# Interesting day at my show :/



## thejessiefox (Jul 16, 2010)

My filly is two years old and is fantastic under saddle so far. I've shown her twice before, but state fair is right around the corner and I was trying to fit shows in this weekend and next weekend. I was supposed to show today but a couple things rudely interrupted haha.
I longed Tegan because she'd been in her stall on the grounds all morning and had her fair share of grain. She was fine on the line, so I tacked her up and hopped on to ride. Her jog was really uneven and she wasn't paying attention to me, so I told my boyfriend to close the gate to the warm up arena (where I was riding) and I asked her to lope. We got about half way around when she dead stopped and started bunny hopping. She doesn't buck (I'm not quite sure she knows how to with someone on her back haha), but she will bunny hop on the longe line. She's NEVER done this before when I've been on her. Anyways, she was hopping straight up in the air and reared straight up, came down and hopped again. At that point, I'd lost both stirrups, one of my reins, and was holding on with my thighs. She reared a last time and came down. I looked at my boyfriend and we both laughed for a split second, and she went off into a hopping fit again. 
I realized that with one rein and no stirrups that I needed to bail. I wrapped my arms around her neck and rolled off and landed on my lower back (Im' fine, no worries  it was probably the least worst fall I've had in my lifetime). She just stood there next to me though and looked at me like I was crazy or something.
We put her on the longe and ran the snot out of her. I would have gotten on had there not been severe thunder and slight lightening overhead. She can sense storms and doesn't like them, and I think that had a lot to do with her spunk today. The storm really moved in while we were longing and we brought her back to the stall. We waited around for about a half hour, but the rain had flooded the arena and they cancelled the show. 
I'm kind of bummed. I really wanted to show today, she's been doing so good at home. Oh well :/


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## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

I'm sorry you had a bad time, but you're filly is only 2 
Give her time to grow up and get used to everything, she's still a growing baby.

I don't even back mine til they're 3 and then it's slow, easy work til they're 4.


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## thejessiefox (Jul 16, 2010)

Yeah I never forget that she's only two. I show APHA and I don't push her at all. I've ridden her daily for two months and not once has she turned up lame or given me any signs that her joints or legs were hurting her. It's just very unlike her to act the way she did yesterday. I'll have to post a video for people to see her on a normal day. She's pretty mature for two years old. But thank you


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## Mickey4793 (Sep 24, 2009)

Hmm, you said it was severely storming and that's why you didn't get back on?

Maybe while you were riding she sensed the storm approaching and that's why she was acting so strangely? I know sometimes if there's a storm approaching my horse has a ton of trouble paying attention to me and has a tendency to act up.


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## thejessiefox (Jul 16, 2010)

Yeah, she normally does act up when a storm is about to roll through. I probably shouldn't have gotten on while she was beginning to throw a fit on the longe line, but our class was coming up so I had to get her energy out a little. 
And yes, I didn't get back on because a few minutes after I jumped off it thundered. Had it been a pretty, sunny day I would have been back on it a heartbeat haha. She was her perfect, normal self today though.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Glad you are both OK.




thejessiefox said:


> I don't push her at all.





thejessiefox said:


> I've ridden her daily for two months and not once has she turned up lame or given me any signs that her joints or legs were hurting her.


In my opinion these two thoughts contradict each other.


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

Please don't show/ride a 2 year old  She isn't done growing yet and you are doing neither of you any good ...


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## thejessiefox (Jul 16, 2010)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Glad you are both OK.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



They would contradict each other if I rode her daily for four hours. I ride her daily for about a half hour to 45 minutes.


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## thejessiefox (Jul 16, 2010)

kchfuller said:


> Please don't show/ride a 2 year old  She isn't done growing yet and you are doing neither of you any good ...


Would you like to see photos of her knees or x-rays of her joints? I show APHA. My filly is worth too much for me to ruin. It's not like I don't know what I am doing; I don't ride her hard and she's been checked several times by a vet and she is fine. Her knees are closed. Maturity wise, she's by far the best two year old I have worked with. I am not doing any damage to her by riding a half hour six or seven days a week, mostly jogging. It's not like I am loping her and pushing her into things four two or three hours each day. Trust me, I've seen those types of trainers and I've seen the outcome.


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## thejessiefox (Jul 16, 2010)

I know we're all entitled to our own opinions and such. I know this is a controversial topic and I never meant for my little rant to turn into being slightly bashed for my decision to train and show a two year old.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Sorry, it is a sensitive subject to me. My 17yo gelding has all kinds of issues that the vet (and everyone else) surmise are as extensive as they are because of him being campaigned seriously as a 2 and 3yo under saddle. Too much work for his young legs.


