FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread 12

[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The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - (very out of date) Who's Who *pics*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, usually about our horses, sometimes about our dogs, gardens and other stuff we do. :~)

I have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and MissTargets will ping everyone most mornings. Let MissTargets and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list.

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.

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
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread 11

New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't usually go into detail about things at my house, but I have to share this.

Well you should! We get tired of our own boring lives... ;~)

I understand it's both an art and a science to get the right feet on gaited horses. I think it's great that you're in an area where those people are. I have to wonder if there are many around here who would.

[FrogInABlender]

Soooo, you’ve got two really long front feet again. I thought you were going to try to keep them shorter and just work on keeping her in gait until you got her speed built up. The guys must’ve run off and left you yesterday and made you let her pace to keep up. :-/

I understand about not wanting to have your guts jarred out though. So hopefully it’ll work, but I’ll bet it breaks off, just like her natural feet do when they get that long. We’ll see I guess.

[HaveFaith]

I knew you’d say that. She wasn’t slow, she gaited the whole time and we gaited alot. She did’t pace and the guys at the barn that watched her said she wasn’t pacing. She just jars and doesn’t slide her feet and tuck her butt. I can’t ride her like that anyway and she’d just be a broodmare if I can’t ride her. I know they are longer than they were, but hopefully not as long as they were when they started breaking off.

[FrogInABlender]

Oh I’m not faulting you for doing it. I understand your reasons for it. I’m just sorry that it’s turned out that way. I know you’ve had a time trying to keep shoes on her and to find somebody who will do a decent job of it. Hopefully this’ll be what she needs. :o)

[HaveFaith]

OK, I feel better, now.
I’ll report the results after I ride.

[HaveFaith]

This is what her feet looked like when I got home. Hal had put PVC glue all over them and painted them black. You just have to know Hal.

">

">

">

There is a plastic pad between her hoof and the shoe. The farrier says she has "bad feet" and needs "something" but doesn't give any suggestions as to what. I have given her almost a whole big bag of hoof and coat supplement and have a bag of biotin to start on next. I've even put veg. oil in her food to maybe keep them from being so dry. I don't know what else to do. She did ride smoother. I could breathe without my breath being pounded out of me every step.

[HaveFaith]

When we were riding late this afternoon, I could hardly get Faith to go. I was almost doing Jumping Jacks on her and she would take little baby steps and stop. We finally got over the rise and I saw what looked like a puppy making it's way thru the cut wheat straw towards the woods. It made it and then I saw another one that was slower. My first thought was that someone had dumped a litter of puppies back there. Then Hal saw the 2ond one and said it was a baby coyote! Then he was pushing Sassy to hurry up and get up there. She didn't want to go either. He jumped off and ran out there with a stick and held it down. It tried to bite him and attack the stick. He said "I guess it's past trying to tame".

"YES, just kill it!"

He did and we went on. When we got back to the house, I went back in the field for another round and he put Sassy up. I got to the rise again and Faith started not wanting to go. I had a spur on that time. At the top I looked and saw 2 grown coyotes and some little ones in the middle of the field. The smaller adult broke for cover of the woods and the other one was just sitting with the pups. I turned and gaited back to the house. Faith was, like "Finally, I was trying to tell you there was something there!". Hal went back with a gun and shot three more little ones. The grown ones were gone by the time he got back there. Now we know why he has lost about 45 chickens and 3 of the ones we have left are one legged. He's already trapped 2 'coons and a possum with 10 babies and got rid of them. He saw a coyote after his chickens right next to their coop yesterday and the prettiest one was gone. They've been feeding their family with them and there's still a breeding pair back there.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I stopped at the vets yesterday. He gave me three tablets to give Nikki, and then I’ll take her into the vet on Mon. He did say that tranquilizers sometimes don’t work well on dogs.

This morning I found her in Harley’s run barking, and walking up and down the panels, like she couldn’t figure out how to get out. I opened the gate, and she still wouldn’t come out, I had to go in and shoo her out.

And Bink hasn’t come home yet....LOL...sorry for all this, I’m just a ray of sunshine this morning aren’t I:\

The Festival started last night and we had a good time. The office was full of people and kids coming and going, and we have two more days of it.

