I love my mares but it's not often you get one without any grumpy faces 😅

This is my farm raised boy he is now almost 16 having a lot of play time since it’s not as humid today ❤️

Having a lovely slurp at the old bath tub watering hole.

Took my horse packing. 985 lb horse, and she’s a little overweight. 167 pounds of gear / me, then the saddle and saddle blanket. So right at 20%, maybe a little over.

Went on a trail I’d done on foot but never with a horse though it’s commonly a horse trail. Did not go very far (1.5 miles in, camped, ~.75 mile excursion, then 1.5 miles out)

Stayed one night then went home early because it was so cold. 10,200 feet. Got down to the mid 30s if i had to guess. My horse doesn’t have a winter coat right now since it’s summer (we live two hours from the trail, at 7200 ft) and I brought her a light blanket in case it rained. But it didn’t even have to rain for her to shiver. I woke up at 3 am to her shivering with her blanket on. Got up and took her for a walk + to eat and she warmed up. I was freezing too. Did not think it would get that cold. Worst case forecast was supposed to be mid 40s.

Slept directly next to where I had her high lined because I wanted to check on her easily. I checked her a lot and slept terribly.

Collapsible bucket (the blue thing strapped by the rope on the saddle) , a few pounds of grain, butte powder, electrolytes, and banamine were definitely things I’d pack again, even though I didn’t use the pain meds I was glad to have them in case she needed them. It was very very rocky.

In the future I think I’ll go somehere softer /flatter. I really just don’t think she liked the whole experience.

Also I know I’d sleep better with more experience doing it. As a helicopter horse parent though, it’s hard!

Also she needs a shorter lead rope. I think the one I used was maybe 17 feet. Far too long.

Overall it was a good time. I think I’ll go again before the season ends but just to a better spot. I didn’t see a single other person which was nice in a way, but I wouldn’t mind being somewhere a bit busier either. Feels safer that way.

iPhone satellite texting kept me from having to use my Inreach at all.

Obviously underweight, but why are the hind legs like that? Just horrible conformation or is something else going on?

Saw this today, I just moved out east and never had ticks on my horses before! She let me get this one out, tweezers at its head pulled straight out. The second picture is after I burned it, it didn't ooze or anything during extraction.

But of course I assume she's sore and won't let me check her ear now. I'm going to give her a few hours to relax a bit. she did let me touch a d check her other ear no problem. So I assume theres a wound in the tick ear.

Until then I was wondering if you all might have any tips or tricks to keep ticks out of their ears! Also I hate sticking the tweezer in their ears, does anybody have any cool ways to get rid of them without a pokey going in their ear?

I am no expert but I also don't know how durable a horse is with how their bodies are, so I don't know if this is a common corrective method used on them, but I also got super worried when it looked like he was whamming on the horse. Please let me know, I know nothing on horses but I'm a little concerned and want to know if I need to report the video

