PrestigeMiniHorses said:
I love learning new things. Thanks Leia!! I will get a pad, push the saddle back some more and I will tighten the bridle too. And as for her belly..She's actually quite fat..Weighing in at about 280 lbs and she's only 30.5 inches. She's a big girl that's for sure. I plan to get a new cart here soon. Crossing my fingers for the stimulus check to come in soon, so I can get one. I have a breeching too but I sadly have never used one before. So I don't know how they are connected to the cart. Maybe with some pics I can sorta figure it out. I would love to find a trainer to work with down here but I refuse to use the one at the show.
Question though- What size shafts do I need to have because those 48" shafts. Seems like they actually do fit her very well from the position of being in the cart..
In this particular vehicle you could probably move her back the entire length of her own hip before running into a problem!
On a show cart or easy entry 48" shafts would fit quite differently because the basket would be deeper and lower, closer to the heels, and you wouldn't want her any further back because you'd be risking an accident. It's good to have the animal hitched close to the cart because the closer the horse is the tighter the turn radius and the less they have to work to stop or back the cart. It also would have the benefit of allowing you to raise the shafts in the tugs so the cart would be more balanced (that's assuming you had cut off the ends of the shafts to make it shorter.) You've hitched her just right for a set of existing shafts by putting her out front with the shaft tips at the point of her shoulder but ideally you'd be able to shorten them so you could hitch her closer to the cart. (Sorry if any of that was confusing or had typos, I'm really tired tonight.)
Have you looked at the Regency Minis site (
http://www.regencymini.com/booklet/puttingto2.shtml) and their guide to harnessing? It's quite helpful and the page I linked you to shows how to attach breeching. I wish this had come up while you were still in Washington, I'd have been happy to help you get everything adjusted in person!
OH!
Millie is a lovely girl and it's clear that you love her and are taking good care of her but I'm worried that you may be mistaking weight and a big belly for fat. On a body score index she isn't anywhere near fat, not with that hollow neck and tailhead area, prominent withers and scapula, jutting hip bones and distended belly. This may be a case where you actually need to feed her MORE (a lot more!) to make the belly go away. Blackjack is the same way; I was a bit shocked when you said he was chubby as I'd been thinking his neck showed signs of malnutrition. These minis can be really deceiving that way! Ask Jill, she's been making some great posts about that lately. Weight, especially weight determined by using one of those weight tapes for big horses, isn't a good indicator at all of what condition a mini is in. For instance 98lbs is a healthy weight for me for but it sure wouldn't be for most people and if I shot for the 120lbs that might be more normal for a petite Caucasian female I'd be quite overweight and out of shape. Know the horse's weight so you know if they're gaining or losing but don't let the numbers themselves fool you into thinking the horse is too fat unless their body says they are. Hers is telling us the opposite...and I don't remember your horses ever looking like this before.
I know you're a good horsie mama!
Leia