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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.
Yeah, no disasters. But like I said the "barrel" horse wasn't here. The girl hasn't showed up to ride him, and they don't.
They're trying to learn these events, barrels, flags, poles, so they can go compete in the local Round Up Club playdays.
Becky
:)
Becky
I had to lead them out, well Dot and Big, Belle wouldn't let me catch her. She followed Dot out.
Crazy horses, crazy husband. :o)
Like mynew smiley face? :o)
I can't believe how bad Belle has gotten. She was never a problem before to catch.
I wish I could sell her. I just don't have it in me to even get Rocky down there or her up here to breed her. Know anyone looking for a good brood mare?
Becky
It's times like these that I wish I had another arm. :o)
Yeah:)
One time I was bored and sat and made up a bunch of different ones using letters on differnt lines. It's amazing what you can come up with:
<
Well you better go to bed. Big day tomorrow, work and riding:) I'm looking forward to it. So I'm going to bed too. Lock your doors.
Becky
They're locked. See you tomorrow nite. :o)
Becky,
You keep an awfully nice yard and garden. But I gotta ask, where are your tulips? ;^)
*ducks out of thread!*
LOL...I gotta tell you, and this is true, I had ONE tulip bulb grow this spring, but the petals NEVER opened, they actually never even appeared:). Suppose that is a message from God??
Becky
My horses except for occasionally, never run "together" in the pasture, Rocky never:( (becasue of being a stud), but are kept in runs that are side by side. It gives them the illusion that they have a herd, but in seperate runs they learn that one or the other of them can wonder away and the other can't go with them, but then comes back. Only when I have a new horses around do I get the neighing and running around when someone leaves. Mine also leave very frequently, since I ride so much. I've never had a problem with that. When I have a new one and am leaving, I either put it in the arena where they can't break thru a fence or in a stall. I prefer the arena.
When I ride say like with Heather and two of my horses go out together we work on keeping them from being herd bound even on the trail. One or the other of us will let the other take off, while the other hangs back. Or we will make a trail loop going in oppisite directions. We leave each other then meet back up at the other end of the loop. This gets the horses use to such stuff.
In competitve trail riding that, IMO, is the hardest part of the competition. Even if you plan on riding with someone the whole ride, if that person gets pulled for some reason and you want to go on, it can stress the horses. That happened to me and my DIL one ride. We went together and rode the first day together. Her horses lost a shoe the last few miles the first day. Where we were at was very rock and the horse got sore. She started the second day, (had the shoe put back on) but got held at the first PR stop. I think the horses was still a little sore so his PR was high). She got held for additional 10 minutes, but I had to go on or loose points for being late. When I left her, her horses PR really shot up then because he didn't like it that his "herd" was going down the trail:). She landed up getting pulled. They trailered her back to camp.
But it's amazing how quick they can bond with a strange horse. Sometimes on rides a rider will come up and ride with you for a while then move on. That can upset one. But it's funny it doesn't seem to bother any of them when they are the ones that do the "leaving". They just don't like the being left part.
So, I guess, I would say, run your riding horses in runs by each other for part of the day any way, then out on the trails seperate sometimes.
Becky
Yep.... I have noticed the same thing.
So do you have any riding plans today? My kids and CS and her husband are coming to ride tonight. We will trail ride for awhile then play in the arena.
Becky
Nope - not riding today - have to go up to the old community cemetery where our family plots are for their annual spring cleanup for memorial day. It's a very folksy event... work for a few hours with mowers and rakes, and then have a little lunch.
I'm late now.... gotta run.
Our barn:
We use to have a horse in every stall and runs off everyone when the kids were home. Now it's becoming a catch all storage. One stall is the chicken coop, one the feed room, one the boat garage. The two on either end are the only ones where horses are permenatly, and the one with the tarp is where I put Harley when I need him out of the arena or the flies are bad.
Becky
I know in pole bending you want the smallest horse you can get, but . . . . !!!!!
LOL...well that's what we think, but since they have never asked my opinion, I keep it to myself. This guy is sooooo tall, 6'4-5". He tired loping yesterday, first time he ever had. The horse is so narrow and his legs are so long that he could not hold on properly and was having to grab the horn and was really bouncing, I really felt sorry for the horse. But hey, what can you say.
OH, and by the way, I've never heard that about wanting a small horse to pole bend. He didn't get this horse to pole bend on anyway, they were given these horses by someone. The horse was not even broke when they got her. They just usually trail ride, but went down and saw a playday, and now want to try that.
I used to be a herbalist of sorts, and you want to be careful with that stuff. My Rodale's Herbal says large doses can cause vomiting, stupor, dizziness and over the long haul depression. That's in humans - I dunno about horses.
One of the problems with all this herbal stuff is that there is little if any control over it by the F.D.A. because by and large they aren't considered "drugs".
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