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]

When he's flying I don't even notice the sway.

[HairOfTheDog]

He picks his back up pretty well moving, it's when he's just standing at rest or when he's tired that he lets it all hang down. ;~D

[CindyDawg]

Yall talking about ropes reminds me of Sarah Lee. The trainer says he has put her thru all kinds of stuff and so far only ropes in the air and laying on the ground the only thing he has found that bothers her and he's working with her on it. She's still gonna get double lunged:')

[CindyDawg]

Doesn't it seem like sometimes that the best ones are the ones at the end of the line? Maybe gelding what made them that way though.

[Beaker]

I hope you understand I wasn't asking all the questions about transitions to make you feel bad.

No no no, I understood perfectly, no worries. Actually, the thing you should do is always sit the trot until you get them to canter. Posting and asking for the canter just confuses them and tells them to go faster and faster until they run into it.

[Beaker]

I agree with Hair. Lungeing for a couple of weeks will take the edge off a bit and get her used to working again instead of overloading her with a rider. Plus it might get her to mellow out a bit before Heather climbs aboard. Sometimes I'd have to lunge my horse until he was tired just so he wouldn't throw me. But it all worked out in the end, and we both respected eachother for it as well. :-)

[Beaker]

I'm wicked wicked comfortable at the trot, with or without stirrups, no matter what. My trainer was trying to get me to canter with one hand, and I just couldn't will myself to do it. It freaked me out too much, cause the horse that I was riding didn't want to neck rein. I should have been able to control him with my legs only, but my seat cantering is pretty poor. Need my reins just a little bit.

[Beaker]

I'm glad that you had a good ride too. :-) Oh! My trainer has a hawk now, so I'll have to get pictures and post them.

[CindyDawg]

I can go direct on trails if I need to but I went to neck reining for that reason. It was very hard for me to "let go" trotting but I did and now I'm ok. I was holding the reins like they were a handle bar or something. My balance is actually better with my right hand down. Now on to cantering:')

[Beaker]

Cantering is fun, and depending on your horse's gait, very smooth. Remembering to relax is the hardest part.

[AnAmericanMother]

That's the difference I guess between our riding styles (and probably why I am married to my helmet. I forgot to take it off this evening while I was cooling down my horse and blanketing her. My trainer had a friend visiting, and she looked at me and asked, "Do you take it off when you go to bed?" LOL!)

We were doing "grids" tonight - trainer sets up a row of one-stride interval fences all the way down one side of the ring. You trot in over a pole at one end, and by the time you reach the other, you're flying! Because the fences are so close together, you never really come all the way down into the saddle, you're up in two-point all the way through. A stumble or knocked pole could get nasty! (Luckily my princess doesn't like to stub her toes, and she's very graceful, so she goes through the grid like a carousel horse. I just balance over her and let her do her thing . . . )

[Duchess47]

I was on a endurance/obstacle ride a few years ago riding my Appy mare. We were doing great and came up to a tire obstacle across the road, four tires wide. I pulled her up to think about it because it seemed really dangerous and stupid to ask her to walk through that. While I was thinking, she jumped it. Fortunately I stayed with her but it occurred to me that she had a lot more faith in our ability than I did and I never wanted to try that again.

My niece rode and showed over jumps when she was a teen. I threw a fit, thinking my sister had lost her mind. She loved it but it scared me to death. I'll face down wild horses from horseback, or coyotes and climb any hill my horse can take - but won't willingly jump.

You are a better man than me as we would say around here :) and now I'll worry if you don't check in once a day.

[Beaker]

Grids like that can be a challange. My hunter/jumper trainer used to have me do them. They're a good excercise. She was fond of grids and gymnastics. One of her favorites was a row of small verticals or cross rails to go over with no strides in between. My horse always used to get frustrated with them, and try to run out on the last one without fail every time.

[Duchess47]

You ladies are nuts :) I mean that in the nicest possible way. You are riding on those little tiny saddles and flying through the air like Pegasus. That sounds an awful lot like real work, not relaxation.

[Beaker]

Hehe. Well I'm doing dressage now which puts major emphasis on relaxation and letting the horse do the work for you. Quite a switch, let me tell you. Lets just say that old habits die hard. :-)

[Beaker]

::sings::
"Oh they fly through the air with the greatest of ease, those daring women on their dashing horsies." :-p

[Beaker]

Post 3696 was ment for you. I posted to myself, the dofus that I am. :-)

[Duchess47]

I was watching dressage the other night on RFD. It was filmed in Germany. I love my western horses and their ability but will freely admit it pales next to these horses. Such incredible control and precision. I can't even begin to understand the horsemanship that brings that out.

[Beaker]

I love RFDTV. It's my favortie channel. And I love watching the freestyle dressage. It blows me away and gets me really excited about the sport at the same time. The best I can do is leg yield. :-) The horsemanship is subtle. Subtlty is key, as is balance and harmony. Those are even more important. If you ever get a chance to take dressage lessons, I highly recommend them. It's given me a whole new appreciation and respect for all things equine that I didn't even know that I had. (And believe me, I have a lot) :-)

[Inge_CAV]

"Oh they fly through the air with the greatest of ease"

Fly, did you mention flying?

How about a picture of a corn field with the stalks shocked, from the air.