Your horse, your way! ;)

togster

So i thought i'd start a thread about how we look after our horses. (thanks to Z)

I thought it would be good to start with the horses hoof. I don't think people pay enough attention to a horses hoof or do they? We spend so much time brushing etc sometime we forget (me included) the importance of the hoof.

So how do you look after your horses hooves?
Is there a particular way you like to have them shod?
Do we really know what a well shod horse looks like?

For me i like to see at least 45 degree slope. There should also be no gaps between hoof and shoe.

I really want people to express their way of looking after horses. There is no real right or wrong answer. This should be a thread where we can learn from each other.

Lets start with this and perhaps we can talk about spotting lameness etc and injuries associated with the hoof.

convert

I think this thread is a really good idea, togster... It'd be great to have a thread where we could learn from each other...

I definitely agree with you regarding people's tendency to spend so much time grooming our horses that we forget to check horses legs/hooves....

I'm quite neurotic when it comes to looking after my horses hooves and legs as they tend to be where problems can start and as the old adage goes, prevention is better than cure!

When checking my horses' hooves, I first of all check for heat in the wall of the hoof, and then take a look at the cornet to ensure that it's not swollen (esp when the horse is out in the field as it can be a sign of laminitis) or that the horse hasn't stood on himself (esp after travelling) or over-reached, though for the latter it tends to be on the bulb of the heel. I'd also have a quick look at the sole of the foot to check for bruising, etc.

Regarding a 'shod' foot I like to make sure that the shoe has been made to fit the horse, not vice-versa, that the shoe isn't sitting in on the horse (ie - that it's not too narrow towards the heel) and that it's not too long at the heel, which can be quite dangerous as the horse can stand on it and pull it off, which can cause untold problems. And like you said, togster, I don't like to see a gap between the shoe and the sole of the hoof as stones, etc, can get between the hoof and the shoe. I also check that the clenches aren't too high, which can be really serious as the nail would then be going into the 'soft' or tender part of the hoof, and that the nails are properly hammered down and rasped so they don't have any sharp edges which can cut the inside of the opposite foot.

The pony club manual actually has a really good section on this, which is nicely laid out with good illustrations (it may have changed in the last while as I the copy I have is pretty old, now).

I'd love to hear what other people do, and what specific things you look for, etc. in your horses' hooves.

togster

^^Now that's what i'm talking about!

MDFM

convert wrote: »

I think this thread is a really good idea, togster... It'd be great to have a thread where we could learn from each other...

I definitely agree with you regarding people's tendency to spend so much time grooming our horses that we forget to check horses legs/hooves....

I'm quite neurotic when it comes to looking after my horses hooves and legs as they tend to be where problems can start and as the old adage goes, prevention is better than cure!

When checking my horses' hooves, I first of all check for heat in the wall of the hoof, and then take a look at the cornet to ensure that it's not swollen (esp when the horse is out in the field as it can be a sign of laminitis) or that the horse hasn't stood on himself (esp after travelling) or over-reached, though for the latter it tends to be on the bulb of the heel. I'd also have a quick look at the sole of the foot to check for bruising, etc.

Regarding a 'shod' foot I like to make sure that the shoe has been made to fit the horse, not vice-versa, that the shoe isn't sitting in on the horse (ie - that it's not too narrow towards the heel) and that it's not too long at the heel, which can be quite dangerous as the horse can stand on it and pull it off, which can cause untold problems. And like you said, togster, I don't like to see a gap between the shoe and the sole of the hoof as stones, etc, can get between the hoof and the shoe. I also check that the clenches aren't too high, which can be really serious as the nail would then be going into the 'soft' or tender part of the hoof, and that the nails are properly hammered down and rasped so they don't have any sharp edges which can cut the inside of the opposite foot.

The pony club manual actually has a really good section on this, which is nicely laid out with good illustrations (it may have changed in the last while as I the copy I have is pretty old, now).

I'd love to hear what other people do, and what specific things you look for, etc. in your horses' hooves.

