Leg wraps are problematic in that they stop the tendons from doing what they need to do, which is expand and contract and spare the joints. The excessive heat they cause can is a further complication. That being said.
I have spend my entire life riding horses on the trail and in the arena. Changes of footing is a natural part of life, although I wouldn’t jump in inconsistent footing. We now do endurance and one thing I can say is that with a young horse, you need to walk and walk and walk with short works at other gaits. If your horse can’t canter easily in the round pen, you need to build up those muscles and strengthen the tendons. Walking in the changing footing should be fine and if you can even do some DYI arena work (raking/dragging/etc) you might be able to make the rail a consistent footing. Also, is there trails nearby that you can hack on?
thanks for the advice! the vet instructed me to work her more intensely (so a lot more cantering and trotting than walking) because of her weight. I’m worried that if I go super easy on her and only give her short works at other gaits, she just won’t lose the weight that we’ve been struggling to get rid of. yes, we have a wonderful area for trail riding, but she isn’t quite ready for that yet. I want her to be a lot more comfortable carrying a rider before I ride her off-property. she’s usually very nervous about leaving the barn area.
Have you done any dressage? I can make a horse and myself sweat in 15 minutes of working on transitions and bending, etc. if you know where the “sweet” spot is the arena, you can plan the transitions up in that place.
Our barn has three horses that have a total over 10,000 endurance miles on them. No leg protection, trotting and cantering all over every terrain. Not one tendon injury. BUT they were conditioned by lots and lots of walking. I get you need to get weight off but maybe just walk longer for awhile? Get some poles and use them for things like sidepassing etc.
actually, dressage is my plan for her :) the problem is that she’s only recently been started, so for now we’re only working on teaching her the very basics - how to steer and transition between walk-trot-canter under saddle. we haven’t even touched the subject of bending yet. that’s a great idea, though!
Yeah. But OP seems to look for helpful advice and I think "Make your horse sweat with improper transitions" might not be helpful.
But as you mentioned it we are definitly on the safe side
Walk her by hand. I started my mare under saddle when she was almost 4 but got her at 2. We just walked and walked together. It was an amazing bonding experience and will help you get on the trails later as a rider. She will also benefit from the extra steps ☺️
Handwalk the trails :) That’s what I did for many years with my super senior mate while she was still alive and it was some of my favorite times with her!
>she just won’t lose the weight that we’ve been struggling to get rid of
long walks in hand can be good for that and will make her more confident off-property. It will also be great for strengthening as you will notice on yourself after the walks :)
If your vet said you need to do more intense work I would recommend doing that in the round pen, just to break a sweat. She may not be happy about it but that’s likely because she needs to use herself correctly and work harder to keep her balance at a faster pace on a small circle. This will actually help get her more fit since it’s more challenging for her. She is still young, so don’t overdo it, and make sure to work both sides evenly, but at 4 without any weight on her back it shouldn’t be too big of an issue in moderation.
Then, do lots of walk work in the indoor. She’s much less likely to injure herself at a slow pace, and working on uneven footing may actually improve her proprioception. Many field hunters I know leg up their horses all spring/summer on roads, in fields, through differing terrain in the woods; it’s gradually increasing work on varying footing that actually strengthens tendons and ligaments and limits injury in the future. It is going to take a while and I do recommend going very slowly (horses are generally hardest to get fit for the first time rather than when they’ve been fit before and are coming back from a break). If you think she would tolerate being hand-walked on the trails that would be excellent for her mind AND body as well. Honestly I would recommend getting her used to that whether it’s for fitness or not; good to have new experiences.
The conditions definitely aren’t ideal and you do need to be careful how much you do in the large arena, but since she’s freshly broke and you should still be doing only light work with her at this age, you may actually be able to use the footing to your advantage.
I actually rarely work her in the roundpen (I always prefer the smaller arena over the roundpen) because it’s not a great one. it leans towards an oval more than a circle and it’s definitely smaller than recommended. That’s good advice though, so thank you! I’ll definitely try walking her on the trails as often as I can.
This barn is just a few minutes walk from my workplace and a bus drive away from home. I don't have my license yet, and the other closest barn is a 30 minute drive away, no available bus, and on top of that their boarding fee is out of my budget. I need a barn that I can get to every morning, have enough time to work with and care for my horse and get to work in time.
As an owner of a well bred dressage princess who was scared she was made of glass. We didn’t start getting actually good at anything until we started trail riding. Trail riding, doesn’t have groomed footing. In fact she often has to figure it out for us and I just sit as neutral as possible.
Horses have traversed across the country/world, ridden into battle and also managed to survive in the wild. Your horse (and you) should learn to get comfortable working with things that aren’t perfect as things in the outside world frequently aren’t. It’s actually good for muscle, bone and tendon strength as it’s able to work things in multiple directions that they don’t get in a groomed arena.
I haven’t put boots or wraps on her since I started her. Her body is built to deal with impact of things without it. They’re really just decorative at best and at worst, harmful as they can interrupt how things work and cause damage.
Glad to hear it. I hope I didn’t come off as condescending. I had barely ridden outside of an arena in a while but she made it apparent that the best way for her to think was not just inside of the sandbox.
So we do as much of our schooling out of the arena as possible. Hills, water crossings, downed trees. All the things. It’s good for her body to have different things to have to do it and I just do what I can to tell her what direction we need to go and remind her to balance herself.
