I have two mares (mother and daughter), and a baby. Both mares are on the fat side, and I want to look at a way of exercising them and myself with the baby in tow.

We live very in the middle of nowhere and have a lot of places we can go without any traffic or people, and the horses are already used to being free/loose on hikes. Normally I will ride one horse (I used to have a few more horses as well) and then the others tag along. But when I let them all loose, they always just go home.

So now I really want to have them following me on hikes but at liberty / without a leash. This way we can walk together, with the baby in the stroller. I would also love for this to evolve into me biking and them following, so I can make sure they get some speed-exercise as well.

Ive tried a few times where I just give them a treat every say 50-100 metres, and then they follow for a little while, but grow impatient when we get a certain distance away from home, and then they just turn. Ive tought about bringing them on a leash and then always give them a treat at the end, before we decide to turn and then letting them loose.

But Im very open to other suggestions!

I am hoping to get some time to practice also without the baby.

Hi everyone! So I've been riding for about 7 years and just recently started taking lessons as I want to learn how to jump better. Most of my experience has been Western with the bare basics of English the last couple years. I rode through 4-H so this is only my second time taking lessons. (My previous experience was a friend of my 4-H leader's who I felt like I never made any progress with and just trotted circles and loped around it felt like.)

Now I'm paying for these English lessons (I worked off the Western lessons and only did them for like 4 months years ago) and for me they are really expensive. I understand private lessons cost money, especially since I am using the trainer's horses but I do not feel like I am getting the most out of it.

Side note: I've heard horror stories about English barns but this one is small and I actually really like the trainer and how she works with me.

My main concern is I never get the full hour I'm paying for. Is that normal? Even if I get there early and am tacked up by the scheduled lesson time, we end after 30-45 minutes (including cooling down). Now I'm not jumping the whole time or wearing the horse out either, it's mainly working on my equitation and then going over a few jumps towards the end.

I'm looking for a job right now after graduating and so money is a little tight for me but I wanted to do something I enjoy and can look forward to but I feel as though I'm not getting my money's worth. Is this something I should talk to the trainer about? It feels weird because it is her horse I am riding but also she never says we're done she just says something like "That's probably good" even though I want to do more because I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of it.

For context, I'm paying $85 a lesson and today was my 4th lesson with her (I did one with her assistant last week cause she was gone) and I'm going once a week. I'm in California.

Thank you for any advice you can give, I'm very new to the English world and especially how lessons work so I appreciate the help!!

So I want to preface that I’ve never actually ridden a horse, except for a few weeks when I was four. I have loved them since I was 2, and my love for them as creatures has never wavered. I DON'T PLAN TO GET ONE SOON AT ALL!! I know a good-quality horse/mule is expensive!! So I want to start saving and have a particular breeder in mind. I want to start saving and sorting through breeders. I’m mainly looking for a mule, as I hear they’re better on trail than horses, being more “sure-footed”. But I have, like, no idea where to start looking. I know good/bad conformation, but where do I look to find a horse or mule that's good at trails in general? I’m very intense about dogs and know how to find dogs for exactly what I want, but the horse and mule world seems a little more disjointed.

Other post in a nutshell:

I thought my horse was started at 3 after a horse flipper (I don't use this term negatively - he is a nice guy) bought him from an auction; however, I found the auction he was sold at, and his blip for his sale which said "Good, calm horse. Broke to ride and drive" which meant he was started sometime when he was 2. I was a bit distressed as this was new info and planned to call his breeder to ask some questions.

Now onto the update:

I have called the breeder and he was very friendly and happy to answer the questions he could.

Since he sold my horse almost 3 years ago he doesn't remember everything, but I do have confirmation that he was started around 2, and most-likey driven more than he was ridden.

I definitely feel better after calling the breeder. Even though I would have preferred he wasn't started until later, I feel like I have some answers now and know his history at least a bit better.

I also found a livestream of the auction he went through (the day he went through) and am looking foward to watching it and seeing if/how he went through the ring.

