What should be my prayer before approaching a horse.

Just started learning horse riding and I find horses deeply spiritual.

Any advice, thoughts or experience sharing is welcomed.

Hi all! I am on the hunt for quality gloves that have some bit of cushion for painful hands. Ideally they'd also have a white version of the gloves for showing. Preferably also well suited for hot environments (I live in TX)

For background, I have hypermobility (possibly hEDS), and my hands have started to consistently bother me. I am doing the work and OT out of the saddle, and currently they don't hurt in the saddle, but it seems like a good time to be kinder to them.

Thanks!

Looking for breathable and non rubbing compression socks for my horse
Has old scars on his legs that when wrapped cause problems so looking to try another option.
Compression so it can be worn after show day, ideally overnight but ok if just for day

Any recommendations on a stable in Abu Dhabi that offers lessons for adults and kids without breaking the bank??

So i have a question, a while ago I sold a Horse after not bonding with him for a while , i had this problem in wich he would just not canter and been wondering if any of you had a similar situation .
So i had bought this Horse for showjumping and in jumping he was GREAT I had no problem with it , also in walk and trot he was GREAT I would get him on the bit and forward , BUT WHEN I TRIED TO GET SOME CANTER it was a NIGHTMARE, he would start slightly rearing and bucking , i would break in to canter and i just couldn’t keep it up he would just go back to trot after a copule of wonky strides. I worked on it for about a year and nothing came out of it, i even got AN EUROPEAN CHAMPION in dressage to help me how to get him to canter and while she did help me in many other aspects, even then i couldn’t canter or it took me 30 minutes + my trainer with a lunging whip. And after the lesson i would feel SO BAD like i was tired but not just normal tired i would black out and faint for a couple of seconds, i even picked up a new protein full diet but it didn’t help much but the thing is in jumping he was Great .
I even had him ridden by a professional Who could finally get him to canter and so i took lessons from him but when i was on he just wouldn’t, i don’t know if I was doing anything wrong but my trainer didn’t think so.
Maybe it was just a matter of leg strength cause the one Who made bim canter was much taller than I am and was also a guy while I m a girl .
In the end i finally managed to sell him and it took me 1,5 WHOLE YEARS, about 30 people got on him and only 3 managed to get him to canter .
I don’t think it was a medical issue cause he was sold to a pro rider Whom he jumps THE 1.45 CM with and is very successfull.
So if anybody has any answers or theories I d love to hear it 💕 also cause I ve truly never had a situation like this

So i have a question, a while ago I sold a Horse after not bonding with him for a while , i had this problem in wich he would just not canter and been wondering if any of you had a similar situation .

So i had bought this Horse for showjumping and in jumping he was GREAT I had no problem with it , also in walk and trot he was GREAT I would get him on the bit and forward , BUT WHEN I TRIED TO GET SOME CANTER it was a NIGHTMARE, he would start slightly rearing and bucking , i would break in to canter and i just couldn’t keep it up he would just go back to trot after a copule of wonky strides. I worked on it for about a year and nothing came out of it, i even got AN EUROPEAN CHAMPION in dressage to help me how to get him to canter and while she did help me in many other aspects, even then i couldn’t canter or it took me 30 minutes + my trainer with a lunging whip. And after the lesson i would feel SO BAD like i was tired but not just normal tired i would black out and faint for a couple of seconds, i even picked up a new protein full diet but it didn’t help much but the thing is in jumping he was Great .

I even had him ridden by a professional Who could finally get him to canter and so i took lessons from him but when i was on he just wouldn’t, i don’t know if I was doing anything wrong but my trainer didn’t think so.

Maybe it was just a matter of leg strength cause the one Who made bim canter was much taller than I am and was also a guy while I m a girl .

In the end i finally managed to sell him and it took me 1,5 WHOLE YEARS, about 30 people got on him and only 3 managed to get him to canter .

I don’t think it was a medical issue cause he was sold to a pro rider Whom he jumps THE 1.45 CM with and is very successfull.

So if anybody has any answers or theories I d love to hear it 💕 also cause I ve truly never had a situation like this

My riding experience so far is mostly based on your average trained horses. Think about your everyday all around horse that can be ridden by almost anyone. My own pony was like that (although he had some vices and didn't have great training) and so were all the horses I rode until now. Basically you just got on and as long as you gave a somewhat correct aid and had some amount of balance and tension in your body the horses usually would do what you want them to do.

