cajunrose Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 My 10 year old daughter is smitten over horses...has a complete passion for them and has since she was itty bitty. She has a respect for them and no fear at all. We knew this day was coming. We finally got land but it's not fenced so I figured it would be a long while. My mom's neighbor has 10 horses and there is 1 that Raelee is in love with and rides as often as she can. Today, after talking with us at length beforehand, she gave Raelee Cadence. She is SO excited and is so love. Cadence will stay at my mom's house (10 acres fenced) until we can fence. I have NO idea how to care for horses..only have a girl who is totally in love so we are going with it. We are going to learn as we go..lol We will have guidance though..so never fear! Raelee REALLY wants to barrel race but I think we are a ways off from that...this horse is 20 and is a good trail horse and very very easy going and very much laid back and will do anything you ask of him, as long as it's not super speed..lol Our plan is to get him a friend when we get to that point..one she can barrel race. Here are some pictures with Raelee and Cadence: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Glad to see her in a helmet! :) Remind your daughter to be soft in the hands as the bit in her horses mouth can be severe if pulled on too hard..in the mouth and on the nose. Lessons would be a great place to start :). Our daughters horses have the same name too :) She's a lovely mare! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 I keep calling it a her...it's a girls name to me...but oh well..lol We ALWAYS helmet. She won't get on a horse or 4 wheeler without one. Bike is another story *sigh*. Good points about the bit. This is a soft mouthed horse apparently and doesn't need much man handling so hopefully that'll be in her favor. If you have any other tips or forums for new horse owners or websites, we are all ears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Horse.com is a giant forum with all sorts of stuff, but you will find (on all forums really :) ) that some people have a lot of opinions about all things horse :) and many are very adamant about what they think is right :glare: . It can get a bit rediculous. I suggest talking a lot with the people who owned her. Have them show you how they handled her and what her cues were. That will go a long way in how the two of them build a relationship. Head to the library and check out a few books on their care. Observing them regularly helps us to know when something isn't quite right. Also it would be good to know when she had her teeth floated last. Those older horses need them done regularly so they don't develop points that cut their mouth inside. It also helps them chew properly when their teeth meet correctly thus helping them keep their weight on better. Our Cadence is older too, but we are lucky that she's a fairly easy keeper :) Some senior horses just need more to keep them in top shape, but it can be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Oh and shortening her stirrups a little will probably help her out up there :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 We actually did that right after these pictures..lol There were 3 kids riding and the stirrups kept going up and down. We need to get her some real cowboy boots too. She has always had some but the last pair she grew out of 2 months after we bought them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I second lightening up a bit on the reins. Perhaps she is trying to balance herself via the reins instead of with her legs and seat? This is something that good riding lessons will help cure. We had 3 older mares and they really flourished when we put them on an equine feed supplement for senior horses. Just as with people, as horses age, their digestive tract has more difficulty with extracting the proper nutrients that are needed. A supplement can help keep them in top health for as long as possible. While your dd is becoming accustomed to riding, she might really benefit from lots of extra games that involve her balance. Those will really pay off when she is fighting to keep on top of a barrel horse that is tightly turning a barrel. I have seen so many kids develop bad riding habits in order to stay on that are not only potentially dangerous for the rider and uncomfortable for the horse, but that also unfortunately cause a decrease in speed. Developing the strong muscles and coordination needed for good balance on horseback is one of those skills that will continue to shower her with benefits throughout her entire riding career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 ah, I see what you guys are saying about the reigns. I think some of it is that she only got to ride once every few months. This was a doctors horse and she was very very busy so raelee didn't get much saddle time. I think that if we give her lots of saddle time, we'll see a lot of things change. If she still has a few issues, there is a person I can call that lives pretty close that will help us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Lessons with this horse would be a great idea. Help them learn to work together and teach your daughter to have a good seat and light hands. Certainly ask the previous owners on her care and when she