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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.
But I'd be careful. At least she's young, though. I was dealing with a 14 year old never-broken T'bred, and I probably went slower than I needed to. On the other hand, other than wrenching a fetlock in the pasture once and occasionally getting stiff after a long day of hunting, she's almost 19 now and sound.
If you want to teach her to take off closer to her fences, just put a couple of trot poles down on the ground ahead of the cavaletti. The hardest thing I had to do with Gracie and jumping (she's a natural jumper) is force her to trot fences when I wanted her to. Took her through 3-4 trot poles OVER and OVER and OVER, and she eventually got the message . . .
I've only worked her a little with trot poles.... and she does need that, and the discipline to know what to do with trot poles... The disaster that happened the one time I tried is she tries to leap the whole show, or she'll leap a string of 8 or nine trot poles in two bounces. heh... She's a goofy pony, and I only wish I worked her more than once every couple months. She really tries hard. Too hard, she worries half to death when things go wrong that she's in big trouble... I just have to laugh and tell her it's OK to make a mess of the trot poles.
Thanks for the suggestions:). Her tiny feet is what worries me. Hair mentioned something the day I posted the picture that I had heard but had forgotten that alot of hard pounding on the ground can cause founder, that is more my concern now until I get some of her weight off. It's reassureing to hear you all say she is "grossly" overweight. The guy who owns her said she was overweight, but I wasn't expecting that much. I wondered if it was just me, because I don't like real fat horses. I think they are prettier when they are leaner. But some people really like them fat. I thought it might have just been me thinking she really looked bad. Everytime I see the guy he always says, isn't she pretty:). I have trouble agreeing, but only because I thought she was just to fat.
I'm about 140, but my saddle is about 30. Maybe we'll just keep to the shady trails for about 1 hour the first week, and gradully go up to 2 hours. It's just that I might only have 30 days:(
She's getting less feed then any of my other horses. I'm giving her 1 can 3'x a day. That's about 12lb's. Don't forget I feed a complete pellet. Rocky gets about 15 a day.There is a tiny, tiny bit of grass in the arena where I keep her, nothing measurable.
She didn't know how to lunge. So we are working on that. Yes it is fun to teach one that. I'm always surprised at the amount of horses that people have that don't know how to lunge. Ground work is an invaluable tool IMO, especially when dealing with a horse your not familiar with. She is doing pretty good at it, does better to the left then right.
Expends alot of energy trying to get out of doing it:), but is getting better.
Becky
(Oh, the times Gracie and I ended up facing directly at each other and staring at each other from either end of the longe line . . . .!)
Founder/laminitis, or ringbone will always be a concern on those little feet... But I doubt she'll delvelop that in your care... more likely back home with whoever's been feeding her up to now ;~D
You know, she's fat for a working horse. But you'll see halter horses at AQHA shows that look just like her. Horses that couldn't outrun a cow in that condition being judged for their conformation to do just that. Go figure!
I think you're right, if she's that worried she must have had some bad experiences. Poor baby.
I wish she was at our barn. There are a couple of kids that ride with our trainer who are absolutely fearless and very competent. She got a really fancy T'bred pony that was "thrown in" on a deal with another horse because she was absolutely unrideable. That was eight months ago. The pony is now being used in intermediate lessons, and other than the occasional temper tantrum you wouldn't know her for the same pony.
LOL. That's where we are. I threaded my lunge line thru the stirrup and behind the back cinch. Helps to keep her backend from swinging away from me. Today she would go to the left without me doing that. To the right I had to do it. That is actually more like ground driving, I guess, but she finally caught on going to the left, so I figure it will work to the left, eventually:)
UUmmm...lunge whip...well my dog chewed it up:) I plan on getting a new one when I'm in Tulsa next time. Becky
I haven't been able to figure it. It actually makes me angry to see these horses who are not fit to do anything win in halter classes. The Foundation Quarter Horse Ass. is actually trying to change that trend. They do their working classes first and a horse has to compete in at least one working class before they are eligible for the halter classes. That makes more sense to me.
Becky
They do the same thing with Labradors.... showing them at least 10 pounds overweight while assessing their proper structure and ability to hunt. In England, I believe Labradors and other hunting dogs have to pass a working test to become champion. Not positive about that, but it's a good idea.
Very definately. When she screws up, she panics, tries to bolt, and just shakes if she can't get away. I just try to get close enough to her to place my hand on her neck and talk to her. If I can do that, she breathes again. That tip saved the life of the lady who we sent her to for riding. I'd say.... "she's got that wild look in her eye again, lay your hand on her".... and she'd settle down. Unchecked, she'd wind herself up till she exploded.
On the poles, I didn't know how to proceed when we started because one or two poles, she will always jump them, even walking.... three, she'll still jump the whole show, four, she couldn't quite jump them all but she'd try and kindof wreck them, I thought maybe by starting her with more poles, every pole I have, she'd have to trot them.
But like I said.... she needs more consistency. Even if she got it right, I'd have to work her more than once in a blue moon for her to remember it right.... so I haven't worried too much about it, I'll just confuse her.
Everybody asks me "Is she a full Lab?" Yup, AKC and all. Just outcrossed to a field trial line, she does have the blocky head and substantial bone of a conformation Lab -- but the rest of her is all field trial looney . . .
Looks a little different from her daddy, doesn't she? < g >
Yup. Her daddy looks like my Logan.
NFC Storm's Riptide Star. Shelley's not anywhere near as big and lanky as he is, and looking at the pictures I think she got her short topline from her father. She got her muzzle and BIG ears from this dog though, as well as his, shall we say, high activity level . . .
Logan was one of the blocky, small, wide, and fairly dumb show labs.... pictured here next to a field-type dog that belonged to a friend. They don't even look like the same breed.
There's a pure field trial bred bitch, Torie, in our agility class who is no taller than Shelley - what I do notice in her is that her back is much, much longer than Shelley's. Shelley is very lean but quite compact - both up and down and front to back. Torie also has much less bone than Shelley, particularly in the leg bones, she is almost fragile by comparison. There's just no meat on Shelley's bones - or at least not much.
Sure he is wider, but he's a good 30 pounds heavier and proportionately taller.
I like the "Shelley compromise". More athletic and active than the conformation Lab, but still with the compactness and substantial bone. Of course I think she has a really cute face . . . proud mama that I am :-D
There just isn't a lot of consistency in the breed any more. I don't like it. If the field dog people wanted a tall lanky dog, they should breed one and call it a new breed or variety. The Labrador was supposed to be a close in gentleman's hunter in the field, and compact and quiet enough to sit in a blind all day or be pulled back into a duck boat. That Chocolate weighed 120 pounds.
And there are so many backyard bred dogs, that Labrador is kindof a loose description any more.
(I didn't tell her "No (*&^&^^$ way!" out loud.)
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