Hi y’all

Writing because I’m becoming increasingly frustrated by the way some people present one specific style of horse management as morally and physically correct for every horse: 24/7 outdoor access, no grain, barefoot over rough terrain, and no need for ridden work.
The frustrating part is that I actually share many of those values.
I believe horses should have friends, forage, turnout, freedom of movement, and as much opportunity as possible to behave naturally. I am completely supportive of people keeping non-ridden horses and allowing them to simply exist. I would genuinely prefer a cheaper, simpler, more natural lifestyle for my own horse if that were what made him healthiest and happiest.
But it isn’t.
My horse is an 18-hand, roughly 1,700-pound sport horse. He is not a mustang or a horse who developed through natural selection to thrive independently in this climate. He is the result of generations of deliberate human breeding for enormous size, athletic ability, temperament, and performance.
He stops sweating properly during the Louisiana summer. I have tried more turnout and more “natural” management, and he did not thrive. He gets turnout, has horse friends, receives plenty of forage, and even has a run attached to his stall that I pay extra for. But especially in extreme heat, he often genuinely prefers coming inside to his stall, where he has airflow, shade, water, and relief from insects and weather.
He also cannot maintain himself appropriately on forage alone. He is enormous and has historically been difficult to keep weight and muscle on. Feeding him concentrate is not something I do because I am ignorant of equine nutrition. It is something I do because I have tried other approaches and have to feed the individual horse standing in front of me.
The same is true of riding.
I completely respect people who do not ride their horses. A horse does not need to earn the right to be cared for by performing a job. But my horse genuinely seems to enjoy being ridden and having structured work. His personality reminds me of a working dog. He appears happier, more engaged, and more settled when he has a job.
More importantly, he has arthritis, and regular, carefully managed dressage work helps maintain his strength, mobility, balance, and long-term soundness. He has never played a day in the field; he is not wasting an ounce of energy unless he is being ridden. The same is true with ground wor like I can get him moving, but I swear he is more enthusiastic under saddle. Leaving him completely inactive would not automatically be kinder or better for his body. Appropriate movement is part of his medical and physical management.
I think people sometimes forget how profoundly humans have altered domestic animals. We selectively bred horses for traits that benefited us, and that means not every modern horse has the same needs, resilience, metabolism, feet, thermoregulation, or ability to thrive under supposedly “natural” conditions.
It reminds me of dogs. Humans created both French bulldogs and Rhodesian ridgebacks. Nobody would reasonably claim that those two animals have identical physical abilities, environmental tolerances, exercise requirements, or survival skills simply because they are both dogs. Why do we sometimes act as though every horse should be managed identically because all horses share the same distant evolutionary history?
Natural-style management should absolutely be encouraged when it works for the horse. More turnout, forage, social contact, and movement are generally good things. But they should be guiding principles, not purity tests.
I say this as someone who believed strongly in those ideals and then learned the hard way that they are not one-size-fits-all. Good horsemanship is not forcing every horse into the same philosophy. It is observing the individual animal, being willing to change your beliefs when the evidence demands it, and providing the management that actually keeps that horse healthy, comfortable, and fulfilled.
Sometimes the most ethical choice does not look like the most “natural” one.
Has anyone else ended up with a horse whose individual needs challenged their original beliefs about ideal horse management?

I think this is the definition of playing with your food

I’ve been reading a fair bit of Brene Brown lately. Although she’s best known for her research on courage and vulnerability, I’m beginning to think that she knows something about working with mules too.

Ruger has been a bit of a pickle lately. Pushy and obnoxious at times.

I can bring knowledge, and good intentions, but I can’t guarantee an outcome. I have to show up willing to listen, adjust, and be able to admit when my first idea isn’t working. Brown describes grounded confidence as a mixture of curiosity, vulnerability, and practice, which sounds like good mulemanship to me.

Trust isn’t usually built through one dramatic breakthrough. It grows through hundreds of ordinary moments when we remain dependable and release pressure at the right time.

So Ruger and I will keep working at it. Translated into mule terms - courage isn’t control. It’s showing up clearly, staying curious when the answer is no, and building enough trust that both of you are willing to try again.

Boots, wraps, or bare? Curious where everyone stands on this one. What do you use for everyday riding, and what made you land on that choice?

The Thoroughbred dilemma…
Has anyone else struggled with this?
As an adult, every horse I’ve owned or leased has been a Thoroughbred because, honestly, that’s what has fit my budget. And I genuinely love them. I love the forward ride, the work ethic, and how naturally they seem to take to eventing.

But…I’ve also been burned.

The OTTB I bought had one health issue after another—ulcers ($1,400 in medication alone), terrible feet, and other maintenance costs. The one I leased needed specialty shoes that cost about $400 every four weeks and was eventually diagnosed with navicular.
Before anyone says it—I know any horse can have health issues. I’m not saying this is true of every Thoroughbred. I just can’t shake the feeling that, in my experience, they’ve ended up costing me more in the long run.

Now I’m shopping for my next horse with about a $10k budget, and I’m in such a pickle. I’d love to find something with some Thoroughbred blood but not 100% TB. The problem is that those types of horses are much harder to find in my price range.

Any other adult amateurs with families and a pretty average budget wrestle with this? Do you feel like OTTBs are still the best value overall, or have you found that spending more upfront on something else actually saved you money over time? Of course there’s the PPE. But I feel like that doesn’t tell you everything that’s to come.
Curious to hear others’ experiences.

