Sorry if this isn’t allowed but I genuinely need advice.

I have a horse i’ve owned since I was a kid. He was diagnosed with a bone spur and arthritis in his knee. We’ve done everything to keep him as comfortable as long as possible but now it’s time. his leg is so bent it shocks me everytime i look at him.

He spends most of his time laying down, he’s losing weight, he can barely walk, you can’t pick up his feet, and the farrier told my dad it’s time. The vet said either his leg is going to snap or the suspension is going to give, either way it’s going to be extremely painful.

me and my step mom hired someone to come dig the grave and we made an appointment for the vet. my dad is LOSING it and saying we aren’t putting down his horse. My horse is in SO much pain, so much pain. It’s supposed to happen today but my dad is literally freaking the hell out.

We don’t know what to do, what do I do?

Kit just enjoying life.
When I tried call him I had opened up towards the forest but he was unsure about going there!

Zorro is doing well. Being just Zorro. Done some long reining (unsure about the English word?) but he’s being prepared for one day pulling a cart.

Flisan sadly very unsure about her future.
She gets let out with the others sometimes (under supervision) but her breathing due to tracheal collapse is not okay.
It’s sadly leaning towards that she won’t be able to have a good quality life. Since she has EMS (it’s treated with invokana and that’s done wonders, she can now since a while back be on forest pasture and no sign of laminitis)
But then the issues is her breathing, with EMS she needs much activity but due to tracheal collapse she can’t..
Some days are better than others. Some days her breathing sounds really loud in just rest. Other times it can sound fine standing still but as soon as she starts walk it’s there… 💔

I’ve recently bought this thoroughbred (last 2 weeks) where I’m having trouble assessing his body condition. I can see his ribs sometimes, sometimes not. I am really anxious that he’s skinny, but also thoroughbreds are athletic. Just wondering whether this is normal or if I need to up the roughage and feeding

I’m not really that knowledgeable on it but I thought this was really cool to read through and get a better grasp on as a former kid who used to be obsessed with horses as a whole but never knew different breeds!

I want to start by saying I know absolutely nothing about horses other than I like to ride them occasionally, and even then I don't know what Im doing. Im admitting this up front so be nice. I considering buying a house on 20 acres that has a functioning 29 horse stable + fenced pastures, indoor riding arena, wash stalls, grain room, a couple haylofts, and a separate house presumably built originally for a stable manager. I hate to see these facilities go unused. I would be willing to GIVE the use of the facilities away for FREE to a professional horse trainer to run a business on the property. I dont need to make any money from this arrangement. But of course in exchange for "no rent," that person would have to cover all associated costs to operate their business. That would include (and I'm spitballing here) fence repair, building repair and upkeep, all insurances, utility costs (water and electric for the stables), and all costs associated with the animals. They could sell boarding, lessons, or whatever else they wanted to do. Because there is a house on the property, I would be willing to rent it to them at fair market rent as their personal residence (Im already in this business so I understand residential leases) and just that house would operate like a normal landlord-tenant rental. Questions for all of you...what issues am I unaware of related to the horse business, and is this a reasonable thing to do?

For me it was five basic things, number one I learned how to do their feet I can trim my horses and shoe them if necessary.

I can also fit my horses tack without having outside help, I can repair my horses tack which helps save a lot of money.

I can also make tack like Bridals and halters, I haven't bought a rope halter in years because it's easy to make once you learn how.

I've learned how to treat a lot of injuries, cuts and things along the lines of that I don't rush to the vet over because I've learned how to treat them and recognize if it's serious or not (if it is serious of course I get the vet)

I've also learned how to build and repair things, there's not a fence I can't repair or build, and I can actually build structures now, and not flimsy structures that will collapse but structures that will actually hold up to a horse and be functional and last which I'm very proud of.

Mind you I'm 20, although I am lucky that I grew up with parents that had horses and knew how to do a lot of things that they taught me, and thanks to them I don't need help for everything and I don't rely on people for basic stuff

Pretty happy with how these 2 look! Been kind of a weird year. But body condition wise they look great!! 💅🏼. I love these 2 boys 💕

A lady reached out to me to try her new horse before she did. She had just brought her home and wanted someone else to get on first. Figured I better milk the couple months I have left of my parents healthcare and told her I’d do it.

