The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread

[HairOfTheDog]

Free Republic has a lot of horse people that have found each other on other threads…. And since we all like to talk horses, how about a thread where it is not off-topic, but is THE topic?

A few of us thought it would be interesting and informative to have a chat thread where we can 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. We may not ~always~ have a lot of activity, but when we do, it will be fun. I will put 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 will also develop a ping list for horse threads that are of interest. 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.

I am hoping this thread will be a 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.

[HairOfTheDog]

I did look you up and you need to get better at posting photos! Yours are gorgeous!

I have noticed that linked pictures from Yahoo don't work very well when posted elsewhere. That might be part of your trouble.

[malakhi]

Cool! Thanks for the ping.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I mean, tho, that it's my experience horse people have more sense than dog people (assuming there are separate groups). They understand, for starters at base, that horses can kill you,

LOL. Already the threads first disagreement:) I think most of the average horse owners out there these days, DON'T understand that. I have been critized by other horse owners for tying my horses to a tree to stand for awhile as a form of discipline, for using spurs, for riding them when they are sweaty, poor things are tired....:). I've seen people play tag with their horses, hid treats in their pockets for the horses to find, One girl I knew put the treat in the breast pocket of her T-shirt:). Think about that. After the horse got the treat out of the pocket, she jumped back with her eyes closed, faced her husband, raised her shirt and cried "is it still there?" LOL. Becky

[Darksheare]

For me, it was alot longer ago than that.
I think I was about 12 years old or so.
I'm 28 now, so it's been too long.
*snort*

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

This is our stud horse Rocky.

He is a grandson of PocoBueno

BigMack

[Grammy]

Put me on your list!

[malakhi]

This is our stud horse Rocky.

Still pimping horses, Mack? ;o)

[HairOfTheDog]

He's so pretty. I do love stallions for their great faces.

I had an Egyptian Arab stallion when I was showing in high school.... Great cheeks.

[HairOfTheDog]

Will do!

We are going to go out and wash up Bay - be back later.

[stainlessbanner]

Cowboy Up!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Still pimping horses, Mack? ;o)

LOL...he is available for services for a small fee. :)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

This is Beckys horse Rusty.

BigMack

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

This is Beckys new horse for sale project, Harley.

BigMack

[AnAmericanMother]

Yippee!

Horse pics for those who missed them the first time around:

My Gracie Mare (you'd never know she was a War Admiral/Northern Dancer pedigree T'bred - she couldn't catch cold if you spotted her ten furlongs . . . )

Here we are hunting with the Shakerag last fall:

Cantering up the hill

Jumping a teeny tiny fence (I didn't have my spurs - gonna have 'em next time!)

[the OlLine Rebel]

LOL!

Well, I'm just talking from experience mostly on internet forums and publications of various kinds. I've never owned a horse but being a horse-racing lover, I frequently read opinions on horses generally and riding, training, behavior, etc.

Let's just say when these subjects come up, there are more "tough" people on the horse threads who will get pilloried for believing you can slap a nasty horse w/o deleterious effects than on any dog forum on same lines.

Few will even bring up such topics in dogs, and every1 nods in solemn self-righteous agreement that you must only speak sweet nothings and offer treats and never even look funny at your killer dog. Oh and of course, any1 who has either a cowardly or viscious dog is a cruel owner (whatever that is), because no animal ever acts that way naturally, and they were not treated that way by any previous owner. The onus is always on the current owner (excuse, "guardian").

Dog people are in short, much more PC than horse people from what I've seen!

[HairOfTheDog]

Here's ours gettin' cleaned up... He's been grazin' in the yard to dry.... we're about to go saddle up.

[RosieCotton]

Yeah, the time I got slapped around was when I was trying to explain the concept of "alpha" to a guy who believed pitbulls could do no wrong. It was off topic, but it had gotten into a discussion about why certain types of people shouldn't have certain types of dogs, i.e. if you aren't willing to discipline and train (and I made it clear I wasn't talkin' about beatings or anything like that!), you for SURE shouldn't have a large, potentially dangerous, strong-willed breed of dog, period.

And I got cussed out and called a cruel pet owner. *sigh*

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Back in again:) Forgot to tell you that the graphics at the top of the thread are pretty, and the title is perfect.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Did you take some pics? We took some....

Here's ecurbh up out in the paddock, with his entourage following..

Bay doesn't know a good slow western trot, only an english trot and his extended trot for endurance racing. So here's me trying (I can't reach ecurbh's stirrups) to work on his trot before ecurbh tried.

And a little fun and games

And finally, ecurbh back up.... This is his first time trotting.... a little fast at first, and then Bay settled down for him...

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

So you don't think I forgot:) When I went to the vet today with Kristy, I asked him about your horse and sweating and if you should be doing anything special. He said to put a couple of tablespoons of iodized table salt in his feed.

From my competitive trail riding magazines I got a receipe for eltrolites that is cheaper then the kind you buy but basically is the same thing.

Ask your feed store to get you a bag of calcium carbonate. It's pretty cheap stuff, but I could only find it in 50lb bags, so that will last about a lifetime.

Mix: 3 parts table salt, 1 part lite salt, 1 part calcium carbonate.

Give the horse about a 1/4 cup in thier feed.

Funny about horses, if they don't need it they won't eat it. It will all fall to the bottom of the feed bucket. If they do need it they will lick it out.

The table salt replaces salt and sodium, the lite salt replaces potassium, and the Calcium carbonate calcium that they loose when they sweat.

Oh and make sure he has a salt block too.

Becky