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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!
Don't know what they discussed, except that he's getting older, and maybe they think he's getting beyond carrying ~me~ long distances. Mark comments that Bay is stiff in the joints when he's having to hold his foot up, and I've seen him act sore doing that. I think Bay did good this year, but he did it on Bute most of the time, too.
We'll see... I won't get ahead of myself, and when we go look tonight, it will be to look for reasons it's not a good match :~)
Doing some schooling would be fun, but you're right it's not what I'm accustomed to doing...
Hey everyone, I need some advice this morning.
I stored a bale of alfalfa in an old fridge that I use for feed storage and there is mold on the bottom and on one flake.
Other flakes are mold-free.
I thought the fridge was waterproof but it isn't, and there was a little leakage during the recent rains.
Dare I use any of the alfalfa that isn't moldy?
Thanks! SB
After Alison went off to school, I went back to bed. It was drizzling and very cool, so I took the day off. I did dig 3 drainage ditches from outside the pasture yesterday. That helped remove some of the standing water. I remembered Hair doing that to her's.
Boy did WE have fun in class last night (ever since I started taking my weekly lesson with the teenagers who are competing on the Pre-Novice level, things have been VERY interesting.)
Cathy (trainer) set up a jumping lane, and we had to ride through with NO HANDS (make like an airplane with arms out to the sides)! I tied a big knot in my reins and buckled them to the breastplate (so I'd have a fighting chance of finding them again) . . . Gracie got all excited when I let go her head and put in a couple of real big ones. My legs had a Death Grip on her sides - no chance of my spurring her by accident, with all that adrenaline you would have had to pry my legs off with a crowbar. And I am VERY VERY sore this morning . . .
If you have a standing water problem, may I suggest planting willow trees (outside the fence)? They drink water like a herd of elephants.
Pull it apart, if you see a cloud come off of it that is mold spores... toss it. Look close at the stems, if there are black spots on it, toss it. If you still have doubts, toss it.
I've had numerous bales where one end was bad, or there was a bad spot from a drip or something, and I have used the rest of it if I thought the rest of the bale looked good. But if you have any doubt, it's not worth the colic to for the price of not wasting a bale of hay. If a horse is well fed they'll usually tell you, too... by just spreading it around and leaving the bad parts too... unless he's a horse that will eat anything.
In your case, I doubt, it would take you that long a mourning period. You have someone to ride with and would want to keep going. Check this horse out, you will know if he is right for you. At your age, you can handle one that needs some work. Do some barn rearranging like we did and you will fit them all in. Good luck!
Oh my, why in the world would she want you guys to ride with no hands? And over jumps. Where the horses on a lunge line?
Willow trees are a great idea, but the fence is right at our property line, so there is not enough room. It is very flat here and with the amount of rain we have had this summer, it's saturated.
My neighbor let me plant a dogwood at the fence corner in the front of our lots.
He's a really nice looking horse and sounds really nice too. I'm with you that he just needs a few more wet saddle blankets and he'll be fine. I sure hope she realizes that and doesn't get rid of a perfectly good horse.
Looks nice, know you want to keep it that way!
No longe line - unsafe except over cavaletti because the line could get hung up on the standard. You drop the reins 2-3 strides out and steer with your legs. You can check a good hunter with weight and voice alone, Gracie USUALLY listens well enough. I tipped forward once and had to catch myself on my hands, but otherwise we were smooth.
The idea is to get your seat and legs independent of your hands over fences. Some folks have a tendency to hang on the reins in the air, which of course is bad for the horse's confidence and also will make him drop his hindquarters and knock a bar.
Sympathy, we finally replaced our old rotten deck. It was rotten when we moved in . . . our real estate agent fell through it and would have gone all the way to the ground if my husband hadn't quickly caught her under the arms. We patched and patched for years, but finally got to the point where every remaining board was rotten. The idiot who built the house used western cedar for the deck instead of pressure treated. That won't go in this climate.
New deck looks good, but OMG the price of pressure treated these days!
Well of course you want to go look if just because your friend asked you to. You can decide later. Even if he's not for you, I'm sure he will appreciate your advise.
I have a minor hay problem too. I bought a sq bale for SL and didn't use it. It got wet, so it's not food anymore. Any other practical use? I just hate throwing things away.
LOL! And I'll bet you're walking like an old bowlegged cowboy too. The jumping thing sounds like fun, although a bit scary to do it with no hands.
I completely understand how she feels. I had a bay mare a few years ago that had thrown me a few times, the last time I ended up with 3 broken ribs. Before that i never had a problem, now I get butterflies before every ride, even when I ride my old girl Queen who I know very well. The more I ride and learn my horse the better my nerves get. I tend to worry to much about the what if's and what could's.
I get the butterflies before I ride. Once I'm in the saddle, I'm ok. I can really get myself worked up before then, if I let me.
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