The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread 11

[HairOfTheDog]

The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - (very out of date) Who's Who *pics*

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
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread NINE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread TEN

New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!

[tuffydoodle]

I know I wasn't boy crazy at 13. I was horse crazy. Still have a problem with that, too....

[CindyDawg]

I wasn't boy crazy but I liked to shock my mom with thinking I was:')

[CindyDawg]

Hey, did you see the news last night about horse slaughter increasing in Mexico. I was afraid this would happen if we closed the ones here instead of regulating. So sad.

[Beaker]

Well, I just got home from looking at that horse. It wouldn't have taken this long, except we got lost on the way home.

So yes, this is going to be a looong post, so sit back, get your cup of coffee, and read away. I don't even know where to start, but maybe I should say right off that we didn't get the horse for a variety of reasons. You also must also know that this is a barn full of rich teenagers. Virtually no adults were present, and the kids? They had no idea why they were doing the things they were doing.. they just did them because every other person in the barn did the same thing. For instance, EVERY horse in that barn wore bellboots, whether they needed to or not, EVERY horse was body clipped in some fashion, and quite a few horses wore dressage tack, even though believe me... those kids wouldn't know how to ride balanced if their life depended on it. And oh! The board there is $1000.00 a month, for virtually nothing. No bathroom, no washstalls, and the stalls themselves were crappy. They did have an indoor, but the property was full of mud and muck, and we almost got stuck trying to go down a very long dirt driveway that was more of a swamp than a driveway.

So! Getting to the horse!

The boy who owns him was very sweet and a nice kid, but had no idea what he was doing, and was clearly terrified of the horse. He had him in a mylar kimberwicke with a double set of reins. We asked him why the horse was in that bit, and the kid had no idea why. (Mylar bits were clearly a fashion at that barn too) He also told us that the horse was nutty, and hadn't been ridden since tuesday. They did a terrible job of selling him to us, because right away they told us that the horse had chronic diarrhea, (They didn't know why) and that he had a club foot, and several conformation issues. (They horse didn't have a club foot that we could see, but he did wing and forge.) Mostly we saw that the horse was acting "nutty" because he wasn't being ridden in a balanced way, so he was rushing about with his head in the air because the kid had no idea how to handle a double set of reins, didn't ride him in a balanced manner, and had virtually no contact the entire time that he rode him. But, the horse never did anything really stupid, he was just quick.

So finally my trainer got on the horse, and made him balance himself, and rode him correctly. The horse was really tense and nervous at first but settled right down as soon as he knew what was expected of him, and he was clearly listening to my trainer, but was definitely very confused about things, and gave her a hard time about bending and riding in frame. He wanted to rush off of her leg a bit but with a half halt didn't try to do it again.

Either me or the person that I'd be splitting the lease with could ride him no problem, but it would take lessons and training to do it right and not ruin him further. The kid had had him for three years, and he's 8 now, so he ended up with him when the horse was pretty young. He's good and sensible with a sweet personality, and once he's ridden consistently and correctly, he's going to make someone a great horse. I wish that I had more time for him. I'll be posting pictures in a minute, I just got them in an e-mail.

[Beaker]

Pinging you to post 3343! Sorry about that!

[Beaker]

Here are a couple of pictures of him. They aren't great, but it doesn't really matter, 'cause we aren't getting him anyway! Plus, it proves that I was telling the truth about going to look at a horse! :-p

[Beaker]

pinging you to post 3343 and 3345.

[Duchess47]

He sure is a nice looking little horse. I'm sorry it didn't work out.

[Beaker]

He's a cutie, that's for sure, and on the way home my trainer was talking herself into buying him for herself. I'm sorry also if I sounded harsh in my post, it was a "You had to be there to believe it" kind of thing...

[Duchess47]

No, you didn't sound harsh at all. It's really frustrating to be in a situation like that. I can understand your trainer's thinking though, I'd sure be tempted to buy him :)

"Course we all know I'm a sucker for a horse that needs a good home and it sounds like he does.

[HairOfTheDog]

I dunno... if he didn't scare me, I'd have gone for it... sounds like a fun project. :~)

[CindyDawg]

With a buildup like that you ought to get a very good deal, if you change your mind.

[CindyDawg]

With a buildup like that you ought to get a very good deal, if you change your mind.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

He is a very nice looking little horse....I wish it had worked out for you, I know your ready to have your own...but one will turn up. Hang in there:)

Becky

[Beaker]

Hair:
I really would like to give him a shot, but with the arrangement of splitting the costs with the other woman, we have to find something that's suitable for the both of us. Also, I'd more or less like something that I can enjoy... I'm kind of up in the air about having a project pony.

Becky:
I know that one will turn up in time, and believe me, I'm not in any rush to buy one, but it doesn't hurt to start actively looking. While I'm a little scared to get a horse again just because of the expense involved, (And it's been a long time since I've had to pay for upkeep, things have probably long gone up since then) I want a horse because it'll make me happy enough to be worth it. And splitting the costs will take the burden off of the both of us. The woman that I'm going into this with has never had a horse before, and honestly doesn't know that much, which I just found out today, (Thought that she knew a lot more than what she does) but I'd be more than happy to help her out, and I think she'll pick it up fast... she's not one of "those people", and we have enough horse people around so that she can't make any really serious mistakes.

[Beaker]

I can understand your trainer's thinking though, I'd sure be tempted to buy him :)

I was really unsure about him when the kid was riding him, but I could also see that he was being ridden poorly. But when my trainer got on him and rode him correctly and he didn't give much more attitude than swishing his tail and tensing up, I knew that I could ride him, and at that point I wanted to. BUT I know that I don't have the time to really work with him. However, he does need to get out of that situation. He's not mistreated, but he's on the path to being ruined. And the thing that I noticed about that barn is that all the horses were rushing around and none of them were being ridden correctly at all.

[Duchess47]

Well, here's hoping your trainer buys him then. Maybe then you will be able to work with him also if you want.

[MissTargets]

Oh too bad he didn't work out for you. But, there is no use getting a horse and all the cost that comes with one, for something you would not enjoy. He sure is a nice looking horse.

[CindyDawg]

How's Sam?

[Beaker]

I think that I would have liked him just fine, but with my schedule, I don't want to have to worry about a horse that needs to be ridden consistantly or one that needs a lot of work like this one does. He's a cute little horse with a nice personality. Ah well.