Things you should know but are ashamed to admit you don't...

[JoZ]

I thought of another thing I don’t know. I think if I thought hard enough I could fill a book. I hope it doesn’t outweigh what I do know!

Here are two sentences:

• In general a horse should have between 1-2% of his/her body weight in hay per day. For a 1,000 lb. horse this would be 10-20 lbs.
• Horses are grazing animals and should have hay in front of them at all times.

I have heard both and believe both to be true. How do YOU reconcile these two?

Our horses could finish 20 lbs. of hay in 1 or 2 hours max. And most if not all of them would be too fat on 20 lbs. Our hay is not rich, it is local grass hay. They cannot be on grass of any kind in the winter; they are on drylot (well, I WISH it were dry, more like mudlot) and in their stalls overnight. They get almost no grain (about 1 cup to hold their vit/min and supplements).

[Sebastian]

Okay, I’m going to attempt to describe a quick release knot…

Picture a standard horizontal tie rail:

1. Put the rope over the rail and pull it under and back toward you.
2. Put both pieces of rope in your right hand.
3. Make a large loop with the end of the rope (part that’s away from the horse that came under the bottom of the rail).
4. Flip the loop over the top of your right hand
5. Put the loop back up through the small “circle” made by the rope next to your right hand
6. Release with your right hand and pull the “loop” until the knot is tight.

Viola!

To release, simply pull the end of the rope.

Good Luck! :winkgrin:
Seb

[tbgurl]

Things I don’t know:

1. Assorted dressage terms (throughness, flexion, bend, schwung, ying, yang, etc.)

2. How to slow down a horse’s rhythm. My mare trots like she’s on speed sometimes and it seems like I can’t slow her down for the life of me without using my hands. It’s like my posting rhythm HAS to follow the trot rhythm, no matter how hard I try to slow it down.

3. How to give shots. Actually, I do know in theory because it was part of one of the classes I had to take in college, but practically speaking I’ve never done it.

4. Pedigrees. I know who the sire/dam and everything is, but actually deciphering a pedigree and evaluating it is beyond me, as are terms like tail male and tail female lines, etc.

5. Warmblood conformation. Honestly, when I look at warmblood horses with what others claim as “good” or “excellent” conformation, they don’t look at all to me what my basic horsecare books say is good conformation. I can pick out conformational defects like cow hocks, ewe-necks, etc., but knowing what proportions and stuff are desirable on a sporthorse is a mystery.

JoZ: The first sentence is correct, but the second sentence needs a little qualifying–yes, horses are grazing animals and should be free to eat at all times. However, when they are on pasture they don’t spend 24 hours eating…they also sleep, and run, and play, and stand around swatting flies, and stand around making ugly faces at each other, etc. It also takes longer to snip off individual bits of grass instead of grabbing mouthfuls of hay so they eat slower. When they are in stalls, they don’t have much of anything to do except eat. So that’s why I think they can polish off 20 lbs. of hay in a short amount of time and stand around being bored the rest of the time.

Also, 2% of the body weight is a high figure…most horses probably only need about 1.5%. Each horse is different (easy keepers, hard keepers) so that’s why they give you that range. 1% is the minimum, however. 10-15 lbs. of hay per day is a fairly easy figure to reach, and this is assuming grass hay is fed and not alfalfa, which is more calorie-dense. Also, any grain fed would cut into the 1-2% figure.

[Gnalli]

[QUOTE=JoZ;2013575]
Don’t worry, it won’t become a habit, I like the Tootsie Rolls too much myself, LOL. Frankly I was surprised they liked them. On the other hand I’m not too concerned with them being “not all that healthy” when you consider the size of a Tootsie vs. a horse. Can’t imagine Peeps are at the top of the nutrition list either! ;)[/QUOTE]

No you didn’t just say Peeps are not healthy!!!:mad: :winkgrin: Why, why, they are made from eggs- and sugar of course, but stilllllll–PEEPS are HEATHLY. Why? B/C they make your horses do goofy stuff for you to laugh at and they say laughter is the best medicine. So there.Na-na-na=na boo boo.

[Sakura]

I don’t know a darn thing about Fox Hunting :no:… and I live in the heart of Hunt Country USA uhoh::o.

[DressageGeek_Ribbon]

@JoZ;2013575

Don’t worry, it won’t become a habit, I like the Tootsie Rolls too much myself, LOL. Frankly I was surprised they liked them. On the other hand I’m not too concerned with them being “not all that healthy” when you consider the size of a Tootsie vs. a horse. Can’t imagine Peeps are at the top of the nutrition list either!

They are at the top of the list of a horse’s MENTAL nutrtition. Here’s how it works. There’s a blood brain barrier, right? And you need energy to think and process and learn, right? And sugar is energy, right? So you need a lot of energy to make it across the blood brain barrier so your brain gets enough sugar to do its job. 5-6 peeps seem to do it for Ted.

