The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SIX

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
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FIVE

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

[HairOfTheDog]

AAM.... I disagree, caveletti are not supposed to be easily knocked down. That's why they are mounted to crosses.

She is walking these cavaletti to encourage flexibility in the stifle. If he can drag an knock it over he won't get anywhere.

She's going to trot the poles only the ground.

She's not jumping these, but even if she was, I believe cavaletti are better when they are not easily knocked down.

[AnAmericanMother]

Spacing cavaletti: one trot stride apart when you have them rotated low. Once you raise them to the high side, you want a canter distance but shortened for an approach in trot - approximately 9-10 feet. If your horse tends to accelerate through a jumping line, you may want to add a foot or so as you go down the line. Always enter cavaletti at the trot, never the canter.

Your average hunter's trotting stride is around 4.5 feet. If your horse has a western sort of short jog, you'll have to shorten it up a trifle.

[AnAmericanMother]

Not starting at the height shown in the picture. A green horse is going to get all crossed up in there, not knowing whether to jump it or trot it, there's going to be a scramble and a crash, concrete blocks flying everywhere . . . I don't like the look of it.

I would start just with trot poles on the ground. If your horse really slams a cavaletti, it WILL rotate forward (I have extensive personal experience on this point!) unless it's placed in the bottom position (pole on the lowest corner of the cross).

What I did with my mare (and I started when she was very green) was begin with trot poles on the ground until she could trot through briskly and never touch a pole. Then I switched to the cavaletti, but kept them in the lowest position (they're just an inch or two off the ground then). Then I rotated the LAST cavaletti in the line forward one turn so that it was higher than the rest - and she jumped that going out. You just keep rotating them up, one after the other. Don't forget to increase the distance if the horse is cantering them as they increase in size.

I agree that placing one side of the cavaletti against the ring fence and standing on the other side should keep the horse from running out.

[HairOfTheDog]

She's been walking over them for weeks just like they are. Today we were talking about next steps.

When she starts trotting them, as she did today, they'll just be ground poles.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think part of this is a misunderstanding about what Becky's trying to work on. She never wants to jump them. Jumping them is not ever going to be the goal. She'll never canter over them. Prior to beginning this, her horse had been locking in the stifle, and she's walking him over high cavaletti to strengthen and increase his flexibility in the back.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I've noted everything everyone has said. Like Hair said, I've only been walking over them till today. today I laid them on the ground for the first trot over with Rusty. I haven't tried Harley yet. But I have a feeling Harley will do fine. I've been told cavalettlis are the first step in jumping and he has been jumped. I will start him on the ground and gradually raise them. The cement blocks make an excellent tool to do that, beings as they have two holes and a top. I will not raise the poles till the horses are trotting each level comfortabley.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Feel like we're talking about you like you aren't in the room? ;~D

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL

I don't care. You can actually learn more that way:) Continue on.

Becky

[AnAmericanMother]

Ah! OK! Now I understand!

You know, if you do hunter/jumpers and event horses, you think of everything in terms of working towards jumping. (To the guy with a hammer, everything looks like a nail!)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

It's so funny that I was telling you about my incident of dumping a load of dirt on my head. The day after I dumped that load on my head I was out on in the pasture knocking down dead trees. Well one tree was pretty good size.I managed to break it off with about 6 foot of stump left. I dug out around the roots some and then started trying to push it over. All the other trees I had knocked down that day, went over very easy. This one wasn't budging. I worked for a long time from all angles trying to push it over. I finally backed up and put the pedals to the metal and made a run at it as fast as a bobcat will go. I hit it about 4 ft from the ground. The teeth on the bucket stuck in the tree. The wheels kept turning, but since the bucket was now stationary, the the body of the bobcat rolled up. Luckily I had enough sense to reach out and turn the thing off. I was hanging from the safety bar arcoss my middle:). I wasn't sure what to do then, but luckily, by the grace of God I did the right thing. I pressed on the correct pedal that tipped the body of the bobcat back down. Took me forever to get the teeth out:) I never did get that stump out.

I was reminded of this 1. becasue I was talking of my adventures on the cat, and 2. I noticed today that stump was laying over on the ground. I don't know why it is, unless Rock was rubbing on it. It was still up the other day when I was out there. It was a hollow stump about 6 foot high. I have over the years it;s been ther put all kinds of trash down it while out there, water bottles, pop cans, beer cans, paper, etc. I guess I need to go out ther and clean that stuff up before it lands up all over the property.

Might take a picture.:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

The stump:)

The trash coming out the bottom.

the marks where the bobcat teeth stuck.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

LOL - Now I really am amazed you were allowed back in the Bobcat!

[Duchess47]

boy, I'm amazed Mack lets you touch the bobcat at all. It must give him plenty of grey hairs worrying, not about what you will do to it but what you might do to yourself :)

I have to admit though, that I'd be tempted to do something like that when frustrated. I used my pickup truck one time to hold the side of the barn up after a tornado took it down so that I could put it back together. My ex had a fit about that.

[Duchess47]

You need to take this stump and put it in your yard. Put a potted plant in the top of it - it's part of history the grandkids will enjoy.

[Rose of Sharn]

ROFL I snorted Smirnoff all over my new computer reading about you with a bucket load of dirt dumped on you! Now I just get cleaned up and have the image of you teetering in the Bobcat with it's teeth stuck in a stump. LOL Another mess........
I'm going to do a Hair and say I wish we had pictures! LOL

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well that would mean using the bobcat outside of the arena:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I was very glad no one was around to see my adventures:).

Sorry for the messes.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Good morning.

Getting ready to go ride. Jenny should be here by 6:30.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Wow, that's early.... when you go early to beat the heat, you do it all the way!

Hope you have a good ride.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Just got home. Pictures loading. We rode for about 4 hours. Harley was really wired today. Not like himself at all. He was fine till we trotted abit then he pranced and jigged the rest of the way. Sillly horse.

Becky