The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN

See our "who's who" page! ^

[HairOfTheDog]

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
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SIX

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

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I know that a horse can have an attitude to "do" it and others don't:). Rocky does NOT want to do long distances:)

That is one thing that has always made me think Harley would be good at this, He doesn't get rattled even when horses are leaving him, and he has seemed to be slower on days when I ride him on consecutive days, but he still does things willingly and in good form. I think he will be fine. I'm just stressing:). Stressing in a good way tho. Not nervous, scared, just wanting him to be in the best shape possible.

Becky

[2Jedismom]

This is true. One long run a week. When I was training, I ran 3 miles on Monday, 10 miles on Wednesday, 6 miles on Friday then Sunday I would run my long run...gradually working up from 12 miles to 24 miles, two more miles a week, you know? Then on Monday would come my easy slow-paced 3 mile run again, to recover and work out the lactic acid from my muscles.

I had never run the entire 26 miles until I ran my marathon...That was the week I was supposed to run 26 miles.

[HairOfTheDog]

One thing, she did loose points almost every ride for sore stuff, sometimes legs, sometimes whiters, back loins. She never agreed that she should have lost those points:) He has also coliced several times at rides. She took the blame for those of feeding him to soon after getting back in from the ride,, so who knows.

She can make all the excuses she wants, but I think you rightly believe those are signs she's stressing him. Not enough to be disqualified, but for her horse it's tough at the end of the day.

She takes pride in completing, aches and pains or not, in fact she probably believes aches and pains are perfectly normal as part of a ride. You take pride in the horse's fitness at the end of it.

Your horse pays small amounts of dues working every day and can get through those rides without paying any more than a normal day. Her horse rests easy and pays a bigger price on the big rides. Is it the same over time? Who knows. Your horse also has the mental benefit of regular activity that breaks up the day. Hers is bored most days :~D

[Rose of Sharn]

I read to deaconjim what you had written and he said the same thing. Take a firearm with you.
Could it have been a half wolf, half something else? They can howl! Strange Grizzly touched noses.....did you see him doing that? very unusual.

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks ;~D I think there's a lot of similarity between that kind of conditioning and the right way to prepare for Becky's competitive rides.

The tough part about Becky's stuff is that 'marathon' is two days in a row... and both rides are significant in length, at 20 miles each day.

[2Jedismom]

Wow...I know I couldn't have run an inch the next day after my marathon...I ran the Austin River City 10-Miler the next weekend, though...was the only one of my running friends that could! :-)

The idea, in my opinion is slow and steady increases in distance with a recovery day after a long jaunt...I guess that's the best way for horses too...but don't know.

[Rose of Sharn]

An important part of Marathon training is eating the right food regulary, and drinking plenty of water. That has got to be an important factor in a horses marathon to I would think. : )

[Rose of Sharn]

I've never run a marathon, although i used to do 10 miles a day, 4 times a week.
I have completed many long distance hikes, on rough terrain and in different continents, and I always found the third day to be the toughest! If I could make it through the third day, I caould make it to the end. : )

[2Jedismom]

Oh yes! Absolutely! And not just regular meals...but during the actual run!

My husband used to ride along side me on his bike when I was doing my long run. He had slices of banana and electrolyte drink that he would give me at intervals as I ran along!

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, In trying to draw comparisons that are equivalent, since a human mile is not the same as a horse mile, I'd say that for an average horse and rider to do 20 miles is about equivalent to a human runner doing 10.

For a horse, 20 miles may hurt the next day, but it's ~doable~ for a healthy horse without any particular conditioning. And they are walking at a good pace most of the way, with periods of trotting. So it may be equivalent to a ~10~ mile human walk/run where you can rest and walk parts of it, and there are a few actual stopping breaks where you must rest until you cool and get your breath back. A fit runner will do it well, someone who is basically fit and healthy could conceivably finish, even if the last couple of miles hurt. Condition really comes into play if you had to do it again the next day.

[Rose of Sharn]

I had a friend who did that for me, but it stopped when the silly idiot wasn't looking where she was going and ran into me! : )
Gaelic all over the road!

[Rose of Sharn]

Having never donw croos country on a horse, I have no real idea of the rules... but are you allowed to take apples or treats to give them some much needed sugar?

[Rose of Sharn]

What is happening to my spelling? It's getting worse! LOL

[HairOfTheDog]

That's a Becky question, I've never done it either. They can drink water I know, if they will... You know the saying about leading horses to water, though.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't know, are ya in the sauce early today Rose? :~D

[HairOfTheDog]

ecurbh and I are off to do some mowing work, so we don't feel like slugs for not doing ~something~ active today :~D

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Hey thanks for the info.

Yeah you can take treats to feed your horse along the way, and they highly recommend letting them take bites of grass along the way. Keeps the gut sounds working. I'll take alfalfa cubes with me.

There was a big controversy awhile back about giveing electrolytes to horses by force, paste ones that you give with a syringe. Alot of people felt that was giving the people with the horses who were only in so so condition a better chance. Before that you could only give them in their feed. From what I learned, a horse that is feed well and in good condition wouldn't need them except in extreme weather conditions, very humid. I've never used that kind. I just put salt, lite salt and calcium carbonate in their feed.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I didn't see Grizzly sniff him. I know he went thru the woods to where the coyote was standing, Celia's the one that said they sniffed each other. I was further down the trail and couldn't see what was going on. Once she started into the woods towards it is when I saw it moving thru the trees parralle to us, towards where I was at. Grizzly had come back to where I was by then.

I really don't think I could shoot one, only because I don't know what the horse would do:). I don't think he is gunned trained. IMO, staying away from it was the smart thing to do, I don't know why she went riding towards it. I was further down the trail because I didn't want to get close to it:)

Becky

[Rose of Sharn]

I don't know, are ya in the sauce early today Rose?
Not yet, but maybe it will help! : )

[HairOfTheDog]

Sometimes when we've been out on hot rides and Bay won't drink at the river, or even back at the trailer, I've wanted to force liquids by syringe.... just because ~I~ think he should have it, though I've never had a horse get in serious trouble from dehydration, I know others have, especially at competition away from home when they are finicky about drinking.

The fact that he wouldn't drink was the main reason we decided to come right home after that one hard ride we were on, instead of staying for dinner. If he'd have drank something, I'd have felt better about leaving him tied with some hay to munch, but I didn't want to feed him until he'd had a significant drink.