The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread NINE

See our "who's who" page! ^

[FrogInABlender]

Wow Winmag, all this stuff is SO cool. I'm thinking you're gonna have quite a few new customers outta this. Thanks for telling us about it!

[FrogInABlender]

...The dog got hold of it...

LOL!!! It looks like the dog's been DRINKING out of it! {just kidding!}

I'm with you though on buying new stuff when the old stuff still works. I'm still using the pommel and cantle bags I made from fanny packs about 10 or 12 years ago. I bought a new set of nice black nylon saddle bags with a build-in cantle bag between them not too long ago but have yet to use them. I still like the old ones.

[FrogInABlender]

Here's pics of Bob's latest NB shoe job compared to the first one. I went ahead and had him put borium on the heels because we might be going to this place that has lots of bare rock and hills. But it's good for just general traction too. The borium is that rough, dirty looking stuff that's on the last inch of the heels. You don't want it on the toe because it would mess up your break over. It was kinda interesting watching him put it on there...

Left front, 1st time/2nd time...

You can see he's still got some toe overhang, but the inside rim of the shoe is closer to where it needs to be when compared to the first time these shoes were put on. The toe overhang should eventually go away as the flare on the front of his hoof grows out. He trimmed up the creases of his frogs quite a bit this time. I don't really understand why, and I really didn't want him too, but I didn't say anything. Next time I think I'll ask him not to.

Left hind, 1st/2nd...

Left front, side view...

You can see the amount of toe overhang and how it's undercut so that it's at the same angle as the rocker on the toe of the shoe.

[FrogInABlender]

Here's pics of Bob's latest NB shoe job compared to the first one. I went ahead and had him put borium on the heels because we might be going to this place that has lots of bare rock and hills. But it's good for just general traction too. The borium is that rough, dirty looking stuff that's on the last inch of the heels. You don't want it on the toe because it would mess up your break over. It was kinda interesting watching him put it on there...

Left front, 1st time/2nd time...

You can see he's still got some toe overhang, but the inside rim of the shoe is closer to where it needs to be when compared to the first time these shoes were put on. The toe overhang should eventually go away as the flare on the front of his hoof grows out. He trimmed up the creases of his frogs quite a bit this time. I don't really understand why, and I really didn't want him too, but I didn't say anything. Next time I think I'll ask him not to.

Left hind, 1st/2nd...

Left front, side view...

You can see the amount of toe overhang and how it's undercut so that it's at the same angle as the rocker on the toe of the shoe.

[FrogInABlender]

Sorry 'bout the double post. My clicker got stuck.

[300winmag]

Wow Winmag, all this stuff is SO cool. I'm thinking you're gonna have quite a few new customers outta this. Thanks for telling us about it!

Here's a quick look at the Wilderness Trail Safe backpacking holster. It's basically a padded envelope that protects you and the handgun from each other. There are a number of D-rings, and velcro straps and flaps that let you carry it a number of ways:

This holster requires a two-handed draw. One hand to open the fastex fastener, the other to draw the handgun. Velcro strips close the top part of the holster, and grasping the grip opens them up. Here's how a handgun would look inside the holster:

There is a seam that separates the gun from an open area that can take a spare magazine, or a couple of speedloaders.

The cover flap is also padded, and has a velcro closure. Small, flat items like maps, cash, etc. can be stored there.

The multiple attach points leave a lot of things to your imagination. A couple of straps, and you have a shoulder rig. That's probably a better way to carry than on the waist. Attached to a saddlebag, and the gun departs if the horse does.

One note of caution: since the handgun is completely enclosed, it is also hidden, and some states consider that "concealed carry", even if the holster is out in the open.

But this is still the only item I've seen that provides protection for both the gun and the person while riding or backpacking. It was designed especially for the wilderness.

Next topic: anybody interested in hydration packs? (For you, not the horse, unless you have a vey clever horse.)

[FrogInABlender]

Heh, my horse likes to drink out of the garden hose, so I'm sure he could figure it out. IF he didn't bite the end off of it first. ;o)

[HairOfTheDog]

I like that a lot... when I've carried it in my saddle bag, it's just been carried in a pocket of my bag, sometimes in it's zipper rug, sometimes wrapped and padded with a towel.

[HairOfTheDog]

Interesting... Not sure I understand the overhang, if it's just flair, I guess I'd file it off. I'll be interested to see if it really goes away in time.

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm reminded of the time I actually LOST my dad's airweight .38 in the woods while wearing it in a fabric hip holster with a strap and snap. It was so light I didn't notice it was gone and I was VEY nervous retracing my steps until we found it. For awhile after that, I prefered my larger Model 19 .357. It was heavy enough I knew it was still there.

[FrogInABlender]

From what I understand. the true angle of the hoof that the horse WANTS to grow at can be seen at the top 1/3 of the hoof below the coronet band. Any difference in angle below that is flare. When you get the flare grown out, you should have a straight line from the coronet band to the edge of the hoof. If you look at the side view of Bob's foot, you can see the difference in angle between the hoof at the coronet and the rest of the hoof. If you were to draw a straight line down from the coronet to the toe of the shoe, like this...

That's how his hoof should end up when all this toe flare gets grown off. You don't want to file it off because you'd end up with a hoof wall at the toe that was too thin to protect the lamina. That's my layman's understanding anyways.

[HairOfTheDog]

My shoer's coming this afternoon. I'm gonna ask him about all this. :~]

[CindyDawg]

Concealed ok, here. Our guys don't want to know. My horses could probably drink out of it too. Stuff they learn at summer camp from the kids. It could be worse though. One of the other borders horse is hooked on coolaide.

[FrogInABlender]

Cool! What time's he coming?

[CindyDawg]

I do want a knife like Hair's, for sure

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I'm at Jenny's and we got to see your video's:)

We liked "and there's the 'hosses'":)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I'm going to save this post number and have my farrier come in and look at it before we shoe next time.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Did you put some chaulks on the heels?

Becky

[RebaJ]

Congratulations! It sounds like you are finally on the down hillside of getting started.

[FrogInABlender]

That's the borium. He put it on with the forge. It comes in rods like welding rods, but he had cut his up into smaller pieces, about an inch or so long. To put them on, he put the shoes in the forge first and heated them to red hot. Then he took a punch and made a small dent in the middle of each heel, I guess to provide some bite between the shoe and the piece of borium. Then he sprinkled some white powder, which I assumed to be flux, on the heels, then layed the pieces of borium (he called it "Drilltek") on the powder and put it back in the forge until the borium melted to the shoe, then he quenched it. It was kinda cool to watch.