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Posted on 06/19/2006 8:46:45 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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!
I understand... Try to find someone who you don't mind asking to be a bother to for a ride or two :~)
Well, I've got to go - got a meeting I have to go get dressed and go to ~town~ for! Ugh!
You mean "Tickrider" don't you? My poor little horse has gotten so fat that my husband says he looks like tick. Blade was not to happy last night and this morning when Jake and Queen got grain and he did not. Wiat until the grazing muzzle comes! That extra weight was just to much for him to pull those hills.
Yes, I do think you can pick up on how a horse is feeling (relaxed, nervous, frightened), by body language, and expressions....but I feel like you read to much into that sort of stuff, and try to let it determine what you do with her. For ex:."She acted nervous of me like, she was in trouble," "Anyway, she was looking at me like I was gonna take a stick to her. " I just don't think you can know this sort of thing, and I don't think it should influence what you do....and you know me:) I wouldn't have started rubbing and hugging her:)...but I'm mean that way. If she WAS nervous, I don't Believe it's because she knew she had been bad at the ride, and now she might be in trouble...too much time had passed, and anyway, I don't believe horses think in that logical of a manner. I believe if she was nervous it was more from just being unloaded from a trailer she hasn't been in that much. Or, and please don't let this hurt your feelings, it could be you expected her to be nervous because she had been bad and so you saw it.
"I don't know what that was all about"
....more then likely it wasn't about anything...IMO. Of course I realize I wasn't there, and sometimes you have to be there to understand, but this is what I feel gives you the most problems with dealing with horses. It seems, and I could be very wrong...that you're always trying to figure out what every little sigh, expression, movement, etc the horse makes means. IMO, the best thing to do, is not worry at all about that stuff, and just make the horse do what you want, rather the horse for "whatever" reason LIKES it or not....
I wish you could hear me SAY this, rather then reading it on the internet:), I don't mean any of it in a way of putting you down, and I repeat, I did the same things...the only way I know to describe how I think most horse owners who become horse owners later in life:) start out their handling of a horse is they treat it like you would a dog...and IMO, that just does not work. They do not react to things at all like a dog.... Boy have I gotten on a soap box...sorry for the ramble...:)
Becky
It's not mean or too soft either IMO. It's where you are, and what you are seeing at the time. Each circumstance can be different I guess. I agree and of course disagree with some parts. Whereas I don't think it meant anything regarding the ride I think that she had been hit with a lot of new stuff and was back in the barn and looking like now what, since she never goes in the barn anymore. The person that hasn't needed to very seldom get on her and usually just moves her out with voice or a nudge had been tough, maybe even necessarily rough with her. When any animal looks at you warily, they don't know what to expect. When they kind of straighten up and tense and shrug away from you while watching you bugged eyes they are nervous. I don't know as much about horses as I would like yet but I do know animals in general. I don't let her come into mine, but yeah, I go into her space. I leaned against her neck and put my arm up and stoked her and what ever was making her tense up, eased. Maybe the day, maybe my body language. I don't know. In the end it was more important for me to just fix it, instead of figuring it out, so I did. I wanted the day to end good for her too. I admire you and in many ways want to be the kind of rider you are and when I need to be I can forget about feelings stuff. I promise you , when I was getting air under my seat I was not thinking about "what's bothering Sarah Lee":') I bet there are times though when things are going good that you are a little like me too though and think, I wonder what Harley is thinking. C'mom. Admit it:')
You know, I've come to the conclusion that horses from about 3 yrs to 5 yrs, are actually better behaved then 6 yr olds to 10 yr olds:). The younger ones, are still insecure enough to WANT to be guided, then they hit what I call the teen years, and the want to develop a mind of their own:)
If you can get one thru those middle years and they still be good...then you'll have a really really nice horse.
Becky
Oh, yeah, I'm always wondering what the heck is he thinking:)....I admit it. I think we CAN tell a lot of times, from expressions, and body language what's going on with them....I just don't think tho they retain a thought or a feeling for longer then the instant it happened....
I guess it was your comment that you thought she was thinking she was in trouble and you were going to take a stick to her...I just don't think they think that way....
But hey, you know, you went, you handled it the best you could, you had fun, and you got back in one piece...I'd say it was a successful first outing:) That's all that matters.
Becky
Yep. The take a stick just an expression I use. Common sense tends to keep me awake at night sometimes but hey. The suns up. I'm ready to go out again. I missed the last meeting. I don't know what we are up to next.
I guess I just misunderstood what you were saying in your first post that started this discussion:)....
Have you ever seen a horse kind of sigh and totally relax though? I put her back in the barn for grooming. She acted nervous of me like she was in trouble. I hadn't been mean but just firm with her. There were many 'quit"s and one slap on her butt but there were also strokes and good girls too. Anyway, she was looking at me like I was gonna take a stick to her. I started rubbing her neck , kind of hugging and she just seemed to relaxed all over and kind of sigh. I don't know what that was all about.
The fact that came out in your second post , that you never take her in the barn...was pretty pertinent to what was going on with her. I didn't know that from the first post.
Common sense tends to keep me awake at night sometimes but hey. The suns up. I'm ready to go out again. I missed the last meeting. I don't know what we are up to next.
And I have no clue what this means...So I just won't comment:)
Becky
Poor little guy! I sure hate it for him, but he really does need to lose that weight. Proportionally speaking, he's as big as Tennessee was when he was his biggest, and you and I both know that ain't good for him. Mother Nature seems to have blessed him with an extremely efficient metabolism so you've gotta do what you've gotta do to keep it under control, either feed him a whole lot less or ride him a whole lot more. And it's doubly hard that you've got the opposite problem with Jake. He needs all the groceries in him that he can get.
Tennessee really didn't like it either when he started getting barely a cup of grain while everybody else was getting more, but as long as he got something, and I kept him run off of the other's buckets, he seemed to accept it and would go about eating his hay until they got through. Of course now all he gets is hay, and some hay-like feed to have his vitamins on, but he looks better than he's looked in years and his feet are looking better too. He actually cantered a little bit in the pasture the other day and I haven't seen him do that since last year.
It means I'm 52 and overweight and my brain tends to remind me at night. My club rides every month. I've decided to give it another try.
Good Deal! I think you'll enjoy it.
MMMMMMM
Here's the link to the grazing muzzle I was talking about..
http://www.horse.com/products/sku-BRK61.html
I'll bet you'd need the Arab/Yearling size for Blade. I got the Avg Horse size for Tennessee and you know how big HIS head is.
Thanks, I thought that one was a good one too. Ellie had been born a while when I found her and took that picture. I got a similar one of Truly and Goose, but he was still all slimy and didn't look as cute at that point.
I was looking at the country supply catalog last night and was thing the same thing about the size. Meant to bring that up but forgot.
It's at a radiator place now...
Aren't Honeys wonderful:')?
They are :~)
I called my dad while I was waiting, and said "aren't you glad I have a honey now? I'm broke down and you don't have to come !"
LOL
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