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The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - (very out of date) Who's Who *pics*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

Rest of the pictures.

The owner of Bugs giving him a try.

Mindy under saddle...I thought her head low, CA, said that is just her naturally, he has never asked her to put her head that low.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Hey - thanks for the pics!

We went down this afternoon to help move Bob's new horse home... He's a BIG Appaloosa... (no spots) named Barney...

Kat was very interested....

The alpacas didn't seem all that interested...

[CindyDawg]

I have anywhere from 5-20 ducks that come running when I get out of the van in the evenings. My husband says that if I would quit feeding them, they would find a new momma. I kind of like how they follow me around though:’)

[Maximus of Texas]

Horses, at first, were all wild animals like zebras are today. People hunted them for their meat and especially for their skins, to make into leather hides for clothes and for tents and tools. But around 3000 BC, people began to tame horses, to domesticate them, to eat them and to use them to carry things.

[tuffydoodle]

You dork.

[tuffydoodle]

I would like that, too. What are you feeding them?

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Wow, that is one muscular horse!! 4 white socks...he is really nice looking:) When are you all going riding:).

His daughter rides Kat, right?

The alpacas are cute:). So is that one on the very left clipped, or a different type that doesn’t grow as much hair? I like the shaggy ones.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Really a good looking horse, and yeah, he looks really strong. Bob still can’t haul for a couple weeks.... Then I hope he’ll be able to go. Yes, hopefully Jesse will be riding Kat.

The alpaca on the left just got sheared... he’s the one I’m hauling to the fair on friday :~)

[MissTargets]

Good Morning and hello all!

Lots of really nice pictures on here lately.

Becky, the clinic looks like it was very interesting. Thanks for the report. No, the laser was to make me "look" better, not see better. Very painful and I look like he!! right now.

Hair, I really like Bob's new horse. He's a big one!

[HairOfTheDog]

the laser was to make me "look" better, not see better. Very painful and I look like he!! right now.

Well, I hope you look better soon! What'd they do? Was it supposed to be really painful?

[AnAmericanMother]

That horse is a MOOSE!

I would have said warmblood rather than App. Apps certainly have changed since the days of the little scrawny ewe-necked beasties with ratty tails, feet like soup plates, and big ugly heads with lop ears and pink-rimmed eyes with white sidewalls . . .

[HairOfTheDog]

Hey - that’s a little harsh, don’t you think? We’ve got Appy lovers here.

He’s registered appy.... but I didn’t see any of the traits, except some striping on the feet. I agree, he looks warmblood. He’s very pretty, and has a lot of presence. He’s been used as a school horse most recently, and he’s just too big for most of her youth students... and I think, he can be a lot of horse when he’s on the muscle.

[AnAmericanMother]

That was a long time ago. You don't see very many Apps like that any more, clearly the breed has been improved since the days of the scrubby type.

I was thinking of a particular mare at the barn where I used to ride . . . her name was Rotten Thing, which will give you an idea. Her looks were old-fashioned App, but her nasty temperament was all her own.

[HairOfTheDog]

Here's the horse he traded for Barney... You might remember him from when Bob brought him home. Jihann, the 19 year old Arab Bobs DIL retired and gave to Bob as a potential horse for Jessie, a year ago. The horse was a show horse his whole life, could probably find his way to the shows with or without a rider.... But he didn't click with Bob.... Bob's too loud around horses to have an Arab, I think, and Bob spooked him all the time. Bob had the same trouble with Bay all those years ago.

The lady he traded with is an old Arab show judge where Jessie's been taking lessons. She's got a barn full of Arabs and ended up with Barney when a boarder died or something. Didn't catch the whole story, but Barney was out of place in her lesson program, and Jihann was perfect. He's been there awhile now, on loan.

I guess Bob and my landlord took Barney out on trail and tested him pretty hard... he jigged and was full of energy the whole way, hadn't been on trail in a long time, but did everything, mud, water, rocks... etc that was asked of him.

Bob will still keep Kai... the big grey appy he's got... but he's getting repeated sarcoids, right in the cinch and breastcollar area, and Bob wasn't able to ride much last year because of them.... either because the sarcoid was in the way, or because he was healing from having them removed. I think Kai will be mostly retiring, if this new horse works out.

[HairOfTheDog]

That was a long time ago. You don't see very many Apps like that any more, clearly the breed has been improved since the days of the scrubby type.

And some might say they've lost much that made them unique, and the breed now often resembles a quarter horse that only sometimes even has spots. I worked on an appy ranch 25 years ago, my first lessons were on them, and I'm quite fond of them, so I still think your post was a bit harsh.

[MissTargets]

The dark deep set circles under my eyes, they did. They burn away all the old dead skin and you look refreshed. At least that is what the objective is. :)

[HairOfTheDog]

Yikes... Are you better today?

[MissTargets]

AMM has been a Appaloosa hater for some time now and does not mind knocking the breed. The Nez Perce bred a very handsome, durable animal, until the Govt. got ahold of them. To each their own, I guess.

[MissTargets]

Yes, much better, thanks.

[AnAmericanMother]

I absolutely agree with you that they are durable, and for an all purpose, nimble Western pony who could go all day and live on next to nothing -- exactly what the Nez Perce' needed -- he is ideal.

But for a conformation hunter, an App's just not where it's at. It's not that I hate them, it's just that they don't look "right" for my purposes. If you put my tall, skinny, long-necked TB mare in a Western Pleasure class, with her springy (teeth-jarring) trot and big booming canter, she would be deservedly laughed at because she wouldn't be where she's supposed to be.

As I said, the show people have improved the looks - possibly at the cost of the characteristic qualities of the breed.