The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FIVE

See our who's who page! ^

[HairOfTheDog]

*New* The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - Who's Who *pics*

This is a horse chat thread where we 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. In the previous threads we have had a great time talking through lessons, training, horse lamenesses, illnesses and pregnancies... and always sharing pictures and stories.

I always have 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 also have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and Becky pings everyone most mornings. Let Becky (Paynoattentionmanbehindthecurtain) and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list. 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.

So... like the previous threads, this is intended as 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.

Previous threads:

The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - thread ONE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FOUR

New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!

[N. Beaujon]

Your kidding? Obviously, I meant 18hh. horse next to a pony. ;) Sorry about the typos. The 15 hh mare looks HUGE. Those pictures are so cute. ;)

Thanks for sharing.

Anne You know, Hair, let me ask you a question. I have a 15 hh gelding also and my soon to be ex husband really wants to ride him. I'm afraid he's too big for the horse. He's 6.2 about 225 lbs. I've heard that the horse to human ratio is 20% (i.e.- human should weigh no more than 20% of the horse. So if your horse weighs 1100 lbs, the human shouldnt weigh any more than 220 lbs.) Do you or anyone know what the cut off is before I go out and have him buy a 16 hh horse which is what I figured I'd have to do?

[HairOfTheDog]

Part of the difference in their sizes is forced perspective, the pony is further away, and the pony is hunkering down to kick.

Do you want your soon to be ex husband to ride him? I can frame my answer either way ;~D

If your 15 hh gelding were a wide and strongly built Quarter Horse, I'd say, he'd have no trouble carrying a big man around. The original QH's were not tall, and they carried full grown cowboys around all day. Since your horse is a relatively lightly built gaited horse, I'd say he's on the line of being too big but it really depends on your horse's age, fitness and what he'd be asked to do. If your stbx is not a rider and he'd be going slow around an arena for short ride(s), your gelding could do that. I wouldn't do a long or difficult ride at first, nor recommend that he get such a horse for himself. A bigger stronger horse would be better, and look more proportionate under him. Just watch him closely.

[CindyDawg]

I have all tile. Sometimes I think about a nice soft rug but a broom and a mop work best for me.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I need to borrow your son

:)...He's a good kid...uh well, I guess he's not really a kid, 27. ~oh god, I'm old~

Charlie has a lo of knowledge about horses and tack. He has a good friend that is actually alot older then him, that was raised on a horse ranch. This guy, Joe, for some reason took Charlie under his wing when Charlie was like 15 and taught him to rope, and tons of other stuff.

A funny thing about my shoe string tie on my cinches. ABout a year ago, Charlie was helping me work with a horse that did not want to load in a trailer. WE worked with this horse for about 5 hours, and Charlie finally called and asked Joe to come help. While we were waiting on Joe to get here I started riding the horse to keep him wore down, I was loping circles when he got here. When we took the saddle off to start the trailer training Joe noticed I had a shoe string holding my cinches. He's really funny about tack and safety. He started fussing about my shoestring and how that thing was going to break and I was going to be in trouble someday. It didn't help when I told him that shoe string had been there for about 5 years.

A few days later when I wasn't even here Joe came over her got in my trailer, took the shoestring off and put a leather keeper strap on it and left. I never even knew he did it till the next time I rode. I asked Charlie if he had done it, and he told me Joe did.

Well the thing had only been on there about 3 months when it broke:)...my shoe string had lasted 5years and was still fine.

When Charlie noticed I had a shoestring on it again today, he fussed. But then I told him about Joe's leather strap.

The whole thing is kind of funny. I understand Joe's motives where good, and I really appreciated his concern, and it was probably a freak thing that the one he put on broke, the buckle is what actually broke not the leather. But alot of Joe has rubbed off on Charlie, and he just doesn't think that shoe string was safe. He found an old pair of nylon reins and make a keeper strap out of that:)

And yes "turfed" is getting hammered into the ground from a horse:) Charlie has a young horse that he broke and is training for roping and the horse is "snakey" as Charlie says, and one night broke in two, and Charlie didn't stay on:( He didn't get hurt really, just sored him up.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Great pictures Hair:) Bay is so majestic when he's showing off.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

You just gotta shut your eyes

I did that once going down a hill. I figured if we were going head over hills there was nothing I could do so I that I might as well sit real still and hang on and let the horse do his thing:').

[mommadooo3]

sigh.....PICTURES!

LOL. I think I need to 'grow up' and stop drooling over pix of horses!

NOT!

[CindyDawg]

Thanks. I just wondered where they wrapped it. I used towrap it around the horn.

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks... sorry for posting so many... I thought each one showed ~something~ interesting about my group and I couldn't stop. ;~D

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Sorry I got to rambling in that last post:)

I meant to tell you I looked at that thread. You're right:),

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Hey, we like pictures:)

I'm just jealous that I can't post some.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

How do you get such fantastic shots? I'm thinking, oh I like this one until I get to the next. If you don't already you really should publish some of these.

[CindyDawg]

Funny. I have eaten alligator gar. I pass on the frog legs. Too many memories:')

[HairOfTheDog]

Shoestrings are under-rated!

[mommadooo3]

Aaahhhhh....around here, spring has sprung...

and yard dart season is upon us!

.

I have some 'good' news to report about the rescue horse, Twister.

At the field today, she's limping on her really bad long hoof.

The reason WHY is because her hooves are starting to 'self-trim'. They are breaking back to where they SHOULD be. Her limping is a sign that her circulation is getting back to normal and going through the healing process.

I'm NOT worrying about the limping, because when it is grain time, she RUNS like the wind with NO gimpiness.

(I'm NOT happy about having her this long, and not being able to 'tame her down' enough to trim her. If I had MY way, I'd have someone who could dart her with some good 'horse dope', so we could get the trimming done)

I'm thrilled that she is making a lot of progress in 'trusting' us. If anyone saw her when we first saved her, and then saw her today, they would cry. She can be the one who's furthest out back, she will hear you first when you call, and will ANSWER you, and THEN, she'll be the FIRST one to run like hell to come to you.

[HairOfTheDog]

Thank you! I really enjoy taking pictures... you should see the shots I ~miss~. Horses are so fast, and digitals so slow to respond!

[mommadooo3]

LOL....LISTEN HERE LADY.....

don't apologize for posting 'so many pictures'.

Apologize for not posting ENOUGH!

heheheh

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I like shoestrings:). The ones I was using the first time were those round nylon ones you get out of work boots. I use them to tie things to my saddle too.

Becky

[Beaker]

I've had alligator tail before. It's really good. However, I won't go near froglegs with a ten foot pole. Not that I've ever had them, but I still won't go near them. I'll chalk your faggots up there with that too. :-)

[Beaker]

I've had alligator tail before. It's really good. However, I won't go near froglegs with a ten foot pole. Not that I've ever had them, but I still won't go near them. I'll chalk your faggots up there with that too. :-)