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.

[Lemondropkid31]

yikes! How did that work out? Our security is nuts. We have people working here that we don't even know about, and people quitting that we don't know quit, cause nobody likes our supervisor. It's a mickey mouse operation. We...well, can't say anymore, I will just be glad to get out of this job.

[Inge_CAV]

My horse was a cavalry horse. Revolvers, muskets, shotguns and cannon did not bother her at all. She thought it was great fun, even the sabre fights. The horses always have more fun at events like that. : )

[Lemondropkid31]

Yea, I have seen some of those on TV. They are pretty neat looking.

[Lemondropkid31]

Well, I need to go. See you all later!!!

[Inge_CAV]

I prefer the slow smooth gaits.

Of course, I always brought up the rear on trail rides. : )

[Inge_CAV]

Nice to meet you! Talk to you later. : )

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Good Morning:)

Wow, chatty night.

Beaker, chocatawsquaw use to ride a Quarter/Percehron cross. She was a very calm BIG horse. Made a nice mix.

AAM, thanks for the link, that was great:)

Well I got a surprise this morning. It's raining! I checked the radar tho, it should be just about done now, so I will still ride. Probably just make it more humid later:(.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I just realized this is a holiday, DUH:)

You all off work?

Becky

[Centaur]

Mornin' Becky

Didn't get that ride yesterday :( Spent the whole day tending to my daughter's old show horse. He came up lame last week and we just thought it was a pulled muscle from all the mud. We brought him in every night and did him up with a muscle treatment. He seemed to be doing better, so we left him out Friday night and he was dead lame again. He seemed to have an abscess behind his left elbow so we're surmising he was bit by something. I put an herbal oil I make on him and he started oozing later in the day. Kept him in and did him up again. Then yesterday morning he seemed sluggish and warm, I thought. Well he DID have a 103+ temperature and started sloughing off hair under his elbow...still lame.

So I spent most of the day picking wild herbs, washing off the scabs and exudate and dosing him with aspirin and bute. When we checked him about 7, he was warm again, lethargic and hadn't drank a drop. I told my daughter to get a fresh pail and fresh water and take it to him...in case there was something in the water or pail he didn't like. Well he drank so we spent the next half hour scrubbing buckets and all (again!)

When we finally got the temperature down, we plastered his legs which seemed to have a lot of heat and kept watch over him most of the night. Checked him this morning and he is cool as a cucumber with his head in this hay. Took an apple right away and back to his hay. Don't know what it was, but he's pushing 26 and we'd like him to see 36! He was my daughter's show horse that got her national ranking 10 years back and he's so precious.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Wow. Sounds like you need to be a vet:)

I hope this is the end of the problem too. Is he over the lameness?

Becky

[Centaur]

He's standing square this morning...haven't had him out of the stall yet, but he wasn't even standing on it yesterday. I'm thinking that the swelling under his elbow and subsequent scabbing and sloughing made it painful to keep his leg where it belonged, up against his body.

I generally don't use doctors or vets if I can help it. Seems every time I have a vet here, things get worse or at least not any better. If his temp hadn't gone down, I WOULD have called one, but we lost 2 animals this year (the first in 15 years) and a vet was used both times. The one gelding had some sort of systemic infection and after 5 years of vetting, hospitalization and different antibiotics, etc., he showed no improvement and he died suddenly from an allergic reaction to penicillin. I'm not blaming the vet, but over 30 years of horses have shown me that a lot of things are just as good, if not better just treating yourself. Call me superstitious, but until its something I can't deal with, I trust my care for the horses more than theirs.

[CindyDawg]

Yeah I'm off, kind of:'). Eddie and I are going riding in a bit. It will be the first time we have rode together and then I have to get back here and get the house in order. Looks like I'm going to have to take off and go to Big Bend tomorrow to find a preacher or JP fot this wedding.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Just came in from feeding, and it must have really stormed last night. I have/had:( a potted coleus that was huge and beautiful, it has totally collapsed over the side of the pot:( I have been babying that thing because it was so pretty and had gotten so big I had to water it about twice a day to keep it from droopig. Will it stand back up?

Question. I have no clue how long it takes for muscle to start to show after excerise. But I talked to Tami (Trashes owner) last night and she says she can see muscle starting to develop on Trash. Is that possible? I've only had him about 3 weeks. I thought with Reba at the end of 2 months the results were just starting to show, but then she was very out of shape and fat. Just curious if it's wishful thinking on her part, but I have often wondered about how long it takes for that to happen. When you see one everyday it's hard to tell. I don't think he was in that bad of shape, altho thin, physically. Would muscle show faster on a thin horse?

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I feel the same way about doctor's and vets. Avoid them at all cost. Can't tell you how long it's been since I was at a doctor. I use vets more then doctor's but am getting more and more leary of them too.

Sounds like you got the horse fixed:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Have fun:)

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I absolutely adore my horse vet. He is just cute as a bug's ear. If I didn't have a horse, I'd borrow a sick one if I could. ;~D

...ecurbh understood my attraction after he met him. I have to behave now :~D

[HairOfTheDog]

Ya got the cake before the preacher?! ;~D

Have a good ride.... Get someone to take pictures of ya both.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yep.... I am off work today.... and tomorrow.

I wonder if the mower guy will make an appearance today...

[Centaur]

Hmmmm. Wonder if I could get rid of my superstition for cute-as-a-bug's-ear? LOL

[HairOfTheDog]

Trust me, you would drop all superstition! I wish I'd have taken a picture when he was here last... But I wasn't sure how I'd explain it.

"See, there's all these ladies online I talk to..." ~shakes head~