Just on your point about the shoe being long at the heel - its often a necessity to have the shoe longer than usual at the heel. Rem in some cases, esp with horses that have under-run heels/navicular sympthoms etc the tendency is to move the shoe back under the hoof so that the shoe is longer at the heel, protecting the heel and taking the strain/impact away from the horse's heel, navicular etc. This i know as my jumper has literally no heels and navicular signs for over 5 years now and for all this part his shoes have had to be long at the heel. he's also worn a combination of eggbar shoes and pads over the years. He's only ever pulled the shoe off once, but thats nothing unusual as it can happen just as well with normal shoeing. Thankfully this type of shoeing works for him and he's had next to no lameness since my farrier started to shoe him this way!

togster

I agree with your point regarding leaving the shoe longer at the heel for horses with signs of navicular. However it is a delicate process and can often further aggrevate the problem.

MDFM

togster wrote: »

I agree with your point regarding leaving the shoe longer at the heel for horses with signs of navicular. However it is a delicate process and can often further aggrevate the problem.

in my case though i'm lucky to say that it's being a success and i'd go down the same route again if i had to. 5 years he's being sound with no deterioration in the navicular since, so happy days!

convert

I think it obviously depends on the situation.... You're really lucky that it works for you. It's not an option for me as my horses do a lot of fast work where the likelihood of an over-reach is much higher than in other sports. I've also seen a horse somersault out hunting and get a nasty fall, with the rider ending up in hospital, because the shoes were too long at the heel and when it was gallopping and pulled it off. Moreover, as togster says it can aggrevate the situation. But if it works for you then that's great. Hope you get at least another 5 years with your horse!

MDFM

Well, yea, i'm aware of such risks as regards hunting & my farrier did warn me to not hunt or event the horse because of the shoes. this is something i didnt argue with as my passion for hunting died a few years ago with a whip lash injury which i still suffer from.
but that aside, i'm lucky to have an excellent master farrier and he knows best. he knows the horse well and has often seen him in competition and is always able to advise me on the shoeing he deems necessary for the horse. But he's just an individual (ie the horse) and my other horses are shod differently to him aswell, so each to their own. shoeing is something i do take an interest in though, i suppose it arises from the dealings i've had to get my navicular horse to where he is today. i'm amazed though still about how little attention some people i know pay to the importance of shoeing and how beneficial and vitally important shoeing is not only to the performance of the horse but to its well being!

togster

OK guys.

I have a 5 y o Irish horse that i bought for very chancy money

Beautiful horse with a step to die for. So why so cheap? Well he couldn't jump in Ireland. Literally couldn't round over the fences. Was afraid of poles. I took him to Sweden. Dosed him, de-loused him and fed him really well, he got vaccinated aswell. So basically he has turned inside out. He is no longer afraid of people, he has started to develop a sparkle in his eye. I started lunging him with elastics and he has developed some back muscles and low and behold he can jump. His mother jumped for ireland.

Here's my question? Anyone have any ideas on pole work to help him round over a fence. Yesterday was his first time to jump on the lunge. He did actually make a shape. He couldn't klunge before- he was petrified :mad:

So all in all i am so proud of the horse but i need to take him to the next level. Make him think for himself, develop his common sense and sense of self- Sometimes he forgets where his legs are. Anyone relate?

So exercises people! or suggestions or any ideas. I think i am on to a good one here and would love to shove it in the bastards face who almost sold him to the factory for being a "cnut".

Thanks

MDFM

Have you tried to loose jump him? Often a good way of getting them to think for themselves. Are you riding him yet?

togster

MDFM wrote: »

Have you tried to loose jump him? Often a good way of getting them to think for themselves. Are you riding him yet?

Yes i am riding him most days. Very easy and relaxed. Carries himself well and has good balance (most of the time). He has very long legs and is still weak despite our best efforts.

I haven't loose jumped him yet. He panics. I have introduced some loose lunging over poles on the ground and he is petrified of anyone in the arena. On the lunge he is much better. Has started focusing on himself rather than the person in the middle.

