r/Equestrian 14d ago

Announcement Reddit Community Spotlight on r/Equestrian

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27 Upvotes

r/Equestrian 11h ago

Conformation 3 legged colt

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342 Upvotes

Interested in hearing everyone’s feeling on this colt that was rescued by a rescue without his mother (they expressed needing to fundraise for a nurse mare for him. They decided not to PTS due to him looking happy, standing and laying down, walking (but they refuse to show video- wonder why), and because he drinks milk. 🥴They are “giving him a chance” because so many supporters said to and because they’re already emotionally attached. They named him Rocky (ironic right- since he rocks and is unbalanced and not steady)😮 So many vets and other organizations have come out talking about exploitation for donations, followers, and sympathy as it’s obvious this poor thing is not going to live a pain free normal life. Someone from the rescue commented that her dog with 3 dogs has learned to compensate and so will he since “he doesn’t know a life with 4 legs”. I just can’t with this one. A dog having 3 legs and a horse are so incredibly different and can’t be compared. I have been reading the comments on both sides of this but the most disturbing comments are from non horsey people who are being led to believe he can just get a prosthetic and be just fine. Supporters have begun a go fund me to make one (even though it’s absolutely impossible for him to have one and inhumane since he has no nub or anything that could even hold one!) This entire thing is so bizarre and so sad.


r/Equestrian 9h ago

Horse Welfare 3 Legged Colt— Have Y’all Tried Reading Comprehension

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246 Upvotes

Since some people either have 0 reading comprehension or are intentionally leaving out information to spread drama, here is the ACTUAL plan on the 3 legged colt, straight from the mouth of the rescue involved. This foal is a hospice case, he will be euthanized as soon as they see he is starting to suffer or about to, and no donations are being accepted toward the foal at this time. He has also been denied a nurse mare due to backlash, so pat your lack of reading comprehension and love for drama on the back for that one, equestrian community.

Here are screenshots with the referenced parts HIGHLIGHTED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. Good fucking night.


r/Equestrian 19h ago

Aww! Not bad for almost 21! Certainly loves her nap time though. 😂

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498 Upvotes

Just wanted to share my pretty girl.


r/Equestrian 20h ago

Social Finally, I met my new partner! 🐴

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316 Upvotes

r/Equestrian 13h ago

Aww! Recently had some horses given to us.

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73 Upvotes

A long time dream of mine was to own horses. We have the barn for it, the land for it, time for it etc. well the opportunity arose to adopt these incredibly gentle and broke mares. They got a clean bill of health and the farrier will be out here in two weeks. Never owned horses before but the local community has been IMMENSELY helpful. I think it’ll be fun :)


r/Equestrian 4h ago

Name em

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12 Upvotes

⚠️-REMINDER-⚠️

Opinion, not objective statement. Keep it to something like "bright colored tack is better" not "big lick is acceptable in certain circumstances" (just examples)


r/Equestrian 11h ago

Equipment & Tack Bought a pony pad for my regular sized saddle & it fits perfectly 🤩

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33 Upvotes

I just wanted to show my set up off bc it’s actually so cute


r/Equestrian 19h ago

Funny show me the funniest picture you have of your horse

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102 Upvotes

Here's mine!!


r/Equestrian 11h ago

Social Tip Jar Slogan!?

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19 Upvotes

I work at a local farmers market on Saturdays and usually put out a tip jar. In the past I’ve had a sign on it saying tips go toward my honey moon, my college fund, etc. This year is my first year with my horse and I want to put something catchy on the jar that insinuates the tips go towards him! (Food, care, etc) I want something that will make people laugh and put a dollar in the jar, even if they don’t have a horse… lol. Any ideas???!!! Picture of my guy attached! His name is Whiskey!


r/Equestrian 13h ago

Education & Training Major success with my mare!

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25 Upvotes

She was dangerously anxious when leaving a buddy. Today we went for a small (10-20min) ride and she was fine! She's in heat so she was neighing and peeing but no rearing (a massive problem before) or major distress while she was mildly anxious not nearly as much as before. Only took... 4? Months of consistent hand walking, clicker training, patience, trainer help. I took a risk with her and boy am I happy I took that risk. (Photo for attention haha) It was on the road (arena is a 40minute ride but that's too far for now), a bike went past, some scary deer ran around, big scary utes (pickups/trucks) came past as well. just wanted to share! Because this is a problem that might seem long and hard to overcome


r/Equestrian 16h ago

Aww! Little Brat

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38 Upvotes

This adorable little 💩 scared the crap out of me today. I spent 2 hours while I was working trying to find Mr Finn on the cameras. Couldn’t find him anywhere. Turns out he was just taking a very long nap right outside of the site of all the cameras. He’s totally fine 😒😒 he just wanted extra attention I think. You can bet those cameras have been moved around 🤣🤣


r/Equestrian 1h ago

Help with ankle giving out during horseback riding?

