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.

[CindyDawg]

I'll watch for it on the ground the next time I lunge him though.

[HairOfTheDog]

I'll have to get someone to watch. Don't think it would be a good idea for me right now :')

What, lean over, watch his feet and trot? ;~D

[AnAmericanMother]

Of course he makes it! Plumb is a machine, he can make any horse look good. He coached the U.S. 1996 Olympic three-day event team. Believe it or not he is still competing - he was in this year's Rolex trials.

That isn't a horse show, BTW, that's one obstacle on the cross-country course in a three-day-event competition. You can't see the worst part of the obstacle - it's a huge bank fondly called a "piano". It goes up in steps to about six feet, then the horse jumps off the far side all the way down to ground level. VERY scary.

I do some eventing, but NOT on that level. Our trainer took a bunch of us out to the old 1996 three-day course in Conyers. We prowled around looking for something SMALL ENOUGH for us to "school" on - nothing doing. They have allowed the course to simply deteriorate as no ordinary horse can jump anything on it.

Here is a more reasonable bank:

I myself would jump up left (where it's low) and work my way over to the right!

[AnAmericanMother]

Actually, the horse is doing great! And Plumb's "safety seat" is the right place to be on a young horse.

I think that's the young green horse he was riding at the '96 Olympics. Plumb basically carried him around. You can see by the horse's expression that he's not too happy about this, but he's doing what he's told.

[CindyDawg]

I've done dumber since I started :') I'm kind of a learn by fire person sometimes. But I'm having fun doing it.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think they are much more scary going down than going up.

I lost my nerve jumping when I started getting so high that I felt like we were going to somersault on the downhill it was so steep. Never had a bad fall like that, and I still quit out of fear ;~D

[HairOfTheDog]

The horse is doing great, just would have looked more graceful a half a second before, or a half a second after, that pic.

[CindyDawg]

Impressive. I hope you weren't offended though. I didn't know what else to call the event.

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh no, I wasn't offended at all. I was just letting you know the correct term. The cross country people are pretty rough and ready - but they get all prettied up for the dressage and show jumping phases.

[AnAmericanMother]

The thing about going down is you have to lean back TWICE as far as normal (that "safety seat" again). A trick that I use a lot is to approach a bank or water jump VERY slowly - often on a slight diagonal. If you let your horse get a lot of speed and a lot of air on a bank, the landing is much much worse. Plus, the bigger you let them jump into water, the DEEPER it is, which means sudden deceleration on the old legs, nose into the water, rider into the water . . . all that sort of stuff. My mare and I are a couple of old ladies, and we aren't going to set any land speed records doing this stuff!

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm with you! - Nice and easy from here on out! That stuff is for the young... ;~D

[AnAmericanMother]

Yeah, I've quit jumping the big stuff - Amoeba and Tadpole for me in the eventing, and 3'6" is as high as I'll go in a hunter class. No more big big stuff for me (and it's hard on the mare's legs too).

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, I'd better toddle off to bed.

I've got an agility trial in Gainesville tomorrow with the Shelley Dog, which means I have to get up at 5 to leave at 6 to get to G'ville by 7 for check in . . . < groan >.

Wish us luck! I hope she gets at least one more "Q".

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh - well good luck indeed AAM and Shelley Dog! Run fast, run clean, and don't forget the step in the yellow zone!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well once you are use to Rocky's take off and know what to expect it's pretty cool actually. He's really not doing anything wrong. I think it's just him taking off on his back end, going from a standing still to all out in one stride, barrel horse. Talk about an adrenaline rush:). It's just the first few times people ride him can be startling and then they want to pull back and he gets confused. We really don't want to change him. He runs an awesome pole and barrel pattern.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Went to bed way too early last night. Going riding this morning. Antibiotics have kicked in and I'm feeling much better. Just waiting for the sun to come up.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

FORECASTING RAIN ALL DAY CLEARING tonight (please forgive the caps, my keyboard is really been having problems) then no more rain for awhile and temps reach 90 by Wed:)
Becky

[CindyDawg]

Well it's going to be a late morning ride after all:'(. I laid back down with Eddie until the sun came up and then we were going to go eat breakfast. I'm up now.lol. The county sheriffs department woke us up. Seems someone broke into our shed at the lake. Here yes, but not supposed to happen there. Go figure.

[CindyDawg]

Got caught out in a storm about a 1/4 mile from the barn, Okie acting nuts. He didn't want to go down the north side. (I found a use for that horn. It's for hanging on when he throws up his back feet and turn on a dime :') Finally I said ok we'll try from the other direction. He started the same thing. I thought he just remembers and doesn't want to go to the gate so we are back to spook working. He was hyper all day but nothing like this. We had had a few sprinkles and hazy but within a matter of seconds the sky was dark, cold, wind blowing and raining in sheets. Looked like tornado weather to me. Anyway , I told him, "you know what, I think you are right. We need to go back":') We got drenched.
The good thing is that I'm getting more secure with trotting now. I still need to give him looser reins but we are getting there. He did real good, just wanted to talk with the girls though.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Okie acting nuts. He didn't want to go down the north side. (I found a use for that horn. It's for hanging on when he throws up his back feet and turn on a dime :') Finally I said ok we'll try from the other direction. He started the same thing. I thought he just remembers and doesn't want to go to the gate so we are back to spook working. He was hyper all day but nothing like this.

It won't take much of a spur to stop this with Okie, a couple of good jabs and he'll do anything you want, and then after that all you have to do press them against him, he'll remember and do anything you want :)

If you don't get it stopped pretty soon it will grow into a very bad habit and be 10 times as hard to correct. You have said you can't have them at the stable, you are the one paying money to be there, those people are paid to cater to you. Get your self a set of spurs and you will be wondering why you waited so long.

Sugar cubing him (being too nice) will only ruin him and get yourself hurt.

Just my 2 cents.

BigMack