My horse is wonderful. He is great to ride, and fun to groom and handle. I'm just afraid I'm pushing him too hard. He is 23 years old, and a pinto gelding. Last Thursday, on a trail ride,we were cantering when my friend started cantering her horse faster and faster .My horse, Dusty, was very frisky, and wanted to go faster too, he is 14.2 hh, so he couldn't catch up in a canter. You guessed it, he galloped, when I slowed him down, he bucked twice, yet I still clung on to him.He was a total runaway. I gradually got him to stop before my friend got her horse to stop. He wanted to keep on going, but I walked him in a couple 20 m circles to calm him down. I am afraid he did this because I am pushing him to hard, and he only wanted to please me by going fast. Maybe it is just my imagination, but I'm not sure. Could anyone tell me if I am pushing him too hard?
2006-11-04 08:30:45 · 12 answers · asked by smile.for.meee<3 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
My horse is wonderful. He is great to ride, and fun to groom and handle. I'm just afraid I'm pushing him too hard. He is 23 years old, and a pinto gelding. Last Thursday, on a trail ride,we were cantering when my friend started cantering her horse faster and faster .My horse, Dusty, was very frisky, and wanted to go faster too, he is 14.2 hh, so he couldn't catch up in a canter. You guessed it, he galloped, when I slowed him down, he bucked twice, yet I still clung on to him.He was a total runaway. I gradually got him to stop before my friend got her horse to stop. He wanted to keep on going, but I walked him in a couple 20 m circles to calm him down. I am afraid he did this because I am pushing him to hard, and he only wanted to please me by going fast. Maybe it is just my imagination, but I'm not sure. Could anyone tell me if I am pushing him too hard? I feed him Supplement and everything else too.
2006-11-05 08:17:23 · update #1
I give him Senior Food(ie. Minerals, Shredded Beet Pulp, and Safe Choice.)And the regular food I give him istiny bit of Alfalfa, and three way hay.
2006-11-05 08:19:14 · update #2
absolutely not. if he is feeling that good, he should be fine. hows his weight? maybe you should consider a senior feed such as equine senior. We have a few horses in their 20's and their perfectly fine at an easy layed back wtc. I say dont push him but if he wants to go he must be feeling good enough to. I say let him do it.
2006-11-04 11:06:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your horse will let you know when he is to old to run or play my friends have a 23 year old thoroughbred and he loves to go. Just keep in mind that his stamina may not be what it was but like older people he still likes to move. I might suggest some feed supplements and some glucocimine for his joints and keep an eye on his feet and just ride him. Horses live a long time now up to 30 years in some cases. I have three horse and I will ride them until the vet says pasture them
2006-11-04 08:48:08 · answer #2 · answered by soldierof the 82ndAirborne 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about retiring a horse at 16. Geesh, the horse I started riding when I was 2 was my Grandma's horse and I rode that thing FOREVER! She finally called it quits at age 36! I know, almost unbelievable. He will let you know when he has had enough. Probably start giving you signs like not coming when called, hard to saddle, nippy... Enjoy him every minute! I am sure he has a lot of life left! Sounds like to me he is feeling great! You probably want to keep an annual check with the vet going though just to be on the safe side.
2006-11-04 10:58:17 · answer #3 · answered by wooohoo12 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I relatively have a 18 3 hundred and sixty 5 days previous connemara this remains doing quite each and every thing and could proceed until eventually he's in all probability approximately 27 or older :P Hacking definite, galloping on condition that the floor is mushy and that i might placed brushing boots on him. he's no longer as youthful as he as quickly as replaced into and he would be greater companies to going lame from small knocks. He could be stiff once you bypass to journey him so spend lots of time warming up - stroll on an prolonged rein a pair of cases around the college on each and every rein and then %. your reins up, do some circles and serpentines until eventually now getting into trot and canter. He must be wonderful for going and doing flat instructions at shows and small leaping courses as long as you warmth up properly. I observed a pony a pair of years in the past at a Veteran Horse Society teach who replaced into 38 years previous and nevertheless going to pony club and so forth! deliver me a photograph of him in a message and that i will make it easier to realize regardless of if he has any connemara in him or no longer :)
2016-10-15 09:22:33 · answer #4 · answered by harmon 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like your pony is having the time of his life!!! dont forget that ponies live to be much older than your "blood" horses.
Where his ears back? if they were he may be uncomfortable. But unless he shows you an unwillingness to go forward, or becomes a bit snippy in the stable I wouldnt worry about it, he sounds absolutely fine, and trust me, he'll let you know when he's had enough, ponies are extremely smart animals.
If you're VERY worried, you can put him on a supplement for older horses and ponies - you can speak to your vet, he'll help you out there, otherwise just keep doing what you're doing and have fun, he certainly sounds like he is!!!
2006-11-04 15:26:52 · answer #5 · answered by Kismet 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If he is wanting to gallop and have a run once and awhile that is fine. It did not sound like you were pushing him to do so. And with the bucks sounds like he felt good and was just having some fun.
We used to work cattle off our 24 year old mare.
You could tell when she got winded we would stop. She loved to do it and loved to trail ride. You just have to watch to not let them get to breathing to hard slow them down.
2006-11-04 08:40:38 · answer #6 · answered by tlctreecare 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My brother is going to start my 24 year old gymkhana mare back into barrels. She only took a break because I got into jumping. Let your horse tell you what is too much he knows better than anyone. All these stories about horses who die young are the less common ones but they stick in your mind more than than old 38 and 40 year olds still trotting around their pastures. Love him while you've got him
2006-11-05 04:10:43 · answer #7 · answered by emily 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i love horses and i know alot about horses and exspecially paints i would love to have a paint well if u always do that then its pushing it but not then all horses should get to gallop once in a while
2006-11-04 08:57:03 · answer #8 · answered by mist 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have ben riding for ages and my aunt competed on her horse and he was 29! She fed him on a suytble diet and he is still goning strong so no i dont think you are pushing your horse to hard. It sounds like he is full of energy.
2006-11-04 08:39:58 · answer #9 · answered by horsetastic007 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
well it certainly sounds like u didn't it just sounds like he was feeling good and wanted to go. he obviously has a vet and he would actually b the best person to ask as he knows the horse intimately.
2006-11-04 08:34:47 · answer #10 · answered by Nora G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