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]

Oh, I wanted to ask you...did you find out anymore about the lost horse? Was the guys story true? The one we have around here is hanging on but I don't know if he is going to make it. He's putting on weight but he's down a lot. I wet him down today and put granulex on him. Others are too. In some ways he's better but he's starting to breakdown and he's got an area on his hip filled with fluid. Probably about a quart. Maybe, just pooling from laying on it.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think a ball being thrown would get the attention of any horse that was awake. It would certainly spook all of mine. It's certainly not something I would worry about having happen on trail unless your rides frequently go through sports stadiums. ;~)

The key to staying safe around that kind of thing is not desensitizing the horse to everything they ever spook at, but being alert to possible outcomes, like the ball bouncing toward you, or a dog, before they happen and keeping a safe distance.

[CindyDawg]

Spooking once happens. Throwing a fit because they were playing ball afterwards not acceptable. She's in an area where kids play. We are gonna play a little ball this week. She will be ok. I make it fun. (if she cooperates) I don't plan to traumatize her:')

[CindyDawg]

I think I figured out why she was bumping that leg when I was leading her. No eye rolling, ok, but I believe it was because I was in her space. Today, I stayed to the outside, instead of stepping over it with her. She was perfect. Now I just need to figure what I'm doing wrong in the saddle. Maybe, I'm not giving her, enough slack. She can do it so it may be justing a cueing thing.

[Duchess47]

Thank you ladies - well, maybe Tuffy will beat Prez one day but he'll have to get really good :).

Thanks also for the well wishes - Bob has to go into the hospital Wednesday for a catheter Ablation, basically as I understand it, to try and destroy some of the cells in the short circuit that is causing the rapid heart beat and flutter. The doctor tells us there is a 95% success rate :)

[Duchess47]

Thank you for the prayers - first thing the doctor said this morning was "I can fix this" :). He goes in Wednesday for the procedure.

[CindyDawg]

That's good news:')

[Duchess47]

Man, I'm sorry you ran into some pushy endurance people. They generally move out at a good clip but are pretty polite and will go off trail to go around rather than push non endurance horses and riders.

I'm glad you watched over the lady and her dog - sounds like the kind of poeple you ran into might have gotten her hurt.

[HairOfTheDog]

OK - just keep in mind that there are normal horse behaviors and instincts that you can fight against, or you can understand and manage those instincts. I wouldn't make it about pushing everything that scares her one her, it's about making her trust you by protecting and guiding her past those things when they happen.

I understand that kids play, but kids need to NOT play with footballs where people are working horses. It's just not compatible. I'd correct them, not the horse.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well good, I'll keep him in my thoughts Wed:)

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I've seen pushy people lots of places, I don't blame the sport :~D

Good luck and all our prayers for Bob. We hope he gets well soon.

[Duchess47]

I can't get them to load tonight but my server connected really slow when I logged on. I bookmarked the homepage though, so I can try again tomorrow.

[Duchess47]

I didn't think to tell you but if they were endurance riders, all the horses would have had numbers on their rump rather than numbers on the rider. No numbers on the rump, not endurance.

[Duchess47]

Yes, Cyn is a gem, if you ever get tired of her, she has a home here. :)

[CindyDawg]

Where I am at there are lots of potential boogies. I understand the initial fright instinct but she isn't going to afterwards decide she doesn't like something and throw a fit and refuse to go past it. I would never get anywhere that way.

[Duchess47]

I'm butting in here - horses have died on these CTR rides? Why on earth? I think a couple of horses have been injured on endurance rides that we have been to, but from falls. The vets pull any horse that's iffy, and the riders pull if the horse even looks off.

[Duchess47]

LOL

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yes, I have been at several rides where horses died. One I'm not sure what happened, the horse got sick thru the night, was taken to the vet and died there. I really never heard anything else.

The other horse I did hear a few details, the mare was pregnant, not in shape and taken to a competition at Ark. The hardest ride in the region IMO. She also was taken to a vet during the night and died there.

Becky

[Duchess47]

Thanks. I'm really anxious to hear about the new horse. Sex, color, age, etc. etc. :) Well, I'm guessing a gelding since he's a he and he's in the pasture with other horses. Oh, and pictures.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Do you ever hear of horses colicing, or tieing up after the ride is over. That has happened at a lot of the rides I've been too. Horses going down a few hours after the ride is completed, sometimes even after the first day.

Becky