MDFM

Have you tried riding him with another horse in the arena for a little while? We broke a 4 year before xmas, who had the sweetest temperament, but ask her to do anything on her own and she'd get into a panic and upset, just didnt understand any command. she had the right attitude, but at times was so enthusiastic about doing stuff she ended up confusing herself even more. So we brought out one of the more experienced horses for a while and rode her behind him. We just let her follow him at her own pace with very little interference from the rider. Then we put down the poles on the ground and she followed the older horse over them. we got her jumping a very small (50-60cm) jump then and once she could follow the other horse she learned very quickly and soon settled. Then we took the other horse away after a short while - trick is only have the older horse present as a guide for a short while, just enough for the youngster to cop on as to what he/she is expected to do and without getting too reliant on the other horse as a guide. Within a few days anyway, the 4 year was quite happy to pop a few more poles (v small) on her own. Don't make it too complicated for your horse. I'm sure he's trying to please you but it just hasnt twigged with him yet what it is he's supposed to be doing! Maybe the more variety you add to his routine he might start to mature a bit quicker?

k_d

togster wrote: »

OK guys.


Here's my question? Anyone have any ideas on pole work to help him round over a fence. Yesterday was his first time to jump on the lunge. He did actually make a shape. He couldn't klunge before- he was petrified :mad:

So exercises people! or suggestions or any ideas. I think i am on to a good one here and would love to shove it in the bastards face who almost sold him to the factory for being a "cnut".

Thanks

when lungeing and jumping have you used trotting poles or anything in front of main fence?

even when your riding him this would be good, when he knows its the correct distance and he knows hell be right for main fence it will help him in time round a bit better, give him more confidence so to speak.

spottykatt

Grid work, grid work and more grid work! I would do it all loose to let him find own balace and start really tiny with just one wee fence with place pole in front, then add pole behind and gradually build up to a small bounce followed by maybe one stride and another all with place poles. I found this kind of gymnastic work really fab for building their athleticism(sp?) and confidence. Key is to really take your time with adding poles/fences really wait till he superconfident before adding on and I would keep fences small till confidence/technique improves. Also needless to say need to be accurate on measuring the distances for place poles etc cause they need to act as a help rather than hinder! Best of luck with it;)

johnny_g

by the sounds of things you are on the right line but maybe rushing the jumping side of things a bit... remember that you have to re-programe the way he thinks about jumping, as he seems to be in a habit of skiting over them.... concentrate on improving his balance, outline, carrage and impulsion on the flat untill he is fully confident with his new way of going... you say he is still weak... so he still needs to build up more strength before he can jump at ease... when he is comfortable and supple in his back and neck, his shape over fences should improve naturally.... take your time... dont jump to often untill he is confident and strong enough in his new way of going...

use placing poles before fence so he lowers his head to look at them and think about where he is going to take off from ...
guiding poles placed like this / \ onto the poles can help the horse to focus on the task at hand, lower his head and neck and make a better shape....

as said already gridwork and loose jumping is good for youngsters... although if he is a worrier dont over do either...

also im not sure what stage or how confident he is, but when he is comfortably jumping in canter i find a low front bar, and a higher back bar in a spread helps to improve roundness... like a triple bar without the middle pole... but start with it low and narrow, and gradually widen the spread and higher the back pole, if he is ready this should make him throw some shapes... but whatever you do keep them low untill he is ready to go higher in his new outline, or you risk frightening him and causing him to rush or panic at fences, which will not help your cause at all.!

ell

"He has very long legs and is still weak despite our best efforts."

Sorry don't understand - he is weak at jumping or his legs are weak?

"I haven't loose jumped him yet. He panics. I have introduced some loose lunging over poles on the ground and he is petrified of anyone in the arena. On the lunge he is much better. Has started focusing on himself"

Possibly the reason he's going over jumps with his body really tense and not softening and bending is cos he is still really mentally tense and afraid going over fences (which would match up with the panicking you mentioned).

