Haggerty Equine Experiences

07/06/2025

👏
My rule for short rides and lessons are if you are confident you can swing a leg up and over, then we can work with that!
I have two stocky QH I use for big and tall riders, but I'm still mindful of their abilities and their endurance

Can we just stop with the stupid 20% rule already? If you are riding endurance then I guess it applies, since that number was created by the cavalry.

But here’s the thing, if your horse is 200 pounds overweight, that certainly does not mean that your horse is capable of carrying 40 pounds more rider, then if he wasn’t. Some people say to go by the Horses ideal weight, but do we have to calculate for his extra weight?

OMG, all the people suggesting draft horses or crosses!!!! Just stop!!!! You can occasionally find a draft horse that is well-suited for a large rider, but the average draft horse is built to push! Not carry 🤦‍♀️
They are not known for the best saddle area, can be hard to fit, and some of them are quite short in the thoracic and long in the loin, which is fine when pulling a cart.

If you are a heavier rider, please look for a roping bred, quarter horse! Roping horses are bred to drag a steer off the saddle horn. And many roping horses have much longer careers than you would expect for such a difficult discipline 

When looking at individual horses look for wide, short loins, and something that would fit in a full quarter horse bar saddle.

Oh, saddles …. Oh yes, a big western saddle is heavier than an English saddle, but it also distribute the weight across a much larger surface area. (again, some common sense that the 20% rule does not take into consideration).

If you want to know, if a rider is too heavy, watch the horse’s hips and stifles. Oh, if they are dropping both hips, or if the stifles look wiggly, that’s often a sign that the Rider is too heavy.
If the Rider is posting and the horse looks a little lame and the Rider changes diagonals, and now the horse looks lame on the opposite leg, that could either be that the writer is too heavy, or that they are landing too much on the cantle of the saddle (this happens often when the thigh blocks are too aggressive)

I found this picture in an online article of the team roping Journal. Photo credits are included.

07/02/2025

Riding and working with horses works on SOO many skills! Coaching kids I find a work in quite a bit of math, language, visualization, problem solving, as well as physical skills of strengthening fingers, hands, legs and of course the body in general

TEACHING TIP FOR INSTRUCTORS:
Tacking up is a fantastic time to weave in learning beyond horsemanship skills!

Adjusting the girth is a perfect chance to practice CARDINAL numbers (one, two, three...) and ORDINAL numbers (first, second, third...).

Here are a few ideas of how you could add in extra cardinal and ordinal practice in your lessons:

1️⃣ Using both types when explaining and praising:
• "Put the girth at hole number three.” (Cardinal)
• "Well done getting it set at the third hole.” (Ordinal)

2️⃣ Break it down for students:
• Hole number 1 = first hole
• Hole number 2 = second hole
• Hole number 3 = third hole

3️⃣ “I say / you say” idea:
• Take turns naming the holes in different ways as you both point to the hole on the billets or lattigo!
• Let the student choose which way to say it first, then trade roles.

Instructor: “Hole number two.” (Cardinal)
Student: “Second hole.” (Ordinal)

4️⃣ Count out loud as your student slides the buckle over each hole:
• "One, two, three!" (Cardinal)
• "First, second, third!" (Ordinal)

5️⃣ Emphsize the ordinal numbers during the sequence of tasks:
• "First, we put the pad on. Second, we place the saddle. Third, we attach the girth."

Why make it a point to incorporate both ordinal and cardinal numbers?
🐴 We often assume students (of all ages) automatically know“first, second, third” because they know "one, two three"...but they may not!
🐴 It gives you a chance to check comprehension of both ordinal and cardinal numbers instead of assuming.
🐴 Misunderstandings about ordinal vs. cardinal numbers can be the root of confusion or what looks like “not listening” in lessons...because the student truly didn’t know what you meant, especiallywhen using ordinal numbers.
🐴 Reinforces number recognition and sequence.
🐴 Supports students who learn best through repetition.
🐴 Builds communication skills and memory for steps.

Bonus idea: roll over the ordinal and cardinal work into the mounted time and be intentional about providing opportunities for you and the student to use both types and check understaning.

07/01/2025

Munchie's hooves 😍

These are some of the best pony/mini hooves I've ever seen! It shows he's had a pretty good diet and good hoof care the majority of his life. It's very satisfying to trim such nice little footsies

Now to be critical - if you look closely you can see some grass rings from when everything started growing this spring. Winter growth is smooth, spring growth is a bit bumpy.

I'd love for all my horses to have perfectly smooth and ideal shape hooves, but reality isn't perfect. There is grass in my pasture that has growth spurts with each rainfall, so hooves will show signs of those diets fluctuations. These are minor so I'm not worried, but if they were deeper rougher ridges it could be a sign of issues

07/01/2025

A couple of the saddles are mine on commission, check them all out!
One of the few tack shops around, and they have A LOT of great stuff!!!

06/30/2025

👏👏 well done! I'm especially impressed by his handling of the neck rope, not once did I see it get tight enough to start indenting the horse's throat. It was loose almost the whole time, only snug when the rider picked up on it, but it immediately went loose again every time

06/29/2025

Young horses are going through a lot of changes that we need to keep in mind especially if we are starting and riding them!

Wolf teeth
Shedding caps
Fillies maturing into mares and having cycles, especially first few cycles
Colts maturing into stallions
Joints developing
Growth spurts

06/29/2025

When you buy a nice english bridle that's supposed to be cob size (small horse/large pony) yet it comes with RIDICULOUSLY long reins (9ft I think? I only needed 6ft length), so I use them as driving reins for my mini pony instead 😂

I actually haven't ground driven Munchie very much and he's usually in a halter or bitless bridle for the majority of his riding. So this is good for both him and me to brush up on these skills

06/28/2025

Spacial awareness and feel are the main things I strive to teach others!
We learn through experience, and lessons are a great way to gain experience in a guided and safe situation 😊

06/28/2025

I try to be careful about using the word "consent" with animals, but I absolutely agree they should be in a mental space that's open to cooperation with us

06/28/2025