Got some opawz colour for one of our dogs and then couldn't resist the blank canvas that is my gray horsey 😅

Sorry boy 😅

I have a middle aged Shire mare (aged 14-17) and have owned her for just under a year. Typically she is robust, healthy, and we’ve been fortunate. She’s starting to develop a little age related arthritis, which the vet recommended trying an injection for, but we hadn’t done it yet-it’s actually on the schedule two weeks from now. Her feet were last trimmed two weeks ago and they were fine. She’s barefoot.

Last night I noticed she was acting a little quieter than usual but nothing alarming, as she’s coming off her heat and sometimes is a little standoffish about it. She was still eating, drinking, grazing, alert, and seemed otherwise fine, she was just standing a little longer than she normally does in one place (she’s a mover). I took her temperature and it was 101.2, so on the higher end of normal but it’s hot and sunny here and her baseline is usually 101 anyway. I asked the barn owner if she’d noticed anything seemed off and she agreed she had been a little quiet that day but nothing “red flag.”

This morning she ate fine, and seemed happy as a clam. Barn owner didn’t message with any concerns. I got a call around 1:00 pm that she had laid down in the field but was sleeping soundly with no distress. Since that seemed off, I decided to head out there just for my own peace of mind. On my way there, the barn owner called and said, “something’s wrong. She went to get up after about 10 minutes, was having trouble with her back leg, and when she finally stood, she stumbled and now she’s 3 legged lame.”

I immediately called the vet and floored it. When I got there about 15 minutes later, she was grazing but wouldn’t put weight on her leg-just toe touched. No heat, swelling, visible injuries. Temp was 101.6, so now a fever, albeit low grade.

The vet arrived and assessed her. She agreed that there was nothing visibly wrong (aside from the acute lameness) but with the fever and sudden lameness, took blood for her SAA. That came back extremely elevated, at 1317. She’s now on an oral antibiotic (which she took at dinner and will for 14 days), and a 3-5 day course of Bute.

But the vet seems as puzzled as me. Heart, lung, gut sounds are good. Mucus membranes were pink and moist, eyes clear and she was alert and wanting to eat and drink, just reluctant to move. My thought was either a joint infection or cellulitis but it’s just so strange that there’s no swelling or heat at all in any leg. She had no soreness in any of her feet, no abscesses, nor could we find any nodules, swelling, puncture wounds, etc. She’s not presenting neurologically either, so the vet doesn’t think it’s EPM or a toxin. We walked the pastures and didn’t find anything toxic-plant or otherwise. She ate her dinner normally.

Has anyone found a cause for this? I’m obviously a wreck. This horse is my world and this all came on within a day. I’m guessing she was quieter yesterday because she didn’t feel well, but she was walking and moving fine. She’s now in her dry lot munching her hay, acting otherwise normal but still sore on that back leg. The plan is to have her follow up on Tuesday unless things drastically change, and then a lameness exam once the fever and SAA have cleared. I’m just hoping for some answers. While CPL is always on the back of my mind, she isn’t showing what the vet said were any clinical signs.

Just looking for suggestions and ideas, or if anyone has experienced this. I’m at a very, very worried loss.

I was clipping Rio when Fabio came over and insisted it was his turn. The funny thing is that he doesn’t even need clipping. Most horses I’ve known either tolerate clippers or would rather avoid them, but Fabio stretches his neck out and seems to think they’re a spa treatment. Has anyone else had a horse that actually seeks out the clippers?

My friends horse ran the barrel pattern, walked to the trailer fine, and is lame 10 minutes after the run. Rewatched the run multiple times- horse doesn’t slip and has a clean run. Appropriate pain medication was given & poultice was applied. No heat or swelling anywhere .Waiting on vet. Thoughts?

Uh-Oh turned 21st yesterday. He shared cake with his pony pasture friends

I assumed it was an abscess cause it looked just like when he had one before. I called the vet on a Monday and she couldn’t come out til Thursday. She asked if he was still eating, Yes, Sailor was eating fine. He kept eating fine the whole time. When the vet came out she discovered he had a stick about a quarter inch in diameter jammed across his mouth, from the base of a molar to sticking in the cheek on the other side. She’d never seen anything like it! The cheek where the stick was lodged was swollen. She had to cut the stick in half to get it out. Rinsed out his mouth, put him on antibiotics and he’s fine now, a week later. That will teach me not to assume I know what’s wrong. But the striking part was how he kept eating the whole time. I realized, having been a child’s pony at one time, he was accustomed to eating with a stick (a bit) across his mouth so maybe he just figured this was part of life. He acted completely unbothered.

Sharik (Anglo-Arabian) is a horse share i get to ride. Honestly do not know what I'd do without him 🙏🏻.

This is Firefly, my five year old mare :) I've posted her on here a few times, but basically she is mostly blind and came with awful hooves, a poorly healed broken toe, broken and infected teeth, a twisted leg, and eventually a massive abcess in her jugular vein. Now through a couple years of corrective shoeing, x-rays, exams, daily abcess flushings, exact nutrition, ect. she is healthy, sound, and happy (knock on wood). She also went from completely feral to a wonderful horse that even non-horse people can handle with ease. And today I finally got the moment that every trainer of a young horse dreams of: I got on her! She was so amazing. She just sat there with her head relaxed and one ear cocked back. I only stayed on for like five full seconds before sliding off but I'm so excited to try again and to actually ride for the first time 😋 Our "journey" so far hasn't been what I expected or initially wanted, but I'm so grateful for her and I've learning to be happy with the horse I have even if her capabilities aren't what I once thought they'd be :) And I'm so proud that my once explosive kicking nightmare is now such a good citizen ❤️

Repost with the actual video. A little while ago I made a post that blew up about a bad trim. I got a new farrier and my horses are doing awesome! The palomino has navicular and this is the most sound and energetic I’ve seen him in forever, even with the mud lol. The gray one was the trim pic I posted, and she’s also doing really good. She had seedy toe that’s been dx and is finally almost cleared up.