I got a horse last year in goresbridge who would walk find over anything, but ask for the tiniest trot, even over just a pole on the ground and you got the blind panic, bolting, nerves, galloping over pole like a pancake etc.

I reckon maybe with your horse if you can get him mentally happy around and over jumps (i.e. not scared of them anymore) then he wont tense he body up and pancake over them any more either.

I wrote up how I retrained my guy (took a few weekends work), he's a lovely pop now on the buckle. Not sure if its useful or not, but I'll try to find it then post it up here.

I hope you prove them wrong too

ell

40. Speed jumping 02 Apr 2007.

It had been a gloriously sunny day in south Tipperary. A warm wind had been blowing through the fields, to it was wonderful to feel the sunshine on your skin. It was the kind of day to sit on a chair outside in the shade with a cool drink and a good book. The dog was in top form, panting heavily in the unusual heat, looking for someone to play rugby with. Ozzie had been sighted earlier that morning lying down on the horizon, enjoying the unusually hot weather. Over the last few weeks we had going well so the plan now was to introduce a pole on the ground and ask him to walk and trot gently over it. It sounded simple on paper anyway.

Ozzie could walk and trot nicely on a loose rope for a few circles either direction, and I knew from before that after a look or two, he was fine walking over a pole on the groundwork, forwards and backwards.

I asked him to walk a circle, and as he came round I had positioned him so he’d have to walk over the pole on a loose rein. No bother at all. He was relaxed and happy, walked over the pole a few times and then I gave him a rub and a rest as a thank you.

At this stage, with no issues moving nicely over the pole in walk, it was time to make the circle a little bigger and ask him to trot slowly around, including a nice trot over the pole.

Like in the walk, I was looking for a nice relaxed, movement over the pole, as if the pole wasn’t even there. If I knew he could do a pole on the ground well, then I could start thinking about doing the same in the saddle, working up towards trotting nicely over a few cross poles at the end of the summer. At the minute I just wanted to build really good simple foundations. And this is where things started to go off plan.

I asked Ozzie to walk over the pole again, which was fine. Then I asked him softly to trot. He broke into a nice trot, but once he came back around towards the jump, he began to panic and speed up.

One lap later he was still speeding up, and was now doing a defensive worried canter. And he kept getting more panicked and faster. I stood in the middle of the circle, completely still, watching. Ozzie was going so fast, in a very small circle, He was starting to tilt inwards, quickly getting dangerously close to falling over sideways. And this was just a pole on the ground, not even a jump.

Time for plan B I thought.

I asked him to stop, and he came back into me immediately, stressed and trembling, and I spent a minute or two calming him down.

When he started getting faster, my first plan was just to let him do what he wanted, and when I started to see him slow down, I’d ask him to stop altogether. The idea being he’d understand that I wanted him to go over the jump slowly, not like a rocketship.

The problem with that plan was that he wasn’t getting any slower, and it was getting a bit dangerous. So I needed another plan. And I had figured out what was causing the issue.

Because he was polite and mannerly in every other aspect, this wasn’t due to dominant behaviour.

He was happy walking and backing over poles, so it wasn’t because it Ozzie was scared of poles.

It wasn’t because of anything a rider was doing, because there was no rider onboard. The interesting part is that he was perfect walking over the pole, but only panicked when asked to trot or move faster than a walk over it.
He wasn’t bolting over fences because he was sore or a bad jumper or spooky or bolshy. Simply, he was bolting over fences because it was very likely his last owners had taught him to.

Ireland isn’t that well known for its dressage, but it is renowned for its showjumping & crosscountry horses. Young horses that jump well (read 'high' sometimes) can sell for a lot of money. So there’s been a huge focus over the last few years in jumping young unbroken horses over large fences, so the potential buyer can see how well the jump.

Sometimes this can go a bit wrong if the main focus is put on how high the horse can jump, rather than how well he can jump. And to clear a high jump, you’d often want a good fast canter into it, particularly if it was a really high jump.

