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The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - (very out of date) Who's Who *pics*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

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well they use to do this ride once in the spring and once in the fall. But they just don’t have enough workers any more willing to organize one so they cut the fall one.

The timing on this ride does make it difficult, but then sometimes I think I obsess to much over conditioning. But I’ve also seen a lot of horses go down at this ride. I even pulled Belle out one time there, she was just tiring to much, and I was really having to work to keep her going. It wasn’t worth it to me, and that’s what I’m afraid would happen with Harley. He’d do it, but it would really wear him out, and I don’t like doing that to my horse. I expect them to be tired, but not wore out.

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

...course, I guess then it’d be too hot.

Yeah, that's definately a big concern around here. People starting having troubles with Tying Up and dehydration. So you're kinda caught between a rock and a hard place as far as the weather goes.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

These trees that have come down would not be hard to just move out of the way. It’s just hard to do and hold a horse at the same time, at least for me. It’s good practice for the horse to get use to, I just don’t want to do it while I’m by myself.

This places he was sinking pretty good, and he isn’t good at going thru them. Pulling something is exactly what I’m worried he will do. But then he’s got to learn to go thru those areas better.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

In this region they do not even have any rides during the hot summer. I think they stop in June sometime and pick back up in Sept.

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

He’d do it, but it would really wear him out, and I don’t like doing that to my horse. I expect them to be tired, but not wore out.

That's a good way to look at it. I think that that's how horses get soured on riding sometimes, when they just get absolutely rode into the ground every time they go out. Heck, if I was them, after a while I wouldn't wanna go out anymore either.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Exactly...and that’s why I’m not going. I’d have to really really ride the snoot out of him over the next weeks. So he would not only be wore out at the ride, the conditioning would be tuff.

I did that last year getting him ready for rides, and I’m not doing it now. I want to bring him into condition slowly so he doesn’t come to expect every time he goes out it’s hard long “work”.

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

...It’s just hard to do and hold a horse at the same time...

Can you not just take a lead and tie him up somewhere off the trail while you work with it, or better yet, if he's steady enough, tie the rope to the tree and let him help you drag it off the trail. You see that kind of obstacle on Extreme Cowboy Race all the time. But I'd only do it if he was already used to pulling things and having them drag behind him. I don't have a saddle with a horn or I'd practice a little bit of it myself. You never know when it'll come in handy to have a little more muscle to help you out.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well, yeah I could do that, I’m just lazy tho:)...and I don’t know if I tied him where he could see the tree moving if that would spook him, and then he’d have a fit tied up. And I’m not comfortable tying him where I couldn’t see him. I could practice all this stuff here in the arena, but like I said I’m lazy.

I’ve never had him drag anything yet...I’ve told Charlie to come do that for me the first time:) but we haven’t got around to it yet.

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

...It’s good practice for the horse to get use to, I just don’t want to do it while I’m by myself.

And I understand that too. I've always got somebody with me when I'm riding, so we're a little bit more inclined to do that kinda stuff, although I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to either of us when we're out in the middle of nowhere like we usually are. There's no cell phone service out there, and I sure as heck couldn't carry him out myself. I guess all I could do would be to ride for help. It would be a long time coming at best, but I guess it'd be better than nothing and you'd just have to hope that it'd get there in time. Not something I really want to think about. It's the kind of thing that convinces people that they need to stop doing things and then they just end up existing rather than living, and I'd really rather not live like that.

Now how was THAT for a depressing digression?! ;o)

[proud_2_B_texasgal]

I’m also finding the ticks here horrible this year already. Everytime I come in from a ride, I have to pull them off.

ewwwwwwwwww, I haven't noticed ticks yet. I guess I should be checking the horses for them .. already.. ick.

[FrogInABlender]

... I could practice all this stuff here in the arena, but like I said I’m lazy.

But that sounds like FUN arena work, and a heck of a lot more useful than just going around in circles. There could actually be a CTR obstacle at some point where you have to drag a branch or something. It could be something that you could do to get some training time when it's too muddy to ride. Gee, who'da thoughta that? ;o)

[proud_2_B_texasgal]

deer flys and B52 horseflys.