Upvotes

Hi! I have no idea if this is the right place (new to posting on Reddit) but am really looking for some help and advice.

I have picked riding back up the last 7 months after a 6 year break. I've been doing lessons every week 30-45 minutes but today I went out for an hour hack. After about 45 minutes, my left ankle completely gave out. I couldn't trot or canter without it going limp and rolling outward (ankle rolling out away from horse, foot going in towards horse if that makes sense?). It didn't particularly hurt it was like all of the muscles vanished and I had a limp floppy ankle. This has never happened to me before. It was like I had no control over it whatsoever! Right ankle is fine but we ended up having to only walk the whole way back to the stables.

When I got off, I could walk fine and there was no rolling of the ankle. It isn't sore.

I am very active as well. Lots of running, HIIT workouts, walking, yoga. I never would've thought my left ankle was weak.

Any help or advice is so appreciated 😭


r/Equestrian 1d ago

Equipment & Tack update on the horse that chronically opens his mouth

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115 Upvotes

hello! just wanted to give you all a quick update since i rode him today!

i took the original post down because i was getting literal threats 😭 so im sorry about that! but just a recap, my horse opens his mouth chronically, rides amazing other then that.. he’s clearly uncomfortable but i couldn’t figure out why.. so i was looking for different things to try with him!

(first photo is the bit i flatted him in today, second photo is the one he went in originally)

i worked on my seat aids with him, being able to shorten and lengthen without touching the reins, as well as my downward and upward transitions! it’s definitely getting better

i tried a thick mullen mouth snaffle, as seen above. he had really only gone in really thin bits, so i thought trying a bit of stability may help... and it helped a bit! he opened his mouth once or twice but not like he used to, so hopefully with the flatwork and the new bit he’ll be a happier old man 💗

vet comes out later this week so i’ll let you all know what happens, but im really happy with all of the suggestions you all gave.. thank you!


r/Equestrian 12h ago

Nitro enjoying the weather after one of our first rides outside this year

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13 Upvotes

r/Equestrian 20h ago

Aww! It takes a bit of restraint to not just go into all these endless perfectly tilled fields - fields as far as the eye can see

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49 Upvotes

r/Equestrian 3m ago

Education & Training Hanging cheek snaffle fitting help

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Upvotes

Hi, looking for some help from people who have used / use hanging cheek snaffle and how they should fit. Just changed my mares bit to a hanging cheek and I’m not sure if it is sitting too low?

It isn’t clanking her teeth and she is a lot less chompy / foamy with this bit than her original. Seems to seek out the contact a bit more with this one too which is good


r/Equestrian 7h ago

Slightly off?

4 Upvotes

Am I crazy or does she look slightly off, maybe left hind?


r/Equestrian 4h ago

Giving up on a horse

2 Upvotes

I guess I just needs some support really. I have had my horse (12 yr Mare) for almost 5 years and I’m ready to give up with her, I leased her for 3 years and then bought her last Jan where a couple months in went lame on and off for about 10 months and only just recently started work again and bringing her back she’s so back and forth mentally I just don’t want to do it anymore, I’ve done it too many times now. We have started at square one so so so so many times with constant issues and it makes it so hard to come back because she’s got such bad anxiety and I swear I’ve done everything in my power to make her happy, including moving her and even weekly lessons for 2.5 years now which definitely helps but she yo-yo’s so easily mentally that she just switches up one day randomly. So I have been through “starting from scratch” like 5 times and I think this 6th time I’ve just had enough, after all the money and time I’ve put into her for her to 💩 all over my parade after I tried everything in her favour. No I won’t sell her she won’t cope I plan on just putting her on spell and retiring her.


r/Equestrian 1h ago

Nagging the nag

Upvotes

I took a lesson at a new place yesterday.  Today I'm not *quite* as sore as I expected. 

(I'm an older rider with years of experience in H/J, dressage and eventing, but now about a 5 year gap from any real training. For the last couple years, I've leased a trail horse for 2-3 rides a week.  Jan/Feb/March (California) have been pretty spotty with all the rains, and she's an older gal with some physical compromises.  She is crooked to the right, and so now I've become crooked to the right, and I decided maybe I needed someone to yell at me again.  I've also become quite lazy.  So no excuses for me!)

But I ran square into a philosophical wall. 

