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Posted on 07/14/2005 3:23:55 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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.
Previous threads:
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - thread ONE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FOUR
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FIVE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SIX
New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!
Mornin'!
So sorry I didn't check in here earlier, but with no internet at home and work being as hectic as it's been...well, I apologize.
I'm so happy that no one here was injured or had terrible damage from this storm. It was only a Cat1 when it hit my house, but we still lost my beautiful avocado tree, my fence and a bunch of shingles.
Of course, I didn't go riding on Saturday and that really bummed me out. No one is answering at the ranch, so I imagine they aren't taking any reservations until they get everything cleaned up and the nature preserve paths are cleared.
I'm hoping they didn't sustain too much damage but I can't imagine that the pole barn came through unscathed.
Sounds like a nice thing to have. The person who built it was really thinking ahead to provide access to that area. Most people wouldn't have even thought about it. That's the nice thing about a custom built house, you can do neat little things like that.
Great pictures Hair! I think those mossy trees are really cool, although a bit spooky looking. The guys that maintain your trails do an outstanding job. I wish they kept our trails half that nice. We do good to get them to keep the downed trees cut off of ours and I'm sure there are tons of them after Katrina's visit. The bear scratchings are a little scary too. I'm glad we don't have to worry about them here!
We're sure glad to hear from you too and glad things weren't any worse for you. I hate to hear about your avocado tree. I have an aunt who used to live in Hialeah and she had one in her back yard. She used to bring some with her when she came home for Christmas and my Mom always made the best guacamole dip with them. I never would try any, but everybody else said that they were so much better than the ones you buy in the store. Losing a big tree like that is really heartbreaking coz they become like members of the family and can't be replaced.
I hope they get your trails cleared up soon and you can go riding again. It kinda gets in your blood and you start having withdrawals when you haven't ridden in a while. At least that's how it is for me. I'm sure all our trails are messed up too. I'm riding on Saturday but I'm not sure where nor what I'll find when we get there. But I really don't care as long as I get to ride. The weather is gorgeous here today. It's amazing how much it's changed since yesterday. The humidity is gone and the temperature is in the 80's so it's really nice and it's supposed to stay that way through the holiday. Woo Hoo! It's about time we got a break in the heat!
That first bear scratching looks fresh too.... Our black bears aren't really predators, they scavange and eat berries mostly. But I'm still not sure how the horses would respond to a close encounter! We try to talk loud when we are in real dense areas that look 'bear-y'. I don't want to come around a corner and be surprised by one. Maybe the horses would recognize it as a threat and bolt, maybe they'd not think it was anything other than a dog. Probably the former :~D
Years ago, I rode with Bob around the edges of "Wolf Haven", a wolf refuge here that has huge 40 acre pens for whole packs of them and they are semi wild. As we rode right along the chain link fence, wolves followed from the inside, cautiously moving through the trees, almost letting us see them but not quite. The horses knew they were there but I don't think they recognized them as being different than a dog. We've raised them with dogs and upset the natural instinct where at least ~that~ predator is concerned.
Make sure you take pictures when you go through, of what the storm did to your forest.... obviously ours would be a mess too after a storm like that.
I've heard that some people wear bells when walking in bear country. It might help, but then again, it might just cause a lot of bears to have bells in their poop. ;o)
We've had so much tree damage over the years that they haven't really cleaned up that it might be hard to tell what's new and what's old. We had to go around quite a few downed trees last weekend, so I'm sure it's really bad out there now.
They say that's how you differentiate between black bear poop and grizzly poop. :~D
I love the quiet, I wouldn't want to have bells on that keep me from hearing anything else... birds and running water.... even the sound of a bear crashing through the brush up ahead. :~D
We are most likely to see one coming right down the trail, or walking right down the road, than anywhere else. They use the trails and roads to get around, they don't like fighting their way through tangle sticks any more than we do. And in some parts, they could eat their fill of berries without leaving the path.
Is that land state or federal forest? or park?
In parks here, they leave things alone... but in the working timber, they'd clean and salvage and replant. Is that area some kind of set aside nature area, or is it logged?
Nice threads, fun to read!
Thanks! Welcome to the thread! Are you a rider too?
Used to be.Maybe again some day.
I went through a long period without them, and I got back into it. I ride for different reasons now, In high school I showed horses, and now I just ride trail (yesterday's trail ride with my husband pictured above on this thread).
Speaking of bears, did you see that story a while back about that goofy guy and his fiance who lived with grizzlies for several years and they got eaten by one? I saw it on 48hrs not too long ago. Apparently they had a video camera running when this bear came up and the camera got dropped during the attack, but there's audio of the whole thing. People who heard it said that they would have nightmares about it for the rest of their lives. Apparently as the bear was eating they guy, he was screaming and telling her to run, but she was trying to save him by beating the bear over the head with a frying pan, without success. I don't know what happened after that, other than the bear ate her too. The Fish and Wildlife people found the bear and it was a really old one that they thought couldn't hunt for himself anymore and he took advantage of their lack of fear of him. They shot him and found the remains of the couple in his stomach. I just can't imagine what those poor people went through being eaten alive like that. Stupid or not, that's not a death I'd wish on anybody.
It's federal forest. Part of it is designated a Wilderness Area, part of it is wildlife management area. They're not very horse-friendly in either area.
I saw the story but haven't seen/heard that video. We watched a documentary about a woman who was getting way too familiar with grizzlies... not sure if it's the same people. All bears should be handled with distance, even black bears, but Grizzlies are predators. There shouldn't be any confusion in people's heads about that, no matter how much time they spend with them.
What do you mean?
They don't develop and promote the horse trails like I've seen in other states, like Tennessee and North Carolina. They could have a goldmine on their hands if they did. People would be willing to pay more to ride these trails if they'd upgrade the horse camp, keep the trails maintained and allow the expansion of them. Back in the late 80's, they used to allow people to ride anywhere in the forest, now they don't. You can ride designated horse trails or automobile roads only. I don't know why they changed.
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