| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
Locked on 07/14/2005 3:27:58 PM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason:
locked - new thread http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1443085/posts |
Posted on 06/01/2005 7:34:38 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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!
Good morning. Taking 1/2 day off today to go home and get final preps done for horse show tomorrow and endurance ride on Sunday. Yes, been very busy, work and home but looking for things to slow down a bit at the end of the month.
Oh - hope all goes well today. I found that while it hurts to talk, talking is better than not talking because the low grade pain sure beats the intense pain of moving a mouth that hasn't moved in hours.
Hey ysll
Hi Beaker! I hope your wisdom teeth come out ok. I had mine done when I was about your age. I don't remember much about it other than they put some headphones on my head, played me some music, and stuck me in the hand. I started getting numb in my feet and my fingers first, then I was just floating and the next thing I remember, they were waking me up. It wasn't too bad, other than I felt like somebody had driven a Mack truck through my mouth. I swear I think they put a floor jack in there to crank it open. Oh, and they pack your whole mouth full of gauze, then tell you not to spit. So what are you supposed to do, drown?! Anyways, hopefully by the time you see this post, it'll all be over. I'll be thinking good thoughts for ya.
Good pictures Becky! You were talking about the high power lines humming. I read somewhere that you can take a fluorescent tube out under them at night and it'll glow. I've never tried it myself, but one of these days I'm gonna. It'd be cool, but it's kinda scary to think that there's that much of an electromagnetic field when you're just standing under them.
Who's going to be in the horse show and who's riding endurance? Be sure to take plenty of pictures!
As a little background, he's always been extremely trailer-phobic, mostly due to my early inexperience with horses and listening to what the "cowboys" said about how to get him in the trailer, but we worked out our compromise in my old 2-horse straight load and have been fine with it for many years. Then a couple of years ago, I bought a 3-horse slant and he refuses to get in it. It was no big deal since I still have the old 2-horse, but I would like him to learn to get in the new trailer. So I've been working with him every afternoon for a month or so and have managed to get him to THIS point...
It's been a long ordeal, he'll get in there now, but won't stay when I go to close the divider and you'd better not be in the way when he goes to get out or you'll get run over. I don't want to tie him in there before he's comfortable with it because he's so big that I'm sure he'd just pull the tie ring down and probably hurt himself. I tried something similarly stupid last year by putting the butt bar up when he got in there. You can see where it is in relation to his butt, but he was in such a panic that he managed to squeeze out UNDERNEATH it and peeled all the skin off his backbone from tail to withers in the process. So we just kind of quit after that until now.
I've just been taking it extremely slow with him, feeding him in there and removing all pressure when he gets in, even part way. It's helped, but he's still very nervous in there. I've been trying to progressively get him used to the sound of the gates by squeaking them and banging them a little while he's in there and he's gotten better about not just flying backward at the first squeak. This week, I've managed to get in there behind him and ask him to step over a step or two and have partially swung the divider towards him and back away, but you can see him draw up when I do it.
I'm not sure what the next step should be though. I'm afraid that if I do manage to get the divider gate shut that when I go to open it, he'll knock me down and run me over in his panic to get out of there. I don't think I should close the back door with him loose in there, he'd probably have a fit. So I think I'm just going to have to keep going slow until he's more comfortable about being in there and being able to get out when he feels he needs to. But if any of you have any suggestions, feel free to express them.
In the meantime, this is what happens when I get done and forget to close the trailer back up...
This is 3 horses in the space designed for 2, and sometimes it's 3 and a half. And they don't wanna come out either. After having all the problems with Tennessee that I've had, I may have gone overboard in training the others to be easy loaders. ;o)
I sympathize with your situation with Tennessee... Bay was trailer-phobic too, 15 years ago, and Bob was trying to load him in a straight load that was really too small for him. We hurt him a couple times when he'd pull back and slam himself. He was good with time, a nice big slant load, and a lot of positive trailer trips. One panic though, and they can be set back worse than they started. What would happen if you closed him in there loose, no divider? first for a time just sitting, maybe give him hay in there... but even then, short trips loose down the driveway and back? I think there's two fears, both the claustrophobia, and the movement. Maybe lessening one of them until they get used to the other would help. Does it help him if there is another friendly horse in the front?
oh - and we didn't get around to fencing today.... had work and other stuff come up. ;~D
Suprisingly enough, they all come out of there quite slowly (this has happend more than once). They seem to realize that they can't all get out of there at the same time. Hope is still the least experienced at backing out and prefers to wait until everybody else gets out so she can turn around and come out head first.
...Does it help him if there is another friendly horse in the front?...
No, I've tried that and it just seems to make it worse. I think it's because they're making noise and taking up space. I might try taking out all the partitions like you said and closing the back door. Of couse, that might make him regress to the point that he wouldn't get in all the way anymore, you just never know. And I wouldn't want to haul him that way because he weighs at least 1500 lbs and having him wander from the back of the trailer to the front while driving would make for an extremely interesting drive, not to mention what might happen if he lost his balance in that big open space and fell down. I know people do haul horses that way, but it's always scared me thinking about what would happen if they had to slam on their brakes. It's a trial, that's just all there is to it.
LOL! Isn't it annoying when WORK gets in the way of the really important stuff like fencing?! ;o)
It sure is.... Can't get anything done ;~D
Tracey and Bob will show Class President (Prez), Friday Dee Bar (Friday) and True Quest (Buddy) in halter classes tomorrow.
Sunday Tracey will ride Sonny and Bob will ride Fancy in a 50 mile endurance ride. Somehow I've left everything to the last minute (typical behavior for me) so am trying to get paperwork filled out and halters polished. I will take pictures.
Very good.... good luck to everyone, man and beast, this weekend!
That's what I call "making a hole":')
Thank you :) I'll pop in tomorrow afternoon with pictures of the show I hope.
Good morning.
Becky
Good morning.
We have a busy day, running errands and going up to the land to get things prepped to move.
Hope everyone has a blessed day!
Morning!
Not sure what's on the agenda today..... riding or fencing or both perhaps :~D
Mack is working on the truck and horse trailer, so I will be mobile with horses again next week.
I'm getting ready to go get a horse saddled. I want to ride Rusty and Harley both today.
I don't think I mentioned, Belle's culture came back clear, which is good. BUT...she doesn't seem to have ever come into full blown season yet, which I think she should have with the shot. I've been gathering info tho, and I guess if the mare was in season or just going out when the shot is given it won't work. So I'm going to keep her here till the end of June. If I haven't bred her by then, I won't. It will make the foal born to late next summer. I'll have to wait till next spring, if I decide to do it at all.
Becky
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
