The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread 11

[HairOfTheDog]

The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - (very out of date) Who's Who *pics*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
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread TEN

New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!

[FrogInABlender]

That’s a really cool coincidence that Tuffy ended up in the background of that other lady’s picture. Small world indeed!

[FrogInABlender]

I saw one of those on a gardening show on TV one time and thought it was really cool. It was an old timey cast iron bed frame and they topped it with a wooden box with a wire mesh bottom the size of the mattress and it looked really nice. I’ve been keeping my eye out for an old bed like that ever since. Things like that, like your fish tank pond out in the yard, are just really interesting.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Just back from feeding.

The mare seems fine this morning. The vet said to feed her a 1/2 ration this morning, check her again around noon, and if she is still fine, she can go back to the pasture and normal feedings.

I have some really nice pictures of the baby playing. It will take a while to load. It’s so funny to see. You can’t see him in the round pen over the sides unless he is right up by the edge looking over. A few times I’ve looked over there and seen the horse ball that he plays with flying around over the side. In the mornings when I first put him out there he is full of vim and vigor.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Oh, and no no one called the owner of the horse that I know of. Funny coincidence this is the same horse that cut her foot and had to be stitched the last time I fed. The owner never showed for that either.

Debbie told me over the phone last night, that if the vet said it was a bad colic and more then just oiling was needed, to have him put her down, the owner is not good at paying. I don’t think the owner shows up out there very often at all.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Yikes... I’d hate to be in that position.

I look forward to the baby pictures!

That fish tank needs to be flushed out, the water’s dirty, I’m a little hesitant to just stick the hose in because I might wash the polywogs out, if they’re still in there. Gonna come up with a way of doing that today, I think.

[FrogInABlender]

Pictures from the St. Jude ride Saturday...

The parking area before the ride. This was about 8:30am. Some people had camped out there the night before, but the rest were rolling in there about as fast as they could park them...

[HairOfTheDog]

That’s a really cool coincidence that Tuffy ended up in the background of that other lady’s picture. Small world indeed!

She posted a thread in breeds, too, about that Morgan stallion and commenting about his color, titled Guess what breed?

I didn't answer since I knew... ;~)

[FrogInABlender]

...That fish tank needs to be flushed out, the water’s dirty...

That's the bad thing about fish tanks. They ALWAYS need cleaning. :-/

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

How did your horse do?

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

I would have quessed Rocky Mountain Horse if y’all hadn’t already told me. Most of them are that color, but I don’t think they have that metallic sheen like he has. The only other breed that I’ve seen that in is an Akhal-Teke. They look like they’ve had a metallic paint job. Very striking!

[Beaker]

My GAWD! You really ARE riding an elephant! ;o)

Yeah. Yeah I am. I did an order from Dover this morning so that I could expedite the shipment (read: sell my soul to FedEx) because I can't use my saddle till I get the girth. The billets aren't the long dressage billets, they're the normal length ones, so that's why the girth is so huge. They were out of the 54", so I went with a 52" but I have reservations about it being too small. We have a 50" and my trainer was all exited to use it, and laughed until she cried when it didn't fit. I had to get child sized stirrup leathers too... :-/ It has been Christmas in July though, because I also scored a pair of nice used field boots for really cheap money on Sunday.

[FrogInABlender]

I didn't take Ellie because she was still kinda skinned up from the hazing she took from the other horses when I brought her home. Plus, this is a pretty long ride over some fairly steep terrain and I didn't want to over stress her and I didn't want to hold the others back either. She's a little less physically mature for her age than the others were when I first started riding them, so I'd rather just take her out with one or two friends on some short rides until I get a feel for her stamina and limits. I ended up riding Grace because Bob is barefoot right now and my friend Elizabeth rode Hope. We had a really nice ride. There were TONS of people there, the weather was cooler and less humid and everybody's horses did great. So it was a banner day over all.

Some more pictures...

Looking at the host's barn from across the hay field. I would (almost) kill to have the hay off of this field!

My friend Elizabeth on Hope, sporting an English saddle this time..

A gorgeous valley that we rode through on the way to another of the host's houses...

Their house overlooks the valley in the picture above. They always have a free refreshment stand with lemonade and cookies set up for all the riders to enjoy and a big trough of fresh water for the horses after the long climb up the hill...

A view of the parking area from atop the ridge on the way back from the refreshment stand...

After this leg of the ride we went back down to the trailers and left the horses tied with hay and water and went to get ourselves some lunch up at the bandstand area where the groups perform and where they auction off the donated items. They usually have hamburgers and hotdogs and grilled chicken sandwiches and all the stuff to go with them, along with baked goods for sale and all the proceeds also go straight to St. Jude.

After lunch we did the 2nd leg of the ride that was more shady and went along creek beds, which is much nicer in the heat of the afternoon...

We were back to the trailers around 2 and I stayed for a little of the auction, but I was beat and headed home pretty quickly after that.

[FrogInABlender]

Hey, I’ve got a couple of english girth extenders I’ll let you HAVE if I can find them. I had them made for an old saddle I used to have but then I bought a new one shortly thereafter and I never really used them. I think they’re in my husband’s tool chest at the in-law’s place somewhere. I’ll look for them the next time I’m there.

[Beaker]

Hi!

I really like how Tuffy's is turning out. I hope that you don't mind me throwing my two cents in since I came in late to the picture. In the first picture, his head is too low, but more importantly, it looks like he's heavy on the forehand, dragging on the rider's hands and not carrying his own head. Levi does this to me all the time, and it kills my shoulders. In the line up, I like how he looks. His head is far more level, and his neck is more in a straight line with his body. I personally don't like an exaggerated low headset on a western horse. They need to see where they are going. (Not a criticism, just an opinion) In the pic below the line up, I like where he has his head, to me it doesn't look like he's over bent at all. But, is that what you are going for? His headset seems to change throughout the pictures. Was your trainer trying to go for the bend or the low headset?

[FrogInABlender]

...In the pic below the line up, I like where he has his head, to me it doesn't look like he's over bent at all...

That's my favorite one too.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Hey, great pictures. Looks like a lot of people. I'd have been a nervous wreak riding in a group that size:) But it looks like fun.

Here's pictures of the baby playing this morning after I moved them to the round pen.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Isn’t he cute!!!!

And climbing all over momma when he gets bored with the ball ;~)

Frog... like your pics too! Looks like a big ride... It was the St. Jude we had to cancel out of marking trail for last week... I wonder if they’re held all over the country at about the same time.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yeah, he’s pretty cute:)...that time he got on mom, he was biting her on the ear and neck:)...I was waiting for her to let him have it but she never did:)

They are sure a lot of fun to watch. I’m going to try to get pictures of him when I’m leading mom ... you can tell he’s thinking about exploring...it takes him a while to come in the stall and the round pen. Makes me very nervous especially out side, I’m afraid if he got going he’d hit fence line somewhere, and them when I’m leading him back to the barn he comes running in, and when he hits the cement alley way he skids...I’m waiting for a fall. He really needs a halter:), but I’m not going to do it, I think he’s going to throw a fit when he feels pressure.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - I’d be nervous too... but that kid needs haltered before he gets any bigger :~]

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well, you know, he may have had one on, and she just didn’t tell me. But if she didn’t tell me, I’d say it’s because he’s probably a handfull:), and needs lots of work.

Becky