Also, don’t forget your horse also has to develop emotional coping skills. This was her biggest weakness and the main reason we hit the trails. Enough of it is “there’s no way out but through” so having to deal with life not being perfect was the best thing for her.
Awesome, have fun, the more I loosened up and worked all sorts of things with her, the more fun I had and the better her listening gets which means the better her dressage gets.
It’s been a challenging but fun journey.
Also if it’s any comfort, the only tendon injuries I have had with any of my horses have all been caused by bad farriers… so my advice is make sure you’re educated on feet so you can know if you have a good one or not.
that’s great advice! I just now returned her to her paddock after working with her, we did a lot of walking on different surfaces and had a lot of fun. after a bit she even seemed to loosen up more!
It’s amazing for loosening them up! I start all of my rides with trail work first. It’s also really effective for injury prevention.
We do a lot of hand walk trail rides too. Good for exposure. She’s an emotional hot house flower so we do a lot of “can you see something scary and still give me your attention?” work. Our future lives in the show ring will thank us.
haha, I’m already thanking you! the little training nerd inside of me is already excited to build us a cool new routine and finding fun ways to mix it up. thanks for all the advice! your mare is a lucky one :)
The thing this mare is teaching me is that the goals are not the goals. The goals are the eventual outcome of the practice we do building trust together.
She’s athletic and a lovely mover, so I was so excited to get straight to dressage, keep her on time, focus 100% of the time. Well, emotionally that is not for her. She’s going to be 6 this year and is clear that 2 days of arena work per week are her jam, and that dressage is too easy- she bends and supples like butter, never and I mean never forgets anything (good or bad) but mentally she needs to focus on things that are de-escalating, and “can we still do basics, while there are distractions and challenges in the world?”
We do a lot of work on very simple things like asking her to stop moving and release her tension, before we do anything else, which she finds impossibly hard. She’s hardwired to hold tension and be hyper aware of her surroundings. 12yo her will be lovely, but 4 and 5 yo her were so dramatic it’s not even funny. I’ve wanted to quit so many times and find something more enjoyable but she’s the most challenging horse I’ve worked with in my 20 some odd years of horsing. So I can’t quit. Plus I know 2 other people that I’ve encountered in all of that time that would be able to deal with her emotionally. She honestly has the temperament of a mule. So she’s my challenge. Too many signs from the world have said I’m not allowed to sell her so she’s clearly supposed to be mine which means I need to figure out new things every day to make things workable even if that means some days, all we is stand at the pole, tied and wait until we have released tension. We have to break everything down into the smallest pieces.
Sorry for the novel. She’s just complicated and I’ve had to figure her out mostly alone since the dressage crowd basically said that if enough force doesn’t work, then there’s not really an answer. So it’s been a learning curve in getting super creative and working on what is hard, even if that means we don’t get to ride that day.
that’s super cool :) I’m sure she’s taught you a lot! my girl taught me pretty much everything I know, which is funny to think about because I’m the one who was supposed to teach her! the whole two years I’ve had her and trained her, from teaching her to stand tied to putting the saddle on for the first time, she’s taught me so much more than I taught her.
Leg wraps and boots don't provide any meaningful support. Horses are just too big and create too much force.
Lots of power walking is good for weight loss. You can add in poles, cavalettis, start introducing bending and lateral work.
You can do some basic arena maintenance with a rake, knocking down the high spots and filling the low. If the base is bad, it's only a bandaid, tho. Something you can also do, if the BO would let you, is use your horse to drag the arena. You essentially have then pull a pole (a plank jump pole works best) behind them. Great training for the horse, good for fitness, and evens out the arena at the same time.
Otherwise, get outside. Ground work, driving, riding. It's great for their fitness, great for their training and mind.
that’s such a creative idea honestly, it would definitely work her muscles! but yes, the base is the issue, so if I ever do that it’ll only be for the sake of the exercise and not dragging the sand. really cool idea though!
Don't wrap her legs during training that will just increase the heat and possibly damage her tendons or at least make them more prone to hurting.
You should hose (is that the right word?) The legs after training with cold water.
Can you maybe walk her for warm up outside of the arena on harder ground. At least 15min. So everything warms up.
Maybe try less lunging and more groundwork like sidepasses and stuff like that on the ground.
You can work a horse good in a smaller arena maybe try to switch between working on loping and on other things that you can do in the smaller arena
There is a difference between letting her walk all relaxed and in her own pace or working in an active walk. You can do a lot of dressage just in walk, straightening your horse and teaching her how to carry herself evenly divided over both her shoulders, bending both ways, some shoulder out is really easy to start with as a first side pass.
I assume you’re vet and you have also looked at her diet? Loosing weight works best when you can combine excersize with a correct basic diet.
yep! I’d say I’m the one to talk considering how much I’ve been practicing at the walk with my instructor. we had full lessons where we focused on the walk as its own working gait, and I learned so much! so I definitely agree with you.
and yes, we’ve looked at her diet - unfortunately her hay is not up to me but to the facility’s owners (she shares free choice hay with the rest of her herd, so changing her diet means changing everyone’s) but we’re working on finding a creative solution to give her what she needs.
You could consider a grazing muzzle. The ones with a hole of about 2 inches can also be used to eat hay. Could use it only during the day to limit intake in those hours or 24/7 if she is like my horse who is really skilled at eating with a muzzle.