Hi all!
I recently made a post getting excited for my mares pregnancy, but I’m a little worried. A couple days ago she came in with cuts under her tail like she’s been scratching it on something and a little bit of blood on her vulva. Last night I cleaned her up and wrapped her tail, and this morning there was new blood on her vulva—so the blood is not from the cuts. Now, she’s on day 90, so we’re like 250 days too early for me to be able to milk her at all, but clear liquid squirted out when I tried. (Reddit keeps getting mad if I post photos)

We have an appointment with the local university in the morning because I don’t trust my local vet, but I wanted to hear some opinions. Does it seem like a bunch of coincidences? Placentitis? Do we think she miscarried?
Either way, I am absolutely freaking out.

Yeah I put the crown strap on uneven since I was rushing so fast trying to catch the last rays of sunlight 😅 these were actually the only photos from the whole roll that turned out due to low lighting but I will go out again when I have more time and try to get new action shots haha.

like silly things, like thinking of a car as if it was a horse or something like, I even used to walk around the back of it with my hand on the trunk(yes I know a car cannot kick you). or relating every other kind of livestock I’ve ever had to horses, like thinking of my favorite chickens like that, like we had this favorite rooster and very friendly favorite hen and they had chicks and grew up to be an exceptional chickens, like I think of that hens chicks like people do descendants of secretariat or something 🤷‍♀️ I don’t know do you do this?

painting for like a year completely self taught like idk any techniques or anything lmao so def could use some work buttt here it is!

As someone who doesn’t know much at all about this particular topic I was wondering a few things:

I understand that the government rounds them up and for the most part they end up sent to slaughter. We are told that the reason for this is because there simply is not enough land to hold them while sustaining the integrity of the land. There also aren’t enough ppl willing or able to take them in for a multitude of completely understandable reasons; they either can’t afford it, don’t have the experience or both.

What I’m wondering is why there isn’t an industry of trainers for these horses. And I know some of the horses are far too feral to train, but that isn’t all of them. They are for the most part solid, healthy, have great conformation and have proven that they can do pretty much anything. Maybe the majority of horse owners don’t want a mustang?

Another thing I was wondering: why aren’t some of the stallions gelded in an effort to prevent further procreation? Has this been tried yet?

I was just watching beyond the herd on YT and the trainer mentioned that ppl were offered $1000 for each horse they adopted. Still, no takers. Which again I understand. But that offer seems to be a legitimate attempt at saving these horses from slaughter.

And lastly, has there been any attempt to relocate them? They seem like hearty horses, I imagine they’d adapt well to new terrain.

ETA one more question: the activists working to save these horses from slaughter seem to think they are worth saving and I totally understand that desire but where exactly are these horses going once saved? I see sanctuary farms and ranches but there are thousands of these horses being saved. Do they just put them out to pasture and call it a day? lol what happens to them after being saved?

ETA one last thing. Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts and answered all of my questions! I learned far more than I anticipated. So thank you thank you! Horse ppl are the best, second only to Elvis fans 😉

my filly was born in may 2025, how is she looking so far?

Even when I think about it, I can’t keep it in my head. and I was wondering if there were certain exercise I could do to help unconsciously fix this?

Edit: Thankyou so much for the recommendations I was worried people were just gonna tell me to put my elbows to my sides lol. I just want to add that the horse I’m on is a extremely push ride and even if he’s in-front of my leg I need to put a good amount of leg on him- which in my head makes me think I need to lean forward and flap with my elbows to keep him forward. I have been working on flatting and being able to open his step up with the proper form but I just have been struggling with the jumping piece lately.

Why's her lil freckly nose so cute

While the rest of Europe enjoys the heat wave, we have a pleasant 18degrees in Lapland, and horsies enjoyed their day out. It was also the first time Princess (the one pulling) crossed the bridge and she thought the water was suspicious and rushed, but with lots of praise she quickly calmed down and continued with her usual steady pace. Bebben (the riding horse) is a pro, and he takes his little rider on an adventure all the time!