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.

[Superdoot]

Ok, the way you ended up doing it sounds like the right way, so how were you doing it the first time???

[CindyDawg]

I was holding the loops in my right hand (going counter clockwise) and feeding it out with my left hand (I think) and getting it tangled up around me and the horse. Somehow I was using both hands. A mess.
Is it ok to cover a horses nostrils?

[AnAmericanMother]

Difference is probably in the bit.

My mare goes in a French snaffle - if you lift your hand in a Western curb it's probably too much leverage on the jaw.

This looks like her bit, except the middle joint on hers is copper.

The lifted hand also tends to lift the front end, it looks to me like horses running barrels are more down in front than a dressage horse or a jumper. I have to keep my mare particularly light in front because she jumps much better that way. (My trainer is always shouting "hands up!" when we're three strides out. One of these days I'm going to throw the reins away, put my hands up above my head, and shout, "Don't shoot, sheriff, ya got me!")

[Superdoot]

My mare goes in a French snaffle - if you lift your hand in a Western curb it's probably too much leverage on the jaw. In a curb yes, I don't think you can get very much bend no matter how you do it, but I don't use a curb. On my four year old I am using an argintin snaffle, and on my stud I use a broken correction bit. I very seldom use a solid bit, because you can't get much bend out of them. Relizing that you are jumping explains alot. You're picking them up off the ground. I'm trying to keep them from lening in and shouldering my barrle over. You're right, a barrle horse doesn't have to be up as high in the front as a jumper would.

[Superdoot]

My mare goes in a French snaffle - if you lift your hand in a Western curb it's probably too much leverage on the jaw.

In a curb yes, I don't think you can get very much bend no matter how you do it, but I don't use a curb. On my four year old I am using an argentine snaffle, and on my stud I use a broken correction bit. I very seldom use a solid bit, because you can't get much bend out of them.

Realizing that you are jumping explains alot. You're picking them up off the ground. I'm trying to keep them from leaning in and shouldering my barrel over. You're right, a barrel horse doesn't have to be up as high in the front as a jumper would.

[Superdoot]

Sorry. Still trying to figure this darn thing out.:)

[Superdoot]

As long as you don't do it for a long time, but why do you ask?

[Superdoot]

Don't feel bad I lunged Dot for about six months after I started riding her and I still get tangeled up, but it sounds like you finally got the hang of it.:)

Don't be afraid to use the whip on him either, that's what they're for. You don't have to kill him with it just let him know you have it and you'll use it.

[CindyDawg]

Freep Mail. (click on to you have mail)

[AnAmericanMother]

Well you can't really "pick them up off the ground" - although you see open jumper riders (as far as I'm concerned, the gangsta thugs of the horse world) trying to do that with their hands above their ears.

Lightening the forehand gets their hind end under them so they can do a precision takeoff. It also prevents horses that are heavy on the forehand from doing a cutting horse stop right in front of the fence! I once rode a borrowed horse who was so heavy on the forehand that it felt like I was riding a wheelbarrow (or a western pleasure show horse) - nose in the dirt, my back and shoulders ached after trying to physically hold her up through an entire lesson. I came off her three times in quick succession because she would drop her forehand out of a brisk canter and shut off with her nose over the jump. The third time I actually did a full pike layout in the air (I used to be a springboard diver) and landed on my feet - I staggered but recovered and did a gymnast bow thing with my hands in the air. Got lots of applause and cheers from the rail birds.

Thank heavens, my mare does not refuse, if she has to climb it or knock it down, she'll just scramble on over.

[CindyDawg]

Yeah but I haven't ever had to. Either your mom or the person before her trained him really good free lunging in the round pen. You point it and he goes. Change hands and he changes directions. Point it directly and he gets back in his space, drop it he whoas. We were really amazed when we saw him do this the first time. Of course he also will lunge without it with just clicks and kisses and cue words. I make sure he follows these without the whip too . He's very smart. Too smart sometimes:')

[Superdoot]

LOL. That would have been neat to see.

I know you don't really pick them up. I just finally saw the difference in what you do to set up a horse to go over a jump verses going around a barrel.

Heck no. I'm not about to try and pick up a horse, they are way to big for me. I'm not a horse lifter like my mom.LOL:)

[Superdoot]

Got the FM and responded. I don't know if I'm suppose to tell you I sent you one, or if you already know it's there. I really don't know computers. Up until mom signed me up here I was doing good to turn it in and play solitair.:)

[CindyDawg]

I got it :')

[AnAmericanMother]

I used to have a horse that thought I could pick him up . . . he would lean on me when I picked his feet, and lean . . . and lean . . . and lean until he knocked he down.

My dad (an ex U.S. cavalryman from the days when they still had horses) suggested that I clean his feet "cavalry fashion". They did EVERYthing from the left side, they reached through and cleaned the horse's two right feet from the left side.

I took it one step further and cleaned his RIGHT feet from the left, and his LEFT feet from the right. He tried to lean on me a couple of times, but he fell over (you've never seen such a shocked horsie!) After that, he quit leaning on me. He was sweet but dumb - I don't think he ever quite figured out how I made him fall over.

I have occasionally assisted a recalcitrant horse to load on a trailer by joining forearms with a confederate and LIFTING said horse's butt into the trailer . . . but my current trainer prefers to use a longe line and a broom . . . fortunately my mare is an easy loader. She used to be a broodmare, and optimist that she is, she figures that there just might be a stallion at the other end of the ride. . .

[Superdoot]

Hey, Do you know if Kristy ever got on here yet? She would like this.

[AnAmericanMother]

that would be "me" not "he". My fingers outrun my brain sometimes . . .

[CindyDawg]

There was a time , about 4 years ago that I had to hunt for the on key just to turn the darn thing on.

[CindyDawg]

Did you get the pictures?

[CindyDawg]

I don't think I'm going to that clinic after all. She really irritated me today. Wanted to know our age and weight and talked about having to clear a fitness screen first. Felt like I needed to go get my walker. The last thing I need is more coddling. I'm just going to do the real thing and wing it. They don't care about that stuff.