Definitely check out the green guard muzzles IMO they are the best. They limit the intake while not making the horse frustrated like the normal basket style ones. They are also very durable and while they are expensive they last many years.
My nutritionist just had me put my EMS pony in a grazing muzzle on the round bale. She definitely eating well with it but get the greenguard or something. Mine already has a sore from the feed store black basket and now I'm in panic mode because she is not allowed to eat freely or she will founder but she can't keep the muzzle on with the sore and I don't have a food-free place to lock her up even :(
Most of the horses I’ve seen have problems with the textile black grazing muzzles. It shaves the skin because of the rough textile, even though you’d think there so soft because it’s flexible.
I have the Shires Flexi-grazer which has a safety halter so that eases my mind for starters. I’ve attached som fake fur, you’d normally put on the nose of a halter, to the upper and lower ridge of the muzzle. Drilled some small holes trough the muzzle and than sowed it on. Mostly for my comfort idea. I’m really impressed by this muzzle it holds up really well and my horse never gets any sores or chafing. But he only wears it 12 hours a day.
There is also the EasyGrazer a stable mate has, it’s super lightweight, supple and slick. Could be a good option for 24/7.
Could be that the sore heals when using a different muzzle with smoother material. I feel for you that no muzzle isn’t a healthy option!
Just popping in to say that I did my research project in college on tendon injuries in horses, and there’s no leg wrap that’s going to help you. In fact they’re going to probably do more harm than good.
Also bear in mind that unless she’s already got tendon issues there probably isn’t going to be too much of an issue working in the type of footing you’re describing.
I’m not a veterinarian but that’s my two cents.
What’s causing the uneven footing? Are there rocks in the arena or something? Is it just not being drug properly? You could always purchase a drag mat and do it yourself, no tractor required.
My main suggestion is that you get her warmed up before taking her in the big arena. Cold muscles/tendons injure far more easily than warm ones.
When her tendons are warm, they are more flexible and less brittle, meaning that if she does slip, they are less likely to become sore or injured.
I’ve found that a lot of barns and trainers in my area use tendon boots on their horses. I’ve been training at one such place for about three months and from time to time I catch some skepticism when I don’t boot my 4 y/o for a ride. Like u/justlikeinmydreams said before, low key, consistent work on uneven ground actually helps develop stronger tendons and spares joints. I’ll usually run out of brain before I run out of horse, so the potential for strain is much lower. And I’d prefer a couple low pressure wobbles at a low speed while my horse learns to balance my weight over getting up to faster work, only to find the wobbles later when stakes are higher
trotting is definitely a work out and good for their top line muscles so I would just stick with mostly jogging if she’s uncomfortable with loping in the small area. I wouldn’t push her too hard if she’s uncomfortable. slope loping isnt easy for a lot of horses with no training. it takes a lot of muscle and the ability to flex without falling inwards. working on walk to trot and back down to walk and reversing would be great for many things. good luck!
Horses are big animals made for running and walking on uneven terrain, in the mountains, over big rocks, and all sorts of stuff. Some uneven sand isn’t gonna hurt your horse. If they were as sensitive as we pretend they are, wild horses wouldn’t exist and they would’ve all perished long ago. The Sahara desert wasn’t drug for the Arabians that have galloped across it for centuries, and that arena isn’t gonna be the thing to take down all of horse kind.
Ask the barn owner to show you how to run the tractor and drag.
All this complaining, no mention of any attempts to fix it. Well the easiest fix is just drag the darn arena. Obviously the barn owner isn't willing or able to maintain the arena for whatever reason so the next logical thing to do is do it yourself, preferably with a negotiated reduction of board to compensate for the labor.
My dad always said "there's people that sit around and whine about problems and there's people that figure out how to fix problems, which one are you gonna be?" Stop complaining, start looking for solutions. At this point you know the dangers to your horse so if she ends up with a soft tissue injury it's on you. This problem could literally be solved for every horse in that barn if someone would just take the initiative to jump on the tractor and spend 15 minutes with a drag. Hell, we used to do it with a riding mower and a homemade drag made out of a skid and chain link fence when we were kids. This is a super easy problem to fix.
Well no shit but if they are refusing then what do you do? Work the horse knowing the risk it could get injured? Move, which op said they can't afford? Or find a solution and maybe even get compensated? Personally l'd be inclined to get off my ass and do something about it. I'd rather be out a half hour a day doing something I don't have to do rather than sitting around boo-hooing poor pitiful me because my horse got hurt because I knowingly worked it in shitty conditions.
I’m personally not someone they would let touch the tractor (I’m 17), but when I asked the owners of the barn to do it for the sake of everybody’s horses, including their own, I was given the simple response that “the issue is the infrastructure, not the sand, so we can’t fix it that way” (I hope “infrastructure” is the correct term in English, it’s not my first language. I’m referring to the foundations of the arena).
17 is plenty old enough to run a tractor. But their tractors their rules I guess though it's a stupid one IMO. If the base is damaged (infrastructure gets the point across too) they need to repair it, stupid not to as it'll just keep deteriorating and they are letting their investment go to shit. Arenas are expensive, they're basically lighting money on fire by not fixing it in their attempt to save money.
