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.

[AnAmericanMother]

I just got back from the barn - I've washed my hands and taken off my high boots and breeches, but that's about it.

Miss Gracie mare was perfect today. I switched to a slightly longer spur - a 1 1/4" Prince of Wales instead of the 3/4" I was using. Gave her an extra gear! We jumped just about everything in the ring. We have a variety of ability levels in the Wednesday night class, so the jumps were set pretty low and I was ready to dawdle through them . . . then I noticed our trainer strolling around and when she left each combination it was MUCH higher . . . but Gracie rose to the occasion like a bird. She is just such a pretty jumper and so easy to sit.

My dog came to the barn too. She had a wonderful time helping me tack up, and fetching tennis balls for all the kids, and touching noses with my mare . . . they get along great, Shelley seems to think that horses are just big dogs. She sat in her crate while I took my lesson, every time we went by that corner of the ring she would whine softly, "I'm still here, Mom." LOL!

[HairOfTheDog]

Hi! - I mowed my back forty today instead of playing with ponies, silly me.... I am a farmer without a tractor.... did it with m'lawn mower...

This is ecurbh helpin' me finish!

All that good lookin' long grass there? - Canary grass. the horses won't eat it :~\

[CindyDawg]

gotta have pictures :')

[CindyDawg]

Good exercise. I love to mow. Don't know why. I'll go to the manual one every time and leave the tractor.

[CindyDawg]

I'm so excited. I am joining a TX horse trail association and I just got an email from my regional director. Seems they ride every month and he told me it was casual, easy paced and if I ran into any problems lot of experienced riders would be there to help me. I'm going to start working on loading this weekend :')

[HairOfTheDog]

Those are really neat... go on the rides, try to avoid the inevitable power struggles and politics of those clubs! - Seems they always bicker like kids at the meetings!

I want to get back into the local BackCountry Horsemen chapter here. They do a lot of neat rides.

[HairOfTheDog]

I like to mow too... and it looks so nice mowed.

One more pic from a minute ago... Bay mowin the front yard for me.

[CindyDawg]

Sounds like a church business meeting:') I just want to play. Others can have the politics.

[CindyDawg]

Looks good. I'm squinting trying to read your screen. Funny. You posted about Bay and the yard and the first thing I zoomed in on was your computer :')

[HairOfTheDog]

I think I was on the hobbit hole thread there!

So... how things going on your other thread? I haven't looked over there of late. Where's Becky?

[CindyDawg]

Don't know. Think she is busy with her horses. I got so tired of the personal insults towards me that I cancelled my membership. (Yes Mack, I did lurk today :') I'm taking a sabbatical til they leave. My husband just looking at me. I've been going around muttering about the swarm and cussing all day. Just words in the bible though :')
So I figured I would do some horse stuff. I really want to do this. I've had another border that keeps saying he will take me on the trails (I can only go so far by myself) but things come up. That was the whole purpose of buying him.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am glad you found a club... sorry about the other thread turnin' south. Seems before there was always debate I barely understood, but it wasn't mean.

You already have a truck and horse trailer too? - That is what limits me, I don't have a trailer, so I have to be able to go when friends want to take me and also have room.

I hope we can have a trailer and another horse by next season so we can go MUCH more often.

[HairOfTheDog]

When we get a truck and horse trailer, I really want to join the local mounted search and rescue unit!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Mack and I just got in from church and eating. I've been real busy. The weather is just too beautiful to let it pass sitting in here staring at a screen:). I was outside today at 6:30. Heather came and we rode for about 3 hours, then she rode Harley in the arena.

I had eggs hatching in the incubator today, so I had to deal with that.

I am going to take a picture tomorrow of the palamino and post it next to the one's I took when I first got him. Big difference:), he is really turning out to be a funky color for a palamino. Hips and shoulders are more black then anything. He still has a tiny bit of winter coat around his middle and that is white. But he is very very dappled. Strange looking.

My farrier has still NOT showed up to pull shoes. I think my son is going to do it for me tomorrow. They are all missing 1. On all of them, the bare foot has wore down but no chucks out. Maybe barefoot will work. I've started putting Venice turpentine and iodine on their soles to toughen them.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

he is really turning out to be a funky color for a palamino

Can't wait to see pics! - Sound interesting!

I think most farriers are flaky, but your farrier seems far worse than average!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Being able to trailer a horse adds a whole new deminsion to horse owning:)

Even just going to a different arena is fun. We have been members of several Round up Clubs, and Trail riding clubs. I found out it's better to go as a non-member even if it means an extra charge. Hair's right, the politics can get as nasty as the NES has gotten:).

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I agree:).

My last farrier shoed for me for about 7 years. But then he got the horseshoer syndrome and I found a new one. This one had it the first day he showed up, and it's just gotten worse:(. I hope this barefoot thing works, if not, I'm going back to the old one and giving him another chance. I don't want the current one on my property ever again. If he shows up, I'm saving the eggs that have been in the incubator for 21 days but didn't hatch for throwing at him:)

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm saving the eggs that have been in the incubator for 21 days but didn't hatch for throwing at him:)

Make sure Mack takes pictures! I don't want to miss that!

Speakin' of birds... I've been wondering if I had a hope's chance of training my Gidget not to eat ducklings or Goslings if I got them. I would like to have ducks or a Goose more than chickens... not sure why. I'd get them a pool.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Come on squaw, don't be bashful, join on in:)

Cindy, Hair, choctawsquaw is a friend of mine who lives down the road. I got her to sign up, to post on this thread. We've been riding together for years.

CS, Cindy is the one that I told you about that bought the paint, and Hair is just someone I met on another thread talking about horses.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome choctawsquaw!

Glad you could make it.... you can find out about me well enough readin' back on the thread. Have a horse and a half out here in Washington state.