Horsey money saving hints? (merged)

orlao

Hi all

Your opinions please.

My haffy has being having minor problems with his back recently due to his back muscles being a bit weak which results in tightness around his withers and sacro.I've always known that his back isn't 100% possibly due to a driving accident many years ago but until he had a period off work a couple of months ago this has been easily managed with regular work and visits from the back lady. His saddle fits and isn't causing the problem BTW.

I'm looking at getting him a sheepskin numnah/saddle pad to try and help but since they are very expensive I was wondering had any one else had any experience with these?

The potential problem this year is that I'm not going to be able to ride at all during the week as my numpty yard owners have decided that this is the perfect time to carry out the repairs in the school so even lunging is out of the question:mad: and since I don't get to the yard until 6pm riding out isn't safe!So now his work is confined to the weekend.......one friend of mine will ride him on a Monday but the few people I would be happy to let hack him out are in the same position as me, not enough time or daylight.

ThePetPsychic

I may have spare stable and grazing (Central Scotland) for one gelding. Cheap, in return for help with 3 horses. Outdoor menage. Private yard.

(Baby oil and wet wipes are brilliant for horses. Ebay is great for rugs etc.
Power hose rugs and by rug proof - DIY.)

Tae_Lia_2

orlao wrote: »

Hi all

Your opinions please.

My haffy has being having minor problems with his back recently due to his back muscles being a bit weak which results in tightness around his withers and sacro.I've always known that his back isn't 100% possibly due to a driving accident many years ago but until he had a period off work a couple of months ago this has been easily managed with regular work and visits from the back lady. His saddle fits and isn't causing the problem BTW.

I'm looking at getting him a sheepskin numnah/saddle pad to try and help but since they are very expensive I was wondering had any one else had any experience with these?

The potential problem this year is that I'm not going to be able to ride at all during the week as my numpty yard owners have decided that this is the perfect time to carry out the repairs in the school so even lunging is out of the question:mad: and since I don't get to the yard until 6pm riding out isn't safe!So now his work is confined to the weekend.......one friend of mine will ride him on a Monday but the few people I would be happy to let hack him out are in the same position as me, not enough time or daylight.

Well the first thing I would have suggested is infact lunging, starting on a very low loose rein then once warmed up then making him work in a way so that he stretches his back and works with his feet well under him, ofcourse start this very slowly gradually building him up and it might strengthen his back and help the muscles there not forgetting that lunging is pretty hard work for a horse and needs to be kept in short sessions.
Also after riding him, when you remove the saddle give him a rub in that area to get the blood flowing again. All of these are sadly not helpful to you being that you cant ride, maybe some minor inhand work leading him and gentle massage. Also check your turnout rugs are not putting too much pressure on his withers (if he is rugged that is). You say this has started recently, is there anything you been doing riding-wise etc that might have started his back off?

Dont know if any of this helps

orlao

Thanks Tae Lia

He lost some fitness (and put on loads of weight!) when he had about a month off in August due to a leg problem which caused his back muscles to drop. He's not a young man at 18 but not ancient either. Luckily the weight is back under control now too.

Both his previous owner and I put his back problems down to an accident he had in harness at about 4 years old, and as a driving pony he's bound to have had a trap run up his backside on more than one occasion. He also has white hair from ill fitting saddles/harness at some point in his life so his back has taken a hammering throughout his career,poor sod.

It's usually easy to manage his fitness with lunging or riding 4/5 times a week but that isn't going to happen again this side of Christmas. I could just lunge instead of hack if his back plays up but both he and I would miss our jaunts out.....the school is a bit boring by comparison:D

Notsosharp

Hello,

Okay so I will admit that I know absolutely nothing about horses although I have been horse mad since I was tiny I have never been for riding lessons and the closest I ever get to a horse is the one at the local park who is very grumpy and bites.....

I just saw this amazing thing on you tube where this guy was getting horses to do the Haute Ecole (I think thats what they are called) movements without a bridle. I am not saying bits/bridles are a bad thing because I know nothing about riding horses but I was just wondering what other people thought of them....you don't get very helpful replies on there.....

