I have finally made some time to write my introduction! Hello! My name is Kamila and I am from the Czech republic 🇨🇿. I have gotten into horses in a bit unconventional way. Two years ago my roommate came up with the idea of buying a horse together. At that time we both worked at this industrial area with a huge field that would be perfect for horses. I had no prior experience with horses other than a couple of riding lessons, but she is an experienced equestrian so I trusted her. So we bought a 3yo Silesian warmblood, Čízo, and a 2yo donkey, Mirek, as his companion. I was the “caretaker” and she was the trainer. Unfortuntely after a couple of months she was hospitalized and I’ve been on my own ever since. It wasn’t easy, but now in retrospect the most difficult thing was, and still is, finding the best service providers (is that the right word?) that would fit me and my family the most. In the end, it will always be up to me to provide the best care possible. Otherwise I think we’ve managed well so far 😃 Since then our family was joined by a “professsional horse companion” goat and a hucul mare Syrenka, 11yo, both absolutely lovely and wonderful teachers. I do plan to master riding eventualy, but I put much more value into communication and trust. Therefore although Čízo has been introduced to the saddle and the bit, it’s really been a fraction compared to all the work we’ve done from the ground. Which is appearently scorned upon in my region at least. I am very grateful to be a part of this community and I look forward to meeting you all and making friends and becoming a good horsewoman ☺️

Hi everyone! I’d love to hear your opinions and experiences on my horse’s coat colour, because I’m genuinely unsure and would really appreciate an outside perspective. My horse was born light chestnut, then darkened significantly as he grew (dark chestnut/almost liver chestnut at 4yo), and over the last year he has started to lighten again. What caught my attention is that during this winter he has developed white hairs in his mane, and these hairs are growing white from the root, not just sun-bleached tips. The rest of the mane and tail are still mostly reddish, as is the body coat. I noticed his skin is dark. Genetically: - His sire is grey, but known to be heterozygous (Gg) - His dam is chestnut So statistically he had a 50% chance of being grey and a 50% chance of staying chestnut, which is part of why I’m so unsure. At 5 years old, he still largely looks chestnut, just lighter than before, which makes me wonder: - Could this still be a normal chestnut “colour evolution” with some random white hairs? - Or does this pattern (lightening over time + white hairs appearing from the root, especially in the mane during winter) sound like early or late-onset greying to you? I’m honestly a bit conflicted because visually he doesn’t look like a typical young grey yet... I’m finding it a bit hard to wrap my head around the idea that he might actually be changing color. The picture where he appears darker is exactly from a year ago (4yo) and the second and third one arefrom yesterday. Thanks! 🥰

Have the best holiday Zoe defo want photos of the wildlife there .

Yesterday we had a lesson. But when I arrived I felt so guilty to wake up my sweet boy. He was still sleeping in the sun🫣. After a few minutes he woke up and went to our lesson. A trailerload lesson and to be honest I couldn't be a prouder mom. He got a little bigger when we walked up to the trailer but within a minute he just walked with me into the trailer after a few sniffs. After that we unloaded him again and loaded him up again. Without any problems. I'm so so so proud of him, just standing relaxed.🥰 And after that I got the present from him that he came to me out of free will after I whistled. And if all goes well he will be moving at the end of this month. A month earlier than expected.🤩

Blackie has always been a sweet and tolerant horse — never biting or kicking, even with kids handling him. But since he started being used as a school horse, his behaviour has changed quite suddenly. Within about two weeks, he began reacting to the girth, and now it has escalated to where even bringing a saddle pad near him always triggers biting or kicking. I’ve had him checked — no ulcers,but the physio found quite a few blockages, but those have been worked through, and physically he seems fine now. She did mention that he might associate saddling and riding with past discomfort or negative experiences, and that he could be anticipating pain. Over the past week I’ve stepped back and focused only on groundwork and rebuilding trust. He is honestly amazing in that space — he follows me without a lead, mirrors my movement, halts, backs up, and is completely relaxed being touched all over, even his belly. And lowers his head for the halter. It really feels like our connection is strong again. But the moment I bring in the saddle pad and move toward the saddle area, he becomes tense and reactive again. When I bring the saddle pad near his face he wants to bite it. We then go and do some groundwork and come back. He desensitized up to me bringing the saddle pad near his head, cheeks and ears. As soon as I go near his neck hê bites and goes for the kick. So I really want to ask: Do you think this is stubbornness, or is it genuinely fear/association? And how would you suggest I handle this going forward? Also, the riding school would like to start using him again — what would you recommend I say to them? I’m worried that rushing the process will undo the trust we’re rebuilding. She did use him whilst him biting and kicking and then just nudging him with a stick - I’m not sure that is the right way to go about this? Once the saddle is on - he is perfectly fine to ride and doesn’t buck or anything. My biggest goal is to help him feel safe with the saddle again so that I can ride him, but in a way that is calm, positive, and fair to him.