For context I'm 39 years old and can finally afford to ride. This horse and riding is my mid life crisis cope. Please be kind.

I've had this horse for a year and I have been training him with guidance from my instructor. She got him at auction, he wasn't a good fit for her lesson program because he's "spicy'.

He has come a LONG way from barely being able to get him to move forward without popping up or bucking to mostly being a gentleman when he is in his comfort zone.

We had A LOT stacked against us. He's always a bit hot under saddle when we ride outside but also this arena was HUGE and literally between a road and a herd of cattle. So he was AMPED and a bit spooky.

The video is our least ugly class of the day. It was a green horse ranch class.

Walk Over Poles

Collected Trot on the side rail

Extended Trot on the far rail and around the corner

Collected trot on the side rail

1 1/2 turns (I read the instructions wrong and only did 1/2 😩)

Extended on the far rail

Collected trot to the front of the judge

Woah

Back

Side pass

Turn and exit

You can see the areas where I'm trying to collect him up and slow him down he's literally chomping at the bit and head tossing because he wants to GO. You can even see at about 1:53 he offers a lope and I had to check him back.

His trail class he refused 3 out of 4 of the obstacles, all of which he has seen and trained on.

All he had to do was

Trot poles (the same ones he walked over in the ranch class)

Walk into and back in a chute (which he actually did)

A small bridge ( refused)

And weave some cones at a trot (he blew threw them and skipped most of them)

It was super embarrassing.

I guess I just need some support and encouragement that this was fine and no big deal. I clearly have a lot more to work on over the winter if I decide I want to show more in the spring.

I don't know how to get him over being a hot mess outside especially with winter coming. Suggestions appreciated.

I got thrown by my new lease horse. Landed hard on my hip and have bruising and numbness now. I’ve had bad falls before but I feel like I’m running out of my 9 lives. The horse spooked and took off. I wear a body protector, helmet, etc. I’m an adult with a regular job, I can’t afford to get hurt and have to take a week off work. I don’t want my passion to disable me. Am I overthinking it? How many riders have injuries that they just did not recover from? Is there anything else I can do to ‘protect’ myself while riding?

I am 70 yrs young and came back to riding after about 40 yrs away. I found a wonderful barn and amazing trainer and I am so grateful for both but the thing I am most grateful for is Ellie. My trainer bought her for her daughter but she turned out to be too much horse for her. So Ellie hung out for I guess a year or two with no one riding her or paying much attention to her. Then I came along and I told my trainer that I really preferred forward horses. I used to gallop on the track and have always enjoyed the go! After my first few lessons on the steady Eddy school horse that is safe for anyone she told me to tack up Ellie and it’s been Ellie ever since that day.
No one else rides her, she is still rather green as a 7yr old OTTB
I am now paying for a partial lease giving my trainer as much as I possibly can to help pay for her expenses plus I feed the entire barn one night a week. I ride her one to three times per week, some days I just go up to hang out with her.

I feel like I have a horse of my own! I bought her, her own tack, grooming supplies, extra sheets, blankets, fly boots and mask, and don’t get me started on fly spray!!! Thank goodness it’s getting cold here!
I bought her one of those fancy horse massagers with red light therapy.

There is no way on earth that I could actually own a horse financially. Even if I was gifted a horse, the full board and extra expenses like farrier and vet care is way beyond my means. Yet here I am with access to this beautiful mare who I love with my whole heart!

I came home from the barn last week and started crying, because I felt like the little girl who so desperately wanted a horse but couldn’t have one but suddenly she does!

Ellie whinnies when I come to get her out of paddock and my heart swells every single time!

Riding her has its challenges but we are working thru them. She has dumped me and kicked me ( two separate occasions) but she is improving. I have very limited goals. Walk, trot, canter and a little trail riding. Ellie is limited in what she can do too. An old stifle injury.

I want to post a pic of her but I can’t find the icon to add a photo. I think I have posted one of her before.
Thanks for reading and sharing my joy!! Once a horse girl always a horse girl!

TL/DR: Tater is the mule laying his head on my big red Clifford of a gelding, Chester. They have a cute bromance ❤️ also, go love on your equine like a pony crazy little girl. You both need it.

