The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread

[HairOfTheDog]

Free Republic has a lot of horse people that have found each other on other threads…. And since we all like to talk horses, how about a thread where it is not off-topic, but is THE topic?

A few of us thought it would be interesting and informative to have a chat thread where we can share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. We may not ~always~ have a lot of activity, but when we do, it will be fun. I will put a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts… look for it there and wake the thread up!

I will also develop a ping list for horse threads that are of interest. As FreeRepublic is a political site, our politics and other issues will probably blend in…. There are many issues for horsemen that touch politics… land use, animal rights/abuse cases that make the news…. Legislation that might affect horse owners.

I am hoping this thread will be a fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.

[AnAmericanMother]

New Page! < g >

[AnAmericanMother]

New Page! < g >

[CindyDawg]

Hey! You got it :')

[AnAmericanMother]

Yeah, got a little quick on the trigger finger though.

I've got to go and get all our equipment ready for the trip to the barn. See y'all later!

[ecurbh]

Morning, all! My turn to be online for a bit (Hair and I are sharing an internet connection for a while).

Hope to go for a ride in our woods this afternoon.

[CindyDawg]

Sound like fun. I've been riding everyday but just in a small area. Our arena was still under water yesterday. I think I might be able to get in the round pen today though.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I'm back. Heather and Julie left. We had a good ride, and since all my horses got rode I'm done for the day. Kinda nice.

Tie downs: I've always been curious why there seems to be some prejudice towards tiedowns among the English set. They serve a pupose for some events more then just holding the head down. They are for exactly what you are saying a horse does with one on. Lean into it. Purpose: So that for things like getting their butts under them for turn a barrel or dragging a cow for a team roper, it gives them something to brace against. For trails and just playing I don't use them unless I am riding a horse the throws it's head up and back. I've had my lip busted and glasses broke by a horse that did that. Not going to happen again:) Granted their are some people who just throw one on and don't teach a horse to stay on the bit, but I use one for the purpose they are designed for. Other times I use a running martingale.

The mare I had was bad to get her head up when excited. She'd never been taught proper head control. So on competitions I carried a tie down strap with me so I could use it if she was being loony. I learned that some of the judges were very prejudice about them and would deduct points for "rubs" on the horses nose, when there really wasn't, just the hair roughed up. So I'd just leave it off if the judges were around.

Same thing happened sometimes about me wearing helmets. I don't wear a helmet, on horses, motorcycles, or bicycles. I am an adult. Even tho the rules of competitive trail riding say helmets are optional,just as tiedowns are, but some judges would comment about me not having a helmet on, and having a tie down on, everytime they saw me. Always made me mad.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Tie downs: I've always been curious why there seems to be some prejudice towards tiedowns among the English set. They serve a pupose for some events more then just holding the head down. They are for exactly what you are saying a horse does with one on. Lean into it. Purpose: So that for things like getting their butts under them for turn a barrel or dragging a cow for a team roper, it gives them something to brace against.

I think for just that reason.... Most English riding is all about being soft and supple at the mouth, poll and neck, always giving to pressure and seeking a round-necked frame. There is no English situation I can think of (except maybe polo) where you ever want the horse to lean on it, as there is in those western events you named.

In English riding situations with a horse who will throw his head or carry it too high, English disciplines prefer the passive restraint like draw reins or running martingales as a training device, which are only ever in play to correct an out-of-position head, and not in play when the horse is in proper position (running martingale), or as in draw reins, to use leverage to encourage the softening at the mouth and poll. Some jumpers use tie-downs, but I wouldn't use them there, because I want the horse to have full use of his neck if he were to stumble on landing.

[Superdoot]

That will be pretty.:)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Most English riding is all about being soft and supple at the mouth, poll and neck, always giving to pressure and seeking a round-necked frame. There is no English situation I can think of (except maybe polo) where you ever want the horse to lean on it, as there is in those western events you named.

But if they are leaning on the tiedown, vs. the bit for an aid to get their butts under them that DOES how keep them softer in the mouth. When a horse is draggin a cow or making as tight a turn as you ask them to going around the barrel at the speeds they do, you have to give them an aid for the right postion. It will be a tiedown or their mouth.