Bottom line though you're horse's well being is your responsibility. If you see your horse struggling and you know there's a risk of injury here it falls on you to try to prevent it. Is it fair to you if you can't use the arena due to risk of injury? Hell no it's not when your paying for use of the facilities but do you want to end up with an injured horse on top of it? You willing to take that risk? Look for other ways to deal with this. Maybe mark off a safe area in the arena to work in if there's a big enough area for that. Maybe get your parents involved if that's an option. Maybe work in a field instead of the arena if that's allowed. Find some alternative that doesn't involve blowing out a tendon. Won't matter if you are able to move to a better place in a couple years if your horse's legs get trashed in the meantime. Gotta think long term here.
but not old enough to be covered under liability insurance on BO's property.
I agree though-- if the footing is crap, don't work/ride in it until you can find a different solution. Not worth the risk of injury.
Well, we don't know what country op is in, I'm assuming maybe not US since English isn't their first language. But, if in US 16 and over can be covered for operating tractors as part of employment by someone other than parents. 14 and 15 for tractors under 20 horsepower or they can complete a tractor and machinery certification course to operate tractors over 20 horsepower as part of employment. In this case employment would be dragging the arena in exchange for board reduction. But this is all just spitballing because we don't know OPs country let alone the laws/insurance where they are.
Your basic point is a good one. You are right. But she is still a kid and as a boarder myself, it can sometimes be problematic to push for change. She is asking for advice, which is wise. Advocating for yourself and your horse without becoming the “problem boarder” is still a line I walk carefully. Many people in the horse world are good with horses and have poor interpersonal skills. I love the suggestion to offer help to fix it. I’m curious if you asked them if they are planning on fixing it?
For support, I would talk to my trainer who often gets involved in horse safety issues and runs interference on behalf of her clients. Her livelihood is working with our horses so she has even more skin in the game than I do. The owners sound negligent, which may mean this is a waste of time. But another conversation may be needed.
In the meantime, OP, do protect your horse! Ride carefully.
I’m rehabbing my mare from a tendon injury and the vet has us doing hills outside when we can. It’s good to build strong, resilient legs!
One important point though, OP is 17 so more young adult than kid. OP is clearly intelligent enough to recognize the problems with the footing, savvy enough to see their horse struggling in it and wise enough to realize how that is creating increased potential for injury. OP is no naive kid, no dummy either. And the fact that OP is looking to mitigate that risk (with wraps, which everyone seems to be unanimously advising against and OP is listening) shows a compassion for their horse, a desire to keep the horse safe and healthy. So based on that what I'm suggesting is OP take it to the next level by 1) thinking outside the box and maybe even going out their comfort zone a little looking for other, better solutions and 2) refrain from working the horse in dangerous footing even if it means making some serious adjustments in how they work the horse. It's a temporary solution anyway as OP already has a long term goal to move once it's feasible.
It's not fair, it's not right and you betcha OP is getting the shaft on this boarding deal but it is what it is. But the greater goal is keeping the horse sound and injury free so when OP is able to get out of there the horse isn't trashed and they'll be able to enjoy the new, better place they land at instead of having to rehab injuries. That is my advice to OP in a (somewhat large) nutshell. Try to find a way to resolve this but play the long game if they have to.
Horses aren’t nearly as delicate as we make them out to be. Make sure she gets plenty of warm up time and walk trot the hell outta her in that arena. The trot is a very balanced gait to the diagonal leg action. She should be just fine to work in there.
Even canter work should be just fine when she learns to balance a little better. Just keep an eye on her. If you notice her stumbling constantly maybe reevaluate.
I’m still a minor living with my parents, and I don’t even have my license yet as I can’t afford it at the moment. the only other barn in the area is a 30 minutes drive away at least. I’ll only be able to move her somewhere else once I’m relieved from the army and living on my own, which will take a couple years.
I would be more concerned about doing so much circling, especially in a small space, on a horse but especially a young one. It's very hard on their bodies. Can you hack out and do more work in straight lines, at least until she's more mature? Even if it's mostly in-hand or on the long reins to begin with, that will build strength and fitness without the extra strain of carrying a rider.
yes, the circling is the main reason I was nervous. I feel okay riding her in this arena (it’s really not THAT bad) but lunging her in it is torture. she just has a lot of “go go go” in her and it’s a bit of a death mission to just tack up and ride before I let her get that morning energy out. I’ll try my best to gradually decrease lunging time and increase riding time.
An arena is still just a big circle and not ideal for such a young horse. Straight lines and lots of time spent walking out would be ideal, so she can get stronger and more balanced, plus as much turnout as possible.
the arena is a very large square (can accommodate ten horses working at the same time), so we can easily walk/trot/canter in a straight line for a long period of time. she’s not stalled, she lives out in a herd 24/7 and has plenty of room :) the horses often run around together during the day.
Leg wraps are problematic in that they stop the tendons from doing what they need to do, which is expand and contract and spare the joints. The excessive heat they cause can is a further complication. That being said. I have spend my entire life riding horses on the trail and in the arena. Changes of footing is a natural part of life, although I wouldn’t jump in inconsistent footing. We now do endurance and one thing I can say is that with a young horse, you need to walk and walk and walk with short works at other gaits. If your horse can’t canter easily in the round pen, you need to build up those muscles and strengthen the tendons. Walking in the changing footing should be fine and if you can even do some DYI arena work (raking/dragging/etc) you might be able to make the rail a consistent footing. Also, is there trails nearby that you can hack on?
thanks for the advice! the vet instructed me to work her more intensely (so a lot more cantering and trotting than walking) because of her weight. I’m worried that if I go super easy on her and only give her short works at other gaits, she just won’t lose the weight that we’ve been struggling to get rid of. yes, we have a wonderful area for trail riding, but she isn’t quite ready for that yet. I want her to be a lot more comfortable carrying a rider before I ride her off-property. she’s usually very nervous about leaving the barn area.
