Driving4fun
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- Feb 26, 2004
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Hi everyone!
I need some advise on trimming my driving horses feet please. I went to a show not long ago with plans on showing a mare I have in all the driving classes I could.
I started out in lead line and daughter won first place with this mare, I went in color class and won 4th. Everytime I came into the ring the judge would praise my mare, telling me how much he loved her that he thought she was a really nice looking mare. So I thought great - he likes her!
Next, I put her in her first driving class - Country Pleasure. She is a really nice little mare drives with no problems single and double, she is 33.75" and very arab type. I thought we looked fairly good together and she did real well in the class. Responded great did her back up in the line up perfect, thought I 'd done fairly well.
Well after my back up - before the judge announced who won he came to me and in a loud voice told me my mare was lame! I was flabbergasted!(not sure of spelling on that one hehe) I said lame where? What leg or foot? He said to me, all four feet. I said what? He said she is lame on all four feet and I want you to remove her from any driving classes I had put her in. So you can guess how I felt? I asked him could I replace her in the classes I had registered her in with another gelding I had brought for my daughter to show. He said that was ok.
He also said in a loud voice; Why in the heck did you not enter her in any of the halter classes? I was dumbfounded for a moment because I had yet to get over the " she's lame part" my horse was not lame! So I said to him after I picked up my jaw "again", I did not put her in any halter classes because I had only just weaned a baby off her and she had a belly that I had not worked off her yet. I didn't think she was in halter shape. He said to me and I quote - "I would have made her grand champion if you would have entered her". I said again I just didn't think she was in shape and he said again " did you see what else was here today?" This was all said in the line up!!! With people on each side of me showing against me. I even had another driver who was further down the line up who could not hear what he said come to me outside the ring and ask me what the judge said to me.
Anyways he placed me second to last in the class. I still had the two days left to show so I did not argue with him over this.
I went outside and found a vet to check her over before I even unhitched her, she watched her drive and could not find any lameness either. Said her gate looked " a little off" but physically she could not find anything wrong. So let me tell you something at this point in my loooong story - I have been to this show three years in a row and every year I have had something like this happen - First year my horse got a stone bruise from the ring in lead line, second year I forfetted my driving classes for a friend who's harness had been stolen at the show and loaned her mind since she was showing for points and needed them and I was not, then this happened! All I have ever wanted was to show one time in driving. It just doesn't seem to be going to happen. I cried all the way back to the barn. (Must be mid life crisis I turned 43 this year hehe)I practice all year and wait for this one show which only comes to my area once a year! I can not seem to even make it in the beginners classes. I have shown all my life with Quarter Horses!
Anyway, get back to the problem, had a ferrier check her out and found out that she was just unbalanced from a bad ferrier job!! She was trimmed on the spot at the show and had my other gelding trimmed also just in case even though they both had been trimmed the week before. Ferrier said at the show that driving horses need less heal and more toe.
Ok, here are my questions for all you great people who I respect soooo much out there on this forum:
1). If my mare was lame on all four feet - why would a judge want her in a halter class lame?
2). Why did the judge not say anything to me before this driving class?
3). Biggest question of all - how do I need to get her feet trimmed???????
- more toe - less heal?
- on a mini hoof gage - what is everyones opinion on where to set them on the hoof gage for driving? I have her set at 50 degrees in front and 52 in the back.
She isn't a mare that really reaches out enough or very high action. Still working on that. Don't think she is the best but just want her to be sound and safe with where we put her. Someone told me to put her at 43 degrees in front and 43.5 in back - this worried me to change her so drastically so I have not done that yet. Don't want her to blow a tendon! Not sure on this stuff had big horses all my life but the minis are a (little different) I guess? At least in driving?
Sorry this is so long but this has really bothered me and I have been trying to get the courage up to come on and ask everyone and I guess I have just built up steam and alot of questions since the show!
Would love any advise from you experienced driving people out there on the driving minis feet ,Please?
I have three minis here that I drive and want to get them right with their feet.
