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 finally went into the feed store , looking for some stuff Hair was telling me about. All kinds of interesting things there.

Maybe this one grounded, huh? I hope it goes well with you tomorrow but the good thing is that word is getting out. You ought to post your horses for sale there.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

The one time Belle didn't take off when she dumped me was kind of funny. It was my fault. She was at the end of her pregnancy and getting bigger. So to be considerate I took my back cinch off. I'm use to having one. Well we were going down a real steep incline and she stopped about 1/2 way down and bent down to get a bite:(, I didn't know at the time what happened, but when she put pressure on the breast collar with no back cinch the back of the saddle raised up and I rolled right off over her head. The fall didn't hurt at all, but I hit the horn. The entire area turned black for about a week (hope ecurbh isn't reading this:), I was sore. But she never moved. I rolled of and was laying there laughing because I felt so stupid, I was glad no one was there to see me.She was looking at me like what the hell are you doing:).I didn't figure out what happened till later we were going down in the creek and she bent down to get a drink. That time I felt the saddle come up. I almost went head first into the creek:). I put the back cinch back on.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I had a flyer there, but took it down when Harley was at "that place:)" I thought I had him sold. I've never put up another, because I'm not in a hurry to sell. But I won't pass an opprotunity too sell him.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

LOL! The first thing we always want to know is "Did anyone else ~see~ that?

[HairOfTheDog]

What were ya shoppin' for? Anything fun?

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Boy that time that was my first thought because I had no clue how I landed up on the ground. It was like I just rolled of, the horse didn't do anything. It was funny, but sure hurt.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Uh Huh. I guess it's not called a horn for nothing. Purple looks good on me but....:')

I mentioned that Okie wants to be the center of attention at the picnic table? One day after telling him he wasn't sitting in my lap and shooing him away I hear this thundering behind me and a loud wham. I jumped up and rolled in the grass. I though Okie was coming across. It was some hyper kid. Everyone rolling, laughing at me.

[CindyDawg]

We went to get Okie a rope halter and some leather oil. I picked a lot of "what's happening" reading material up too. Horse pictures for sale all over the place. Usually I just go to TSC, more of an upscale farming equipment store. This one home owned and local.

[CindyDawg]

Hey, I used to not even need a horse to fall. When I first started I fell out of the trailer twice and in the barn once. I looked around, no one saw me but then I went and fell at Dairy Queen, after the barn fall. ( My ankle was still weak). Now that one was embarrassing because people all around and I was wearing a dress:')

[N. Beaujon]

Are you thinking of someone who will continue board at the same place and the money is to cover that cost? Or would you be willing to let someone take him somewhere else? Because in a typical lease situation, The lessee covers all daily expenses, feed, board, shoeing, veterinary, but there isn't usually additional money to the owner, it's a "free-lease". It will be harder to find someone willing to pay to lease.

Hair, it is the former,to keep him where he is now. That is the objective!

DID YOU GET MY E-MAIL WHERE I TOLD YOU THE PRICE IN THE AD WAS WRONG AND HIS MONTLY LEASE WAS $155??-- That was my mistake and I'm really sorry, I cut and pasted from an old ad.

The $155. is equal to the cost of his daily expenses, feed, board.

It is in effect a free lease.

The only thing extra a leasee would cover would be any vet bills, which would depend on length of lease.

For example all his worming is covered, he doesnt wear shoes so no farrier bills this month (if it went into months I pay $17.00 every 6 weeks for trim) and unless there was some negligence or accident that had to be paid for there should be no extraordinary cost.

I would insist thatif there was a colic that they leasee would cover that. (So far, knock on wood, Red is constructed of iron.)

BUT I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS YOU DIDNT SEE THE CHANGE TO THE PRICE. The only thing I get out of this is peace of mind and keeping him "home" with me and his sister.

Thank you again for your help and sorry for all the confusion. I hope this makes sense I am so sick with the flu, it aches when I type! Does this make any sense???

Anne

PS-The $155. is so cheap you cant even board him at a decent barn for this price and the place I have him at is VERY decent,so trail rides, round pens, arenas are all free and access to teachers are $25.00 (on your own horse.)