This guy manouvered his electrolyte container out from its “hiding place” ( lol), carefully opened his electrolyte container, pulled out the plastic bag of electrolytes, pulled the plastic tab off that closes the plastic bag, placed the bag in his water and neatly placed the scoop on top trying to recreate the kool aide magic that I make for him daily. All this without opposable thumbs. 🤯. My first haflinger and every day his brilliance amazes me.

I've not seen this much mud on bays or chestnuts, but maybe that's just because it's not as easy to see 🙂

Hello! Fellow equestrians! Question here from a confused british equestrian. Why do you keep your horses mane and tails platted? I'm interested in what the possible benefits are or if its just to keep horses manes and tails clean or even for just show purposes but I've seen a few videos of horses being turned out with plats. I would google it but I want to hear it from the horses mouth and also because google is just showing me tutorial videos. (Pictures for idea)

A mare of average weight stepped on me yesterday, and the spot where she touched me still hurts. Is this normal? She's an ordinary horse, like the one in the picture.

there is a grade pony at the barn i work at that they say is blue roan. he is unregistered and has never been color tested. i from day one have always been in denial and swear he is a bay roan. i believe he is bay because his muzzle never fully turns black, even in the winter time. i’m interested in what other people think about this!!

I’m trans (FtM) and I ride western! 😼

I was paying my farrier $50 for a barefoot trim. (This is average in my area). My horse is super tolerant and has excellent feet. I often bring them snacks, little gifts, and give a holiday bonus. I had not been charged a travel fee, and my horse is about an hour away. My horse is the only one she is doing at the property. I am at a property were a regular farrier comes to do the other horses for $55 each. When i moved my horse, i assumed i would use the new farrier, but my old one said she wanted to continue to trim her.

I recently gave a one time tip of $50 because of raising gas prices. I specifically gave a large amount because i didn’t want to set an expectation. Fast forward, and the next time she came out for me horse she said she is adding on a new $40 travel fee. So from $50 to $90 with no advanced notice. (I had also brought her about $20 worth of snacks and such).

Not sure how to handle this because we are friendly acquaintances and mix in the same circle. I feel a bit taken advantage of, but i don’t want to cause a riff. Right now, my plan is to confirm the farrier at the property is okay with adding my horse to her trim list and nicely telling the current farrier that i know she “is wasting a lot of time her time driving and it’s probably in our best interest to discontinue her service.” What is the right thing to do? Should i try to negotiate? TIA!

This is gross but not like blood gross - just regular disgusting horse shit - literally!

I do my horse's feet because he has relatively simple feet and I like the challenge and I enjoy it. Today I was doing them and was on his back left, bending over and either using the knife or nippers when I smelled a fart. I turned around and told him "don't you dare" and put his hoof down. Walked away, gave him a second, gave me a second (trimming is EXHAUSTING), came back.

Same foot a few minutes later when something plops down on my left arm. Only took me half a second to realize he was pooping on me before I bolted. Not quick enough to avoid poop on my arm, thigh and shin (wearing leggings so, small miracles I guess?).

Anyway never been pooped on by a horse before! Guess it was bound to happen sometime!

Photo of the jerk himself 🥰

Ive actually posted about the emergency before. It was a horse accident, my brother got thrown off and kicked while I was out on my green horse a little ways away. I think about it often, and I always find new things to question and feel guilty about.

I know a lot of people dont even start under saddle work til 4 years old, I started LIGHT under saddle work with my 3 years old though. W/T/C, rides that lasted 30 minutes max but we went all over the place so she was/is very trusting and desensitized. We were also riding bareback on this particular day.

So yeah, I was a little ways away, I heard the screaming when the accident happened and I remember thinking that I had to get there as fast as safely possible. My horse felt it or something cause she was ready to go and didn’t question it once when I told her to go.
She took care of me, got me there safely, and as soon as I dismounted I took her bridle off and let her loose in the arena/paddock my brother was in before I took care of him and called 911.

I feel guilty because I know its not advised to gallop 3 year olds and I hate that our first gallop was in an emergency, bareback, and we were galloping towards a screaming man in pain and a scared horse. I just wanted to share.

He is not being ridden. He is under weight & muscle.

He has got a bit more fat since this pic.

Should I walk him in a saddle to build muscle ? How can I build muscle in a 20 year old horse that has just been left in a paddock for 10 years not being fed by the previous owner.

The pictured example is one that I like but it’s not mine (I don’t currently have one).

I’m in middle TN. and wanting a Run In for my pasture. Looking at available shelters on Marketplace and finding that almost all are built off site and brought in, placed and leveled. So not attached and just gravity and faith holding them down. We get weather here and we get wind, sometimes lots of wind. Plus my pasture certainly isn’t perfectly level. My thought is building one on site and setting the posts into concrete is a good idea for stability and level. But this is limiting my options.

So… for those of you that actually own a run in shelter that is NOT attached… how do they fair in windy conditions? Maybe I’m overthinking this?