[nightsong]

I think Ted would MUCH prefer 50-60.

[DressageGeek_Ribbon]

nightsong, you are absolutely correct. But then Ted’s brainpower would far exceed mine, and that could be dangerous.

Plus, we had a serious Peep Crisis last year after Easter, and I just can’t bear the thought of another round of peep-withdrawal-induced DTs.

[myhorsefaith]

what does the term “daisy cutter” mean? is it good or bad?

sometimes i think i know when it means then someone uses it in a different situation and i’m all lost again.

[To_the_MAX]

@myhorsefaith;2014118

what does the term “daisy cutter” mean? is it good or bad?

sometimes i think i know when it means then someone uses it in a different situation and i’m all lost again.

“Daisy cutter” is a term to describe a very good mover in the Hunter world. They have hardly any knee action OR, their feet sweep across the ground so effortlessly that it looks like they could cut the tops off of daisies with their toes.

[BeastieSlave]

[QUOTE=myhorsefaith;2014118]
what does the term “daisy cutter” mean? is it good or bad?[/QUOTE]

Usually it’s used to describe good movement on hunters. Think back to the pictures of the hunter trot vs. the dressage trot that showed the differing knee action… The hunter trot has long and low sweeping action (daisy cutter) as opposed to a dressage horse who lifts its foot with more of a piston-type action (daisy stomper)

[Satin_Filly]

[QUOTE=Zig;1999723]
Umm… from the daughter of a rocket scientist, we have the admission that she barely knows her right from her left… thank god for the L on the left hand.

I also forget which side the mane should be on… again… a right left issue…[/QUOTE]

I only seem to have hard time with left & right if I have to decide which is which rather quickly :lol: :o . But I do know which hand is my left and right. Its much easier for me to relate left & right when riding by refering to them as (example) inside leg/hand or outside leg/hand. If you get what I mean??

As for the mane,
It should always lay on or be braided on the right side. The horse’s left and right are the same as your left and right if you are facing the same direction as they are (like if you both are facing a wall, not face to face). Or just remember the side of the mane goes on the same side you first attach your girth too (which should be the right side).

Now my question is…who and why decided the mane should lay on the right side??

[Tuckertoo]

So, I know this thread is way down there on the list of recent postings, but I thought of another one.

What is the difference between a dress sheet and a cooler?

[naters]

As for the mane,
It should always lay on or be braided on the right side. The horse’s left and right are the same as your left and right if you are facing the same direction as they are (like if you both are facing a wall, not face to face). Or just remember the side of the mane goes on the same side you first attach your girth too (which should be the right side).

Now my question is…who and why decided the mane should lay on the right side??

Ummm… not always should the mane be on the right. Somtimes it is breed specific. Depends on what type of show you are going to.

My QH’s mane is on the left. If he goes to a hunter (non-AQHA) show, it gets braided on the right. If he does QH stuff, it stays on the left.

[naters]

To whomever posted the quote: “rise and fall with the leg on the wall”. You changed a little girls life today!!! I was giving a friends daughter a lesson. Diagonals have been a HUGE problem.

Your quote made it happen!

[naters]

[QUOTE=lotsospots;2011743]
And THIS, my friends, is why Pony Club was invented!! Well not exactly, but this is all stuff that is covered in Stable Management!! They really should have PC for adults![/QUOTE]

Some states have Old Peoples Pony Club.

I want one here!!

[Walk_N_Gal88]

I can’t tell my leads when loping w/o looking down.

Also can’t give a shot-I’m always the girl that has to hold the horse!

I have no clue what a Pelham is. A bit, a bridle, what?

I can put together a bridle w/o thinking about it, and had to teach my mama how to wrap legs. I do a very neat French braid on manes and tails too.

[Simkie]

I have no clue what a Pelham is. A bit, a bridle, what?
It’s a bit It looks like this: http://www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/images/pelham-port-lg.jpg

Your cheek pieces attach to the top rings, your snaffle rein attaches to the ring by the mouthpiece, and your curb rein attaches to the bottom ring.

A bridle that was made specifically for this kind of bit could be called a pelham bridle.

[jewll27]

[QUOTE=shmeg<33;1999587]
I suck at being able to tell a horse with good conformation vs. bad conformation. hehe. Oh and I often get the parts of the leg mixed up…there are more. Just cant think if them right now[/QUOTE]

oh this is my biggest thing too. And if a horse is a nice mover or a not so nice mover. I recently was helping a friend out by recommending my trainer help her sell him. Well, I thought he was an ok/cute mover; nothing A caliber but cute. MY trainer said no no no hes got too much knee action. I feel like an ass.

[jewll27]

I also cant for the life figure out how to do a flying lead change. My trainer tells me all the time and the mare I ride is pretty auto about it so I can never figure out if Im asking right or not…so embarrassing.