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I started Luvox about a week and a half ago for my social anxiety, and I've felt pretty much no side effects. Ive been kind of tired and going to bed earlier (which isn't a bad thing) and felt a little dizzy a few times but other then that I've felt nothing different. I have 50 mg pills and take half every day (25mg/day) which is a low dose, so Im not really surprised that I have very little side effects, but will the medication still work? I'm on this amount for one month the I have another appointment and then I'll go from there. I will only be on it for 5 months.

Because the dose is so low I'm feeling almost no side effects, will it be too low to actually effect my anxiety? It will still be another week or so before it would do anything about my anxiety anyway, but I'm just worried that the medication isn't effecting me enough to change anything. Any advice?

So after a long time of trying to deal with my social anxiety, I've finally decided to go on medication. The psychologist I saw gave me a prescription after i talked to her about what I was experiencing and what I've been through.

So I only started last night, but I've been stressing about it all today. I was even more nervous and unconfident today then I usually am. I felt dizzy today at school (I'm 15, in grade 10) and super anxious although i was able to avoid panic. I can't tell if what I'm feeling is because of the meds, or just because I'm working myself up about it. Ive read all about the side effects (I'm on Luvox) but I really don't know what to expect right away. I've read that it can make anxiety worse, but I'm on it to make my anxiety BETTER. I talked to my counselor all about it but now that's it's happening I'm stressing about it.

My problem is I don't know what to expect so it's like I'm constantly waiting for something to happen, which is a major trigger for me. Any advice?

(I posted this question earlier but I felt like I over-explained and complicated it alot more then I had to)

Basically, I want some advice on starting my horse in a curb. I have ridden in curb bits before (with an instructor) but have never introduced a horse to one before. My horse goes really well in a snaffle through all movements, lateral movements included, and has accepted any bit I have put in his mouth without resistance, they have all been snaffles, but he doesn't seem too picky. So I want to be able to ride him in a curb 1, so I can place in local shows, (horses over 6 in any western classes without a curb cant place) and 2, for experience (on his part) and a little bit of tuning up. I ride with light hands and understand how this bit works and how to use it safely, and efficiently.

So I have my instructor around the barn so I can ask her for advice, but basically my plan is to just put it in his mouth the first few time and let him get used to how it feels for a few minutes at a time before riding him with it, just to see how he reacts (he's a pretty chill horse so I can't see him minding it anyway). And pretty much just go slowly from there. But, like I said, I have never done this before so any advice would be appreciated! Thank-you

Basically, I'm 15 and I've been experiencing social anxiety for about a year. I had a really hard time with it last year, became depressed and was taken out of school, but I'm back this year, and so far counseling hasn't been enough to get my confidence up. The other day I had the worst panic attack I've ever had, they almost called an ambulance. I was shaking and crying and hyperventilating and I couldn't walk straight and I didn't know who I was or what i was saying and I felt like I was going to collaps and it was terrifying. Ive always been iffy about medication, mostly just because of the way I grew up, but it made me realize that even though I'm in counseling, it really hasn't been enough to control the panic. Alot of it has helped me deal with small worries, but there hasn't been one time where I've been able to stop myself from having a panic attack.

The thing is, I am in school, my grades are up, I am not hiding in a dark closet all day, I have friends and I'm not depressed, why would they give me medication? I know I've been having panic attacks and it hasn't gotten worse, but it hasn't gotten better either.

I'm sorry if I don't make that much sense, but I'm seeing a psychologist about it next month and I just really want to hear people's opinions.. Thanks

since I got my horse 5 months ago, neither my parents or me have had the money to pay for board and continue lessons so I've been doing most of my horses training on my own. he's still pretty green, so I'm not thinking of jumping until mid-winter/spring, and by then I should have a job to pay for lessons (I'm 15 and pretty caught up in school right now) and I feel more comfortable teaching him jumping with an instructor anyway. right now were working on canter transitions and impulsion at the trot.

what would you say a horse should understand and be able/willing to preform before starting them over fences? :) I have my own ideas, but I'm curious to others opinions too, thanks!

I heard once very vaugly that the seat size is relatable to the length from the riders hip-knee. I ride in a 17" English saddle and it is too big for me. It doesn't feel that big, but there is too much room in between my knee, and the edge of the saddle, and the saddle flap goes down too far on my calf, so this makes sense to me. I am not overweight, and am "evenly proportioned" I guess you could say lol..

