The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread NINE

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
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread EIGHT

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

[Duchess47]

With periodic checks :) Yes, I think we can. At least I have my husband's support so now whenever he starts with we need, I reply, add another year before I can retire :) Now he's even determined to sell some horses.

[Beaker]

When my brother was a toddler he'd eat grass and the cat's food. We had to watch him like a hawk all the time.

[Duchess47]

It just started snowing here :(

[HairOfTheDog]

Snow? Good grief!

We're takin' the Big Risk and letting the kittens outside today....

They gotta go out eventually, but I'm afraid to lose them. :~\

[CindyDawg]

They may stay with the big one.

[HairOfTheDog]

Heh... Not sure that's a good thing :~D

Actually, I'm not sure where he went... they're still playing at going in and out from under the house. He might be under there too. I guess it's safe enough under there for them, but I can't retrieve them from under there if they refuse to come out.

[CindyDawg]

They will come out when they get hungry.

[HairOfTheDog]

I hope so :~D

[Beaker]

They've gotten so big!
Well I'm back from the barn. Rode again today. Oliver and I did well for the most part, but towards the end he just said "Yeah I don't want to listen to you any more", and everything fell apart. He's turned into a sweet boy. When he first came to us, he was extremely pushy and didn't know his manners, but now that he knows his place, he's a completely different horse. He actually came up to meet me at the gate today. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can talk my trainer into cantering him. (His canter is a no-go at this point)But for now I'm going to take a bath and a nap, because I'm stiff and so sore!

[HairOfTheDog]

Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can talk my trainer into cantering him. (His canter is a no-go at this point)

Because he's not in shape for it or because she's afraid he'll cut loose?

[Beaker]

He was never taught how to canter before he came to us. So it's a matter of unpredictability because he has no idea what you're trying to ask him for. He doesn't seem that bad, but if you lean forward even slightly, he stops dead. And I've been told that he gets really excited, which I can see happening.

He was never really required to do anything. Manners, carrying himself properly, cantering, nothing. It was always a matter of "He doesn't do it? Oh well." My trainer seems to think that they were afraid of him, but I don't know what there is to be afraid of, because he's not mean. And believe it or not, he came from a dressage barn, so you would think that he would at least know how to carry himself properly at 14, but no, he falls in, he falls out, his head is all over the place, etc. And he was so malnourished that he couldn't shed out at all, so now that we have weight on him he has shed out at least two coats worth of hair. (And looks so much better)

[Mr. Brightside]

Greetings!

I see there are other horse people here besides me.

Just wanted to let you know we have a new addition to our family. A 3 year old half linger named "Haddie." (I know, we gotta do somehting about that name.)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

You may find that retirement ain't all that its cracked up to be, alot of folks go back to work after a period of retirement.

I tried it for about 2 years and didn't care for it.

Life is in the struggle! :)

BigMack

[Beaker]

Here's a better picture of Oliver:


He isn't much to look at, but hey :-)

[HairOfTheDog]

Nothing really wrong with Haddie! Welcome to the thread! What kind of riding do you do? Got any pictures?

[HairOfTheDog]

He does have a funny little red topknot doesn't he!

[CindyDawg]

I wish I could see more of him. He looks like a ghost horse. Beautiful.

[HairOfTheDog]

Interesting... I'd get hime cantering reliably on the lunge... you can tell a lot about them doing groundwork.

[CindyDawg]

He reminds me of Lyle lovitt

[CindyDawg]

Haddie is a good name. Welcome.