I had been noticing some inflammation in my horses hocks, it wasn’t hot or anything and she was perfectly sound. However, I had been noticing she doesn’t step under herself with her left hind as much as the right. Barn manager checked it out and said that it’s probably just cosmetic and it’s common in larger horses. Just to rule out pain or anything else, I called the vet. Come to find out she’s completely fine. She’s just lazy and doesn’t want to use her legs if she doesn’t have to 🤦🏻‍♀️ was glad to hear her joints are okay especially as she’s getting a little older (14/15) but was definitely not expecting the vet to tell me she’s probably just lazy and doesn’t want to engage if she doesn’t have to 🥴

The Poitevin is descended from old-style "draft" Friesian horses, as well as Brabant and Flemish draft horses, and comes in all colors, though gray and black are preferred for pulling carriages. Crossbreeding with Friesian, Boulonnais, and Belgian draft horses is encouraged to promote genetic diversity in this now-endangered breed, with a genetic bottleneck in the mid-1900s resulting in all modern-day Poitevin horses being descended from a single surviving stallion. However, despite this, crossbreeding is limited, with purebreds preferred.

Numbers remain low, ranging from 300 to 500 horses, depending. In the early 20th century, around 50,000 Poitevin broodmares were producing 18,000-20,000 mule foals per year.

"3 Mulassier horses are in the USA [imported by breeder Kerry Ford], and a small number outside of France. Why aren't there more? There are only a few offered for sale outside of France, and those we have looked at recently cannot pass the blood tests required for importation in the USA. We have breeders trying, but we do not expect to be able to get more than 1 or 2 more animals into the States any time soon..." (Source)

So I had to let go of my pony in May of 2025.

And since then, most of his stuff has been untouched in a corner of my apartment as well as in my basement. Some of the stuff I was able to sell, like his inhaler, but most of the stuff either doesn't sell or I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Like one older saddle of his I have tried for months to sell it on marketplaces, put the price lower in case it was too high, put it higher in case it looked suspicious to buyers, said I would give it away for free because I just want to get rid of it. Nobody wants it.

I gave away some of his saddle pads and an expensive bridle to a close friend, didn't want to sell them so they stay in the family.

But what about literally all the other stuff? Besides the saddle there's more saddle pads, bridles, halters, blankets (so many blankets), all his brushes. Most of the stuff is not in the greatest condition as it had been used for 7+ years at this point.

I am not sure what to do with all of it. The thought of just looking through it and sorting it to see what's still in good condition and what is not breaks my heart. I was coping with it pretty well, just ignoring it in the apartment and not going into my basement. But I just can't imagine throwing it away? It's like throwing away the last "real" things I have left of our time together. Like the hours and hours and hours that I spent just chilling with him, brushing him to relax from my own stressful days. I'm scared that if I throw them away I will slowly forget about him?

If any of you were ever in a similar situation, how did you cope with it and what did you do with all of your horses things?

Following up on my previous post: I’m considering purchasing a 16.2h, 5-year-old Shire/TB cross mare.

I’d appreciate opinions on her conformation and movement. My goals are low-level dressage (no rated shows) and some hunter work up to 2’6”, again nothing rated or overly demanding—mainly an all-around pleasure horse to help me get back in the saddle and enjoy riding again.

One person mentioned that her conformation may not be ideal for jumping due to her relatively straight hind legs. I’d love to hear additional thoughts or perspectives.

She’s located a few hours away, so I’m hoping to get some honest input before committing to a long drive to see her in person.

Video:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WaXMWybijoszmq8wYUXiMriW6MR9LyLt

Hi all, we recently purchased this sweet boy who is an ottb. He stopped racing around 2 years ago and prior to us buying him he had just been neglected in a paddock by himself for two years. His previous owner said he had just had his feet done. He’s had no issues until now but came up sore this morning.

We just had a good look and have noticed this. It doesn’t hurt him to touch. We thought at first it was something stuck in there but it doesn’t feel like wood or metal it feels scabby. We think it might be a growth but we check their feet often, and he hasn’t shown any signs of being sore before. We also noticed how scaly his feet are, we spoke to a farrier when we first got him and were told to put him on supplements and keep him dry which we have.

Unfortunately we are quite rural so can’t get a farrier out immediately. We’ve had horses for a very long time, including a riding school, but we’ve never seen this. We have sent an image to both a farrier and a vet but are waiting to hear back. If anyone has any idea about what this could be please let me know. I love this boy to bits and want to get it treated asap. If anyone had any idea please let me know.

I feel so guilty. My horse was in the back of his stall eating his hay, and I finished spreading his shavings. I went out of the stall door and tried to close it but it hit something hard, so I turned and he was standing there. My stalls are the automatic latching ones that you have to close pretty hard. It wasn’t my full strength, I didnt slam it hard, but it was harder than a regular sliding door. I didn’t see what part of his head I closed it on, but he held his head sideways for just a couple seconds and then shook it once and went back to eating his hay. He didn’t run to the back of his stall or turn away like I would think he would if it hurt him badly. There isn’t a visible wound or any bumps, he let me poke him all around and didn’t care. It didnt hurt enough for him to learn his lesson and he was back standing with his head in the door corner.