was wormed, shots, teeth done, etc. Feet look pretty good but those will need to be done every 6-8 weeks or so depending on growth. You will want to make sure that the saddle fits the horse very well as that will keep her much more comfortable. Depending on where you live, you might need to be seriously looking for a year's worth of hay right now. We are in an area that had a drought last year and hay was very scarce and triple the price. This year we have had rain but too much and they can't get the hay to dry---which again means more limited supplies and higher cost. Those that wait to buy hay until later in the season might not be able to get enough. Talk to the previous owners about the type of hay and what cutting she is used to-----lots of different hays and cuttings out there. Does the horse have a buddy by your mom? Horses really do best with a buddy---even if it is a goat. Senior feed and joint supplements might be a good idea as well. It varies between horses. Our 21 year old 1/2 Arab and 22 year old paint need NO grain but our older mare gets senior feed and beet pulp in a mash 2-3 times a day to keep her weight on. Have lots of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 What kind of senior supplements would you recommend? Are any of you on Facebook so we can keep in touch and I can ask questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Senior feed is great for them and can be soaked. It can be fed as a supplement to hay and pasture or as a complete feed, but it would be fed in larger amounts. I personally favor a higher fat, higher fiber diet for my seniors along with pasture 24/7. Many senior feeds have digestive supplements in them to help them absorb and get max nutrition from what they are eating. Supplements for joints are helpful and Smartpak is a great place to start with. They are very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 If you get a girl a horse, she's going to want a goat to go with it, and you get the goat and now you need a trailer, and you get the trailer and now you need a pickup to pull it with, and you get the pickup and now you need a DIFFERENT horse to do a different style of riding, so you get a different horse, and then you see FREESTYLE, DRESSAGE, REINING, HUNTER, SPEED EVENTS and now you need a bigger trailer and a bigger pickup and you need a bigger farm... Typed by the woman with way more horses than we're using... :laugh: So VERY true! I'm sad though as my long distance trail horse hopeful has shown signs of heaves...he is 7 and living down here is horrible for them. We are doing one more CBC check to see if the infection he was treated for two weeks ago has cleared and if so we can start him on the Dexamethasone...I am actively seeking a higher altitude/dryer homelife for him. I don't want him to suffer here and he's a great horse.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 In regards to the feed, you need to ask his/her former owners what grain (if any he/she was/is on). You can't just switch a horse's grain. It needs to be done slowly and over time. The best senior feed, in my opinion, is Triple Crown Senior. Also, i agree that smartpak is a great company for supplements but you need to know that they are very expensive (the company). There are many, many supplements out there so you'll just have to research. If he/she was mine, i would have him/her on a joint supplement and i would think about arthiritis. There is a supplement line called Animed that have very good products at very reasonable prices. Another thing that is VERY important is saddle fit. Alot of people just throw a saddle on a horse away they go but imagine wearing shoes that are a poor fit, it's not comfortable and most times, very painful....think of a poor fitting saddle in the same way. Another thing to think about, again, just my opinion, is to not have the horse wear a halter when it is outside. Or, if it must wear one, think about getting a breakaway halter, in case the horse ever finds itself caught in something. You definately need to think about getting a companion, whether it's to borrow one of your neighbor's other horses, or a mini, or getting another one sooner (much) rather than later, or a goat, whatever. get him/her a friend. Horses are herd animals and they do not like to be alone, especially in your case where this one has come from a group. IDK where you live but one of the first things i would learn about are the symptoms of colic. One of our horses colicked, again, the other day. She is fine because we caught it early but colic can be deadly and very, very painful. Sorry to sound like a jerk but there is so much to owning a horse and so many important things that need to be taken into consideration, and these are just some of the things that i think are important. Supplements are majorly important so please look into them. take precautions now to make him/her comfortable in his/her older years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I've actually found many supplements with Smartpak to be cheaper because their shipping is free over a certain amount and you pay no freight charges and that's important when you're buying in bulk to feed multiple horses. :) Plus their return policy is excellent Shopping around is always important :) Many horses do fine alone, but they definitely prefer company like many