The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread TEN

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
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread NINE

New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!

[estrogen]

Last yr. on the fourth down at the cabin., Waylon went crazy with the firworks. I want to avoid that this yr.. do you really think Quietex would work?

[HairOfTheDog]

It's a pretty good product to take the edge off. It doesn't make them drowsy, it just makes them less stressed. They recommend it even daily for nervous show horses, or for horses that don't trailer well. We give it to our pony every time before we go for a trail ride and leave her home alone, and the difference is remarkable. Without it, she runs and whinnies and bucks, with it... she calls a little as we're leaving, but she just sortof mostly stands there looking serene :~) Yes, if you can get it, I recommend it. They carry it at our feed store.

They make it in a one dose tube, or the much cheaper 30 oz bucket of powder. (State Line Tack - Quietex Calming Supplement for Horses) We give 2-3 heaping oz per horse of that in grain. It's real floury, so we usually add a little bit of water and they slurp it right down. It tastes good I guess, so it's not hard to get in them. Give two hours before needed.

[HairOfTheDog]

I just saw this at the State Line website... ever heard of it? Seems like a good idea to take on rides :~)

State Line Tack - Vive Electrolyte Nutrition Bar For Horses

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

No I've never heard of those, but it looks like a nice convienent way to give electrolyte's.

Waiting on Kristy to get here this morning to ride. I'm really looking forward to it.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I wonder if Homer has been shot before..

Every dog we've ever had, just kind of disappears when they hear the fireworks. You can usually find them under my horse trailer.

And the horses after the first few, seem OK with it. We were at a friends house one year down by the river. They had about 10 acres of open pasture. The City of Broken Arrow which was just on the other side of the river from where we were put on a huge fireworks display. We had gone to watch it . The horses in the pasture started to run, and ran laps the whole time the fireworks were going off...Since then I've wondered if mine don't do that, because they just really don't have the room, and with all the trees and rocks, do they know it wouldn't be safe to run like that, especially in the dark????

Becky

[MissTargets]

Good Morning. Happy first of July!

[HairOfTheDog]

The horses in the pasture started to run, and ran laps the whole time the fireworks were going off...Since then I've wondered if mine don't do that, because they just really don't have the room, and with all the trees and rocks, do they know it wouldn't be safe to run like that, especially in the dark????

I think a lot of it has to do with how much room they have to get up a good head of steam... and then, once moving, they feed off each other too. Mine do better in the barn, where they can't get up a head of steam at all. They startle at it, but it goes nowhere. Yours may just be level headed horses, and they also may not be able to get a good run going, and they aren't together, so they don't get a good 'herd panic' going, maybe.

The first year, when I didn't have the barn to close them in, I found they both stopped running if I held Bay. The pony would just suck up to him.

They respond to different kinds of fireworks differently. The one that sounds like a single boom or a single shot of gunfire, they really don't react much to at all. The big pretty displays like the show kind aren't all that scary. It's the ones that whistle, or crackle like fire, make that zzzzzzzzz sound, or have a whole series of pops at once, you can just see the tension building in them. They don't like that. :~D

As for Homer, we don't know what traumas caused who he is, but it was something... The poor guy is an old sad soul sometimes, just a very worried dog. Last night though, he was OUT. We just didn't have much.

[HairOfTheDog]

Hope you have a good ride!

We ended up ordering some tube form of electrolytes from the online vet place, just to have in the saddle bag kit. Those do look cool though, and not expensive, wonder if they are a gimmick or if they really do give a boost :~)

[ecurbh]

We ended up ordering a couple of these to go in our emergency kit... Stress-Dex® Gel

[HairOfTheDog]

On dogs and fireworks, every dog I've had has reacted differently to them. Zulu liked to watch them. I'd take her to the big shows with me and she 'got it' - She'd hear the ~thump~ when the big shells would fire and she'd look UP and wait for the flower :~D

Logan just layed down and slept, even at the big shows... didn't care.

Gidget is the Alpha-Dog. She barks and hackles and growls and shakes her toy in her mouth at every sound. I think it's mostly entertainment for her.

Homer whines, his eyes bug out, he pants until his tongue is hanging down to the ground, and he climbs all over us, pawing. Of all the dog reactions, his is the most annoying, I hate to get mad at the guy, and it does no good to get mad because he's truly panicked, he won't listen, but he's a pain.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Sounds like a good idea to have some on hand. I always intend to get some, but haven't yet.

The bars, are probably part gimmick part for real...Probably wouldn't get as much as they would from the gel/paste.

Kristy and I had a good ride. We stuck to the shadier trails, and never really got hot. The horses were sweating but not drenched. We even did some good trots. I really enjoyed it, seems like it's been along time:) I did almost fall off when I was mounting...He started to walk off, and I just overbalanced, and about rolled off. It was real close but I managed to stay on. Mostly my fault, not paying attention, to busy talking:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Have you ever just locked Homer up in a small room, like the bathroom, or a bedroom. Sometimes I've thought being confined in a small space helps a paniced dog. Maybe even a crate.....kind of like putting your horses in the barn.

I never thought about mine may not get to running because they are separate from each other. Horses do feed off each other like you say.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I really enjoyed it, seems like it's been along time:) I did almost fall off when I was mounting..

Did Kristy take any pictures of this? :~)

Glad you had a good ride. I'm goofing off this morning, ecurbh is making piles of papers on his desk in some kind of organization project :~D

If we locked Homer up, he'd paw at the door is all. He'd probably not be destructive about it, just nervous. He usually feels better if he can just stay right by us. He shadows us to the point of being under foot, even to the bathroom. :~)

[ecurbh]

some kind of organization project

...and only being marginally effective thereat. ;~)

The piles go deep, they do.

[HairOfTheDog]

In ecurbh's organization project, we found Cyn's registration papers, which we've never sent in yet, and Googled her daddy. he's apparently right in Shelton where she was bred, and is a spitting image of her, in black.

Halima Fa-Star at Little Bit Ranch

I can see all her features and faults in this horse :~)

Same trot, definately. And she has the better neck he has now with more weight. That pic was taken last year.

According to the website, he had some kind of injury that kept him from showing much, and he's lightly used on trail now. And they talk about him being barefoot.

I sent her a note, with the picture of Cyn above and reported that she was a super naturally bomb proof trail horse with terrific feet, but unfortunately the email bounced back with an outdated address. Too bad, it'd have been fun if we'd have gotten a response from them.

[Tuckersmom]

Hi, mom. I'm here.

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome, Tucker's Mom :~)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well hello:). Did you figure out how to change your password so you don't forget it?

I just got done coloring my hair:)

Tuckersmom told me yesterday I had to call her a few times while I'm away....I told her to get back on here and she'd probably be able to keep up with my trip:)

Has any of your company showed up yet??

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

That is incredible, how much they are built a like...

That would have been interesting to visit with them.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

This will probably be the place to check in to find out what we're up to on your trip! I'll make sure she's added to the ping list when we post pictures :~)