Honey the ASB update and progress thread!

[Alterration]

@AdultEmmy

I’m excited to take SS lessons to learn more about how I can help Honey and what she is bred to do. But who knows-- I was pretty close minded to Dressage for a long time, and now I love it. I’m open to trying new things!

I’d like to do Dressage and some low level jumping with her. And then just have some fun. If we wanna go on a trail-cool. If there’s a hunter pace- I’m in! I just want to be able to try new things and have fun with her. No major show goals. Just some local things.

Saddlebreds can do anything! We (the collective) recommend the saddle seat lessons just so that you can get a handle on how they are taught from the get-go, not necessarily so that you can change disciplines, although you might find it fun!

My “main” saddlebred is 10. He has, in the time that I’ve had him learned to:

• Do dressage
• Drive
• Done obstacles and Working Equitation courses
• Pulled a log and been roped off of
• Jumped small courses
• Trail riding
• saddle seat (show pleasure)

I’ve got so many saddles for him because we have done it all. Literally, he has an entire wardrobe of saddles. Every time I throw something at him I feel like he shrugs, says “this is weird” and tries it out. And he knows how to move differently and behave differently every time too. He’ll jog when he has his western saddle on, and step it right up in the lines or in his hunt or saddle seat saddle. They really are that smart.

[Ghazzu]

Chuck Grant “The Father of American Dressage” trained and rode a number of American Saddlebreds.

[Paint_Party]

@findeight

The new rider is night and day compared with the other. Look at her posture standing in front of Honey. Cool and calm, relaxed, no stress. Look at Honey’s posture, alert but relaxed.

Late to the conversation (as usual), but wanted to agree with this. What a difference a rider makes, eh? This young woman exudes confidence combined with a sense of calm. She’s gentle yet her requests of Honey are very clear. Her position and posting are light on Honey’s back, and she maintains a soft feel on the reins. So two “hoofs up” for this rider helping out as needed!

I think it was also good for you to see your friend do such a nice job on your horse. It’ll give you confidence, knowing that Honey can learn and is a willing partner in the making.

[AdultEmmy]

I love this! And I’m certainly going into these lessons excited and knowing you’re all just encouraging me to better understand the breed, not to necessarily change disciplines. But I’m looking forward to this—trying new things is fun and I hope it opens my eyes to all that saddlebreds can do (and what I can maybe expect )

[AdultEmmy]

Absolutely, I love learning from her. She’s so chill and always tells me that I’m overthinking things. She even said yesterday “the best thing you can give a horse is peace and quiet. So you have to be peaceful”

I’m about to head to the barn now. I’m excited to let her know everyone here is much happier with her at the reins than the last rider

Feeling very lucky for this community and the constant support I feel within the horse world, both from awesome friends and this group of awesome virtual friends.

[AdultEmmy]

Honey and I had a lovely grooming session and completed our homework tonight with success! We even ended by lining up at the mounting block and she just got scratches all over. Then I called it a day and let her graze. We only did groundwork for 20 min or so? It was real short, but positive, and she left the ring as a good girl.

We are at 5 weeks together. Here’s some pics! Look at the belly!

[findeight]

Those ears tell it all, what do you want me to do? How can I please you?.

If I may, can I give you some homework for tomorrow night? Come back here with the 3 top things you learned. Can be good, bad or indifferent. Be something you experienced or something you saw. Something you agree with or something you don’t. Likely be more then 3.

This is a great time to start learning by observation. Watch, watch, watch, watch and watch some more. Its free. Ask questions from knowledgeable sources but first try to figure out the answers on your own. More you do it, the more sense it will make and the better you will be at.it. Even if you are not particularly interested in what you are observing, watch and learn to read horses.

One thing about us, as the collective mind, ahhh…we don’t usually agree en masse and don’t necessarily always agree with each other, to the point of some spectacular train wrecks. But we learn from each other even if we don’t agree or learn what not to do. Still expands your bubble and the bigger that gets, the better horseman you will be.

[AdultEmmy]

Thank you, that’s a fantastic assignment

[ASBJumper]

Did somebody say Saddlebred…???

How did i miss this thread? lol

Congratulations to the OP on acquiring this lovely mare, i am always happy to hear about new “converts”!

Please consider joining my FB group “American Saddlebred and Half-Saddlebred Sport Horses”. I have been a devoted fan and advocate of the breed for almost 25 years, have owned a bunch of purebreds and have bred and raised a number of saddlebred x warmblood crosses as well. I start my youngsters myself so i’m very familiar with the challenges and positives of working with the breed.

You’ve gotten phenomenal support and advice on here already, i will simply echo the few posters who recommended laying off of riding this mare for a bit. She has no topline muscle so even though she may be willing to let you sit on her and do her best to carry you, the fact is, she does not have the muscling or strength/balance to do so - and the effects of riding her (even lightly) despite this will not show up until later, and will be cumulative.

Lots of lunging in loose side reins, over poles/cavaletti if you can, good high-protein feed and patience - it will pay off ten-fold in the long run.

This is my purebred Saddlebred mare -

[findeight]

Wow…instant new support group for OP.

[AdultEmmy]

Hi! Wow your horse is lovely, and I love the pink! I’ll be sure to join those groups on Facebook, thank you!

[AdultEmmy]

The saddle fitter was awesome tonight and she was able to get the saddle to be much more level after some adjustments were made. We will reassess in a few months.

It is by no means perfect, but it should not hurt her anywhere and it will work for now while I try to get a topline on Honey.

And she stood like an angel and just wanted pets and snuggles. What a sweetie.

[AdultEmmy]

Hey all! I’ve nicknamed Honey “Honey Bonk-Bonk” lol because she is constantly cutting her face. We have her in the full fly mask outside, but is this just something I’ve gotta live with, or do you have any ideas on how I could protect that sweet face?

She was healing well and just opened like 3 new cuts in the last week . I know horses get into things and cuts are inevitable, she just looks like she’s lived in a war zone and I’d love ideas if there’s anything I can do to help her. But also—if this is her vice and I gotta deal with it that’s fine. Just figured it’s worth asking. Do I maybe just keep the fly mask on at all times?

[Alterration]

Is she scratching and rubbing or do you think they are actual injuries like she’s stabbing herself somehow?

(That sounds funny now that I’ve written it, but my answer depends on what she’s doing!)

[FjordBCRF]

Is she itchy? I noticed a couple scratches on my gelding this time last summer right before he got some seriously puffy eyes. I imagine he was itchy before he had the allergic reaction. Zyrtec cleared it up for us quick and he’s on it now Spring through fall.

[AdultEmmy]

I think she’s scratching/rubbing. She’s always itching her face. Maybe I need to look into antihistamines?

[AdultEmmy]

Human Zyrtec?

She is always itchy. I don’t think she cares what the surface is that she rubs her face on, and I think that’s how she’s getting cuts.

[FjordBCRF]

Yep!

[Alterration]

Yep! So the grass pollen around here has been REALLY bad. I’ve got a gelding doing that and leaving scratches on his face. Freaks me out. We also had one horse whose eyelids swelled so bad they almost looked inside out. Gross! Antihistamines are your friend!

[AdultEmmy]

Thank you both! I just texted my vet but it seems like the consensus on another thread is to start at about 12/day?