Please help

[ex-racer_owner]

First, if you want to help yourself, please begin communicating in proper English. Using proper English will help enable you to get a decent job, and begin down the path of self-sufficiency. Most employers consider having excellent communication skills to be a standard job requirement. This would include both written and spoken communications. We are expected to be able to craft written documents void of “text speak” and emoticons, and they should include proper punctuation and paragraphs.

I applaud the fact that you want to learn more with regard to horses and horsekeeping. As many others here have already stated, you will need to find a way to earn your own money.

I, admittedly, was very fortunate that my parents allowed me to take a lesson a week for about 6 years. In order for me to get more barn time, I began working at the barn when I was about 10 (yes, it certainly qualified as child labor) doing stalls, sweeping aisles, dumping and filling buckets, feeding, cleaning tack, doing pony rides and guiding the trail rides that we offered to the public. Right before I turned 14, I was allowed by my parents to purchase a horse with the money that I had earned, with the stipulation that I had to pay for all horse expenses- board, vet, shoeing, and shows. I had 2 paper routes to earn that money, and then when I turned 16, and legally allowed to work, I took a job in a grocery store to pay my own way. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way.

Now back to the OP, I am confused as I thought that you said that your father trimmed your horses’ hooves, but then you later said that he was not a horseman…so how do their hooves get trimmed? Do you have a trimmer/farrier come out, or does your dad trim them? Just looking for some clarification on that point…

[Wish_Upon_a_Star2000]

[QUOTE=CaitlinandTheBay;7962125]
“I cant” is such a terrible attitude to live with, especially at such a young age. "It will be hard’, ‘I’m not sure how to do it’, ‘I’ll need help to succeed’ will take you much, much further. “I can’t” is a death sentence- you’ve already given up.[/QUOTE]

Well I’m not allowed I’d love to,but when my parents do say no, they make it a brick wall I’ve said I’d love to do it,even if its hard," but they still say no do you have any advice that would sway their mind? And wellll… I’ve not given up…yet! Never give up,that’s my motto. “If at first you dont succeed,try try again” love that! have a great night guys!

[Wish_Upon_a_Star2000]

[QUOTE=ex-racer owner;7962159]
First, if you want to help yourself, please begin communicating in proper English. Using proper English will help enable you to get a decent job, and begin down the path of self-sufficiency. Most employers consider having excellent communication skills to be a standard job requirement. This would include both written and spoken communications. We are expected to be able to craft written documents void of “text speak” and emoticons, and they should include proper punctuation and paragraphs.

I applaud the fact that you want to learn more with regard to horses and horsekeeping. As many others here have already stated, you will need to find a way to earn your own money.

I, admittedly, was very fortunate that my parents allowed me to take a lesson a week for about 6 years. In order for me to get more barn time, I began working at the barn when I was about 10 (yes, it certainly qualified as child labor) doing stalls, sweeping aisles, dumping and filling buckets, feeding, cleaning tack, doing pony rides and guiding the trail rides that we offered to the public. Right before I turned 14, I was allowed by my parents to purchase a horse with the money that I had earned, with the stipulation that I had to pay for all horse expenses- board, vet, shoeing, and shows. I had 2 paper routes to earn that money, and then when I turned 16, and legally allowed to work, I took a job in a grocery store to pay my own way. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way.

Now back to the OP, I am confused as I thought that you said that your father trimmed your horses’ hooves, but then you later said that he was not a horseman…so how do their hooves get trimmed? Do you have a trimmer/farrier come out, or does your dad trim them? Just looking for some clarification on that point…[/QUOTE]

I did?I was not aware of that!Thanks for pointing it out! Yeah our farrier comes out,in spring and fall yes,to avoid future confusion,we get a farrier!and a vet,and deworm our horses:)should I edit this post?Cuz someone told me it gives the impression that we dont do much for our horses,as in dental,vet,shoeing,trimming,etc,. and for that I am deeply sorry! I feel I have confused so many people. And it’s hard to get my point across thank you all for your input,I will see if all this helps!thanks!

[Ghazzu]

[QUOTE=zipperfoot;7961822]
According to your reference, brucellosis in horses is not a reportable disease. Cattle, bison and pigs, yes, but not horses. Any large animal DVMs care to comment?[/QUOTE]

Brucellosis in any species is reportable in Massachusetts.
It is also reportable in Montana, where the OP is, I believe?

Regardless of the legal obligation to notify the state animal health authorities, my inclination would be to do so, as brucellosis has serious zoonotic potential.

[Ghazzu]

I would give a wholehearted second to the recommendation of John Richard Young’s books.
They will benefit the OP on any number of levels.

And I don’t think she’s a troll, I think she’s a kid.

