# Winter wonderland with Harley, Kodak and Rusty!



## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Beautiful photos!! They all look so happy about the fresh snow! I think your photos came out great. I do not have any talent in taking pictures and my horses always look like moose! :lol:


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## lostastirrup (Jan 6, 2015)

Kodak is a beautiful chunky qh. I just love her look.


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## GMA100 (Apr 8, 2016)

They're so beautiful! They're all beautiful, but Rusty is just drop dead gorgeous! I have a special spot in my heart for those spotted babies!!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

i like Rusty the best. I cropped his photo down to highlight his cute face and scampy eye.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

lostastirrup said:


> Kodak is a beautiful chunky qh. I just love her look.


She's chunky, but also dainty. Big chested, big bodied, but small nose and legs/hooves. I think she's pretty cute too!


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## 3Horses2DogsandaCat (Apr 19, 2016)

Your pictures look great! I never have snow and clean horses at the same time


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

Nice pictures, it looks like Kodack and Rusty have become good friends. I hope you are enjoying your new horse


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

@Acadian How is Kodack doing now? Has she settled down with the colder weather? If she has and Rusty is a good horse to take out on trails, perhaps you and your daughter could try a short ride out with Daughter on Rusty in the lead and Kodack following, she may be more secure with a dependable lead horse. I have often found this to be true with some horses.
Anyway enjoy your new horse and many happy hours with him.


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

"Oh, boy; Snow!!! We're havin' _so_ much fun!" "Wheeeee" :-D


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Awe, they are so fuzzy and cute. Nothing like fresh fallen snow and beautiful horses to make amazing photos.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> @Acadian How is Kodack doing now? Has she settled down with the colder weather? If she has and Rusty is a good horse to take out on trails, perhaps you and your daughter could try a short ride out with Daughter on Rusty in the lead and Kodack following, she may be more secure with a dependable lead horse. I have often found this to be true with some horses.
> Anyway enjoy your new horse and many happy hours with him.


Kodak is slightly better, but not completely. My daughter rode her the other day and she was fine up to the trot (though with a lot of tension and her head very high), but she fell apart at the canter again. I wish I could get a video of it, but I never seem to have my camera on me when she does it, or I'm the one riding and there's no one to film. She will do a few canter strides, then start throwing her head from side to side, stomp her front feet, stick her head between her legs and stop. It feels like she is about to buck and her hind end comes up a little. So the problem is not solved. However, there is slight improvement so we will continue the chiro work to see if things sort out eventually. And yes, I agree on the trail ride idea. Rusty in the lead works best, Kodak in the middle, and maybe Harley in the back if I can get a friend to tag along. I think Kodak would feel quite safe then. We just haven't had adequate weather or enough daylight to squeeze in a trail ride with my daughter yet. 

Kodak and Rusty have definitely bonded already and are very good buddies.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I agree on the weather Sis and I went out for a ride today, it was just a degree or so below freezing so the snow didn't ball up in their feet and it was snowing but not windy so not a bad day. But the ground below the snow was soft and slippery so we had to walk most of the way and with the horses feeling good it was a shame not to get a good long trot in to settle them down a bit as they were feeling pretty good.

Then coming home the horses were tired of the mud (can't blame them) and as we came up the field to the road a big tractor went by and they were alright with that but after we got out on the road I looked back and saw a truck coming, warned Sis as her horse can be inclined to bolt when upset and I got off the road over where she was, the truck had a big livestock trailer as well and as it got opposite us ( he never even slowed down for us or moved over) it hit some pot holes and great crashing and some splashing of slop. Sis's horse did try to bolt but we were parked in front of her and then she did a couple of spins before settling down. Now Sis is usually a mild mannered person but I heard a few words come out and follow the truck down the road. You just don't know when riding on the roads what can come down the road. We were almost home and the rest of the ride was uneventful.
It may be the best thing to wait a bit until the ground freezes and has a good cover of snow before more winter riding.

