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.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, glad you had a good ride then and you didn't get eaten!

[CindyDawg]

Yea. Good for you:')

[Inge_CAV]

Yep, that was good enough reason to quit riding with them.

Yesterday, I was able to wrangle a trip up near the Amish. After the business part was over and I was close anyway, I drove on over to the settlement. They have been cooking sorghrum molasses the past week and I did bring back a quart. Can't wait to try this year's batch. Didn't have enough time to drive around and visit the people I know. Had to rush back to work.

Several corn fields were full of shocked corn stalks. Wish I had taken a picture. : )

[Inge_CAV]

"and she had me working on using my seat to stear."

Not sure if I should comment on that or not........

I always flew my plane like that though. : )

[CindyDawg]

Where is everybody at?:')

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Good morning

Becky

[Beaker]

I always flew my plane like that though. : )

What, by the seat of your pants? ;-) How are your cats doing?

[Beaker]

Good Morning.
Any horse plans for this weekend? My trainer has suggested that I start doing practice rides on the weekends, so I might throw one in every so often. I know that it should be consistant, but... who knew that money doesn't grow on trees? :-)
Have a good day.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Nothing special. I am going to try to ride two today.

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

I'm not sure if it's the same thing or not, but being able to stear by shifting your weight is really handy when you're riding through an area with no trail and you need your hands to keep the branches from ripping your face off. I think it's cool too that horses are that sensitive.

[FrogInABlender]

I wish you'd made pictures too. I love going up there. It's awsome to see them using 3 and 4 Belgians abreast to pull their farm equipment. I need to pay a visit to the saddlemaker up there. I'd like to have one of those trooper saddles he makes. The western model I bought from him last year was gorgeous but it didn't fit Tennessee very well so I sold it to Donnie. It fits Bullet just fine though.

I'm not getting to ride today. :o( I've got some work to do, but at least I can login and do it from home, then I've got a family reunion to go to and I've got to cook something (God help 'em) and I've got baled hay on the ground that needs putting in the barn after that. I didn't know the guy was going to bale it. I'd much rather he'd rolled it. I've gotten spoiled since I started using rolls. Don't wanna fool with square bales anymore. Too much work!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

We got tired of messing with square bales about 10 years ago and started using Horse Chow by Purina. It is a complete pellet. The girl that owns the horse I'm riding, did not want to change his feed program so she had a round bale delivered here for him. I have been tempted to try round bales, but now I wouldn't use them. Lots of waste, at least by this horse.

I know alot of people (well most, I know no one else that uses complete pellets:), are leary of them. But I have really been impressed at the ease. And I do believe my horses like them too. On camping trips, I hang a hay net just for something to do while they are tied, they really don't seem to be that interested in it.

Becky

[Beaker]

I think it's cool too that horses are that sensitive.
Me too. I was getting the biggest kick out of it. :-) What really amazes me is that for all these years I thought the way that I was riding was correct. And for the discipline it probably was. You don't really realize how subtle dressage is until you actually try to be subtle yourself. It's like sleight of hand, only on a horse. So I guess it's "sleight of horse" in a way.

[HairOfTheDog]

Good morning! Not sure ~what~ we are going to do today. Up until five minutes ago I thought I was going up to the beach house, but that is not till ~next~ week. (feels like an airhead)

So we may haul some sticks or something out of the back forty, maybe torch some of the burn pile!! Maybe work a little closer at figuring out how to build another stall in the barn, and maybe ride, who knows!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I've discovered riding all these different horses, that so much of what I believed was cues "trained" into a horses is really just natural responses from the horse. Like leg pressure to turn, and shifiting your weight back to stop. You can enhance the natural responses by using them alot, but even horses young in riding experience will flex and turn, and move sidewise with just leg pressure. I thought that was cool, because it meant even I could do it:), it doesn't take any being a trainer.

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Well, I'm going to ride today but not sure when yet. The boss in Austin and keeps calling with things to do and I've got my son and his new family coming over this morning and I have to take my grandson out to sell donuts (Crispy Creams) for a fund raiser for his school. I offered to just buy some but evidently that's not the way it's done:')

[CindyDawg]

MMMMMMm, I just found out Eddie not even on call this weekend. My caller ID gonna fix that little problem!

[CindyDawg]

Remember how I said that Sarah Lee didn't respond to leg cues unless strong pressure? I've been doing what Hair suggested and just using light pressure while reining and she's starting to respond. Maybe the instinct still there but was being ignored?

[HairOfTheDog]

She felt it before, she just didn't know what she was supposed to do about it :~)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

With a horse that doesn't respond as readily, a spur will help. I'm not taking kicking with it, just pressing. Also makes it easier on the rider. The horse feels it alot quicker and you don't have to wear your leg out pressing so hard. In fact I use spurs on everything I ride for my benefit instead of the horses:). When you first start using them, you need to remember you have them on, but after awhile it becomes second nature, and just a touch of them and the horses moves over. Really cool, going down a trail at a fast trot or lope and steer them back and forth on the trail to miss getting hit with low branches. Never have to touch their mouth.

Becky