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The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - (very out of date) Who's Who *pics*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

[SnarlinCubBear]

Hair - are you doing a Derby thread this year?

[AnAmericanMother]

Darn!

Did they at least put down a sheet of plywood first before dumping the cement?

Tell ya what though, you will be VERY glad of a concrete pad! Makes cleaning up a breeze. Just make sure the doggies have a soft place (I put deck boards, fairly widely spaced, over the concrete) or they will get pressure marks on their elbows. The calluses don't look as ugly on a black or chocolate as they do on a yellow, but they are still unattractive.

[HairOfTheDog]

every once in awhile one would fly in and take a lap around the living room then back out the door:). I turned the ceiling fan off:)

Yikes! Good. That would be a bad scene. ;~]

We came back in the house after being out in the pasture or something once last summer when the door had been wide open, and there were feathers everywhere, through the living room, through the kitchen, stuff knocked over... we figure a poor bird had flown in, and was chased by a mob of dogs and cats around the room until it either escaped, or got eaten.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I’ve never seen Bink get a hummingbird. I’ve seen him laying out there watching them.

It’s kind of funny the barn swallows will dive bomb him when he’s out there, I’ve seen him practically do a somersault when they come swooping down from behind him:)...he deserves every bit of it.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Hair - are you doing a Derby thread this year?

I haven't decided. I was gonna dawdle a little and see if someone beat me to it! You want me to? Or do you want to do it? :~D

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I came home one day from town, I’d left the door open, and found cardinal feathers all over. Not sure if it was Susie or the cat.

Becky

[SnarlinCubBear]

I couldn’t do it - no way. But I loved your thread last year. (even if it was sad - Barbaro - and all) was that the Derby? Can’t quite recall now.

I don’t do horses - wasn’t raised around them and they frighten me, but I ADORE the 3 races.

This year will be so special with the Queen in house.

[Duchess47]

Oh that would be great. I have a feeling Mack and Bob would get along well :)

[Duchess47]

No - they did not put down a sheet of plywood - that would be logical and none of their behavior this morning has been logical.

We are still toying with the idea of covering the concrete with indoor/outdoor carpet to cut down on the heat. We'll have to think of something.

[Duchess47]

If I were betting, I’d be betting on Summer Doldrums born 3/6/2004 (same birthday as my son and Tuffy) and Bwana Bull and Cowtown Cat (both chestnuts) - all to win place or show.

[HairOfTheDog]

I’ve done the race threads the last couple years, I suppose I will again :~) Barbaro actually broke down at the Preakness, he one this one. It’ll be a little sad, I’m sure there will be a lot of talk about him.

I’m a fairly casual race fan too, these are the only races I really watch. There are a few FReepers around who know a lot more about it than I do, but they’re usually at the track for these big races, they aren’t around when we need ‘em!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Me too:)

If it had been in Tulsa I could have saved you hotel bills, but I don’t think you want to drive 4 hours a day just to sleep.

I noticed you mentioned trailering horse(S)...would you bring more then 1?

Becky

[Duchess47]

If we go - and that's still a big if - we will help trailer some other horses going to the show from the friend of ours who has Friday. I believe the trainer is taking several of hers also and they only have a four horse. I guess it ends up much less expensive if we all fly the trainer to OK and trailer the horses ourself. So we would be convoying with two trailers and six or eight horses. So far, it doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me but I wouldn't get on a plane so that's about the only way I can get to OK. And it should be fun when we get there if Tuffy is good enough to take.

I was disturbed by a post on the horse.com board from that guy in Georgia that has the HYPP N/H horses, solid or with little color that he wins with at the Nationals and the World. I had hoped that with all the outcry the past few years we weren't still dealing with quarter horse judges who can't see past color to conformation or ability so automatically discount them. I'd hate to haul all that way and put out a ton of money to have a solid quarter horse with his nose on the ground win :)

[AnAmericanMother]

We took the thin deck boards and laid them out on sleepers. Spaced them widely so you can hose the whole place out.

The PVC pipes overhead are held together with computer cable ties, and are there so that we can put a silver tarp over the dog pen on hot sunny days.

[Duchess47]

We are gong to put the Sunblocker Polymax shade panels over the top and probably on part of the sides. We’ve thought about putting pallets in the kennels, at least to set the igloos on - and as I said, indoor/outdoor carpeting. I’ll show Bob the picture of yours also to add to the mix.

[AnAmericanMother]

How do the shade panels compare to a reflective (silver) tarp? My old tarp’s in sorry shape . . .

[Duchess47]

The Shade Panels provide 70% UV protection (you can get them up to 100%) and we need that because there is so much problems with Panaus (sic) here due to the UV rays. It holds up pretty good - I have that on the minpins run and it’s been there three years now, year round. I have to replace the plastic ties that hold it to the pen every other year or so but the screen itself is still good. It also blocks the snow :) and the minpins like that. So far, for the size I need - 10X20, FarmTek is the best price but there are several places that carry them, including Lowes.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I've been out mowing my pasture today. I go cut a few swathes then have to come in and sit down:). I'm surprised after as barren as it looked last year how much grass has come back. I noticed Harley's poop was really really green. I'm actually thinking I may need to not let him out there 24/7. Rather then seed like I thought I would have too, I think fertilizer would do just as good, especially if I can keep the weeds mowed down.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Looks good! Amazing what a little rain will do eh? Ours is behind... it’s taken a while to stay warm enough at night for it to really grow. Normally we’d be limiting ours by now, and there’s just not much out there... it’s green, but short.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Considering how it looked last year, this is amazing.

I’ve never really worried about there being too much out there, but from the looks of his poop, he is getting alot. I’ve cut back his grain, but with all the moisture we’ve been having, this stuff is probably really rich.

I just hate not letting them have all they can, I’m sure once the heat hits, it will burn up again. If I lock them up even for half the day, they get down on their knees and try to pick what they can reach under the panels:), makes me feel bad for them.

Becky