The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread 11

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

That’s kind of what I was thinking it might be but wasn’t sure.

I googled it and the only hit I got was an article about Lee and Traveler, that had the quote from the book in it:) Not much help tho, the whole paragraph doesn’t really give much of a feel about what it means either.

I figured it means the horse was kicking up his back legs every (few) steps. Which would tire you out, no doubt.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

"My misgivings were fully realized, for Traveller would not walk a step. He took a short, high trot - a buck trot, as compared to a buck-jump - and kept it up to Fredricksburg, some thirty miles away."

I am not familiar with the terms. For this, I think context might be everything. Why did he have misgivings? Was the horse injured, is he describing a lameness, or was the horse acting unruly and stubborn?

[AnAmericanMother]

That is an incredible film!

The Andalusians are kept very collected and balanced. Otherwise he looks like a good cutting horse -- only never gets his head down (and a good thing too).

[HairOfTheDog]

Neither do I, but according to Young Rob, Traveller was doing it on purpose because he didn’t want to be ridden by anyone else by General Lee. That’s not the first place I had read that either, and the other authors used the same phrasing.

Ah - well, I now see this. I don't know what it is... but I guess if you know this 'why', you may not really need to know 'what' it is. Take it to read he acted up the whole way. :~)

[AnAmericanMother]

And he says it was a choppy trot -- I think I can see in my mind's eye what this horse was doing, just making things as uncomfortable for his rider as possible. Jigging up and down in a short fast step, and every so often kicking out behind, just to express his displeasure at the whole thing.

Traveller was known as a cranky beast, very spirited and opinionated. If he didn't like you, well then, that was that!

[HairOfTheDog]

The mole had not come back this morning out in the paddock. I don’t necessarily take that as victory yet, but perhaps I set him back in his repairs, maybe he’s working on the repair from the other end... a couple miles away where the water went :~)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

In the past could you tell that he was coming back each day?

Since your water doesn’t cost anything, I’d run water in it again today....maybe after a few days he’ll leave for good.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

In the past, he had brand new holes the next morning, yeah.

We wrecked the holes in from this end... took the shovel and caved them in as far as we could, so I can’t turn the hose on them again today. ...

[HairOfTheDog]

Sorry for your rain again, BTW.... I wish we had a day of it. Frog too. Feast or famine I guess. :~\

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I guess the most frustrating part of all this rain is not necessarily the rain, but that the “weathermen” have said almost everyday that it was the last day and going to be clear. Last night the forecast was rain for today, but not till late afternoon. It started raining in the early morning today, and is still raining.

They just need to give up forecasting entirely...they have missed it by a long shot every day.

In our line of work, the weather plays such an important factor, and Mack tries to schedule, but it’s just impossible. And it’s surprising how many people don’t get why he can’t paint or sealcoat in the rain or on wet lots....

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Ah - yes, I didn’t think how this might be affecting his scheduling.

Here’s to hoping it does actually stop one of these days.

[carton253]

Now, I'm just asking because I am curious. I wonder what he had against Young Rob. Custis could ride him and so could Perry. Poor Young Rob. I'm sure there is not an answer, but since the horses play so prominently in my novel, I read all of the answers and try to incorporate what I have learned.

Thanks.

[carton253]

I just wanted to know what it was because I have read it in other places about other horses. Thanks for taking the time to answer me.

[AnAmericanMother]

Horses have preferences just like anybody else.

Any horse person can tell you stories about a horse that just seemed to take a dislike to somebody. There's a nice TB mare in my trainer's barn, she goes well for almost everybody, but she took an instant dislike to me and will not go well for me. We just got crossways with each other from the start and did not get along, I don't know if it's something I did (the way I sit, my hands, my aids) or if she just doesn't like my looks. Sometimes (like with people), it's just a personality conflict and that's that.

[carton253]

I know that my knowledge of horses is very limited. That's why I like coming here. I learn so much.

Thanks for sharing.

[AnAmericanMother]

You won't find a horsier crowd anywhere short of a barn. Highly opinionated and from different disciplines (I'm sure you've figured out that there are a lot of different ways to deal with horses!) but very horsey.

Have you considered finding a barn near where you are and just going out and hanging around? Horses in print and horses in the flesh are a different proposition -- I'm a great believer in going to the source when I'm doing research!

[AnAmericanMother]

The Eternal Struggle -- Man versus Mole!

. . . Shelley has a thing for moles, she seems to be able to hear them under the ground. Our soil is rock hard, so their little tunnels are very near the surface -- she'll run to one and start digging frantically. Usually she comes up with a little furry critter in her mouth - one shake and he's done - then she prances over proud as Punch to display her trophy.

Ruby is highly impressed and imitates her, but not necessarily on a mole run . . . just anywhere in the yard but unfortunately often in my flower beds . . . sigh, young'uns.

This is as good a place as any to post the new pics from last weekend's Retriever Training Day. This was Miss Ruby's very first time doing water retrieves. She loves to frolic in the edge of the surf and splash around lakes, but other than falling/jumping into my parents' pool she had never done any serious swimming before. It was amazing -- she was SO driven to get that bumper that she just hit the water and started swimming in a straight line out to it.

And when she got there, she nailed it just the same way she does on land. Doesn't worry her at all to put her head right under as she pounces on it.

And straight back in.

Now, when she got close, we had to have a little negotiation about who was going to get to keep that bumper . . .

I eventually got it after a slight struggle.

She can't wait to do it again - she's wound tight as a drum in that pic, and I'm holding her as hard as I can!

Yikes! She almost got away!

Meanwhile, Miss Shelley turns in her usual disciplined and precise performance . . . hope Ruby is taking notes!

"Make it a double, please!"

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Highly opinionated

LOL:) ya think!

I agree and disagree about horses having preferences. Yes, almost all horses will act somewhat differently with different people. But I have trouble labeling it as "personality conflict." I think it has more to do with a persons approach to a horse, and how they handle them, even if it's a very knowledgeable handler, everyone is going to have tiny/big differences in what they do. One persons "light pressure" probably won't be the same as some one else's. Leg cues are going to be different between people. IMO, this is what makes a horse "like" or "dislike" someone. And they can display that like or dislike in various ways. By cowering, by fighting back, by not moving at all...etc.

It doesn't really change the outcome but I just don't credit horses with having personality conflicts. And I also don't know if this is even clear or not or makes any sense:)

Becky

[AnAmericanMother]

It depends on how much you anthropomorphize the beasts, I guess.

I am pretty darned sure that my mare shows affection for me, and that it's not just cupboard love. She'll follow me around like a dog while I'm setting up jumps, and she whickers to me when I walk in the barn. When I'm grooming her she "talks" to me - she'll watch what I'm doing, and make little comments, and nuzzle me. And she will do things for me (mostly galloping and jumping) that she simply won't do for anybody else. My trainer uses her for the beginners because she's so dead-set reliable, and if somebody sees me riding her in a lesson they're like, "THAT's Gracie?" because she looks like a completely different horse. I really believe she understands and adjusts her behavior to the skill level of her rider. She is a particularly people-pleasing horse.

On the other hand, this other mare pinned her ears the first time I walked up to her stall. Maybe I look like (or smell like) somebody who Done Her Wrong.

[AnAmericanMother]

Thought you might want to see the latest pics of Ruby the Monster. . . . post 8957. She's just 10 months old and it's clear that she is a Born Retriever.

How are Blue and Belle doing? Pictures?