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the horse from hell!

13K views 73 replies 44 participants last post by  Dani9192 
#1 ·
...or atleast her tail is. my 2yr old Belle, has this HORRIBLE tail. its LONG, THICK, and.... SPIRAL! it lays about 1" on the ground, but the hair is so spiraly/curly, that it winds around itself. not like its tangled, but its in ropes of hair just swirled around itself. i guess i have to get some pics to show you guys, but its annoying. no matter how much i brush it or put product in it, as soon as the brush is through the hair, it twists back up! it looks like i never brush her tail! :evil: anyone have a horse like this? im really fed up!
 
#29 ·
ehhh well im ready to have rocks thrown at me but i actually forgot about this post lol....

anyway, no her feet were not trimmed. she was turned out on pasture rest and was barefoot to wear her feet down to where she felt they were comfortable. she is now back at the racetrack and is jogging barefoot for a week to make sure they are wore down to where they were comfortable for her, and then she will be shod. sorry guys, i know its not what you want to hear, but its what we do. my broodmare has been on pasture for 4yrs now, and has never had her feet trimmed.... our pastures get pretty hard and my mare keeps walking regularly, so her feet wear down to where there are good for her.
 
#30 ·
My horses don't have shoes. My appy doesn't need them, her's break off naturally, and they are mostly even. My mini has NEVER had hoof problems. They always stay perfect. My paint however, has had shoes becuase he just has bad feet. I don't know if it is hereditary or what, but they are horrible! He stays on supplements all the time. His front feet are always worse, we get shoes on him when we can afford it and know we will be riding him, but mostly, no. He will always have feet trouble, sometimes he even throws shoes!
 
#33 ·
painting feet with reducine, or venise terpentine is great for bad feet. also a biotin supplement is the best (we have a horse we just got, he had a quarter crack on every foot. 2 of them were so bad they were infected and he had started wall separation from them!)
 
#31 ·
My old mare's tail does that, too. I just use one half white vinegar and one half whatever conditioner you want to use, put them in a clean squeeze bottle, shake it good and use that. It's a great detangler and it smells good, too! (Not to mention helps to keep flies away!) But yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about with the little spiral curls. Hehehehhe
 
#32 ·
The two QH yearlings tails I am training are like that too...I usually just leave them alone, unless I am conditioning them; then I thoroughly brush them through, then condition, and let them alone again...They knot up more when I mess with them more...so I just use my fingers for the most part, on daily grooms, but otherwise let them alone.
 
#35 ·
My grandparents horse never saw the farrier in her 23+ years of life and never had problems. Anytime they got long, they would just break off and wear down to a nice length. So while not ideal, it's fine as long as they don't start getting too long
ugh i need to take a pic of them tomorrow. they are beautiful! nicely trimmed and rounded well and she did it all by herself :)
 
#36 · (Edited)
Sorry, but I'm thoroughly disgusted. Are you guys for real?! You NEVER have a farrier out?! I don't care HOW "nicely" they crack off to a "comfortable" length...that's neglect in my books. Same as feed and water, horses NEED a farrier...not optional. It's not like your horses have a magic hoof file out in the pasture to trim themselves to their "comfortable" length, you make it sound like they not only enjoy but prefer having overgrown and unmaintained feet. *gags*

Want to see what happens when I don't get a farrier out regularly? (This is of my filly after being allowed to "chip them off herself" until she was 14 months old...did her a world of good eh? Since I bought her as a yearling she's had regular trims every 6-8 weeks and has since grown this chunk of hoof back and is sound...doubt that would've happened had I snuffed it off thinking she'll take care of it herself)


Do you ride the horses that are "out to pasture"? Even if you don't exersize them at all...at LEAST get them a trim every 3 months and that's pushing it. The idea that you're "trotting her out barefoot for a week" BEFORE you tend to those horrid looking feet is just not registering in my brain.

This pony is at least 6 months overdue for a trim...but instead of cracking off to a nice length, they're splaying outwards and curling up...


I have NO idea how you've not dealt with a lame horse by now and I hope for your horse's sake you reconsider your methods. If it's too costly, you have too many animals. Whatever your reasoning, I'm appauled, regardless of the present condition of her feet...the idea that you neglect them like that is just disturbing.
 
#37 ·
Sorry, but I'm thoroughly disgusted. Are you guys for real?! You NEVER have a farrier out?!did i say i never did? nope. my cousin is actually a ferrier.
I don't care HOW "nicely" they crack off to a "comfortable" length...that's neglect in my books. Same as feed and water, horses NEED a farrier...not optional. It's not like your horses have a magic hoof file out in the pasture to trim themselves to their "comfortable" length, you make it sound like they not only enjoy but prefer having overgrown and unmaintained feet. *gags* youre so right. all the horses in the wild line up for the ferrier when he comes to town!

