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]

Supposedly your foot must hyper extend which would only happen if you were down and you pull it apart. It doesn't look to wide to me and kind of flismy

[HairOfTheDog]

Ah - I thought it was a little stirrup extender thingy...

The only reason you'd need a breakaway is if your feet are so small they might go all the way through the stirrup. Otherwise, by wearing a relatively non-grippy shoe (no big waffle soles) with a heel on it, and you'll only stay in the stirrups as long as you stay in the rest of the saddle.

They're good for kids, with tiny feet and big stirrups, because their feet can go all the way through and catch them by the ankle. Adults, usually couldn't get your a through there if you tried, if there's any heel on the boot at all.

[Beaker]

I feel the same way. To me, it looks like you could get yourself hurt more with that type of stirrup, and really, the way that the "inner" stirrup pivots down like that, doesn't seem like it'll help you all that much, unless it pivots down to help your foot slide out when you twist it. I get my foot snagged sometimes when I fall, and what usually happens is the stirrups twists, or my leg twists as I come out of the saddle.

[CindyDawg]

Huh. I haven't seen it. I like gadgets and it caught my eye. What Hair was talking about was a second stirrup you put your right foot in and then your left in the regular stirrup and mount. I had it ready to order but changed my mind.

[Beaker]

If you want a stirrup extender, I'd find a really tall mounting block instead. (A leg extender) :-) Less stuff to work with, and it's easier on the both of you to mount from a block. "nifty gadget tack" and horses just don't go together. :-D I'm not trying to give you a lecture or anything, I just worry about safety.

[CindyDawg]

Well I have bought a bridle/halter combo gadget. I'll have to see how that works. When it comes to getting on though I'm very cautious. I just like seeing what's out there .
I saw a cute tee shirt I might buy though. It has two horses on it and one asks the others name and he says "I'm Whoa Dammit":')

[Beaker]

Ha! That's a great t-shirt! Where'd you find it?

[Beaker]

The bridle/halter combo is a very good idea.

[CindyDawg]

Page 94 of Country Supply.

[CindyDawg]

See. Not all gadgets are bad:')

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Last year we had a lot of sightings, and one report of a horse being attacked by a cougar in this area.

It may be urban legend:), but the rumor went around here that the cougars had been turned lose by some wildlife dept. to bring the deer population under control....I heard this several times, and from some fairly reliable sources,,,so it could have been true.

Maybe that;s going on there. Maybe if you when you call the animal control you'll find out. Supposedly when the person who owned the horse that was attacked was told by the vet it looked like a cougar attack he called some dept. and mentioned he was going to be hunting it. He was told if he got caught killing a cougar that was released, he'd pay big fines.

It could also be like you say tho too, that water is scarce and they are coming in looking for some...and the small game that's showing up.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Hunting cougar rule:
What cougar?

[BladeRider]

Ditto from me Hair. We have all walked in his shoes and empathize with him. I have a 19 year old and am already dreading the day. He is my best buddy

Same from me too. My old girl Queen is 25 this year, she has gotten quite gray in the face but still runs with the younger geldings. I don't think I will be able to handle the day I have to make a decision on her. They are such a presence in our lives for 30 +/- years it is hard to imagine life without them.

[BladeRider]

We have those too... and a big problem with coyotes. We had brave coyotes that would come VERY close to the house and got all of the surrounding neighborhood cats. I was really afraid to go out in my backyard at night, because they weren't afraid of people.

We have the same problem, I have found scat in my front yard. I keep my dogs locked up at night, you can hear the coyotes singing all night long some nights.

[HairOfTheDog]

We have coyotes too, that would sing and riot REAL close. Surprising thing is we'd turn our big high power spotlight on them and they'd hush and scatter the moment we turned it on. I've turned it on periodically in the night and just scanned the pasture with it, thinking if they were out there, they'd be spooked by it.

I yell at them to shut up, and yell for them to GIT when I see them, and I thing they're getting more leery of my place, or they at least are getting smarter. I haven't heard any for about a week. Or maybe I'm just the crazy woman who yells at coyotes :~D

[FrogInABlender]

Shoot.
Shovel.
Shut-up.

[FrogInABlender]

Hair's new Indian Name...YellsAtCoyotes. ;o)

[HairOfTheDog]

That's me :~D

One night I saw three very close and I think there were more... and the pony went out there, all interested in them! I was real nervous about that, there were too many. (did I tell this story already?) and the spotlight went dead! GAH! I just yelled GETOUTAHERE! SHOO! GIT!

I went and grabbed some more hay, and closed the horses into the paddock for the night closer to the lights and house... I don't think they're really a threat to the horses, but they were swarmin.

Ramius and Ruthy were here, and ecurbh, and everyone was asleep, I thought sure I'd have woke them up, and they'd appear with guns, thinking there was some kind of intruder, but they didn't hear a thing. Real reassuring :~D

[ShakeNJake]

I find myself wanting to win the lottery solely to be able to afford to clone him. In fact, if I were to win the lottery, I'd have several clones made. I know at least 6 other people who would love to have my Jake.

[HairOfTheDog]

I thought about that with my Bay. He's got the best heart of any horse I've known. Would I take another one just like him? you bet. I fear though, that people who do clone beloved pets (and we know they will, one day) will be disappointed when they aren't the same. There's such a myriad of factors that make a personality... Would Bay be Bay without all the unknown events he had for the first ten years of his life before we knew him? Would he be the same if he hadn't gone through the hands of the backyard guy, Bob, the endurance racer, my landlord, and then to me?

Could you duplicate Jake's life or expect him to be the same with shortcuts? I dunno... I picture conflict. Like looking at a picture of a model in a magazine, and saying "I want that haircut".