| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
Locked on 06/19/2006 8:54:08 AM PDT by Lead Moderator, reason:
New thread here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1651860/posts |
Posted on 02/24/2006 9:12:25 AM PST 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 MissTargets will now be pinging everyone most mornings. Let MissTargets 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
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread EIGHT
New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!
Or she picked two QHs that weren't well suited for it. There's an awful lot of QHs out there with feet two sizes too small for their big bodies. We know that. Any sport that does a lot of miles will break those guys down, just as an Arab with a similar defect would break down. The whole point of your type of competition is to separate those that can do it from those who can't. The best can, lessers won't do so well.
I'm just rather gobsmacked at the nerve it takes to walk up to a woman with a QH tied to her trailer, and announce an opinion that says 'Quarter horses aren't made for this sport'. I don't have that kind of moxie.
I did sortof cheer rah rah a little at the poster who said her definition of abuse included competing a barefoot or otherwise tenderfooted horse on rocks was just as much abuse as beating one, referencing the woman who posted that her horse wasn't "lame" he was just "bruised and sore footed from the rocks"
LOL...I agree with your whole post.
I guess there are some rabid barefoot advocates in this region.
As far as the Anti-quarter horse lady:), I'm pretty use to that. I've had it happen pretty frequently. The very first ride I went to, when I unloaded Belle, I had quit of few comments that horses that muscular don't do very well, they can't cool off. She never had a problem.
I also agree that there are some horses regardless of breed who are not suited for long distance. Rocky is one of them. I've tried, he just doesn't move smoothly enough, and he is too much of a tank.
Becky
And if they had a horse like Cyn who seems to never suffer for it, and argued from that perspective, I'd be fine with it. The problem I have with the barefoot advocates is they all seem to acknowledge some degree of pain and extraordinary foot conditioning is necessary to being barefoot for most horses. They seem to think it's fine that the horse hurts for some transition period, or will hurt after a ride on rocks, and they recommend continuing to condition this horse and eventually the horse won't hurt any more. I am not sure the horse would find all that worthwhile, if we could ask him. If the horse has pain that can be easily fixed by better protecting the foot, I see no reason to make them endure it.
An interesting thing: at the ride meeting Fri. nite the vet said unequivocally that the riders riding barefoot horses were going to most likely loose points for having sore footed horse. You could just "feel" the grumbling in the crowd:) I think they felt there was then prejudice towards there horse from this vet with his mind set. Maybe there was, but it's just something you can't prove...one of those things like those that believe Quarter Horses are suited for this sport. I've had judges (they never said outright) that you get a feeling they don't like to see QH at these rides.
To be honest I have seen a "few" horses that did compete barefoot on rocks that made it just fine. Makes it tempting to try, but for the most part those horses are few and far between.
Becky
Okie was a lot like Cyn. The problem tho that I saw coming if I had kept him was the amount of wear. I don't know how long I could have continued because his foot was very very short. But he "never" gimped. But the growth of new foot did not seem to be keeping up with the amount of wear...
Becky
Last summer when we were riding a lot, Mark sometimes trimmed or filed very little on Cyn and what he did trim, he probably didn't need to (but why pass up the fee if he didn't touch her).
That made me think if we rode much more than we were then, she wouldn't hold up. If they're constantly wearing them down, there's a limit in how much they can take.
And I can imagine the grumbling... but sore is sore. If the foot is sore, it should count as lame, just like if they were sore anywhere else. Can you imagine someone saying "He's not really lame, his back only hurts because my saddle doesn't fit. That shouldn't count"
I just gave Bay some Bute, not liking how he was plodding around today. Nothing obvious, just some days he's perky on his feet, and some days he just isn't.
In the mean-time, I'm gonna work this pony. She should be worked at least once a year, whether she needs it or not, right?
We're gonna go out and reconstruct her jump, lunge her a bit. Will take pics :~D
Very good comparison:)
For sake of conversation here some explanation about the reason I was seeking info on NATRC's rules.
I can sort of see why these people with the unruly horses did place, I just was wondering tho where the line is. One time at a ride where Belle threw one of her fits I did get a + mark for handling a nervous horse from the horsemanship judge. I've also gotten + marks for correcting my horse when she would start to walk off when mounting. I have caught on that you can get some good marks for horsemanship for "correcting". I never did "hit" or whip. With the fit, I just rode it out, then kept going. With the walk off on the mount I stopped her. I did lose points tho from the horse judge for these incidents. The girl on the rearing horse, did make some progress in correcting. Her correcting (from what I've been told) was whipping), and the horse did improve. So I can see where from the horsemanship judge she may have scored some good marks. The man hitting his horse, I believe he was doing it the whole ride...
