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!

[CindyDawg]

I was thinking about that. It is day lite driving though:') The last time I went to the east thru Victoria. I still picked up a lot of construction and traffic around Austin.

[Jemian]

We (in Auburn, AL) did have a nice three hour rain last night. It wasn't too hard and had a good chance of soaking in. Yea! It was the first rain since mid-May. There are more possibilities for rain for the next ten days. We need it so very much.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Rain headed my way. Just enough to make it more humid, but it will help the the grass/hay around here. I saw a hay meadow that had been mowed night before last, didn't look like it made nearly as much as it use too. They mowed it during the night, and were bailing it last night.

85, that's a walk in the park:) That's something I'm looking forward too, a few days away from this heat.

Becky

[ShakeNJake]

I wish Becky could send me some of her rain! Highs again today in the mid-90's. Not too bad yet. We have had nice breezes which makes it bearable. Today, I have to go get hay as I found a place not too far away with coastal at $6 a bale. So, guess I will be unloading hay this afternoon in the heat.

Who needs a high-priced gym membership? Try throwing around 50 or 60 bales at a time. You WILL get muscles or die trying!

[ShakeNJake]

281 is well west of Austin. The only traffic hazards are when you get behind Farmer John taking his cattle to market, or moving his tractor from one place to the other down the road. Daylight is the best time to drive 281 due to the abundant scenery.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

We really aren't much better off in the rain department as you.

I noticed our feed store finally got some hay in. I don't know where they are getting it from. They have been out for several months. I know a lot of people are really having trouble finding it. No telling what the price is:\

Becky

[ShakeNJake]

Feed stores are charging $8.50 a bale, either coastal or Colorado timothy. I found out about the hay I am headed out to get from my daughter. She saw it while going home yesterday and picked up some herself. Said the guy had around 150 bales. So, today I plan on relieving him of about 50 of those bales. If I could have done it, I would have gone yesterday. It goes fast once people find it.

[CindyDawg]

The nice part of driving in that area is that most people are friendly and courteous. Farmer John will pull over and wave as you go by. If you do so, people will tap their brakes for thanks. Here forgetaboutit. I was near Victoria last weekend and was in blinding rain for about an hour. I guess it was just the near coast that got soaked though.

[HairOfTheDog]

85, that's a walk in the park:)

I didn't think I'd get much sympathy from the board! :~D

[CindyDawg]

Daylight is the best time to drive 281 due to the abundant scenery.

And deer.

[HairOfTheDog]

They mowed it during the night, and were bailing it last night.

Hope they got it indoors before the rain starts!

[CindyDawg]

She's right though. That's a refreshing cool spell around here:')

[ShakeNJake]

Yeah, Houston got pummelled by rain. I love the friendliness out away from the big cities. People you don't know will wave as you pass them.

I have a friend who is moving from Pennsylvania to Hallettsville this fall. Will be down that way in December helping her transport her horses from PA to TX.

[ShakeNJake]

Oh yes. Lots of those too. Have to be careful at night about deer on 281.

[ShakeNJake]

Amen to that! I thought to myself, only 85? Time to get some yardwork done!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I think it was the day you rode, you said it was in the 50's that morning....I thought, I'm going to need to remember to pack sweatshirts, instead of sleeveless T-shirts:)

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I know it's nothin' to you, I've summered in Phoenix, so I know it can be worse, but 85 here is about as dang hot as I want to take :~)

[FrogInABlender]

We've been fairly lucky up my way and have gotten some sporadic showers, just enough to keep the grass growing so the hay crop seems to be pretty good. It was thundering all around us yesterday evening but we never got any rain. Hopefully somebody did though.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

It may have already gotten rained on. I rained a bit thru the night.

The first cutting from these particular fields usually goes for cow hay...They were round baling it last night. The only thing, I don't know if they will get a second cutting. I heard the guy that does all the baling around here say yesterday at the cafe say there wasn't going to be much this year.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

In the NW you need to start out with a few layers you can peel off :~D

Even in the heat of the day, when you go through the clearcuts where it's hot, it's nice that there's deep timber coming up where the temperature drops 20 degrees :~) The horses feel it too... Bay speeds up as soon as he hits the shade.

Our place is usually deceivingly cool all morning. I'll leave here with a sweatshirt on and by the time I'm going down the road, it's 20 degrees hotter and I'm overdressed.