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The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread
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.
TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: giddyup; horse; imbackindsaddleagain; justhorsinaround; ladygodiva; saddleclub; yeehaw
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To: HairOfTheDog
LOL:)
Becky
To: HairOfTheDog
OH, your pasture looks great. I don't think your weird about wanting them smooth. I mowed my 5 acres with a weed eater for about 5 years, too many rocks for a push mower and couldn't afford ariding one, then I mowed for 3 years with a push weed eater, I just got my riding mower last year. You can set the blade high enough to clear most of the rocks.
Becky
To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
I cut mine with the weed eater too too till this year... it was tall with brush when I moved in, and I had it brush hawged... he chopped up all the scotch bloom, but it left a million sticks. I have been burning sticks for three years, and finally it is stick-free enough to mow it with the mower... almost. ;~D
423
posted on
05/06/2004 6:02:21 PM PDT
by
HairOfTheDog
(I am HairOfTheDog and I approved this message.)
To: HairOfTheDog; PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
Yes and no guys. Okie tries me sometimes but I don't let him get away with stuff (that I know of). That's probably the biggest problem for me. I don't always now exactly how to handle situations so I just keep working on it til I get things to work.
As for as the ladies, pasture and while we are working. They will neigh and he will stop and answer and I kick him and we go again. I'm learning where he likes to stop now though. He will want to get closer to the fence and look back. I pull his head back and if he won't go forward I make him go in circles til he does ( he hates circles) So yeah, it's not always smooth and pretty but I clumsily I guess control what we are going to do.
As for fear. Apprehension still when I go over the saddle but I have to do it. Once I'm on, I'm fine. (I hope this feeling eventually goes away, caz I hate it) The only time, I have been close to scared was during that storm. I've been thinking about that day and what I did different. One thing was that if he gets ansy I have more or less took my time and coached him forward. That day I knew rain was coming (just not how bad) and I was rushing things. My fear if you can call it that was not knowing what to do or what was going to happen.
Hair, Becky just trying to help me. I ask for her advise all the time so I shouldn't get upset, when given huh? She's also right when I told her to tell me when she sees problems.
Sigh, the problem is just getting the riding time in. I thought it would be so much easier. Sat no problem and I usually ride several hours. Got to do it though. Last week went well. This week a bust. Sunday closed down, Monday raining, Tue when I went out the farrier there, Yesterday no excuse, just has been my off day so thats probably another day I can pick up. Today I was going to ride but 7 before I got there and then people in our group wanting to see him. He didn't want to show and snorting and pawing and I got tired of tugging on his halter so I put his butt in the round pen and lunged him awhile. He stood still when he got out. Maybe I should have whacked him or tied him up but this worked. This happens when I'm not there every day. If I go more than 2 days without working I can usually count on some resistance so she's right about me spending more riding time with him
I have talked with my instructor and I can't leave him tied , unsupervised any where but his stall and she wants to know and doesn't want me to leave him more than 2 hours. Don't know why I haven't done so. Just haven't.
I did tie him up in the arena the other day when he wouldn't be still to mount. I can get on with him moving forward a little but I don't want to. He knows he's not supposed to move but this was that storm day and everything a challenge that day. Anyway, I tied him up and went to the barn to get my water and came back and he had untied his rope (I have to use a quick release knot) So I tied him back up and sat in a lawn chair in front of him and drank my water and told him to quit each time those teeth started working.:')
I guess what I'm trying to tell you two that it isn't always easy and sometimes I don't know what to do so I improvise. I do take advice seriously but sometimes I get excited and just want to talk about "what happened today" that I don't realize how others may view my posts. I promise I'll try to watch that :')
To: CindyDawg; ecurbh
Good evening! - I think you sound like you are having all the challenges we all have, and you'll do fine.
I taught ecurbh the circling thing too... in case Bay gets away from him.
425
posted on
05/06/2004 7:06:53 PM PDT
by
HairOfTheDog
(I am HairOfTheDog and I approved this message.)
To: HairOfTheDog
I picked that up from a magazine. He can't go anywhere .
To: malakhi
Hated those things. Too time consuming to attatch to the steering wheel, I think I might have a use for it with a problem with Okie that Becky and I are talking about on FM though :')
To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
Rusty gorgeous as usual. What happened to Harleys hair? lol. He looks good to me. Much more muscular, don't you think?
To: CindyDawg; All
Well, I am off for awhile... All that mowing today made me a little stiff!
And ecurbh and I are sharing an internet connection till our new router comes, so I am gonna let him be on awhile!
429
posted on
05/06/2004 7:31:11 PM PDT
by
HairOfTheDog
(I am HairOfTheDog and I approved this message.)
To: HairOfTheDog
Yeah, I've been up since 5;30. Going to eat and try to go to sleep.
To: HairOfTheDog
I've got a question for you:). How old were you when you learned to ride? Did you take lessons, or did you just wing it?
Becky
To: HairOfTheDog; CindyDawg
Great Idea for a thread.
Here is my pride and joy.

