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Thread III: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1311311/posts |
Posted on 04/26/2004 12:06:41 PM PDT by 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.
It wasn't bad this time, they gave me gas.:)
I laughed when I read your post. I know what you meant but I had a picture of someone going around farting all over the place:')
Well, I had to hide my nails the whole time. I should have had them done two weeks ago but I didn't and they were getting too long and bothering me so I peeled them off this weekend. Looks bad.
Wll, I'm falling a sleep in my chair so I'm going to bed. Talk to you tomorrow, nite.:)
Sorry, I went to bed last night at 9:30. I didn't sleep good the night before worrying about Susie, so I was tired all day yesterday.
Heather coming today to ride. We'll see how Rock does without shoes.
Becky
I'm ordering my spurs today:') I'm going with the prince of wales first. As you say, I can always progress. Will yall tell me what the funtion of the snaffle is besides anchoring to the bit and cheek piece? I'm using a training one right now. I've been reading and there are so many kinds and all I can find is that they act on the corners of the mouth and sometimes the tongue. Do different kinds do different things are is it just a preference?
I've been trying all week to get a picture of this little guy, this is the best I've gotten so far, hoping for one better before summer is over. He doesn't seem to afraid of coming in when I'm sitting out there drinking my coffee every morining.
Becky
Different kinds act in different ways. The straight-bar snaffle (usually rubber for a very young horse, sometimes called a "breaking bit") is the mildest - it simply acts straight back on the bars of the mouth.
Once you get into a jointed snaffle, it has a "pinching" effect on the sides of the mouth and jaw because it bends at the center joint - also a mild effect on the tongue at the joint. It's still a very mild bit.
The twisted wire snaffle because of its rough surface increases the effect on the bars, mouth, and tongue. The smaller in diameter the more severe the bit because more force is brought to bear on a smaller area (that's true of all bits actually).
I use a copper-mouthed French snaffle. Instead of a plain joint, it has a short center bar and two joints on either side. That spreads the action on the tongue out slightly - but the most important effect is that it encourages the horse to play with the bit, mouthing it and moving it back and forth on the tongue. The copper also encourages salivation - which is good because it makes the horse's mouth softer and more responsive.
The idea is to soften the horse's mouth so that you don't NEED a powerful bit - the horse should yield to the bit and only need a soft hand to tell him what he needs to do. Ideally, the horse arches his neck, picks the bit up and holds it lightly on his tongue, and feels your hands through the reins without leaning or pulling. Takes a long time and a lot of half-halts to get to that point, though! Took about a year of steady work with my mare before she figured out the process. There are tons and tons of variations on these themes - the only other thing I can think of is the D snaffles and snaffles with cheek pieces - which simply keep the rings from sliding into the mouth from one side or the other. But if you need a D or cheek piece the bit probably doesn't fit right.
A hummingbird! I was looking all over the ground for spiders:')
Is that a hummingbird in flight? - OK! Wow, that is a hard picture to capture! Nice job!
I really think I will be able to (eventually) get a better one. When they come to the feeder they are closer to me then this picture. I've just never had the camera ready and turned on when he was at the feeder. Still trying.
It's in the upper 80's here today. Which is great IMO, except that the humidity is very high. Tomorrow we're to get in the 90's. I'm good till about 95. But this humidity is making things uncomfortable right now.
The horses are rode today. Not riding them for long long periods or hard right now till I see how they are going to do barefoot. So far it seems the gravel spots are the hard part. Luckily there's not to much of that.
Becky
I've been looking for some pics I took of a hummingbird that flew into the house this spring... but they didn't turn out well at all and I think I deleted them.
I was able to catch him in my hands when he was flying against the window and took him outside.
How do the horses act in the gravel? Obviously soft footed? - I notice that Bay is soft footed in the gravel driveway when the farrier is here and he is barefoot waiting for new shoes... but the pony, who is barefoot all the time, certainly isn't... she trots on it without a flinch.
They're just real gimpy on gravel. I'm hoping that with time, they will at least be able to walk without so much gimpiness.
All three of the horses each have been missing one shoe for the last few weeks. That hoof on each of them broke/wore off to where it needed to be then stopped breaking and looks good now. Hard to tell if they were gimpy on that foot today, but I think it is harder then the rest. I"ve been putting turpentine and iodine on their soles everytime I ride, seems to be helping.
Becky
I think it is probably like me when I was a kid.... when school was out for summer and we took our shoes off, rarely to put them on again all summer, at home anyway. They'd start out real tender, but we were running on gravel and pavement before too long. Hardened right up.
It will be interesting to see if yours can remain barefoot as hard as you work them. How will you trim and file them to keep them even? - Is that also something you will do yourself or have someone else do?
I really think for the most part they will stay fine with very very little trimming or rasping.
The guy that pulled them said he would be worried that I will keep them wore off faster then they grow. So I don't think them getting to long is going to be the problem.
Becky
You don't think it will be a problem to keep them ~even~? In movement and hard work, I think of trying to run with one shoe heavier or different than the other, that you'll get soreness or uneven movement if they aren't symmetrical.
But I guess you have been doing fine continuing to ride with only one shoe on, and I would have warned about that, so maybe they adjust and I worry too much.
Ping me. How do you post a pic?
BriarBey Black Arabians
Those are all questions I can't answer now. Personally I think they will wear evenly naturally. I'm just asking, why do you think they wouldn't??
Becky
Guessing your stock is is of the family of great horses from "Bey" lines. My "Bay" who is pictured in my profile page and in our thread logo, is a Bey Shaw descendent.
Do you have pictures uploaded? they have to be on the internet, on a webpage or in an online photo album. If you right click the picture and view it's properties, you can see the web URL for the picture, and copy it.
Then the html for the pic is:
<IMG SRC="http://url of the picture">
Might as well get this rolling on something political AND horses. How many of you guys are fighting the new law they are trying to put in about micro-chipping all your animals. Anyone got details?
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