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]

I was signed up for a poker ride today at our arboretum and was really looking forward to it. I didn't want to go alone so I asked a woman at the barn to go with me. We trailered her horse and mine, signed up and started the ride.We couldn't have gone more than a tenth of am mile and came to a creek about 3 ft. wide with a few rocks. Her horse wouldn't cross and so that was the end of the ride.
I was really disappointed. I figured that since I invited her and it wasn't working for her, I should leave with her (plus I had the trailer)

Next time I'll just go and ride with whoever is there.

Heading to the cabin tomorrow for a week of R & R and I'vmn really looking forward to it. I have 5 books, Waylon and 2 bottlews of wine.........sounds good huh?

[squarebarb]

Sounds great!

You were polite to go back with that woman but she sounds like a lot of people from a barn I used to ride with.

The problem is, the person is probably more scared of the creek and trail-riding in general than the horse is.

[squarebarb]

Oh man....

I hate it when that happens.

I started to put water in the fish pond but the water I get out of my pipes was hotter than the water in the fish pond.

So I just topped it up.

This has got to break sooner or later...

[CindyDawg]

I kid you not, I went to wet my horse down the other day and I had to let the water run at least 5 minutes. My Dad is a retired crop duster. One of the funniest stories he told me was when he was doing a job in Arkansas. He was out in the country with no utilities. He said he took a hot shower every evening though:')

[RebaJ]

Duchess, Thanks for the reply. I appreciate that you offered your opinion about raffles and did in a diplomatic manner.

Cindy, I know these people are your friends and I am sorry I have put you in a position to defend yourself because my actions.

All, I am a reasonable person and I can take criticism to a point. When I posted that message I was taken back by Hairs response and to what I understand as a continued action to prove me absolutely wrong for just stating a comment. Had questions been asked in order clarify and debate the topic I would have welcomed them, but they weren't. All I received in response was how bad this is.

Hair, I'm sorry but I took your comments as one sided and unbateable and that offended me. I received several emails after your first post from people in this forum. They were upset that no questions were asked before the decision of how bad the raffle was. Some also praised you as a good person and that this topic was obviously a tender topic for you. Your right, a raffle holds potential danger for the horse and new owner. However is it also possible that responsible people arranged this and there are rules and references that must be met before a person can claim the animal? Is it possible that with the right handling of any situation it can create a positive outcome for all involved? You have good friends within this forum and as you see they have stood up for you, but you also have friends who are afraid to speak up and that is something to think about.

[HairOfTheDog]

You're right, my comments were one sided, my side. I'm sorry I offended you but my opinion about the idea of raffling off a horse hasn't changed.

That's all I have to say about that. :~)

[Duchess47]

I hope you feel as if you have friends here too. I don't think your or CindyDawg or anyone needs to defend your actions - you have just as much right to state your opinion as anyone else. And obviously, none of us know your church or the mechanics of the raffle so we're shooting from the hip.

And much as we'd like to sometimes, we're not in charge of the world (or in my case, even my corner of it). Anyway, I hope you don't leave :) I have to admit, I enjoy trying to figure out you and CindyDawg's short speak sometimes.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

But rather then get upset and offended by her comment and sull up, why didn't you come back and answer those questions, or explain the rules and references before the horse could be claimed.

In the post I sent this morning in ref. to the raffle I DID ask some questions about it, you have chosen to skip over my post and questions. Why?

My responses were not to stand up for Hair. they were my opinion, and mostly I was/am concerned about the posts that are meant to make someone feel guilty or bad about voicing their opinions on an open debate forum.

I went back and looked at Hairs first response to you and she started out with "Forgive me"....None of her responses IMO, were to "prove" YOU wrong. They were her opinions on horse raffles. And you did receive responses about WHY raffles were viewed as bad, not just that they were bad. If the raffle you are speaking of has addressed these issues why not enlighten us about it. I would welcome that.

Becky

[Duchess47]

We sold Ghost this week. To a lady that lives about an hour away. She rides English - which bothered him not a bit :)

I was really proud of him, although hated to see him go.

Prez and Tuffy went to a two day show last week-end. Another of my proudest moments. A lady borrowed Prez to take her granddaughter into leadline. He did great. A young girl that we know borrowed him for one of the western riding classes - she was high point and in the running for a buckle and her horse was lame. He did great for her too :) Then my greatniece rode him in four classes with the "big boys". She won two of the four classes. This is the child that just learned to ride less than a year ago.

[HairOfTheDog]

I also hope you don't ~leave~ it's just a disagreement.

We've rarely talked here Reba, you're usually on the thread just to talk to your sister in shorthand no one understands, but I'm really not all that big a b*tch... I'm opinionated on more than a few things, like most people here. But ironically, I'm usually blamed for being too much of a diplomat. Becky resented that I tried to keep people from arguing to keep everything happy all the time. I can't win :~)

[HairOfTheDog]

Terrific. I think Ghost would go nicely English! He's got carriage and legs, if I recall.

And Prez, by reputation will apparently go however and wherever someone asks him to go :~)

[Duchess47]

Well, he won't do the trail classes. He absolutely sees no point in sidepassing. And he won't change leads if he doesn't get just the right cue, even though he knows which lead he's supposed to be on :)

But, all in all, he's a pretty good old man. He's off his feed this summer and has lost some weight but we are putting applesauce in his feed to get him to eat. Not sure if it's the heat or boredom.

Yeh, Ghost will do great English.

[HairOfTheDog]

Everyone has their sticky points in their personality, eh?

Hope he's back to eating again... I don't know what to make of that, I know I don't like to eat when I'm hot, it'd do me good to come down and spend a summer with you :~)

[Duchess47]

He's eating better, just not great. He can't have hay, due to the pouch in his throat. His feed needs to be wet, sort of a slurry. He gets beet pulp, alfalfa pellets and equine senior, along with now some supplements and applesauce. He's still not cleaning it up like he should but at least he's not just leaving half of his meal.

There is nothing physically wrong with him, so it's hard to say. His only other symptom is that he refuses to let any other horse be in the paddock next to him except Quest. He threatens and charges everyone else. ????

[HairOfTheDog]

There is a lizard loose in our house.

ecurbh picked up his shoe and this thing flipped off onto the floor and scurried under the couch. We upended the couch, but no lizard was found.

[HairOfTheDog]

Is this bossiness a new behavior for him?

[Duchess47]

Oh my, I'll bet the kittens will find it. Somehow I never though of you having lizards there.

[Duchess47]

Yes it is, more or less. He charged the stall walls when Friday was beside him but then it seemed like he was just doing it to scare her and she soon realized that. Now he bites and kicks anyone except Quest. Well, on that particular side. On the other side, he just ignores whoever is there. Curious behavior to say the least.

[HairOfTheDog]

Huh - I don't know what to make of that behavior if it's new. It's curious.

We don't have a lot of lizards, so they're sortof a shock when we see them :~o

They look like this, this was a different one that I nearly ran over in the pasture mowing awhile back.

[CindyDawg]

Well, I have a bird in my house. He now will climb on my hand and sit on my shoulder. He came from a pet store. Probably lots of lights and people and noise. It's been just basiclly him and me for a week and he acted like he didn't know what to do with company today.