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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'm surprised she hasn't foundered. She has little feet. If he had left her out on his pasture much longer I'll bet she would have. He's been keeping her up for 6 wks, but I know this guys hay is probably as good as you can get, plus he was just giving her a "little" grain:)
Becky
You know... I almost commented on her little feet, but didn't want to offend. My sentence above said ".... but that is one tubby mare that is too big for her feet!" until I edited that out. ;~D
Pretty common in the show bred QHs... My friend has a really nice mare with feet that are way too small. Keep their weight down and careful about a lot of pounding kind of work was my advice to her.
You wouldn't offend me:). Especially when it's the truth.
I don't know why people think those little feet are attractive on big bluky quarter horses. This horse is actually not registered. She come from good QH stock, but got caught at birth in the middle of a nasty divorce. I'm not sure of the details but the one that landed up with her didn't get the papers to register her, sooooooo.....
Becky
I don't get it either. Those little feet are prone to ringbone and navicular. That little paint mare you saw me on up thread had that big muscular body and tiny feet too. Ended up with a low ringbone that made her lame. I think she ended up only comfortable enough to be a brood mare and occasional child's mount now.
Hopefully it is a fashion that will soon come to an end.
Bay has big feet for an Arab. His navicular syndrome is not from poor conformation so much as just really hard work for any horse, with the distance racing he did.
I just got back from the feed store, I had to get chick feed, and I forgot to ask him what his horses name was again:) I wonder if he realizes I don't know it and thinks I'm an idiot. She'll probably land up just being "Stan's mare" around here:) Sounds like an alright name to me:)
I don't know what you think about the long distance riding that your Bay did, but he's a good example (because of his navicular) of why I think endurance riding borders on abuse. I don't think horses were meant to go that far that fast. That is one thing I like about competitive trail riding. It is NOT a race. Although I think the open class gets close to endurance the novice is just right. IMO. And now-a-days alot/most of the people I have contact with in these sports don't really think horses need all that much conditioning to do those long distances. I think alot of the injuries I have seen at the rides I go to is because the horses are just not in condition to do that. I was always told I worried to much and probably over conditioned. But you know, I never lost points at P&R's or for sore muscles. I lost points on the obstecles because I get so nervouse in front of judges.
Becky
Hmmm.... I thought ~I~ was the softy around here! Of course some injuries are just carelessness, but I think all hard sport wears on bodies... In different ways of course, from jumping to endurance to even barrels. I respect those who do it right and carefully, and don't respect those who don't give a care. I cringe when I see running two year old thoroughbreds on the track, babies not fully grown working that hard, and they break a lot of them. And barrels will wear a horse too. Seen horses with blown up hocks from gaming.
Yes, Bay has Navicular, but he is an old horse. Some form of wear and tear was bound to show up somewhere.
But I have no interest in endurance riding like that at this stage in my life.
With the mare, perhaps he'll call in a week and say "So how's ______?" LOL
I realize Bay is older, and that something has to get them in the end:(, but I just don't think, as I said before that horses were meant to go that far that fast. Does that make me a softie:), first time I have been accused of that on this forum. LOL.
I just got her saddled. She is standing tied now for awhile. She stood perfect while being saddled. I'm not sure what to expect. Stan said she was a bit flighty so I'm watching for that but trying not to expect it. So far that is not how I would describe her. She seems very quiet, but watchful.
If it quits raining, (started as soon as I finished saddling her:(), I may go ahead and see how she does on a lunge line today, then tomorrow ride in the arena, otherwise she'll just stand there for today, and lunge tomorrow. I had to let my cinch out 2holes to go around her. And that makes it on the last hole. She is stout.
Becky
First time for everything!
Bay was very interested in the project at first...
But people are only ~so~ interesting!
Horses are so funny, but they probably think we're pretty funny too.
While your wedding is taking place, we will be out in the middle of a field in Newnan, GA, at the invitation of a couple of bird hunting friends, to see if we can make a hunting dog out of Shelley-the-Dog.
Of course, as her fond parents, we believe she can do ANYthing . . . but we're about to find out how strong her bird dog heritage is. She IS a granddaughter of the only Choc Lab ever to be Canadian National Field Trial Champion, and she DOES bring me songbirds that hit the glass or that she catches off the feeder (but doesn't hurt the ones that she catches), so maybe she can start even at the advanced age of three . . .
My kids are out of town and our lessons are paid for ahead, so I'm taking all of THEIRS too (can't stand to lose money!) Hopefully I'm retaining some of this . . . Gracie is starting to look at me like, "Oh, no . . . not school AGAIN! Can't we just go out and play? (whine whine whine)"
Have you hunted before? What will you be hunting tomorrow?
Glad you're riding a lot AAM! I think we might just have time tomorrow.
How about you Cindy? - Any riding news?
I've hunted doves in the long distant past, but didn't use dogs (you shoot 'em so close you just stroll out and pick 'em up. And apparently dogs don't like the way dove feathers feel in their mouths, or so I'm told.) I have never shot over a dog. I was a serious deer hunter as an older teen and younger adult, but my dad was no longer an active upland bird hunter by the time I was old enough to show interest. My grandfather was a SERIOUS (and I do mean serious - road trips to the Eastern Shore) duck hunter, but again he had quit shooting on doctor's orders (cataracts) by the time I was a young teen.
As I understand it, the 19th will be the hunting club's training session for young puppies (and older novice dogs). They are going to have frozen birds and maybe some wing-clipped live birds, but that's it. Shelley has an excellent nose, is "birdy" and has a lot of drive. As for the rest, we'll have to see . . .
Nah, I was OOT this weekend and it has been raining for the last 3 days. No place to ride. Even the road sinking with mud. Do you ride in it? I can see crossing muddy spots but I wasn't sure how safe or good for the horse constantly having to lift their feet out of it is for them. It's a trial just getting past it out of the pasture. I may try the roads today though if dry but it was raining this morning so we will see. I'm on my 3rd day of vacation bible school. Two more to go. I hope I can spend time at the stables this weekend riding.
My two were a fine pair hunting. They needed each other to equal one good bird dog. Zulu was awesome, bouncing around hunting up the birds, a real pleasure to watch. She found and flushed all the birds, Logan walked around peeing on things and generally disinterested until there was a shot fired then he'd go find it. I hunted them on pheasant every year until Logan was about 12 and he had to quit. I only like to hunt for watching the dogs work, so I haven't been since.
ecurbh has an interest in shotgunning and hunting, so we may get us a pair of lab pups to start when we next need a hobby. ;~D
I am a pretty fair weather rider. I don't like to ride in mud. Some of our over-used trails in the state forest stay pretty muddy in spots late into the year, and that deep suck mud will pull a shoe right off.
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