Kellie in OR
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Time for a Billy update….he has had a makeover from head to toe.
Earlier this month Billy got his teeth floated. He had no wolf teeth, but did have some sharp edges. After the procedure the vet said Bill has a perfect bite and very nice teeth. He also had blood work that came back good with a normal thyroid function. So he is healthy, just fat. We are working on that.
After a week or so I put him back in the bridle and did groundwork. He still wasn’t as happy in the mouth as I would have liked. So I bought him the simple mullen bit. These things have made him better, but still not as comfortable and happy as I would like. I could just tell something was not quite right, there had to be something else causing him to travel so braced with his nose pointed up. So I scheduled him to see the physical therapist.
Billy was a wreck, I am guessing from being ridden by too big of kids for several years. His hip, sacrum and wither was out of alignment. The one adjustment Billy really felt he reared up, and that was in his neck! WOW, I can't believe how much more free he trotted after being worked on just this once.
Like a puzzle we will get this all sorted out. I'm going to keep him out of the cart for the next few days and just long line him. It will be interesting to see if this helps with his extreme nosing out.
The little bit I have driven Bill he is doing really well. I have driven him in an open bridle and with blinders. He's not spooky and is trying very hard to please. So I went ahead and ordered my dream cart...the Hyperbike. It weighs much less than my EZ entry breaking cart. Since Billy is just over 30 inches I think he will do better in this.
My husband has been helping out with the current cart. He made Billy shorter shafts (44”) with a wider spread. I could not get Bill further forward in the cart with the original 48” shafts. Because of his round belly there was only one place he would settle no matter how I adjusted things. And that was with way too much shaft sticking out front for Bill’s length. So now with his custom shafts Bill can turn, and I can get my hand between him and the shafts.
A big thank you to Janie at Chimacum Tack. She has been answering questions and sending parts and pieces to me to get Billy as comfortable as possible. Not an easy feat with his current Yoga Ball conformation. He has a very forward girth groove due to his round tummy. So the girth rides forward, while the saddle tips back, and the breast collar overlaps at the buckle. A back pad has helped, but the biggest help will be when he loses some weight and that saddle can move back where it belongs.
www.horsedriver.com
Thank you all for this board. I have done lots of searches and found some very helpful information, including easy instructions by Leia on how to properly do the breeching. So ignore my early attempts at harnessing in this picture. I will get new pictures when Bill is back to driving. I read that it takes about 100 times harnessing to get it down pat. I have about 80 times to go.
I'm learning a lot and having a good time doing it. I should probably be arrested by the TOO MUCH FUN police, LOL!
Earlier this month Billy got his teeth floated. He had no wolf teeth, but did have some sharp edges. After the procedure the vet said Bill has a perfect bite and very nice teeth. He also had blood work that came back good with a normal thyroid function. So he is healthy, just fat. We are working on that.
After a week or so I put him back in the bridle and did groundwork. He still wasn’t as happy in the mouth as I would have liked. So I bought him the simple mullen bit. These things have made him better, but still not as comfortable and happy as I would like. I could just tell something was not quite right, there had to be something else causing him to travel so braced with his nose pointed up. So I scheduled him to see the physical therapist.
Billy was a wreck, I am guessing from being ridden by too big of kids for several years. His hip, sacrum and wither was out of alignment. The one adjustment Billy really felt he reared up, and that was in his neck! WOW, I can't believe how much more free he trotted after being worked on just this once.
Like a puzzle we will get this all sorted out. I'm going to keep him out of the cart for the next few days and just long line him. It will be interesting to see if this helps with his extreme nosing out.
The little bit I have driven Bill he is doing really well. I have driven him in an open bridle and with blinders. He's not spooky and is trying very hard to please. So I went ahead and ordered my dream cart...the Hyperbike. It weighs much less than my EZ entry breaking cart. Since Billy is just over 30 inches I think he will do better in this.
My husband has been helping out with the current cart. He made Billy shorter shafts (44”) with a wider spread. I could not get Bill further forward in the cart with the original 48” shafts. Because of his round belly there was only one place he would settle no matter how I adjusted things. And that was with way too much shaft sticking out front for Bill’s length. So now with his custom shafts Bill can turn, and I can get my hand between him and the shafts.
A big thank you to Janie at Chimacum Tack. She has been answering questions and sending parts and pieces to me to get Billy as comfortable as possible. Not an easy feat with his current Yoga Ball conformation. He has a very forward girth groove due to his round tummy. So the girth rides forward, while the saddle tips back, and the breast collar overlaps at the buckle. A back pad has helped, but the biggest help will be when he loses some weight and that saddle can move back where it belongs.
www.horsedriver.com
Thank you all for this board. I have done lots of searches and found some very helpful information, including easy instructions by Leia on how to properly do the breeching. So ignore my early attempts at harnessing in this picture. I will get new pictures when Bill is back to driving. I read that it takes about 100 times harnessing to get it down pat. I have about 80 times to go.
I'm learning a lot and having a good time doing it. I should probably be arrested by the TOO MUCH FUN police, LOL!