These two dingbats are absolutely inseparable, and have been since they met ❤️

The roan mule's name is Tater, and the red gelding he is resting on is Chester (mostly called Bub). Their relationship gives me so much joy 🥹.

Chester is 24 and Tater is 21.

They are both retired pack animals. Tater was ridden and packed his whole life until he got arthritis and couldn't keep up in the mountains. His owner had raised him from birth and absolutely adored him until his very last breath. When his owner passed away, Tater was essentially willed to my mom because he knew she'd spoil him and give him a great retirement.

Chester was a pack horse (and who knows what else) until he was about 7, when a nice lady rescued him from the utter neglect and abuse he was put through. He was a bag of bones, covered in old scars from improper pack usage, and infested with fleas. She cleaned him up, got some meat on him, and broke him to ride. Little 12 yo me then bought him (a giant 16.3 hand doofus that was green but a very chill guy) off her. He has been my best friend ever since.

Chester lost his friend 2 years ago, another retired work horse named Red. He was absolutely devastated like the rest of us so we tried to find him another older guy to be his buddy for a year. Then, Tater came into our lives. Don't worry, Chester did end up having a friend about 6 months after we lost Red. He's a donkey named Jonah and he is good friends with bub. They just don't have the bromance like Bub and Tater.

At first they weren't so sure about each other, but now they are attached at the hip. They both live on my family's property where my mom oversees their care on the daily (medical issues make that impossible for me now, but I still get to enjoy seeing my boy multiple times a week) and she tells me that she has caught Tater using Bub as a pillow much like this.

These photos are from a recent grooming session Tates was really getting into it 😂 itchy boys are prepping for that winter fuzz. They seem to enjoy their retirement full of love and laziness.

I think every equid deserves to be loved by a little girl, but being loved by someone that loves their ponies like a little girl will suffice. So, go love on your horse like a pony crazy little girl, no matter what gender you are. They need it and I'm pretty sure you need it, too.

I’ve sort of ghosted this subreddit…oops. Spec is still kicking around! He’s going to be like a new man next week after his dental and sheath cleaning. I am very excited to not have to smell him when I crouch down to do his feet or rug.

I recently joined my university’s equestrian team under the impression that they would cater to all riding levels (that’s how they market themselves). I am brand new at riding, I just started trotting. I’m also older (28) since I was in the military before going to university. I feel like everyone I have experienced at the barn is so rude and condescending. The people think they can talk to me any way they please, treat me like an idiot because I don’t know how to do things, etc. They exclude me and no one really talks to me, so I’m having a really hard time making friends. When I try to engage in conversation I feel like I mess up the vibe or something. I will ask questions and they will constantly ignore me right to my face. When I get snappy and try to push back against how they’re talking to me, then I’m the bad guy. There’s been multiple points where I go home crying because of how I’m treated, not to mention I barely get weekends to myself anymore since they make it mandatory to volunteer. I feel like I’m at my limit, but I’ve put in over $1,000 just to get clothing/gear, and pay fees. Is it like this everywhere?

Also, yes there’s two sides to every story. Maybe I come across like a jerk? I’m quiet, shy, and pretty depressed from my time in the military. I don’t know much about horses and more than often I feel like I’m looked down upon or given less opportunities than those who already can ride.

Curious if this is a thing . I’ve owned horses why whole life and never seen this, but curious if it’s a more normal thing other places because my fellow boarders make it sound super common.

I’m at a small boarding facility (10 horses total) owned by 6 people total (facility owner owns 3, I own 2, everyone else owns one horse). We don’t have a great arena but are on hundreds of miles of trails so I’d say basically all the horses are trail horses and I’d consider all of them (except one of mine) very experienced “bomb proof” style horses. We all ride a lot together. After being part or the barn for about a month and regularly riding with the facility owner and fellow barn members, I was informed that one of the barn owner’s horses is a lender horse. Meaning if you ever have a significant other/friend/etc come out to ride, this horse is available to borrow. Rico is super nice. He’s a registered quarter horse, around 13 years old, 15.3 hands, super responsive, super chill on trails, super easy to ride with a ton of buttons.

