DefinitelyDressage.com

kande50

Sorry to read this, Deanna. It just sucks when things are going well and then all of a sudden the crap hits.

kande50

Got on the horse - instant forward trot. Ditto with lungeing after a couple of "oh yes you will!" moments. Gotta give the gal credit though - SHE was the one who acknowledged to her relative, "this horse has my number." She's making good progress now and after a couple of weeks,...

kande50

I use "reactive" to describe anxiety/fear reactions more than reactions to the aids. A reactive horse is one who comes around the corner and sees something and does a 180 and takes off. Ideally, such a horse would also be sensitive, so when the rider redirects him he would respond to the a...

kande50

[quote="blob"] A bosal will ALWAYS teach the horse to stay behind its pressure.

Those who use bosals tend to teach the horse to stay "weight of reins" light on them, but horses can be just as easily be allowed/taught to take a contact with the bosal.

kande50

3) ride on loose reins, and hope that the horse decides to get better more or less on its own (hint: it probably won't happen). I agree with 1 and 2, but think that horses can learn how to balance pretty well on their own, on a loose rein, just from being ridden. In fact, I did it with my mule just...

kande50

I think you need to learn the proper way to longe in SR and then see if you might change your mind. I learned the "proper" way to lunge in side reins decades ago, but then started paying more attention to what I think horses need rather than what I was told they need. And of course, what ...

kande50

Also riding with a looser rein doesn't mean you can't touch them. But it's just not having that constant pressure. You make your rein aid and when it's answered, you stop making that pressure. I don't normally ride with a loopy rein, but I try to have them so if I squeeze my fingers that the mouth ...

kande50

musical comedy wrote: The best in the country don't show it, so why I expect myself to be able to do it.

I think if that kind of riding was rewarded in comps it wouldn't be long before all the best riders would be riding with droopy reins.

kande50

I wouldn’t expect any dressage rider to go around for a whole test with droopy reins, either. I wouldn’t even want to imagine an extended trot with droopy reins. That's how Racinet rode, which was very similar to how western bridle horses are ridden. He, and his students could demonstrate extended ...

kande50

Remember a connected horse isn't the same as collected. Collected is more a physical thing- ie the horse has a % of weight behind, or not. A horse can be connected on the bit and not collected ie training level I think it's perfectly possible for a connected horse to go from uncollected to collecte...

kande50

Believe me, I'm not just saying this when I say I want out. It just not that easy to do....selling the farm. That's the big problem. The horses can always be boarded, but finding a buyer sometimes takes a long time, and in the meantime the farm has to be maintained in a saleable condition. Unless i...

kande50

And here we are in New England getting (IMO) the best weather we've had in years. Course I can never tell if that's just my perception because I'm so happy it's not hot, or it really has been a great spring and summer so far? That, and I just got a new round baler for my birthday and I'm looking for...

kande50

This is a 2007 data though: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865852/ Thanks for the link. I read through the summaries and they were interesting, and now I know where it is so I can come back to it. I'm also planning to discuss it further with my doctor, but wanted to get some idea of ...

kande50

At this point I just want to have a pleasant ride doing basic things. Yet, I would quit before I would become a trail rider because I would always be obsessed with straightness, IFL, etc. Ignorance is really bliss for so many. I've been working on my obssession with straightness and it's been payin...

kande50

I also agree that it's about calories, although the kinds of food one chooses may make it easier for some to manage intake? Something I've been trying to find out more about though, is that my GP told me I needed to gain some weight because there's a correlation between low body weight and reduced l...

kande50

But how do you know what she is telling you is accurate? Maybe her version of what looks good or bad is not what another person sees. Also, there are certain conformations that are what they are and not a product of poor riding or poor care. I think any information that encourages one to pay attent...

kande50

I don't have any desire to shoe my horses. In this case she needed a custom clip and bar shoe forged. I should probably just buy a forge and learn to do that too, just for fun, right? Well, it is interesting, but if you don't want your horses shod then you're right, it would be a waste of time to l...

