The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread EIGHT

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 MissTargets will now be pinging everyone most mornings. Let MissTargets 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
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN

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

[Beaker]

Dressage is so addicting. I can't get enough of it. I started doing it when I was nine, and spent about 5 months on the lunge line developing my seat, but at that point it wasn't really dressage. Then at some point I had a nasty fall when I was riding a really spooky school horse, and got so spooked myself that I left the barn, and switched to hunter jumper barn. (It's hard to find anything else but hunter jumper where I am) While in school, by pure chance I found a dressage barn down the street from me in July of 2004. Heh, and I thought that I knew how to ride too. I'll never forget my first lesson... I thought that everything I had ever learned was wrong.

The appy that I've been riding isn't my trainer's. It belongs to someone else, and there's an agreement that now and again advanced students can ride her. This appy was top in the nation when she competed at third level. She can't do fourth because of the same tempi issue and her build. Because of her build, it's amazing that she's been able to do third level period. 4th is just way too much of a push for her. But what an amazingly comfortable ride. However, all of the horses at the barn are dressage trained... Daisy is just the best of the best as far as being a teacher.

[FrogInABlender]

That's a lot of vetting in one day! Hope it all goes smoothly and well :~D

It all went fine. I took Tennessee and Grace first since they had to be sedated. He pulled Grace's wolf teeth with no problem and checked for the sore that was on Tennessee's sheath and it was gone, so round one was over. I left them in a stall at the vet's to wake up while I went back and got Bluebell, Truly and Ellie. Ellie stood there like a little angel while he drew her blood. I was really proud of her. Then he manually checked Bluebell and said she was still pregnant and the baby was moving, so I was thrilled. I loaded them back up and took them home, then came back for Tennessee and Grace who had woke up by that point. Tennessee only took 10 minutes to get into the trailer instead of the hour and a half that it took the last time, so I was proud of him too. All in all it took about 3 hours.

Oh, and here's another pic of Cav's kitty. I swear Cav must've used him as a photo model. He seems to love finding places for me to take his picture...

[ShakeNJake]

A friend of mine has an appy gelding that is quite talented but he will also stall out at 2nd-3rd level due to conformation and tempi issues.

My guy is a qh but at shows, everyone thinks he is a warmblood because of his movement. He can piaffe, passage, and pirouette, but has trouble with those tempis.

It is especially hard to come from a hunter/jumper background into dressage. Western is actually easier to come from because the body position is closer than hunter/jumper. Every hunter/jumper person I know that has switched to dressage has really struggled at first.

Dressage is the only thing I want to do now. What is really interesting about the tempis in competition is that they are not considered to be classical dressage even though the SRS does them. They were developed as a circus trick initially and are not considered to add anything to the gymnastic conditioning of the horse. Instead, they are now used to demonstrate the end result of all the training as an indicator of the horse's response to the rider's aids.

[FrogInABlender]

I love your decorations. The Raggedy Ann and Andy that your Mom painted are just darling. I always loved those old bubble lights too. We had 'em on our trees when I was growing up. They bring back the memories. The Christmas villiage is really pretty too. I've got several little lighted houses like that that I set around on the end tables and stuff. I've also got 5 that are made out of stained glass and they're pretty nice too. Thanks for sharing. Oh, and I like the way you've got your china cabinet spanning the corner like that. They look better like that I think.

[FrogInABlender]

Wow Hair, your trees are really pretty too, and I really like the mantle. I did something similar on top of my entertainment center. I like lights on everything! ;o)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Thanks Frog:)

Well, I have my horse saddled. I think he's just going to stand saddled for a few hours, then I'll lunge him then turn him back out. Tomorrow I will ride. I want to ease back into this. LOL,,,I don't know why I expect this horse to be silly, he never has been, but I always expect it. And the more I expect it the better ride he gives me. The lady that tried out Rusty called last week and wants to come ride with me again. I think I'll try to get hold of her to come with me. I'll feel better with someone with me this time.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

She (Cav's kitty) does appear to seek out nice frames for her image, doesn't she?

Heh... here's the lates of my kitties... I switched out that old toilet seat cover they'd been trying hard to all fit on, here on my desk, and they now have a nice folded fleece blanket. I thought it was cute, the kittens tryin' to snuggle up as close to Cartman as they can.

