# I want to hear EVERYTHING anyone has to say about.....



## TexasTroubleTwo (Sep 9, 2007)

he's cute. I run barrels and the games too. i have a buckskin mare. you can see her in my post.


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## Tessa Bear (May 15, 2007)

tie downs imo are never the answer. i think it is lack of ground work is why we need them and use them. i would really work on his trust issues before taking him out of his normal routine (i'm paying attention to my spelling its late) clearly he is not having confidence in you enough to trust you that you won't hurt him or make him go through anything that will. i would really work on flexion as well so if he does try to go up you can flex him around.

i would really make sure he is confortable w/ you before taking him anywhere.

but do whatever you feel comfortable doing i don't knw you or the horse.

and btw he is very cute!


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Honestly, I'd remove the tie down. I've seen horses got even worse with it after while. Does he rears or something?

In any case good luck with him! The abused horses requires TONS of time and patience (from own experience lol!).


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## AKPaintLover (May 26, 2007)

When you use a tie down, it is helpful to run it through looped string in the center ring of a breast plate to help keep it in the center and positioned correctly. It will also keep it safer because it will keep it from dropping too low and him accidentally getting a foot through. 

I know of a lot of barrel racers who do use tie downs to give their horse something to brace against as they make their fast hard turns - it can be used as a tool to help them keep their frame in their turn and keep from getting strung out. 

I would not suggest using a tie down on a regular basis, but in high energy places and events like a rodeo, it might be helpful. Horses can get very excited at events like these, but also remember to keep encouraging a calm attitude from him. Like any other restricting tool, a tie down will not fix the problem of head tossing or even rearing if that is the case. All training and other riding would be most beneficial if done without a tie down (or a running martingale for that matter). There is a lot of groundwork and bridle work that can be done to help a horse learn to keep its head down on its own - without restricting tools. 

If a tie down is used all the time, and the horse is not worked with to show him the proper frame he should be in, the problem will not go away with the use of a tie down, and might even get worse. 

I agree that your horse should be very comfortable with you before taking him to a high energy place like a rodeo, but once he is, attending as many as possibe and encouraging him to just stand and relax a lot will help him get used to it. any new place (rodeo or otherwise) will create some anxiety in a horse, so him trusting you and feeding off of your own calmness is very important. I don't know if I see lack of confidence in you by your horse in those pictures as much as a very worked up and excited horse - but that is pretty hard to tell when you are not the one actually there on the horse at the time. 

I would definitely do a lot of flexion work and a lot of work exposing him to new places with relaxing in mind. Good luck and have fun 

How long have you had him by the way? It also might be helpful to hear the basics of the abuse (how long ago, for how long a period of time, just the basic jist of what happened). History of a horse is a pretty big factor that should be played into how you plan to proceed with training.


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## :) (Oct 5, 2007)

Is his name Blu because of that blue scarring on his chest. He isn't very.. pretty, but thats not important. If I owned a horse like Blu, I wouldn't care if the horse had a different look. Anyway, its kinda boring when you a 1000 chestnut horses these days.


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## accphotography (Oct 5, 2007)

Are you sure he is a Quarab? He looks like he could be an Appaloosa (which actually could be very similarly bred to a Quarab).

I think he is beautiful. I see why his name is Blu.

That is not scarring on his chest, that is pigmented (black) skin. If he is not an Appallosa (in which case he would be called a "fewspot"), he has a Paint gene called sabino and he would be called a "maximum white sabino". Max whites usually have all pink skin, but occasionally have some dark skin mixed in like this guy. Note that his ears are colored... that is very typical of max whites.

ACC


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

I know he doesn't have scars on his chest! Just blue and pink skin! lol. Ya, he's not full-blooded. He's a mix.(says the vet plus lots of others  ) Ya. I love him!!! i just rode today and he did really good. It was too late to jump some so I just worked on flexing and stuff...Thanks!


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## accphotography (Oct 5, 2007)

Vets don't know much about breeds... not to mention most people can not tell you without a shadow of a doubt what breed a horse is. I believe he is an Appaloosa based on your story of him. If he is an Appaloosa he is a fewspot... which means he had to have had two Appaloosa parents... NOT a mixed breed.  

ACC


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

So he is pure? Oh, well that's great! He might not be the best looking horse but sometimes I wish he was a stallion! :lol: I have never heard of an Appaloosa being so....different I guess. Its weird...every horse I've had was an Appaloosa. One gray leopard, one chestnut blanketed, and now Boo a fewspot!


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## JinxXx0085 (Jul 29, 2007)

Blu Magic said:


> my horse Blu. He was terribly abused. If you would like to know his story I would love to tell so just let me know.


I would like to know his story if you're willing to post it in here or somewhere else?
~Eh, never mind. I just found the thread


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Wow, i was totally surprised. I thought Blu was going to be a blue roan or something. I think because of that one pic you had below your name thingy. But he's a gorgeous horse. He does look like an app, but then again, my app looks like a qh.


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Its amazing how different he is! He is like one of the only white horses I've seen here. Most of then are all flea-bitten. He was way dirty in those pics. lol. He is whiter. After a bath he shines!!! Its weird how he has brown ears and legs, too!


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## accphotography (Oct 5, 2007)

Do you have a full body picture of him? I did not know his legs were dark. That is a normal thing for a fewspot... I could show you many examples with dark ears and legs. You know you can get him registered with some of the spotted associations right?

ACC


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## Delregans Way (Sep 11, 2007)

Yes i hate tie downs as well. But other pple have different ideas. He isn't ugly just unusual thats all- unique, thats the words. I know some Greys, when they get wet (sweat or hosed) they have balck patches or pick, and they are purebred Arabs. But he has the eyes and muzzel of an appolusa

Cheers


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Its great to hear that he can be registered! He was majorly anxious yesterday. If I don't ride him for more that three days he's gone and we hvae to work our way up again. I have never ever ridden and Appy as hyper, excited, and anxious as him. He is one of the gentlest horses but he acts like a colt. He is nine years old and most people think he is about five! The highest age he's been thought to be was thirteen and the youngest was six. We had more replies of eight last year so he's nine.   Here, Boo is so unique its crazy. There's no horses like him. Not even close in personalty. Maybe its and Appy thing!


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Also, I will try and post a pic today or maybe tomorrow! I think its his left front leg that is the darkest. The color as on opalish/tan/brown sorta thing.  He has black and red in his tail, too! If its not windy I might give him a bath so he's clean/white and not dirty/yellow or brown!  And again, he is underweight so his backbone sticks up a little too far!   He's one of those "hard-keep" horses.... :shock: But, anyways, yes I will try to get a full body pic. In the above pics you can't really tell his legs because of the white leg wraps.


By the way, that made me mad this year!!! For the drill in the rodeo we always wear red leg wraps. But this year white. *WHITE* ON A *WHITE* HORSE! stupid...stupid...stupid... :x


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

Just so ya know! Hes gorgeous! BTW, some horses just 'have' to have tie downs. Try running it throw a breast collar they work better that way. My horses dam has to be rode in a tie down or she is unbearable to ride. Sometimes it is a lack of ground work but not always. When I barrel raced my gelding he had to have one because he kept his head up to high in the turns.


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