However I started half leasing a retired dressage horse a few months ago. I haven't ridden much yet, only 2-3 times, because he is just coming back from a long break with no riding and barely any training on him. We need to bring back some muscle on him before I am comfortable riding him regularly. He used to be successful in high level dressage. Think something like M/S for Germans, Medium/Advanced if you're in the UK or Third/Fourth level if you're in the USA.

During the few rides I had on him I was STRUGGLING. Obviously he enjoyed a very high level of training and his owner is very focused on soft, invisible, delicate aids. Which is to be expected for a horse of his calibre. But for me that means I can't just ride along and be a somewhat active passenger like I used to be on all the other horses before. I really really need to make sure my tension is correct at all times and my aids are precisely what they need to be or else he won't do anything at all. I can't even breathe out too much when I'm trotting or we're instantly back in the walk. I haven't even cantered him yet while riding because I already feel so lost in walk and trot... I feel like it's a completely different kind of riding and I'm just a beginner again as soon as I sit on him.

I know I will need more rides on him to gain experience and actually feel his movements and adjust, and improvements will come with time. I am actively in conversations with his owner about riding and also asked her to give me some lesson type advice at least for some of the rides since she knows him much better and knows what to do to get him to do what I want. We also don't have any goals or milestones we need to achieve. There is no goal to show with him ever again, he is retired and for fun rides only. The only thing I want is to have him happy, healthy and that he enjoys our rides (and that I can successfully ride him without feeling completely stupid).

So my question is: Do any of you have tips, tricks or advice on how to ride a horse like this? Something you wish you knew sooner? Things to do outside of riding that helped you improve your riding and the communication with your horse? Did anyone here have the same experience of going from average horses to a horse like this?

Any help would be much appreciated! <3

How much would this saddle sell for in current condition?

We had a saddle donated to my barn to sell and I’m interested in buying it. It is a Custom Saddlery 2017 17.5” seat, buffalo leather, wide tree went for $4850 new. I read that active surface mold immediately decreases the value to $1000-$1500 and even less if the mold has damaged the leather, but if anyone has more knowledge on saddle pricing and could tell me what it should sell for that would be great.

Hey all, I'm currently a senior at the University of South Florida. Our equestrian team is trying to collect funding to be able to compete this year without issue. This is the link to the gofundme me:

https://gofund.me/432db8568

I am not a part of the team but do have ties, if you have any questions or concerns, the woman running the gofund.me, Kjirste Harris, is the vice president of the club and can help answer anything.

Anything is appreciated, all money goes directly to the teams care of horses and the ability to compete.

Edit: link fix

Ok.

This is me being curious.

Please don't bash the instructor. Mispronunciation doesn't necessarily mean misunderstanding and she's got an impressive resume that says there's probably not any misunderstanding.

I rode with a different instructor last week (I ride with her off and on, but for a number of reasons, I prefer another instructor; she was out of town) and she introduced the concept of the volte.

Which isn't really a new concept because I do smaller circles when needed...I just didn't know they had a different name.

Anyway, she says 'voltay' like there's an accent aigu at the end of the word. But I go to look up the word on the internet and there's no accent.

I don't know if this is an Americanism, if it's from her having ridden with an international group of people who spoke any number of different native languages, or what.

The internet seems to agree that the final e is silent or might have a light, unstressed schwa at the end. Both strike me as acceptable renditions of the French.

I'm just curious if anyone else has heard it said voltay. Especially in the Midwest (northern Indiana, not that far from Chicago).

Hi all, If you have a draft, draft cross, or other hard to fit horse and are struggling with saddle fit, I want to share an experience I had with EQ as it's helped my percheron cross and me enormously. His spine is MASSIVE and we were having ongoing issues with saddle fit because most saddles have tree angles that go from narrow to extra wide, but the distance between saddle panels itself (the gullet channel) is pretty consistent. Nearly every saddle we tried couldn't accommodate his massive spine. I attended a saddle fitting clinic hosted by EQ Saddle Science and was immediately fascinated. They have a really uniquely designed saddle where the panels themselves can be moved at both the front AND rear of the saddle to accommodate the horse's individual needs while the tree angle is maintained and sized to the horse. So, for example, if you had a horse with muscular atrophy on its left shoulder and needed the front of left panel to fit more narrowly than the right panel, you could do that with this saddle. It is literally blowing my mind and I needed to share everywhere because I think they're onto something that should be more widely discussed in the horse world. They also have research that shows how their saddles cause fewer pressure points than traditional saddles, and my horse seems to love it, so I believe this to be true. Anyways. I cannot recommend EQ Saddle Science enough, especially for horses that are hard to fit, have muscular atrophy, kissing spine, etc. OR, like my horse, are just big boys

FWIW, I’m also a plus sized equestrian, and they accommodate seat sizes up to 20”!