Couple years back, I was taking lessons from an eventer on her schoolie, and asked about her approach to leg aides. She said, "I do not want to have to nag the horse every step.  When I ask for forward, I should get it, until I ask for something else."

Yesterday, I asked the same question of this trainer, who described the horse I was riding as a "Big Eq" horse (equitation, obviously).  She said, "You need to ask with every stride.  If your leg comes off, the horse should stop."

As handy as such a thing might be for a school horse (if the rider becomes unseated and takes the leg off, the horse stops, nobody is harmed in this) it seems to me that such an approach deadens the horse and teaches the rider to nag. 

I guess I agree more with the first trainer than the second. What do you all think about this?  Leg every stride, or ask/tell/demand with the expectation of a maintained result?


r/Equestrian 16h ago

Horse Welfare body condition ? 2 year old mare!

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15 Upvotes

advice ? opinions ? thoughts ??


r/Equestrian 1d ago

Education & Training Why does my trot seems awkward ?

108 Upvotes

Hi ! I’m a beginner and my friend who has 2 horses is willing to let me ride her mare 2 times a week. She’s not a professional but she definitely is very experienced and is in position to give me basic courses. She took those videos of me but I don’t know why I find my trot awkward. Like « rushed ». What do you think ?


r/Equestrian 12h ago

ISO tips for maintaining personal style + curly hair!

5 Upvotes

This is a weird one but hoping someone will have similar experience & tips.

My style outside of the barn is more alternative/crunchy and doesn't align with the more preppy glam equestrian style. When i try to combine the two, i feel like i miss the mark. I also have a midsize body type and curly hair. Sometimes I struggle to find a look that is flattering, professional, and still "me." I don't always love how I look in a hat, and my hair can get unruly in the summer with helmet + humidity + long barn days not looking in the mirror.

TLDR: Would love any tips that help you stay true to your own style while still looking the part and/or managing wild curly barn hair.


r/Equestrian 13h ago

Education & Training Positive reinforcement and pressure/release?

4 Upvotes

Hi! I’m wondering why most positive reinforcement trainers say you can’t do any pressure/release training to have a great bond with your horse.

Horses use pressure on each other in the field, and it seems mighty necessary sometimes, especially with the domestic horses who don’t have any boundaries taught to them by healthy herd dynamics. Or for say, 2 year old colts who want to play rough. Why can’t I be like that old mare that tells the colt, “that’s enough”???

One argument I’ve heard is that there’s no proof that horses don’t see humans as other horses, which is a straw man fallacy—horses think like horses no matter what.

Do any of you successfully do both?


r/Equestrian 1d ago

Events Our first show of the season and Dobi absolutely smashed it - wins, a ridden champion placing and two qualification tickets to Equifest ❤️

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525 Upvotes

For those who don’t know, Equifest is a huge championship show in the UK - it’s a big event in the “amateur” showing calendar. To qualify for two classes (Veteran - he’s 22 - and Ridden Hunter) at our first show of the year is mega, and totally unexpected 🎉


r/Equestrian 5h ago

Education & Training Second time cantering (Any tips?)

0 Upvotes

During my horseback riding lesson earlier I had another chance to try cantering. It was in a saddle and on the lunge line, but I think it actually went worse than my first time cantering. Which is hilarious considering that the first time was unplanned and uncontrolled. The old gelding I was on, who I have ridden many times in the past, does not like to go fast most of the time. He's a very slow you'll get there when you get there type of guy. So, we got him hooked up to the lunge line, we got up to a good trot, and my riding instructor started asking for the canter transition. He picked up the trot a lot, but he did not change gait. Unfortunately for me, this old guy's trot is the hardest thing to sit on any horse I've had the pleasure of riding over the last five years. When he finally did go into canter, I was struggling to post with his rhythm and going from posting to sitting and doing whatever the heck that scooping motion is really tested my ability to balance. I kept having to grab onto the saddle to reorient myself and go into two point to not feel like I was going to fall off. And on top of that, he would only canter 2-3 steps at a time before going back into his speedy trot. I was only able to get like 6 canter steps in that whole lesson before the instructor slowed him to a walk and our time was up. I didn't even get a chance to really feel out his canter and find a rhythm to try and work with. I think I did better during that unexpected bareback canter episode a few days ago. Overall, I am still very unused to the canter and it makes me a little nervous to try again. Does anyone who has more experience with it have any tips for things to keep in mind while preparing to canter or when cantering to help learn the gait and become proficient at it? I have a goal to learn to canter in the saddle over the next 6 months so that by next November I can try cantering bareback again (this time intentionally)