Better winter riding for you folks


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

@Acadianartist does she follow through with the buck as well? I'm curious as Katie used to have some low-headed, stompy strops and even do a little whine in her throat if you tried to ride her away from the gate on a high-strung day (even with the staff riding initially). Instructor acted like it was normal green-girl behaviour and talked me through it, and how to not to take NO for an answer. I'm pretty sure without her I might have trained Katie to be a bucker as I'd never really dealt with a stroppy mare before her . Fortunately, she gives up easily as long as we're reasonable with her and I know how to proceed in future. I think though I'd find it pretty scary if I was in a situation without a horse expert on hand to help initially ride that stuff out. I think its pretty amazing that you still get on her at times yikes but defo sounds like she has your number to some degree, tho I cannot even blame you with how remote you seem to be >.<. Fingers crossed she learns from Rusty how to be a pro trail horse!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> I agree on the weather Sis and I went out for a ride today, it was just a degree or so below freezing so the snow didn't ball up in their feet and it was snowing but not windy so not a bad day. But the ground below the snow was soft and slippery so we had to walk most of the way and with the horses feeling good it was a shame not to get a good long trot in to settle them down a bit as they were feeling pretty good.
> 
> Then coming home the horses were tired of the mud (can't blame them) and as we came up the field to the road a big tractor went by and they were alright with that but after we got out on the road I looked back and saw a truck coming, warned Sis as her horse can be inclined to bolt when upset and I got off the road over where she was, the truck had a big livestock trailer as well and as it got opposite us ( he never even slowed down for us or moved over) it hit some pot holes and great crashing and some splashing of slop. Sis's horse did try to bolt but we were parked in front of her and then she did a couple of spins before settling down. Now Sis is usually a mild mannered person but I heard a few words come out and follow the truck down the road. You just don't know when riding on the roads what can come down the road. We were almost home and the rest of the ride was uneventful.
> It may be the best thing to wait a bit until the ground freezes and has a good cover of snow before more winter riding.
> ...


Yikes! That sounds terrifying! We never ride on the road because there are huge logging trucks that barrel down our road (we're down a big hill) and the roads are narrow, so really, nowhere to go. We do ride in the snow, but not when it gets too deep on the trails, or when there is an icy crust on the top (it can really do a number on their legs). Mostly though, the weather's been all over the place. It started as rain a couple of weeks ago - like pouring, heavy rains flooding everything, and then literally overnight, it dipped down to -18C so you can imagine what everyone's yard looked like. Then we had snow, and a lot of it. Very wet, soggy snow that sticks to everything, and a few days of really strong winds. I rode once in the paddock, and the snow was hitting my face sideways. Makes it hard to focus on getting a lot done. We did have a couple of decent days, but they never seem to be when I can ride! Since it's dark by 5:30, that's also a limiting factor. I do hope to get out at least once this week, but we probably won't be able to head out on the trails because we only get home around 4:15. With any luck, we'll get decent riding weather on Saturday so we can do a trail ride with Rusty and Kodak at least.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Kalraii said:


> @*Acadianartist* does she follow through with the buck as well? I'm curious as Katie used to have some low-headed, stompy strops and even do a little whine in her throat if you tried to ride her away from the gate on a high-strung day (even with the staff riding initially). Instructor acted like it was normal green-girl behaviour and talked me through it, and how to not to take NO for an answer. I'm pretty sure without her I might have trained Katie to be a bucker as I'd never really dealt with a stroppy mare before her . Fortunately, she gives up easily as long as we're reasonable with her and I know how to proceed in future. I think though I'd find it pretty scary if I was in a situation without a horse expert on hand to help initially ride that stuff out. I think its pretty amazing that you still get on her at times yikes but defo sounds like she has your number to some degree, tho I cannot even blame you with how remote you seem to be >.<. Fingers crossed she learns from Rusty how to be a pro trail horse!


Well, I did get a riding coach out to help me with the problem, but all she told me was to keep Kodak's head up high so she can't buck, and try to keep her moving. I did that, but it gets progressively worse each time I ask for a canter. And when she does it, she's literally twisting herself, shaking and twisting her head like a snake in both directions, then putting her head down, and hopping/bracing all four legs so there isn't much you can do except stay on, and try to get her back into a trot after you've got her attention back on you. She also does it with other riders (my daughter, the coach even). A friend who is a much better rider than me has offered to try to ride her through it, but I'm not prepared to go that route until I am absolutely certain it's not pain-related. Because she is such a compliant horse, it's out of character for her. She's nervous, not rebellious. Which is also why I'm reluctant to just put some bronc rider on her that will spur and whip her for stopping. That kind of riding will not help her, it will only cause her to shut down again, like when I first got her, and that only leads to more explosions that are even less predictable. You can see my dilemma... 