Want to see what happens when I don't get a farrier out regularly? (This is of my filly after being allowed to "chip them off herself" until she was 14 months old...did her a world of good eh? Since I bought her as a yearling she's had regular trims every 6-8 weeks and has since grown this chunk of hoof back and is sound...doubt that would've happened had I snuffed it off thinking she'll take care of it herself) cant help someone cant take care of a horse and KNOW when there is something wrong. obviously, if her feet got bad, or she started walking lame, something would have been done.


Do you ride the horses that are "out to pasture"? Even if you don't exersize them at all...at LEAST get them a trim every 3 months and that's pushing it. The idea that you're "trotting her out barefoot for a week" BEFORE you tend to those horrid looking feet is just not registering in my brain. youre right, i neglect my horses so bad. man i really need to get a pic of her feet. her feet broke off perfectly out in pasture. had they not, she COULDNT jog because she wouldnt be able to break over properly and she would stumble. DUH.

This pony is at least 6 months overdue for a trim...but instead of cracking off to a nice length, they're splaying outwards and curling up...so why didnt that person get a ferrer? not my fault they cant notice when there is something wrong.


I have NO idea how you've not dealt with a lame horse by now and I hope for your horse's sake you reconsider your methods. shes not lame thanks.
If it's too costly, you have too many animals. doesnt cost me a penny to have my horses trimmed or shod
Whatever your reasoning, I'm appauled, regardless of the present condition of her feet...the idea that you neglect them like that is just disturbing. that was not her "present condition" when she left the paddock. like i said they broke down to where they were comfortable for her. she actually looks like she has just been trimmed, though she has not
 
#38 ·
lol, horses in the wild are so different.

It always makes me laugh when people compared domesticated horses kept in pastures to wild horses that roam hundreds and hundreds of miles and are always on the move. Running from predators. Running from a helicopter with someone inside it shooting at them because they were eating the cattle feed.

How anyone can compared a horse pasture kept within fences to a wild horses I don't know. I guess some people don't really "get" the difference.

I'm pretty sure there is a difference and no pasture, no matter how "hard" is going to work the same as a wild horse's nomadic ways though the wild.


Reading "feet broke off" just makes me cringe, regardless.
 
#39 ·
lol, horses in the wild are so different.

It always makes me laugh when people compared domesticated horses kept in pastures to wild horses that roam hundreds and hundreds of miles and are always on the move. Running from predators. Running from a helicopter with someone inside it shooting at them because they were eating the cattle feed.

How anyone can compared a horse pasture kept within fences to a wild horses I don't know. I guess some people don't really "get" the difference.

I'm pretty sure there is a difference and no pasture, no matter how "hard" is going to work the same as a wild horse's nomadic ways though the wild.


Reading "feet broke off" just makes me cringe, regardless.
well thats just too bad. my broodmare doesnt need a farrier. sorry. its not cruel, its not neglect, its nothing but a healthy footed horse. do i think every horse should be barefoot and not trimmed? no. not every horse has good feet. but a healthy horse with a healthy diet and good feet typically will not need a ferrier, especially if turned out on hard ground.

ETA: im not saying domesticated horses and wild are the same, but im explaining that horses feet break off and wear the way they are comfortable
 
#40 ·
ETA: im not saying domesticated horses and wild are the same, but im explaining that horses feet break off and wear the way they are comfortable
I think the correct way to word this is "some horses feet wear and break as needed and some do not." It really depends on several things, one being the hoof and one being the terrain. At one time I had a gelding in training just a mile north of me where the pasture is "Flintrock" littered.. He did not need trimming, tho we did do a balance at 3 months. I was surprised as my horses do not wear in my pasture anywhere near well enough to let them go beyond 8 weeks. Sometimes 6 in summer is pushing it.
 
#41 ·
I agree with you, appyt. My QH Denny has not had so much as a rasp taken to his back feet in several years because he keeps them worn off and balanced. I have to balance his fronts every few months but he gets along great. The only time in his entire life that he has taken a lame step was about 10 years ago and that was a stone bruise from chasing a cow down a gravel rode at 90 mph. Some horses get along fine without a farrier and others HAVE to be seen every 6 weeks. We also have to remember that some horses feet balance differently than others. Dobe's front feet have a different balance because he is pigeon toed and Flipper's balance differently because he toes out a bit. Flipper wears his fine, just needs a mild touchup ever couple of months but Dobe needs his fronts done every few weeks. They run the same pasture so Yes, some horses can wear their feet down without needing a farrier.
 
#43 ·
Guys, forget about the feet. Obviously the horse is healthy and happy.