This morning I have to run the 19 yo daughter of a good friend to her OBG/YN appointment. Not married, pregnant, on heart meds for damage done to her heart from drug use, meds she will probably have to stop because they could harm the baby, but that puts the her at very high risk. She also only weighs 106, so that makes for higher risk also. Her mother can’t get off work, but wants an adult with her, as the daughter is, well, you can imagine, a flake, who does not realize the seriousness of the situation she has gotten herself into. It’s a hugh worry. I’ve known this kid since she was 2, and her mother Tami, has been a great friend and supporter for me since Larry has been gone. She’s come out here several times when I’ve had a bad day, and calls all the time to check on me....actually the only friend here who does that. This is going to be a very hard time for her, her ex, the father is a real jerk, who for instance, when told the kid was pregnant had to be reminded that she had heart problems, and this could be very very bad....didn’t remember she had the problem. IMO, and we knew them way before they divorced, he’s the problem the kid turned out so bad. He gave her everything, and let her do anything, it appeared just so she would “like” him better then her mother. Then as soon as the kid turned 18, he washed his hands of her. Tami tried to counter act his being so lax, but of course that did nothing but make Tami the bad guy. I think the kid is figuring out tho, which parent is there for her.

Anyway sorry for the ramble, they could all use some prayers. And I’m wondering how much, if anything, it would help for me to try to talk to the kid today when she is in my car.....I’d like to really get down on her and slap her head off:), about her continued smoking, and drug use, and general disregard other then being silly about this “little blessing God has given her”...

Becky

[cjshapi]

Becky,
Good luck with everything. Sending good thought’s in your direction and to your friend’s daughter.

[Duchess47]

AW - I’d sure try to talk some sense into the girl. A child is a blessing, whether she sees that or not, and deserves the best she can do.

I’ll add Tami and her daughter to my prayer list.

[FrogInABlender]

Wow, y’all had some excitement last night! Sounds like you’ve been running a varmint buffet and didn’t know it. At least he got some of them killed.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Thanks.

I realized when I re-read my post that it sounded like I was saying the child isn’t a blessing...and that’s not what I meant. It is, but Kayla’s whole attitude is more that it’s a blessing because of what it will get HER, a lot of attention right now, and that it will be “fun”... she hasn’t a clue about raising a child.

[cjshapi]

Unfortunately that's what happens when children have children.

I didn't realize you're moving. I only occasionally read this thread because I'm only online at work. Gets difficult with barn pets, especially as they age.

My mom's horse fell on her at the canter during a lesson about 10 weeks ago. Separated her shoulder. She's in great shape for 65 but it still scared her. Because my friend who owns the barn moved about 6 months ago there's really no one there when we ride. She decided she just doesn't want to be there by herself riding anymore. Not safe. We've found a new home and horses will be moving in August. But that left us with a barn cat dilemma. One is elderly with an inoperable tumor in her elbow so mom took her home and Lucky is thriving there. The other cat, Blackie will move to the other occupied barn on the property. They will take good care of him but I feel kind of badly leaving him behind. He would never, ever adjust to being an indoor cat though.

[HairOfTheDog]

Aw geeze. What a week for you. First of all I hope The Nikki appt goes smoothly. When I’ve given Ace here, I’ve tried to give it two hours before they need it. It lasts a long time, so, I’d give it plenty early.

And I really hope Bink comes home.

As for the young gal, well, good luck to her, she’s going to need it. That’s an awful lot to take on. No idea what to say in a situation like that. Glad you’re there for her, and her mom. Keep us posted on how it goes.

[HairOfTheDog]

Wow... what a set of shoes! Is this corrective or a permanent solution for her? What do you think?

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Her appointment is 10:00, he told me to give the ACE at 8:30

[HairOfTheDog]

Wow... Hard core story! I understand, but I can’t imagine!

[FrogInABlender]

I hate to hear that about your friend’s daughter. Her situation and attitude sound a whole lot like my niece. I’m afraid your friend is in for a long hard road with this girl, just like my husband’s family, but hopefully this girl will wake up and grow up better than my niece has. I’ll keep them both in my prayers.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yeah, moving pets presents problems.

Good to hear your mother was not hurt more seriously, and is doing OK.

[HairOfTheDog]

okay... I don’t think you’d be wrong to err on the side of being early. When I’ve given it here in the evening, they’ve gotten more comatose as the night went on, not less.