Flexibility to both sides is important for control. Just pull gently on one rein and hold it. His head will turn, keep holding the tension.Soon he'll get tired of standing that way and move his feet into the turn. Release the rein immediately and go again. Build from there, both sides.

It's the Magnesium in the Calm and Cool that is needed. Oh, they're tricky, alright. Not telling how much magnesium is in the analysis and had to go to three different pages while they mentioned other ingredients off hand without any values. Ugh!!! They think we're stupid! Magnesium has over 500 jobs to do in the body. If she is eating alfalfa, the calcium could be high, making both phosphorus and magnesium deficient. Short of testing your hay and knowing where the holes are, I would

Because hay is 3/4's of their diet, I test/analyze it to find the nutrition holes. I find out what is needed in all aspects with majors, traces, protein, lysine, iodine, selenium, electrolytes...the whole nine yards. Then I go again and pit them all against each other to find perfect balance = customized diet with needs met and perfectly balanced for THAT horse. The supplements needed are fed singularily and in the balanced amounts from this analysis so I guess you could say that I'm making

I remember when the winters were colder in Canada. The Bay would freeze up solid and everybody would get out there and do some activity. All the neighbours on the road for two miles would be out on their shorelines doing something. We were out there with the horses as well. There'd be many people out there on several skating rinks plowed by tractors, kids building forts, snow mobiles, ice sailing...you name it. Just like going to the carnival! Even cars were out there with music blaring and Mom's

Ugh, I don't know if you were talking to me, but I went back and read my post, posted back in 2007! The sweet feed creating a negative pH still stands. Rain rot and especially promoted thrush, not to mention metabolic disturbances that take you down the road to IR/Cushings. Nobody is feeding sweet feed these days...or grain, for that matter. Oats is so high in sugar and especially starch, that all other grains are measured against it. Non-molasses/rinsed beet pulp shreds have replaced it all

The laminitis in the past is good warning of IR. The fatty crests are also symptoms of Cushings which he is old enough to slip into. Soaking the hay is a good first move. Using a slow feeder will make the job easy for soaking, (30mins) hanging and done. No nothing added to the diet in the form of bagged feeds. High iron is another problem. Glucosamine in joint supplements promotes IR...just about everything does, unfortunately, even Vit C. Strip the diet right down and re-build it with balance. I

PS. About the blanketing and the shivering. Have faith in the hair coat's ability to keep warm. They have 17 different layers of loft they can extend it to when needed. The only time the coat won't work for them is if they are in wind, clipped or blanketed and this does not include rain or snow. Could be that he has opted to stand there and shiver, rather than move to create heat because of low grade laminitic pain, which doesn't have to be currently under way. It could be soft tissue

She has a very nicely balanced body and well balanced feet as well. It sounds like you are on a wonderful journey of improvement and challenge and doing things well. It will take you where it takes you. Its a darn good start, sounds like a great partnership and lots of good support. Enjoy the ride!

I do my best thinking while scooping the poops, lol! They're in cahoots, yuh know. They figure the more they keep us busy at this job, the less time for riding. The pump froze at the barn tonight. I had to fill a barrel from the house by hand. Now that's a 100lbs! I was thinking that I wouldn't be able to keep this up and tried the pump before I left, one more time and it worked.....grrrrrrrr! Carrying water is worse than poo any day!

I haven't had the opportunity to use Previcox myself and I'm so glad to see that it gets a favourable response and seems to take you farther down the road more safely than Bute. It certainly would be a pain to spend a lot of money, just find that horse doesn't like it and won't co-operate. This sounds like just the ticket. I'm glad I continued to follow this thread....thanks guys. I'm glad to hear its working well!