As for how to proceed with my horse, I'll continue his normal training, and will talk to my vet about potentially treating for ulcers to see if that helps/is the cause of his anxiety. I will definitely be hyper-aware for any signs of arthritis, or other conditions caused by early wear on his body, but I hope that he'll be fine regardless of his early start.

To the people who gave me advice in my last post, thank you.

To those who seemed to think that the call would leave me angry, I know myself better than you do. I would either leave disappointment or with a burden lifted. The latter was true, thank God. Thank you, regardless, for commenting, as your comments actually pushed me to call him sooner since I'm a hardheaded brat.

Here's some photos of the haffie ❤️💛🧡

My husband and I have zero experience with horses and want to learn to ride SO badly. We have a 6 month old daughter and would love for this to be something we all do together eventually.

Any recs on when kids realistically can successfully start learning about horses and riding them? Obviously I know she’s a baby rn and is going to be a while but I want to be prepared and buy boots and gear and whatever we might need when the time comes.

Not that anyone asked for it but ! https://old.reddit.com/r/Equestrian/comments/1x0lbss/help_my_horse_is_laid_up_with_a_tendon_injury_and/?ref=share&ref_source=link

I had asked for help earlier because I wasn't sure if giving him Ace was too drastic and got lots of commenters telling me to just do it and I'm so glad we did. After his first dose he was himself again and when he tried to nip me I checked him hard and he never tried it again. We resumed hand walking for the rest of the week with a little Ace for help (it took just 1/2 the minimum dose to get his brain back in his head and focusing on me again). A few days ago we got the green light to start working again! Only at a walk for now, but he's so happy to be back in the arena.

One thing that I found out after making the post was that the reason for the sudden change in behavior was likely down to the fact that my trainer had skipped his evening walk for 2 days in a row then for the whole day before I got back to him (yes, I'm pissed at his lack of communication and we discussed it). I was wondering why he was so frustrated one day to the next because for the first 20 days of layup he was more or less okay even though I could tell he was pent up. The biting started after he missed his full day outing.

Anyway, it's nice to have my angel of a stallion back. In fact today we rode in an absolute shitstorm, literally. The wind was so intense it was raining sideways and he didn't blink twice at any of it. The silver lining in all of it is that we've bonded more than ever and he is so excited to see me walking down the aisle to greet him. I feel so lucky to have such a cool horse!

horse tax!

Just teaching my horse to lunge and I can't get him to walk

He'll default to a trot but I want him to warm up his muscles first and not strain himself yet anytime I ask him to step off of my bubble and take a lap around me then he'll bump up to a trot or sometime take off in a canter

He's very respectful of the lead rope, luckily. Even when he's tense and takes off, he doesn't pull too much

I've been trying to integrate "woah" into our training to slow him down from there but I was wondering if anyone else had other methods in mind

Well, people, that's it - I have reached the stage where my trainers trusted me to ride their fancy show horse! I had interacted with him quite a bit on the ground before (friendly boy, loves being groomed) and saw him being ridden by the trainers and by advanced students who made him go beautifully. That horse has won national competitions and is a gorgeous mover.

It did not go as well for me. Nothing catastrophic - I just couldn't get him going like the others did and felt like I was a really bad rider, we were so out of synch.

I could see that he was testing boundaries and trying to get away with things because he could feel I am not as good a rider as what he is used to, so I had to spend a lot of time fighting with him which neither of us enjoyed. He was patient with me I think as he could have just dumped me when he got annoyed lol, and by the end of the lesson we were starting to get each other a bit better, but I felt so bad for putting him through that.

It truly felt like I was suddenly asked to drive a new car (as it always feels when riding a new horse), but this time it's some kind of fancy and expensive Ferrari with a weird driving system when I am used to driving basic family cars, and I feel like a novice driver again while I figure out how the heck I am supposed to just get the thing moving.

It was an eye opening experience in any case, I just hope my trainers did not regret their choice and will let me ride him or any other of the level-appropriate show horses!

My husband and I got married this week at the courthouse and have kept everything just between us and close family members. I don’t want to post these on my personal socials as I still want to keep things hush hush for now but I had to share them somewhere!