other herd type animals. As I mentioned before, talk to the previous owners about how they cared for her. They will be able to give you more insight to what her seasonal needs are and what they have done to care for her. That info will be the best place to start :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Agreeing with all of the above. We started with a pony for my girls to SHARE.....then got me a horse..........then sold pony and got a horse.....then got another pony so each girl would have their own......then...........and on and on until we now have a 5 acre horse farm with 3 horses, a suburban to pull our horse trailer (upgraded from the first trailer we had). We are looking for a 4th horse now as our pony is aging and can't be ridden as much anymore. For a senior joint supplement we use Actiflex Senior which has high levels of the good stuff and is reasonably priced. I would also check into something for sand colic-----very common where we are. Horses eat off the ground and ingest the sand. A belly full of sand can lead to colic and tragically if not caught very early and/or the intestines twist you are looking at a situation where the horse must be put down immediately. You can do surgery but that is $$$$ and not usually done on older horses. We use psyllium from the feed store feed 1 oz. for 4 days in a row every other week. A local vet can tell you what is best for your area. I would suggest having the vet out for a check up and get to know you thing so that if there is an emergency you are an establish client.........as just like kids, horses only do dumb stuff or get sick on the weekends, holidays or middle of the night. The vet could then advise you on a good diet for your horse based on her condition, usage, teeth, overall health, etc. There is SO much to learn. We have had our own horses for 6 years and I am still constantly learning more and more. For fencing I HIGHLY recommend getting a catalog from http://www.premier1supplies.com/ You can learn so much about various types of fencing. What to use where, chargers, gates, etc. and on and on. We LOVE their fencing and even took it down from our last place and reused it here at our new house. It is very easy to install and VERY easy to repair if it breaks, a deer takes it down, a fence post breaks, etc. The quality is just so much better than local feed store stuff and the prices aren't much different........and if you order on line you get free shipping on most of your stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 Ok, we have the horse in our pasture now. We moved a poney over with him for company and will be getting a donkey soon. We went to a great little feed store by us and stocked up. Senior feed, supplements (they advised...they know the horse so they helped us a lot) some tack, etc. She is going to bathe him (something she has always wanted to do) here in a bit then leave him be for a while to adjust. He is already following her around..lol I don't plan on letting her ride him for a few days. Thanks for the great tips and hints. I am making note of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 what supplements did you get for him? So glad you got him a friend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 So it's not going so well tonight :( I can't see on that far side of the pasture but our neighbor (original owner) can. She says that Cadence and the pony are running back and forth and crying to the other horses on the other side. She said we can't risk injury. We are going to try to move the pony back over and see if Cadence calms down. She hopes that maybe the pony is amping up Cadence. I don't know how I will tell Raelee that this is not working...she is on top of the world right now. My heart is breaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Everything I read here indicates horses take special care. I think you have to follow the previous owner's lead. If it doesn't work to keep her can your dd go over there to care for and ride her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 In theory that would work but in reality it wouldn't. The owners are doctors and rarely home...need special permission to go over... 10 horses in all. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it. :( I just hope removing the pony works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 In theory that would work but in reality it wouldn't. The owners are doctors and rarely home...need special permission to go over... 10 horses in all. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it. :( I just hope removing the pony works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 It could still work. If you try your horse with a different buddy or just moving the horse to your place (out of sight/calling distance) along with a brand new buddy might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 It could still work. If you try your horse with a different buddy or just moving the horse to your place (out of sight/calling distance) along with a brand new buddy might work. This. Removing the pony and leaving the horse all alone is a bad, bad idea, IMO. Horses are herd animals; it is unhealthy for them to not have a buddy. The pony and the horse are used to being in a larger herd over on the other farm, correct? That's why they're running and calling to the others. Of