The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!

[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. In the last thread we had a great time and were a great help to each other working through lessons and training, horse lamenesses and illnesses, questions and challenges and always just our stories we like to tell.

I always have 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 also have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and Becky pings everyone most mornings. Let Becky (Paynoattentionmanbehindthecurtain) and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list. 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.

So... like the last thread, 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. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.

[CindyDawg]

I got knocked off, twice!. Wasn't he great? I was furious about his daughter being brought in and the media not saying one word about it though.

[Inge_CAV]

"I got knocked off, twice!. Wasn't he great?"

Cheney had him by his coat lapel and was kicking his a$$ all around the hall..... : )

[CindyDawg]

And what about J Edwards going to push for tort reform? lol

[Inge_CAV]

"And what about J Edwards going to push for tort reform? lol"

Yeah buddy! Based on what, his past record?????

Senator Gone!! Roflmao!!!!!!!

[Beaker]

Cheney had him by his coat lapel and was kicking his a$$ all around the hall..... : )

I thought it was fantastic. He was nice for the first 15 minutes or so, and then it was gloves off and bare fists. Fantastic. :-)

[CindyDawg]

Can you teach a horse to back into water?

[elbucko]

Is this what people use a back cinch for? To hold down the back of the saddle? Is a back cinch necessary in this case?

No. The back cinch is used for roping. It is left about two-fingers loose under the belly to keep the saddle stable when a roped calf is pulling on the horn. I don't recommend using a back cinch to "make" the saddle fit. That's not what it's meant for.

IMHO, the saddle has too much "rocker" for this horses back. Arab trees rarely fit any back but an Arabs.

[Inge_CAV]

Cheney Rumsfeld 2008

: )

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Good morning.

Becky

[wildehunt]

Yes.. if a horse is adept at backing and it's used to dallying in the water it will get used to it just like they do any other familiar, even un-natural thing (trailering?)..

When schooling cross country we take our horses into a shallow pool w/ a firm safe bottom and just play with them there.. We do in and outs, back, turns on the forehand and haunches and let them paw and play..They soon learn to ignore the water.

We do it so that "wet-in-the-water jumps" become a non-issue..

[CindyDawg]

Ok . Thanks. Our pastures flooded by the gates with about 20 feet of water. With the sucking mud you could easily go down way over a foot. Both horses so good. We coached them to the gate. Going back though we tried to back them in from the gait. Both resisted. The gelding turned his butt and went in hugging the fence but the mare was a problem. It's not that I mind sloshing in with them but it's a safety issue. It's hard to walk thru and I slip and slide and don't wan't to fall down in that stuff under a horse.

[CindyDawg]

morning

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

How was your lesson yesterday?

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Everything but the parking lot wet so she cancelled til Thur. I did some ground work with SL though. We worked on her standing for grooming. When she moved from the pole I made it hard for her to get back with my thumbs on her ribs to go sideways instead of walking her back around. After a couple of times she stood. I walked my fingers down her back bone and put pressure on her flanks. No reaction until I get towards her top flanks. She's still just a little touchy on that raised area but it's going down.

I took her out to the area where she acted up. Not a darn thing to tie her to so I stood with her. She didn't seem to mind that Eddie left or Okie came and went but didn't want to stand. She wanted to turn right and eat grass and did some pawing and stomping but I made her. Something about that spot. Tomorrow I'm gonna put the curb chain on her there. Funny caz she doesn't do this in the back where lots of grass around. I've trained her to stand until I drop the lead rope and then she can graze. Doesn't fuss at all.

[CindyDawg]

Oh and yesterday Okie so funny. He kept falling asleep. Eddie brushing his poll hair down his forehead and he just kept dropping his head lower and lower to the brush and couldn't keep his eyes open:')

[Beaker]

Can you teach a horse to back into water?
Sure you can. What do you have in mind?

[Beaker]

Good Morning.
I beg everyone's pardon but I'm going to go off topic for a minute. I'm extremely angry, and this seems a good plance as any to get it out, even though it's a horse thread.
You wouldn't BELIEVE what I saw on campus this morning as I went to class. Lined up in neat rows were over 1000 makeshift crosses designated to represent the total number of lives lost in Iraq so far. Near by, the people that put them up were smugly surveying their work. One of them asked me what I thought, and I looked at him and said "Quite frankly, I'm disgusted and horrified that you would do such a thing."

And the guy said: "Well aren't you disgusted at how many lives are lost?"
And I said: "More lives were lost in the WTC attacks."
And he said "True" and seemed to be thoughtful for a minute.
And there was a girl standing there and she said quite nastily: "It's too bad that the two aren't related."
I just kind of looked at her and didn't say anything. And she said: "I guess I told her!"
So I said: "You didn't tell me anything. Do you have any idea what seeing this will do to the people here who have family over there? Do you think that this is fair to them?"

What angers me the most is that this isn't a protest to bring our troops home... it's purely political. There are no "altruistic" qualities to it. To me, they've crossed the line into personal. This just seems so very... wrong. They've gone way too far.

[CindyDawg]

Well, have you though about a counter protest rally? Signs with things like these men and women represented VOLUNTEERED and died "there" to protect you "here". If you have the energy, time and help you can completely change the meaning of these crosses. Why not post a thread under the main forum for support? Ping me if you do:')

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Breaking for lunch.

How's Cyn's ouchies today? still sore?

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

We haven't looked under her blanket yet... it's been a cold rainy morning and we've been busy. Have to go to town on errands, but we intend to work her this afternoon. Today is the best chance to ride until Saturday because I am going to be in Seattle for work both Thurs and Fri. ecurbh can work her on those days, but he's not sure he wants to ride her alone yet when no one will be home for hours ;~D