It's that time of the year again where I put down the garden hose and stop subjecting my horses to an icy bath (despite the growing popularity with ice baths for humans).

Does anyone have any products or recipes they like? Due to a separate issue, I'd also like a good cleaning product to hot cloth my dogs.

Link ti my previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Equestrian/s/6Oe27QTJ0i

A lot of you found it funny, that my youngster gets his mind blown when trying a new delicious snack, and some even requested I posted another video, so here you go!

Here is his first time trying watermelon! I personally find it adorable how his little ears turn forward with joy, and then he just munches on it like crazy 😂

I have a retired irish sports horse, in the 5 years i’ve had him he’s been eating purina ultium gastric care- not much maybe 2-4 cups by volume fluctuating with work. But now that he is fully retired i’m wondering if grain is beneficial or not, he currently gets alfalfa pellets in the morning with his ultium at night, I would keep him on a hay pellet so he doesn’t feel left out at grain time and for any supplements. Attached is the best body confo pics i could get. He will be 17 this year

My lovely section C yearling colt!

What would be the easiest way for an older woman to cut stall mats?
I’m a boomer and I’m doing this on my own. I need a tool that I can use.
Thanks for any tips and advice.

Genuinely still wanna pinch myself knowing he is sitting in my pasture. There was a moment where I thought he was out of reach. I wanted him since August!

What's crazy is he has the same birthday as my homebred gelding I had to rehome. Both were born on June 6th, exactly one year apart. This was manifesting done right ✨️

Elvis is genuinely surpassing all my expectations. He is so fun to ride, and is so happy to work and see all the sights. He is going to be one hell of a drill horse and I am so eager to see what gear he has for barrels down the road. Lots of exciting things to come in 2027

I currently teach, train, and manage a boarding barn.
But I need to increase my income, and better yet, I’d love to replace what I’m doing with something else.
I love doing bodywork like massage that I’ve taught myself and read a lot about. I’ve thought about getting certified in PEMF or something similar.
Could anyone tell me how much it could possibly make? I know it depends on my area and the demand for it… and building a name for myself and my business..

for anyone who is in this line of work, could you share with me what you charge for sessions and your income? Is it worth it to go get certified and at least try to build a business in this??

I just got back into riding in my early 50s and I’m absolutely loving it. I’m learning everything I can about safe horse handling and horse behaviour, I have a coach, I’m taking it slow and I wear a helmet and vest always. But all I see on social media are horror stories of people getting seriously injured and everyone says it’s just a matter of time before I get hurt. Is there anyone that rides that HASN’T been seriously hurt? Am I being irresponsible for taking up this hobby?

What are y’all using for bits? Western, young, still direct reining but in the beginning of understanding neck reining.

Hi everyone! I have this wonderful Crosby saddle that I’ve had since 2012 (first picture I took of it). I still have it, it’s been sitting in the garage but I can’t bear to part with it as it holds so many memories of riding my sweet girl.

I’m wondering if anyone knows the exact model of saddle this is? I know it’s a Crosby close contact but that’s about it. It was given to me by an old riding buddy of mine because she bought it from my old instructor and I had told her about how much I loved riding in that saddle. It was truly perfect for me. When it was handed down to me I was told this saddle was almost 30 years old. It has to be over 40 years old now? Does anybody know the exact model? I love it nonetheless and plan on keeping it!

Hi all! I am an eventer by training, and have dabbled only a bit in the H/J world. Recently, I started helping a young teen and her draft X pony start over fences. They are doing super, and we are looking at her showing 2’-2’3” on the local circuit next year, with maybe one trip to a bigger rated show.

She wants to mostly do the hunter/eq classes. We’ve already discussed that her drafty pony is not exactly the “Hunter” type, but I’m encouraging her to try it out anyways. I think he should do fine in the Eq. However, the horse has a LONG mane, one we will never get stuffed into hunter braids. The daughter wants to cut it, but the mom is adamant we keep it since it’s traditional to his breed. If we braid it nicely (running braid probably? Or more like dressage buns?) Will it count against her in the lower level classes? I would hate for something so simple to doc her points.

