The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread!

So do you think your new pad worked well, or was it a long enough ride for you to know?

Becky

I think it’ll be fine. We had a couple good rides last season in it. I took the cashell out of the pocket though, and had it on top. The pocket is a neat idea, but I just can’t tell if it’s straight when it’s in the pocket.

Got the pictures posted finally in the other forum....

Frustrated by the process....

My tailbone hurts. :~\

Incredible damage in those pictures. The trees in the tops of other trees remind me of the hurricane damage from I think it was Hugo, between Fayetteville and the coast when we drove down.

You guys should be very proud of your horses, handling all the scary things without major upsets :)

True... I sortof expect it with Bay... But I’m pretty pleased that Cyn can go all winter just having food thrown at her and not have to do much, and she pretty much just goes right back to work. A few boibles, but not bad at all.

Well, We know Cyn’s a great horse :) someone keeps trying to talk you out of her.

She really is great. I love this horse. :)

That’s a pretty good picture :~)

She is one in a million, that’s a fact :)

Oh, OK, for some reason I didn’t think you had used it yet....hard to keep facts about all of us here straight.

I liked the pad I borrowed with the pocket when I was using the Eng. saddle. I thought it helped keep the pad straight. My pad probably kept going crooked tho because nothing ever fit right on him which always pulled everything crooked.

Becky

I want to wish you all a Happy Easter and hope you enjoy the Holiday with your families.

I always show up on here when there is need of help.

Update on Philip Lancaster, my nephew.

Got Sad news:

I got some sad news, my nephew in Iraq, his unit was under attack, he was in a humvee and a bullet hit a roadside IED device, detonated the bomb. My nephew was sitting on that side, he was knocked unconscious, and they thought he was dead with all the blood on him & there was no response, Thank God he wasn’t, he had a face and head wound, full of schrapnel. Last word we got is that he is in a hospital and they think he will be ok.
February, you konw of the incident, where his humvee hit the IED, and he was hurt, schrapnel in his back. then a few months before that same type of incident, where he was ok but his sgt major was killed. I thank God for all his protection for the soldiers. There is another soldier,a helicopterpilot I know through friends, that had a helicopter incident. Article is here if you wish to read it. I do believe that is the same attack my nephew was in, but on the ground. Philip is in Basra.

here is an article about the helicopter/Basra

http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/apr/05/nine-soldiers-die-during-security-raids-across-ira/

I thank you all for the prayers you have said for Philip, as you see they work, He is alive, Thank God. I just wonder how much a body can take.

My sister is off work for a month, she is so stressed out by all this, she took a sleep apnea test and she stops breathing 76 times in one hour. Plus she has stomach problems. I know how I feel about Philip, and my sister, being the mother is worse.

Thank you for all the kindness and support you have given towards Philip

Maureen

Didn't Bute Bay before hand... and he was good... not as hot as I thought he'd be... wonder if he would have been a little more hyper if I had...

Went back this morning now that I'm fresh and not looking thru sleepy eyes:), and noticed this comment:). These are just observations from things I've gathered from here, you know the horse and are there, so are the best judge.

I don't think I would be giving him bute every ride for several reasons. One it will mask pain that you may need to know about. If he is walking sound, hyperness/hyperless isn't brought on by bute. You said last year that he was slow on the way out and picked up on the way back. You finally figured out he was just cheating you on the way out, didn't have anything to do with him being off. Maybe this year he is just learning to pace himself, which IMO, is a good thing. As long as he is sound and not just dragging. I'd think he was fine and wouldn't bute him.

One other thing. You did work him several times this week. That will calm a horse down. Consistency. But if you ARE thinking his hyperlessness could mean soemthing was off...I was surprised when you posted the pictures...that you worked him for 20 minutes jumping. Maybe that made him a bit sore? From everything I've read about navicular, jumping can be a major contributor to navicular because of the high impact. You do worry a lot about him being navicular, so I was surprised you would do that.

I am not questioning your judgment here. I was just surprised. IMO, Bay is fine, looks great, and sounds like he is great. I wouldn't bute just because of a lack of hyperness. Of course your comment may not have even been intended to get feedback on:), if so just ignore what I've said:).

The downed trees...wow, I noticed more this morning just how many there are, and that someone has been busy cutting them up to open the trails. I swear everytime I ride in my woods and look at our trees, I always think...that one is tall, but doesn't come close to the ones in Wash. and Hair has some in her front yard. I think that was the coolest thing about Wa. That you had trees like that just standing in your front yard. I couldn't move from that place unless I was moving somewhere where there was some just like them in the front yard:)

Becky

So very sorry, but he is alive...Thank God:).

