Finding that 'perfect' horse

Recently I have been trying to help a friend find her perfect horse. The whole process is terribly stressful, fraught with suspicion, doubt, frustration and disappointment. I used to lament that I have never had the opportunity to pick a horse, they seem to just find me, but now I am beginning to feel grateful.

Funny thing is it has got me thinking. How much is 'the perfect horse' due to the horse and how much is due to the riders attitude? My friend is of the opinion that there is such a thing as the 'right horse' and she will know as soon as she sits on it. I have never found this. My first pony Frodo used to scare me as a child and I inherited him when my sister moved onto a younger bigger horse, but soon he became my Mr right and I could not imagine a better pony. Tonto down right terrified me, I had a year campaign to try and sell the bugger but no one else was stupid enough to by him (we only bought him through pity). Tonto, admittedly via sweat blood and many many tears, became my perfect horse. I honestly wouldn't change a thing about him. And then I thought of Sofie. It took me a few months to warm to her, but now I think she is just what I want.

I don't always get what I want, I get what I need.

I would never have picked any of my horses from a viewing, but over time they have all turned out right. I am not a miracle worker, I don't think I entirely changed my horses. I guess I drew out of them the qualities I liked but I also think they changed me.

I don't have any riding ambition. None. I have no goals or ambitions when I take on a horse, baring enjoying its company. This lack of ambition probably helps me enjoy them for what they are.

Tonto the dressage cob, I love working out
how this cleaver chap ticks and he used
to enjoy flashing his feet in the ring and X-country
back in the day

Mini me on Frodo who was deaf, blind and arthritic but I loved looking after him

Sof and I out in the fields alone on a misty morning, I've been
getting into solo hacking as she seems to enjoy it

But before I commit to the answer that it is all in the riders attitude and nothing to do with the horse I should probably share this little advert that I wrote for the next horse back in January 2014.

I think I would like something 14-15 hands, straightforward, bold and forward going (strong would be OK). I’m not very comfortable with horses that buck. I’m looking for a pony which loves its work, and ideally loves to jump as I can’t enjoy a ride if the horse is not also having fun. I think I would most interested in native breeds, something hardy with a bit of bone and feather, something like a Welsh D would be nice. Afraid I will not take on a cob, though I love them, because of they are susceptible to ring bone and I don’t think I could go through that again. I would like something a little green, 3-7 ish so that we can learn together. However I would not rule out anything under 10. Ideally I would like a mare. I would like the pony to be able to live out happily 24/7 with company and would be interested in keeping the pony barefoot if it has good feet. This is not a purely financial decision, I think it is better for the horse to be allowed to move and barefoot is better for their circulation.

The pony would go to a loving knowledgeable forever home. I have been riding all my life and am kind but firm with horses. I have never ridden competitively – just not something I’m into, and I would describe my riding as more effective than it is pretty. I love jumping, but have always had the benefit of a very honest horse so I don’t think I’m particularly good at it. I have experience with young horses I broke Tonto in and have spent the last few years bringing on just backed highland ponies. I am 5ft 6 and weight 60Kg and am 27 years old. I mainly hack in company, but enjoy the odd sponsored ride and local show. I would also like to try drag hunting and endurance. I plan on getting lessons with the new pony to help with schooling as I am a little rusty. I’ve included some pics and a video of me riding.

Before I had even met Sofie, I had described her. Perhaps I am just lucky that the right horse fell into my lap.

My miss perfect

Scoot boots fit trial

I hired some scoot boot fitting shells from the hoof boutique to see how the fit worked for sof.

Scoot boots are the latest thing to come out from Australia. They have been getting rave reviews on barefoot forums so I thought I would take a look. 

Plus points for these boots is that they are light weight, below the hairline, and entirely made of plastic with no Velcro fastenings so easy to clean. They also come in large, Sofie sized sizes.