I haven't heard much about it. I only have that saddle because my horse is difficult to fit, and I obviously care more about the saddle fitting him them me.

Another question I have related to saddle fitting, is about the wintec gullet changing system. Has anyone had experiences with it? Like I said, my horse is hard to fit so this is appealing to me as I'm saving for a new saddle that fits both of us properly.

Thanks in advance

I just bought a saddle that is a little bit wide for my horse. He is extremely difficult to fit, and this one was probably the closest I'm gonna get locally. I had my instructor look at it and she basically just confirmed my thoughts. It is short enough, but the gullet it a little too big so the pommel sits a bit low (not enough to rub) and it is a bit tight in his shoulder (because its a bit wide). She did however, say that I could get away with it, and this coming from the person who won't touch a saddle unless it fits absolutely perfect, is saying something. My horse seems to like it, and he has even sweat marks. I've ridden him in it 3 times.

Anyway, I understand there no way to make a saddle fit correctly by using a certain pad (it just changes the pressure points), but I was wondering if anyone could reccommed a pad accommodating to a gullet that is a little bit wide. My trainer would never of allowed me to get this saddle if she thought it would cause problems, but I want to do everything I can to avoid any discomfort. I don't really have a budget, but I don't have a whole whack of extra money either.

Thankyou!

I've been looking FOREVER for a western saddle that fits my horse. I finally found one that was short enough (23" skirt) but I'm not too sure about the gullet/tree size. Firstly I'm not too sure even now to measure the gullet/tree, (although I was told the gullet was 7 1/2") and second, I don't know the exact way to properly fit it. He is a stock-type horse and he has rather flat withers and a wide shoulders and back. I can fit two fingers under the whole edge of the saddle with a little room to spare. Now I would think it might be a bit tight, but I'm bad with that and always seem to think that saddles that actually fit are too tight. There is room over his withers and the saddle is about 3-4 inches away from his hip. I rode him in it, and he was surprisingly good considering he seems to act up whenever I try a new saddle on him, properly fitting or not. He definitely seemed to like it. When I was riding him he was relaxed and when I let him, he trotted long and low, really stretching his back. Before I started cooling off, I took off the saddle and saddle pad and he was sweating everywhere the saddle went, there were no dry spots (except along his spine). I took this as a gOod sign as he tends to be lazy and doesn't sweat alot.

I am keeping the saddle at the barn until my trainer comes back on Tuesday and can check it for me to make sure. I will not get a saddle without being 100% confidant it's ok.

Does anyone have any basic saddle fitting "rules" that would be good to know? Thanks!

So around last year I was diagnosed with anxiety. It's pretty much only effected me when I was in school so I did my work at home the last 7 months of grade 9. I went back for grade 10 today, and although it was better then I thought, I still had a really bad experience in my science class.

I want really thinking anything negative ("they're talking about me", "I'm gonna have a heart attack", "I'm embarrassing myself" ect...), I just got super anxious and ran out of class. I've had similar experiences last year, but this felt worse because instead of totally running outside, I forced myself to stay in the school. I felt really shaky and dizzy, my heart was beating really fast, my face felt really hot and I was breathing really fast and shallow and crying. The whole time I managed to keep my mind fairly focused, trying to calm myself down. I didnt worry about my health or embarrassing myself (I was alone in the bathroom). There was one point when my vision started going dark so I splashed water on my face and sat down. After about 10-15 minutes I managed to calm down enough to go outside then to the counselor (she knows about my anxiety).

Basically, I've never really known the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack, and I'm wondering what I would use to describe what happened. I've talked to the counselor About what i will do for that class and it's all sorted out but I'm scared of it happening again. I was pretty confidant walking into the class room and I had gotten through my first period class with minimal anxiety so it kind of came out of nowhere.

Any help is appreciated!!!

Ok, so attempting to make a long stoy short, my newly discovered anxiety/panic disorder got really bad a few months after I started high school last year for grade 9. (Were thinking it was hormonal as I really can't pinpoint why I started feeling anxious) The anxiety was new to me, and so I was really overwhelmed and started skipping all my classes every day. They ended up taking me out and I did most of my work at home but by the end I had lost all motivation. So because it didn't work out at home, I've decided to go back for grade 10 and see what I can do. We haven't been able to make contact to the school before last week, so it was kind of last minute, but I had gone to see a few counselors (a couple which I couldn't stand). I wasn't able to see a counselor regularly until after school had started so we finally resorted to our last choice and went to see if I could get medication. Turns out because I'm 14/15 my doctor won't put me on medication so we do have an appointment with a child psychologist to talk more about medication and therapy but since school starts tomorrow Im on my own for now.