Alison & Tubby
To: MissTargets
433
posted on
05/07/2004 6:59:39 AM PDT
by
HairOfTheDog
(I am HairOfTheDog and I approved this message.)
To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain; CindyDawg; AnAmericanMother
I didn't see your post this morning till now... Was buried in other arguments I've been in ;~D
I took lessons before I had a horse, at an Appaloosa Farm near my house. Not pro lessons, just good horse people helping out a young girl that wanted to hang around their place. I was probably 12 or so when I started cleaning stalls for the treat of getting to ride there. They even let me show their horses a little.
They moved their ranch to Nevada... and it is they who had a young wild mustang almost die on their place, shot in the neck, probably by a rancher. (Wild horses can be something of a menace down there... especially young stallions looking for mares) They found him down on their property, nursed him, gelded him, tamed him, taught him some basics and sent him to me as a present when I was about 15.
For awhile there I winged it. He tossed me a LOT, not bucking me off so much as spinning around and taking off. I was bareback at first until we afforded a saddle later. My folks didn't know the risks probably, and at 15, getting tossed just didn't hurt like it does now. He taught me to hang on!
This is me and him, not long after I got him, still bareback. We went thousands of miles that way.

I learned a lot on the fly. In the end, he turned out well. I moved him to a boarding stable later, and took more serious lessons... Wanted to jump. He was good at that, and I showed him locally in jumping. I wanted to show more, and not only did he not haul, (or rather, my trainer wouldn't haul him) I rode him as far as 10 miles to local shows, through town even. He was really a gangly rough lookin' horse, out of place at horse shows. I sold him as a backyard kid's horse. I wish I would have kept track of where he went. He turned out to be a bomb-proof trail horse.
After that, and with my trainer, I had and showed an Arab/Nat Show Horse mare, and a little Arab Stallion I liked a LOT. This is him below. I showed him a lot, and I am really bummed at how few pictures I ended up with. Many were lost in a move I think. I am guessing I am 17 (?) in this pic.

So there is me as a youngster... and I am 36 now.
How did you get into it?
434
posted on
05/07/2004 7:28:55 AM PDT
by
HairOfTheDog
(I am HairOfTheDog and I approved this message.)
To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain; CindyDawg; AnAmericanMother
Oh no.... I am 37 now. I birthday just happened that I had neglected to count ;~D
435
posted on
05/07/2004 7:30:49 AM PDT
by
HairOfTheDog
(I am HairOfTheDog and I approved this message.)
To: HairOfTheDog
Darn it, it looked so good on preview. Thanks for linking, and the welcome.
Guess I better find another web host.
To: ecurbh; CindyDawg; AnAmericanMother; PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain; Endeavor; Capriole; cjshapi; ..
Occasional Saddle Club ping... to remind everyone that the thread is still here!
I just waxed nostalgic above, about my first horses, and how I got into riding. Perhaps some of you have stories to tell too, of learning to ride.
437
posted on
05/07/2004 7:48:32 AM PDT
by
HairOfTheDog
(I am HairOfTheDog and I approved this message.)
To: HairOfTheDog; All
I started riding when I was ten but got out of the sport for awhile. (38 yrs:')
To: MissTargets
Hi
Can you post the picture? I can't open it or the link.
To: HairOfTheDog
Just signed up to post on this thread, looks interesting.
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