am i working her to hard?

[minis_4ever<3]

okim a 14 year old girl and im in 4h at little foot farm miniature horses!! so my mare is 18 and she has foals all her life but now she may not have any babies every again!!!

anyway i just started leasing her last april and now she can jump pretty good

!!! she free/lunges, does obstacle, and can stand on a box/stub! and so people are saying i should drive ,some are not so happy with that idea! but im not sure if i should try to get her to drive or if i should stop at jumping???? i need help

!! plz!!!!!!!

cara+chinabell

 

[Robin1]

If the mare is in good condition and not suffering from arthritis, I don't see why you can't get her started in driving. I would have been more concerned about jumping.

Robin

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I agree with Robin- I would NOT be jumping a mare of this age, especially as she has not done it before. I am a little older than her "human" age and I can tell you if you wanted to start jumping me I'd give you a swift kick- [please do NOT tell me she enjoys it- what she is enjoying is your company and the attention she is getting, if this means jumping, she will do it to please you, that is all. Driving her, in a sensible and non- competitive way, would be far, far better for her than any of the other activities. This is an OLD mare- and remember she has only had foals, never done any training or anything, she is a Senior Citizen she deserves your respect. Ask her how she feels about driving, it's easy enough if you have access to a cart, juts pull one along side her and see what she does. At her age, she will tell you plain enough. At her age I would not even be suggesting Blinders, let alone a check rein, so just take it easy!!

 

[minis_4ever<3]

rabbitsfizz,

yes i know it sounds sort of silly but china does love do jump she always has her ears up when i jumper her and she always just looks happy to me and everyone else that looks at her!!!!! but know she does not have any heath issues!! she loves showing the only thing she doesn't like is when i lunger her on a hot day but i only do that 1 a week and only for 30 min! so she is over all very very happy!!!

cara+chinabell!

 

[minis_4ever<3]

also china does love to be with me but i know she is happy jumping when like anyone is jumping her!! i even talked to her vet about it and he said she is a very happy horse with very good gomming and trainng!! he said that she has never looked better'!!!!!! i lover her with all my heart and i would never do andything that would hurt her in a harmfull and emotional! so plz don't ever think she is un happy!!!

cara+china

 

[MyLilShowGirl]

I have to agree with Rabbitsfiz....take it easy on her because she is an older mare. Driving would be much easier for her then jumping- for sure! I would try to lower the amount that you work her because I think that she will get worn out and age faster from being worked so hard at such an old age. Perhaps maybe you can let her have the winter off? Only working her very little? My horse gets the whole winter off to be a horse and I dont concentrate on working him at all during his off season. If you work a horse too hard then they could "burn out"..meaning that they don't do there best that what they were once better at and they just dont enjoy that anymore. I know of a couple horses who have "burned out" at a pretty young age from such an extensive show career which left the owner to retire them early.

Good luck Cara! I hope you understand and give her some slack

-Kris

 

[Marty]

but know she does not have any heath issues!!

Yes she does. Of course she has health issues Sweetie, she's getting old and you have to take great care.

I'm sorry Little One but I'm going to disagree with both you. Your horse does very much most likely have artheritis going on. If not artheritis, then one of the other "itis" brothers. Even though you don't see it yet, it's most likely there and just not effecting her where you can see it. But keep on jumping her like that and you surely will and soon. Her bones are getting brittle and you need to do everything you can to preserve what she has left of them and jumping her a lot is not a good idea. She's pounding down on those tendons and hoofs, aw come on........give this gal a break. She doesn't need this, but if you do, lease yourself a younger horse. And watch her breathing too. Be sure she's not huffing and puffing after you are working with her or during the sessions.

Even though she has her ears up means nothing. She probably has her ears up going over the jumps to watch where the heck she is going!

I do think however that to use an older horse is a good idea if they are conditioned for it in the first place. All my horses just never stopped long enough to have to be out of condition and entered into old age in top shape but your mare did not. I think it helps keep them toned up and healthy, but just don't over do. I had lots of old horses and we did ride them and they did look and feel great in their old age but I went to great lengths to be sure that they were protected with proper leg protection and glucosemine products as well.

I would suggest to you that you put her on some good glucosemine products and back off and go easy on her. What you are asking of her is the equivilant of asking it of a 90 year old woman, so do keep that in mind. Be real sure to have her teeth done too.

