The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!

[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?

This is a horse chat thread where we 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 previous threads we have had a great time talking through lessons, training, horse lamenesses, illnesses and pregnancies... and always sharing pictures and stories.

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 previous threads, 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.

[AnAmericanMother]

For a rainy climate, I would have a covered way to the separate storage building. Again, if you put the barn on the side of a hill, you could just tow the hay in when needed.

Here's another idea as long as we're dreaming - I used to ride at a barn that had a covered riding arena connected to the barn by a covered walkway. It was GREAT - didn't matter if it rained or snowed, plenty of lights mounted in the roof so you could ride all night if you had a mind to. The standard covered arena around here is a metal frame building without the skin. Sorta like this, without the barrels!

Instead of the fence sections, my old barn had a wooden wall built up about to the height of your shoulder when you were on horseback. Stopped drafts and rain blowing in.

[Duchess47]

I don't know if they do or not. Putting a freeze brand on wouldn't hurt anything though, unless you were going to sell the horse in the future and someone objected to it.

I don't know what the cost is - seems like it's expensive through the Appaloosa Horse Club but I can't remember.

[tuffydoodle]

That's the thing, a visible brand is not only a deterrant but the slaughter houses aren't so quick to slaughter a horse with a brand.

[tuffydoodle]

Yeow, I'd kill for that arena.

[HairOfTheDog]

Gosh... I should have a better pic of his brand (note to self) but here is what I've got. It's his registration in Arabic, and the same characters are also on his papers. This is really common for Arabs.

[HairOfTheDog]

That's a great arena.... here, sometimes they add walls on the three weather-facing walls only or half-walls.

I want to have a small completely indoor and protected arena, and plenty of outdoor space for a large arena, dressage arena, jumps, and a round pen. That would be likely uncovered, but we'll see ;~D

[tuffydoodle]

He sure is pretty. I also was thinking of putting his brand under his mane but he might have too much white there. I will probably end up putting it on his hip. I just need to decide what kind of brand. Who does this work, the vet?

[AnAmericanMother]

You know, they really aren't all that expensive.

Most metal building construction companies will give you a substantial discount on the arena as opposed to a fully finished steel building - they don't have to pour a floor, put a skin on it, do plumbing, windows, doors, etc. and just very minimal wiring for the lights (and a PA system I guess if you want to splurge < g > )

You can do even better if you buy one used.

[HairOfTheDog]

slaughter houses are not required to look for an under the mane brand, only brands that are visible on either shoulder or rump.

on dark horses, you hold the brand on for some number of seconds, and the hair comes back white. On white skin, you hold the brand on longer, and it freeze-burns so that the hair doesn't come back at all and it looks like a hot brand. Having the brand kill the hair completely also makes it more secure because they can't hide the brand with dye.

[AnAmericanMother]

Tell ya what, a barn I rode at in NJ while I was in college had a small completely indoor riding arena.

That was great until we had a thunderstorm one evening and the lights all went out! While we were cantering!

I was riding a young Appaloosa who fortunately trusted me completely. I stopped him, turned his head to the wall, jumped off, pulled the reins over his head, and climbed up on the ring rail and sat and held his head and talked to him until things settled down. Several horses went completely nuts.

[HairOfTheDog]

I bet it was fun... Not sure how to get around that.

[estrogen]

Estrogen- Ohio own a Rocky Mountain gelding

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, you can leave the upper wall open (there's always ambient light around outside, even at night with the power off). The alternative is to install those funny little emergency light boxes with the two floods on them. They'll run off batteries long enough to dismount and walk the horse out!

[ecurbh]

We could put in those battery-powered emergency lights that they have in most public buildings. They come on automatically when there is a power outage. Probably a good thing to have in the stall aisles too.

[AnAmericanMother]

Great minds think alike!

[Duchess47]

There is a guy out here that builds barns that are add-ons. Let me see if I can describe it well enough. Have you see the stalls/pipe corrals at the feed stores, 12X12 made out of pipe with plywood sides and metal skin and roof? It is similar to that, although the front of the roof extends six feet. You can put up one, add another across from it and you have two stalls and a covered alley. You just add to it as you need or can afford, with each new stall needing only three sides rather than four.

I don't see why you couldn't start like that, however, instead of joining up the stalls overhead, space them far enough apart to have the center space you need. The barns go up sort of like legos. My barn, which isn't that type but the principal is the same, had prebuilt sections that were put together.

You can solve the problem of lights out in the indoor arena by installing some emergency lighting that automatically goes on when the power goes out.

My concern with the tack rooms between stalls is that chemicals may end up in them and in case of a fire, they would go like torches.

[Duchess47]

That's right, I had forgotten. :) Guess you need to post a picture (again if you already did) to jog my memory.

[tuffydoodle]

Ohhhhhh. I didn't know about the under the mane brand.

The hot brand look sounds like the best way to go.

[Duchess47]

LOL I just said the same thing. Need to speed up my typing I guess.

[HairOfTheDog]

I hope you are all still here with me when I start making real plans to do this! I appreciate all your knowledge and concerns and advice. Things well thought through are always better.