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]

Yeah the owner watching me yesterday and just chuckled. The she horse had a scrape on her lower leg and I was putting nitrofurisone(ms?) on it. She said "when you first came here you were using a baby wipe for each of Okies bobo's and calling the vet out and look at you now, you just scoop it out with your fingers and smear it wherever". I don't know if this is good or not. It's not as good of infection control but a heck of a lot less stressful and faster:')

[CindyDawg]

The arena, barn and riding areas fenced off in the early day and the owners horses turned out to graze. They are still contained on the property but free to roam. There were probably about 10 grown, a couple half grown and 3-4 babies loose. The best time to ride is in the evening when they are pastured but we didn't.

[HairOfTheDog]

I like nitrofurizone a lot, but you really shouldn't touch it with your fingers often. I do, but I wash it off of me quickly. Fingers just work better than some kind of applicator. But, There is some breast cancer risk associated with it on dogs. You can read a warning on the label.

You have to name that horse something besides "that she horse".

[CindyDawg]

Didn't know that. I just usually wipe my hands on the horse. Figure it can't hurt them.:') I do wash my hands before I leave though.

These things take time. I guess I do need to get her a name though caz she is starting to respond to "she horse" :')

[HairOfTheDog]

Did she not come with a name at all? Or do you just not like it?

[CindyDawg]

I'm sure she must have had a name at one time but no one seems to know what it was. Do they name dude ranch horses?

[CindyDawg]

I kind of like Lily. Eddie likes Sarah Lee.

[HairOfTheDog]

She was probably registered Paint at one time, and she's lost her name. I think they often name dude ranch horses friendly things like "Lily" or "Sarah Lee". ;~D

[CindyDawg]

Just waiting to see what fits her:')

Funny, you mentioned registered and I thought of something I was going to tell you.

I really think the owner hated to let her go. She wanted to help me but I think she would have been happy to keep her too. Anyway, yesterday she was telling me that she would probably have a colt like Okie if I bred her and that there was a stud paint right behind her. She said it kind of wistfully. I told her I wasn't ready for something like that yet and she said "I know, but she's still young and just keep it in mind" I did tell her that if she wanted to pay the stud fee and teach me how to care for moma and raise one she could do it and keep the colt as long as I could still ride her. She told me,"oh no that's ok" I told her think about it if something she wanted to do caz I didn't care as long as she took the colt.

[HairOfTheDog]

It can be really fun... to have a foal. I am glad to have had the experience. I don't want to have one ~now~ but maybe someday so ecurbh can see it.

If she's unregistered I don't really see any real need to breed her... It does affect your use of her for a whole year, between being careful the last few months of pregnancy to 5-6 months with the foal at her side... Registration isn't everything, certainly, but I am not sure why the stable owner would want a grade paint baby.

Breeding for Paint coloring is really interesting.... Valuable stallions are homozygous, meaning they will throw paint coloring no matter what horse they are bred to. They can guarantee color 100% of the time, and the mare has no impact on color at all. Others, that are not homozygous, throw color some of the time, but I am not sure how much the mare's coloring has to do with it.

If you know who the original owner was, it might pay to see if she was ever registered and whether she could find the stuff to re-register her now.

[CindyDawg]

Yeah, I couldn't figure that one out either.I'm going to try to track her back. I think maybe she just wanted to see what kind of baby these two would make caz she kept saying the stud horse looks just like Okie. And they are all crazy about Okie. Who knows? As you say, someday with the right horse but not right now. I have other plans.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, ecurbh just washed Bay and is out lunging him dry. Looks like he/we are gonna ride! Back in a bit!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yeah, a Sony Mavica.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I saw a horse one time with an absess in her front foot, that did a 3 legged walk. It was so sad. I've never seen one hurt so obviously. She would take one lunging jump, then stand and tremble for a few seconds then set back on her hunches and lunge again. It took so long to heal (there was a vet treating), but they could not get it cleared up. The poor thing landed up with ring bone in her other front foot from carrying all her weight on it for so long. She was toast:(

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

A good book on vetting your own horse is "How to be your own Vet." It tells when it's time to call the vet too:)

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Sad. Wouldn't it have been better to immobilize her until she was better.

[CindyDawg]

Thanks. I'll pick one up.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

You can learn alot raising a baby, but it's alot of work, of course, what isn't with horses:)

I was always afraid to raise them all the way to the breaking part. I thought all horses just naturally bucked when you first get on. But now that we have raised Dot, I;m rather excited to do it myself. I halter broke Dot, and everything else but the riding:), Jenny did that. I think there is something too that imprint training. That's pretty much what we did with her. My son bought a 2yr old that was turned out till he was 2. That horse still has issues and times and does buck. Charlie has to be careful with him. Until he gets miles and miles on him he will be that way, IMO. he's 4 now, and like most young people with a young family Charlie doesn't have the time to really put the miles on him he should.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well they did as much as they could. She got the best care. It was just one of those things. I still have never heard why that darn absess would never heal, no matter how often they drained it.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

I'm sure they did. I was just wondering if keeping her from even trying to walk was an option. There are problems with immobilization too though so probably it was bad either way.

When Eddies dalmation got hit by a car and broke his hip I was supposed to keep him off of it.Just 70 pounds and it was almost impossible. Animals are going to find a way to move I guess.