However I was not that impressed with the fitting shells. The bit at the back of the boot is very firm, and seemed to be pushing into sof's heals. She was sort of between sizes, size 6 was very snug, size 7 seemed too roomy. In the end I decided not to buy. I plan on waiting until next summer and possibly buying a second hand pair if I need them. You never know, I might not need boots by then (unlikely, Sofie is still a bit footy on stones).




size 6

size 6 bit tight on the bulbs

size 6 bit tight at the front

size 7, bit roomy at the back

Edit: when I am wrong I say I am wrong. I have since bought some Scoots - size 7 is too big but 6 fits. We have gone for a ride, no rubs and good grip in the mud. I am a convert!

Autumn update

Just a little update as I realise I haven't posted for a while.

Autumn colours

Sof is still doing well. In keeping with the seasons, Sof has changed her coat to a rich Autumnal gold. It is very fetching, however it is also very fluffy and she has been getting rather sweaty on her rides - particularly when she has to keep up with Lucky the X-racer.

I am now in a dilema over whether to clip or not, and what clip to get. Emma, her second mum, is clean to clip and rug as she is worried about sof getting a chill. Part of me wants to leave her fluffy and unrugged so I know she can control her temperature in the field, she was very happy last year naked. But now she is in full work I do not think we will get away with this. So what clip to get? Really I should get a trace and pop her in a medium weight with no neck. But this is going to be a bugger when it rains as I will not be able to get her dry enough to turn out when I ride in the mornings. Selfishly I want to go the full Monty and do a hunter (this also a much easier clip to do). I also have more heavy weight rugs suitable for hunter clips as this was the clip I always gave Mr T. She will also not get to grow back her mane (she managed to rub it out within two days of getting her fly rug off). People keep telling me she will get cold. I think this is nonsense. She is a hardy haflinger and I have lots of rugs to keep her warm. I am far more worried that she will be too hot. I hunter clip might make her uncontrollable to ride though.

Wet and muddy Sof making pre-work riding difficult

In other news she broke her old macs by over-reaching. I have taken them to a cobbler for repair. He was most bemused by the concept of horse trainers but seemed confident he could fix the buckle. I managed to sell the floating boots - for far less than I bought them for (grumble). I was so please that I had reduced my boot collection that I celebrated by buying some new ones! DOH! These are replacements for her worn out back renegades so a fair investment in my book. Now I just need to sell her vipers and her red clasics, but I am reluctant to sell as I am a sentimental fool.

'Sorry mum'

Just to confirm my reasoning (not that I need much convincing when it comes to boot buying) Sof got an abscess on her rear hoof the following week. I got a panicked call from Emma when she came in hopping lame on the rear foot. She was hot sore and squishy around the coronet band so I was fairly confident it was about to blow. We stabled her overnight and she came out angry but sound in the morning with puss out of her coronet. My trimmer has since looked at her foot and cannot find a puncture. Looks like a small bit of white line disease, stress from the shoot, and fresh grass culminated in the abscess. Poor old Sof. Still she is on the mend now.

We have had one short trial in the hackamore and she seemed happy enough with it in the school. I just now need to be brave and take her out in a hack in it.

Tor & Sof hoof boot review - Easy treck, old mac, renegades and floating boots

My collection of boots!

I thought I would make a positive out of my terrible boot buying affliction and do a quick Tor&Sof review of hoof boots.

Easy trek trails

I used these on Tonto before he retired. My rating - pants!

Pros: Can put therapeutic pads in, they are easy enough to get on

Cons: Far too easy to get off. I spent most rides collecting these from puddles after they had disappeared off at speed, the Velcro was just not enough to hold them on, they also seemed to spin. They wore quickly and more than one pair broke on me. They also look ridiculous, Sof would not be caught dead in these! I did try these briefly on Sof and she trotted like she was in clown shoes, admittedly they were too big for her. The boots are affordable at least.

Tip: don't buy these

*I should however caveat that this review was based on my experience with T, who is very hard wearing on boots and has a poor gait (twists his feet on the ground and scrapes his toes). A friend of mine borrowed these for her mare and had no issues, baring internal boot wear.

