r/Equestrian

I'm a former child rider/adult restarter who recently started taking lessons at a hunter/jumper barn. My group activities as a young rider were things like 4-H and club shows, and I have very little experience with lesson barns. We always kept our horses at home, so some of the ins-and-outs of many horses and riders sharing space are new territory for me.

I didn't have any expectation of the barn being pristine and shiny, and hey, if it was that nice, I probably wouldn't be able to afford to ride there. I know worn-out saddles and beat-up equipment work just fine. The horses are clean and look healthy enough. But I am kind of wondering how much sharing of grooming equipment, tack, and stalls between horses is normal. They seem to have exactly two grooming boxes with a few scarce brushes between them. I got one pushed at me before my first lesson, and other times I've just kind of picked around the tack room to collect things to fill a box that had a plastic currycomb and nothing else in it because someone else had the other. I haven't yet found a mane and tail comb. The 4-5 brushes that exist must get used on every single lesson horse. Bridles are individualized to the horse, but nothing else is. I try to grab wither pads and girths from the back of the rack so they're at least dry, but they are...a bit grubby. Playing guess-which-halter-or-girth-fits every week seems more tiring than just—assigning them.

I know these horses live together and drink out of the same troughs, so it's not like they don't share the exact same germs. But I was looking for a sponge to wipe some eye gunk last week, and while there was one balanced on the faucet, I couldn't bring myself to use it. Who knows what it last wiped? I come from a background where the grooming box belonged to the horse, but I also come from a background where the horses were owned, so I have no idea if it actually matters. Can anyone confirm if this is actually normal, and it's just my type-A desire for order that's the problem?

And on a related topic, if I can find my old grooming tote, would it be okay to bring it instead of scrounging for brushes? I have no idea what is or isn't appropriate to bring for a lesson as far as the horse's equipment/care goes. I guess if I owned a saddle it would be okay to bring, so would it be awkward if I brought a clean saddle pad and took it home with me after the lesson? I'm reminding myself that these aren't my horses, but I guess I'm trying to find the line between seeing a problem and just solving it instead of complaining versus overstepping my place as a lesson-taker. If I'm annoyed that the flies are bothering the horse, should I just start bringing my own fly spray? I already find it a little awkward that I was just shown the tack room and sort of left to hunt through it instead of being shown what to use as it is, but if “figure it out yourself” is their motto, maybe that's just the thing to do.

for me it's the whole "don't let the horse with colic roll or they'll twist their intestines." the main worry with a colicking horse rolling is them injuring themselves or others by violently thrashing around.

if horses got gastric torsion from rolling, we'd all be cooked every time our horses were pastured.

Looking for some honest opinions from experienced horse owners. I’m located in Canada.
I’m an adult starting the search for my first horse and would love some guidance on what would be considered a fair price in today’s market.

Here’s the details of the horse I’m currently looking at:
Mid teens gelding
16 hh
I have been riding and have a relationship with this horse already.
More “whoa than go”
Excellent trail horse
Good in the ring
No buck, bolt, rear, or bite
Great for grooming, cross ties, and the farrier
Not sure if he’s registered
Has heaves (COPD) and requires dexamethasone during flare-ups

I haven’t asked the seller’s price yet because I’d like to go into the conversation with realistic expectations.
For those with experience buying or selling horses (preferably in Canada), what would you consider a fair asking price for a horse like this?

Also, does heaves affect the value in your opinion?
If you own a horse with heaves, has the management been fairly straightforward, or has it become more expensive and limiting over time?

Thanks so much—I really appreciate any advice or experiences you’re willing to share!

I have been leasing a horse at my barn for 2 years. He brings me so much joy but sometimes wants to make me smack my head against a wall. He’s truly the human son I never wanted (I don’t have kids). I trust him when I ride, he has done so much for my confidence, he’s made me a stronger rider and person. We make a good team (he’s definitely not for everyone) and we’ve really come a long way. I care so much about him, and I’m proud to take care of him and be his partner. In the past 4 or 5 months I’ve been heavily considering buying him at the end of the year. My trainer, who is his owner, is all for it. Other people have leased him in the past and she likes us together. He’s such a staple in the barn and is such a barn favorite with his kookiness. But he can also be a horse that makes us want to pull our hair out. He’s not malicious, but he gives off a lot of menace to society vibes.