Its obvious that you are very much in love with this horse and I'm sure she is loving you right back. Just remember now to take it easy on her and lighten up and she'll be around for you for a lot more years.

 

[Ashley]

I dont recomend working her 30 only once a week.

I would work her 3 times a week for 10 mins.

She may not have arthritis Marty. We had a 20 year old mare here(until we gave her to a child with CP). She did NOT have arthritis of any sort. She however did have a pretty bad case of heaves and couldnt really be stressed. If she was out playing hard with the mares you knew it as she came in hacking up a storm.

Not everybody or everythign gets arthritis. Any young horse could have it just as well as the older ones. Just like in humans.

 

[minis_4ever<3]

no china does not have any heath issues beside she can't have any more babys she has been checked ouy lots of times and she is doing great!!!!!! and yes im giving china the winter off im not working her anymore till next year!!!!!

cara+china

 

[minis_4ever<3]

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here is a picture of her jumping i hope this turned out!!

cara

 

[billiethekid40]

Hi Cara,

China may enjoy jumping as much as any other horse, but let me tell you the truth of the matter. China is an older horse, and even if she DOES enjoy jumping very much, she is very very likely to do damage to her joints. She may not have any health problems, but rest assured, her joints are NOT as strong as they once were and continuing to jump her at this age will cause her to have problems in the future. A horse that was conditioned to jumping at a young age may very well continue to jump in their later years, however, their joints were built up to it and they mastered the technique of jumping at a young age when a miss-step woudn't cause as much damage and a minor injury would heal quickly. Older horses are not as flexable anymore, nor do they heal quickly from a strain or bump.

Driving her, if built up to slowly, is a much less impact activity for her legs. The impact of jumping will wear down her poor old joints, where driving lightly will be much easier on her. I think it is great that you still show her and an obstacle course with a small jump isn't likely to hurt either. I'd cut out trying to make her into a jumping horse though. Now that she knows how to jump, train for obstacle and if there happens to be a small jump in the class, go ahead and take it. But please understand that jumping her at this age puts a LOT of stress on her joints that she doesn't need. There are still lots of fun things you can do with her though!

PS Remember, you DID ask our opinion if you were working her too hard, so try not to pick out only the stuff that makes it ok to do what you want

 

[lilfoot]

Just to clarify things here abit: The owner of this horse, as well as her vet of the past 10? years are both astounded by her FIT condition. This is thanks to Cara (plus she arrived here in great condition for a girl her age). Perhaps she is one of the rare seniors who are healthy, happy, painfree & very youthful? I give alot of credit to the pampering & topnotch care she's always received from her owner. Cara had already decided to give her the winter off & begin the gradual training for driving in the spring. No one on our farm works their horse too fast or hard. We have strict rules with occasional reminders to all. Cara only worries that she shouldn't jump her too much and is looking for reassurance on her choice to drive instead. While I (& many others) have already applauded her efforts, it is important to remember we are speaking to youth & they can & do take things very personally sometimes. (Gentle flames only pls)Take it from someone who has seen & supervised this horses training, I think Cara has done a great job.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

She has undoubtedly done a good job. No-one reading her post could doubt her sincerity or her devotion. I am just truly concerned that the mare is much too old to be asked to do this sort of strenuous work. Would you rather we just said what she wants to hear?? I have no intention of giving bad advice, especially to a youth, which we are all very well aware she is, just because it is not what they want to hear! I think the mare is too old to jump. If she had been jumping all her life it would definitely be time to slow down- believe me I have had show jumping ponies that were jumping fools- they would have jumped until they dropped dead of exhaustion, ears pricked, heads high, loving it. Would it be right to let them?? No. Would it have been right not to have told their riders to retire them?? No. I gave the best jumping pony I ever had to someone I could trust and who did not want to jump, so she could enjoy her retirement- she was 18. I'm sorry if you think we are being harsh, but I honestly do not believe that we are. The little mare should be fine to drive, if she likes it, and it is not competitive.

 

[lilfoot]

I am the LAST one to ever argue but perhaps it's easier to judge something when you have first hand knowledge? May I repeat...Cara has ALREADY decided to give her the winter off & switch to driving. Jumping is already on the back burner. I never asked anyone to give false opinions but to try to remember youth are youth. Sometimes they exaggerate things. This older mare was never overworked, over jumped, over anything. Her age was always a consideration. We all understand she is a senior & is treated as such. Some jumping was a part of her training but it was always limited. Please note she is no longer jumping. Thanks for your concern.