The thing is, this is a new behavior that only appeared last June or so. She was always nervous and anxious, but this is something else. She's not reacting to something in her environment, she's reacting to being ridden, particularly to up transitions. Which was why I tried chiro. That led to some improvement, but there are still issues. Two vets and two massage therapists, plus the chiro, have looked at her. There is a vet from out of province that may be able to help, but I'm waiting to find out when her next trip here will happen. Beyond that, I am at a loss. I've tried a bunch of saddles on her, and have done a fitting. I don't it's a saddle fit issue because she does the exact same thing with a bunch of different saddles. Sure, it's possible I haven't found her unicorn saddle yet, but as my chiro said, it's possible none of them fit perfectly, but they would all fit differently, therefore putting pressure on different areas causing different reactions. We're seeing the same reaction with different saddles and different riders. 

The last two years, she's been much better to ride in the winter, so I am still hopeful we will see change. It's worth nothing that she was in heat when Rusty arrived (it was VERY obvious, lol) and it seemed to be more exaggerated than usual. I assumed it was because of the presence of a new guy, but that's when my daughter rode her and she acted up again. Now that the heat has passed, she might start getting better... a lot of people are suggesting hormonal therapy to me at this point, but I want to wait a bit longer. 

Gawwwwhhh horses are complicated sometimes. Not Rusty though! What you see is what you get with that guy.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

"Geldings...."

Geldings, you gotta love their simplicity that is more the norm than the "off-one"...

As for Kodak...
I know you are concerned with the pain aspect and want to explore all avenues that it isn't pain related...
But...
Is is possible the escalation is because Kodak has got your number and figured out that if she doesn't want to do something she just act out and you "read" that there is a problem and stop what ever it is you were asking, telling and making her do...so she controls you and the situation.
Every time you figure her out and get the upper-hand she finds a new direction that fouls you up and again, she gets out of doing anything she not want to do...
You say she is smart.._most mares are._
I would send her to a trainer who will ride her through her antics and push her forward,_* not*_ with spurs and cruelty, but by persistence and not allowing her to have her moody temper-tantrum...
Someone not afraid of her, and not afraid to get dumped if it got to that point...to just ride through it.
Yes, a few days of not getting her way, being made to work through her attitude and she just might be a different horse and attitude to ride.
Some of her "spooky" might just disappear, some might not.

Wish you were closer...there is a guy here who works exactly this on many horses...
A real trainer of "problematic" horses besides starting new stock he does..
My own horse I sent as issues not explainable came up...
Horse came home in 10 days total time away...it didn't take long to find the reason...me!:icon_rolleyes:
Once we rid me of my bad habit, the horse was fine.
Ridding me of my "habit" took 5 days...:smile:
:runninghorse2:...


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Yes, I am definitely considering that possibility @horselovinguy! However, so far, I have not found someone who can deal with a horse like Kodak without using rough methods. She also doesn't tie solid, as you may recall, and has gone over backwards (before I owned her) because someone thought they could tie her and leave her to teach her "patience". All she learned was fear -- and ended up with a really messed up neck to boot. 

There is one more vet who I'd like to get out here before I decide to try to push her through it (if I can ever find someone who is firm but gentle enough to do it). She is affiliated with the UPEI vet school and is our best bet to ruling out pain. But also, if this goes away this winter (yes, we do canter in snow), then it may just be hormonal. She may be having a lot of cramps or abdominal pain during her cycle. 

In terms of letting her get away with it - I don't. To be clear, I ask for a canter again after these "episodes". And again, and again. Over and over, and over, but it doesn't get better. My daughter has done it too (we both know she's a better rider than me), and even our coach. It is possible she's learned this behavior and just needs lots of riding to forget it, I'm not discounting that possibility. Maybe someone who is an expert trainer can fix it. Or maybe new issues will arise from it, as always seems to happen with her. I fix one thing, and something else goes wrong. I also believe a lot of her issues arise from bad previous training, so I have to be careful with her. You're right, mares are so different than geldings. 

Either way, I am patient, and will try to rule out a few more things, see how she is over the winter, and see if she can be rehabbed by a trainer if all else fails.