Grrrrrrr, you know, those B52's were out yesterday .. charm had one land on her ear .. it ticked her off! I had to reach up and brush it off.

well, we can complain about the cold .. or complain about the bugs, huh? lol

[FrogInABlender]

I found one crawling up the shower curtain this morning! Just thinking about it made me itch all over. I guess it’s time to start FRONTLINE-ing the cats and giving them a once-over with the comb every time they come in the house. Yuck!

[proud_2_B_texasgal]

I found one crawling up the shower curtain this morning!

Oh dear God! I remember ticks being more of an issue when I lived in Tennessee .. we always had to check ourselves after a walk in the woods.

I live in a subdivision, so the dogs are pretty easy to control.

I bet we do get them pretty bad out where the horses are, though ...it's just very "woodsy" ..

thanks for the image, friend.. LOL

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

It was pretty depressing:)

LOL...but I have to thank you...you’ve properly shamed me. My horse is saddle, and standing for a few minutes, I think the wind has him wired up...he’s swinging back and forth looking in all directions like something is about to get him. He can stand for awhile, then I’ll go ride. I’m not moving any trees, but there are a few places I can go where the mud is not too bad, and if I’m wanting to bring him into condition slowly, I need to go, so I’m not caught in May riding the snoot out of him.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well, I thought about it, but my arena is a mess too. He wouldn’t sink to his hocks, but’s more slippery in there then boggy...

I have had to drag some things at CTR’s. Nothing big or heavy. One time on Belle, we had to drag a trash bag that was floating out in a big puddle of water up onto a rock...Belle did fine till it got to the rock and made that plastic sound, then she was done, and so was I:). I just dropped it.

Last year we had to drag a rope in a curve, so it did come around and rub the horses hip, but Harley was fine with that.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

The horse flies were very bad here yesterday. Poor Harley had a cloud of them buzzing around his head practically the whole ride.

We get an early batch every year about this time, that are a real nuisance, then they disappear for awhile till the really hot summer hits, then they come back with a vengeance. I imagine this cold spell we are suppose to get will clear them out for a while.

[FrogInABlender]

Bob would probably come unglued dragging the plastic bag too. I need to work on that kinda thing. He’s fine with me putting on a poncho while I’m on him, but when I threw my little sponge-on-a-rope thing off into the creek the first time he thought it was fixing to eat him. He didn’t freak out and run, but he got this really funny head-cocked-to-the-side look on his face and he got real low on the front end with his front feet all spread apart like he was thinking “OoooohMgoshWhatmIgonnadonow!” I did it a few more times and he relaxed a LITTLE but he still didn’t quite know what to think of it. I need to do more of that kinda stuff with him. It’s good for their mind. I’ve done a little gate work with him, and he did fair, but it definitely needs more practice and refinement. His backup is pretty good, but it could be better. He’ll go 4 or 5 feet and then doesn’t want to do it anymore. And I’ve never really tried to sidepass, but he pivots on the forequarters and hindquarters pretty good, so it might not take much. So there’s all kinds of things that I could work on if I’d just get up off my butt and do it. So I haven’t got any right to be be ragging on you at all coz you definitely do more than me. But you know how it is, I only pick at people that I like. :o)

[HairOfTheDog]

Dragging a plastic bag would be too much for Bay... I think he’d be a quivering mess.

My honey is acting up. You think I should just go ahead and put him to work, or should I let him stand tied for a couple hours first?

[HairOfTheDog]

He didn’t freak out and run, but he got this really funny head-cocked-to-the-side look on his face and he got real low on the front end with his front feet all spread apart like he was thinking “OoooohMgoshWhatmIgonnadonow!”

I think that's what Bay would do! I can just see it. He's way beyond actually trying to buck or toss me... but he'd be all splayed out like that and if it touched him I think he'd go straight in the air.

One time he lost his fly mask somewhere out in the field, and I decided I'd get on him, with a halter and lead rope I think, to try to find it. I had thought ahead that I'd need something to pick it up with, so I brought a broom handle I figured I could hook it with. Well, he was fine with the broom handle, but when I reached down and picked up the fly mask and lifted it in the air he thought sure it was going to eat him. There was no way he was going to stand for that, with me bareback I just slipped down and grabbed it. On the ground... no problem. Not scary. Go figure.