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The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - (very out of date) Who's Who *pics*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

[FrogInABlender]

Good job on getting the pics to post.

You've got ol' Jake looking in pretty good weight. And Blade looks slimmer than he's looked in a LONG time. It's got to be hard to keep two horses with TOTALLY different weight problems in the same pasture and keep them from getting over or under weight.

[AnAmericanMother]

Sounds like she needs to be really ready to go somewhere else until she works out her issues.

Maybe she needs a little opposition -- i.e. "I'm not going to schedule any more dates with you because you always cancel at the last minute. When you get over yourself/ get your head screwed on straight/ suck it up and you're ready to ride, call me. Not before."

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL...exactly what I was saying in my last post:)

I'm just glad to hear others think that too.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Hey great pictures:)

Looks like fun.

Becky

[AnAmericanMother]

Cool! I've hiked there!

Little River Canyon is a big kayak destination. Suicide (just below the falls) and Chairlift (below Suicide) are serious, difficult whitewater runs. You won't catch me there! Above the falls there's a quieter section that's mostly Class II-III, and that's more my speed. Just have to remember to get out before the falls . . .

Daughter and self on the Tuckasegee with a friend.

[Duchess47]

Many years ago my then 8yr old Maine Coon got feline leukemia. My vet and I tried every thing, to the point of daily trips to the vet 20 miles away. My 20lb cat went down to less than 8 pounds and finally couldn't even stand. It took my then husband having a very frank talk with me on what I was doing to Punkin and the horror I was putting him through because I wouldn't let go. I promised myself I would never again put any animal through that because I didn't want to lose them. It was an incredibly selfish act on my part and Punkin didn't deserve or appreciate it.

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, amen, then!

I have gone through periods when I was scared (usually after a bad fall) and I am always a little tense when I get on a new horse or into a new situation (like hunting strange country). But the only way to get over it is to bull your way through.

[BladeRider]

You've got ol' Jake looking in pretty good weight. And Blade looks slimmer than he's looked in a LONG time. It's got to be hard to keep two horses with TOTALLY different weight problems in the same pasture and keep them from getting over or under weight.

It has been a long hard road getting his weight back up after being sick last fall. Finally started mixing Calf Manna in his grain and he put it on. This weekend I am going to take the weight tape and check both their weights so I can monitor them better. Seeing them everyday it is hard to tell if they are gaining or loosing until they have gained or lost more than I want. Now to get them in shape.

[HairOfTheDog]

And I know from skiing, the longer you stand at the top of the hill and look down, the more scared you get. There's a fine line between planning and thinking things through and being cautious, and psyching yourself out.

[BladeRider]

Oooh - excellent pictures! :~)

My hubby is always buying silly little things off of Ebay. Notice the "necklace" that Jake is wearing. He said it was a training aide for spooky horses. It has bells and beads on it to distract the horse. Jake is not spooky but he thought it would prevent Jake from falling asleep on the trail. I guess after being teased all day about his horses "necklace" he decided to take it off at lunch break.

[AnAmericanMother]

You know, it's hard to decide when to give up trying though.

You want to do everything you can for them, within reason . . . it's the "within reason" part that's hard to gauge.

I didn't want to let my big old Siamese boy go because I loved him so . . . he was still ambulatory and not in pain but he was having a lot of breathing difficulties because his lungs were eaten up with cancer. A hefty dose of steroids perked him up enough to enjoy eating again and gain a little weight, and dried out his lungs enough for him to breathe. We all said our goodbyes, and about a week later when the steroids wore off we made that last trip to the vet.

My little girl cat I may have jumped the gun on, but I was so worried about having let Finny suffer too long . . . she stopped eating and turned her face to the wall, though . . . and I heard her crying in a voice I'd never heard her use before. So I think it was time.

You can tell when it's WAY too soon, or WAY past time, but it's always hard to figure out exactly when.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

That's how I feel about it too.

This lady keeps buying different horses thinking that will help. The horse she has had since I met her has never done anything, she's never taken a fall from him. The ONLY think he does and she admits it, is he snorts occasionally at things...I've told her along with numerous others, he's a great horse, if you rode him more, he'd probably stop the snorting too....We've all told her there are NO perfect horses....deal with what you have.

It's the not listening, even more then dealing with fears that makes me crazy....beginners who "have to find their own style" , won't listen to anyone about anything....don't need horses.

< /soapbox >

Becky

[AnAmericanMother]

Have you tried Red Cell?

That darned stuff worked wonders with Gracie. I actually took her off it this winter because she got too snorty wild and was putting on a few too MANY pounds . . .

[BladeRider]

Cool! I've hiked there!

The falls were really pretty this time. Lots of water going over. WIsh I would have taken a picture when we drove over the river. The parking spot we use is just past the exit for the falls.

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh, buying gadgets is half the fun!

You oughta see all the off-the-wall horse stuff I have. I got rid of some of it at the barn yard sale . . . people were amazed "I've never seen THAT before" . . .

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks Duchess... I think when you've had and loved a lot of animals, undoubtedly we have some regrets about the way we've handled some things. My dad put his (formerly my) Orange kitty through a very expensive stomach surgery, a lot of force feeding, and still lost him. I won't do that. I have a lot of regret about the way Zulu ended. I tried to do everything right and it still went wrong. It was really painful. Logan was easy... he had no pain, but he had given out and there was no guilt. There will be more, every single animal on the place. I'll try to do right by all of them, one step at a time.

It's a hard job, playing God. ;~) Not for the feint of heart.

[Duchess47]

You're right - deciding on the right time is very hard some times. Now I just insist that no animal suffer pain or confusion because of me, and will put a vet on the spot in a heartbeat over it. If it won't fix the problem or take away the pain, the vet doesn't get the chance.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Last year at the CTR's I went to, I saw alot of people using those...I didn't know what they were for...

My daughter and DIL ride with small cowbells hooked to the "D"rings on their cinchs...well they ride with them when they are NOT riding with me:) They drive ME nuts:)

Becky

[AnAmericanMother]

Did you see any kayakers?

This time of year all you'll see is the really hard core crowd in wetsuits and boats held together with duct tape . . .

[HairOfTheDog]

I wonder what horses would think of kayaks coming down river....