course, I can't see them and I don't know either, but it does not sound like the pony is the problem. They're both confused about being separated from their herd, but they'll probably settle if given the chance. Unless they are threatening to go through/testing the fence, they will likely be fine. Take a herd animal's only buddy away, and you may very well have the horse going through the fence. If the owners are suggesting you remove the only buddy the horse has and that you leave the horse alone (and within sight/calling distance of it's herd), they don't know horses and I would not trust their judgement. I pasture horses singly all the time, but they always have a buddy in a paddock or pasture adjacent to them. Not across the street or half a mile away. I'm sure you guys can find a way to work it out. She just needs a buddy and a little time to settle. The horse looks awful sweet and I bet your daughter is tickled to pieces. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 Things are going better this morning. They are grazing nowhere near their herd mates and being really calm. I have hope again. The reason she suggested removing the pony is because he is VERY VERY young and very rambunctious. The pony is very attached to some of the horses in his herd but not so much with Cadence..so she figured that the pony (Blue) was causing the problems by trying to get back with his ladies and getting Cadence all amped up. Everything seems to be fine now. My daughter fixed Cadence's hair this morning and walked him around the pasture. She had a good long talk with the two of them and they promised to behave. ;) She also got a lead on the pony and was able to walk him around...which nobody is typically able to do. He's pretty wild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 "My daughter fixed Cadence's hair this morning"....i LOVE comments like this from non horsey people! Don't worry OP i'm not laughing at you...i think it's adorable. Kind of like a comment a non-horsey friend of mine made when she saw the fly masks on our horses...."why are they wearing a bug bonnet?" BUG BONNET?! what the heck is a bug bonnet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 Hey..I'm quickly becoming a horsey person..lol I spent quite a bit of time with him this morning cuddling and loving on him. So sweet. I'm so glad he is in our lives. Raelee hasn't even asked to ride him yet...just loves being his girl..seems to be all she needs at this moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Oh, I'm so glad they are settling!! Yay! And I've been a horse person since I was a young child (before kids I was a professional horse person) and I *still* sometimes refer to certain grooming tasks as "fixing their hair." We call it beauty parlor time. LOL. I have many fond childhood memories of just hanging out with my ponies and grooming and loving on them. These are going to be experiences that your daughter will treasure for the rest of her life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 i hate to sound like a total jerk but i just noticed something in your picture. Your daughter has the lead rope laying on the ground. This could prove to be a problem. For instance, if one of our horses (thoroughbreds, so that should tell you something) stepped on that lead rope they would explode. I know there are horses that won't do anything if they step on the rope (and cadence SEEMS like that kind of horse but IDK) but many horses would step on it and it would pull on their halter and that would scare them and that would send them up in the air and that could end up having them land on your daughter or anyone else who might be around and it could also snap their leg, don't mean to sound extreme but it can happed.....just saying, just a reminder that you ALWAYS have to be careful of what is going on around a horse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 Oh no, I NEED to know those things. We have books and am reading, guidance from my mom (ex-horse owner) and the previous owner but I still need all the help I can get. Her daddy needs to teach her how to tie a proper knot for one thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunrose Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 Oh no, I NEED to know those things. We have books and am reading, guidance from my mom (ex-horse owner) and the previous owner but I still need all the help I can get. Her daddy needs to teach her how to tie a proper knot for one thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 well you don't want to tie a knot with a lead rope. you want to have the horse be able to get loose if he needed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Yes, you need a safety/quick release knot to tie the horse. Is the pony gelded or still a stallion? Even pony stallions require an experienced handler......asked as you said he wanted to get to his ladies and was young. Can you have someone come over to your place and work with your dd (with everyone else watching and learning) to go over all of the basic safety stuff---how to catch the horse, halter it, lead it, tie it, groom, pick out his feet, tacking/bridling, mounting, etc.