kande50

It's harder to control with a shoe on, but they trim them this way instead of backing the toes up. If you can nail shoes on, or if you can find a farrier who will nail them on the way you'd like it to be done, then try it. Back the toes up as much as possible and then set the shoe back as much as p...

kande50

Someone showed me this book: https://www.amazon.com.au/HORSES-VOICE-KIND-HORSEMANSHIP-BECOME-ebook/dp/B07L8K3ZK1/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+horses+voice&qid=1559611551&s=digital-text&sr=1-1 It's very good! Although now I look at my photos and cringe!! The worst part is the regret over not ...

kande50

Actually, I need to think about this some more. I should have some better goals. No lofty goals, just doable goals. Video may help with that, as you may be able to get suggestions for what kinds of goals would make sense at this point? You may get conflicting suggestions, but you can always discuss...

kande50

The vet agreed with me that the long toes that have developed while she's been shod (WHY do farriers do this??!!) Farriers don't do it, the hoof does it. I think it's probably a response to peripheral loading, coupled with a continuously weakening hoof--which means that the longer they're shod the ...

kande50

This used to be different. Right now I will happily work him at the walk for 30 min because he actually feels quite good at it. I hope (actually, I'm confident) that we will get to the same point in all three gaits sooner or later. I think this may be another of those "less is more/make haste ...

kande50

That said, when it comes to riding dressage, my knowledge and ability surpasses hers a lot. That's the part she doesn't realize and there is no point in arguing with her. But yeah, my few so-called friends are not really friends and I know that. Friends do not grow on trees. Consider yourself lucky...

kande50

I have become a much more patient and even-tempered person, with horses and people, (especially those who make an effort,) since I started to take dressage seriously. I've become more patient and even tempered since the damned hormones went away. I miss the drive, but it's been worth losing that to...

kande50

I think the ones that don’t appreciate the “small number of good steps, and build on them”, end up with tense horses that lack a freely forward, harmonious way of going... I think it's easy to miss a lot of this at first, because we get focused on the fancy "gee whiz" stuff and want to ge...

kande50

I just recently started trail riding in my dressage tack vs. western tack and Rocky was a little weirded out by the tack (and frame) change! If it was me I'd just have to try to figure out which was responsible. :-) Although I do have a lot of trouble drawing conclusions about spooky vs not so spoo...

kande50

Different friend, Different comment. Today she wrote this to me in an email. "he's pretty rideable, I"d say for just about any rider. I swear I'm very sure even you could ride him, he's very simple, as long as you ignore his size. " Even I could ride him. :lol: Well guess what, I don...

kande50

Haha, me too, MC. My main man is out to pasture now, which means I either have to close gates and let him follow me to the indoor, or halter and lead him to the indoor, or lug all the stuff out to where he is to tack up, or ride one of the others--none of which is a big deal, but neither are any of ...

kande50

Probably a large majority of show people that are competitive. I'd like to think I was never one of them, but I used to be less considerate of the horse that I am now. Same here, but that was because I didn't know enough back then so was much more willing to listen to those who I thought did. Troub...

kande50

I thought "the horse doesn't care if it trots around an arena like that" and then I knew maybe I'm doomed not to ever do that well in competition! Same here, and really, who would even want to do "well" if it meant that they needed to be harsh with their horse to accomplish it? ...

kande50

duplicate

kande50

My days of reading dressage books are over. Interesting MC, because I'm getting rid of my dressage books too, because I'm quite sure I'm never going to read them again. I loved reading them for a long time, but now feel like I just need to take the information I already have and get out there and i...

kande50

I did a competition with Norsey, and while he was pretty good I always come away from comps being a bit unsure about how I'm riding my horses and trying to figure out how I've got it all wrong. I think it does relate to my riding being a bit aimless and not riding with enough intensity perhaps. Or ...

kande50

I have a mower for the back of the tractor, but that means unhooking the drag and finding someone to do it. Again, my incompetence is a problem. In spite of these problems, I cannot entertain the thought of leaving this place. It is worth a good bit of money and I could buy a luxury condo somewhere...

