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!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL...Just do what I did. Set up a cot in the stall and sleep out there:). I didn't really worry about problems, I just wanted to see the birth. It wasn't till Dot's legs were hanging out that I got nervous. Beings as it was hard to see because it was at night and she had gone out into the run where there wasn't much light that I got a bit scared. It was hard to tell if the feet were pointing in the right direction. We thought for a moment that they weren't. But the were. I think most of the time everything goes accordingly.

Becky

[tuffydoodle]

Frog, your aluminum shoes look very similar to Tuffy's. Beaker, you're right on what you said about aluminum shoes. Just had that talk with my shoer. He just left and Tuffy had twisted in his shoes so that was why he seemed sore. The shoes were askew. A minor setback.

[tuffydoodle]

Those babies are incredible.

[HairOfTheDog]

We slept out in the barn when Taffy (the paint you've seen me on) was pregnant. I took a week off from work, and so did Kay, and we slept out there five nights. She had the baby in about 8 minutes when we went in for breakfast after the fifth night. She was waiting for us to LEAVE!

[tuffydoodle]

She just didn't want to give birth with an audience. She's shy.

[tuffydoodle]

Ooops, I sent that message to Beaker but it was BladeRider that had the aluminum shoe info. Sorry!



"He showed me a worn aluminum shoe and it was amazing how it wore down at the toe."

Exactly right. I need to take pics of the shoes he took off of Tuffy and you'll see exactly what your shoer was talking about.

[HairOfTheDog]

The one that scared us was Bob's other mare Babe, who had a mule baby. I wish I had pictures of her, because both were just beautiful. Babe was a really pretty buckskin that Bob had, and she was bred to a terrific mammoth Jack. You know my friend Bob, I think, from pictures... the one that used to be a deputy sheriff and still talks like one.

Bob sent her to deliver at a boarding stable because the weather was still crappy and he didn't have good facilities to give the mom and baby their own turnout. She was out in pasture with other mares at 3 in the afternoon when she went down. Phyllis (the boarding stable owner) ran out there and got her up, got her into the foaling stall, and got on the phone. Everyone rushed out, and actually made it there in time. Babe did a lot of get up, lay down, strain, get up, lay down, strain... Phyllis had to tell Bob to shut up because Bob can't talk quiet, and he was alarmed.

When she finally had the baby, everyone was marveling at this gorgeous black mule with enormous ears on a very delicate looking head (for a mule) and Bob kept saying, in his same loud voice "WHAT ABOUT THE MARE... WHAT ABOUT THE MARE!" Babe was, in fact, laying completely flat, and was not moving at all. "IS SHE PARALYZED? IS SHE DEAD?" "Bob, shut up, she's just exhausted, this was not an easy birth." "WHY ISN'T SHE GETTING UP?" "Bob, do you think you'd bounce up and trot around after passing something this size?" But eventually, even Phyllis got concerned that Babe was making no attempt to get up, even after the baby was dried, imprinted and standing, with about 6 people in the stall with her, including Bob, standing over her shouting "WHAT ABOUT THE MARE?"

She did eventually get up, but Phyllis demanded that Bob allow her to rest. She was fine, just really tired. It's all on video, from an overhead camera. It's a great tape.

[tuffydoodle]

Goodness, I bet that is a great tape. Did it have audio? Audio with Bob going ballistic and someone in the background telling him to shut up would be priceless.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - it's got clear audio and video.... That's what's so great. :~D

I can understand why he was alarmed. Babe really didn't move at all for a long time. Laying out flat and didn't stir at all. I've not seen that after a birth, they usually at least lift up onto their elbows and watch what's happening.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL...I know it probably wasn't funny at the time, but you tell it funny here:)

Things got a bit hectic around here when Belle was standing around with Dot's legs hanging out. It was so dark, we just couldn't tell which way the hoofs were facing, and we are not quiet people in times of stress:). So I can see clearly what was going on with Bob:)

We humans are funny. The horses are probably thinking, "I wish these people would just go away and leave me in peace:)"

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

You should try to have that tape so I can see it. That would be great:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I'm glad Tuffy's problem wasn't any more serious.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I will try to get it from them! :~D

[tuffydoodle]

The shoer was really nice, I feel guilty about getting so upset now. He told me about a BUNCH of horses that they are working with, that have the same problems as Tuffy but much worse, and nearly all are back to being ridden. Makes me feel better, I always worry about Tuffy.

[HairOfTheDog]

How did he get it 'twisted'? Did you take pictures of it like that? Did he step on it and pull it sort of loose, and it ended up crooked?

[tuffydoodle]

I saw him do it. I was in the barn, which is on a concrete slab. Tuffy turned around on his front end without picking his feet up and the shoes twisted just slightly askew. Tuffy has done that before and ripped the whole shoe loose so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. No, I didn't take pics, wish I would have thought of that.

[FrogInABlender]

...so you all can see just what a nervous Hair I can be :~D

Yeah, you'll be a basket case and your vet will be giving YOU Quiet Pony Powder. ;o)

I did go out to the barn more during the night back when we lived at the other place and had the mares right there at the house. Not every hour, but at least once during the night. It'd be a little harder to do that now with them being at the in-law's. Some day soon I hope to remedy that situation. But they're on their own when I'm at work. Ain't nuthin' I can do about that. I gotta work to support their standard of living. ;o)

[HairOfTheDog]

Heh... Frog's in a posting loop :~D

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well, my English saddle is gone:). done deal.

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

Frog's in a posting loop

LOL!! Yeah, I realized that when I scrolled down. I didn't know I'd already posted it coz I wasn't done, but somebody walked by and wanted to go to lunch so I went, then I came back and finished my thought and posted it (again). Duh! Y'all'll have to forgive my mental lapses. I seem to be having them quite a bit here lately.