-----even if she can "do" all of these things now it would be great to have an experienced person there watching her to make sure she is doing it the safest way possible. Even the calmest/gentlest horses can kick or otherwise hurt someone....even if they don't mean to. The only time anyone was kicked here was when my daughter ran up behind her old, babysitter, dead broke, bombproof pony and spooked her as she was sleeping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Yes, you need a safety/quick release knot to tie the horse. Is the pony gelded or still a stallion? Even pony stallions require an experienced handler......asked as you said he wanted to get to his ladies and was young. Can you have someone come over to your place and work with your dd (with everyone else watching and learning) to go over all of the basic safety stuff---how to catch the horse, halter it, lead it, tie it, groom, pick out his feet, tacking/bridling, mounting, etc.-----even if she can "do" all of these things now it would be great to have an experienced person there watching her to make sure she is doing it the safest way possible. Even the calmest/gentlest horses can kick or otherwise hurt someone....even if they don't mean to. The only time anyone was kicked here was when my daughter ran up behind her old, babysitter, dead broke, bombproof pony and spooked her as she was sleeping. I agree. There is just so much to learn, and it can't really be "book knowledge.", and it is not something that can be done in one "lesson." You do need someone to be showing a bunch of things and explaining safety, horse psychology / behavior, and what not. Over time. A lot of it is developing good habits, and one needs feedback for this. We don't have our own horse, but DD has been involved with horses for about two years now, the last year she's at the barn 2-3 days a week. Everyone around horses has a different idea of what is right and what is safe. Be open to changing your opinions. We've changed barns, changed trainers several times. A year ago we thought some things were safe and humane, but now we've changed our opinions. I thought her previous barn was great, but now I just cringe thinking about it. DD is way more aware than myself. I know a lot by now, but I don't "read" horses well. She can't watch a regular "fun" show or a 4-H show without getting upset. There's a lot of subtle mistreatment that is normalized, and unless one is very aware, one wouldn't notice. Have a wonderful journey. Your daughter looks so happy on those photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Valley Vet Supply genscharm: "She can't watch a regular "fun" show or a 4-H show without getting upset. There's a lot of subtle mistreatment that is normalized, and unless one is very aware, one wouldn't notice." Be careful with jumping to judgemental conclusions regarding other riders and their horses. Especially if you are a newer rider/new to horses family. There are many practices which may seem "wrong" to the unitiated eye or to someone who does not know the animal in question, which may in reality be perfectly fine or perhaps even beneficial. It can take many years to learn all there is to know about horses. For example, many years ago I attended a Tennessee Walking horse show. There were members of an animal rights group there loudly criticizing those showing for their practices. One came up to me and vehemently carried on about how obvious it was that a particular horse had been "sored" in order to make him step higher. She practically screeched for me to look at how he was standing. Now, I am not a fan of many of the things that they do to those horses to make them move, but I did know that the horse was just standing the way all horses do when they are resting one hip. My own horse was likely standing in that very same pose in his stall at home and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he hadn't been "sored". In her zealousness and her ignorance, she was really barking up the wrong tree. I would gently urge your dd not to judge others until she knows quite a bit more from personal experience herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniper Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Congrats on your new addition! I am smiling to myself picturing my own mother 20+ years ago in your exact situation. EXACT! Down to the Grandmother who is a former horse owner. :) I will say that after a few months of doing the horse thing by myself, I saddled my horse (without a saddle pad, because I didn't know they needed one) road miles down the street wearing my bike helmet (not realizing bike helmets are unsuitable for horse accidents) and presented myself to the nearest stable I knew of. That was one very happy accident since I landed at the secluded barn of a former USET/Jr Olympian team rider and trainer. She took great pity on me and took me under her wings for many years. Your dd is going to need a support system in the equine world. I would start with your local 4-h horse program. Good luck! ......and the safety release (knot) is a must! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabella Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 I'm not sure if anyone else has mentioned it, but I wanted to warn you to NEVER look in that horse's mouth! I can't tell you what might happen, but must be something bad enough to have a 'proverb' made up about such situations! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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