Old Mac G2

Used very briefly on Tonto before he retired and fairly extensively with Sof. My rating -  great all rounder

Old macs on the font, classics on the back

Pros: Can put therapeutic pads in, not too fiddly to get on, the velcro stays reasonable clean despite the mud. They have never come off or moved on either horse! I have galloped and jumped Sof in these and they are fine, Tonto overreached badly in the school on the first trial and the boot stayed put. I use gaiters on Sofie and they have never rubbed her. We have yet to have major slipping issues, but have not done a lot of work in deep mud. Fairly forgiving in fit, can use throughout the trim cycle and can cope with some hoof deformation. With all the padding we can happily canter on concrete without fear of concussion issues.

Cons: They look ridiculous, Sofie knows these as the trainers of shame, they are a very clumpy boot and Sofie thunders along in them which is a bit alarming. I also noticed with Tonto and his ringbone the internal strap was a problem. It was not big enough to go round his fat cob ankles and he did not like the pressure over his deformed joints. These are expensive.

Tip: label these left and right I always put the wrong boot on first and have to switch over.

Floating boots

  

Used twice on Sofie. My rating -  not for us

boots with black setting and gaiters

Pros: they look quite cool, come in different colors. Not excessively clumpy. The grip is meant to be excellent though I have not tried this. They are meant to be reasonably forgiving in fit - though I have not experienced this. They are very easy to keep clean and there is no velcro to get clogged up with mud. On the breif trail Sof strided out in them so I think horses are fairly confident in their footing with these. My friends horse went for one hack in them and they did not budge.

 Yellow Floating on the front
renegades on the back

boots with black setting no gaiters

Cons: they fell off Sof :(. Not sure I had the fit right with Sofie, but they fell off within 2 mins of testing after she forged.  They were also fairly fiddly to put on, I imagine pulling at the rubber straps with frozen fingers would be hard. I got one stuck on after fastening it a bit too tight. Both Sofie and my friends horse who tried it on didn't seem to like the pressure on their heal bulbs - again I might have been putting the boot on wrong. The gaiters do not quite do up properly and rise above the front of the boot exposing the plastic strap to the skin. On the short trials this did not appear to cause any rubbing though. These are expensive.

Tip: get a specialist fitter if you want these.

Renegade Classics

Used extensively on Sofie. My rating - Great specialist boot - these are my favorite boots on the market.

Christmas boots

Pros: they look soo cool, I love all the colours and that they are so streamlined. The Gooche of the hoof boot world. The grip is fairly good in new boots, worn tread does make them treacherous. If you have the fit right they will not budge. If they break (rarely) you can easily replace parts at minimal cost. I have jumped and galloped and span Sofie in these and they were fab. They have never rubbed, and with so little of the boot in contact with the skin I find it hard to imagine how they could. These boots are hard wearing.

Cons: not very forgiving on fit or deformities. Sof tends to wear her toes to a point, and by the end of the trim cycle I notice the boots start to twist slightly as a result. It is also hard to put any padding in these, there just isn't the room and you would need to glue it in. Not a boot to transition with, these are for when your hoof shape has been established. I find them a bit fiddly to put on, you need to get the tension right either side of the front strap and need to get the heal captivator at the right height. The do tend to get muddy and with so much relying on velcro you have to clean them every time you use them in the winter. Twigs and grit have got stuck in the heal captivator on rides. The are pricey.

Tip: better to have the hoof captivator a little roomy, a tight fit will make the boots twist. 

Renegade Vipers

Used briefly on Sofie. My rating - Great boot but hard to fit

  

Vipers on the front
Classics on the back

Pros: similar to the classics, look great, even better grip, replace parts, no rubbing, hard wearing with the added benefit that twigs no longer get stuck in the heal captivator.

Cons: most of the same cons and the classics but even less forgiving on fit. Unless your horse has perfect match to the boot shape these will twist. They were great on Sofies round front feet until she out grew them. They just did not work on her oval feet behind. despite doing custom fit these boots still rely on a fairly symmetrical hoof. It is a shame as these are generally an improvement on the classics.

Tip: check your hoof dimensions before you buy.

Asking nicely

Sofie has been going strength from strength recently. Her behavior is worlds apart from the bardgy headstrong haflinger I was describing last summer. She is increasingly gentle, calm, sensible and sweat. She now nannies nervous horses on roads, babysits small children, and calmly accompanies Mr T on estate jaunts, gamely herding him and standing to hold gates open for him as required. She will wait on the yard without protest, and can be left untied without fear of her charging off.

