I idolize Roy Rogers because he was a saint guys. I'm rewatching "My Pal, Trigger" and I started reading about Roy and Trigger's career and I am so impressed by the amount of charity work Trigger did.

At the peak of his career, Roy Rogers averaged roughly 100 charity appearances every single year, using his star power primarily to benefit vulnerable children.

Roy, Dale Evans, and Trigger made hundreds of unpublicized visits to children's hospitals, orphanages, burn wards, and polio treatment centers across the United States.

During World War II, Roy and Trigger sold millions of dollars worth of War Bonds. Decades later, they continued to use their platform for medical causes, such as a major drive that raised $6 million for a children's hospital pediatric wing in New York.

They founded the Happy Trails Children's Foundation, a non-profit organization that continues to operate and raise public funds to protect and support severely abused and neglected youth.

Operating through the USO-adjacent Hollywood Victory Committee, Roy made hundreds of free appearances at military camps, training bases, and naval yards.

Trigger was not only an Icon of the American West. He was proof that horses heal. He was a type of medicine doctors could not offer and he was the source of what must have been millions of smiles. Trigger was a shining example of the strong bonds and level of understanding that horses and people can have.

Kind of my horse, my grandma owns him but hes bought for me and such. Why are his front hooves so odd? Can this be fixed somehow (since I'm assuming its not good)? All of the photos other than the last two are him being overdue for a trim. We went and got then trimmed maybe 5 days ago and the farrier doesn't seem to ever say anything about them being like that so I can assume its not an issue but they look so much different compared to other hooves I see

After losing my hearthorse in a terrible accident last July, I welcomed little Merlin in my life about 1.5 weeks ago.
It really heals my broken heart to fall in love again 🥹
He’s a little Noriker colt, 6.5 months old and I rescued him from going to the slaughterhouse.
He hasn’t been handled much before he came, and truly just starts to trust humans. Merlin does extremely well, being already very affectionate and wanting to snuggle and get pets from us.
He’s great at learning to lift his feet, lets me touch him everywhere and is learning to walk on the lead like a little champ.
Seeing him come walking towards me when I arrive at the stable and letting me kiss his forhead to say hello is something that truly puts my heart back together piece by piece.

I miss my hearthorse so, so much. I am completely broken by the loss. And falling in love with my little boy feels like it’s finally catching me from falling after losing Amy.

I was a little afraid of not finding that kind of love for a horse again, and I am deeply grateful that Merlin proved me wrong.
He’s a wonderful little guy, and even though I never find the same love again that I had for Amy, my love for him comes from the same place - just a different shade of love, if one can say so. 🩵

We all deserve to find love after loss. It’s not easy - but it’s worth it. 🩵

Double bridle, with bit converters, with a running martingale…

It was so slippery on the grass, definitely will be putting on some studs next time! Not gonna lie I was a bit scared before we went, but we had a blast - especially my horse!

Okay, story time because I'm awestruck by how well today's lesson went (despite almost falling off once).

There's this lesson horse I haven't ridden in about a year, he's the definition of dead to the leg, so unmotivated that he trips over his own feet sometimes, but you can't ride him with a crop because he's scared of crops. So a shitty combo.

So far, whenever I rode him, it was frustrating. He was lazy, I could barely make him trot sometimes, and he would slow down the second I stopped using my legs. Cantering? No chance. Some other students ride him with spurs because he won't move forward (I know, that's not what spurs are for).

So today, there was a bit of a holdup and I had to wait about 15 minutes on top of the 15 minutes of leading before the lesson started. I figured I'd use this time to just play around a bit. I did hindquarter yields, stopping, backing up, doing various patterns around some cones on the ground, and leg yielding.

I used the loop of the reins and wiggled it to create some energy or gave him a little tap whenever he fell behind or wouldn't back up. It caused him to go "oh shit" for a moment, but nothing drastic, so I eventually had a good grasp of how much energy he needed and how much would be too much.

Once I was in the saddle, he marched. The trot was motivated, he blew out quite a few times right off the bat. Once he got a little too slow and wouldn't react to my leg, I took the reins in one hand and tapped his shoulder with the loop again. He went "oh, sorry" and picked up the pace again. We cantered, and he was overall a good boy. I kept him busy with lots of transitions and circles and direction changes so he wouldn't go on autopilot, and he seemed very content.

