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.

[Centaur]

He IS and they ARE! And they're so funny about this plant. They won't eat it while they're growing, but when they're dead or you cut them down, they love them...at least my Morgan mare and TB gelding do. Until we get the tractor fixed, best we can do is clean out the tails and braid them. At least then, if they walk through the stuff, it's only on the outside and we can pull them off without the whole tail being tangled.

Wonder if cows are easier to care for. LOL

[Inge_CAV]

Good morning!

Nice pictures and good looking horses.

I like your rocks too.... (rock house, barn, fences, the possibilites) : )

[HairOfTheDog]

Wonder if cows are easier to care for. LOL

Well, I dunno.... ever tried to get a cow to cooperate with pulling burs out of a tail?

I don't have any awful velcro stickery things that like to plague me here, so that's something to be thankful for.... a friend of mine has big trees that are Chestnuts. They are a horrid mess with these stickery burr-like coverings. They drop ~millions~ of these horrid things in her yard. But she doesn't want to cut them down because they are her only shade trees! I said there ought to be a way to sterilize the tree with bad fertilizing or something!

Chestnuts: a couple there still in the stickery husk.

[Beaker]

I have a cocker spaniel that loves to romp in the woods, and he's always plagued with those burrs matting in his ears and legs.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

WD 40 works real good too for that sort of thing.

Mack (my husband) says WD 40 can cure cancer too:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Probably not today. JP is coming to stay with us this afternoon:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Thanks.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

More work in the back forty today.... I wanted to take a picture of our biggest tree for you. We could never get to it before :~D

Big mushrooms:

And check this tree out.... Looks like it was knocked crooked when it was young and has spent the rest of it's life trying to get straight.

[CindyDawg]

Hey yall. I'm back:') Gonna go back and look at posts.

[CindyDawg]

N Beaujon,Elbucko,centar,froginablener, and Cowboyway:Welcome

Becky: Good news about the farrier. Harley looks good back home:')Sarah Lee sweating big time. The vet told me that was good?. Eddie a believer in DW40 too. That an duct tape.

IngeCav; Glad to hear your damage was minimal. I didn't need the double barrel for the JP but we did sic the park ranger on them after they went hiking and didn't come back before dark:')I saw the Patriotic horse picture. Very cool. I think if I painted my paints (hehe) esp Okie, I would go for a native look. I could see him with war paint and arrows:')

Leomdropkid31. Yikes. Not only is Ivan headed back but he may be head to Texas:'(

Restornu : Calling a real cowboy a cowboy is like calling a redneck a redneck. It's a compliment. I still think Dubya should have a horse though:')

Beaker: Maybe as you say there is a reason but yelling to me would just seem to mess with my confidence. The trainer I had only yelled at me one time when I tied my horse up and seriously was considering mounting. She later apologized and just said she was just worried when another boarder came and told her. Everywhere I have read and been taught it's let them check out what's bothering them and make them check it out. Maybe I'm wrong though. Let me know what you find out. Bushes can be scary. Both my horses go on alert sometimes. I used to deliberately stir the bushes caz one didn't like the birds flying out.

Hair: land looks good. I'm with the pony though about saving that apple tree:'). Did you get to send there pic to the prez?

Cowboyway:') Nice pictures, esp King Impressive during winter:')

Esther Ruth: AAWWW. How cute. Keep trying. You will get the hang of it. It took me a long time.

[Centaur]

Now why didn't I think of that? HaHa. Becky, ask hubby if it leaves a greasy residue. Can't have that, ya' know.

After 4 1/2 hours, everyone is done. My hands are a bit tore up cause its not really a job you can do with gloves. If you want to save as much of the tail as possible, you have to pick through the stuff with fingers and those little hooky things really hurt. And forget about the nails I've been trying to grow! And of course, while you're doing it, all those little hooky things latch on to your clothes. May have to throw those things away.

Lest anyone think that I am a wuss or exaggerating, we pulled 2 bucketsfull of burdock from manes and tails. Skip looked like he was wearing a blanket of roses, er burdock in his mane.

but everyone is done and back to fancy so I am one happy, though tired and itchy girl.

[Centaur]

Now we get mushrooms like that. They look too good to waste, but when I look in the book, I can't tell if they're deadly poisonous or yummy so I always end up tossing 'em :(

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Good Morning.

Cindy: Glad your back, how was the wedding? how was the ride?

Hair: That is a marvelous tree! I've only seen them that big in parks.

Centaur: No WD40 does not leave a greasy residue. It dries much the same as ShowSheen.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

That crooked tree is funny. Looks like it over corrected in the middle then bent back the other way.

BEcky

[HairOfTheDog]

Good morning! Another week here.

~yawn~

Cindy..... how was the wedding?

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - that tree top bent back again and ended up back over the roots.... Very strange! We thought it would make neat architectural elements.... long curved archway lumber or something... maybe a bridge.

[CindyDawg]

Morning,

The wedding was beautiful. I'll try to post some pics later. I can see now why he wanted to have it there. I've always felt TX gorgeous but didn't know this place hiding:')

I didn't get to ride. I've been sick:'(

[HairOfTheDog]

Good, look forward to the pics then!

[CindyDawg]

Ok. Right now I'm really trying to get myself up and get ready for work:') We got back around 10 I guess and then had to get up at 2 and go do something at the nursing home.

[FrogInABlender]

Good Morning All,
Sorry 'bout being so long to reply to the welcome. I sure appreciated it. Cav's been trying to get me to join forever and I'm glad I did.

I had a nice weekend to ride here. Weather was PERFECT. Cobalt blue sky, low humidity, 70 degree temps and a nice breeze. You don't get that much here in Alabama! Some friends and I went on a nice 15 mile rails-to-trails ride on Saturday in a sleep little town called Elkmont. They've really done a nice job with converting an old railroad bed into hiking/horseback trail. It's a really nice place to ride in the summer coz it's like riding in a tunnel of trees. There's an awsome creek crossing where an old tressle used to be. The massive stone abutments are still there. They're working on building it back as a covered bridge. I'm currently riding a 2yr old red roan racking gelding that I raised from a 3mth old. His name is Blade and he sure is a sweetie. He's one of 7 that I have, but the only one I'm riding at the time. I have his mom, Bluebell, his 1yr old half brother Bob(the biter), and a 4mth old half sister, Hope, who are all blue roan. Then I have a black mare named Truly, her 1yr old gray filly, Grace, and finally a 16yr old walker named Tennessee who is my old retired saddle buddy and babysitter. He and I have a lotta good years and miles between us and he sure knows how to put a bunch of sassy colts in their place. I'll try to post some pictures later. Thanks Hair for the instructions. I've printed 'em and will decipher them later. I'm at work now so I'll get back to ya later. Thanks again ya'll!