I'm glad all the vetting went well, and all the trailering. That's quite the process getting everyone there and home again. I guess ours are due for their annual vetting in Jan or Feb.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I do my annual vetting in March.

Cute picture of the kitties:). They look so cozy.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I have my horse saddled.

Well, even that is an accomplishment in this wintery time of year :~D

Why do you expect him to be squirrely? That's a good question! I never worry about Bay, even if it's been months, because even though he's always a little squirrelly, it's always predicatable squirrely and within a limit I'm comfortable with. He's just at that age... at 24, he's not going to suddenly decide not to be broke.

Cyn, I worry about when she's been off... I wouldn't say ecurbh should get on and go somewhere without lunging her a little and reminding her about the rules. But she's never been bad after a layoff either. She's sometimes worse on lunge, but she doesn't lunge cheerfully on a good day.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Why do you expect him to be squirrely?

I'm a victim of Belle:). I keep hoping someday I'll get over her. Harley has never done anything that should make me nervous, so it's just that I'm nuts:)

But now that I see him standing out there so calmly, I'm really thinking of just heading out today for an hour or so. Mack is going to be home soon, I may wait till he is here, it's alway when I first get on and going around the end of the barn that makes me nervous. If Belle was going to act up, that is when she would do it. If I can get that far, I'm fine, but for some reason I expect every horse to act like she did.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm just pleased that Cartman seems to enjoy the kittens. I've never had luck introducing new cats to each other before... I thought I'd be doing good if he just tolerated their presence in the house :~D

But he likes them and grooms them and seems to enjoy their company, and that's a bonus :~D

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm all for being conservative in that regard... It's healthy to be aware of your safety... It's our fears that keep us safe and whole :~D

And getting on anyway, with your mind processing and dealing with all the risks, that's living :~D

[Beaker]

Dressage is the only thing that I want to do now too. I'm so happy with it right now, that I get school girlgiddy. I had no idea that tempi changes were once developed as a trick, wild. I really like to see them though, even though there is some controversy over them.
As a side note, I really really love to watch freestyle. It's what made me want to be a dressage rider in the first place. What always amazed me about dressage riders is how they could sit the extended trot with ease. Just sitting there, while I as as I hunter jumper would just hold on for dear life. Not anymore however! I still jostle a little bit because my back always wants to stiffen, but it's slowly getting better.

And good luck with finals. I finish on Wednesday as well.

[Beaker]

I'm a victim of Belle:)
You aren't nuts. It's a once bitten twice shy type of thing. Even though you don't like arena work, do you think that you could get on in there and do some work? Do you know that every time I get on a horse I wonder if I'm going to take a tumble? Doesn't matter if he's dead broke, I still wonder.

[Beaker]

That's an adorable kitty picture. Cartman is like a big kitty grandpa.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yeah, that is what I'm thinking I may do today, just work him a bit in the arena.

Once my butt is in the saddle I'll be fine...

But Mack is home now and he's going to need my help handing him boards. Harley will probably just stand today.

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

That blanket looks like a much more comfy perch than that teeny toilet seat cover. They train us well don't they?! ;o)

Cats just kill me how they can fold their bodies in half and sleep in the most uncomfortable-looking positions.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - I can't imagine wanting to sleep curled up in a ball... Cartman doesn't curl, if you notice... I think his sizeable heft gets in the way. He's a sprawler :~D

[FrogInABlender]

I think that adding new kittens is easier than adding older cats to an established cat household. When I added Rowdy, he was probably 6-8 mths old and he was just so playful that he wouldn't take no for an answer from the other two cats. They slapped him a lot in the first few days, but they were playing by the end of the week.

With Cav's kitty being 5yrs old, it's taken him longer to fit in. He had never lived anywhere but Cav's house, so the new surroundings took him a while to get used to all by themselves, and although he was used to living with lots of other cats he wasn't used to my cats. It's been 2 or 3 weeks now and they've gotten used to each other, but they don't play like they did with Rowdy. Maybe one day they will, coz it sure is fun to watch.

[HairOfTheDog]

BTW, I know Cav hasn't been well, and I hope he is well again soon. Let him know that he's in our prayers and we miss him. :~D