[Sacred_Petra]

I would just like to address the one point on saddle fit. No, we can’t just trust you that your saddle fits, especially when your horse has a medical issue that can be caused by a poorly fitting saddle. Many of us have made mistakes in fitting saddles, especially when we were novices in the horse world, like you are. It doesn’t make you a bad person, it doesn’t mean you care less for your horses, it just means you’ve made a mistake, you learn from it and move on.

Western saddles aren’t typically considered as hard to fit, but there’s still a lot that goes in to it. A saddle that fits without a pad and fits well with a 3/4" felt pad, may cause a pressure point in a 3/4" felt pad with wither relief.

I don’t believe you’ve confused people so much as you’ve done a lot of backtracking and it’s hard to keep facts straight while sorting through the poor punctuation and abundance of smilies. It may help you to process what people are saying, and what you’re thinking, instead of reacting emotionally and writing down the first thing you think of, to create a bullet point list of your responses. Rather than saying “my saddle fits, trust me,” you might get more constructive responses if you say “here’s the areas of saddle fit that I’ve checked and why I believe it fits.” Someone here may see something you missed and be able to help.

You’ve said your parents won’t let you get a job, but have you considered taking on more household chores for an allowance. Maybe you can make a few dollars here and there detailing their vehicles, or by taking over doing the laundry for the family, or maybe you can clean your neighbor’s gutters, or repairing their fences on the weekends. A little bit of money here and there may be able to add up to getting a lesson every other month. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than not getting any professional help. You might be able to find a trainer who’d be willing to give you a lesson when they’ve got extra time in exchange for cleaning their tack.

[Jealoushe]

The farrier only comes twice a year?

OP please try and limit the faces, it’s hard to read your posts and take them seriously when it looks like a text message between buds.

The irony of this thread is the title. Do you want help or not? You’ve been given excellent advice already.

[SuzieQNutter]

Hooves in Australia are done every 4 - 6 weeks, which changes with the season and how much grass is available.

Worming every 6 - 8 weeks. There are some wormers that go a bit longer than that now.

Teeth every year.

Strangles and Tetanus vaccines every year and Hendra vaccine every 6 months and I believe you have a lot more vaccines than we do.

[wireweiners]

First, as my teen daughter tells me when I use text speak, post like a grown up. If you want people to take you seriously on this board, lose the emojis and use correct English and spelling and paragraphs.

Second, I’m not sure what your problem is. What is causing your confidence issues? Is the mare having behavior problems because of not being ridden or are you afraid to ride her because of her medical condition? Are you comfortable riding your other horse or your friends’ horses?

I’m also a bit confused about the fistulous withers problem. As I understand it, fistulous withers is basically a deep access. It can be caused by the brucellosis organism but that is rare now days due to brucellosis eradication programs. It can also be caused by severe trauma to the withers. A poor fitting saddle could cause it but unless your mare has unusually broad withers or you have an old A fork narrow saddle, I wouldn’t suspect that was the cause. Can you tell us a bit more of what your vet said?

For the rest of you, there is a different culture of horse keeping in more rural, western areas. More horses are kept at home and under rougher conditions. It doesn’t mean they are neglected or don’t have their basic needs met. But there aren’t “barns” where a kid can hang out or work and lessons and trainers aren’t common, at least not the kind you people on the east and west coasts know about. Believe it or not there are plenty of people who ride, enjoy, and take good care of their horses without trainers, lessons and saddle fitters. It is possible to take good care of a horse on a shoe string budget

As far as jobs go, if this girl lives in a rural area and doesn’t drive, a job may cost more than she’d make if you figure in gas and drive time, not to mention you have to be a least 16 to work most places.

For the OP, what are your goals with this horse? Local show or playdays? Serious rodeo? Are your parents willing to haul for this? Local play days can be done relatively inexpensively but serious rodeo is very expensive. I would second the recommendation for 4H. It is an excellent program. You can sell it to your parents by telling them of scholarship programs available for 4H members.

[zipperfoot]

[QUOTE=Ghazzu;7962269]
Brucellosis in any species is reportable in Massachusetts.
It is also reportable in Montana, where the OP is, I believe?

Regardless of the legal obligation to notify the state animal health authorities, my inclination would be to do so, as brucellosis has serious zoonotic potential.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Ghazzu. My mistake: I misread the information–brucellosis was listed as reportable under disease of multiple species. As you said for Massachusetts, I think it’s also reportable in most (all?) states, even if they’re designated as brucellosis-free. Apparently Montana has some questionable areas near Yellowstone where it’s been found in bison.

Sorry to get a little off-track…!

[olddogs]

When you got the mare in Sept. the woman told you that she hadn’t been ridden much in the last two years because. “the owner didn’t have time for her.”

You tried the mare, you loved her, you brought her home and you rode her…twice.

Why? Was there something off about the mare from the get-go? Did your sister start off riding the new mare while you kept on with Cowgirl?

Anyone, any age, gets a new horse, well trained, dead broke; they are going to rush home from school, or work, and ride. Even if only for a few minutes around the pasture. So, why so few rides?

