Congratulation on rescuing him and thank you!!! :) His feet are going to be a never ending challenge, but once you got them under control, everything get easier, but you always have to put special emphasis on hoof care, and laaaaaarge quantities of biotine, I give mine Biotine Plus -it is not the cheapest one in the market, but it has a very high concentration comparing to many of the other ones. also for the soaking cotton if you can get Choloidal Silver, works wonders!!! they are wonderful creatures and friends, we ae sure you will be totally inlove with your GG in no time :)
and welcome to the group!!

Hi Molly!!! Welcome to this 'teddy bear' loving group ;) yes you are VERY tall, It will suit you perfectly!!. I am so sorry for the loss of your friend, its never easy :(
We hope to see you around here soon enjoying like us a gentle giant :)
Best regards ALI :)

What a wonderful warmblood!! I rode one like that many years ago and was soo inlove with it, but could not aford it at that time. But now I have Sebastian and would not change him for anything else, so it worked out ; ), Enjoy your horse! let us know how you guys are doing :)

hi ali p and hi ali h so i was wondering can a horse get up to 20.3 hands? rachel told me she rode a horse at a jumper barn and they had a big work horse so i just wondering

well i guess so..but their is a higfhest horse that u can search on google..i think the highest horse ever recorded is 20 hh not sure though

cool okay thank you

Hy Carol Ann!! Well we seem to have many things in common ; ) I also have the 3 sizes ; ) the belgian, the welsh pony (but mine is a happy gelding) and a TB stallion, but the stallion is the most well behaved dream horse you have ever met. My Belgian loves goin out on the trail the most, but he also loves pulling things (like logs or heavy stuff-for my husband to show off) he has never 'worked'pulling anything, just for fun one day we neded a fallen tree moved, in the moment he felt the 'resistance' and "I" told him it was ok to 'step up', MAN!!! you should see his eyes!! when his body tensed and his muscles started working!! heeee waass in heaven : ). I had!! to let him do it several times , as I combined it with a 'race like signal' of -ready,set,GO!!-keeping my arm extended-like blocking-and then lifting it at the 'go' signal.We also do "Backyard Dressage" and I do natural horsmanship with all my horses. welcome to the group! : )

Hi!! In the winter, I hook a water skiing rope and a sled to the D rings of my Fjords saddle and we go "Fjord Sledding." We go through the trails to a trot or canter in the snow. I sit on his back steering and someone is on the sled, it feels a bit like tubing on water. We can't do this with any other horse because they aren't strong enough to carry a person (or two) on their back and pull someone behind them. He is a trooper!! Plus he loooves the snow!

saw the videos in your profile!!! way too much fun!!!

Hi! YES! I actually ride my 17.2 Belgian X Irish in his rope halter. I do ground work first, then just tie up the lead to the fiador for reins. I do everything with him that way. We only trail ride, so he has see it all. We cross a rode with construction trucks, etc...He is awesome. This did NOT happen over night. When he was 6 I had to restart him because he was so spooky and I couldn't even get him tacked up! After 2 years, yes years, of only doing ground work and desensitizing I started riding him again, in a small paddock with the halter. (I know some people have issues with desensitizing, but he is a VERY sensitive horse and spooked at everything.) So, we progressed from the paddock and now here we are 4 years later. He is NOT the typical calm, slow, quiet draft. He acts more thoroughbred like. Anyway, just ask if you have questions, it is what I am most passionate about!

Loretta

Hi Regan and welcome!, well biting is not good for sure!! AAUUUCHI : ( .....wow if she is that big she may make it to the guinnes records! something that works REALLY good to discourage ANY tipe of horse that likes to bite is 'McNasty' by Equiss, spray some in your clothing (be careful of not breathing it!!) and let the horse bite at it!! or a glove, do it with different people at different times .it worked great with a nasty pony that I know (not mine, mine is an angel ; ) ) and witha an apendix of a friend that she bought out of the track and came with a few problems, in both horses did work like a charm!!..take care and thanks for visiting our group : )

hi ali hegler im new to the site and group iv riddne a couple draft horses. i love them my fav is a fresain. and i like percherons i would love to ride one =)

edit, I owned the Friesian cross, not leased.

Wow Perseus! it seems that you really had fun 'feeling' what is to ride a 'muscle horse' with all your experience as a rider. They are simply delightful! aren't they? I hope that very soon you can get back in the saddle : )
that ride across the UK must have been an awesome experience! TELL US more about your epic rides!! : )
welcome to the group : )

We rode from Scotland to Spain and back, ferries and all, it was a life changing experience for sure. We felt like old style highwaymen, well, without the robbing, looting, and pillaging. ;-)

Muscle horse, I love that, and so true, there is no going back if you've ridden a good one, I love the cadenced power, just the feel of all that horse underneath, and most of all their personalities.

Rachael,
I ride Nick in a bosal sometimes. I think it is kinder than a cold bit in the winter ( he regularly wears a jointed snaffle). He's quite accepting of it, mind you I don't use it when he's really fresh but that doesn't happen often, he's a pretty even guy. I had a really hard time finding one big enough though. I tried it on Cody (the morgan) and he just laughed at me, no control there at all !

depending where Im riding I can just clip reins to the sides of Sebastians halter. (thats the way I ride my other horses everywhere)but Sebastian if we are in traffic or an unknown area I rather have the tools ; ). I do know 3 drafts that are ridden in a Bosal all the time (they are all old I have to say) thats a desition you will have to take based on your hose horsenality, disposition and amount on work you have put on her. good luck and let us know!!!!!I 'll ask my friends in Norway for they opinion ; )

Yeah I was thinking of using a side pull type on her. She has had a loose ring snaffle in her mouth, and she takes it amazingly. She is well behaved and has ground work down, but I will not know how she will do with riding. Since she isn't even 2 yet, I'm not going to ride her for a while, but it is nice to know drafts can be ridden in bitless bridles. Occasionally I ride my gelding around if he is behaving with just his ropehalter and he responds well.

She is VERY young, then you may like to use a waterford bit (great for gentle drafts or a FRENCH snaffle (2 joints) I personally consider a regular single jointed Snaffle too severe.
I talked to my friend Kjersti from Norway She has worked all her life with Fjords, and said that she has never met one biteless one or no one that has tried, but she will suggest if you do to combine your bitlesss briddle with a martingale to avoid the head tossing that they are so promp to do. and that that may work good for you. best of luck!