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Posted on 01/02/2007 9:57:39 AM PST 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
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!
Old age sucks...for both horses and people!
Now I know where our rotten weather went. It's even been in the high 50's the past couple of days.
I'd geld him this winter - he will be too old next winter. Slick will go in sometime in the near future also.
By too old, I meant you will surely have some pregnancies if you wait that long.
Other than that, here's a couple pictures from the last couple of days...
A pony got to roll in the dirt. This was ~before~ the farrier came... (oh great!)
And the two monsters just looked very cute cuddling on my laundry pile :~)
Here's some I took of the monsters in the vacuum cleaner box yesterday...
There is a Tweek who keeps popping out of the hole in the top to surprise an unsuspecting Gidget. :~)
I love the pictures. I just realized that Pony is a ham :) she's looking at you like "be sure to get this picture, okay?"
She's got a couple of good lookin' hams there, yeah :~)
Good morning everyone! ~sip~
Hey - we just heard coyotes this morning, very distant. Haven't heard any in months. Don't know if they go somewhere for winter, or if our previous group is gone and these are new ones.
If we start hearing them again, we're going to have to go back into safe mode about waiting till daylight to let the kittens out. This will not be a popular decision.
Hair, the kittens are so beautiful! Such a cute picture of them together.
I clicked...*sniff* Oh, how I wish adopt them all. *sigh*
Good morning, everyone.
Rained all night last night, really just a drizzle, but we sure needed it.
I don't think coyotes migrate at all so probably they were hunting further away but still in their range until now. If you hear them yipping they have usually caught something. I'e wait until daylight or later to let the kittens out, the coyotes hunt right after daylight and at dusk. Well, middle of the day here also if they are hungry or have pups to feed.
We've usually heard them up until about dawn, but I've seen them during the day occasionally too. We do our best to keep them after dark and until daylight.
They pretty much stick to the yard here, leaving the compound would be risky!
It was dog training day here with the Old South Hunting Retriever Club -- a good time was had by all!
Shelley with her first chukar (Hungarian partridge) which we planted for her to hunt up. This was upland training day -- Shelley didn't do upland hunting in FORMAL fashion -- she isn't trained for it. But we had a little incident with a "flyaway" -- one of the birds released for the upland hunters flew back over the line and into the woods by the dirt road. Shelley locked on it as it flew over, and I said "what the heck" and turned her loose. She went storming down into the woods - the partridge flew twice more and she followed it each time, caught up with it, and brought it back.
Good dog! Meanwhile, Miss Ruby was introduced to HER first chukar, at a considerably younger age than her big sister --
She was doubtful, but interested.
Shelley got to do a "walkup" -- that is, we walk along, the judge remote launches a bird about 20 yards in front of her, she has to sit while I (pretend to) shoot it with the shotgun, then go on command to retrieve. She was cool and calm and did not break.
Ruby is retrieving! A few days ago she just suddenly seemed to have digested it all and began returning bumpers to hand. Today for the very first time she retrieved bumpers thrown by somebody else about 20-30 yards in front of her position. She's on a 25 foot cotton check cord.
The check cord is there to make SURE she brings the bird back to me -- by the simple expedient of STEPPING on it as she goes by . . .
Good dog!
Here's Shelley at the Big Event - basically what she has to do in a Seasoned Hunting Retriever test.
First, we do the "blind" -- Shelley has to go out 60 yards to an orange bumper that is planted "blind" - i.e. she doesn't see it, she has to go where I send her. She was GREAT - she no-whistled it, that is to say she went straight the way I sent her and picked it up. The blind was planted to the far left of the line.
Then we turn back to the right and do the "double" -- Shelley has to wait while I "shoot" two birds at about 60 yards and 90 yards, the long one was angling out slightly to the right - the short one was angling maybe 30 degrees left of a line straight ahead. This is the first bird, the long one to the right:
Then I tell her "wait", swing the shotgun left (she's trained to sight down my barrel) and shoot bird No. 2:
I send her to the short bird (the "go bird") first. Here she has retrieved the go bird, and with it still in her mouth I'm lining her up for the long bird (the "memory bird").
She nailed them both. Good, good dog!
Well, that's the report from the training day! Both dogs are totally sacked out and snoring in their crates - a well earned rest!
Terrific! Looks like fun!
They are both doing so great. Thank you for the pictures - it's neat to be able to "see" what you're describing.
This is exactly what he'll be doing once he gets past the first level ("Started Retriever" in UKC/HRC, "Junior Hunter" in AKC). The first level requires only 2 single land marks and 2 single water marks, delivered to hand in AKC, or to "the area of the handler" in UKC.
The "Seasoned Retriever" or "Senior Hunter" level requires (1) a walkup; (2) a blind; (3) a double mark. The blind can be requested at any time during the test - although not between the "go" and "memory" birds on the double.
The "Finished Retriever" or "Master Hunter" level is pretty darned rarified. They have to do a triple, a diversion bird, a very long blind, a "poison bird", and a bunch of other scary stuff. Miss Tori (Shelley's good friend) has her Finished Retriever title, which allows her to use the prefix HRCH (Hunting Retriever Champion) in front of her name.
Here is a picture of Miss Tori (HRCH Storm's Little Tornado, OA, OAJ) with Miss Ruby -- we thought it was funny how much alike they look. I wanted a puppy from Tori so badly, but her owners spayed her because she has allergy problems. So at least I can have a pup that LOOKS like Tori!
We have chukkar here - very hard to get close to usually but all over the place near my niece's house. If tomorrow is nice, I'll try to get some outdoor pictures of Blue. I've been sorta laid up today with a flu bug I guess. Can't even toast down :)
Cracked ice with a little bit of Co'Cola on it? I can usually get that to stay down . . .
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