kande50

I do wonder why if it's not administered by a vet it's not considered vaccinated. What if you kept the bottle and the lot number to be used as verification, if that would help? I asked about that too, and my vet thought it was because those who make the rules (vets?) are afraid the vaccine might no...

kande50

Chisamba wrote:I assumed you quoted me to try and force to to read your comment

Well you assumed wrong, because I didn't mean to quote anyone. That part was probably just off this little tiny screen when I deleted the rest of it, because I'd never intentionally set you off. I apologize for quoting you.

kande50

Can't remember where I read this, but it went something like, "if you don't like it, kill it; if it inconveniences you, kill it; if you think there's any chance it might inconvenience you sometime in the future, kill it. Don't be a bleeding heart." It was kind of tongue-in-cheek, but sadly...

kande50

I just discussed this with a MA licensed vet, and the state guidelines are that if an equine hasn't been vaccinated by a vet in the last 3 years then he's considered unvaccinated and has to be quarantined at the vet's, or at some quarantine facility at the owner's expense. Can't remember how long he...

kande50

Exactly the reason so many forego insurance, because then the insurance company gets a say in any decisions that involve a claim. So after I've spent countless hours bonding with my horse then they get to decide how he'll be treated based upon which option is most beneficial to them? I don't think so.

kande50

If anyone has any advice on rat traps that work pass them on. What works the best is to remove their food sources and nesting sites, but failing that the electronic traps work on some, the snap traps will work on some, and the live traps will work on others . The more food sources that can be remov...

kande50

It's not as if dogs, cats or snakes provide fearless death. Let each person decide. No one in enjoying the process So because nature can be cruel we shouldn't worry about being cruel to animals, either? I was also wondering what kind of snake swallows mice alive, but I guess that was some kind of a...

kande50

Our worst problem with mice is that they get into our vehicles. DH had a Miata mouse magnet. Besides chewing up his wiring, seat cushions, cabin filters, the absolute worst incident was when one died in his car and we couldn't find the body - only smell it. . . for a very long time. Feral cats have...

kande50

musical comedy wrote:
Edit 10:00am Nothing behind the fridge. Not even any droppings.

There's not much you can do to keep them in the nest, although if you can find the nest you can euthanize them as they're likely still dependent on the mother and will die from dehydration without her.

kande50

So, how did it get there? It was not there earlier in the day or I would have seen it. This is freaking me out. I know mice have multiple babies so where are the others. Ick. If the babies are old enough when the mother disappears they'll crawl out of the nest looking for her/food. I once found a w...

kande50

You can put it in a plastic bag and then squeeze as much air out as you can and let them go to sleep. As long as they're breathing the oxygen will be used up, and as the carbon dioxide builds up they'll go to sleep and then never wake up. Just be sure to leave them in the plastic bag overnight befor...

kande50

Just had another thought: what about live traps? You'd have to drive them somewhere far enough away to release them, but you wouldn't have to deal with dead ones. Although my experience has been that neither the electronic nor live traps are as effective as the snap traps, but maybe you'll get lucky...

kande50

This thing or things seems to know when I am out. I go in and out of the kitchen a lot and haven't seen it. Yet, if I'm gone for any length of time and go in, there are the droppings. Would you believe I just found droppings in my sink! This is a deep sink. Now tell me how they can climb out of a s...

kande50

I don't like killing things, but just how many birds and owls are eating toxic mice? Who knows how many, but I just got on facebook and this is one of the first posts I read: A Place Called Hope April 14 at 4:22 PM · Between the lead cases we have gotten in, and now the influx in Rodenticide Second...

kande50

I've also gone around and stuffed steel wool into all the cracks and entry points (usually around the pipes), although they can get through a hole the size of a dime so it is hard to find all the cracks.

kande50

If husband were alive, he'd put down traps, and then dispose of the dead body. No way can I handle that. I can't explain it how that would bother me to do. During Fall, we would often trap as many as 20 in the basement, and then no more would come. We got over 300 one fall, but thankfully haven't h...

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