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

Acadianartist said:


> Yes, I am definitely considering that possibility @horselovinguy! However, so far, I have not found someone who can deal with a horse like Kodak without using rough methods. She also doesn't tie solid, as you may recall, and has gone over backwards (before I owned her) because someone thought they could tie her and leave her to teach her "patience". All she learned was fear -- and ended up with a really messed up neck to boot.
> 
> There is one more vet who I'd like to get out here before I decide to try to push her through it (if I can ever find someone who is firm but gentle enough to do it). She is affiliated with the UPEI vet school and is our best bet to ruling out pain. But also, if this goes away this winter (yes, we do canter in snow), then it may just be hormonal. She may be having a lot of cramps or abdominal pain during her cycle.
> 
> ...


I have no advice,but just want to say your a great owner and kodak is lucky to have you. Hope you get it figured out so you have 3 horse's to ride and enjoy. 

That Rusty is just adorable and seems like a very nice boy.Enjoy him and have fun riding that handsome dude!


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Lovely photos!!! I just love Rusty. He's adorable.

Going back to the Kodak conumdrum, I honestly truly think she just has your number and has some bad habits. Continue doing the best you can with her, as you have been, but I do think she would do better in the hands of someone who doesn't tolerate her BS (and yes, I just think it's BS!!). No, she doesn't need to be spurred and whipped on to put her in her place (I don't agree with that) but she needs to know it's not acceptable and it's not going to fly. I would so come ride her for you if I were closer!!!! Not that I am any magical perfect rider but this below screams "_spoiled_" to me.



> _She will do a few canter strides, then start throwing her head from side to side, stomp her front feet, stick her head between her legs and stop. It feels like she is about to buck and her hind end comes up a little._



Anywho, not to derail your lovely photo thread!! :smile:


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

And you may be right @Beau. I don't have the decades of horse experience you, and other members here have, so I need to take the time that I need to figure this out. Making a rash decision about Kodak when I don't have the expertise to be comfortable with that decision would, in my view, be too risky. I'd rather take the time we both need to see if we can get anywhere. I so wish I had a video to show you, but you saw the video I sent you in a pm. You saw how she was before I had her. She did not look like a comfortable horse then either. If she was just being a spoiled horse, then why wouldn't she behave badly on the ground too? Or on a lunge line? Something doesn't add up, and those who have met her in person agree with me. They DO have vast amounts of horse experience. So I have to go with my gut on this one. 

And if you lived near me, you better believe I'd be begging you to jump on her! I tried to lease her out, and have put the word out that I'd consider letting her go to the right person, but no one wants a spooky horse who acts up under saddle, is hard to trailer, and won't tie solid. She's kind of a hard sell at the moment, so I might as well keep her a while longer and see if we can improve on some of these issues (I'm working on the tying part too). I am seeing progress on a lot of fronts, but also new issues arising, so I'm not quite done with her. 

Anyway yes, let's go back to pretty pictures


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

Acadianartist said:


> Since it's dark by 5:30


See, that's why Maine & NH want to join Acadianartist in Atlantic time (only we call it year-round DST) - on Eastern Standard time we have sunset at 4:10 now and dark soon after! 

In another couple of weeks it will stabilize at 4:05 for about 2 weeks before starting to get later again - yay!


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

The horses are adorable! Love Harley's trot in the snow.



Acadianartist said:


> If she was just being a spoiled horse, then why wouldn't she behave badly on the ground too? Or on a lunge line? Something doesn't add up, and those who have met her in person agree with me. They DO have vast amounts of horse experience. So I have to go with my gut on this one.


I was looking at some pictures of Kodak on this thread and another. She seems to have a more "sprung" barrel than most QHs. Does the saddle ever seem to slide forward? It just sounds so much like a saddle problem when a horse starts out the canter fine, and then (as it works its way forward) starts to object. Some horses just can't abide having the saddle starting to come over the shoulders or the girth up in the armpits. This poor pony needs a super wide tree but they're just trying to use a crupper, and he still objects.








Amore likes everything to stay on or behind the girth line, and if I put saddle bags on the pommel it makes her buck. Nothing can touch the shoulders!! It's not being spoiled for her, she just is too sensitive to abide it.


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