Joyrider
Apr. 10, 2009, 11:56 AM
The good: coming 5 year old dappled grey Welsh/QH who has already shown locally quite a bit and is well broke. She has a fantastic jump and is a good mover. She has jumped around a 3' course in good form and she loves to jump. She has good lateral work and had an easy lead change. She goes in a rubber snaffle and has a soft mouth. She sticks at a solid 14.1 although does not have a card. I have had her since she was 6 months old and she is very sensible. Loves to be clipped and groomed. Not a huge fan of baths but tolerates them fine. Does not like her mane pulled. Fine for vet and farrier. Excellent on the trails. When ridden consistently or turned out a lot, she is kick-a-long quiet. When she has been couped up inside for a few days she will dance and prance around like an Arab complete with the tail up and the snorting! Best to let her get her steam out on the longe line on those days. She is comfortable to ride and has a great "whoa". She longes and longlines fine. She can make faces (like many mares!) around feeding time or when in heat but she really loves attention.
The bad: last fall, the pony started doing a weird thing at the left lead canter. I even wrote about it on the Horse Care forum here. Not swapping out perse but more like skipping on the left inside hind. It seemed to be actually bridle related because it happened when her mouth was taken - such as being rated to a jump. The vet came out and floated her and poked and prodded her all over. Back, legs, mouth, poll, neck etc. Nothing found. I put her into a bitless bridle and that seemed to help...for a few weeks, then the problem came back and we even saw it on the longe line. I made the decision to put her on 3 weeks stall rest and then two months lay up over the winter. We started her back in March very slowly with lots of slow conditioning work. However, the left lead issue has not gone away. The most recent vet could not make a solid diagnosis even with substantial blocks all the way up her hind legs. On his recommendation, we went ahead with hock injections which did not fix the problem (although she moves even better at the trot.) The pony is absolutely sound at the walk and trot but is now refusing to pick up the left lead entirely. She is a good pony and I know that the next step veterinary wise would be a bone scan/MRI which I cannot afford right now.
Please do not judge me for giving her away. I have a lot on my plate and if there is a good home out there who wants her for a trail pony or a walk-trot pony or a pasture buddy or a surrogate or brood mare or wants to take the next step with veterinary diagnostics then so be it and I would be grateful.
Please email me at jcollins@mtholyoke.edu.
The bad: last fall, the pony started doing a weird thing at the left lead canter. I even wrote about it on the Horse Care forum here. Not swapping out perse but more like skipping on the left inside hind. It seemed to be actually bridle related because it happened when her mouth was taken - such as being rated to a jump. The vet came out and floated her and poked and prodded her all over. Back, legs, mouth, poll, neck etc. Nothing found. I put her into a bitless bridle and that seemed to help...for a few weeks, then the problem came back and we even saw it on the longe line. I made the decision to put her on 3 weeks stall rest and then two months lay up over the winter. We started her back in March very slowly with lots of slow conditioning work. However, the left lead issue has not gone away. The most recent vet could not make a solid diagnosis even with substantial blocks all the way up her hind legs. On his recommendation, we went ahead with hock injections which did not fix the problem (although she moves even better at the trot.) The pony is absolutely sound at the walk and trot but is now refusing to pick up the left lead entirely. She is a good pony and I know that the next step veterinary wise would be a bone scan/MRI which I cannot afford right now.
Please do not judge me for giving her away. I have a lot on my plate and if there is a good home out there who wants her for a trail pony or a walk-trot pony or a pasture buddy or a surrogate or brood mare or wants to take the next step with veterinary diagnostics then so be it and I would be grateful.
Please email me at jcollins@mtholyoke.edu.