I absolutely adore him and I know I’d be so upset if he ever left or if anything happened to him. But then there are days when there are just no marbles up there (which sometimes it’s okay and other times it’s frustrating) that I think to myself “am I making a terrible decision if I buy him?” And wonder if I should buy a horse that isn’t such a ridiculous entity and is just kind of there with not much too it.

I guess I want to hear stories about horses that made you think “is this a bad decision to buy this horse” but it all worked out well.

Added some extra to answer some questions from previous posters:

-we are working on respecting my presence as I get stronger physically. He loves me and takes care of me when I’m riding, but if we have bad days I feel like it’s because he is not acknowledging my existence? Can you focus on what I am asking you to do? (When he focuses, he is amazzzinngggg)

-I’m a small animal vet and do his general care. He is a terrible patient. I had to treat him for conjunctivitis and he acted as if the world was ending and it just made it so difficult to treat him appropriately

-he had an absolute conniption last week when we finished a field ride before his friends did. Understandable, they’re herd animals, but I felt like I had to walk him off of a ledge just to get him to pay attention to me

-he is my best friend. I smile when I see him. I can’t wait to see him every day. Taking care of him never is a chore. He is truly a bright spot in my life!

-I am a HUGE overthinker, and this would be one of the biggest decisions of my life. I’ve been riding for over 20 years and I “owned” a horse when I was in high school (my parents owned him), and he is the first horse I’ve contemplated buying in my adulthood. I think I’m only in the market to buy a horse because it’s him who I’d buy.

I’m looking for a resort for my daughter’s 10th birthday that features English riding. My daughter is horse obsessed and just simply wants the full horse experience for her birthday. She is an intermediate rider. Somewhere where she can do lessons plus trails would be a bonus. Even an experience riding on the beach/in water would be amazing. Within the USA only please. No western style ranch type of places.

Thank you!

I'm still early-ish into riding again after a several years break. To be completely blunt, I don't work out much. My job keeps me semi-active so I'm not totally out of shape but my only dedicated exercise each week is my riding lessons.

What are some of your favorite things to work on at home that end up helping you in the saddle? Bonus if it takes little/no equipment.

I think the main thing I need to work on right now is core strength and general stamina...

Hi chat,

I'm currently looking into coming back to riding after quite a long pause (6 or so years) as an inspiring amateur dressage rider but I have zero knowledge about good local equestrian shops. Apparently there is a completely different set of brands available to the common public, and my "usual suspects" are not so prevalent.

The "usual suspects" are quite outdated probably from my part of world and would be Pikeur (everyone wanted a full seat jeans bridges)/Eskadron, Roeckl, Equeline, Equestrian Stockholm for their satin saddle pads, ANKY was huge. Safety gear looks the same between the two with CO, Uvex and KEP.

Soooo any recommendations? Also super interested in footwear specifically (tall boots for day-to-day riding as a start, don't want to invest into de-niro/celeris lvl stuff yet lol)
Looking for quality and durability in the first place.

ty~

Wanted to share my personal story and ask for any tips, advices or just overall listen to other's experiences.

I was born a horse lover girlie, but never got to learn horseriding as a kid due to my family's financial situation. I started volunteering at a small local ranch at 17 and got to learn everything from the basics.

I was working around animals for 3 years and did a lot of trail riding alongside with practicing in a smaller arena. By the end of that time I was confident to go on hours long trailrides and canter bareback.

But then university became priority, I moved to another town, 2020 chaos happened and I never found my way back - years passed and the ranch eventually closed.

I gained 30kgs (~66lbs?) and got myself a job where I basically sit all day.

I started working on myself in 2025, dropped the extra weight and started looking for a new place to get back in the saddle in early 2026! Found an amazing coach, I started helping out at their ranch and as we are quite close in age we also became friends.

But riding isn't going that well... I could describe it as "I have the muscle memory but not the muscles".