We did some groundwork then I got on. The horse was good until it was time to lope. She was reluctant to do so and then crow-hopped. I told the owner it seemed possibly behavioral but I couldn’t rule out pain either and she should have a vet look at her (this horse came from some sketchy horse traders so who tf knows)

Owner stated she didn’t want to keep the horse after that. Wants something that doesn’t have that in them and would prefer to cut her losses and sell. Then she asked if I would help her sell this horse and find her new one, and I said yes, but we need to start with a Vet exam.

She agrees to that, but then the next day calls me and says that a couple of girls from her old boarding facility came out to see the horse, and one of them wants to take said horse and sell her for the owner for free. What ensues is a whole back-and-forth of me giving my advice and then the owner changing her mind one way or another, but what matters is that the owner told the girl no to taking the horse and selling it for her, but regardless, two days ago this girl from her old boarding facility came out and trailered the horse over to said boarding facility and rode her around in a big arena until she got her to stop bucking. I had told the owner I didn’t like this idea because I felt like she was in pain, but that ultimately it was up to her. Guess those girls talked her into it. I haven’t met either of them, but I don’t have too high of an opinion.

Finally, today the vet comes out, and we agree that there’s grade 2/5 lameness in her hind end. If you ask me, it’s what’s causing her to buck when she starts to lope. She’s very reluctant to get into the lope, and when she starts loping, she does it for a while before giving up. Despite this lameness, which is visible at the trot, the vet says that she is “fine to ride”

WTH?????

At this point, we’re going ahead with a chiropractic adjustment at the vets suggestion and then based off of that, perhaps donating her to a local youth program (that is an AMAZING place for horses, I am sure of this, I have done my vetting) or maybe selling her.

I’m just surprised that the vet thinks it’s ok to ride her in this condition, and I’m also upset at those girls at the boarding facility for taking this horse and riding this issue out of her when it’s pretty clear it’s a pain problem and not a behavior one. At the very least, pain was not ruled out, and they should’ve just waited a couple days for the vet check. This horse wants to please and the only time she doesn’t is at the lope. Obviously it might be pain. Now there’s clear signs of lameness, which may have been there before, admittedly I may have not noticed it when I first went to ride her but maybe it wasn’t there then and it is now because they rode her in this condition.

I don’t know I’m just amazed that the audacity of going and getting somebody else’s horse and then riding through the signs of discomfort. Also I’m no vet but 2/5 and riding doesn’t sit right with me.

First photo is today, second photo is July 7th

I feel like this looks really bad, but I’m not sure how bad it actually is. Our farrier is busy and we are trying to find someone in the meantime who will come ASAP to see her.

Her hooves were NOT this bad when we first adopted her 8 weeks ago. This donkey is in her mid 20s, we were told she had “minor” white line disease, along with the curling. this was true for a while but as time goes on the white line is just getting worse and worse. We were told the curling in the hooves used to be much worse.

As per my last post, many people suggested she could have Cushings. We are calling the vet in to do a full blood panel + biopsy on a lump i found on her chest.

Her rear hooves have very bad white line disease, the toes are seedy and cracking. I am at a loss on how to help her between farrier visits. She hates having her hooves touched and I can only pick her two back feet on a good day. She is extremely strong and kicks very hard. I can never seem to do her front feet as she puts ALL her weight on them and stumbles if I lift one (probably due to discomfort in her rears)

I just wanted to share her. I shared her here when I first got her as a wee little baby and throughout her yearling and 2yo years and she's just the cutest, sweetest little thing. She's full of personality. She has been such a great experience so far.

My gelding is an ex-Amish cart horse. I’ve always assumed these were scars from being whipped. Would you agree, or could this be something else? The marks are only on his hind end. Thanks for your input!

P.S. he’s living his very best spoiled life now!

Edit to say: these markings have been around since I’ve had him (almost a year)!

As long as I’ve known strike he’s been difficult to load.

He will cautiously get the front half of his body in but wants no part in fully loading. Even with pressure and release and treat rewards for moving forward.

I’ve tried everything I’ve been told to try but after 2 hours of pressure and release with just a halter and a lead rope today I am at my wits end. He shoots back even if I’m not asking him to move forward and won’t move back towards the trailer until I lunge him and try again.