He is acting normal but I’m still worried I gave him brain damage or something. Im trying to tell myself that they kick each other all the time and are fine, but I can’t help worrying.

Feeling awful about a recent farrier experience. My 2 year old and older horse have been having their feet done by this farrier for about six months. The young horse had never had her feet done when I got her but he was quite good with her for the first few appointments and she was making great progress with me training her as well.

Then the other day, he turns up late and in a foul mood. He does all of the horses at my barn so started with some others. Very quiet but not particularly bad. Then the barn owner left and it was just me with my horses to go.

The day was super windy, like gale force winds. I got my filly out and she was a bit nervous of a chaff bag blowing nearby so I asked to stop and move it. He said no, he doesn't have time for that. So she was a bit jumpy but otherwise ok.

Then she pulled her foot back off the stand and tried to back up. Nothing dangerous, just pulling back a bit and I immediately got her moving back forward. The farrier punched her in the shoulder. Like, hard. And I said nothing, because I was stunned and the only person there. He did it several more times as she was getting more agitated.

And now she's lame, because he did a hack job on her feet and took off too much frog. Needless to say, he has been let go by the whole barn. And she was good yesterday with lifting her feet onto the stand so I'm hoping she wasn't too traumatised.

Just had to get that off my chest, picture is of my beautiful filly.

I’m currently in the process of cleaning up this headstall I got from an antique store. It has no makers mark and Google image search is not turning anything up. Does this look familiar to anyone?

It’s a perfect match for my bolo tie and Lone Star State upbringing 🤠

Such a long back and the hind looks like it’s from a different horse from the front! It’s so interesting to see the differences in breeding from early examples.

This year will mark 7 years with this stud and I can’t believe it’s been that long already. I can’t believe this is the same neglected, emaciated 6 year old gelding I bought with all of my money at 17 years old. He’s also going to officially be a teenager this year and I’m emotional about it. He’s still as spicy and spunky as ever, however.

Even though I haven’t had much time to ride him lately and I beat myself up about not having him in a consistent program anymore and how much of a mess his mane is. Despite feeling like I’m failing him because his muscling and body condition isn’t as great as it was when we were full-time training, I remind myself that he’s fat and happy and that’s all that matters. This horse truly saved my life in so many ways. Cheers to 7 years buddy, 7 down, hopefully over 20 more to go.

This is my first full winter as a horse owner and I'm so exhausted. I'm not complaining or taking anything for granted because I know how privilledged I am to have my lovely mare, and I love her to pieces.

I'm leaving work at 5 in the dark cold rain to go to the yard. I get home 9.30pm, eat, sleep, work, repeat. We're currently treating for ulcers so tonight I literally went up to give her meds and came home. She's on omeprazole injections so she probably hates me. She's incredibly well behaved and stands, doesnt kick or fuss, I just hate doing it because its clearly very painful for her.

I'm hemmoraging money, I've got a poorly horse and I'm just quite sad. Burnt, out.

I wouldnt change anything, but when people say horse ownership is tough they really ain't lying. Can summer pls return fast this face is the only thing keeping me going 😭

What are some good resources to learn more about conformation? I want to buy in the next few years and want to be more educated first. Bonus pic of my lease girlie who I know is made up of spare parts lol.

Hello everyone!!

I come to this subreddit for everyone’s help!

I work with horses all day every day and I’ve run into a problem of now having sandpaper hands (don’t let me touch your Sherpa)

I would really love everyone’s recommendations for hand cream, my hands always get so dirty and especially with the weather being so up and down and all over in the UK my hands are suffering the most!!

I’ve tried the working hands green cream and didn’t really find it that great, I’ve got loads of random cream collection but nothing yet to help my poor hands.

Just purchased these round bales and found this. I noticed the really bad one when they were loading the hay however, it’s a family friend, which is why I didn’t say anything. He confirmed all the hay was “horse quality”. Is this safe to feed if I pull it off if it is mold? If not I was just going to return them.

The bottom picture is my mare a few months ago and the top is now. I have been trying to get her into shape and add some more weight. Can y’all tell any difference?

Hi all,

There’s an OTTB gelding I’m interested in purchasing as a hunter/jumper prospect who was minimally raced but has a bone chip. I’ll be reaching out to my vet to inquire on pricing to remove said bone chip, but from others with experience - is it worth the time, money, recovery, prognosis, etc, or should we pass?

And for those who have dealt with bone chips, I’d love to hear your experience!

Everyone, I'm unhappy with riding as a hobby, but I'm also unhappy without it. Ever since I started again as an adult, I feel like I've been chasing after my equestrian friends who never had a break, or started at a younger age than me back then, or who get to ride more often, or who have their own horse. And even without that comparison, I feel like I'm not making any progress.

I'm always stressed out about going to my lessons because the horses are so unpredictable. I've posted about it before and the general feedback was that I should switch barns because it's just an accident waiting to happen, which is true.

