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!

[dandelion]

For crying out loud, can I just have a do-over please????

Okay, here's what I did:

Hubby just came home after being gone on an extended trip. I told him the whole sordid story and told him best advice might be to just give Ranger back. He asked to go watch me with the colt, and he noticed two things:

First, he said I'm at eye level or lower with Ranger. I never really think of myself as being that short. He thought it made a difference in the way the horse reacts to him and reacts to me.

Second, when I put on my jacket (it finally gets cool at night) he noticed it has ruffled sleeves on it - and the horse noticed it too. As in, he wanted to nibble them.

He and I talked about the colt, and whether or not we should do this at all. (Hubby's already bringing in a vet to get the horse gelded, so if I'm going to give Ranger back, I better not geld yet). Hubby also wants to bring in a friend of his to train the horse - but there's another fellow who wants to have the horse brought to him to be classically broken, "western-style". This other guy trains cutting horses, and he's known to my husband's friend, but not to me personally, so I don't know if he's good or not.

You said to ask, so here's what I WANT TO ASK: is it better to bring a trainer "in" to have him trained with us (as we originally intended to do) or to have him "sent to breaking boot camp" as hubby's friend suggests? My husband really wants Ranger, and he really want to have him broken with us around if possible. He is not sure about the method he wants to try (natural, classic) and RFDTV's wide array of training choices is making things confusing.

IF I DO ALL THIS - get him gelded and bring in trainers, can I still keep this colt and not be an ass?

I know 24's coming on, so I'll check back AFTER the show...

[Duchess47]

I just asked Bob to check Horse Chow out for Prez. He's worried about changing his mixture because he does so well on it, but it gets very expensive and time consuming with the Equine Senior, Alfalfa Pellets and Beet Pulp.

[Duchess47]

We just feed less of it than grass hay, probably about 10-12 lbs a day per horse. They seem to do well on it.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I don't blame Bob for being careful. I'd check it out too.

And also FYI:) they make 3 kinds of horse chow: 100, 200,300, Just like Omelene. The only differnce is the protein level.

I'm not sure what Prez's special needs are, so it's hard to say, but I'd look into it. I don't know why the Horse Chow is less expensive, other then it's been around for years and years, and the New compelet feeds are just that NEW.

I don't like the NEW compelete feeds, Senior, Adult, and Foal, because they have sooooooo much molasses in them they turn to a brick in cold weather and are hard to measure out. Plus they cost more.

Good luck:)

Becky

[dandelion]

I meant to ping you to the above question too, but for some reason it dumped you all out of the line-up...

I really need to make a decision about keeping him, and if I do keep him I need to geld him pronto!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

My daughter and SIL feed their horses a little alfalfa hay too. Something the SIL's dad does with his horses.

My son on the other hand wouldn't feed alfalfa at all, it worries him that Jenny does. I guess it just all in who you talk too.

Becky

[Duchess47]

"IF I DO ALL THIS - get him gelded and bring in trainers, can I still keep this colt and not be an ass? "

Of course you can :).

Gelding is a good idea and the sooner the better. I like your hubby.

As far as a trainer - well, two things.

If the trainer comes in to your place, he can also show you how to manage Ranger. However, be prepared to be horrified that he'll hurt Ranger and don't interfer. That is so hard to do. Believe me, it's very hard to hurt a horse using any decent methods.

If you send him out to a trainer, you will hopefully get a well trained young man back. You won't gain any experience since you won't see it, but it's usually easier on the horse and the trainer if the owner is not around.

Right now, at his age, all he is going to learn is manners. Perhaps, having someone come in and teach you both would be better, then, send him out to a trainer when he's two or so, to be saddle broke.

Good luck.

[Inge_CAV]

Thanks! The heat is turned up and feels good.