[HairOfTheDog]

I might just change the way it is worded then.... it sounds like it is a charge for the lease. What it really is, is a free lease where the expenses and board (at a place you approve) is the lessee's responsibility.

Just as a suggestion, I wouldn't confuse the issue in the ad about where he is boarded and how much it costs. In your conversations with interested people you can say you'd prefer to leave him where he is and talk about what a bargain it is.... but there's no sense excluding some other equally good option (IMHO) and everyone knows the lessee picks up all expenses, so the cost for the lease in the ad itself is confusing.

Just my .02 cents :~D

And I'd put the flyer up at your stable and at feed and tack stores nearby!

[CindyDawg]

Sorry you are feeling bad. I hope everything works out and you can keep "Red" home.

[CindyDawg]

Well I found the trainer. Sarah Lee rode 4 xs last week. The only problem was once when a dog raised up she shy-ed. After telling me to give it up she told me she now knew what happened. She said the horse jumped sideways off all 4s but she wasn't bucking and it was in the same spot where I was at. I say buck. She says jumped. Sigh.

[HairOfTheDog]

After telling me to give it up...

What does this mean?

It could be that she shied and jumped and didn't actually buck.... It probably isn't a distinction that makes a great deal of difference to your rear-end, but I suppose fear is more forgiveable, and more trainable, than a bad temper, so it matters. Are you buying that?

[CindyDawg]

It means I agreed to stop trying to figure out what happened and just accept it and move on and No, I'm not buying it,yet. I am buying something at that location bothers her though.

[HairOfTheDog]

Is she squirrelly when being led there?

[CindyDawg]

Once, the first day I first rode her we were going across the front of the barn and she did some dancing and high stepping with me. I took her farther away and she went on. I walked her and she did fine, just a little ancy when she is standing which isn't usual. I rode past the front of the barn with her last Tue and she did ok but I arched out away from the area. The one riding her was backtracking my steps and was deliberately in the same spot. I don't remember any dogs around though but I probably wouldn't have paid them much attention but I know none were close.

[CindyDawg]

You know we were facing the trailors and one of the borders has one of those wolf dogs with blue eyes that she ties to her trailer. She and Okie both give him distance when they go by and shy a little when he howls. I don't believe he was there though but I was trying to get her to go in that direction.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, lets just run with the premise that it was a spook that made her jump, for the moment:

The mere presence of a dog that you didn't even notice shouldn't have been a problem.... and a dog rushing and barking at you, you would have remembered. It might have nothing to do with the ~place~ it happened. I think that might be an unhelpful way to investigate it.... the question really is, what is her initial reaction to anything sudden or unexpected? And how can you make her safe to be on even when she gets frightened? Watch her, the answer will be a combination of training both of you: Training her not to let fear overtake her good sense, and training you to be alert to the signs, firm in your seat, and ready for anything.

I would encourage the trainer to test her with surprises. - Do some kind of de-sensitizing and sacking out. This should be carefully done so that she never hurts herself in the process. The key is not to make her crazy with fear, but to show her that her fears are not justified and that she can trust if you tell her to move on.

If Bay is on edge about something, and a sudden movement or strange object surprises him on trail, he'll jump sideways too, and he is very experienced. I am also very experienced with him and can think like him, can tell when it's coming, and can usually see the types of things likely to make him jump before he does. A half a second to be ready makes the difference. It can be startling if you aren't expecting it, for sure! In otherwords, horses have pretty strong instincts to react quick to perceived danger. Some are better than others. That is why the 'bomb-proof' horse is worth his weight in gold to the new rider.

All animals with senses jump when startled. The key here is to build some trust, and show her the proper way act around a threat. She has to trust your lead and believe when you say, "no.... go forward".

Long post.... hope it makes sense.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

But wasn't Eddie there, didn't he say she bucked?

I do agree with the trainer that you need to give up trying to figure out what she did. If she IS nervous in that spot I would get her over it, not just avoid it. But like I said last week, I would let the trainer get her over it. I would make sure she is doing that. Put the dog there all the time till she goes past him quietly. You never know when one will show up somewhere else. She needs to get use to that stuff. But let them do that. I would ask to see someone else ride her there with a dog present. JMO:)

Becky