So its not unusual to see little horses trying to jump big fences at a flat out gallop at sales. To be honest, up to this stage Ozzie hadn’t really shown me anything he’d been taught previously, aside from not liking people much, so I guess the previous owner had done a bit of jumping like this with Ozzie.

I didn’t want to own an uncontrollable rocket though. And rockets don’t jump over fences. They tend to blast straight through them. HHHmmmmm I thought. I’ll need to come up with a plan to fix this.

********************

Ozzie needed some retraining. He thought that like his previous owners, I wanted him to gallop over jumps and pelt over them like a pancake. So that was what he was doing.

What I needed was some way to explain to Ozzie when he started to get fast that I actually wanted him to slow down again. I thought back to my days teaching young riders to jump, and to give them confidence for their first few jumps, and to keep them safe and onboard, I used (to the delight of the nervous riders) jog over the jump a few times with them. After this once they had got their seat and steering in order I’d pretend to collapse, smile and say I’d done my best and they were on their own now, and stand in a strategic position whenever the ponies tended to cut corners, and watch the progress from there. It worked a treat.

The other instructors thought I was crazy and that I did too much for the children, but I ended up with confident riders, who had courage and good seats and the important safety net early on. It was also good to warm you up on a cold day.

So I started to think could I help my horse over the pole like I helped those young riders over the fences? Could I keep him safe, build his confidence, and be right there with him explaining exactly what I wanted him to do? I reckoned it was worth a shot.

********************

Later on I caught Ozzie and brought him over to the pole in the centre of the paddock. He had a sniff and a nibble, and then caught it in his mouth and lifted one end of it up into the air. He wasn’t scared of it anyway which was good.

I got him walking over it on a loose rein, and he was fine again.
After a few minutes of this, I started to increase my energy a little, hoping to get a more energetic walk out of him. This he did. The issue still was though when I passed the energy threashold in Ozzie’s head and it looked like a walk was going to turn into a trot, he started to worry and like before speeded up straight away into a few bouncy canter strides.

Firstly, I was only going to ask him to go over the fence once.

After each time, he would either be given a rest if we went over the pole quietly, or he’d be brought back to a walk if he bounced his back over the pole.

When his energy levels used to go up, I make my energy levels go down. Horses do tend to mirror your energy so I hoped it would help to reassure him I didn’t want him to do the speed stakes.

Every time he walked calmly over the fence, he got a rest and a rub and his energy levels lowered again. I wanted to work on his mind, because if I could lower his anxiousness and worry, his body would slow down too.

So we alternated between nice calm walks over the pole, to canter bounces when I fractionally increased my energy. The whole time I worked on lowering his energy and giving him confidence.

Ozzie had been trained so well to do it wrong, it was going to take a while to train him how to do it right and not to automatically panic.

After about twenty minutes, he had calmed down overall again, and the bouncy canter was getting less frequent. What I was looking for one was any kind movement that resembled a slow easy trot over the pole. This would be what I had been working towards for the whole session. We did a few more passes over the pole, and I raised my energy a fraction.

Just before the pole, Ozzie broke into a slow bouncy elevated trot, trotted over it like an Arabian on a loose rope, and then stopped quietly when I asked him to. No canter bounces, no rushing off, no panic.

Bingo. I undid the halter, took it off him in one action and immediately stepped away from him, all in about four seconds since he had trotted for the first time over the pole without panicked forward movement.

He looked at me as if to say ‘was that it?’

Then he wandered off, ate a few blades of grass, then took off at a Arabian gallop with his tail high up to the top of the paddock to where Pepsi had been watching. It was a good training session, the first of a few which Ozzie will need to fix the issue, and hopefully he will ponder over it for the week until I see him again.

***********************************

Next weekend I was back down from Dublin. Top of my list along with some riding, was to practise our slow jumping again.

Ozzie four biggest issues he came with were that he was

• Didn’t like to be touched
• Impossible to catch
• His feet couldn’t be picked up
• He bolted over all jumps

All of these were down to a lack or previous training, a distrust of humans for reasons unknown, or in the case of the jumping, probbaly a little mis-training.