But I still think there has to be a line, and that rides are not the place to fix major problems. I can see the minor infractions (altho Belle's fit wasn't that minor, but once it was done, it was done) like the walk off on mount gaining you a good mark from the horsemanship judge. But this horsemanship judge herself said that horse was dangerous. So should it have been allowed to continue, so that correction could continue....
All in all it's a bit murky on the point of when it is time to DQ a horse and rider, and scoring really bad behavior.
Becky
LOL, I guess:)
I've massaged and lunged Harley today. I'm in rather of a dilemma about that. This chiropractor guy said that horses should be lunged 2-3 times a week for an hour at the trot, changing directions in 15 minute increments.
I know you think, and I have heard from others that lunging is hard on their legs and shouldn't be done for long periods of time. I asked him about it and he said that is not true. He said it strenghtens their muscles in their back, hips and shoulders and that's what helps keep everything in line....MY thought; what about their legs....
For awhile, I'm going to compromise and do it for 30 minutes, 15 each direction 2-3 times a week unless I ride. Becky
I do see value in scoring the rider well for handling a misbehavior well... so while the rider points go up, perhaps the horse points go down for that ride. Maybe a rider who shows extraordinary skill in dealing with a difficult horse should win... but the horse shouldn't ;~D. I'd be slow to disqualify them too. I don't think DQ is really the point (though I might have, with the rearing one) scoring of excellent (or less than excellent) work is.
I dunno.. as an outsider, I don't have a good enough handle on the sport to advise what the rules should be.
I can't remember if the girls horse placed, but the mans did.
the chirorpractors complaint tho about the both of them placeing in horsemanship is the problems they were having should not be fixed by whippings. So there is another angle.
Becky
I might agree. To score well, the rider's reaction needs to be really good, not just really strong.
I took some pics of my pony, we didn't fix her jump because we couldn't find the hammer. I think it's over at Rosie's.
Pony always offers this at the start of work. It's a puzzle that she does that. When in doubt... Park out. She never gets in trouble for that. :~D
All in all, she was really good. She really tries to do well. She's both settled a lot in the last few years, and learned that I'm not gonna kill her for a mistake. It'd be so fun to see her ridden, I just don't know who'd do it.
First time over the trotting poles, she did the best...
It wasn't till we tried again that she thought too much about it and got flustered. :~D
After this, she got all nervous and she spend the next few times around rushing and leaping the whole show :~D A few more times and the other direction, she did fine again.
Did some ground driving too.
Calm, quiet pony :~D
What a funny pony:) She does have some quirks:) So on the Park out, are you asking her to start her lunge and she does it, or are you leading her out to start and she stops and does it...???? She looks great doing it:), and she sure has a mighty jump!
You know just in case anyone ever shows up that can/will climb on her, you could start lunging her with a saddle on. That would at least get her use to that, and give a clue to how she would do when a rider does get on. It would be interesting to see how she reacted to the saddle.
Becky
Looks like she carries her head very nicely when ground driving, does she have a bit, or just off the halter?? It doesn't look like she strains to get away from pressure.
Becky
The park out behavior, she does when I first start her to lunge. If I jiggle the line and kiss to her, she parks out instead of moving out. But she does it whenever she's a little nervous and doesn't know what else to do. She does it with the farrier a lot too. He laughs and tries to see how far she'll stretch. She'll stretch out so far she's darn near stuck like that, and he laughs.
She's been saddled, but not for a long time now. I have a cinch that ~might~ be short enough to use with my saddle. I haven't done things like that to her for awhile, I used to even tie boots on her that would flop on her sides so she'd get used to that.
If someone showed up that would ride her, we'd need to get appropriate gear for her, a saddle that fits her, for one. I'd build some kind of small round pen, too.
She's a beautiful jumper. It'd be so nice to find a kid that could compete with her.
She's just wearing the halter there. She has a snaffle bridle she doesn't work as well in. She's really sensitive to pressure, it doesn't take much.
I would think ecurbh's saddle would fit her too, and not be to heavy??
Becky
She'd make a nice little cart horse, especially with that park out when she is whoaed. Don't they do that in the shows??? I think I remember seeing that.
Well, I'm off to town. Have a good ride.
Becky
We'd have to try it with the smallest cinch. Heh... I think it'd look prety funny on her.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