[enjoytheride]

Could you please write your responses as if you were writing an essay in school?

[DoubleTwistedWire]

[QUOTE=zipperfoot;7962320]
Thanks Ghazzu. My mistake: I misread the information–brucellosis was listed as reportable under disease of multiple species. As you said for Massachusetts, I think it’s also reportable in most (all?) states, even if they’re designated as brucellosis-free. Apparently Montana has some questionable areas near Yellowstone where it’s been found in bison.

Sorry to get a little off-track…![/QUOTE]

To continue off-track for just a moment: According to a CDC study, most of the brucellosis found in cattle and (farmed!!) bison in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana were found to have been primarily caused by elk-related transmission, not bision. How likely is it that the mare, if out in a large pasture/field/free-range area has been around elk? Has the horse had blood drawn and tested for the disease? Is she on antibiotics, or just bute?

OP, if your parents say you “can’t” have lessons, would they be opposed to something like joining 4H? They’re in Montana, and have horse programs that you could participate in, build your knowledge, and even compete a bit in something that your parents might find a bit less dangerous than barrel racing. You might also see about getting at least the D-Level Pony Club manual; I realize that it is English-riding focused, but the horse care, conformation, feeding, etc information should apply to any horse. There’s also a manual on groundwork and longeing that you might find interesting if you aren’t riding. Perhaps also Cherry Hill’s groundwork book; I haven’t seen it, but I have used some of the arena exercises from her other books. I’d also suggest, if you’re on Facebook, following Denny Emerson’s Tamarack Hill Farm, as he posts a lot of very thoughtful riding and training advice from his decades of experience, not just as an eventer, but also as a breeder and endurance rider.

Free-video-wise, online I’d suggest looking at some of the videos from the George Morris Horsemastership program; while the jumping videos may not be useful for you, certainly there shouldn’t be much difference in the flatwork you want to do with the horse, and what they’re doing, as well as just a general philosophy of training and expecting a horse to work. There are also some good videos on the Dressage4Kids page for 2013 and for 2014, scroll down for ones on general horsemanship, training, biomechanics, etc.

If you want information, knowledge, and skill, OP, there is information out there and a way to get it. Wailing “But my parent’s say I caaaaaaan’t” won’t get you there. Start educating yourself, and present it to your parents as a learning opportunity. Find a way to invest in it yourself. Riding is a life-long pursuit, and you’re getting a lot of excellent information here from people who have been riding a lot longer than you’ve been alive. Learn to accept what information people have to offer, and be willing to ignore the less-than-pleasing means by which it is sometimes delivered.

[ReSomething]

OP, that is you, Walk, we expect two spaces between the end of a sentence and the beginning of a new one. Like that. Or at least like that, which was one space.

Then a double space for a new paragraph/new thought.

It’s possible to read what is written without the little niceties, but it gets very confusing very fast. Best of luck with your horse.

[danceronice]

Yes, PLEASE, lose the emojis. It’s really annoying to have to try reading when every sentence is peppered with :mad: :yes:

[aliceo]

“How likely is it that the mare, if out in a large pasture/field/free-range area has been around elk?”

in many parts of montana it is extremely likely!

[Seraph]

Hi OP! Welcome to the board.

I am just popping in to tell you about a super nice part of this BB. If you click on a poster’s name, you’ll see an “Add to Ignore List” option. It’s very useful for some of the people on this thread!

What I have done to get some side money is go above normal household chores. Something like cleaning out closets, scrubbing baseboards, organizing the attic, or making the screen porch presentable. I’m not sure how your house is set up but there’s a few ideas.

Good luck with your horse!

[ako]

I feel a bit bad for the OP, as she seems stuck with parents who buy her horses but refuse to do the basic horse care. A farrier in the spring and fall?! :eek: That is simply NOT enough.

You’ll have to figure it out, girl. You’re just about old enough. Work for lessons. Something. Anything.

[Kwill]

I think her parents are taking care of the horses just fine, in the horse keeping area they live in, which is out West in a ranch situation. I think it’s not so great to keep a horse stalled 23 hours a day with a blanket on, but I understand that some people want to keep their horses that way.

The pile on in this thread never ceases to amaze me every time I come back here.

[meupatdoes]

[QUOTE=Kwill;7965467]
I think her parents are taking care of the horses just fine, in the horse keeping area they live in, which is out West in a ranch situation. I think it’s not so great to keep a horse stalled 23 hours a day with a blanket on, but I understand that some people want to keep their horses that way.

The pile on in this thread never ceases to amaze me every time I come back here.[/QUOTE]

Nobody is saying keep the horse stalled 3 hours a day with a blanket on, they are saying perhaps have the farrier out more than twice a year, ask the vet if the pus explosion in the withers has healed enough for riding, and if you are scared to ride your own horse get some help.