Saturday was a soft day. Light rain had been falling from the higher clouds all morning, and when it stopped just before lunch, I put on my coat, muckers and gloves and headed out to Ozzie to see how his trot over a pole would be today.

To be honest I wasn’t expecting much. He had shown a fair bit of panic when I asked him to trot quietly over a pole last weekend, so I was ready for lots of confidence giving, reassurance, and patience from me, while I waited for Ozzie to do the one easy trot over the pole which I was looking for today.

I headed out, ducked under the fence into the paddock, and headed over towards the pole. Ozzie spotted me immediately, and walked with me as I headed towards the far side of the paddock. We do like each other’s company a lot. And I’m always good for a few laughs and a bit of banter, and Oz likes having someone to do stuff with.

Over at the pole I changed it to a different position to last week, and then haltered Oz. A few rubs, and we were off. Oz with chilled out and relaxed, and each time I asked him, he walked beautifully over the pole, stopping after each attempt for me to tell him how wonderful and brave I thought he was.

We did this about five times, so the next time I asked him to walk again, and then started to increase my energy a little, and added a few vocal clicks, to give him a cue that I wanted him to increase the pace a little. His walk became a little more forward moving, and again he walked nicely over the pole. I asked him to stop a few steps later, and in he came for more rubs and praise. I was still looking for that trot though.

A minute later and I asked him again to circle around him on a loose rope, and as he moved around I cued him into a light trot. This was about his seventh time going over the pole this morning, and only about four or five minutes into our lesson. He picked up an easy trot, trotted over the pole loosely, continue on for a few strides afterwards, and I asked him to stop. He did immediately, and can back into me for rubs and praise.

We had done it!!!!!!! What had taken the bones of three quarters of an hour last weekend, and had five minutes today. As he stood beside me, I immediately took off his halter, gave him a rub and stepped away from him, walking back towards the house.

The idea I was trying to communicate to him was that I wanted him to trot slowly over the pole, and each time he did it he would get a HUGE reward – i.e. the lesson would immediately finish and he would be free again to do whatever he wanted.

Of course the fruitcake immediately started to follow me, so maybe he didn’t want the lesson to finish! I gave him lots of rubs and praise as he stood beside me with a big grin on his face. I was so proud of him. There’s still a few more weeks work on to do this, but because of my actions, Ozzie was starting to realise than unlike his previous trainers, I just wanted him to move slowly and confidently over a fence, and he didn’t need to panic or worry anymore.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Added: In total I did about 3 or 4 weekends work on this, with maybe 3 sessions on the ground each day. Whenever I saw a small improvement, I gave him a rest. Whenever I saw a bigger than normal improvement, I grabbed the headcollar off his and let him go free straight away. Then I gave him a few hours off to think about things and came out again later and repeated it all. He's gone from a scared rocket to a quite a nicer jumper with a nice easy pop at whatever gait you ask. Its probably not any help but there you go It wasn't about how big the jump was or anything, it was just about changing how he viewed them, and demonstrating there was no need to be scared of them anymore.

GOOD LUCK.

togster

Some coincidence that the horse i'm talking about is also called Ozzie....Wierd:eek:

Thanks for the post ell. He's getting much better. Taking it very slow and being very patient.

ell

He'll be a good horse then togster

togster

OK a boring subject now

Worming your horse, how often and what do you use.

In my experience it is often very important to check what worms the dose works on. We had a bad case of red-worm in Ireland a few years ago where several horses died as a result of bad worming against red-worm.

equi-valan mainly, however its important to change the products that you use as otherwise the parasites can becomg immune to it. We would never use the same product more then twice in a row (and rarely then).

skink

its not the products you have to change, it is the active ingredient for example, panacur has fenbendazole as its active ingrediant, the other most popular active ingredient is ivermectin, so always make sure when changing brand, you are in fact changing the active ingredient,

to support my worming programme, i also get egg counts done on faeces, i get it for free, but it only costs 13 euro, or if you a good microbiologist with the right equipment.

blood tests on horses can also show up a chronic parasitic infection, hope this was some help!

needadvice

This is an interesting thread.

