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.

[MissTargets]

Thank you. She will be 5 in August. She does quite well showing in leadline. We also have a 30" mini, that I will have to get some pics of.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Ok, I'm doing better then I thought I was, and looks like I've got time to get a horse rode before I have to leave this afternoon.

Cindy, sounds like you had a good day yesterday:). The main thing I hoped you would do is work with him everyday riding for a time. I think anybody who gets a new horse, rather a young one or an old one needs to get the horse use to the owner/riders routine at the start of the relationship quick. Don't give the horse time to get his own routine set, or time to figure out what he can do or not do. That won't happen if the horse only goes out 1 a week. But at the start if you do it consistently for a period of time then the horse learns, knows what to expect, and how to behave. Then after that period of time the horse will usually be the same everytime you ride it even if it's only 1 time a week.

It's like your piano lesson. If you only practice 1 a week it will take you forever to master it. If you practice everyday you master it faster. Same for a horse, they need practice, but unlike a piano, a horse is a living thing with a mind of it's own. If your not consistent with them especially at the beginning and ESPECIALLY when they are young, they can get their OWN routine established that might not be good. So the owner needs to get in and get the good stuff established right off the bat, while the horse is adjusting to new surroundings.

IOW's:), it's not that YOU ride so perfect, it's just that you RIDE. He was not so trained that any imperfections on your riding abilities will mess him up, but by not riding him consistently for a period he learned HIS ways around first. Does any of this make sense. LOL. Is what I'm saying is your doing good:) by just riding consistently.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Hey, I got him saddled, sprayed, and feet cleaned in 15 minutes yesterday. It used to take me an hour.

[AnAmericanMother]

That question at least I can answer. More inside leg should correct the lean.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

:)

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Day 4. Yawn. Think I'm gonna take a nap while waiting for Okie to eat. May take another one in the car while he's tied up :')

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Where's everyone at?

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Where you at? How do you have computer access? I thought they were going to feed him at 3?

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Napping? :') BBL

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

How far do you live from your stables?

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Nah, couldn't get in touch with anyone. Just been working aound it. Can't call the trainer because she has my cell phone with her #. (I left it there). I'm about 10 minutes. I'm up now though. Phones, people waking me up to tell me they are leaving lol. I'll catch yall later.

[HairOfTheDog]

Hi - still no time catch up on all the interesting talk, just to check in a minute here or there till we both get internet back... Right now we share a connection till our new router comes, and ecurbh has actual payin' work to do that takes precedence. So I took my computer apart and I am painting my desk.

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, I just got home from work and taking my son to the dr. Grabbed a mug of tea and a couple pieces of toast and plopped down here in the chair.

Tomorrow is riding day. I'm going to take my digital camera and see if somebody can snap a few. I'll definitely take some pix of my son if he rides in the class before ours.

[Superdoot]

Checking in now and then, in between cleaning house.

So much for riding today. Had a color come right at the last minute so I didn't get out till late and had to run some arrends. Hopefully sometime this week I can.

Anyone besides Mom get to ride today?

[AnAmericanMother]

Speaking as a person with very short legs and a tall horse, I am always looking for Ways To Get Into the Saddle.

My car bumper is a favorite - right foot braced on the trailer hitch, left foot in the stirrup, facing forward with left hand full of mane and reins, right hand on the cantle. Push the left foot in the stirrup up and forward, then let it swing back down and use that momentum and the handfull of mane to swing up into the saddle.

When I'm out in the hunting field, something that doesn't always occur to people is that if you can't get up on something, get the horse DOWN. I lead the Gracie mare into a ditch or sideways on a hill and climb on that way. If I'm out in the middle of a perfectly flat field (and that happened to me on the last Shakerag hunt - we had a longish check and my saddle pad had slipped), I lower my left stirrup about five holes and use the mane-and-stirrup swing technique, then raise the stirrup once I get back in the saddle. Works so long as you have a quiet horse who will let you readjust the stirrup without a fuss.

[AnAmericanMother]

When you lower the rein, you open the door. (Obviously you don't want to lower WAY down or raise WAY up - no lower than your thigh, no higher than the midpoint of your chest.) The distance of your hand from the midline of the horse's neck also makes a difference. Opening the rein (moving it away from the midline) will open the door also. For a good bend, you want the outside rein to be up about two fists higher than the inside hand and an indirect rein - that is to say maybe a fist's width from the mane. It should be relatively static or vibrating slightly - not a pull at all, just something solid that the horse encounters if he pushes that way. Think of it as a wall that the energy caroms off of and goes into the other rein . . . (there I go with that weird energy talk again - but it's the only way I can think of to explain it. Once you get the knack of this you can actually feel the bounce.)

The opposite of this is if you let the outside rein go slack - the horse will "duck" in that direction. The younger kids in our riding lessons often let their reins go slack as they get into jumping position approaching a fence. The pony will sometimes take that opportunity to run out under the slack rein! Highly embarassing.

[CindyDawg]

He rope lunged beautiful today. Amazing what a long curb chain and a lunge whip will do:')

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh, man, I remember teaching my mare to longe.

What a looney-tunes show THAT was! We finally got our act together without anybody getting TOO badly scared . . . :-D

[CindyDawg]

Well I improvised and didn't do it exactly like the books telling me. He knows sounds and lunge whip cues (dragging to walk, 1'2 raised to trot, etc). I changed the rope to my hand towards his head and used the whip (I don't touch him)with my hand behind his flank. Worked.

[Superdoot]

For a good bend, you want the outside rein to be up about two fists higher than the inside hand and an indirect rein - that is to say maybe a fist's width from the mane.

The way I was taught you want your outside rein to be low, about at the top of their shoulder, so you have control of their front end.

It should be relatively static or vibrating slightly - not a pull at all, just something solid that the horse encounters if he pushes that way.

You still want it to be something solid but you want it at thier shoulder. That would keep them from moving away from the pick up on the inside.

You want the reins to control the front legs therefore you keep them down on their shoulders.

Make sense in terms of the tightness of a barrel turn????