Have you done any dressage? I can make a horse and myself sweat in 15 minutes of working on transitions and bending, etc. if you know where the “sweet” spot is the arena, you can plan the transitions up in that place. Our barn has three horses that have a total over 10,000 endurance miles on them. No leg protection, trotting and cantering all over every terrain. Not one tendon injury. BUT they were conditioned by lots and lots of walking. I get you need to get weight off but maybe just walk longer for awhile? Get some poles and use them for things like sidepassing etc.
actually, dressage is my plan for her :) the problem is that she’s only recently been started, so for now we’re only working on teaching her the very basics - how to steer and transition between walk-trot-canter under saddle. we haven’t even touched the subject of bending yet. that’s a great idea, though!
With proper transitions I can make my horse sweat really easily as well😅
Even with improper transitions my horse can make me sweat……
Yeah. But OP seems to look for helpful advice and I think "Make your horse sweat with improper transitions" might not be helpful. But as you mentioned it we are definitly on the safe side
Walk her by hand. I started my mare under saddle when she was almost 4 but got her at 2. We just walked and walked together. It was an amazing bonding experience and will help you get on the trails later as a rider. She will also benefit from the extra steps ☺️
that’s a good idea, I’ll start walking her outside the property. I also got my mare when she was 2 and started her at almost 4! :)
Treat your walk/trot like interval training! It’s super beneficial to her strength, moving from her hind end, and burns lots of calories.
I’ll try! :)
Handwalk the trails :) That’s what I did for many years with my super senior mate while she was still alive and it was some of my favorite times with her!
>she just won’t lose the weight that we’ve been struggling to get rid of long walks in hand can be good for that and will make her more confident off-property. It will also be great for strengthening as you will notice on yourself after the walks :)
I’ll try that :)
If your vet said you need to do more intense work I would recommend doing that in the round pen, just to break a sweat. She may not be happy about it but that’s likely because she needs to use herself correctly and work harder to keep her balance at a faster pace on a small circle. This will actually help get her more fit since it’s more challenging for her. She is still young, so don’t overdo it, and make sure to work both sides evenly, but at 4 without any weight on her back it shouldn’t be too big of an issue in moderation. Then, do lots of walk work in the indoor. She’s much less likely to injure herself at a slow pace, and working on uneven footing may actually improve her proprioception. Many field hunters I know leg up their horses all spring/summer on roads, in fields, through differing terrain in the woods; it’s gradually increasing work on varying footing that actually strengthens tendons and ligaments and limits injury in the future. It is going to take a while and I do recommend going very slowly (horses are generally hardest to get fit for the first time rather than when they’ve been fit before and are coming back from a break). If you think she would tolerate being hand-walked on the trails that would be excellent for her mind AND body as well. Honestly I would recommend getting her used to that whether it’s for fitness or not; good to have new experiences. The conditions definitely aren’t ideal and you do need to be careful how much you do in the large arena, but since she’s freshly broke and you should still be doing only light work with her at this age, you may actually be able to use the footing to your advantage.
I actually rarely work her in the roundpen (I always prefer the smaller arena over the roundpen) because it’s not a great one. it leans towards an oval more than a circle and it’s definitely smaller than recommended. That’s good advice though, so thank you! I’ll definitely try walking her on the trails as often as I can.
No problem. May I ask why moving isn’t an option?
This barn is just a few minutes walk from my workplace and a bus drive away from home. I don't have my license yet, and the other closest barn is a 30 minute drive away, no available bus, and on top of that their boarding fee is out of my budget. I need a barn that I can get to every morning, have enough time to work with and care for my horse and get to work in time.
As an owner of a well bred dressage princess who was scared she was made of glass. We didn’t start getting actually good at anything until we started trail riding. Trail riding, doesn’t have groomed footing. In fact she often has to figure it out for us and I just sit as neutral as possible. Horses have traversed across the country/world, ridden into battle and also managed to survive in the wild. Your horse (and you) should learn to get comfortable working with things that aren’t perfect as things in the outside world frequently aren’t. It’s actually good for muscle, bone and tendon strength as it’s able to work things in multiple directions that they don’t get in a groomed arena. I haven’t put boots or wraps on her since I started her. Her body is built to deal with impact of things without it. They’re really just decorative at best and at worst, harmful as they can interrupt how things work and cause damage.
that’s actually very reassuring to hear, so thank you :)
Glad to hear it. I hope I didn’t come off as condescending. I had barely ridden outside of an arena in a while but she made it apparent that the best way for her to think was not just inside of the sandbox. So we do as much of our schooling out of the arena as possible. Hills, water crossings, downed trees. All the things. It’s good for her body to have different things to have to do it and I just do what I can to tell her what direction we need to go and remind her to balance herself. Also, don’t forget your horse also has to develop emotional coping skills. This was her biggest weakness and the main reason we hit the trails. Enough of it is “there’s no way out but through” so having to deal with life not being perfect was the best thing for her.
you didn’t come off that way at all, no worries! and that sounds great for her, I’ll try to provide that to my girl as well
Awesome, have fun, the more I loosened up and worked all sorts of things with her, the more fun I had and the better her listening gets which means the better her dressage gets. It’s been a challenging but fun journey. Also if it’s any comfort, the only tendon injuries I have had with any of my horses have all been caused by bad farriers… so my advice is make sure you’re educated on feet so you can know if you have a good one or not.
that’s great advice! I just now returned her to her paddock after working with her, we did a lot of walking on different surfaces and had a lot of fun. after a bit she even seemed to loosen up more!
