[QUOTE=JCS;2003024]
My favorite: “All King Edward’s Horses Canter Merrily Bucking Freely.”
This thread is so educational. I’ve learned so much that I never knew but didn’t know who to ask…[/QUOTE]
I learned “All Kind Elephants Have Cuddly Mothers and Bad Fathers.” The “and” can be used as the X.
I can braid manes great but not tails. Never could braid a tail. If I had another hand, then maybe I could braid a tail.
FORElock is on the FOREhead; FETlock is on the FEET. With double reins, if youhave the top rein on the outside of your fingers, you just have to either move only your pinky or turn your whole hand outwards to tighten JUST the snaffle (top) rein, which is what you generally WANT to do. the curb (bottom) rein is just emergency brakes and seldom used. A “vertical” fence is straight up and down.
And I learned “All King Edward’s Horses Can Make Bad Friends” 
I remember once hearing someone talking about putting “run downs” on a race horse. They said it was a kind of wrap, I always wondered how they are done and what the purpose for them is?
[QUOTE=JH;2006090]
I remember once hearing someone talking about putting “run downs” on a race horse. They said it was a kind of wrap, I always wondered how they are done and what the purpose for them is?[/QUOTE]
Running down refers to when the horse hits the ground with the back of the fetlocks. Depending on how bad they run down, there can be abrasions. Therefore trainers will wrap the ankles (front, back, or both) with vetwrap or elasticon for the race. Now, this is not the only reason racehorses legs are wrapped for a race. If the horse runs down very badly, the can actually wear through the vetwrap. In that case, a rundown patch is used. There are different kinds. Disposable ones are made by 3-M that are basically just a circular plastic sticker about the size of a baseball. These are put over the vetwrap on the back of the fetlock. There are more substantial ones that are made of pre-formed felt or thick foam that are placed under the vetwrap.
I can’t pull a mane. Can’t braid either.
wow, I have to say that this thread, in all my years coming here, is probably the most informative ever.
Ok–I wanted to mention to the elastic girth person who said she just said screw it and bought a girth with double elastic on it. Please please be very careful with a double elastic end girth—I find that people tend to overtighten girths as it is—technically you should be able to slip a hand in there (no withered horses probably need them a tad tighter so the saddle doesn’t roll), but with a double ended girth, you run the risk of truly over tightening. Please be careful.
And as for wrapping, I like the hair analogy. I nearly blew my B rating because of my wrapping—PC addage is “if you can’t do it well, don’t do it at all”. Hence the comment with big font and exclamation points regarding the “PULL IT”…do not pull wraps. Wrap to the outside from the inside of the leg, just leaving the wrap ON the leg, maintaining the same tautness–don’t pull, don’t take the roll off the leg at all, just leave it on the leg. I usually start half way down the leg, you want a nice inverted V if you do it correctly on the front of the fetlock–and then I go back up and finish high. As others mentioned, the velco tabs should face back if they end on the outside.
As duramax mentioned, I highly recommend the PC Manuals, especially the C and B/HA/A books. Just two, everyone should have them in their libraries.
I guess the only thing I admit to is not always being able to feel when I am holding up the front end. But since I don’t ride the lame horse anymore, it’s moot.
Good questions all!
I don’t know what people mean when they say a horse has “knee action” and somehow it’s a bad thing for hunters. I get the impression that it means the horse is actually a GOOD mover, but needs to be less flashy for the hunter ring - that is my guess and I could be 100 miles off. ???
I also don’t know what it means when people talk about wanting their farrier to “square” their horses’ toes. I’ve even studied the hoof of a horse belonging to a boarder who uses the phrase all the time trying to figure out what’s different about it. Of course, what I don’t know about horse shoeing could fill a book!
Hunters should move with a flat knee as opposed to, say, a dressage horse which would have more bend in it’s knee.
For example (not the greatest pictures, but they demonstrate my point):
Hunter knees: http://www.online-horse.com/graphics/brown.jpg
Dressage knees: http://www.dressagehorseinternational.com/images/latest_news/horse.jpg
Hope this helps a little!
I don’t know how to tie a quick release knot. I’ve been shown way too many times to keep track of and I’ve read articles and viewed step by step descriptions but I still cannot “understand” it. The same goes for braiding and leg wrapping.
[QUOTE=fargonefarm;1999593]
I’m actually a pro at wrapping legs (we won’t go into how I got that way:eek: )
Always wrap towards the back of the horse, meaning the ball of the wrap should always go away from the front. I always start just above the ankle and go down a couple of times and then work my way back up. Usually if you’re using pillow wraps, you don’t have to worry about being too tight.
Vision, anyone? This one kills me. What the heck is their vision!? I cannot remember![/QUOTE]
I am a wrapping freak too and I think the way you explained you need to add that it ALWAYS has to around the outside of the leg and back and forward on the inside- so you don’t cause any tendon damage…I just LOVE neat and tight wraps- of all kinds…
A horse can’t see colors- just orange I think appears as color, the blindspot is towards the rear of the stifle- just between the hock and the stifle- if the head points forward- the least precise vision is straight ahead- the best is from when you imagine a horse’s eye as a circle of vision- from about 15degrees off the front to just about the point of the stifle/hock…
And as much as I’d like to know more about it - but I always HATED chemistry- and so I really suck at putting together generic nutritional feeding plans for horses- and I rely on prepared feeds mostly- and feed groups that are recommended- I kind of read what other folks recommend and follow that…
It is physically possible - it is also very awkward. It is just like it sounds, they are on two different leads from front to back. It is easy to tell because the legs look all jumbled, and it looks & feels like there is a lot of “air” in between strides (i.e. lots of up down movement). It is so weird looking I can tell right off the bat by looking at it. And riding it is a no brainer; say you are on the left lead, you feel that rocking motion, where your right butt cheek is coming down first with the right side of his body…well if he is on the left lead up front and right in the back, your right butt cheek comes down, but then your left side get jostled around like crazy as his rear is coming down on the left side first… :yes:
Oh, man! I could teach you a quick release knot in minutes! I was taught a very effective one and taught it to the kids at horse camp this summer–they can STILL do it, too!
It’s easy to demonstrate; harder to explain. Do you use tie rings or something else? I’ll try to explain if you tell me what you usually tie to!
What is the shelf life of an unopened bag of feed (considering it is kept in a cool dry place)?
[QUOTE=KristiKGC;2007779]
Hunters should move with a flat knee as opposed to, say, a dressage horse which would have more bend in it’s knee.
For example (not the greatest pictures, but they demonstrate my point):
Hunter knees: http://www.online-horse.com/graphics/brown.jpg
Dressage knees: http://www.dressagehorseinternational.com/images/latest_news/horse.jpg
Hope this helps a little![/QUOTE]
Awesome! I’m glad someone else asked this, I always had trouble with it too! I love getting pics with explanations…helps my slow brain:lol: :lol: Sorry to hijack your post Melody…
Kellyb: thanks for reply, I’ll have to watch for it when other people ride(course I’m sure the other boarders won’t appreciate their horses being eye-balled obsessively by some weird chick with her crazy beasties, oh well)
I KNOW someone here knows why most jump saddles have three billets and most girths only have two buckles… 
Roney, it’s a spare, in case one billet strap breaks. It also happens to be handy in adjusting the saddle correctly on the horse’s back.
[QUOTE=Roney;2010494]
I KNOW someone here knows why most jump saddles have three billets and most girths only have two buckles… [/QUOTE]
I’m not sure if this is true, but I heard it was in case you break a billet then you have an extra.
I’m miserable at mucking stalls. 
I’d like to fix that, though…
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