I can't think of an English Event (except polo as you say, and I've seen alot of them with tiedown,) that requires a horse to drag a cow or make hairpin turns at full runs:). Barrel Races and team ropers want their horses soft in the mouth and to give to pressure. The tie down is an aid to help do that.

Becky

[AnAmericanMother]

No way does a standing martingale make a horse supple. No way. I have never seen it happen, English or Western. It's a quick fix or a precaution to avoid getting dinged in the nose, but it is absolutely contrary to softening a horse's neck. I suppose you could say that it would keep the MOUTH soft because you're not pulling the horse's head down any more by the bit, but it doesn't solve the problem, it just pulls him down by the nose instead. All it does is limit the horse's range of motion. A static aid won't change a horse's moving response.

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh - and the polo folks' horses are often times loons who need a tie-down because they aren't properly trained and the riders just drag them around by the mouth.

I ride out a local polo player's horses when he comes back up here in the spring, and I am always astonished at how poorly trained the poor animals are. The first time I rode for him I asked if he wanted me to work on lateral aids and leg yieldings or bending exercises, and he said, "Naw, just canter them around the field to the right for twenty minutes." !!!!!!!!!!!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Hey where'd you come from:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I ride out a local polo player's horses when he comes back up here in the spring, and I am always astonished at how poorly trained the poor animals are

Hey, I'm not trying to be offensive, really, I was just trying to explain the proper use/function of a tie down. It has a purpose other then a quick fix. But obviously we disagree, and that's OK by me.

The reason I was trying to explain it tho, was becasue of the attitude towards "Western" riding that shows up in this comment you made.

Does those polo horses DO what the guy wants them to do? Most likely they do, or he wouldn't use them. IF they do what he wants, but just not the way YOU think it should be done, why does that make them poorly trained? Why does that make the a "poor" animal?

Don't get me wrong. There's alot of people out there who don't need to be riding horses no doubt, but that works both ways. IMO, if a horse can be ridden, does what the owner wants it to, and is not dangerous, (bucker, rearer), then it is not a poorly trained horse. It just may not be trained the way I would do it.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

I've got to get a hat and some sun blocker. I look like a tomato

[HairOfTheDog]

I agree tie downs must work for those events (barrels and roping, etc)... the pros use 'em, and if it didn't work, it'd cost 'em money. I wonder if part of why they work for those events is that they tie the head from coming back, so that when they rein in for the ~WOAH~ that you need in those sports, the horse's head really has nowhere to go between the rein and the tie down. So you get that sharp response to not very much rein.

[CindyDawg]

OOPS! Okie might be a little fat. I thought he looked good though. He does have a trough kind of in the middle, but it's not deep. Just a few cm. I can't see his ribs but when I poke him I can find them. He didn't appreciate the proding though. Anyway I spoke with the instructor today. She's going to go ahead and cut his feed down and until the end of the month he is going to come in and eat and then go right back out if ok with the doc. She wants to make sure he's not going to start dropping fast but starting tomorrow he's pastured.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think that is a good plan! Good for him to be out as much as possible.

[CindyDawg]

The trainer wanted to know if something wrong when I told her the vet coming out and I told her I was thinking he might be getting too big now, and that I felt his feet but I was worried about founder. After riding I was concerned that he was sweating too much and frothy and wanted to know about his salt and if I needed to get some ointment for his eyes caz a little matted. (I was on a roll:') She told me that most horse owners aren't happy with just one and that this is my "first child" and that I read too much and need to chill. She said we will live thru this and I will be completely different with my second one . Then she told me she was cutting his feed and protein down though???????

[HairOfTheDog]

that this is my "first child" and that I read too much and need to chill.

I am gonna guess she asked these same questions to her vet 20 years ago, and now knows all those answers and the others that have come up since. But you haven't. You have to go through that process of learning too, in order to be able assess how to fix those things that you can fix, which things to chill about, and which things really need the vet to fix. Your vet can be a great teacher. Over-vetting until you can diagnose this stuff yourself is better than encouraging you to ignore little things until they are worse, IMHO.