I had had a long time to think about it, and I can clearly visualize myself walking to class with no issues but had to go to the school today to get some things figured out and it wasn't exactly according to plans. It sucks because I did feel really confidant going in, calm, confidant, no anxious thoughts whatsoever, but my automatic response from last year was to panic and it is really hard to stop, it was overwhelming and i Ended up crying. Im not self consious and I dont mind crying infron of other people, but it kind of knocked my confidence for actually starting tomorrow.

I just need some advice on how to stop myself not nessisarily from crying, but from getting so overwhelmed that I feel the need to. I know basic breathing and visualization exercises, and I do still feel really determined to get to class tomorrow, but I really don't know how it's all gonna work out and I'm scared I'm going to start skipping and become depressed and attempt suicide and all that again like last year. My friends are really supportive which is great but I'm just really confused atm..

Any help is appreciated !!!

I'm a bit confused with the definition of a warmblood. I've been told it's a cross between a cold blood and hot blooded horse. say a Belgian and a thoroughbred. But then there's breeds like a Hanoverian warmblood or Dutch warmblood. Are those purebred horses or just registrations?

I was thinking about this the other day and I'm a bit confused.

So when I think of a green horse, I think of a horse that is still learning to accept a rider, is not fully trained, and does not have much experience or miles on him.

When I got my horse this spring, he was advertised as green broke. He did not move off the leg, And barely knew how to canter (riding-wise). He tests his rider more then any horse I know, and can be super stubborn. If you rode him and didnt know any better, you would of thought he'd been under saddle for a few months..

The thing is, he had been trail ridden for the past 2+ years. He had lots of miles/experience on him w/t wise. There's no doubt he was green, but he mentally excepted a rider, and was used to having someone on his back. Most of his bad habits were clearly from improper training.

I'm probably just making this way more confusing then it has to be lol..

But what is your definition of a green horse?

I have been using a full cheek snaffle on my green gelding to help get him used to the bit and turning. It was one of the only bits available when I bought it (I had it in mind anyway) and my horse seems to like it. I finally found bit keepers the other day, so I put them on (correctly!). They looked a little small at first but I ignored it since I was used the bit being low for the past few months.

Anyway when I bridled my horse he HATED it .. Even after loosening the cheek strap on the bridle he was tossing his head and trying to get it off. I don't think he was in pain, it seemed more of a personal preference thing.. just like some people don't like jeans. So after a few minutes I took them off and just rode normally without them.

I don't have a picture, but the cheek piece of the bit (I'm sorry I don't know exactly what it's called) is almost pointing up towards his eye as opposed to being strait up and down. I don't know if this is normal or not, or if it's even possible for the keepers to be too small, but my horse didn't like them at all. I'll ask my trainer tomorrow, she just wasn't around that day. Any advice!?

Ive been lucky enough to have family connections with a woman who owns an amazing barn! She only started 4 years ago but your lucky to have a spot now.. That said, I don't have much drama at that barn which I'm very grateful for. There are the ocational 13 year old lessons students who think they can tell me what to do with my horse, but it's not that hard to ignore and I don't let it get to me.

There was one barn I tried out because it was closer, but it was aweful. The owner was an overweight woman who probably couldn't mount a horse to save her life! She made us feed chickens, collect eggs, and brush for a solid 30-45 minutes before riding bareback! She kept her 30 something horses (all rescues) in one pasture that was legally big enough for 3 or 4.. We weren't allowed to wear makeup, have nail polish or bracelets on, and we were never allowed to kick our horses, no matter how stubborn they were being. She put my sisters friend who was 9 andhad never ridden before, on a very green half linger pony bareback who bucked her off countless times, bolted and reared. To make it worse, she was very manipulating, saying the girl and the pony had an amazing bond. The girls mother, who knew nothing about horses didn't know that this was very unprofessional, stayed there for over a year before switching. I went there maybe 4 times, hated it, and went back to my old barn. The owner was unfriendly to us and was bad talking the barn I had come from. I felt bad for her she was just so miserable.. I can't believe she still has a business..