And even then, it's not a crime to have chippy feet. Yes, it's BETTER for them to be perfectly trimmed 24/7, but not an absolute crime for them not to be. They didn't even look that bad.. Don't get what the big deal is.
 
#44 ·
Instant Tail Makeover

I designed this routine to leave even the rattiest tails looking nice. Good luck!

1. Soak your horse's tail in water. Make sure the tail is really seeping wet, so that when you begin to actually wash it, it will suds up well.

2. Squirt about a half dollar sized amount of soap into your dominant hand, then take your non-dominant hand and rub the soap together until it begins to suds. Beginning at the very top of the tail, massage in the soap. Make sure to really lather up the soap and to clean the whole tail, including the tail bone.

3. Completely rinse the soap out of the horse's tail. If any soap sits, it could be very uncomfortable for the horse and result in an itchy tail.

4. Repeat step 2, but with a conditioner. Also, don't worry about the conditioner sudsing up because it won't.

5. Repeat step 3, but rinsing out the conditioner instead of the soap.

4. Use a detangling spray to spray your horse's whole tail with it.

5. Take a human hair brush, and starting from the bottom, work your way up your horse's tail by combing through all of the knots. Be very gentle during this process and careful not to pull out too many of your horse's tail hairs.

6. Let your horse's tail dry and it should look great!


I Use:

Soap- Ultra Dawn Dishwashing Liquid (original)
Yes, I use dishwashing liquid! I have found it to be extremely cheap, and to work just as well, if not better, than horse shampoos.
Ultra Dawn Dishwashing Liquid

Conditioner- Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Conditioner
Once again, I use this conditioner because it is cheaper than horse made ones and work great. I also love it because Head & Shoulders is a dandruff preventing/treating shampoo so it keeps my horse's tail dandruff free.
Dry Scalp Care Collection for Dry, Itchy Scalp & Dandruff Control - headandshoulders.com

Detangler- Vetrolin Shine
This product is made for horse's, but mainly to shine up their coats. I never use this on my horse's coat though, only to detangle his mane, tail, and forelock. I swear by it and it's amazing!
Vetrolin Liniment, Bath, & Shine Grooming & Conditioning Products

Brush- Grooma Double-Sided Mane & Tail Brush
I know this isn't a human hair brush, and it is a little more expensive, but I ended up buying it anyways. I think any hard bristled brush would do fine for this step though.
GROOMA Double-Sided Mane & Tail Brush | petandhorse.com
 
#46 ·
Wow, Evening Shadows, calm down-I never said I never had the farrier, out, I see him every five weeks. My grandparents didn't. This mare was just a pasture horse, she was fed twice a day, wormed every few months, and given shots. That's it, She wasn't even halter broke. My grand parents were too old too keep training and breeding horses so they sold all but one. Would it have been better to do more? Of course! But it's in no way "abuse"

Obviously if she had problems, they would have sedated her and gotten her feet done, but she didn't need it. She never took a lame step in her life and had a gorgeous, natural, high stepping trot (saddle bred). I'm not an idiot, of course MOST horses need farrier care, but not all do. The pictures you posted, those owners are idiots. Those horses need farrier care badly, but those two horses aren't every horse. My grandparents were responsible owners, they loved that mare
 
#47 ·
I agree that some horses need very little farrier work, if any. If they're a riding horse, at LEAST a check up should be mandatory though.

EveningShadows is furious because we've seen one to many damn horses suffer unneccesarily for something as ridiculously basic as farrier work. Aren't those the famous last words? "IT NEVER HAPPENED TO ME!" Yeah, it never happens to you, UNTIL IT HAPPENS.

Comparing to wild horses is just ridiculous. Nobody rides wild horses. Wild horses roam through rocky terrain, constantly moving, constantly wearing. And wild horses are lucky if they live to 15 years.

I had an Arab mare with solid black horn hoof. I don't think the farrier ever took anything but a quick rasp to her the entire time I owned her. Does that mean I didn't bother making sure she was balanced and wearing properly? I still had her checked every two months when he came out to trim the others.

I don't even understand the attitude of it being "ok". Equine hooves are designed to be at a certain angle. Drastic changes to those angles cause serious strain on muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. So yeah, maybe the hoof does "break off" at a certain point. But how long has that horse been walking around with severe strain on it's legs because of something as silly as a $30 trim every two months?

The more we learn about horses they more we realize how many of the old methods simply don't work anymore. They used to throw horses to the ground, beat them senseless, and make 'em bloody with spurs to train 'em. The horses came out as beautiful riding animals. Does that mean we should still use that method? We KNOW there is a better way.

That's all I'm going to say. To each their own, but I don't understand the mentality of being ok with not having proper foot care when we KNOW the damage it can cause. I've never had a horse get rabies. Maybe I should stop vaccinating and wasting my money because it doesn't happen to me!
 