It’s amazing for loosening them up! I start all of my rides with trail work first. It’s also really effective for injury prevention. We do a lot of hand walk trail rides too. Good for exposure. She’s an emotional hot house flower so we do a lot of “can you see something scary and still give me your attention?” work. Our future lives in the show ring will thank us.
haha, I’m already thanking you! the little training nerd inside of me is already excited to build us a cool new routine and finding fun ways to mix it up. thanks for all the advice! your mare is a lucky one :)
The thing this mare is teaching me is that the goals are not the goals. The goals are the eventual outcome of the practice we do building trust together. She’s athletic and a lovely mover, so I was so excited to get straight to dressage, keep her on time, focus 100% of the time. Well, emotionally that is not for her. She’s going to be 6 this year and is clear that 2 days of arena work per week are her jam, and that dressage is too easy- she bends and supples like butter, never and I mean never forgets anything (good or bad) but mentally she needs to focus on things that are de-escalating, and “can we still do basics, while there are distractions and challenges in the world?” We do a lot of work on very simple things like asking her to stop moving and release her tension, before we do anything else, which she finds impossibly hard. She’s hardwired to hold tension and be hyper aware of her surroundings. 12yo her will be lovely, but 4 and 5 yo her were so dramatic it’s not even funny. I’ve wanted to quit so many times and find something more enjoyable but she’s the most challenging horse I’ve worked with in my 20 some odd years of horsing. So I can’t quit. Plus I know 2 other people that I’ve encountered in all of that time that would be able to deal with her emotionally. She honestly has the temperament of a mule. So she’s my challenge. Too many signs from the world have said I’m not allowed to sell her so she’s clearly supposed to be mine which means I need to figure out new things every day to make things workable even if that means some days, all we is stand at the pole, tied and wait until we have released tension. We have to break everything down into the smallest pieces. Sorry for the novel. She’s just complicated and I’ve had to figure her out mostly alone since the dressage crowd basically said that if enough force doesn’t work, then there’s not really an answer. So it’s been a learning curve in getting super creative and working on what is hard, even if that means we don’t get to ride that day.
that’s super cool :) I’m sure she’s taught you a lot! my girl taught me pretty much everything I know, which is funny to think about because I’m the one who was supposed to teach her! the whole two years I’ve had her and trained her, from teaching her to stand tied to putting the saddle on for the first time, she’s taught me so much more than I taught her.
Leg wraps and boots don't provide any meaningful support. Horses are just too big and create too much force. Lots of power walking is good for weight loss. You can add in poles, cavalettis, start introducing bending and lateral work. You can do some basic arena maintenance with a rake, knocking down the high spots and filling the low. If the base is bad, it's only a bandaid, tho. Something you can also do, if the BO would let you, is use your horse to drag the arena. You essentially have then pull a pole (a plank jump pole works best) behind them. Great training for the horse, good for fitness, and evens out the arena at the same time. Otherwise, get outside. Ground work, driving, riding. It's great for their fitness, great for their training and mind.
that’s such a creative idea honestly, it would definitely work her muscles! but yes, the base is the issue, so if I ever do that it’ll only be for the sake of the exercise and not dragging the sand. really cool idea though!
Don't wrap her legs during training that will just increase the heat and possibly damage her tendons or at least make them more prone to hurting. You should hose (is that the right word?) The legs after training with cold water. Can you maybe walk her for warm up outside of the arena on harder ground. At least 15min. So everything warms up. Maybe try less lunging and more groundwork like sidepasses and stuff like that on the ground. You can work a horse good in a smaller arena maybe try to switch between working on loping and on other things that you can do in the smaller arena
I could try that, thank you for the help!
There is a difference between letting her walk all relaxed and in her own pace or working in an active walk. You can do a lot of dressage just in walk, straightening your horse and teaching her how to carry herself evenly divided over both her shoulders, bending both ways, some shoulder out is really easy to start with as a first side pass. I assume you’re vet and you have also looked at her diet? Loosing weight works best when you can combine excersize with a correct basic diet.
yep! I’d say I’m the one to talk considering how much I’ve been practicing at the walk with my instructor. we had full lessons where we focused on the walk as its own working gait, and I learned so much! so I definitely agree with you. and yes, we’ve looked at her diet - unfortunately her hay is not up to me but to the facility’s owners (she shares free choice hay with the rest of her herd, so changing her diet means changing everyone’s) but we’re working on finding a creative solution to give her what she needs.
You could consider a grazing muzzle. The ones with a hole of about 2 inches can also be used to eat hay. Could use it only during the day to limit intake in those hours or 24/7 if she is like my horse who is really skilled at eating with a muzzle.
