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.

[Inge_CAV]

"OK - not very well.... so I turned her loose so she could follow him around. If Bay's moving, the pony gets exercise also, it's a two-fer-one deal."

LOL! That is what Lurker Beth used to do. She would ride one horse outside the pasture and the other horses would race up and down the fence screaming at them. She called it a two-fer or more also. : )

[HairOfTheDog]

It's just the flash in his eyes. And it's grainy because it was way too dark and I had to lighten it. It's dark in that part of the old forest!

I hope Francis gives you very little trouble!

I have a little saddle bag that clips on my saddle, would fit a sandwich, a drink bottle and a cell phone.

[Inge_CAV]

"Frances is due to hit here tomorrow"

It was supposed to come over me but changed to the East and will miss me now.

Thanks! : )

[AnAmericanMother]

I think we're just going to get wet. (Please, Lord, and thank you!)

The wind is kicking up a bit - the radio says it's a steady 25 gusting to 37. We were out and about today making sure all drains are clear of leaves, sawing down a couple of dead branches, stacking the patio furniture in a corner, etc. The tarp roof over the dog's turnout pen may not make it, but it's in a sheltered corner between the fence and the garage so we're hoping for the best.

[Inge_CAV]

"That sounds really good."

Didn't get many this year but next year should be a bumper crop. I will make enough for you too. : )

[CindyDawg]

Probably not a problem with you pros but I prefer my cell phone on my person in case my saddle bag and I get separated :')

[Inge_CAV]

"I think we're just going to get wet."

And I just had a metal roof put on. Not even been rained on yet.... : )

[HairOfTheDog]

I have a question for anyone who knows about the "saddle-horse/National Show Horse" type horses. The "Park" stance done in show for those breeds, is it taught? Or do they have some kind of instinct for that? I can't imagine it isn't taught because it isn't a natural behavior. And yet, my Hackney pony, who came to us not knowing ~anything~ else, unbroke and not well-handled otherwise, knows how to do this. In fact, she almost always does it when we I am lunging or driving her and we stop. She also does it any time she is confused and doesn't know what else to offer. And if she is really nervous, she'll keep stretching and stretching until she can barely stand any more.

For this pony to do this, does that mean she was at some point trained to show at halter or something? It couldn't have been much, because we bought her at auction at about age 4.

[HairOfTheDog]

Probably not a problem with you pros but I prefer my cell phone on my person in case my saddle bag and I get separated :')

Excellent thinking!

[CindyDawg]

I love to hear rain on a metal roof:') Thats what is going on our next cabin/house.

[Inge_CAV]

"Muscadines always smell like fox to me."

There are three tame varieties and one wild in my yard. Only one had berrys this time, a tame variety called Carlos.

[Inge_CAV]

"I love to hear rain on a metal roof:') Thats what is going on our next cabin/house."

Had to wait a while to get this one put on. It was a one day job, once the installers got here. It came in a metal coil and they formed it here with a hydraulic press. Cut each section to fit and installed it. Amazing how fast it went on. Very pleased with it so far. : )

[Beaker]

The park is taught for the most part, but it can also occur naturally in some gaited horses. Most often it is taught. It is possible that your pony was shown in hand before you got her. Careful that you don't allow her to over park. She can hurt herself, and always have her step up out of the park.

[AnAmericanMother]

IIRC, they train them to that young. If she was halter shown, she was taught. But I really believe that Saddle Horses "park" instinctively, at least they tend to. When I worked at a summer camp years ago, there was a baby Hackney pony still at heel who would "park" or "camp out". He may have been imitating his mother. Nature or nurture? Hard to say, probably some of both.

[Beaker]

I will make enough for you too. : )
Yum! But you don't need to go to the trouble. :-) It used to be a family tradition to make grape jelly, but we don't anymore, because we got rid of the vine. It was good stuff.

[HairOfTheDog]

She parks whenever she comes to a halt while working. And she does it when she is stressed, like bathing or fly-spraying. It's as if it is her fall-back safety behavior... "If I do this, maybe they won't kill me."

It's an anomaly with her. She didn't seem finished enough to have been shown at all, even in hand... So if she was taught it, it was the ~only~ thing she was taught.

[Beaker]

And she does it when she is stressed, like bathing or fly-spraying.
The barn had a morgan at one point that used to do the same thing. Oh, and parking out in the hunter ring? Not so good. :-)

[Inge_CAV]

It will not be any problem at all. Love home-made jellies and jams, even beet jelly. Have relatives in Indiana that used to make home-made catsup and it was dee-licious. Store bought catsup could not be compared to it. : )

[CindyDawg]

Well, I'll throw my experience in too. I saw Okie standing like this the other day. He was peeing. I just made a casual comment that I had not seen him do that yet. All 3 people with me started teasing me and telling me "get your camera. You take a picture of everything else that horse does" :')

[Beaker]

Beet jelly?