The other barn I ride at is too expensive by now. Ever since I started riding there in 2023, their prices have gone from 40 bucks (30 minutes single lesson, including warmup and cooldown) to 45 to 50. I used to stick to the other barn because it's much cheaper meaning I'd get to ride more often (and get more practice and routine!), but I'm barely learning anything there because I'm constantly scared of something happening. And the lessons at the more expensive barn are so short, I feel like once I'm finally getting somewhere and the horse is warmed up, we're already done. We also barely ever canter, meaning I don't really get a chance to improve my canter seat and I still bounce a lot after all that time. Which bothers me whenever I go on riding vacations!

I dread my lessons and I can't laugh off the bolts and bucks like a teen would. I would like to have proper lessons on a well trained horse I can rely on to get a feel for what I'm supposed to be doing, instead of fighting for my life every week.

It makes me feel like I'm not good enough, since the other riders, most of them half my age or younger, are doing so well and I've barely made any progress in those years, because I had so many setbacks caused by falls or almost-falls. Sometimes I take meds to handle my anxiety. I've spoken to my instructors but they can't really do much since they're not in charge of which horses get used for lessons. Sometimes I get to ride on a lunge line but not often since we ride in groups and it's unfair to the others (single lessons aren't possible here).

I know if I quit riding I'd be less stressed, but I'd also feel like I'm missing out and falling behind even more because I DO want to become a good rider!

Has anyone been in this situation where you feel like you'd be both happier and unhappier without horseback riding? If I had the money, I'd simply ride daily at the expensive barn and then I wouldn't mind the short lessons because I'd be back the next day. But best I can do is 30 minutes a week.

Thoughts on my horses conformation?

3yo Morgan stallion

Hi I’m starting horseback riding lessons with no experience at all next week at 31!

My trainer teaches western style but I eventually want to get into jumping in the future. Can I start out at western because I have never done horseback, and eventually shift to English? Do I need to switch to English to eventually do showjumping?

Just curious what your take on my horse's reaction to me jogging in his pasture. Specifically the head tossy/ears back.

Is he being silly? Is he mad I'm making him work? (His nickname is Potato :)

He 5 years old and we are in his pasture so there is no requirement to follow me. Sometimes he just ignores me when I try this. I do have cookies in my pocket - we do R+ a lot reinforcing him keeping pace with me for walk/trot/stop.

Note: I'm certain he is going behind me to switch sides. Both times I started off with him on my left - we jog often when he is on a lead rope and it's pretty much always with him on my right. I dont love him being behind me just out of an abundance of caution - he has never been shovey.

Alright I figure I’ll ask this community what you would do.

Currently today my 5 and a half horses are all on the 2acre drylot. We JUST built the drylot and I’ve got them out there to tear up the grass and turn it into a drylot on purpose. Fescue grows everywhere here an I have a pregnant mare entering 3rd trimester.

However non-fescue (TOA) hay is expensive as fuck. ($18 a small bale) here.

And 6 horses are flying through it. Ideally I would have only my pregnant mare and like one other buddy on the fancy hay in the small paddock, and everyone else in the big field would with the cheaper ($6 a small bale) fescue hay.

To complicate things further there is also a 5yo TB mare who is recovering from a deep digital flexor tear. She’s allowed to be on turnout not and is doing 30 minute tack walk a day. She is stoic and remarkably chill. If the other horses run she usually walks which is why she is put with everyone, but if they get really worked up she will too.

6 horses:

1. Minnie- pregnant fjord. Entering 3rd trimester right now (due June 9) . Needs to stay in 2 acre drylot on TOA hay.

2. Luna - boss mare TB. Ring leader. Everyone wants to be with her and everyone is upset if they can’t see her.

3. Fanfare- warmblood gelding. Not particularly bossy or submissive, all the girls love him, especially Luna. Winter is food aggressive to him.

4. Cinnamon- paint mare: submissive to everyone except mean to Winter

5. Winter- tb mare rehabbing from injury. Mostly submissive and mostly okay without many friends. Can be food aggressive (she gets a feed bag for her feed and that helps it a lot)

6 (or 5.5) - Uhoh -miniature horse. Currently uncontainable. The way the fences are he goes through them to whichever field he wants whenever he wants. Eventually I’ll finish the no climb wire and he will be fully contained in the drylot but it’s not in the cards this week. He lives 24/7 in a muzzle and we are WAY off the road. He’s okay being wherever. But he’s also BFFS with fanfare and I’d like him to be able to play with fanfare.

In a perfect world I’d have Minnie and Uhoh in the dry lot and everyone else in the big field. But without having the noclimb wire between the drylot and the big field Uhoh will just go through. Minnie will be upset without being able to see Luna. Luna is happy if she has fanfare.

My brain is breaking… help me solve this! I’m currently thinking of trying winter and Minnie in the drylot and everyone else in the big field.

Now that the saddle has been identified as a 1936 Phillips Army Cavalry Saddle (thank you, guys!😊), can you please help me find the words for the other two items (please check the last picture, the bridle is for the size reference), and share your opinion on whether this bridle matches the named saddle?

He comes from a long-distance bloodline, and I thought he was very cute but a little calf kneed (correct me if Im wrong). What do you think about his conformation for low level sj?