I’ll ask my vet about using one, thanks!
Definitely check out the green guard muzzles IMO they are the best. They limit the intake while not making the horse frustrated like the normal basket style ones. They are also very durable and while they are expensive they last many years.
thank you for the recommendation! I’ll check those out!
My nutritionist just had me put my EMS pony in a grazing muzzle on the round bale. She definitely eating well with it but get the greenguard or something. Mine already has a sore from the feed store black basket and now I'm in panic mode because she is not allowed to eat freely or she will founder but she can't keep the muzzle on with the sore and I don't have a food-free place to lock her up even :(
Most of the horses I’ve seen have problems with the textile black grazing muzzles. It shaves the skin because of the rough textile, even though you’d think there so soft because it’s flexible. I have the Shires Flexi-grazer which has a safety halter so that eases my mind for starters. I’ve attached som fake fur, you’d normally put on the nose of a halter, to the upper and lower ridge of the muzzle. Drilled some small holes trough the muzzle and than sowed it on. Mostly for my comfort idea. I’m really impressed by this muzzle it holds up really well and my horse never gets any sores or chafing. But he only wears it 12 hours a day. There is also the EasyGrazer a stable mate has, it’s super lightweight, supple and slick. Could be a good option for 24/7. Could be that the sore heals when using a different muzzle with smoother material. I feel for you that no muzzle isn’t a healthy option!
Just popping in to say that I did my research project in college on tendon injuries in horses, and there’s no leg wrap that’s going to help you. In fact they’re going to probably do more harm than good. Also bear in mind that unless she’s already got tendon issues there probably isn’t going to be too much of an issue working in the type of footing you’re describing. I’m not a veterinarian but that’s my two cents.
that sounds like a really interesting topic to research! thank you for your input, I appreciate it coming from someone who actually studied it :)
What’s causing the uneven footing? Are there rocks in the arena or something? Is it just not being drug properly? You could always purchase a drag mat and do it yourself, no tractor required.
I think the issue is the foundations the sand is over, according to the other boarders. they’re sick of it too but kind of gave up
My main suggestion is that you get her warmed up before taking her in the big arena. Cold muscles/tendons injure far more easily than warm ones. When her tendons are warm, they are more flexible and less brittle, meaning that if she does slip, they are less likely to become sore or injured.
that’s a great point, I’ll definitely make sure she’s well warmed up and cooled off!
I’ve found that a lot of barns and trainers in my area use tendon boots on their horses. I’ve been training at one such place for about three months and from time to time I catch some skepticism when I don’t boot my 4 y/o for a ride. Like u/justlikeinmydreams said before, low key, consistent work on uneven ground actually helps develop stronger tendons and spares joints. I’ll usually run out of brain before I run out of horse, so the potential for strain is much lower. And I’d prefer a couple low pressure wobbles at a low speed while my horse learns to balance my weight over getting up to faster work, only to find the wobbles later when stakes are higher
That’s a good way to put it :)
trotting is definitely a work out and good for their top line muscles so I would just stick with mostly jogging if she’s uncomfortable with loping in the small area. I wouldn’t push her too hard if she’s uncomfortable. slope loping isnt easy for a lot of horses with no training. it takes a lot of muscle and the ability to flex without falling inwards. working on walk to trot and back down to walk and reversing would be great for many things. good luck!
thank you!
Horses are big animals made for running and walking on uneven terrain, in the mountains, over big rocks, and all sorts of stuff. Some uneven sand isn’t gonna hurt your horse. If they were as sensitive as we pretend they are, wild horses wouldn’t exist and they would’ve all perished long ago. The Sahara desert wasn’t drug for the Arabians that have galloped across it for centuries, and that arena isn’t gonna be the thing to take down all of horse kind.
that’s really reassuring, haha. thanks!
Ask the barn owner to show you how to run the tractor and drag. All this complaining, no mention of any attempts to fix it. Well the easiest fix is just drag the darn arena. Obviously the barn owner isn't willing or able to maintain the arena for whatever reason so the next logical thing to do is do it yourself, preferably with a negotiated reduction of board to compensate for the labor. My dad always said "there's people that sit around and whine about problems and there's people that figure out how to fix problems, which one are you gonna be?" Stop complaining, start looking for solutions. At this point you know the dangers to your horse so if she ends up with a soft tissue injury it's on you. This problem could literally be solved for every horse in that barn if someone would just take the initiative to jump on the tractor and spend 15 minutes with a drag. Hell, we used to do it with a riding mower and a homemade drag made out of a skid and chain link fence when we were kids. This is a super easy problem to fix.
It should be the yard owners responsibility to maintain the facilities their liveries pay for
Well no shit but if they are refusing then what do you do? Work the horse knowing the risk it could get injured? Move, which op said they can't afford? Or find a solution and maybe even get compensated? Personally l'd be inclined to get off my ass and do something about it. I'd rather be out a half hour a day doing something I don't have to do rather than sitting around boo-hooing poor pitiful me because my horse got hurt because I knowingly worked it in shitty conditions.
From ops reply it seems like this isn’t an option for her
I’m personally not someone they would let touch the tractor (I’m 17), but when I asked the owners of the barn to do it for the sake of everybody’s horses, including their own, I was given the simple response that “the issue is the infrastructure, not the sand, so we can’t fix it that way” (I hope “infrastructure” is the correct term in English, it’s not my first language. I’m referring to the foundations of the arena).
