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Horse Help and Possible Commissions

Journal Entry: Mon Jun 29, 2009, 1:16 PM
  • Mood: Euphoric
  • Listening to: You Belong With Me- Taylor Swift
  • Reading: Max Ride 2
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All you fellow riders

Mkay, here's the deal. I want to start showing soon, but I don't have a horse. I would be showing on one of the lesson horses. My best guess would be Petey. But, Petey isn't ready to be a show horse yet. He has potential, I'll give him that, but... He's a five or six year old Appendix Quarter Horse.

His biggest issue is his speed. He's extremely slow, and he drags his feet. I want to know how I can teach him to pick them up, especially at the trot, when it's the worst.
He also tends to keep his head rather low, which isn't exactly helping his balance or looking pretty. I'm guessing that and the feet dragging are what make him trip so much. -.-
Also, leads. He can get his left, but sometimes he has problems with his right. We've been working on that and it's gotten pretty good, but I also want to know how would I go about teaching him to change leads without switching down to a trot. He's definitely built to be able to do a lead change easily.

And lastly...

He needs to be groomed. His mane and tail are pitiful. I was thinking about going to the barn a few extra days a week and just giving him a full wash. And then of course maintaining it... if my instructor says I can. Should I buy some products? All of you who have horses how do you keep them looking pretty? I don't know if it matters but he's a dark chocolately bay.





Commission Possibility

I might be doing commissions... what would be a good price? I mean, what would you be willing to pay? If at all. =/

Journal coding & design by =kuschelirmel-stock Rose from ~FoxStox brushes by *ro-stock, thumb_table code by `thespook
48 Comments

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:iconrandom-plague:
~Random-Plague Jun 29, 2009, 1:27:01 PM
I don't have a horse so I can't help you out with any of that. Good luck though?

And commissions would be awesome, I guess the price would depend on what you are offering?

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:icontriple-bar:
Mood: Neutral ~triple-bar Jun 29, 2009, 1:36:12 PM
Hmm...well I would first make sure it's not a problem with his hooves. When a horse's hooves get too long it can cause them to stumble or drag their feet, for instance last month I couldn't get the farrier out and Tucker was overdue. He was stumbling/dragging his feet until they were trimmed. It could possibly have something to do with some lameness issue (maybe something with the stifle), but some horses just stumble. It could just be laziness. You could try doing a lot of work with poles (especially at the trot) to get him to pick up his feet, or if he's just "being lazy" try to get his attention and keep him focused. There are tons of exercises you can do with poles; from simply trotting a series of poles to more complex patterns. He might be bored and is therefore being lazy, you could try new exercises, especially with poles. Do you carry a crop when you're on him? For the speed issue the crop could help with that and wake him up. For your leads issue I'm guessing that you have your simple lead changes down since you said without a downward transition to a trot. Has your trainer talked about flying lead changes/have you worked on them? Because of his age he might not know flying changes and you'll probably have to teach them to him, but if your trainer hasn't worked on them with you then he might not be ready for them. Your trainer should be able to help you with them. As for the grooming, I'm sure your instructor won't mind you cleaning him up. Your barn probably has some shampoo/conditioning products there, but if they don't, you could always buy them like you said. Just get a simple shampoo like the popular "Mane and Tail" which will work for both the body and the mane/tail. You can also buy conditioner products but I don't always use them...but "Cowboy Magic" products work really well, but are a bit on the expensive side. For the mane and tail, wet the tail and then shampoo it really well (make sure you really get the dock of the tail as well), and conditioner helps too. You're going to need a detangler product, and Mane and Tail/Cowboy Magic both work well. Showsheen works just as well as those products as well, and you can use it on his body as well (just don't put it near where the saddle goes, because it is slippery...). For all those knots make sure you start from the bottom and work your way up, just like with your own hair. Anyways...wow...I wrote a lot...XD Good luck!
:iconhorsenia:
*horsenia Jun 29, 2009, 1:40:30 PM
i just skimmed over this because i'm in a hurry, so i'll give what information i can in the little time i have.
if he's being slow, try giving him little nudges with your heel between ever post. as for his head being down, don't be afraid to bring it back up as long as you're not yanking on his mouth.

i've got to go now.
good luck.
<3

--

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tell me when you hear my silence
there’s a possibility
i wouldn’t know

-lykke li
:iconkamrinlovesbently:
~KamrinLovesBently Jun 29, 2009, 1:41:46 PM
ok, i had the same problems with my old horse Kadyn, he was about 5 and was just so damn slow.!
what i did was got some good spurs, that made him go faster.. =] and for a few weeks we just would concentrate on the fast trot, and gallop. i wouldn't let him walk ever. i did a lot of longing with him also, all at fast speeds. and to keep his head level i used a western martingale. [that took about a week to get him used to it] i went on a lot of trails with him and ran him up hills. eventually thats all he wanted to do was go fast, then i started down with working on slow again, but also threw in some fast stuff. for the leads i used spurs and lifted his shoulder up on back to get him to switch his leads. and lastly, for the mane and tail problem i think you should get some baby oil, it works great! i would also consider giving him a long bath with mane and tail shampoo and conditioner, and you cant forget about the body mane and tail soap. after that i would consider getting all the other knots out with baby oil, or cowboy magic [but baby oil is cheaper].
hope i helped a little bit.
Cheer's
Kamrin

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:iconarabianberry:
~arabianberry Jun 29, 2009, 1:46:28 PM
I'm pretty sure the feet dragging is just laziness, his hooves look pretty good and in the year that I've been riding him I don't think he's ever been lame. I'll ask my trainer if we can do some more poles and such, I get what you mean by boredom. I do carry a crop with him, but I use it more for show. I rarely actually touch him with it. xD Maybe just some taps would get him to speed up a tad... I remember we got him a new bit a few months ago, thank God. His head was even worse then. -.-

We have talked about teaching him a flying lead change, my trainer thinks he can do it. We just never really got around to it.

I'll see what products they have at the barn and see what I can do to make him look pretty. :D

Bits, this was sooooo helpful. Though, when I saw how long it was I admit I got scared lol. My screen dimmed before I could finish reading it!

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:iconarabianberry:
~arabianberry Jun 29, 2009, 1:47:57 PM
How do you mean by what I'm offering? Like, how complicated? I'm not sure... XD

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:iconarabianberry:
~arabianberry Jun 29, 2009, 1:50:20 PM
That's awesome! I can't really take him out on trails or just do fast work since he's a lesson horse, but I'll try to keep him going as fast I can. :D

Haha, baby oil? Really... hmm...

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:iconarabianberry:
~arabianberry Jun 29, 2009, 1:50:33 PM
Thanks Nia. :D

--
A boy can love a million girls, but it takes a man to love one girl a million ways.

Enter my emotions contest!
:iconhorsenia:
*horsenia Jun 29, 2009, 1:51:37 PM
no problem.

--

tell me when you hear my heart stop,
you’re the only who knows
tell me when you hear my silence
there’s a possibility
i wouldn’t know

-lykke li
:icontriple-bar:
~triple-bar Jun 29, 2009, 1:53:33 PM
Yeah, some horses are just like that XD Try using your crop more! Don't be afraid to give him more than a little tap if he doesn't respond, it might really help the speed issue. Remind your teacher about the flying lead changes, she might have forgotten about it and she might start on it again ;P lol!
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