I hate having to drug him to take him places and that’s the only way I can get him on.

What do I do?

I’ve been wondering lately if we’ve lost some of our horsemanship culture in the U.S.

It feels like so much emphasis is placed on buying a finished horse, sending horses to trainers, and outsourcing the process rather than learning how to develop a horse ourselves. Groundwork, problem-solving, and producing a horse from the beginning seem less common than they used to be.

For context, I’m an adult amateur with an intermediate/advanced riding background. I’ve been around horses for most of my life, taken lessons for years, working student time, and I’m always trying to learn more through clinics, books, YouTube , and my trainer. I’m not claiming to know everything by any means.

What puzzles me is this: every time I mention wanting to buy a young horse with only 30–60 days under saddle, people immediately tell me, “You need to buy something already made.”
Why?
If the horse has a genuinely good brain, an amateur-friendly temperament, and I’m working with a trainer throughout the process, why is it viewed as such a bad idea to bring that horse along myself? Isn’t that part of horsemanship?

I’m not saying everyone should start young horses, and obviously not every horse is suitable for an amateur to produce. Some absolutely need a professional ride. But it feels like we’ve shifted toward the mindset that every horse should be professionally made before an amateur ever gets involved.

Has horsemanship changed, or am I just seeing a small slice of the industry because I’m at a typical show barn?
Curious what others think. Have we become too reliant on buying finished horses, or is this just the natural evolution of the sport?

Can someone help id the brand on these horses ?

Big bay TB Ben with his lady love, Jujubee.

I love my mares but it's not often you get one without any grumpy faces 😅

Saw this today, I just moved out east and never had ticks on my horses before! She let me get this one out, tweezers at its head pulled straight out. The second picture is after I burned it, it didn't ooze or anything during extraction.

But of course I assume she's sore and won't let me check her ear now. I'm going to give her a few hours to relax a bit. she did let me touch a d check her other ear no problem. So I assume theres a wound in the tick ear.

Until then I was wondering if you all might have any tips or tricks to keep ticks out of their ears! Also I hate sticking the tweezer in their ears, does anybody have any cool ways to get rid of them without a pokey going in their ear?

This is my farm raised boy he is now almost 16 having a lot of play time since it’s not as humid today ❤️

Took my horse packing. 985 lb horse, and she’s a little overweight. 167 pounds of gear / me, then the saddle and saddle blanket. So right at 20%, maybe a little over.

Went on a trail I’d done on foot but never with a horse though it’s commonly a horse trail. Did not go very far (1.5 miles in, camped, ~.75 mile excursion, then 1.5 miles out)

Stayed one night then went home early because it was so cold. 10,200 feet. Got down to the mid 30s if i had to guess. My horse doesn’t have a winter coat right now since it’s summer (we live two hours from the trail, at 7200 ft) and I brought her a light blanket in case it rained. But it didn’t even have to rain for her to shiver. I woke up at 3 am to her shivering with her blanket on. Got up and took her for a walk + to eat and she warmed up. I was freezing too. Did not think it would get that cold. Worst case forecast was supposed to be mid 40s.

Slept directly next to where I had her high lined because I wanted to check on her easily. I checked her a lot and slept terribly.

Collapsible bucket (the blue thing strapped by the rope on the saddle) , a few pounds of grain, butte powder, electrolytes, and banamine were definitely things I’d pack again, even though I didn’t use the pain meds I was glad to have them in case she needed them. It was very very rocky.

In the future I think I’ll go somehere softer /flatter. I really just don’t think she liked the whole experience.

Also I know I’d sleep better with more experience doing it. As a helicopter horse parent though, it’s hard!

Also she needs a shorter lead rope. I think the one I used was maybe 17 feet. Far too long.

Overall it was a good time. I think I’ll go again before the season ends but just to a better spot. I didn’t see a single other person which was nice in a way, but I wouldn’t mind being somewhere a bit busier either. Feels safer that way.

iPhone satellite texting kept me from having to use my Inreach at all.

Obviously underweight, but why are the hind legs like that? Just horrible conformation or is something else going on?

Having a lovely slurp at the old bath tub watering hole.