Thanks
I need some advise on trimming my driving horses feet please. I went to a show not long ago with plans on showing a mare I have in all the driving classes I could.
I started out in lead line and daughter won first place with this mare, I went in color class and won 4th. Everytime I came into the ring the judge would praise my mare, telling me how much he loved her that he thought she was a really nice looking mare. So I thought great - he likes her!
Next, I put her in her first driving class - Country Pleasure. She is a really nice little mare drives with no problems single and double, she is 33.75" and very arab type. I thought we looked fairly good together and she did real well in the class. Responded great did her back up in the line up perfect, thought I 'd done fairly well.
Well after my back up - before the judge announced who won he came to me and in a loud voice told me my mare was lame! I was flabbergasted!(not sure of spelling on that one hehe) I said lame where? What leg or foot? He said to me, all four feet. I said what? He said she is lame on all four feet and I want you to remove her from any driving classes I had put her in. So you can guess how I felt? I asked him could I replace her in the classes I had registered her in with another gelding I had brought for my daughter to show. He said that was ok.
He also said in a loud voice; Why in the heck did you not enter her in any of the halter classes? I was dumbfounded for a moment because I had yet to get over the " she's lame part" my horse was not lame! So I said to him after I picked up my jaw "again", I did not put her in any halter classes because I had only just weaned a baby off her and she had a belly that I had not worked off her yet. I didn't think she was in halter shape. He said to me and I quote - "I would have made her grand champion if you would have entered her". I said again I just didn't think she was in shape and he said again " did you see what else was here today?" This was all said in the line up!!! With people on each side of me showing against me. I even had another driver who was further down the line up who could not hear what he said come to me outside the ring and ask me what the judge said to me.
Anyways he placed me second to last in the class. I still had the two days left to show so I did not argue with him over this.
I went outside and found a vet to check her over before I even unhitched her, she watched her drive and could not find any lameness either. Said her gate looked " a little off" but physically she could not find anything wrong. So let me tell you something at this point in my loooong story - I have been to this show three years in a row and every year I have had something like this happen - First year my horse got a stone bruise from the ring in lead line, second year I forfetted my driving classes for a friend who's harness had been stolen at the show and loaned her mind since she was showing for points and needed them and I was not, then this happened! All I have ever wanted was to show one time in driving. It just doesn't seem to be going to happen. I cried all the way back to the barn. (Must be mid life crisis I turned 43 this year hehe)I practice all year and wait for this one show which only comes to my area once a year! I can not seem to even make it in the beginners classes. I have shown all my life with Quarter Horses!
Anyway, get back to the problem, had a ferrier check her out and found out that she was just unbalanced from a bad ferrier job!! She was trimmed on the spot at the show and had my other gelding trimmed also just in case even though they both had been trimmed the week before. Ferrier said at the show that driving horses need less heal and more toe.
Ok, here are my questions for all you great people who I respect soooo much out there on this forum:
1). If my mare was lame on all four feet - why would a judge want her in a halter class lame?
2). Why did the judge not say anything to me before this driving class?
3). Biggest question of all - how do I need to get her feet trimmed???????
- more toe - less heal?
- on a mini hoof gage - what is everyones opinion on where to set them on the hoof gage for driving? I have her set at 50 degrees in front and 52 in the back.
She isn't a mare that really reaches out enough or very high action. Still working on that. Don't think she is the best but just want her to be sound and safe with where we put her. Someone told me to put her at 43 degrees in front and 43.5 in back - this worried me to change her so drastically so I have not done that yet. Don't want her to blow a tendon! Not sure on this stuff had big horses all my life but the minis are a (little different) I guess? At least in driving?
Sorry this is so long but this has really bothered me and I have been trying to get the courage up to come on and ask everyone and I guess I have just built up steam and alot of questions since the show!
Would love any advise from you experienced driving people out there on the driving minis feet ,Please?
I have three minis here that I drive and want to get them right with their feet.
Thanks