Its a great idea to swap knowledge and experience.

Can you put in order the things you would prioritise in your horse care management.

For example in terms of spending your precious time and money what are the areas of horse care that come first for you. Also which things do you feel once put in action take care of themselves.

I think it could be very helpful to new or prospective owners to get a feel for the reality of owning your own horse.

I'll list my top 3.....

feed/grazing
worming
feet


love to get some feedback:)

MDFM

i 2nd that, also to add to it
-general wellbeing, appearance,'happy horse' so to speak
-fitness & exercise, suppleness, muscle tone & flexibilty - keeping a routine but adding variety as often as possible.

can't think of anything else,not long in from a show and my body aches!!!

convert

Slight change of topic here; it more follows on from togster's question re. care of the hoof... Care of the leg

What do you look for in a horse's lower leg (say, for example, if you were buying a horse and could only look at it, or check it by hand, leaving aside scans, etc.)?
How often do you check the legs for heat, injuries, etc.?
How well do you 'know' your horse's leg - i.e. would you notice any minor swelling or the tiniest bit of heat, or a small nick?


Don't think I've put this very eloquently, but hopefully you get what I mean.

needadvice

ok convert I am abit of an anorak about legs, How well should you know your horses legs........inside out.

Its avery good idea to familiarise yourself with the anatomy of the lower leg the lay out of tendons suspensory ligaments and their relationship to the joints above and below. I'm being scary now, I firmly believe that good horsemanship stems more from time spent with each animal and instinctive connection its an art backed by science.

Simply put I would run my hand over a horses legs daily and the contours become like a well known landscape it is your very best guide you will notice any change that arises. However i mean this as daily routine and not bizarre paranoa.

Purchasing I would look for

Super feet
A nicely sloped pasterns...upright can be very jarring
strong well proportioned fetlocks and knees symmetrical and well balnced
short clean cannon bone with clearly defined clean tendons
good movement


thats a start anyway:p

needadvice

I just reread togsters post on worming and realise that I rather rudely by passed it.

Worming is an interesting topic everyone seems to differ. I worm with fenbendazole every six weeks and use ivermectin in injectable form every six months and dose against tape worm spring and autumn. So in other words jan ivermectin
every 6 weeks fenbendazole
April tapeworm
every 6 weeks fenbendazole
July ivermectin
every six weeks fenbendazole
Sept tapewowrm
every 6 weeks fenbendazole
Dec ivermectin:P

fits

Isnt there a lot of redworm resistance to fenbendazole? So afaik its only really useful if administered for 5 successive days to treat encysted redworm?

Open to correction on that.

Wish we had a worm counting service here. The ones in the UK seem very handy.

needadvice

Yeah have to agree with that there is definitely a serious threat of resistance. However the six monthly shot of ivermectin sorts it out. Important to initiate the programme with the ivermectin. I have seen the results of the resistance you refer to and its a mess.

This is why worming is such an interesting subject. There is so much anecdotal evidence and all of it is relevant.

I do work closely with my vet on the subject cause it is tricky.

kick-on

hav ye ever tried using ivomec with your horses? i bought a cob a couple of years ago who was riddled with worms and lice, gav him an injection of ivomec and a eqvalan worm dose (dont bother with weight just throw d whole lot into them), he turned inside out and when i broke him he made a briliant hunter

AngelicRaindrop

I'm probably old school but my vet long ago told me i should never worm a horse too often, at most every 12 weeks unless it is loosing condition inwhich case its more often and then like said before change the type of wormer i use, never had a problem with it since and the few times i have had the feacial test it has come back with a low enough worm count.

Also guys who here actually keeps their horses confined after a worm dose? i normally either keep them stabled or in one of the smaller unused paddocks for a few days after.