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.

[choctawsquaw]

i have faith in you and so does my horse. i will be there to support you all the way

cs

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Good morning:)

Drinking my coffee, then I'll be off on the gelding then back here to finish packing then I'm

OUTTA HERE!!

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Have fun.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

My son does not believe it would be a good idea for me to let Harley go to that lady for "30" days. I was awake last night from 2 till 5:30 fretting about it, that's why I'm having a late start this morning. Anyway, do any of you have any idea what the customary time period, if there is one at all, that people let their horses go to someone for a trial run?

His reasons are valid after he pointed them out to me:

I don't know this lady or what kind of rider/trainer she is.

We don't know how hard she will push him in her attempt to get him to jump. Harley is a great horse, and has a very good foundation. But he is young, he needs to be brought up slow to keep his good mind in tact. If they push him hard (and some trainers do, especially under a time constraint) they could turn him into a runaway and then say we don't wnat him and send him back to me a crazy.

We do have him started on barrels, how will what she does with him affect that. We don't want to start over or have to untrain something out of him, and 30 days is plenty of time for him to develop habits he doesn't have now or that we don't want him to have.

If she is any kind of rider/trainer she should be able to tell what kind of horse he is in just a day or two, why does she need him 30.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I will:)

Mack bought me a whole box of new discs for the camera so I'll have lots and lots of pictures:)

Becky

[Beaker]

It is not unusual for a horse to go to someone for a trial run. However, a month does seem excessive, at least in my experience. But stranger things do happen. For instance, I had a morgan free leased to me for a whole year. Two weeks or so, is usually customary, at lesat from what I've seen, though I have seen some horses tried for a 30 day period.

Sometimes it takes a trainer more than a couple of days to spot out problems with a horse. But it does not take 30 days. I wouldn't let him go on trial if they were going to try to train him to jump, for the same reasons as your son has pointed out to you. If they want a jumper that badly, let them buy a trained jumper instead. Jumpers go for a bit more money, so what they could be trying to do is get Harley off of you for a cheaper price. (I've seen it happen) If they want to train him, let them buy him first. That's crazy.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's perfectly reasonable to talk very specifically with the lady about what and how she will work him, and get a feel for her when you hear her talk. And it's perfectly reasonable to set a shorter time period.

30 days ~is~ a normal tryout I've heard of.... it's a reasonable period but only for a very eager seller. You aren't that eager or desperate to get him off the place. But a week could also be a reasonable counter offer.

[HairOfTheDog]

Have a good time, if you are already gone!

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't have a spidey creepy sense about her ruining him... Most of those people are reasonable in how they start, and her intent is not to see if he'll make a Grand Prix jumper, she is prepping and testing the horse to see if he can be a good child's mount and beginning jumper. She's not going to push him over tall jumps or work him super hard to see that. That is if she sounds reasonable in person and fits the profile I am imagining from her description.

[elbucko]

I learned from my old grey Arab stallion, whose ears always pointed in the direction of his next idea.

Don't they though. Scotty's left ear would signal a refusal as he approached a jump. If you didn't stear around the jump when his left ear cocked back, you were going to go over the jump by yourself. But to Scotty's credit, something was usually not right. Jumps spaced to close, pace too fast or slow, girth too loose/tight or "busy hands". If Scotty was comfortable, his ears pointed straight over the rails.

[CindyDawg]

I've noticed that not only watching his ears but his tail and eyes are important. When those ears back and tail swishes he's not happy. When I'm riding Okie though sometimes the first sign I notice is that he kind of tenses up if he's going to be balky. Not always but most of the time . On the ground he can have a lazy almost asleep look, or can narrow his eyes at me if he's being horsey or bugged eyed if he's scared or confused. The last the easiest for me to deal with. He calms down easy. When he narrows I better spend some time lunging and the worst, the sleepy look. That's playing possum with me sometimes:')

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Haven't left yet:)

Mack is going to change out the batteries in the RV, the ones there are not staying charged good enough. But we weren't really planning on leaving till around 4 any way so we're still good. CS just came and left:). she forgot her food that goes in the fridge, has to go back and get it. It's only maybe 4 miles from here.

I'll figure out while I'm down there what I'm going to do with Harley and this 30 day thing. I may set a shorter trail, and tell her I don't want him being trained to jump. Their just to test if he is reliable enough for the kid. This lady knows the kids experience level, I'll state 5 day trial but will go to 10:).

Becky

[CindyDawg]

So, how much will you be riding every day?

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Don't know for sure, some depends on the weather. It's suppose to rain some tomorrow. Sat. is the day we will clean up trails.

CS said that after we clean up trails alot of them will stay in camp and visit.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

So anyone besides Becky riding today?

[Beaker]

I'm riding tomorrow. Was supposed to ride the other day, but with moving and everything, it just wasn't feasible.

[CindyDawg]

Yea. I schedule myself on Thurs but today my birthday and anniversary. I'm going to see what I can do tomorrow because we are going to a horse exhibit and auction Sat and that will take up most of my weekend.

[CindyDawg]

Where did you move to?

[Beaker]

I moved into my dorm. Classes start the week after next. It's dead silent. Wish it was like that all the time. :-)

[Beaker]

The horse exhibit and auction sound like fun! There's a big event in western Ma called the Big E. It's an equine expo. I can't even begin to describe it. It's 24 hour horse all weekend. There are clinics up the wazoo, such as those given by John Lyons, and lectures and breed exhibits, and those nifty RV/Horse trailers. It's really really cool.