What's funny is that in the past, I tried that "slap them on the neck with the loop of the reins" trick but it never worked, or maybe it worked for a step or two and then he was lazy again. And I think it was because I was always scared of him exploding or taking off with me (he does that sometimes when he gets startled). But today I had this mentality "we're going forward, and I'm not scared of you getting scared". And it worked??

He did take off one time together with another horse because someone's stirrup bumped against the wall of the arena and it was pretty loud. I almost fell off but managed to stay on after my instructor yelled "SIT BACK, STAY ON" about 10 times in a row, and once I regained my balance I kept on cantering on a circle and just acted like cantering was my idea anyway. He calmed down pretty fast after that.

I think this is what they mean when they say "ride proactively, not reactively". I did not expect those 15 minutes prior to riding to make such a difference, but it seems this is exactly what this horse needed. I've ridden him so many times before, and never did I feel like he was paying ANY attention to me. Today changed everything and it was amazing.

To the adult amateur starting to ride! I just wanna say I love you guys! Your videos or stories about starting riding in 20’s,30’s,40’s,50’s make me so happy. You guys make the equestrian world such a better place! It’s great to see how much joy horses are bringing to you guys and the excitement! Sometimes I’m little jealous of you getting to experience all this stuff for the first time as an adults! You guys get to remember the first time you sat on a horse or the first time you trotted and that is something so cool!

I don’t want you guys to ever feel discouraged or judged! Thank you for officially becoming an equestrian.

And if your kids ride and you think you’re too old for it, you’re not! Please sign up for riding lessons!

I don’t currently ride due to confidence issues so taking the time off to lose some junk in the trunk, this photo is several months old before you give me grief

But is there such thing as too grippy** **when it comes to your saddle? I bought this Royal Heritage All Purpose saddle a couple months back and I’ve ridden in it maybe 3 times? I don’t like it but I also don’t hate it, I’ve been trying to work out it slipping when I put weight in the stirrup(probably wrong plate so changed it out) my stirrup leathers and when I post, well I can’t really move in the saddle because my hind end is STUCK to the saddle due to the material? It’s nothing like my Stubbën, this saddle allows me to wear leggings without sliding around, my Stubbën won’t let me wear anything but breeches or else I’m sliding to the ass end of the horse because it’s so slick. What can I do to make this saddle less sticky for when I do decide to ride again? My Stubbën doesn’t fit my guy as it should so don’t want to continue using it

Update: we just selling it :)

I am kind of lost on what to do neither myself or my barn owner has dealt with this. My horse got turned out with his winter group after spending his summer in individual turnout. The last time he was turned out with others he would bite and kick, when he was left alone in his stall he would become dangerous while attempting to break out to reach the others. He decided to go under the fence of the gelding pasture and into the mare field where we decided to just leave him since he was behaving, but we pulled the horses in tonight and one is bit up from him. We are going to try to rotate him around until we find something that works but if it doesn’t I will have to move barns as he will not settle if he knows his pasture mates are on the property. Has anyone dealt with this? Is this truly a horse that needs to be alone? He is a perfect gentlemen when he is turned out by himself

I’m reading through the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan the way he describes the way well-trained horses are being ridden by characters who are supposed to be good riders makes me cringe! He’s always talking about “good” riders “heeling” or “booting” their horses or steering with their knees (never any other part of the leg). These are the only rider actions, no soft pressure! In this fantasy world we kick our horses into every gait!

It’s clear he’s researched horses but maybe his actual riding knowledge comes from riding slow trail horses on a dude ranch vacation?

Also, I’ve noticed this trend where women in the books tend to ride mares and men tend to ride stallions. I think there was one mention of a gelding? This all seems very impractical, my guy.

I’m hoping some patient equestrian explained things to him before he wrote the later books. Still a good fantasy series and the Rosamund Pike audiobooks are wonderful.

Has anyone else struggled with an otherwise good non-horsey book bungling the horse parts? I think the ones that handle it well don’t get as into the details as Wheel of Time does.