Any good barn drama stories? :)

For mine I stick a medium weight turnout on him. He grows a thick winter coat and is super tough but I feel better leaving him with a blanket as theres no shelter in his pasture where I board. On really cold windy nights the barn owner will put him in a standing stall at least a pasture with shelter.

For the past 4 months or so, I've been sticking to w/t with my green horse. Now that I've moved on to cantering I feel like I've lost my position! I was riding my friends horse the other day and I just could not keep my balance cantering. The worst problem is that my feet always fall out of the stirrups. I'm not pinching with my knees too bad, but I can't seem to keep my weight in my heels. I think part of the problem is that I've cantered bareback so much I've gotten used to holding with my legs instead of sinking my weight to my heels. It's only when I try to keep my butt in the saddle, I can canter in half/seat no problem

Can anyone give me advice to help balance myself, and keep my feet in the stirrups (aside from taking lessons on a trained school pony which I will be doing soon)? This is especially important as my horse is green and for his sake I can't loose my balance and confuse him. Thanks!

This spring I got a 7 year old green broke gelding and am bringing him back into work after a winter off. When I first started riding him he was VERY heavy on the forehand but recently I've noticed he seems to be working from behind a bit more and picking up his feet with more impulsion (he's laaazyyy). It's easier for him to shift his weight on to his HQ to back up, and I don't feel like I'm tipping forward. Im starting to see improvement with his body condition after 4 months and understandably, the better shape he's in the more willing he is to preform.

I want to do as much as I can go encourage him to round his back and prepare muscle for collection. Basically because I've been noticing him starting to stretch and lift his back more, I want to start letting him know it's a good thing and really encourage him to relax, streeaachh and round his back. Any tips are appreciated!

He's not naturally tight or tense, and he's very green, just starting to get more into cantering (he barely knew what I was asking when I first got him) but he's just like a little boy, everything has to be fun or we won't get very far. He has a short attention span and gets bored easy but really appreciates reward and gets proud when he knows he's done a good job.

I've recently noticed how much me and my horse are alike. We don't really look alike, but we have a very similar way of thinking. I loved him from the moment I saw him and I think part of the reason I was drawn to him was because we understood each other. Now don't get me wrong it's no special bond or anything, he's the most difficult horse I've delt with, but at least I understand his point of view more then a lot of people probably would. He is literally the horse version of me in almost every way.

So.... What do you think? Do you and your horse mirror each other? Did you know they were "the one" before you got them? I'd love to hear your stories about horse/rider similarities & bonds. (:

I have a horse who is very lazy.. A dressage whip does the trick 99% of the time, but I want to be able to ride him without one. I don't use spurs at the moment but have them. In the indoor arena by himself he's usually pretty good, but if I ride outside, or with other horses he becomes a rock, every stride becomes an effort. A good whack by a dressage whip usually brings him back, but like I said, I want to be able to ride him without it. I've been using the "ask, tell, demand" method with him but I'm still scared he will become dead to my leg.

So does anyone have any tricks they use for a lazy horse with no impulsion? I want to use grain as a last resort, thanks!

I'm going to try not to write too much so just ask if you have I didn't explain something..

First, my horse doesn't like to back up. I've don't tons of respect work with him and he doesn't seem like he's giving me attitude, but when I ask him to back up, it's never in a strait line, he's always swinging his hindquarters this way and that. I've honestly tried everything I can think of. In the saddle, he just leans on the bit and turns in a really weird backwords circle, no matter how much leg I use. If you've ever experienced this, what did you do about it? Any ideas?

Also, he tends to fall on the forehand and doesn't have a lot of muscle in his hindquarters.

Second, my horse is green but has been cantered before, and knows how. He will canter no hesitation if we are following someone but rarely ever if I just ask him on my own. He will do a really half-@ssed lope thing for a couple strides then stop. I've done exercises with him to loosen up his shoulder and that helped for awhile but not anymore. The feeling I get from him is a typical green horse problem. He doesn't see the reson to canter if I'm just asking him. He's the kind of horse where you really can't force him to do anything. The more you push the more he resists. He's stubbourn like me that way lol. He is a bit unbalanced, as most green horses are , and has a bit of a rushy jumpy canter but that's expected and I can be fixed later. So I'm more asking what I can do to kind of alter his mind into wanting to canter for me besides just lots of phrase. It's basically just a green horse question because I've realized that you can't just train a horse on the outside, you really have to train their mind.

I am getting a trainer asap but looking for others advice/opinions too, thanks!