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.

[HairOfTheDog]

A friend of mine had a cool product last time we went riding, a fly repellent for their faces that was like a roll-on or stick deoderant. Seemed like a good idea, for getting around their eyes without getting it ~in~ their eyes. But I haven't seen it at the store yet, and not sure where she found it.

[CindyDawg]

I knew better:') If I'm calm, Okie is fine. When I get rattled he gets stuborn. I should know by now that my husband and I can't fuss around him. We made up, I went back and he did what he was supposed to. Of course none of my audience around. I bet I had 5 poeple come up yesterday while I was working with him (not the group of women) to pet him and give him him "poor Okie, what's the matter boy, good boy" Well he wasn't being a good boy and I needed him to focus but as soon as I would sho one away here come another. I even had one wanting to examine his war wounds! I know they all like him but it was too much.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

That roll on stuff hasn't been very effective around here.

I have found the best stuff around here is Pyrhana. I only spray them down when I'm riding, and only the spots they cant' get with their tails. Petroleum based sprays will scald the horses skin if it's put on too often. I had that happen with one. Having a shed they can get in is the best thing for when they are out loose. Only little house flies will go in a dark shed/barn. Keep the stalls mucked and that will thin them out.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I won't waste energy trying to find the roll-on if it doesn't work!

I don't spray them ~often~ either. I use the masks you've seen to protect their faces, and that's about it. Only when I've had them haltered for baths or something and I've got it handy, do I spray them if flies are around. I really don't have many flies.... no more than any house has. I have found the best fly management to be poo management.... I spread their manure every day in both the paddock and the pasture. Flies breed in fresh manure, if you can spread it fresh, it will dry out before they can hatch in it.

[CindyDawg]

I spray Okie down most days.

[Beaker]

That's the problem with boarding at places where people are too nosey for their own good. A lot of horses are sensitve to people's states of being, if you will, and react the way that Okie does. And some just plain old react, no matter how calm you are. :-)
And don't be afraid to tell people to back off. They really should have the sense to leave you alone. When you run into situations like that, he needs to focus completely on you, and having other people around just adds distraction and confusion.
War wounds?

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Remind me what "bunko" is.... ?????

LOL. Bunko is a dice game. VEry simple no skill at all involved.

12 players. We play once a month, each player takes a turn having at their house. So you host it once a year. The group I play in is 12 ladies. We pay $5.00 a month, so the host has $60.00 to put towards prizes and refreshments. There are 4 prizes given away each night. A traveling prize for bunkos, Most Bunkos, Most sets won, and Most sets lost.

You can find the rules of the game on Google:)

It's just something to do. We start around 7 and get done by 9:30. We have 3 mother/daughter sets, 1 grandmother/mother/daughter set, 3 mother-in-law/daughter-in-law sets. We have seniors, middle age, and young marrieds, and 1 just graduated from high school. It's a fun group.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

My chickens spread the manure for me:) I just have to shovel the stalls out, by throwing it out, the chickens then spread it apart and it drys up, and or washes/blows away.

Chickens are wonderful.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I have thought about chickens.... but I'd rather have ducks!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I don't think ducks scratch around in manure, but they make wonderful pets. My kids had one.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Bunko sounds fun.... really any group that can get together so regularly sounds fun.

I just wondered if I was supposed to know what it is without asking!

[CindyDawg]

I just walk a fine line though. The one's that actually come up and don't sit and stare are good people and have helped me a lot and I don't want to alienate them. Usually it's just occasionally and I just go into my "yeah, uh huh" mode and they don't stay. Yesterday just weird though.

You can't be king of the play ground if you don't take on the current # 1:') He looks bad right now. I guess that is why his fans giving him so many "poor baby"s He has a cut on his jaw, a skinned forehead and a hoof mark on his side. I tend to his wounds but don't feel sorry for him. He started it. He did get the crown though. Funny caz Nino just gonna take it back :') Okie a kid, but Nino a knows the ropes:')

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

You can do it with 6 couples too. Any 12 people. I played in a group years ago that was comprised of 12 ladies that lived in this neighborhood. We kept it together for about 3 years. But I think we all lived to close together. Too much backbiting got going.

This group I'm in now, we all very rarely speak with each other other then at bunko, except for the relatives. We are all very diverse too, so it gives us all alot to talk about. Most of the ladies are city people, and it's kind of funny, they want all of us "country living" people to host it during the summer so they don't have to drive "out here" in the dark. :). I always am tempted to comment "why do you think we like driving around in the dark in the city:)"

Becky

[Beaker]

The one's that actually come up and don't sit and stare are good people and have helped me a lot and I don't want to alienate them.
Oh I know. Most horse people are good people :-) I'm sorry if I get hoity-toity sometimes. I've just delt with too many rich snobs who are horse owners- Not horse people. So people like the ones who were talking about you get on my very last nerve. :-)

[CindyDawg]

Well they stepped on mine and they knew it. One even came up later and told me "we all get frustrated at times". Just a lesson learned though. In future I won't start something when a group of people hanging around. The thing is , I don't even know why I did it. (well maybe I do. I wanted to "show off" for my husband:') All I planned on doing was riding but I just kind of fell into my routine and then had to follow thru.

[Beaker]

Well we all learn our lessons.
For example. Never free lunge your horse in a round pen when people want to watch.'Cause then it just doesn't work. :-) I had people talking badly about me for about a week afterwards.

[CindyDawg]

Okie doesn't seem to mind free lunging. He just looks at people as he zooms by, the show off. It's aww, look at Okie" Now I will not get the rope out if anyone even near though. It's a skill I haven't mastered yet :') I'm improving though.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well, I'm all ready. And just now found out 3 people are not going to be here, you can play with 2 dummies, but not 3. I think we've found a sub tho. Why do people wait till the last minute to let you know they're not coming. Happens every month.

Becky

[Esther Ruth]

I think it is probably just horse flies, big old black horse flies. I've seen the paste type fly repellents, there is Swat which comes in clear or pink and some stores carry their house brand, was just at a Big R by us and it has some for $6.

I will try teaching the horse bunko though and see if that keeps the flies away. Did it take long for some of you to teach your horses to play bunko?

I was going to get an older horse but this horse has been worked with quite a bit, spent time w children all during the summer and spring, he is in halter, has had a bit in and saddled a few times. Takes a lead, walks around with me, even though he steps on my feet, but I think that was because I kept trying to kiss him while he was walking, my fault. He holds all his feet up except his back left pretty good to get cleaned. Will stay tied a half hour or longer to get combed and brushed, but only probably fussing w him 20 mins in am and pm right now. He was just gelded maybe a month ago so it may be a bit sensitive still, maybe? I got him because I really wanted a haflinger and he was close and a very good price, so I will try my very best. I'll bring him back to her in a year or so and have him stay w her to break and all. In the meantime will put together a round pen I think and round pen train him and do what I can as quickly as I can read and learn. Not putting him in enclosed stall at night even though I could. Thought I'd leave him to go in and out on his own, so nothing in barn for awhile. Ending up all in the field.

[CindyDawg]

Ah, Becky, Hair , .... out of my league here :')