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]

Hey but I have split reins:') I just Dork ride lol (They are tied together right now). I reined with one hand on the hobby horses but not with Okie yet even though I practice sometimes with him. I tend to reach for the horn and don't want to get into that habit.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

OHHHH, that makes sense.

I wouldn't buy rounds bales either here unless I know where they come from and when they were baled. I've seen alot of fields get bales when the stuff looked like it should have cured more. Most hayers around here are baling for cows anyway, so even on the square bales you can get into some bad stuff if you don't know the baler or the fields it comes from. My last experience with hay I had that problem. Good hay, but the guy baled it too quick and it molded. I thought my barn was going to burn down. And he wouldn't give me my money back.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Besides, when I have him out in the open or trails I like having two hands on the reins. I already tried stopping him with one and it didn't work too well :')

[HairOfTheDog]

Does Okie neck rein? Bay really doesn't, or I'd have had ecurbh start out that way out of simplicity.

I am not one that would discourage the impulse to reach for the horn (or sometimes better yet, mane) if they lurch or startle, or if you are feeling unsteady in a situation like posting. If you are unsteady, you'll use ~something~ as that handle, and the only other thing in your hands is the reins. I've been known to grab a handful of mane, right tight at the root, to be steady posting Bay's big huge extended trot on trail. He gets into his steady racing rhythm there where he covers a lot of ground, but if he's going that fast and shies suddenly, I want to have mane. I can also connect with tension level in his neck, and usually sense the instant before he is going to break rhythm.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am nervous enough with my barn all full of hay, because the horses are in the back with no way out except past the hay. I wouldn't design a barn this way when I can do it from scratch. Your long shedrow would be better, and mine would be better if they had doors to the outside out of each stall. I have seriously considered that. As it is now, with the metal gates as stall doors, I know they can break those if they want to, but it's still a dangerous way out.

Back to hay curing.... I am glad they are baling today, after the heat wave we've had, and it hasn't rained in a month. I hate trusting people that say it hasn't been rained on when we've had a lot of rain.

[HairOfTheDog]

Snaffles only ~really~ work well two handed. They aren't made to have any particular leverage or function one handed. Western bits made for neck reining don't use the corners of the mouth, they use leverage at the chin and roof of mouth for 'stop', even one handed. They should always be slack when not in use though, or they are too severe. They aren't comfortable on contact, by design.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Not to disagree or anything:), but "true" neck reining is not that simple, because most people, and especially beginners, always over do it and land up actually pulling the reins over way to far which actually cues a horse to go the opposite direction you want them to go. Alot of horses will learn even doing it that way, but it's not right. Once I had neck reining explained to me I've watched people who claimed their horses neck rein and very few people do it right, and the poor horse has just adapted to haveing his head pulled one way when the rider wants them to go the other. I think your better two handing, especially on trail and at the same time work on voice commands for stopping so you don't have to saw away at the horse mouth.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Okie and I are both supposed to be learning neck reining and I know this sounds bad but neither one of us care too much for it. If I can guide him with my legs and control him with direct reining when I need to I'm happy and if he's not feeling the bit he's happy. I guess we are both a little lazy. My instructor was telling me Sat that I needed to get back on it.

HMM. The mane huh? That would sure make it hard to keep raising the reins. Usually if I have to reach for something its the right side of the saddle by the horn. When he shys he tends to go left regardless. I guess it's just because my trainer over and over emphasized keeping my hand of the horn. I think I've only used it once or twice.

[Beaker]

Because Bay is an english horse with an english snaffle, and ecurbh's is the first Western saddle that's been on him in the last 15 years ;~D

Heeheehee! :-) We had a TB that was off the track, and we put a western saddle on him... once. :-) He "parked" with his front legs way out in front of him and his backlegs kind of splayed, and absolutely refused to move. I've never seen a horse look more confused in his life! :-)

[Beaker]

Bah, no worries. You'll both get it. :-)

[CindyDawg]

I know. We just don't know right now if we want it or not though lol

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Why would you say he did that? Had he ever had an English saddle on or just a racing saddle? How big was the western saddle you put on him? I'm asking because the people coming to look at Harley will bring an English saddle with them. I'm not sure if he has ever had one cinched on. My daughter put hers on him but the girth was too big for him, and it was all we had.

I wouldn't have thought a change in saddle would make that much difference.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I agree with you, and I've not ridden western except on occasion, with a real western horse. Even when I used to ride western pleasure at show, it was only a lark, to increase the number of classes I could enter in.

On a good (neck) reining horse, in reining and cutting horse demonstrations I've seen, the reins are so loose that you aren't pulling bit at all to turn, only the rein laying on the neck. The inside rein shouldn't be in play.

It doesn't work well with a contact bit like a snaffle. When I am lazily riding Bay one handed, I'll slide my hand long the reins until I am really pull reining and not neck reining at all, if that description makes sense.

[HairOfTheDog]

That is funny... We let Bay lunge in his new saddle till he got used to the new feel and new noises it makes.

Becky, you may want to do that too when they come, especially if they are trying a new saddle. It'll be a good way to begin showing the horse anyhow.... If I were coming to ride a strange horse, I would want to lunge first just to get a feel for the horse's personality and way of going.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

On a good (neck) reining horse, in reining and cutting horse demonstrations

Good ones are amazing to watch. But wouldn't you be curious to see one of those horses out on the trail and have deer or quail jump up under them suddenly:).

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yeah, I planned on doing that. I always encourage lunging when trying a new horse. It tells you alot about how the horse is. I really don't think it will be a big deal for Harley, especially going from Western to English. English to Western would be more of a difference.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well, I'm going to go get ready to go and hang out with Mack for awhile till my dad gets here. Talk to you all tonight.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Cutting is especially neat to watch. It is interesting to me to watch the horse actually become a predator, and the rider become a passenger.

But yeah - I've never wanted to improve my horse's ability to spin on a dime.... on trail ;~D

[Beaker]

Howdy!
I agree with you- kids like Heather who want to do it right are absolutely fantastic, and she sounds like a really great kid. She's going to become a great horse person.
And I know it's hard to tell one "Yes", but the others "No, I don't think so." I've found myself in that position hundreds of times over and over again. I got pushed around so many times that I got mad at myself for it, and I only started to learn how to put my foot down when I became a riding instructor.

... she just doesn't understand about horses either:), if you know what I mean.
I know exactly what you mean. Those are the toughest people to deal with. The best way to deal with it, I think, is if you can see that the other two don't want to do it tell the mother that. Kids that don't want to ride and are made to do it anyway don't pay attention or are careless, and they can and usually do get hurt. People who aren't horse people aren't going to see that they're kids aren't having fun. Believe me. :-)

[CindyDawg]

We went to a bull riding rodeo awhile back. It was boring between the rides to me. Too much entertainment and not sporting like on TV but anyway I spent a lot of time watching the guy at the end of the arena on his horse. He would lope up each time to make sure the bull went back in the pen. The horse seemed to move on his own. I'm sure the rider was the one controlling but it looked so effortless like as you say he was just "riding"