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Thread Nine: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1584833/posts |
Posted on 10/04/2005 9:56:41 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 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!
I'm glad to hear you now have a good diagnosis on SL. Hope she gets better rapidly.
Hair, I dunno know, the trail might be the best place to train neck reining. A little bit of weaving around the trees, would be good practice....
Heh - yeah - as long as it's not me getting scraped off by a low hanging branch ;~D
The folks we sold Speed to got their young colt in from New York yesterday. Bob and Tracey went over to be there when the shipper came in because the husband is out of town. Okay looking colt but skin and bones and looks to be in need of a worming. He wouldn't take being pushed around by Speed so she quickly decided to behave. They are seperated by the way. Bob said the lady is very comfortable with Speed, I was glad to hear that.
Did they take any pics? Speed is the solid chestnut filly from last year right?
I agree. They feel that as soon as that's done, "put me away so,I can go back to my favorite past time...eating!" The old pick up the pace, on the way back to the barn trick.
We teach horses to neck rein with the reins in their normal position. We just use leg pressure and put the off rein against their neck. That way we aren't working on an accident by having the reins crossed if we need them. The horse learns to follow his head with the direct rein, move with the leg pressure and the neck pressure. All of it means turn and eventually any one of the three means turn. Working on this in the sage brush is good practice and training because they have to turn :) or plow through a 3' prickly sage brush.
Yes, they took pictures :) I'll try to download some of them this evening. Yes, Speed is last year's solid filly.
That's what I've done with Bay when I've tried to work on it.... just add the neck rein to the direct rein on the other side... even one handed. I can slide the reins and give enough of each. Bay's just always been direct reined when it matters. I could get him to make gentle or obvious turns with a slack neck rein, but if he's got to do a 180 in the trail, or go some direction that isn't his first choice, I direct rein.
I think ecurbh has found Cyn to be more relaxed relatively slack and neck reining... having been started in Western Pleasure, I suppose that's her norm.
I've always ridden Bay with more contact with his snaffle Kimberwick.... but I'll have to be more slack with the new hackamore.
Well I'm back from exchanging the pad. You're right, hair about them being mostly air. I didn't find one like yours.
They did have a Professional Choice Air ride, and it doesn't have any valves you have to set. I always had good proformace from PC boots, so I'm going to give this pad a try. I got 15% off because it had a discolored spot on it. He is saddled now, and every thing looks good so far. I'm going to have lunch then ride. The best thing is Pet Smart gives a 60 day money back guarantee. Can't beat that. Gives me plenty of time to try it, And PC give a 24 month guarantee.
See you later.
Becky
I generally don't neck rein either but I'd definately prefer doing it the way you describe without the crossed reins. I just did it that way because that's the way Blade's new owner had asked me to do it.
My real preference is steering by leg pressure if I'm bushwhacking through the woods. That way I've got my hands free to fend off low-hanging branches and briars but I can still take the reins and give stronger direction if I need to. It's like Duchess said, doing it in tight quarters gives them an obvious reason for why you're doing what you're doing.
I'd like to see the Air Ride pad. Haven't seen them. Take some pictures!
I use a lot of leg too, but I think exactly the opposite leg from most folk.
I use inside leg, as far back as needed, to bend and push the horse's ass end around in turns. Reins control the front end, leg controls the rear.
But I can usually one-hand Bay in the front, because the other hand is holding the camera ;~D
I trained my horse to neck rein ... sort of. He got really good in one direction, but was so-so in the other direction. Typical. :-)
Jake, they are just gorgeous. Take a look at this Cremelo Trachener that I'm in love with. "Just make an offer". Yeah, right. http://www.equinenow.com/browse-ad-22801 Great pics, great horses.
Anne
Here it is on Harley.
There really isn't much to see. It's "supposedly" what's on the inside that makes them special. As far as my ride today, it seemed fine. I felt level, it didn't roll all that much (I'm afraid no matter what I put under the saddle It's going to roll some because he just doesn't have alot of withers.). When we got back I mashed on his back all I could with my finger tips and he didn't react at all. Of course we only rode about 2 hours, and not that hard. We did trot and lope some, and lots of hills. I don't know if that is enough to make him sore if he was going to get sore???
Becky
Sure is nice and tidy looking! And the saddle seems to be sitting down on him better.
Soreness is relative I guess.. I think after a long hard day, any of us or any horse can become sore from fatigue as much as a defect in the saddle fit. 2 hours is long enough to become sore if the saddle fit really badly, but a more minor fit issue would only become apparent after a lot more.
Remind me... because from what I remember his only visible soreness came at the end of a two day CTR ride, his first of the year and first in that saddle, and it was not severe enough to disqualify him, only to note because it might be improved... right?
He had sorness at the end of the first day, and it got worse at the end of the second day. And it was pretty severe sorness, he caved in with just a moderate amount of finger tip pressure run down his back. No they don't disqualify you for things like that, you just loose points and I lost a bunch. I think it was 12 points total.
This CTR was his first, his first in this saddle, and we'd only had the saddle for maybe a month. I believe 110% most of this soreness was from me sitting to far back in the saddle. After seeing the pictures they took of us, I could see how I had my feet/legs way to far forwad, which would drive my butt down on him harder. Poor guy:)
Probably is what I'll do, if I don't have any trouble between now and the time of the first ride I go too, I'll take the cashell, if he would come in sore the first day I'd use it the second. Then come home and chuck the whole mess:).
Real soon when I get all these tack problems ironed out, I'm going to have Mack take pictures of me riding again so I can see if I'm sitting better. I think I am. But I'd like to "see".
Becky
We'd like to see too! I sure hope this is the right solution.
LOL!! I can believe that! Holding the camera has almost got me whacked in the head by something on more than one occasion.
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