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!

[CindyDawg]

What's weird is that everything looks still. Is the wind not blowing?

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

No the wind isn't blowing at all now that the rain has started.

But actually it looks like the scary stuff has already passed, and it's just a rain storm.

The sky has lightened considerably just since I took the pictures.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

It's kind of unusal outside here too. The wind is very srong. Usually it cools things down but it's like oven air.

[CindyDawg]

That's good. Buy the way, good come back on the little ride snub.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, rain is good, for you :~D

Our sun has lasted all week, I'm hopeful that the trails will not be overly muddy this weekend. :~D

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Oh, are you still going to get to go, if it doesn't rain???

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - We're going to go, probably tomorrow, maybe Sunday :~D Just a short shakedown ride. Bay's OK, I really think he is, I'm buting him because I just want to make sure we get ahead of any potential aches and pains for a bit. I don't know if what he was going through the last couple weeks was because he was a little heel sore, or whether he was a little laminitic (I really don't see how he could be, unless it was maybe caused by his shots) but I don't mind hitting him with some bute for awhile just in case.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Celia and I hope to ride Sat/Sun. Depends on the weather.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Today, I want to go mow... with my clunky mower that's not as cool as yours :~D Is that new trimmer self propelled?

Here's some pics of the kittens I just posted in the HH since I hadn't posted any pics of them for awhile. They're growing up. Tweek is strikingly pretty. I haven't captured a picture yet that really shows her color... she's not all white, she's cloudy. I think she has a very glamorous face :~D She has the sultry eye shadow thing going on... and the spot on her nose reminds me of Cindy Crawford.

Pippin on the other hand, is a cad. Love the goatee... He's very "boy". He'd have toads in his pockets, if he had pockets.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Very pretty kitties. I like cats. I just had to chase mine off. He insists on laying across my arm as I freep:(.

No my trimmer is not self propelled. with the high wills it's not real hard to push. It's a lot lighter weight then a mower. I haven't figured out why they don't put some kind of small wheel on the front tho. You kind of have to keep it tipped up just barely or the round dome shaped thing on the front digs down in the ground. If it even had a big ball that rolled would help, I don't know why it was designed the way it is, but it still works better then any mower for the pasture. For a finished yard tho you need a mower.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Good lord:)

wills=wheels:)

Becky

[tuffydoodle]

"Horse riding preferences remind me of nursing"

For the life of me I couldn't figure out how breastfeeding equates with horse riding. Hair, keep me off those breastfeeding threads, wouldya???

[tuffydoodle]

"tornado watch" scrolling on the local tv channels here.

[HairOfTheDog]

Heh... Heck no... they're too much fun to watch.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I imagine it's scrolling here, but I haven't had the TV on today.

Becky

[tuffydoodle]

I read that sentence 3 times then wised up and read the rest of the post. duhhhhh

And you're right C.D., I just get tired of people putting down trail riders. You generally don't run into people on four wheelers, stray dogs, weirdoes, bears, etc., when riding in an inclosed area, that's why I think trail riders are really gutsy.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I think the misconception is that the people who do arena stuff, do sometime trail ride. But for them trail riding is just plodding down a trail to let the horse relax, it's a "this is not the time to work" thing. What they don't recognize is that horses that specialize in trails (I hope you get what I'm trying to say), are trained to do a lot of the more complicated moves. It's not just going down a trail.

When I'm trotting or loping done a trail my horse HAS to move off my legs quickly when I ask to keep me from getting branches in the face. They have to switch leads sometimes very quickly to go around curves and turns. They have to side pass, do roll backs if I get in a tight place and have to turn around, they have to back well.

When she was younger Celia ran barrels and was very good at it. So one time she took Stormy to a play day. he had never done barrels. But she got first place because he was use to following her cues which are about the same you use when going around curves and turns. He did not just do it because he had been drilled on it enumerable times.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Oh, and most important trail horses have to have a very good WHOA:), something I've noticed alot of barrel horses don't have:)

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I've gotten remarkably uncompetitive about what kind of riding I do...

I just walk on trail most of the time, and I do it to be outside and be in the woods, and enjoy my horse, and lately, be with my husband.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I enjoy nice quiet peaceful slow moving rides. If I'm not in conditioning mode that's about all I do. In the slow modes is when you can get the best training done and it adds interest to the ride, to work on something specific. I think it keeps the horse from getting bored too.

Becky