| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
Locked on 12/30/2004 7:09:47 PM PST by Admin Moderator, reason:
Thread III: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1311311/posts |
Posted on 09/18/2004 6:56:23 AM 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. 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.
Wow,,,I feel like a new person:)
Don't know how people who have horses can go months without riding. After a break I always think, I'm getting rid of them, tired of all the work, then I go ride and think NO WAY:)
I've got to go work on some fence now. Behind the barn the one strand of hot wire that divides Rocky form the geldings is sooooo old, and sagging, time to just replace the whole thing.
Becky
Glad you feel good! You're an inspiration, and I am one of those people who go months sometimes, especially in winter. I hate mud, I hate rain, I hate putting gear on dirty horses when it's too cold to bathe them. whine whine whine, I do!
I enjoy their keeping, but I put off riding a lot, and I never regret going.
If I lived where you do, I wouldn't ride in the winter either. Around here we get enough good days thru the winter to ride tho. We may go for a 2wk stretch sometimes where it is too cold, but generaly we can ride quite a bit thru winter. We don't have a bad mud problem here, to much rock. I've ridden in places tho where you sink to their knees and I don't like that either. I think that can be dangerous to the horses too, break legs if they panic.
I just thank God all the time that He put me here:).
Fence is fixed, wasn't that hard. It should last longer, heavier gauge wire, and I raised it a bit so stuff couldn't grow up and reach it so easily.
Charlie has the bobcat right now, but as soon as it gets back, I'll start working on the pasture like I've said all summer I was going to. It really needs it bad. I'll take some before and after pictures when I get started.
Becky
I guess I should mention that Rusty did pretty good. But he is a funny horse. He was acting like he hadn't been on some of those trail ever. Snorting at rocks and things:) Another reason I think horses need to be rode more consistently, they can get pretty squirrely otherwise.
When we got home, I even did a little barrel practice.
Becky
It's nice out today, just thinking getting outside, away from the computer would make me feel like a whole new person too!
Glad Rusty did well, a little snorting is fun, as long as they keep their wits about them. I think that is the most vital thing I hope Cindy's horse gets at this trainer.... safe reactions to things. You can't desensitize the horse to every future surprise, all you can do is teach them acceptable versus unacceptable reactions.
Back in a bit.
For spooks about the best thing you can hope to achieve is when they do spook they learn to respond to the riders cues rather then let the flight instinct rule them.
JMO, but I still think Cindy's horse was more throwing a temper tantrum then spooking. Spooking usually causes them to spin and run not buck. That's more the natural response for a horse. But I wasn't there so don't listen to me:) But the trainer will be good for her. Get her over throwing tantrums if that was it, so either way only good can come from the training.
Becky
However I know she is nervous about stuff directly behind her and I've been working with her on that. Today I walked her (on the ground)on the stable road. We went around and around the barn dog. I stopped her and petted him. She was alert but ok. Then we stopped by a pen of yapping dogs. She still had her eye on the barn dog and a little tense but she was doing great until a worker came up behind her and threw a bag of oranges on the hood of his car. She startled and then difficult to get her to concentrate on being relaxed around the dogs again. I'm not expecting miracles and I actually feel that I'm paying someone to do what I should be doing. She needs to do her part but I've got to do mine too which is to know that any animal will get scared at times and know how to control them. My trainer now saying she doesn't need this but it will be good for her. Whatever that means. I just want her to keep working with me on what to do if.....She has taught me well on basic riding but I want horse behavior training too. As long as I know what to do I think I do fine. It's when I get to the "what do I do now" situations that I get goofy.
I think we all agree it was some kind of tantrum. We can't know better than you what is at the root of it, I just hope it gets solved!
I guess the right answer is, she can get scared, she can get mad... but her only safe way out of the situation is to let you handle it. Get that message across, and you are sittin' pretty!
Yep
And then a good run around the back forty...
And another back scratch....
Look! Siamese horses with one head between them.
I love the one where the are all running. It's nice here today too. I had Sarah Lee all clean and ready to go and holding her in the round pen . I looked over and she was rolling and dust was flying.
Heh....
Well hey. She didn't leap over it!
Heh - that's what we thought! fill it with water and it's a training opportunity!
They all keep walking in it and caving it in.... the goal is to keep digging it out till it's a good permanent ditch. Just keep chipping away at it.
What's it for?
I hope he does come! - see if that walk is really worth all that talk!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
