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]

Yeah she does have a tail! - I think breeding an appy is a huge gamble. You really never know what you are going to get. She looks like sha has a mane too, but one that probably never lays down ;~D

I wish she had more height.

And I am leaning toward ~not~ worrying so much about joining that Appy club, and instead trying to look at Arabs.... Ecurbh's saddle is an Arab cut / Arab tree.... and though a saddle is a small purchase in the scheme of things, it'd be slick if he didn't have to buy another one. And ~I've~ always liked them. Big tall ones like Bay or a mix with something substantial.

We'll look at any good horse. We still aren't really ready to bring one home yet.

[N. Beaujon]

lol. If only they had opposable thumbs, Imagine what they'd be capable of. (Mine just rolls it over with his hoof then rolls it back up when he's done. I guess yours, Cav, is one step up the gene pool then mine.) ;)

[HairOfTheDog]

Of course the proponents of shoes say - they aren't in those conditions - plus the work they are doing - being ridden, etc. makes their hooves wear differently than if they were out roaming free.

Yes, that's what I say! Wild mustangs probably often go lame too.... and suffer the pain or get eaten. Mustangs don't live and work into their 20s or 30s either.... I think a horse in the wild is lucky to make 10.

[HairOfTheDog]

I didn't draw lines on her.... her shoulder is a little obstructed. but she has a nice big hip.

[N. Beaujon]

LOL! He must be trying to imitate you picking up the hose. They are smarter than we realize.

lol! I thought that read, "He must be trying to imitate you picking your nose"!

I swear, never go on line until you've had your coffee. I had to read that TWICE before I figured out you meant HOSE! ;)

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't know that best sites for selling horses on the internet.... hadn't really looked until Ruthy started posting pictures to me of nearby horses.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yeah, horses can be addictive. Never have enough....until you're out breaking ice on a water trough:)

Finding a good farrier is really tough, or at least has been around here. That was the main reason I tried the barefoot thing. I had a good one for about 7 years, then he started getting bad about not returning phone calls. Tried a few differnt ones, then the barefoot thing, now I'm back to the old one. We have an understanding now about phone calls:)

We had problems around here this summer with the weather conditions being wet, dry, wet, dry. That really does bad things to their feet. The natural people always talk about all that natural stuff, but is what they forget to include in their spin is that mustangs in the wild usually don't live as long as ones that get good care. It's NOT natural for horses to be penned up, or ridden. You change the "natural" it's not natural anymore. It would be interesting if they could do a study on how many land up getting killed or die from hoof problems. I'll bet it would be high.

I'm not promoting shoeing or natural, I didn't try the barefoot thing because I was trying to go natural, I was just tired of dealing with shoers. I looked at some of the natural trimming stuff on the internet and decided to give it a try. Even tried some boots. It just doens't work in the terrain I'm in, and the amount of riding I do.

Good luck on the horse today.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Exactly, just what I was saying:)

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

You did a lot more background than I know.... I haven't done it.... except on my pony. She's always been barefoot, but who knows if she could stay that way in real work.... with her, real work is sortof hard to imagine. ;~D

I asked my farrier once if I would have to shoe her if someone started working her a little here at home... and he said some ponies hold up.... shetlands and other 'native' or 'primitive' type ponies have very hard and durable feet.... but not fancy English breeds like hackneys, ~usually~.

[CindyDawg]

mornin. With a jaw like my gelding has the thought of thumbs scary. Not much he can't untie if given enough rope and time :')

[CindyDawg]

I'm thinking about getting me a wagon:') I don't want SL anywhere near the barn right now and that carrying the tack to the round pen and back a lot of wasted energy and I always forget something. I bought a small flat "dolley" months ago but it doesn't roll well on the ground. Before I just kept my stuff in the trailer. I may check out Toys R Us. :')

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I have a friend who has a mustang. They have taken her to some rides where it's pretty rocky and she did fine barefoot. BUT they don't ride everyday on rocks. She has never been shoed as far as they know. I have always wondered how she would hold up with consistent riding.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Good idea:)

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I know a guy with barefoot mules, but he thinks it's just a benefit of mules and horses don't hold up ;~D

[HairOfTheDog]

...course the mule guy is a tough-guy and a jerk.... He doesn't notice that is wife is around when he makes suggestive comments to other wimmin... He'd be the last guy to notice if his mule's feet hurt. :~\

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yeah, I've heard/seen alot of mules that are ridden barefoot. My first question tho, is HOW MUCH do they get rode? In my experience, they just don't get rode a whole lot in rough terrain. That is the key factor, IMO. Some horses and some mules CAN make it if the riders are just weekenders and/or arena ridden.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Celia, the friend I got Okie from is trying the barefoot thing. She has landed up shoeing one of the horses she rides on his front feet.The other she is still keeping barefoot. She does alot of gravel road riding. Makes me cringe. That's even worse then my big rocks and hard ground. She told me yeah their sore, and they gimp, but they'll just have to adjust:( I hate to see it happen for the horses sake, but I'm waiting for one of them to get an absess. She;s the type that has to have a problem before she does the preventative stuff.

She never use to spray foals navels with iodine, and made fun of me for doing it till one of her foals developed joint ill. And she never worried about fescue poisioning in her pregnant mares till she had mare with no milk. She made fun of me for not letting Belle out in my pasture. She said you don't have enough out there to hurt. But no one know how much is too much. I'd rather be safe then sorry. She'll cut all the corners she can till she gets caught.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

My friend Tiff is that way too. Has that baby of hers in sagging loose barbed wire.... "She hasn't got in it yet". And she thinks I'm really AR about the stuff I do.

[FrogInABlender]

Try one of those big 2-wheel wheelbarrows. I found one on sale at Sears for 50 some-odd dollars, but they're usually about $100. It's handy for lots of stuff and isn't as tippy as a single wheel one.

[CindyDawg]

I'm thinking about walking SL around over and over (on foot) in front of the barn and then tie her by the barn today since that's where I have problems. You think this will help or would you just keep her away. I thought about tieing her up in the barn and doing unpleasant things. The thing is that she likes all of it and I don't think she would mind being tied up in there.