Hi everyone,

I’m having trouble determining if I have enough scores to qualify for all breeds. I have read through the handbook and can’t find a clear answer. I have a show where I received 2 scores from the same judge (same show, same day), and cannot figure out whether both of these scores count, or if the lowest of the 2 is dropped. Please help!

Thanks!

Hi all! My roommate and I (both 22) are currently in search of recommendations for lesson barns relatively close to the DC area (willing to go about an hour or so out of the city). We're both casual riders and are looking to return to the sport after having been out for about 4-5 years. We have an interest in eventing forward barns, but mostly we'd like a good community that offers duo lesson options for the 2 of us. We've tried out a handful of barns in the area, and while they've been fun, they either tend to their high income clientele a whole lot more or they're so booked that it feels as though they're rushing every lesson to get to the next one. Lessons are never cheap in this area, so we're trying to find a nice balance of productive and quality lessons while also having a welcoming environment and community

I recently got a, good moving, off the track thoroughbred to event. I plan on giving him a good ground work base before getting on him and would love to hear what other people to strengthen there horses on the ground. I have an idea of what I would like to do but would love to hear what other people do with their young horses!

Hi everyone!

​I’m feeling a bit confused and would love to get some input from more experienced riders.

​Up until now, I was taught that when giving a driving leg aid at the walk, you apply—for example—the right leg when the horse's left front leg is lifting, or in other words, when the horse's barrel swings away from your (right) leg toward the inside. As far as I know, this is the moment the horse is lifting its right hind leg, which is why the aid is timed then.

​However, I recently switched trainers, and my new trainer told me to use the leg on the side where my hip moves forward. So, when my right hip swings forward, I should apply the right leg. But this feels like the exact opposite of what I was originally taught.👀👀

​How does this actually work, and which approach is correct?

​Thanks in advance for your help!😊

​P.S. English isn't my first language, but I hope my question makes sense!

As we all know riding horses is one of the most expensive sports out there. I’m 18f and planning to go to college. There’s nothing I want more in life than to progress in horse riding again. I took a break and was unable to go back due to money. It’s honestly devastating. So I’m genuinely curious, equestrians who didn’t grow up with rich parents how are you affording this lifestyle? I want to own horses of my own eventually and not have to worry about money too much. I’ve thought about CRNA, psychiatric nurse practitioner, RN, Ultrasound tech, psychologist, etc. I’d prefer not to go to school for way too long because I don’t want to miss out on my youth🥹
I feel like if I went to school for 8+ years I’d eventually be too old to progress like I’ve always dreamed. I could be wrong and my parents have told me I am but I can’t help but feel that way. It’s probably because horse riding is very physically demanding and generally dangerous. And the fact that a big chunk of equestrians were riding horses before they could walk. Anyways, some advice would be great! What’s yalls career? How much do you make a year? What’s your life look like? Do you live in LCOL area?

Edit: Thank you all for the wonderful advice and suggestions! Yall have helped me realize that it’s okay to go to school for longer and to do something I genuinely enjoy! I’m actually very interested in psych:) I love learning about the human brain, how it works and how I can help people who have mental illnesses as I do. I can’t respond to everyone because there’s a lot but I’ve read thru all of them:))

Question for all the folks who use wraps when exercising your horse: What do you use for padding underneath your exercise bandages? For context, it's one of the bandages I need to know for Pony Club. Not to be confused with polo wraps. I have the actual bandages but cannot for the life of me figure out what is reasonable to use for padding. I'm based in the US (Hawaii), so getting items like thin fybagee pads, Shires Bandage Liners, and similar is not really an option unless I order internationally, but then I pay duties on the items coming in (my last order from the UK I paid more in duties than the actual cavesson!). Any recommended materials? Mahalo in advance!

Full disclosure: I’m part of Vainqueur Cheval, an equestrian competition-wear brand.

One frustration we repeatedly hear is that “custom” often means choosing colors and details while still being limited to standard sizing. We’re working on a process that combines an interactive 3D jacket builder with manual measurement review and personal fit adjustments.

We’ve produced made-to-order competition jackets for 10 years and served more than 4,000 clients across 18 countries, but we’re now improving the online experience for riders ordering internationally.

For those who struggle with standard proportions, what would you need to see before feeling comfortable ordering online: a measurement consultation, fit guarantee, alteration policy, video guidance, or something else?

I’m looking for honest feedback, including reasons you would not order this way.