I was just amazed he could get horses to do this without any tack so to speak, its a beautiful thing to see.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef0OCcvdlHY&feature=related

its called
Nevzorov Haute Ecole Principles


Does anyone think his methods are any good?

lostinrates

Notsosharp wrote: »

Hello,

Okay so I will admit that I know absolutely nothing about horses although I have been horse mad since I was tiny I have never been for riding lessons and the closest I ever get to a horse is the one at the local park who is very grumpy and bites.....

I just saw this amazing thing on you tube where this guy was getting horses to do the Haute Ecole (I think thats what they are called) movements without a bridle. I am not saying bits/bridles are a bad thing because I know nothing about riding horses but I was just wondering what other people thought of them....you don't get very helpful replies on there.....

I was just amazed he could get horses to do this without any tack so to speak, its a beautiful thing to see.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef0OCcvdlHY&feature=related

its called
Nevzorov Haute Ecole Principles


Does anyone think his methods are any good?

He has a mixed reputation. I've never seen him or met anyone with first hand experience, but I have to say some of the stuff he shows on Youtube is not to my taste, at all. Riding without tack is not so very impossible. I used to do it as a party trick as a kid

With reference to sharing comments further back in this thread we've been toying with buying another horse if we move soon. We have one old crock and only one in work horse. I'm dropping competing ambition as a moneysaving exercise but DH and I would like to be able to hack out together instead of on of us on foot . Now the problem is, DH won't get much time to ride through the week, and there are times I really won't want to ride twice. I'd be happy to let someone who wants some more hands on experience ride mine through weekdays, and maybe some weekends. For those looking to share or ride other people's horses, is weekday only restriction too harsh? We'd rather not receive a financial contribution (concern over risk of dispute) but would want someone to insure themselves and sign a disclaimer (although I'd be sure not to want someone unsuitable ride a horse of mine I'd want to make sure I wasn't sent solicitor's letters if something did go wrong). But neither would I want the person to feel awkward...what would most people looking to share rather, pay a contribution? Help with some mucking out?

purplelotus

I think it almost goes without saying that to share a horse you'd be sharing the other horsey tasks that go with it, such as mucking out on those days. Might as well ask for small contribution even if you don't need it now, to treat the horses or put aside as a "just in case"/ use to buy the next rug etc. What I pay as a sharer goes directly on his shoes, I can't think of any way I could dispute that at all.

You could advertise specifically as "horse to share on weekdays subject to agreeing to disclaimer" and any replies can then hardly argue it's too harsh.

trudij

If I was a sharer, Id expect to do just that - share. the work, the riding and the care ! Even if it was just a case of sharing tings out as them doing mornings and me evenings or me doing the horse the days I do it (and agreeing which days its "mine") or agreeing to pay half feed and shoes...

one thing you will have to consider for sharing though is tack - its not practical to only have one set in most cases, but you should get a proper contract made up too - then everyone knows where they stand.

breezerockz

Hi All
Orlao,, i have a nuumed sheepskin numnah, its great, my horse is a sensitive big brute, so i bought one of these, seems to soak up sweat, warm, washes well, one caution though, get a brush for it, i found that without brushing it my horse had rubs, once started brushing it, no problems at all. hth

lostinrates

trudij wrote: »

If I was a sharer, Id expect to do just that - share. the work, the riding and the care ! Even if it was just a case of sharing tings out as them doing mornings and me evenings or me doing the horse the days I do it (and agreeing which days its "mine") or agreeing to pay half feed and shoes...

one thing you will have to consider for sharing though is tack - its not practical to only have one set in most cases, but you should get a proper contract made up too - then everyone knows where they stand.

Well, the tack will fit the horse and probably DH's bottom. I put a lot of care into gtting the tack right for the horse, he has a treeless for our horse that could be made workable for most people and the horse is very comfortable in it.

I think for us the issue might be that while I'm happy for somone to have a regular use of on of our horses I think I'm offering a mutually convenient arrangment other than a share. Whil I'm happy to consider things someone might suggest for a horse's benefit, for example, I don't want to be comprimised over, say, feeding issues, or tack choice that I'm not 100% happy about. I think this is where my DH is coming from in not wanting a sharer. Maybe we'r not cut out for it:o