# Horsing Around



## Elsie (Nov 14, 2018)

Hi Everyone on Horse Forum,

For years I have bumped into this site with various horse related curiosities and learned some invaluable information. 

Now that I have dived back into horse ownership, I signed up and have become very fond of some of the Member's Journals. 

And I guess, because I love the horse tribe vibe, I am now inviting myself to the party. :cowboy:

I hail from sunny South Africa. 

My horse riding style is currently: Captain Plod. 
Plod's name is currently Simba. (Any new name suggestions are welcome.) He was a gift horse, and one never looks a gift horse in the mouth... Not one to always leave things up to faith and karma, I did, and upon closer inspection, he is definitely into his 20's - I was told he was 13/14 years old)

He came into my life a year ago, and unfortunately/fortunately so did my second surprise pregnancy, as a result he has enjoyed a full year of being a paddock puff. 

His previous owner's brief: He was used for general out rides, tested for endurance and didn't do well with it.(<-still not sure what "not doing well" with it means. A point and shoot kind of horse, fine with farrier, traffic, boxing. Apparently when he was in work he was shod on all 4. 

He was in fact terrible with boxing. So that is something we will work on. It was sort of glazed over that he had a accident in a horse box and fell over. Common sense tells me he endured many treatments, injections and stitches to his ear and poll area. So understandably, this is why he is extremely head shy around his ears. Also, something I work on daily. Some days it's a non issue. Other times, if someone else tries to work with him, it's as if we have to start all over again.

Anyway. The poor dude landed up with me. Miss over enthusiastic :happydance:

He is a pretty little thing at 14.2hh. Pure Boerperd. He has been branded. But without finding his papers I have not found another way to trace him. I do not find a "Simba" on the system. 

He is lovely to plod around on. Terrific in traffic. Nice and forward but with a calm and sound mind. (I only had 4 rides on him before I was told not to ride in order to not lose my baby). He only spooked twice and the cute little side step was not an issue for me. After all, he moved 6hrs from the flats of the low veld into the lush, mountainous bush veld. Completely different from his home. Everything was new. 

My plan is to start working with him to get him fit and healthy enough to be my hacking buddy. But first, I want to ask your valued opinions on re-starting the oldies.

Is it poor judgement to bring a horse in his 20's back into work? Should I just retire him? Or is hacking in fact okay? When I was younger, if a horse was sound and willing, we did ride them in their early 20's. Then again, also have had to retire a 18 year old horse before. Now that I am older and wiser, I have become uncertain if this is kind to the horse. I understand this is horse specific. But, you know, he is healthy, the farrier and vet give the okay, he was in work before he had his year off and the few times I rode him he was all perked up and excited to go forth into the wilderness. So to speak.

I don't usually doubt myself when it comes to evaluating a horse's capabilities, and I do feel he could benefit from it as he does enjoy adventuring out when I hand walk him. BUTTTTTTT, now that I have become fond of him, I do want to do what's best for him.

The second item I would welcome advice on is this:

Both hind hooves are windswept. The farrier reckons it was due to poor trimming and with time (a year or so more, the hooves aught to correct themselves), he also thought they are "not too bad" and said that it would be perfectly fine to ride him as is, unshod, for hacking. Fine. 

That said, I am wondering if it is not just a conformation fault, as from behind those hind legs look a bit bandy legged. They curve a bit inward towards themselves. Like this: () 
I have seen some horses ever so slightly built like this and they were sound and did many miles. But his seems a little "extra". (Or is this my paranoia  )

I don't find any information on this curving of the hind legs in horses, or anything to do with windswept hooves and conformation (help me find something, perhaps I google it wrong/or perhaps I don't ask the right questions here) 

Is it the hoof that affects the limb? Or is it the limbs that affect the hooves? How would you know without access to his history to find out if he was born this way, or if it indeed was just poor farriery and horse shoes that created it? Everything is circumstantial and individual to each horse. I understand this. But why am I struggling to find more write ups on windswept hooves, why is it that it doesn't seem to be something many farriers have dealt with in my country? Has it been given a new term? Or is this just a temporary problem that can be iradicated through farriery?

Perhaps I am being impatient and overly cautious all at the same time. His legs still look bandy, even though the hooves are _starting_ to improve. The frogs still look pitched over to the right if facing the tail end of the horse. 
(I know, upload photos...)

I will do so. Tonight I shall take some. 

Anyway. Can't wait to share our adventures or mis-adventures of the horsey kind.

:runningborwnhorse:


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## WildestDandelion (Apr 4, 2019)

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Your boy has lovely coloring! No advice about the legs, but as far as riding him - as long as he is sound getting him exercise is a good idea. He should have at least several years left in him yet, all things being equal. What sort of substrate are you riding on? Paved road?


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## Saigold (Mar 21, 2019)

Don't think age is a huge factor, so long as they are willing and able. Id start doing easy walks and go from there. One paint is 26yo, going on 27 come spring and we still ride him. Your guy is handsome!


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Welcome to the Forum! I really like the way you write! I am looking forward to reading your adventures on your journal. If it were me, I'd take some slowish rides and get him fit. I am thinking he'll be fine.


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## Elsie (Nov 14, 2018)

Hi All  

_Wildest Dandelion_ (cute name) - We only have a 500m stretch of tar road to cover. But generally I rather walk him out on the grass sidewalk whilst hand walking and don't see why I would not be able to ride him on those side walks. They are nice and wide. The rest of the roads are gravel farm roads. Or are grass covered fields. I have never gone faster than a walk on tar road, as I am well aware what tar road riding can do to the joints, also, as he is barefoot and I would have to ride through a residential area, with kids, dogs, cars and other traffic prattling past, it generally feels safer to just walk him sedately through it all.

Saigold - That is great and he is looking good. I definitely think this old man will enjoy it. He absolutely sparked right up and was all ears and bouncy under me when I took him for those rides. 

knightrider - Thank you. I was inspired a lot by all of you regulars posters. And really feel like this is the forum for us.


AAAAAANNNNNNDDDD, I feel like a complete tit.

The saying is true: If you don't use it, You lose it. The correct horsey expression for bandy legs is Bowed Legged. And right fool that I am, did not think to consult my horse books to look it up. Naturally. But last night I did, as an afterthought and because I really do want some insight into it, and because I have known horses to be built like this and know it's not such a strange and odd conformation fault... lo and behold, In black and white, (With pictures), there it was. Glaringly obvious that even though I have retained a lot of information from my horsing around days. This 8 year hiatus from horses has caused some of the knowledge to leak out. Oh well, what are we if we do not constantly try to learn new things and skills? Part of life. 

Upon using the correct terminology, I discovered a wealth of information online. Basically, my vet and farrier were happy for me to ride him. So I will do just that. But I will stick to light hacking. It is his confirmation, and keeping him well trimmed and doing excersize will be good for him. Now that I have read up on it. It doesn't seem like a huge concern. Not for plodding around.

So I think I will start him off by doing 30min walk every second day, and see how he goes. If he does well and enjoys it. I will continue. If any soundness issues appear, he will enjoy his retirement. 

I hope you all have a fantastic day further


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Hello! :wave: I like the way you write too, and am looking forward to lots of photos and reports of adventures from you!  So nice to have someone from Africa join us! This global village thing is excellent...

:charge: :falloff: :rofl:

:cheers:


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