State Fair (like a month ago) part II

So, I did end up attending the State Fair. The first was to see show jumping and harness competition. The jumping was fantastic, the cart competition... kinda dull.

I then returned with my barn to exercise horses and spend the night. I figured I'd be thrilled to ride the smooth-as-butter mustang, but instead I find I've fallen for the appy pony. Now this would make a killer polo pony, I won't lie, but he's also a fantastic pleasure mount, and has a home for life so he doesn't need to be a polo pony. His name is Awesome and he's the herd boss of the whole 70 horse farm.

After I left our "barn brat" (not really bratty but I guess that's what the barn kids are called, age 17) who had brought her horse goaded a 14 year old (who's learning to trot) to ride her horse, who most able-bodied adults are leery of mounting in the home indoor arena. The horse then tore ass out of the coliseum, dumped the girl, and nearly stampeded into the crowd but the BO showed up and caught him because BB had called her on her cell to brag. The girl riding was the BO's granddaughter.

State Fair

Last weekend was cr-a-z! It took me quite some time to get around to writing. 

Minnesota has the largest State Fair in the nation.  It is a two week+ event and I have stores, but it has been a while and I have a few things I want to talk about:

The first is the belief that horses have "jobs." I see it time and time again where a horse is punished or carelessly sold because the horse was failing at his job.  I'll admit- it's very satisfying to see a horse enjoying his work and performing well. However owners tend to forget that they have jobs, and that's to see that the horse goes somewhere that will work well for them. This also means setting realistic expectations from a horse. Who hasn't seen an ad for a horse saying "he needs a job" which basically just means he's squirrely and they don't know what to do with him. They figure chasing cows or running barrels would probably calm him down when odds are they're just overmounted.  

I also hate seeing "prospect" on an ad. "Dressage prospect" "Barrel prospect" "Cutting prospect". Not wanting to be caught does not a "barrel prospect" make. 

It's like hammering nails: if you use the wrong hammer, or hammer incorrectly, you bend the nail or scuff the surface. It's not the hammer's fault. 

But it's also not like every horse has to be the best. Most horses are pleasure mounts. A decent trail horse is just fine for the job. You don't have to tell me that I'll get my next world champion out of this broodmare because I don't need a world champion, and if that were true she'd at least be broke. 

The other thing I wanted to talk about is equine chiropractors. I'm thinking of getting a session for the Doop. It's 100 bucks. I'm thinking this because of his sway back, ill fitting saddle past, as well as the possible beating, carrying a 300lb rider on bad saddle, and leasers using a saddle that made his shoulder swell up so that the vet needed to be called. Also he was stocked up  a bit last winter. 

Any advice?