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## SilverSpur (Mar 25, 2010)

thejessiefox said:


> I realized that with one rein and no stirrups that I needed to bail. I wrapped my arms around her neck and rolled off and landed on my lower back



can i ask why you bailed? 
you can still stop a horse with no stirrup and only 1 rein.


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## thejessiefox (Jul 16, 2010)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Sorry, it is a sensitive subject to me. My 17yo gelding has all kinds of issues that the vet (and everyone else) surmise are as extensive as they are because of him being campaigned seriously as a 2 and 3yo under saddle. Too much work for his young legs.


I'm sorry your gelding is having problems. I appreciate that you are taking the time to share your experience with horses that have been started early. I promise you though, she is not being pushed. I showed her in longe line all throughout her yearling year and her jog on the line is the same as her jog under saddle. I lope her probably every three days or so, just one time around the arena each way. I only show her in 2 year old walk trot classes, except for state fair that is next week.


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## thejessiefox (Jul 16, 2010)

SilverSpur said:


> can i ask why you bailed?
> you can still stop a horse with no stirrup and only 1 rein.


Yes, I'm well aware that you can stop a horse with no stirrups and one rein. I recognize that I should have done a one rein stop, but I didn't have a helmet on and I have extensive damage in my left knee that has required three surgeries. I couldn't risk hurting myself. 
Just curious, what's with all the bashing?


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

thejessiefox- you are going to get other people opinions when you post on a forum- it comes with the territory. No one is "bashing" you in any way. I think that everyone has respectfully expressed their concerns and that is ok. If you don't agree with what other have said that is ok too- but try to be open minded to the fact that others don't agree with the way that you are doing things.

Thanks!


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## muchuanlin (Jul 30, 2010)

WOW
Really a good horse


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## qharabluver (Jul 22, 2010)

Its fine to voice your own opinions but its unfair of you to tell her what to do with her own horse when you do not know her or have seen pictures of the horse.


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## thejessiefox (Jul 16, 2010)

qharabluver said:


> Its fine to voice your own opinions but its unfair of you to tell her what to do with her own horse when you do not know her or have seen pictures of the horse.


Thanks. That's exactly how I feel, but I do know that some people feel strongly about saddle breaking horses when they are older. Her knees are fused. I'd never do anything to her or push her if it would hurt her. 
A little update- we got home from state fair last night. Won grand champ in halter AND western pleasure.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

thejessiefox said:


> They would contradict each other if I rode her daily for four hours. I ride her daily for about a half hour to 45 minutes.



NO MATTER what age your horse is this is too long to be on a horse PERIOD and to compound the stress with a horse of this age is totally irresponsible.


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## GraciesMom (Jun 17, 2010)

I don't get it. 30-45 minutes is too long to be on ANY horse? That is what you wrote : *NO MATTER what age your horse is this is too long to be on a horse PERIOD.*


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

She knows her horse better than we do. There are plenty of two-year-olds started under saddle that end up without problems. While I do agree that riding her every day for 45 minutes is too long for a growing baby, it's her horse and, therefore, her choice. I'm glad that you had her knees checked by a vet, that was responsible; however, it's the spine that you have to worry about. It takes the longest to fuse. This is why you don't want to stay on for too long, as it puts much pressure on a weak spine. I'd ride for shorter periods of time, but again, it's your horse. I plan on starting Sunny this fall or next spring, and she'll be 2.5+, but I will keep the "rides" very limited until she's 3. Anyway, good luck with your filly. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

GraciesMom said:


> I don't get it. 30-45 minutes is too long to be on ANY horse? That is what you wrote : *NO MATTER what age your horse is this is too long to be on a horse PERIOD.*



Sorry my error I thought I read 1 and a half hours.

On that point no 30-45 minutes is fine for a horse well along in its training. On a 2 year old daily this riding is too much however I know many western people seem to have no problem with it.

I am not against riding a two year old as my own boy was broke 2 months before he reached that age but we sat and did only the basics lasting no more than 15 minutes once a week.

I now have a very very sound 18 year old that never ever broke down and is one of the soundest horses I have ever owned or been in contact with.

As far as knowing the OP and their horse...poppycock. This has nothing to do with KNOWING any horse..it simply is not the prudent and responsible thing to do.


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