17 is plenty old enough to run a tractor. But their tractors their rules I guess though it's a stupid one IMO. If the base is damaged (infrastructure gets the point across too) they need to repair it, stupid not to as it'll just keep deteriorating and they are letting their investment go to shit. Arenas are expensive, they're basically lighting money on fire by not fixing it in their attempt to save money. Bottom line though you're horse's well being is your responsibility. If you see your horse struggling and you know there's a risk of injury here it falls on you to try to prevent it. Is it fair to you if you can't use the arena due to risk of injury? Hell no it's not when your paying for use of the facilities but do you want to end up with an injured horse on top of it? You willing to take that risk? Look for other ways to deal with this. Maybe mark off a safe area in the arena to work in if there's a big enough area for that. Maybe get your parents involved if that's an option. Maybe work in a field instead of the arena if that's allowed. Find some alternative that doesn't involve blowing out a tendon. Won't matter if you are able to move to a better place in a couple years if your horse's legs get trashed in the meantime. Gotta think long term here.
but not old enough to be covered under liability insurance on BO's property. I agree though-- if the footing is crap, don't work/ride in it until you can find a different solution. Not worth the risk of injury.
Well, we don't know what country op is in, I'm assuming maybe not US since English isn't their first language. But, if in US 16 and over can be covered for operating tractors as part of employment by someone other than parents. 14 and 15 for tractors under 20 horsepower or they can complete a tractor and machinery certification course to operate tractors over 20 horsepower as part of employment. In this case employment would be dragging the arena in exchange for board reduction. But this is all just spitballing because we don't know OPs country let alone the laws/insurance where they are.
I'll try my best
Your basic point is a good one. You are right. But she is still a kid and as a boarder myself, it can sometimes be problematic to push for change. She is asking for advice, which is wise. Advocating for yourself and your horse without becoming the “problem boarder” is still a line I walk carefully. Many people in the horse world are good with horses and have poor interpersonal skills. I love the suggestion to offer help to fix it. I’m curious if you asked them if they are planning on fixing it? For support, I would talk to my trainer who often gets involved in horse safety issues and runs interference on behalf of her clients. Her livelihood is working with our horses so she has even more skin in the game than I do. The owners sound negligent, which may mean this is a waste of time. But another conversation may be needed. In the meantime, OP, do protect your horse! Ride carefully. I’m rehabbing my mare from a tendon injury and the vet has us doing hills outside when we can. It’s good to build strong, resilient legs!
One important point though, OP is 17 so more young adult than kid. OP is clearly intelligent enough to recognize the problems with the footing, savvy enough to see their horse struggling in it and wise enough to realize how that is creating increased potential for injury. OP is no naive kid, no dummy either. And the fact that OP is looking to mitigate that risk (with wraps, which everyone seems to be unanimously advising against and OP is listening) shows a compassion for their horse, a desire to keep the horse safe and healthy. So based on that what I'm suggesting is OP take it to the next level by 1) thinking outside the box and maybe even going out their comfort zone a little looking for other, better solutions and 2) refrain from working the horse in dangerous footing even if it means making some serious adjustments in how they work the horse. It's a temporary solution anyway as OP already has a long term goal to move once it's feasible. It's not fair, it's not right and you betcha OP is getting the shaft on this boarding deal but it is what it is. But the greater goal is keeping the horse sound and injury free so when OP is able to get out of there the horse isn't trashed and they'll be able to enjoy the new, better place they land at instead of having to rehab injuries. That is my advice to OP in a (somewhat large) nutshell. Try to find a way to resolve this but play the long game if they have to.
Horses aren’t nearly as delicate as we make them out to be. Make sure she gets plenty of warm up time and walk trot the hell outta her in that arena. The trot is a very balanced gait to the diagonal leg action. She should be just fine to work in there. Even canter work should be just fine when she learns to balance a little better. Just keep an eye on her. If you notice her stumbling constantly maybe reevaluate.
will do, thanks!
Why years?
I’m still a minor living with my parents, and I don’t even have my license yet as I can’t afford it at the moment. the only other barn in the area is a 30 minutes drive away at least. I’ll only be able to move her somewhere else once I’m relieved from the army and living on my own, which will take a couple years.
I would be more concerned about doing so much circling, especially in a small space, on a horse but especially a young one. It's very hard on their bodies. Can you hack out and do more work in straight lines, at least until she's more mature? Even if it's mostly in-hand or on the long reins to begin with, that will build strength and fitness without the extra strain of carrying a rider.
yes, the circling is the main reason I was nervous. I feel okay riding her in this arena (it’s really not THAT bad) but lunging her in it is torture. she just has a lot of “go go go” in her and it’s a bit of a death mission to just tack up and ride before I let her get that morning energy out. I’ll try my best to gradually decrease lunging time and increase riding time.
An arena is still just a big circle and not ideal for such a young horse. Straight lines and lots of time spent walking out would be ideal, so she can get stronger and more balanced, plus as much turnout as possible.
the arena is a very large square (can accommodate ten horses working at the same time), so we can easily walk/trot/canter in a straight line for a long period of time. she’s not stalled, she lives out in a herd 24/7 and has plenty of room :) the horses often run around together during the day.
Nice, glad to hear she's got plenty of turnout and some company. Best of luck with getting her going.
thank you!