Besides poles! What exercises does everyone use for low impact muscle building?

I've got one young and underweight, the other older and retired but does better when kept in shape. We all get bored of endless poles so looking for some lower impact other things we can do. Unfortunately not a lot of area to go for a walk, so we are limited to the arena.

Been thinking tarp, jump standard with pool noodles to simulate brush, I picked up a squishy mat for a different surface to walk on

I have a million and one pole exercises so that's not what I'm looking for

Eddy got a well earned PEMF treatment tonight. He LOVESSSS having his face pemfed. And man oh man did his back need it!!! I’ll do his lower legs tomorrow 💕💅🏼

I’m finally getting back into riding after almost a decade off. I trained hunter/jumper for a few years, and trail rode around my house in a western saddle. I’ve never had formal western training. I’m now at a western only barn and taking lessons.

I have an anterior pelvic tilt that makes it hard to keep my seat. I feel confident at a walk and posting trot, but in a sitting trot and lope, I can tell I’m raising my heels and coming out of the saddle a bit to compensate. What are some tricks to help me fix this? I’ve been slowing my horse back down to a walk to fix my seat, then increasing my gait, but after a lap around the arena I’m back to having a poor seat.

I was thinking of investing in a pair of ice boots for my horse. But then i realized there were water boots as well? What are the difference in benefits?

Does anyone have a favorite brand for a basic nylon halter?

I got my new horse a Weaver halter but it is so floppy and soft that it keeps turning in on itself and everyone hates to catch my horse with it… so I need to get a new one that has some stiffness to it. Just looking for something that can sit outside on the fence in the rain and sun. Ideally in turquoise/teal since that’s her color 😀

My horse is getting clipped soon and I’m looking to get her new blankets. She generally runs hot and it doesn’t get too cold in California so I’m looking for a rain sheet, 100g and 200g but was also thinking of just getting 2 sheets with options to add liners. She isn’t too rough on her blankets but will stand outside in the pouring rain all day and night and I need to find a sheet she won’t soak through. I’ve been thinking of investing in rambos but dont know if its worth it compared to the rhinos or amigos and just other brands. I’d really appreciate any blanket recs that are the most WATERPROOF even in terrential rain!

Free Spirit Equestrian recently listed two draft crosses for sale, her asking price is 60k for one and 50k for the other one. They’re Amish-bred, unpapered draft crosses that w/t/c, and trail ride. They’ve also been used in her lesson program. They aren’t trained in a specific discipline, and based on the sale videos, they plod around the arena with most trot to canter transitions cut out.

The part that bothers me is the way she presents these prices to her audience with such authority, that this is simply what horses cost now and buyers should consider themselves lucky to find a deal. To add to the greed, she’s now getting into the auction business and is hosting her own auction next year. If buyers become convinced that mid-five-figure prices are simply what it takes to buy an ordinary riding horse, that benefits sellers and auction businesses trying to move horses at those prices.

And here’s a side note I can’t get past: she recently purchased a reining performance horse with strong bloodlines and elite training for $50k. Yet she’s asking more for these draft crosses…

When large equestrian accounts repeatedly promote these prices as standard, they contribute to an environment where ordinary horses become financially inaccessible to ordinary people. Every time the baseline gets pushed higher, more aspiring owners are priced out of horse ownership altogether.

Horses are already expensive enough. We don’t need influencers with financial interests in selling horses and running auctions convincing everyone that a basic riding horse should cost as much as a well-bred, highly trained performance horse.

What type of shoe is this? It seems to be a different shape than usual

I've been working on getting my horse to back up and be mindful of my personal space using the methods in this video. Problem is, he eventually will not move. I'll start out by leading him around just fine, and then stop and own my space by waving my arm or the lead out to the side of me, so the horse doesn't walk past me or into my space. It works, he's gotten much better about stopping when I stop doing this. He is definitely less pushy. I try and take a good amount of time for the release and pet his neck telling him good job. Problem is, he tends to not want to walk off with me after like at 2:10 in the linked video. He gets stuck and refuses to move. I'll do circles and it will work at first, but further on he just refuses to move. What to do? I'll try using the end of the lead or training whip to get him to move out but he just starts to get dull to it as well.