if you can swing it new footing would be the best. is it an outdoor or indoor? northbrook farms in ny makes some of the best footing mixes in the business (they also make amazing horse stall mattresses!), they do farms and race tracks all over the country and world. the lawton adams footing is terrific! they do various combinations of felt, wax and shredded rubber to make a footing that's just right for your arena. if you have big rocks working their way up through, you have a bad base. i know

i agree 100% with you! most people say "oh what i do doesn't affect you"...wrong! like you said most insurance policies have a million dollar lifetime cap, many people don't realize this or the tremendous cost associated with a tbi or spinal cord injury. and sadly most people don't succumb to these devastating injuries, many end up in long term rehab or nursing facilities and we, the state or federal tax payers are footing the bills.never mind the emotional burden on their friends

the cost of a used horse trailer will vary depending on any extras you might be looking for such as a dressing room. we paid $4800 for a 9 year old trailet with dressing room, we bought it from a trailer dealer so everything was in great condition, the floor was new, new wiring and they packed the wheel bearings as well. there are not too many good used trailers around i suspect because new ones start around $10,000. a stock trailer would be a cheaper option, i don't particularly care for them

i'm very sorry for your bad experience):!! i was hoping you would have fun. don't give up though! i should have recommended lunging your horse before you got on. my 9 y/o dutch mare always get fired up when we go away and we show a lot! so i always throw her butt on the lunge for 10 or 15 minutes to let her get the bucks and freshness out before i get on, i have no desire to get launched into next week thank you very much!! so just a suggestion and you might want to put the chain over his

don't be nervous! the nice thing about hunter paces is if you are uncertain about a jump you can go around to check the landing side, you can trot the jumps and you can even go around and do it again! you are doing the pleasure division so just relax and enjoy the ride! be ready for the unexepected though, we had deer run out in front of us at one pace and that just freaks the horses out!! cows can be iffy for some horese. one year someone jumped a log with a bees nest in it and horse were flying

that's a really crappy thing to do!! the owner probably found someone to pay them money for the lease on top of the board and expenses.... some friend huh? run as far away from this person as you can get! they could have given you some warning and even a months notice. did you show him? i suspect if you did it makes perfect sense because you kept the horse going he was probably fit to start showing now was the "perfect" time to take him back. you simply don't treat your friends

irishrider, you certainly do not need to show in a sheepskin girth, unless your horse is thin skinned or prone to rubs you can skip them. like sheepskin lined boots they are very hot in the summer and the horses tend to get really sweaty under them and they get really gross! as for braiding you should take the time to do your horse's mane, it's just a nice detail and makes your horse look so much nicer! a word of caution though, i would not do the tail for smaller or schooling shows, but

to jamsession, yes you can go to school and graduate and make very good money.no, not with a 4 year degree, which now they say is the "new" high school diploma! i have a ba with a double major in mass. comm. and political science and a mhs (masters degree) that was a 27 month program and earn an income in the low six figures, that's with one years experience. so if you go to college right after hs, and complete your masters right away you can earn tons of money by the time you are 25

to nikelodeon79, please know that no offense was meant towards you. "honey" was meant as a term of endearment, not as a derogatory statement. i am as far from rude as people come, i work in an er and take care of very sick and injured people, i am very compassionate and kind. again, im sorry if you took offense to my last post because none was certainly intended! we're all friends here just trying to help one another out and if i can help a kid just starting out with advice on horses

you are really being too hard on yourself! he is very handsome! he does need to get a little more fit. not sure why he's crabbing with his ears? you are right about your arms though.you do need to carry your hands a little higher and take up some of the slack in your reins (unless you were intentionally warming him up on the buckle which we do for our horses to get them to stretch and relax) don't stress about trying force him into a frame, it's more important that he's moving forward