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Thread III: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1311311/posts |
Posted on 04/26/2004 12:06:41 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
Free Republic has a lot of horse people that have found each other on other threads…. And since we all like to talk horses, how about a thread where it is not off-topic, but is THE topic?
A few of us thought it would be interesting and informative to have a chat thread where we can 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. We may not ~always~ have a lot of activity, but when we do, it will be fun. I will put 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 will also develop a ping list for horse threads that are of interest. 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.
I am hoping this thread will be a 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.
i had the day off and i work tommorrow 10-7, i am allowed a day off every once in awhile.
I have to go to a meeting tomorrow, but should get out by 3:30. Krisy is going to keep Bubba tomorrow and when I get home we'll go to the playday. He's in the runnings for a year end award at skiatook, so we don't want to miss any of these. :~}
Ok, I'm going to try this again.
I got that mare when she was 3. For the first year she was great. I took her to her first competitive trail ride when she was 4. At that ride was when she threw her first fit.
Since she was in a new situation I figured that was the problem. Is what she did was the second my butt sat in the saddle she started flinging herself back and forth alot like a horse cutting a cow.
She didn't do it again for a year. Then all of a sudden she did it agian. Once she did it tho then she seemed fine and no more problems.
Then over the next years she did it a few times when I would finish saddling and step away from her. She was still tied but would fling herself back and forth. She did it a few times right after I got on her. Once she slung herself into th side of Macks work truck. My foot put a dent in it.
Anyway. Then once I was getting her ready to take her to a ride, finishing up grooming her and she seemed real nervous. So I told my daughter, I'm going to throw a saddle on her and ride a minute or two before we leave to make sure she is OK. The second I stepped away from her after saddleing her she went into her flinging act and fell down on her side, saddle and all. My daughter was freaking about getting her untied and I was just standing there saying let the bitch kill herself. I was so mad.
She got up, and I untied her took her to the arena as soon as I shut the gate she jerked away from me and went bucking down the arena. Broke my reins, and headstall. She finally stopped, I got on and she rode like a champ. Took her to the ride and got 1st place horse, and high point earner and high point quarter horse.
This sort of thing went on every now and again, never more then 3 times a year tho, so it was hard to figure what was the cause. But finally at a ride in Ark. she did it just as I got on, and fell down on her side with me on her. She got up ran into a highway. Took me awhile to get up, so others caught her, I put her on a lunge line and she ran around like a crazy thing, but all of a sudden just stop. But I noticed that the whole time she was running around crazy she had a look about her that she had no clue what she was doing. But when she stopped it was like she came too.
Several others noticed this same thing and said it looked like she was having a seizure. Once she looked OK, I got on and she did 40 miles without another bobble. We place 3rd. My leg from the knee down swelled up in my pants and turned black all the way to my foot.
This happened a few more times. I breed her rather relunctlye because I was afraid it might be genetic. But Dot has been fine so far.
My theory: I think she has some neck or back injury, she had a VERY rough breaking in that I didn't know about till after I had bought her. I think when the saddle or my butt sets just right on something it sends her into one of these seizures. I've asked my vet about it and he said it would be very hard to diagnose since she doesn't do it very often. But it is often enough that I got afraid of her.
My son rode her for about a year after I gave it up, and she seemed to be doing it more and more. If my theory is correct, that would fit as he is bigger, heavier then me and his saddle is a big roping saddle. It got so bad that the guy that runs the roping were Charlie ropes told him not to bring the horse there because he did not want to see Charlie get hurt. Several people have told me they saw her do it there and couldn't believe I kept at it for 6 years.
Something that was done to her that makes me think might be the cause of her injureies is that the people who had/broke her would saddle her up and put her on cross ties that were really to short for her to stand with her weight on her feet. Alot of her weight just hung from her neck. Her feet just barely touching the ground. They would leave her like that for the whole day alot of times. You think that could do bad stuff to a 2yr old? I do. I just didn't know about it till after I bought her.
But that mare when she wasn't having a fit, she was GREAT. You could not ask for a better horse. We competed for 5 years and she place in the top 5 every ride but 2. Place 3 one year in the Region. It was hard to finally quit. But every time she even twitched I would get so nervous I just couldn't do it anymore.
Well that's her story. What you think?
Becky
Well that's great. Tell him I'll be rooting for him:)
Becky
Pinging the rest of the group for advice too...
See Becky's post above at 1863 about her very strange experience with her mare. She posted pictures earlier today also, this is the mare she is talking about:
He did pretty good, Jerry got on him first then I got for awhile. He hadn't been rode in a year, so Travis wanted us to ride him and see if we thought he could handle him. The only thing he did was once he kinda spun around with Jerry, and he reered up with me. Right after he did that you could see a whole change in him, he just started to calm down and did every thing we asked him to. We rode him for about two and a half hours yesterday, and Jerry said he rode him for three hours today. I think thats all he needs is a lot of consistent time under saddle.
Was Rocky all worked up because of her being there? :~}
Like I've said before, that's all any of them need....just let Jerry do it:) Rearing horses scare me.
Becky
Her and Dot were out in the front pasture when I got there. I parked at Charlie's, I thought it'd be easier for me to get out of. Anyway I could see them. So I hollered for her and her and Dot started for me. Charlie was there and he said "you think you'll be able to catch her" I said sure. I walked right up to her, with all the horses milling around, put the halter on her lead her to the trailer, she hopped right in.
Got her home, unloaded like a champ. Of course Rock came over to the fence and went balistic. He reared straight up right in front of a tpost. Scared me to death. He then ran up and down the fence line till he was all sweaty and hot. She whinnied for awhile, but then eveyrone calmed down.
I'll test her tomorrow to see if she is in season.
Becky
I was going to post some pics of him, but my computer is being really slow tonight, and I don't want to screw with it tonight. I'll try to get some on here tomorrow, probably some of Blake too. :~}
What kind of wormers do you use, I think my list is wrong. What would you worm with at the first of June?
Looking forward to the pictures.
I'd use either anthelicide or strongid. I wouldn't use zimectrin till like August when the Bots show up.
Becky
He was covered with mud when I got home. He has talked our ears off all evening. :~}
Thanks for pinging everyone:)
Becky
It sounds like a back, neck, or possibly shoulder injury to me too. Maybe you could have a horse chiropractor take a look at her? I've seen racehorses with back problems, improve with this type of treatment.
The more I hear about horse chriopractors the more I have been tempted to have one look at her. I'd like to know more about what they can and can't tell from ex-rays/or just feeling before I go to one tho. I don't want to get suckered into a bunch of treatments that don't work. It will be hard to tell too, IMO, since she only did it so seldom.We would never know for sure if it worked or she just had done it:)
Becky
Oh, Oh, guess what? Travis bought me some lights like you've got in your garden. He got two boxes and put one light in front of each tree that we planted. They looked so cool when we got home tonight. :~}
Were they home then around 2:00??? I had tried to call Travis to see if he was there to help with the horse since you said not to do it by myself. Since no one answered I went ahead and went but Charlie just happen to be getting home then.
Becky
Wow, I'll get to see them Thurs. night then. I thought you house would look good with them along the front.
Becky
Yeah, I think they were home, but they were outside. Travis doesn't take the phone out with him when he's working in the yard.
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