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Getting somewhere with our new girl

592 views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  WhattaTroublemaker 
#1 ·
This is kind of a brag post about our new girl. We're thinking of spice as a name, but it's yet to be decided. So, spice has some problems as we came to find out.
1. She put up with four years of absolutely horrid saddle fit. She's VERY narrow, with very high withers and a sagging, swayed back. She had a draft gullet on and was rode hard, 4-5 times a week. She has white spots on her girth and withers, and has visible muscle atrophy.
2. She has severely contracted heels from her last farrier. He also cut the bars away completely, and her feet are extremely unbalanced with no breakover and long toes.
3. She has absolutely horrid ground manners. She will shove you down with her head and run you over for grain.

So! First of all we brought home a few saddles on loan to try out. One fit very nicely as long as it was shimmed in the front where the muscles have sunken in, due to not carrying herself correctly.

I watched my mum put her on a lunge line to see how she moved and all she knew was to bolt around like a dumb dumb so I took over. I made her walk, and trot on the lunge. She had a tantrum, reared and charged me but once she understood what I expected her to do she did beautifully. I've never been happier.

Moments like today make me realize why I work with horses. Within an hour I had her head nice and low, her back lifted nicely and she was CORRECTLY using her muscles. She went from a startgazing nut who was counterbending to a nice slow jogger on the vertical with a nice correct bend. After we had a nice sweaty saddle pad my mother got on and worked on keeping her attention, slowing her down and making her bend correctly.

She quit grinding her teeth, pinning her ears and swishing her tail. The sweat marks weren't perfect under the saddle, but she obviously feels MUCH better in it.
A chiropractor will be coming out soon, but for the meantime we will be doing some lunging to let her muscles heal and help build her topline, and learn how to correctly use her muscles and carry herself.

The change in that horse is incredible. This is what I live for. We're re teaching leg, because any leg on any side means "GO" to her. She will jump forward with a twitch of a calf muscle. I'm so proud of her! After we get every pain issue resolved I believe she will be a different horse.

What gets me is that for four years she put up with pain and never bucked or reared. She has a wonderful heart with SO much try. Pictures of our adventures are coming soon!
 
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#2 ·
I can't wait to see pictures of her!!
Hopefully you can find the right name for her soon!
 
#4 ·
Yikes! She looks like one of my mares!
Riding bareback HURTS with withers like that! One day I forgot and jumped on. Well......I never did that again:).
 
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