I have come to realise I was very wrong on my initial assessment of Sofie. Sof is in fact very willing by nature. All of her behaviour issues seem to stem from insecurity not naughtiness. Yes she can be very excitable – but I think it is normally when she is feeling a little worried by something. Using force on her tends to have a negative response – she panics, asking gently seems to work much more effectively. Loading case in point.

She still has a few behavioral issues. The main ones for riding are still her aversion to white lines, and sometimes break failure. I’ve been trying to work out the best way to deal with these for Sofie, in particular the break failure.

When the pace increases, particularly on the way home, Sof can gather pace and does not stop when asked. Sometimes she just stays in a steady canter, but won’t trot, other times she just gets faster and faster. Pulling the reigns has no effect, if anything she just pulls more. It is not frightening, she is not blind bolting – but not helpful when you are with other nervous riders. I bought a Pelham bit thinking that a stronger bit would work – but haven’t had the heart to put it on her. My instincts are telling me this is the wrong course of action.

Sofie does not respond well to force.

Sofie does not stop when you pull harder.

More force and more pulling are perhaps not the answer.

And so I have ordered a bitless bridle to try. It is an unusual response to a strong horse – but my logic is she may well be speeding up because she is nervous in the situation and the pain from me pulling the bit is making it worse. I am a bit worried about testing out this theory – I think we will start in the school then progress to the front field so that we are nice and safe.

You never know, in a few months’ time I may well be a proper barefoot bitless treeless hippy. I’ll keep you posted.

Bringing the past with you

I had a little tidy up the other day. I have acrude a mountain of horse stuff and it desperately needed some sorting. Whilst I was pulling all of my stuff out for re-packing Adrian pointed out Sof has more stuff from her previous owner in a box.

I didn't really need any more stuff, but I was curious so I decided to sift through the box to see what was there.

The box revealed long neglected brides, grackle nose band, overreach boots, lunging lines, side reigns, an old muzel. Adrian said she came with much much more, but it was given away as they had no space to store it. Going through these old belongings from her past life made me really sad. It felt a bit like going through the possessions of someone who has passed away.

Sofie was clearly loved, really loved. I wondered if the grackle was for cross country, did so prefer the linked snaffle for dressage? What adventures did they have together? Did her old owner have the same unbridled joy for buying sofie new things? How must she have felt when she had to give her up?

I sat there holding the old bridles for a while thinking about this. I thought about putting them back in the box, shutting the past away. But that somehow feels wrong. Instead I will restore them. Oil and soap them back into their former glory. Let sofie's old owner help me find what works best for sof. Keep her with us in some way.

GBEC Autumn show 2015

Off on another outing, this time in a box with Smee and her X-racer lucky to GBEC show.

I entered Sof and I for intro A walk and trot test and 2ft 3 novice jumping.

Dressage was a flop. Sof has been stiff in her hocks for the last couple of weeks so we haven’t done any schooling, GBEC is a big hill so no real place to warm up and a lack of marshals meant I was late for my test so I had to argue my way in having missed my time slot. Net result was a very pedestrian test, I got forgot the last bit and messed it up, Sof wasn’t really striding out. I haven’t even read the judges’ comments. Never mind. I’m not sure dressage is our bag anyway.

Jumping however, now jumping is Sofies thing! I haven’t really jumped Sof over the summer due to her ill-fitting GP saddle. I was stupidly intimidated by 2ft 3 (annoying as I would have thought nothing of it when I was 10), so was not hopeful of a good round. But Sof was great. She went from half asleep outside the ring to show jumping pocket rocket. She got us round all the fences bar one triple – which she only messed up because a marshal spooked her and her rider was no use what-so-ever. I desperately tried to slow the whole thing down – I’m a bit too nervous for Sofies speed and bless her, even though she found it frustrating ,she did slow up for me. Only had to crash her into a hedge once to slow up. With a better rider she would have def gotten placed.

Mission for this time next year: jump confidently and not feel the need to hold Sofie back. We might even try the dizzying heights of 2ft 6!