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!

[tuffydoodle]

I have to record Big Love, it's a not even close to kid friendly. I look forward to every Monday morning so I can watch it.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I like that bridle:)

Chris just called, he's on his way. I'm going back to the pictures of your horses shoeing so He can see what I'm going to try to tell him. I'm hoping he has time to just go ahead and shoe him all around. I was going to have it done next Mon. might as well go ahead. today.

Becky

[tuffydoodle]

The shoer from the racetrack is coming out today to reset Tuffy's shoes. I'll try to remember to take my camera out there.

[FrogInABlender]

I hope your graduation went off without a hitch on Saturday. We attended my sister-in-law's graduation yesterday. She was getting her Master's in History. Her BS was in Education. It was very nice, but very LONG. She was very glad to be done with school, but you could tell that those hoods the PhD's were getting were calling to her. But not loudly enough to make her go back to school anytime soon. I think she's going to need to "decompress" for quite a while. Masters programs seem like they are really demanding, and judging by what I've heard 2J talk about over on the HH thread, Doctorate programs must be nearly unbearable, not only on the candidate, but also on their families. So Congrats and I hope you get the job of your dreams real soon!

[BladeRider]

BladeRider didn't get to go with me and I ended up riding by myself again. Her husband forgot to leave her the truck keys when he went to work Friday night. Boy, I'd've hated to've been him on Saturday morning when he got home coz she was mad enough to chew steel and spit nails! ;o)

I was just going out to warm the truck up and load Blade when I realized I did not have keys! I called him at the station and low and behold, he had them. We are getting a spare set made this weekend! I see you put the horse head conchos on the new bridle.

[cjshapi]

Show went well. Sorry didn't get any pics but old camera is acting up.

It rained all day Thursday, which made the grounds pretty swampy but I did manage to work Whitey during a break in the rain. We were lucky that the rain stopped by showtime and the grounds crew worked their butts off on the ring. Ended up winning a class and getting two thirds. Was told by many that Whitey should have won everything he was entered in but sometimes the judge doesn't see it the same way. I was thrilled with the rides he gave me and am old enough to know it's not all about the prizes.

Mom's young gelding was off the farm for only the second time and he was quite the gentleman. She'll be showing him by July and they'll make quite a team.

Hope everyone in New England is safe.

[cjshapi]

"I'd have dated him just for his horse :~D"

I hear you on that one.

[MissTargets]

Congrats on the winnings! I am glad to hear the weather held out for you. I think, we are going there sometime in July. It a very nice showgrounds.

[cjshapi]

It really is a nice place. Our next outing is to the Inter County all breed show up there in June. Huge show, lots of breeds to watch. It's really fun.

[HairOfTheDog]

...and am old enough to know it's not all about the prizes.

Maybe not, but the prizes are nice :~D Congratulations. Looking forward to some pictures!

[FrogInABlender]

Well, I got those Easyboots I ordered for Grace and gave them a good shakedown ride on Saturday. This is what they looked like when I first put them on...

I put them on all 4 feet...

This is what they looked like when we got back...

I went through some REALLY deep sucking mud, didn't even try to go around, and they stayed on just fine. So I was impressed with them in that regard. But I don't know how I'm going to like them in regards to the effect that they have on her gait. And it may have just been the fact that she's young and not very strong yet and the accumulated mud made them heavy. Or it could have been that she was alone and was hesitant go faster. I'll be able to tell more the next time when I ride her with other horses.

[FrogInABlender]

Here's a pic of Grace tacked up and ready to go on Saturday...

A pretty rock shelter and waterfall in one of the switchbacks in the trail...

The rhododendrons were really blooming too...

It was a little cool and windy, I had to wear a jacket, but ended up taking it off before the end of the ride. I only saw 3 people on the whole ride. Two older men down at the break area, and one other older man when I was almost back to the road. But it was a nice ride over all.

[HairOfTheDog]

Those boots, with the straps up and over the fetlock, are the type I saw on the endurance riders I ran across one day, and they were also using them in mud.

They do look more likely, with the straps, to stay on, I just wonder if, when the mud suction is trying to pull them off, if the straps wouldn't put unusual tension on the pastern and fetlock area? What do you think? I think even without the boots, pulling the foot out of mud really works those areas.