I will keep him in my thoughts.

Happy Easter to you and your’s.

Becky

So sorry... prayers for Philip and for you and your sister that you all can get through this till he is safely home.

I’ll keep Philip and his mother in my prayers. Thank God he wasn’t killed.

Good Morning.

Still snowing, still cold, but according to the weather channel, most of the Nation is suffering this cold spell. Something about the Jet Steam dipping so low bringing these Arctic temps.

Have a great weekend!

It’s very cold here. The water troughs had ice on them this morning.

Becky

Yay! You went trail riding! Wonderful pictures and I am glad you guys had a good time, the horses were good, the weather was good, ah life is good!

Went back this morning now that I'm fresh and not looking thru sleepy eyes:), and noticed this comment:). These are just observations from things I've gathered from here, you know the horse and are there, so are the best judge.

Good morning... I just woke up, so now I'm the one with sleepy eyes, trying to wake up and think about all your feedback on these issues :~)

~sip~

I don't think I would be giving him bute every ride for several reasons. One it will mask pain that you may need to know about. If he is walking sound, hyperness/hyperless isn't brought on by bute. You said last year that he was slow on the way out and picked up on the way back. You finally figured out he was just cheating you on the way out, didn't have anything to do with him being off. Maybe this year he is just learning to pace himself, which IMO, is a good thing. As long as he is sound and not just dragging. I'd think he was fine and wouldn't bute him.

Fair enough... Those are the thought processes I go through in deciding if he's sound and good or off and sore... I play it case by case, day by day

One other thing. You did work him several times this week. That will calm a horse down. Consistency. But if you ARE thinking his hyperlessness could mean soemthing was off...I was surprised when you posted the pictures...that you worked him for 20 minutes jumping. Maybe that made him a bit sore? From everything I've read about navicular, jumping can be a major contributor to navicular because of the high impact. You do worry a lot about him being navicular, so I was surprised you would do that.

Maybe.... maybe not. Yes, jumping can be hard on him, but the goal with the jumping was two fold.... to help build his back and limber him up, and to ~push~ him a little and see if I see any sign of soreness. I'd rather know that now than when I'm a few miles out, even if I do need the walking :~) Good point, though, it shouldn't be overdone. I don't think I did. He finished sound, and looked good the next day.

I am not questioning your judgment here. I was just surprised. IMO, Bay is fine, looks great, and sounds like he is great. I wouldn't bute just because of a lack of hyperness. Of course your comment may not have even been intended to get feedback on:), if so just ignore what I've said:).

Lack of hyperness is just sometimes his only symptom. He doesn't limp when his feet hurt, he just doesn't 'waste' steps. Or... said the other way around... if he's hyper and dancing I know he doesn't hurt... if he's just quiet and obedient... I never know for sure.

I think he was sound yesterday.... It wasn't even worry that made me get off and walk... I had decided I should do that on each ride a little... for me. :~)

He was perhaps a little too careful going down the steep hills... and would speed up when he was on the flat.... but that could be lack of strength and condition, or his feet, or both. Not bad... and Cyn was being just as careful. They are just out of shape.

Overall, I'm really pleased and optimistic about him. Last year I did Bute him before most rides, or ended up wishing I had if I didn't. This year, I'm playing it by ear. This year, he's sound even circling on the lunge... last year, I didn't lunge him much at all on the line, only ran him loose, because he couldn't do the circling. He's better this year than last, so far. I haven't seen him take an off step.

Please give feedback on whatever I say, or anything I don't say.... questioning decisions is good :~)

The downed trees...wow, I noticed more this morning just how many there are, and that someone has been busy cutting them up to open the trails. I swear everytime I ride in my woods and look at our trees, I always think...that one is tall, but doesn't come close to the ones in Wash. and Hair has some in her front yard. I think that was the coolest thing about Wa. That you had trees like that just standing in your front yard. I couldn't move from that place unless I was moving somewhere where there was some just like them in the front yard:)

I'm really impressed that they've already been out to clear trail. Some of it might be the Backcountry Horsemen groups, but I bet a lot of it is the prisoners.

On the trees in the yard, we've always loved them.... loved their shade... but after this last winter, we loved them less and talked about the advantages of having the house and barn a little more in the open, when we build our own. Spending the night out in the truck clear of the trees is a scary way to live. When I see how many trees went down, not just up there, but all over town, I wonder what held ours up :~) It amazes me when I ride through up there where there's so many down, and we didn't lose any big ones around the house. I've go a "few" more pictures I might share... I'll look through and see if I find some that are of interest, now that we're on a new page :~)