I had to laugh when I read a post above about how we horse owners had it made when we started out. When I got my first horse I did not have a truck, trailer, saddle or even a halter to lead it with. Nor a place to keep it. I had to hire a guy with a cattle trailer to haul it to a stable for me. I hauled my feed and hay to it in the back of a Toyota Celica. My first truck was bought at a junk yard and had spent it's first life as a coal hauling truck. It was beat up and banged all over but with a good battery it cranked and ran. I bought it as a 3/4 ton but while writing the bill of sale the seller determined it to be a one ton truck that had been special ordered by the coal company. It was so battered that when you hit a bump in the road coal dust would fall out from underneath the dash. Also the bed would flop up and down because only two bolts were holding it to the frame. There have been no regrets about my truck and it took me anywhere and would haul one ton loads with ease. I still have the truck to this day but it looks much better now with some repairs........... : )

[Duchess47]

I would like for him to try it. I think it would have to be 200 or 300. Prez is his main trail horse, plus hits the show ring all summer long so he needs the protein.

Prez has a pouch in his throat and cannot have hay or dry food because it packs up there and he chokes. Currently, his food is all wet down to almost a slurry. I believe that would work with Horse Chow too.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

The horse will not be ready to break to ride till it's 2. But you should get the horse halter broke soon, by a trainer. Any trainer you "send" it to, should not have a problem with you all showing up anytime you want to watch. So IMO, either way would be about the same. IMO, if you keep this horse, you need to be learning to ride on a differnt one while you're waiting on this one to be rideable. It is very hard to learn to ride on a green horse. A horse that is well broke can teach you alot and will tolerate your mistakes. Even when you get him back broke, he will still be green and will need someone with experience to ride him while he gains experience and confidence.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I use to wet it down for my daughters old horse. It's almost like a bran mash.

Becky

[Duchess47]

I think it's probably what you are used to. Growing up in the west, everyone fed alfalfa. Bob had a hard time with it, coming from NC, he had only ever fed grass hay.

We can't put a bale out for horses of course, and pay attention to the amount that they get, but they do very well on it.

I think we mostly think, alfalfa has protein in it, and is cheaper than grass hay with is just basically filler (the grass hay we get here).

[Inge_CAV]

Thanks for the ping. Also good luck with your decision whichever way you go. We will be here to help you through whatever happens as most of us have already been there. : )

[CindyDawg]

That's a good way to pay for one but money isn't what's holding me back. I just can't find anything. Farmers are chopping up their land and getting 20-30000 a lot.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I just looked at google about Horse chow. I don't know what the deal was, but I saw one site that said a 50 lb bag was $15.75. Same for Strategy.

I don't know what you pay, but I'm paying $7.00 for a 50lb bag. Do prices vary that much in different parts of the county?

Becky

[dandelion]

Well, that was the original idea - to bring in the trainer so we could all work together. But right now an ideological battle is brewing...

David really likes some of the "natural horse training" methods that are being showcased in Equus magazine and on TV, but we don't know anyone who's actually TRIED it. We do have a trainer in mind, and he was also specific to cutting horse training, but he's a little more mellow in regards to how he approaches the horse. I don't know if these new methods are all just a fad and it might be better to go with the classic method of "breaking" the horse, or if the natural method would really work...

Another prob: all these people know my husband through business so I never get to talk to them. I'm the one that's going to have to do all this while David's out of town (which is FREQUENTLY) so I'd really like to be a little more savvy regarding training. This means I need to be trained as well as the horse is - and I just don't know which methods to go for. Do you have a particular training method you use? All my meager experience has been with rodeo breakers, so I am WAY limited...

[Duchess47]

Well, we're going to give it a try I think. It'll take a couple of weeks to get everyone switched over, but we'll still have plenty of time before endurance rides and show season to make adjustments. We'll just keep a real close eye on the mare due in Feb. and on Sonny with breeding season coming up.

[Inge_CAV]

You will have to get off the beaten path to find what you are looking for.

[Duchess47]

Oh yes - big diference, in the parts of the country and in the stores. I can get Equine Senior here for anywhere from $12.00 per 50lb to $14.50 per 50lb. Strategy will run $11.50 per 50lb - it's only available right now at the feed store. Equine Junior runs $15.60 per bag.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I'm not sure what Strategy costs. It's been a long time since I bought it.

I'll ask next week when I buy feed. Just curios now. That seems like such a big differnce.

Becky