I remember a lot of things, but I feel that I loose my seat all the time. I totally lost my confidence and questioning myself if I even knew anything.

We went back to the basics, walking and trotting and lunging.

Have you ever experienced this after skipping years? Is there anything else I can do apart from my riding lessons? What worked for you or how did it affect you as an equestrian?

Thank you if you share your thoughts!

And sorry if I phrased anything in a weird way, English is not my native

Hello Everyone!

For the first time ever, I am now doing a private pasture boarding and can set up everything however I want. So my gelding has a beautiful approx 5 acre paddock all to himself. Today is a big day as his new companion pony is arriving (Coggins took forever to come back!) and I am relieved he will no longer be just by himself, only being able to socialize over the fence. So that checks off one huge aspect of horse care - plus this pony is adorable and who doesn't just want a pony!

I am going to be putting up a small shed alongside his paddock so that I can have all their blankets, fly spray, treats etc. on hand and close by and then I am going to add in some slow feeders for his hay. And I got a professional level solar powered bug zapper ordered that will hopefully take back some of this horrible mosquitos! I've also been chatting with a couple people who use solar outdoor fans in their run in shelters to help with the heat and have my eye on adding in some of those potentially.

There is a large run in shelter and I am looking for ideas to give my boys a comfy place to rest. I wouldn't mind setting up the shelter and then say another area out of it where there is something more comfortable for them to lie down if they want.

Currently the barn is fork feeding hay on the ground due to the massive amounts of rain. My guy prefers the grass at the moment and is using his pile of hay to sleep on lol.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for bedding that can be used outdoors?

I was debating putting out a couple piles of straw that he could lay on if he chose, but I am worried if this could increase colic risk?

I've also looked at stall mats for putting inside the run in shed?

Or should I just leave things au natural?

Any other interesting ideas for making their outdoor space as comfy and horse friendly as possibe?

And - I am aware horses don't actually need any of this kind of stuff, but I am in a position where I can do these things for my horses, and I want to because I like to spoil all of my animals and it makes me happy to see them happy.

Hello,

I recently made a large purchase ($350) from a high end used tack shop online. I don’t want to put the website at this time, but will DM to others. I’ve been in contact with them over surprise fees that were placed on my invoice without my knowledge, which after a lot of back and forth I finally got my money back.

Regardless, I ordered a used leather halter in “gently used” condition with “appropriate signs of use”. The halters leather quality is gorgeous, but it’s absolutely filthy. Like it’s caked in sweat, tape, there is layers of grime on all of the metal, the nose band has been cut with scissors, and it’s honestly downright sticky. I’ve pulled out all of my tricks and it’s usable for what I intended, but I feel I was a little deceived in what was arriving. Should this be an additional contact with the company, a review, or just a lesson to not order from them again?

I’m really trying to be more sustainable & support small business, ideally, I don’t want to buy anything but some blankets and supplements new. If anybody else is trying to do the same, I’ve had really good luck on Depop. I was just trying something new as I needed several things at once that were hard to find on Depop.

Idk whag to do help quickly until the vet comes hes bloated abd his hooves are really warm

Hi, all!

I work with individuals with dementia, and I have a resident whose favorite thing in the world is their childhood Quarter Horse that they did barrel racing with.

This individual moved in rather recently, and is having a bit of of anxiety upswing anxiety and restlessness. We have an other strategies in place to help, and they are helping, but I’d like to purchase some materials for them to read, look at, watch, and just generally interact with. They’re the sweetest person, and miss their horse greatly. The way their eyes light up when they talk about him is enough to make me cry.

Do y’all have any recommendations for things I can supply them with? I’d prefer things with clear, vibrant pictures, and not just a bunch of small text. Not necessarily children’s books, because they are an adult, but not visually overwhelming and easier for them to figure out what they’re looking at as the language processing degrades.

Thank you all so much!

EDIT: Thank you all so, so much for the leads and sharing you and your loved ones stories with me. I’m on dog-firework duty and need to put my phone away, so if i don’t get to your comment please know i appreciate the time you took to respond and share your ideas 💛 i’ll have to update yall once we get the stuff in for my dear friend.