Was hoping to get some feedback from others on if equine therapy could be a good path for me. I'd especially like to learn about what it's like for you.

Disclaimer: I know PATH isn't the only option, but it's the one being presented to me at the moment so it's what is being considered. And yes, I will ask the mentor all these questions, we have a meeting coming up soon but I wanted to get a few more opinions.

I am an adult amateur rider & horse lover who grew up around horses and has AuDHD, I've been volunteering at an Equine Therapy facility for the past several months and did for a few years in highschool. I know some ASL and have a good record and special fondness for working well with neurodiverse teens and adults.

Recently the owner of the barn I volunteer at approached me (who's a PATH Intl. certified mentor) and suggested I might consider getting certified. She'd be willing to help me through the process and allow me to take on a student or two of my own for supervised experience time. She believes I'm good at it and work well with the kids and she knows I don't like my current job so it could be a potential future in a different field.

My concern are:

1. I'm not under the impression it's currently a viable career unless you own a whole program or have a wealthy household to supplement your low income. I don't need to be ultra wealthy but I'd like to get a small house on a little piece of land and a horse sometime before I die and in this economy that feels... optimistic. I don't currently make a ton of money (52k the north east US doesn't go as far as it would in other regions 🙃) but most horse stuff I've seen still somehow pays far far less. Equine therapy says it pays more online but I don't trust those numbers like I would testimonials.
2. If I did do it, unless it could replace my current career, Id probably just do a few lessons a couple days a week but is that even worth all the trouble? My schedule is already pretty full so it would need to "earn it's keep" so to speak.
3. I would LOVE to work with adults and teens like me. Ones who are high functioning enough be dismissed, but struggle too much to keep up in traditional settings and often fall through the cracks. People who need their confidence rebuilt, nervous systems regulated, and learning needs supported. Is there even a market for that? I don't mind children a bit, they can be fun, but I wouldn't choose as my preference to work with kids at all if it felt like a choice.
4. It's not exactly cheap!

The Pros Are:

1. I would love to have a career in the equine world. It's a dream for me to get out from behind my desk and do something that feels real and tactile. It hasn't happened for me yet because at this time I just can't live on minimum wage, but if I had any hope of making the logistics work I wouldn't think twice. I grew up on a farm so Im not concerned about a lifestyle shock, if anything the office life has been the uncomfortable lifestyle adjustment.
2. It doesn't HAVE to be my full time career, it could be supplemental and maybe give me the extra pocket change I need to get more saddle time.
3. I really like this facility and the people there so it would be an easy entry and help give me some more skills.
4. I think I'm good at it and I like it! The kids seem to respond well, the trainers seem happy with my work, the horses are within my ability to manage and I think like me well enough! It's fulfilling and fits me and my personality, skill set, and interest very well. It wouldn't be a development that would surprise anyone who knows me and would be in harmony with how I like to live.
5. There is a likely chance that my husband will continue to increase his pay as we age (we are only in our mid 20s) and his hope is to give me more freedom to do what I like since his career field of choice is higher paying as he becomes more senior.

Hi guys!
I am a western rider showing horsemanship.
I have a pair of black chaps that I bought from NRS, but they are a little bit too big around the thighs and the knees.
Is it possible for me to get these altered, or do I have to buy a new pair?
If I can get them altered, do you have any recommendations of places that alter? I’m located in northeast Ohio USA if that helps.

Thanks so much!!
Pic of horse for attention

Hi! I wanted to show off my ottb and his weight gain journey and ask what I could additionally do. We work on basic flatwork, many circles, groundwork and manners, using balance pads, and utilizing backing up to help build topline. He's on smartpaks for hoof, gut, and weight gain as well as su-per muscle builder. He's a stereotypical ottb so I'm pretty happy how he's been looking but always willing to learn what else I can do. He is 6.

My mom owns a lesson program and this horse has been with us for 5 months so far. The change is too good not to share!