleaning the house and see what he says!

Yeah right, he would think you're nuts!

 

[Orchid]

Quote:
Ah.

Think I'll tell my hubby I've retired from cleaning the house and see what he says!

Yeah right, he would think you're nuts!

He would be...correct.

Sorry OP for the temp hijack.