#48 ·
I just wanted to add I'm not trying to pick on anyone - I fully understand some horses don't require constant farrier work, as I stated above. I just wanted to clarify why the situation makes EveningShadows so hot under the collar, as anytime we see a horse allowed to be "natural", it's always accompanied by some severe problems.
 
#49 ·
The point I was trying to make is that if you can't provide the necessities of a horse, you shouldn't own one. Even if it is just a pasture pet, never being ridden...she deserves proper care considering she's carrying at least 900lbs on her unmaintained feet.

And the 2 pics I provided, the first is of my OWN horse shortly after I bought her...the previous owners thought she didn't need a trim because it was "cracking off nicely". BULL! When I got her she was half wild and it took me 2 months just to get her handled enough to pick out her feet without her spooking. The second pic is of a pony we found that had run away from home and the people "didn't have time to work with her"...well fricken MAKE time or she won't last long...

As Macabre said, it just drives me insane the ignorance people have now to certain things. Feet and feed being the 2 biggies. Sorry if I came off a little strong, but that's my opinion.
 
#50 ·
Ok well as for the tail...stay on topic here first...My geldings tail was in ringlets like that and litteral a mess when I bought him now it is absolutely beautiful and all ive done is wash condition brush and braid...lol

First I wash it using a good horse shampoo...simple

Then I condition it with mane and tail...for some reason it works well for de-fluffing tails and making them grow nicer.

Third I brush it while its wet...then the hair lays strait instead of curling back up at first cause its still wet.

Then I braid it while its wet...this will prevent the nast ropes from forming BUT it will give your horse a curly tail...but they are nice pretty curls not ropes lol

Now off subject and on the foot thing...

My horse has to have regular trims done because while he has really nice feet they just dont chip and they get mishapen....BUT my best friend has a lovely beautiful cremelo mare who has seen a farrier maybe once...she has no chips...no cracks...no nothing and she is ridden hard on asphalt.

My point is that some horses have amazing feet, like my friends horse, and some horses need alittle help. And I trust that AlmagroN knows the diference. So will everyone relax on the hoof thing? I believe everyone here would like for things to remain civil. Everyone I know has different opinions on horses feet. Does that mean everyone is wrong? No, to each is their own. :)
 
#51 ·
thats nice that you think a person shouldnt own a horse over that. really, one day, come out and take a look at my broodmares feet.... not a damn thing wrong with them

i think you need to learn though the difference between a horse with good and bad feet. not every horse needs to see a farrier. just because the person that owned your horse before you was an idiot and couldnt see that the horse wasnt right, doesnt mean that everyone who doesnt have their horses feet trimmed regularly is.

im not cruel to my horses, they arent lame, they are well cared for and happy and healthy. dont tell me i shouldnt be allowed to have horses because my mare is barefoot and FINE. i mean, really, this looks like an abused horse right?...well wait, youre right. i should have had her destroyed when the vet said she would never walk again, i should have put her on a meat wagon, i should have given her to someone who would turn her out and never look at her again....... i guess i shouldnt own horses
 
#54 ·
her tail is amazing!

what happened to her left front?
really? lol i always thought she had a very thin short tail, he mane is very very thin and very short. thanks

she was racing one night and tore an XYZ ligament. which, if you dont know what those are, those are ligaments that start at the sesamoid and connect to either long or short paster bones. anyway, she tore it, and my cousin couldnt even get her to stop. she just wanted to finish her race, and she made sure she did. she was a gusty mare who LOVED to race. she used to get herself so crazy behind the gate she would break stride because she just wanted to come out of there soooo fast and so hard.
anyway when she tore it the vet said she would never walk again. well we gave her the benifit of the doubt and let her live, and guess what. not only can she walk, but she can ride, has had 2 fillies that are absolutely gorgeous and so far one is showing to be the same kind of racehorse she was, the other hasnt started yet, and she is in foal to a 3rd now. AND since she healed, she has never taken a lame step. her only problem is that the injury calcified, so there is no normal flexing of the ankle. but she has no pain from it what so ever.
 
#56 ·
I am actually jealous that you horse HAS a tail! I would love to have that tail - I have a mare who itches her tail off. But, MTG is really working for her. There are folks at my barn who braid their horses' tails and put them in tail socks. I don't know if you are in to that? ? But, to me, that tail is from heaven!!
 
#57 ·
I am actually jealous that you horse HAS a tail! I would love to have that tail - I have a mare who itches her tail off. But, MTG is really working for her. There are folks at my barn who braid their horses' tails and put them in tail socks. I don't know if you are in to that? ? But, to me, that tail is from heaven!!
haha wow you would drool over some of the tails in my barn then. we have a ton of long thick tails there.

anyway, hey that MTG really works? i was thinking about using it on her mane
 
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