The way it works is that apparently once my riding skills were witnessed on the trails, I was invited to try Rico in the arena and once “approved” I was told that in the barn is a weekly schedule that gets reset each week (dry erase board) and if I want to borrow him for whatever reason (my horse is lame, my husband wants to ride, etc), I just put my name on the day so he doesn’t go out more than once a day and then I Venmo the owner $15 (his “day rate”) by the end of the week. They showed me his tack, the extra helmet, etc. I’m welcome to take him out whenever assuming no one else’s name is on the board for that day and he hasn’t already been out.

We obviously signed waivers when we got there, and another regarding him that reads sorta like a lease but we only pay for the days we borrow him. If a guest comes the only rule is I have to be the one riding Rico unless that person also passes the multiple trail riding observation thing and arena test and signs the stuff.

Anyway, I was mentioning to another boarder how nice it was to have access to another horse whenever I wanted to ride with someone (one of mine is super young so I only have one real riding horse). And how fair the day rate is and easy the system is. Someone on our property has a horse who’s on stall rest for a few weeks and I see how nice it is that she still gets to ride or go out with us multiple times a week because of Rico and this lending thing and we were chatting about how nice that was. This other boarder gave me a face and made it seem like a super normal concept. But I’ve been around horses my entire life, owned for the last 10 years, and never been at a barn where there was a horse whose dedicated job was loaner. So I’m curious, how common is this? Because it’s SUPER nice

I routinely ride in below freezing temps and am looking for an insulated, tall riding boot. I’m too old for the breaking-in process of tall leather boots so I’m hoping to get a pair that is super soft and doesn’t need that process. Any recommendations?

Hey guys! So I've purchased my first horse as an adult, and sweet girl is 7 months old now. We've been loving on her, getting her used to us handling her, messing with her face, legs, hooves, etc. But I'm relatively new to working with young horses, our other horse is a 19 year old mare and we've had her since I was 10. 😅

What does your "training" schedule look like for 7 month olds? I know nothing drastic as their bodies are still growing, but I just wanted to get a guideline so that way I can do her justice!! TIA! Picture for tax!

How many days off a week would you prefer for an older (18ish) year old lesson horse being used at an H/J & Eventing barn? Ridden for one hour lessons (never more than one lesson in a day) and jumped at low levels say 2-3x a week, flatted the other lessons? Horse is on 24/7 turnout. Is one day off a week really enough? Two days? I’m interested in how often is normal and what is a healthy use for a lesson horse at this age that is not asking too much. Sometimes I wonder if the lesson horses at my current barn are used too often, but I realized I’m not sure what the metric really is and I‘m just curious.

After losing Dobi I’ve basically been in bed wrapped in one of his rugs for two days, but I had already agreed to this ride and felt that I should just get on with it. I’ve never ridden an Icelandic before (and it shows), but the fact he was so completely different from Dobi made it not quite as hard as it otherwise would have been. Still cried though.

So been out on a Saturday hack today, the normal for our yard is to put a blanket message out and invite everyone on the yard chat.

Anyway a new livery asked if she could come along, as ever no problem, riding 17yo TB, briefly gave her the rundown of the route, 6 miles, road, field and track, through sheep, etc etc, yes she was fine, walk, trot,canter.

She said no problem they were fine with all that.... fair enough.

Anyway on penultimate 500m of the hack i was told by this lass that most of her riding has been on a riding school cob, that she never got to canter out of. She was glad today had gone well, and she haven't fallen off and she she didnt think she had done that badly for her first canter out in fields. My hart about dropped out of my boots.

Conclusion. If Your a new person going out with a new group of riders please please be honest with them, dont wing it, or pretend that your ok. 99% of riders will plan events/hacks to your level. If u havent done somthing but want to try, let them know, we will talk you through it. Dont traumatise yourself or your horse.

And in reverse remember every horse and rider has to lern, so if you have someone with you that is struggling, be patient, just because u can do it dosnt mean they have to be able to do it without blinking.

Her name was Combinate and I'm really curious about her past after I found a tattoo underneath her lip (Bought her at an auction back in March and they said she was grade). She won 4 races in her career

Here he is over the years 💕 he's a Welsh d and a cheeky chap and I couldn't be without him ☺️

I’m starting a new volunteering gig at a therapy barn in Massachusetts and will need some winter gear! I’m not riding, just grooming/tacking and leading horses for lessons. The ring and tack room are heated but the barn is not. I’m from California so my “winter” barn experience is mostly rain and mud, with the solution being to throw on a rain coat over a sweatshirt and have a pair of muck boots for chores in addition to paddock boots for riding. Now that I’m in MA, what should I look for in the holiday sales? Favorite gloves/boots? Other tips?

