r/horsecommunity

Would horseback riding be a good way to get back into shape after years of being inactive?

I’ve always been that horse-obsessed kid growing up, and like 5 years ago I finally took lessons, but my instructor kept putting me on this super stubborn horse that never listened to me no matter how hard I tried to befriend it😭
I ended up having a really bad fall, scraped up my whole left side super deep and just quit

I haven’t done any sports since then, so I’m REALLY out of shape now, I’ve also been feeling noticeably weaker lately, which is weird because I was always pretty athletic growing up (I was a swimmer for like 7-8 years)
I really want to start exercising again, but I’m struggling to find something I’ll actually stick to
And there’s a stable super close to me now, so I started wondering if horseback riding could actually be a good way for me to get active and rebuild some strength/fitness while doing something I’ve always loved💕

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u/Every_Review8061 — 1 day ago

▲ 26 r/horsecommunity+2 crossposts

Training a retired driving horse to ride

We recently rescued an older percheron mare from auction and we are in the process of rehabilitating her and working with her. We were told she rides and drives but when I got on her she didn't seem to know what any of the leg cues meant and was very hard to steer with the reins. I had to hold my hands very wide and really pull to get her to move in the direction I wanted her to go(granted I was only riding bareback with a halter). She wouldn't move forward when I kicked or squeezed but she did move forward when I said walk on. I'm thinking she has done way more driving than riding if she has done any at all. She has no problem with me being on her back she just seems a little confused by my cues. She seems to know some verbal cues like walk on, back, and woa. I don't really know much about driving but I am looking for advice on what the best way to teach her to be a riding horse would be. Are there other verbal cues I should be trying to use to see if she does, in fact, know voice commands? Also, how should I go about introducing riding cues like leg, seat, and rein cues? Is there specific tack that I should use to make the transition easier/clearer for her? And she doesn't seem to be very good at picking up her feet for very long. Is there a way to help her to be better about that? She has some gnarly feet and we don't have stocks for trimming. We already had a draft cross but she is our first pure draft and she seems to be a bit different in some unexpected ways (not that that's a bad thing just means more learning for us to do). Thanks in advance, I love her already and I really want to make this work! I'm not looking to make her perfect just good enough to take on some occasional trails for fun.

P.S. I know her eyes are a little crusty in the pictures, we have since sorted them out and the vet said they were caused by allergies and we have her on daily eye ointment and a fly mask now. She looks much better now! We are also helping her to gain more weight because she came from the auction pretty thin and sad looking. We would also welcome tips for helping her build a better top line as she really needs more muscle up there!

u/sad_banana_club — 8 days ago

▲ 1 r/horsecommunity+1 crossposts

Horseback trail ride while 24 weeks pregnant on vacation

NEED ADVICE! I’m going on a bachelorette trip this weekend and we have a horseback trail ride scheduled. It’s for about 45mins to an hour and will be at a walking speed. I asked my doctor about it and she said it was pretty much up to me which didn’t help. Keep in mind that I don’t ride horses, but have been on one before. Obviously anything can happen, but I just want to be as safe as possible and won’t go if it’s a huge issue. About 12 other people are going also. Help! I’m indecisive

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u/Unable-Equivalent322 — 10 days ago

▲ 1 r/horsecommunity

Equine Feed Schedule

TLDR: How important is it/what are the risks of a widely varied feed/medication time, any information I can provide or courses of action I can take to improve this situation or is it best if I just leave?

Hi, hoping for some thoughts/input on feeding schedules from the community.

Context: A student of 5 years (now 18 years old) had a horse farm purchased for her by her mother last year, as she had aspirations of running a boarding/lesson facility. I was asked to live on site to oversee all operations and continue to mentor/consult on barn management while the 18 y/o acts as live-in barn manager.

Unfortunately, feeding/medication schedules have become a major ongoing issue. AM feed/meds are scheduled around 8am, but are often delayed until 10am–1pm. PM feed/meds are around 6pm, but frequently happen anywhere from 4pm–1:30am. This happens at least twice weekly (Since January), usually due to oversleeping, impromptu social plans, or forgetting. This past week, they were fed after midnight three times.

Once in January, they were fed at 7pm one evening, and not revisited again until 1:00pm the next day, when I discovered they were still in stalls with no hay and limited water. While I tend to monitor and swoop in before this happens, I do work full-time off the farm, and the teen's only obligation is supposed to be feeding/handling the horses.

There are 5 horses, all harder keepers - two require soaked feed, one is metabolic, and two are cribbers. They will pace/crib/sweat/wait at the gate by 9am and 7pm, and the quality of pasture is not good enough to entice them away form the gate. Two 1 acre fields with limited grazing.

I frequently end up taking over missed feeds or repeatedly reminding the person responsible, and I’m reaching the point of wondering whether I need to walk away. Excuses are always made, and it's turned into I am a bad person for pointing out when feed is missed. I’m losing sleep over this level of care, and I have students trailering in who have taken notice - it is embarrassing and disheartening. Is it time to throw in the towel? Are these standards unrealistic?

Overwhelmingly, I am truly heartbroken. This issue is just one small sliver of what is not going well, but I still stick around and try to fix it. This is a girl I've cared extremely deeply for, celebrating holidays, birthdays, and even inviting her to my extremely small elopement. I've been renowned in our area for being one of the biggest advocates for ethics/sustainability first training & instruction, and it feels like a massive failure that the operation I'm tying myself to doesn't feed on time, have adequate shelter, and no longer values my input when it goes against their wants.

Anything helps, not looking for people to automatically agree with me, but looking for thoughts that are outside of the bubble of my feelings alone.

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u/fakelegss — 10 days ago