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!

[MissTargets]

Good Morning.

The Association, Alison shows in, called this morning. Alison won High Point Walk-Trot 11 & under yesterday! There was a 3-way tie, but because she won the first in WP, that was the tie breaker. They didn't stay until the end of the show, so we didn't know this. One of the ladies works with my daughter and will bring her the trophy. What a nice surprise.

Beautiful day out today, sunny and only going to be in the mid 70's. Time to get the "spring" yard work done....

[CindyDawg]

:')

[BladeRider]

Moring All! Going to be another hot one here today. mid to upper 90's. We hit 100 on Saturday. Hubby and I took Blade and Jake fora reset Saturday monring then went down to KC Ranch to camp. We rode for a few hours that afternoon but did not push it, it was just to hot. Sunday Morning Frog came down to ride with us and we took one of the newer trails. You rode for a while in a creek along side a rocky ledge. It was cool and the horses really liked it. Both Frog and I forgot our cameras but I did take some with my cell phone back at camp.

[BladeRider]

Lunch in the shade

Bob sharing Frogs Gatorade

[HairOfTheDog]

Congrats to Alison again :~)

BR and Frog "forgot" the camera.... ~rolls eyes~ But those pictures are pretty good for a cell phone! Nice setup to camp, with nice stalls for the horses like that.

[BladeRider]

BR and Frog "forgot" the camera.... ~rolls eyes~ But those pictures are pretty good for a cell phone! Nice setup to camp, with nice stalls for the horses like that.

Well, we thought about not telling you at all that we rode cause we knew we would catch it for forgeting the cameras! LOL. But I thought we redeemed ourselves a little with the cell phone shots. Yes, the stalls are nice, the camp ground is nice too. When we got there Saturday it was almost full. By the time we got back after our ride most people had already left. It is one of my favorite places to go. Trails are shady and lots of creeks to cross, hills to climb and very well marked trails.

[CindyDawg]

Morning. I just rode my bike to the store for a taco. It's hot here too. I didn't make it to the beach Sunday. Too many kids. We are going to try again Wed. now that the lil darlins are back in school:')

[MissTargets]

Nice camp. Glad you all had a good ride. With that kind of heat, it was wonderful you had trails in the shade.

[MissTargets]

School started already? That seems so early. Alison starts next week in the first grade. Used to be you didn't go back until after Labor Day. Of course, that was in the stone age.

[CindyDawg]

I think that is the way it should be. One of the cities around here started last week.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, we thought about not telling you at all that we rode cause we knew we would catch it for forgeting the cameras!

~chuckling~

Trails are shady and lots of creeks to cross, hills to climb and very well marked trails.

Sounds wonderful, if only we could ~see it~ :~D

You'll just have to go again :~)

[BladeRider]

You'll just have to go again :~)

Oh we will, we go there often. I am going to see if I can talk Frog into going back on the 3rd.

[HairOfTheDog]

I was just discussin' with my hubby when we are going to go... we may do a mid-week ride to make up for not going this last weekend... I think Wednesday's looking good.

[BladeRider]

I was just discussin' with my hubby when we are going to go... we may do a mid-week ride to make up for not going this last weekend... I think Wednesday's looking good.

Sounds like fun, I would much rather be sitting in the saddle than here at this desk!!!!!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I just got back in. We had a very good ride, about 3 hours. The temps are cooler, but the humidity is bad. My goal this week is to ride 3 hours, Mon, Tues, and Thurs. and try for 5 on Sat. I'd like to see how his back is going to hold up after a 5 hour ride.

I've been thinking of all the advise I got last week on building his stamina. Hair I let him set the pace today when I ask for a trot or a lope, and he was fine. I know you suggested to not worry about time but go for covering more miles faster...at least that's the way I took what you said. BUT...CTR's are more about time then speed....They HAVE to go the 5-6 hours each day. If you come in to early you're disqualified. SO, I'm thinking he does have to be mentally conditioned to go the longer times, and I really don't want him burning all his energy at the start. He does need to pace himself. Now today when I let him set the pace, his pace was just fine, not hardly faster then I'd ask him to go anyway. But at a competition, he may have a little more adrenline pumping, especially at the start, and I'd need to keep him steady...

Next week, I plan on taking him down to the arena and doing some work there, just for something different.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Those stalls are reallly nice for a camp ground. I've camped a lot with horses, and have always just tied them to the trailer or a tie post, but it's always worried me...I'm always getting up thru the night to check that they are still there:)

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I know your pace is very set when it comes time for competition, I wasn't suggesting you ride that way at competition or never control the pace in training, I was just considering that maybe giving him a little more freedom now would help get his mind out of a rut if his current rut is mental. In the mean-time, you're still covering the miles you need to cover to get him in shape.

Now today when I let him set the pace, his pace was just fine, not hardly faster then I'd ask him to go anyway. But at a competition, he may have a little more adrenline pumping, especially at the start, and I'd need to keep him steady...

I think you'll be able to keep him steady enough... just pick your battles and try to make the conditioning process something that has mental payoff for him so he doesn't get so bored. No matter what drilling you do at home, he'll still want to be excited at a new place. That's part of the fun :~) Controlled excitement, not elimination of excitement, is good for both of you :~).

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Controlled excitement, not elimination of excitement, is good for both of you :~).

Good way to put it, and I agree:)

I think I made it back just in time, looks like a storm is coming.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I've camped a lot with horses, and have always just tied them to the trailer or a tie post, but it's always worried me...I'm always getting up thru the night to check that they are still there:)

We didn't go up where the camp spots were at the trailheads here so I don't know if you saw them. They built great corrals, but then the concreted them! So now smart owners still don't use them, the horses would be too sore by morning to go again. So now they tie to the outside of them. I guess the corrals got soiled and muddy, but concrete was the wrong solution to that.

[BladeRider]

Those stalls are reallly nice for a camp ground. I've camped a lot with horses, and have always just tied them to the trailer or a tie post, but it's always worried me...I'm always getting up thru the night to check that they are still there:)

They are nice. Unfortunately there are a few that are in need of repair because people have put horses that have never been stalled before in there and have torn the stalls down. I also get quite aggrivated over people who do not clean their stalls before they leave. That makes us have to muck before we stall ours and after. The camp ground provides muck rakes and wheelbarrows too! We enjoy going there, the people that own it are very nice and there are 4 different trails you can ride from 1 miles on up to 18 miles.