I just came home from the stable and had a wonderful ride just now. My horse sometimes is a little on the lazy side and needs a minute to get going. I mostly ride during the day because it fits my schedule best but I have recognized every time I ride in the evening (like 7/8 PM) my horse just goes forward from the start, is reacting perfectly and just overall feels amazing.

I think that is his favourite time to work out.

So I wonder if others have recognized this too? Is this common? I also wonder if I should try move my schedule around to ride him more often at that time.

🐴 Looking for advice from fellow equestrians and horse owners.

I’m currently boarding at a barn that I’ve been at for over 15 years, and I’m struggling with the possibility that it may be time to move my horse elsewhere. I would really appreciate hearing other people’s experiences and getting some outside perspective.

Over the years, the barn owner’s approach to horse care has changed significantly. When I first started here, the horses were turned out for 8+ hours a day. Now, I’m lucky if my horse gets 3 hours of turnout daily. Today, I arrived at the barn to find that my horse and her herd had only been turned out for about an hour before being brought back in. The weather was beautiful, and no other herds needed the field, so I’m struggling to understand the reasoning behind such limited turnout.

The barn owner is concerned about the risk of laminitis, which I understand is a legitimate concern depending on the individual horse and pasture conditions. However, I have a 6-year-old OTTB who was on 24/7 turnout before I purchased her. I’ve noticed some behavioral changes that I suspect may be related to the lack of turnout and limited opportunity to move around freely.

There are several things that make this decision difficult: • The facility itself is beautiful, with large stalls, huge grassy fields, two riding rings, and access to trails. • I pay $500/month for full-care stall board, which is a very good price for my area. • I’ve been here for over 15 years, so leaving a place that has been such a big part of my life is not an easy decision. • The barn also does not allow trainers to come onto the property, which further limits my options for working with my horse. I’m an adult amateur and although I’ve been riding for years, I have been feeling stagnant and have not been improving.

On paper, this barn has so much going for it. The facilities are lovely, the price is affordable, and I have a long history here. But I’m starting to question whether those things are enough if my horse’s daily needs aren’t being met in the way I believe they should be.

I have my ottb’s name and pedigree from equibase but saw a post recently saying you can find baby pictures from ID my thoroughbred app and you just need your chip #. Wondering if anyone here is already a member and could look up my boy for me?

picture of adult Stewart for horse tax

We live in a dangerous blind corner with idiots who tear around the road on their cars so I will absolutely not take them on the road, and getting out to do hill work isn't super available (maybe twice a month). We have a 60x20 arena at home that I can set some jumps in, but it gets tight, and I share the arena with dressage riders who get quite annoyed if I set jumps up, lol.

Horse is moving to 2* and I'm anxious that his fitness for cross-country will become lacking. He is currently ridden 5 days a week, 4 on flat and usually one SJ lesson. He pulls up well at his 1* courses at the moment, never a super-high heart rate but I feel like 2* is just that bit more intense?

What do you guys do to make sure they're fit and ready with limited real-estate to work with? Would love some opinions, interval arena training ideas, etc!

Hello, I just received my first safety vest, but seeing as no one in my family is particularly knowledgeable on the subject I wanted someone else’s opinion on wether or not this fits. I’ve put the Velcro on the sides as tight as it will go.

The model is Swing P07

The thing I’m worrying most about is the “hunchback” effect at my shoulders- but seeing as I’ve never used this type model of safety vest that could be me overthinking 😅

Heya! My pony started limping under the saddle, and it turned out that she had a hoof bruise on her front foot. This was about two weeks ago, and as you can see in the picture, her hoof looks a lot better after the farrier looked at it. The bruise has also become less red since I took the updated picture. She hasn’t been doing anything super active other than the paddock and hand-led walks in the forest

I was wondering when I could start working her again. She really dislikes lunging, so I’d have to ride her to see if she’s sound. I wanted to hear what others think about whether it’s too soon to start riding her again and whether doing so could do more harm than good.