What's your goal with her feet? Are you trying to keep her barefoot but can't yet under work, or do you intend to always use these boots instead of shoes?

The trail pictures are beautiful, love your caves and hope to see them one day! Didn't realize you had rhododendrons... I thought they were a NW thing... they are our state flower.

[HairOfTheDog]

Your pic of Grace all tacked up just made something occur to me that I hadn't thought of... that with the halter/bridle you evidently can tie them with the halter, even with the bit in place. You can, but don't have to, take the bit out on breaks. I wouldn't probably leave them unattended that way, because they can get the bit hung up in things, particularly a shanked bit, but it would make it easy to quickly tie for a break, without having to remove the bit.

Maybe that was obvious to everyone else, but I hadn't tought about it. I was sortof thinking of them as an either/or.

[FrogInABlender]

The boots are the latest model from Easyboot. They just came out in '06 and are called the "Easyboot Bare" They are supposed to be more like a bare foot. The sole on them even looks like the bottom of a horse's foot, with a concave area and a v-shaped frog in the back. They also have a rockered toe. These also have a self-adjusting tightening system on them, unlike the other older model, that looks very similar, called the "Easyboot Epic". The Epics still have the old cable and latch fastening system like the original Easyboots. But the gaiter system is what really keeps them on. The top part that goes around the pastern is made out of neoprene and Velcro, much like a wet suit. The bottom part at the heel is a combination of neoprene and some kind of thick, slick nylon, or something like that. What ever it is, it's pretty tough, but it stretches pretty well too so it doesn't get too tight. I don't know that it would put any more stress on the fetlock area when going through mud than you'd get without them. They're fairly form-fitting and light when compared to some of the other boots that come up over the coronet band. Like you say, sucking mud pulls on the hooves quite a bit anyways.

My goal with her feet is to transition her to totally barefoot, IF she can do it and be totally sound on gravel roads. If she can't, then whether I go back to the NB shoes or stay with the boots depends a lot on how they work out with her gait. If the boots make her pace, I'll go back to the shoes. I won't sacrifice a smooth gait them, even if they do allow me to maintain her feet myself.

[FrogInABlender]

Yeah, I usually take the bit out at breaks, partly because I like to give my horsie buddies a snack for all their hard work, but I don't like to tie with the bits in either. Things can happen so fast, even if you're standing right there, and I don't want to risk them tearing their mouth up. I usually just unclip it and clip it to the Ds on the saddle. Then I clip the reins to the halter ring and tie with them. The only reason she had the bit in in those pictures was because I was just fixing to get on and ride off.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Those are the new boots they have talked about on the Natrc thread. But they are still not legal for a NATRC ride, and that is a big controversy over there.

I've got pictures loading of Harley's new shoe job. The foot he lost the one from looks pitiful. He broke so much hoof off, you can see 2 of the nail holes just looking down at his feet. Chris managed to get 3 in on that side, but 2 of them are just barely in. His other feet look pretty good. I remember to tell him to not trim anything off his frog (I think he thinks I nuts), and he didn't file anything off the toe overhand except to round it off.

Harley's feet had not grown all that much (probably, IMO, because he trimmed the frog so much:(, We went ahead and reset the back shoes, but next time we'll go with the bevel. I forgot to request that because I was thinking about that foot that was so broke up.

He's going to wear his bell boots from now till the ride just to maybe help protect that foot. If He pulls it again, we won't be able to get a shoe back on.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I hope his foot holds together for the ride now. I'm gonna go out and mow a section of yard, then I'll be back to see the pictures.

[FrogInABlender]

Those are the new boots they have talked about on the Natrc thread. But they are still not legal for a NATRC ride, and that is a big controversy over there...

I thought that boots that didn't cover the coronet band, specifically Easyboots, were ok.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

No part of the boot can go over the coronet band. Those boots have that strap above:(.

Here's my fern today.

This is Rocky's new collar.

Harley.

His new shoe on the bad foot.

Bottom view of his other foot. You can't see it in the picture, because there was very little, but we did not file off the overhang.

And Harley checking out his bellboots.

His frog looks so much better. I've just been sick everytime I cleaned his feet since I had him shoed last time, Chris really trimmed way to much off. It still needs to grow, but it's getting there.

Becky