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Anyone ride horses?
does anyone ride horses, or own any?
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Yep, I have one; a 17 year old, sorrel QH mare who is 15.3hh. I've been riding since I was 5 years old and am 22 now. I started out riding western but honestly don't much like it unless I'm riding on a trail ride(and even then, your butt hurts!). I much prefer english and my horse, who was previously a barrel horse in the circuit, loves going over 2.5-3ft jumps.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Cool! I have a 8 yo QH. We do trail and dressage to name a few. I love riding.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I've been known to cowboy up every now and then ... sadly, I've been so busy with the snake biz lately that most of the time we're at the barn I'm sitting on a fence on my cell talking ball pythons ... I really gotta take advantage of this great fall weather before winter comes!!!!
-adam
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Grew up with horses, ride my mom's horse on occasion ( a Morgan named Mo), but don't have one of my own. My mom has been kind enough to offer to buy me one, but since my last horse Roxy died I haven't had the heart to own another.
I've ridden dressage, english, english pleasure, western, competitive trail, jumped and shown halter horses. Got quite a few things under my belt, but have never really excelled at any of them. So it goes :P
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I had horses until last August. I was previously active in barrel racing, reining, competitive trail and occasionally other disciplines. I had 15 horses at one time, found out it was a 'tad' too many and whittled it down to a managable five and then finally to two, my morgan gelding and a BS paint mare. I'm still relatively active in the equine world, now focusing on equine photography until I get back to Indiana.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Well I have two horses.. but I have not ridden seriously in awhile. I did hop up on Cuesta for a few minutes a few weeks ago, but they are mainly pasture pets for now.. but Mark and I work with them on a daily basis too and walk them around.. Mark rides a bit more often than me. But our saddle is pretty lame and while it is safe, it is not comfortable (for the rider!) and i want a more cushy one whenever finances allow it.
Pics :)
Emma. Grade paint mare.. sadly her papers were lost by my friend.. grr. She is around 9-10 y/o.
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...aisadork-1.jpg
She loves Mark and has def. bonded to him! Her favorite spot to be scratched is along the front of her head between ber eyes; she will fall asleep if you do so, but she is by nature pretty paranoid of new things (or certain old things.. garden hoses terrify her..)
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...rkyemma2-1.jpg
And Cuesta. She's 10 y/o Paint. My friend has her papers but she was never filed; I really want to get around to doing so. She's APHA; Doc Bar was her grandsire, and Docs Malbec is her daddy. She is pretty well bombproof and I would put most anyone on her (beginners being led by me of course :)
Mark and her doing one of her favorite things; grazing on the front lawn!
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...cueslawn-1.jpg
Mose recent pic of her and I
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...cuestame-2.jpg
They were both rescues. Emma was auction-bound and unwanted. Cuesta had some foot problems that no one wanted to deal with (that Does Happen when people leave shoes on a poor mare unchecked for about 6 months... GRRRR...)
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I have a question for y'all horse owners. How did you get into owning horses? I am asking because I have always LOVED horses, and so does our 13 yr old and my 4yr old and when I am FINALLY finished with nursing school, have paid off some bills, and buy our house out in the middle of nowhere (either more western VA or down to NC) would absolutely LOVE to have a horse or 2 (amongst a few other farm type critters....my husband claims "No More Animals" but then why agree to a farm?!?!....LOL Once we have the space he'll come around though, he loves seeing horses as well). My thought is to eventually find an owner/public barn that will allow me to volunteer in the caring of the horses, to gain hands on experience taking care of them etc.
And what would be the best type of class to get my youngest daughter into to begin riding horses? Not necessarily now but within the next few years, I really want her to get involved with something she is going to absolutely enjoy!! (She is usually either galloping around the house, neighing like a horse, or acting out the cartoon movie "Spirit" in a horse like fashion..this I have on video but would need a new camcorder to download to the net, and she says she wants to be a "horse racer" when she grows up LOL) Just wondering what y'alls thoughts/opinions are, not meaning to steal this thread.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
4-H would be great or a Pony Club/Drill Team type thing. Learning the basics first, such as husbandry, proper behavior around horses, learning the horse's behavior and how to distinguish their moods, anatomy of the horse and learning different types of riding, saddles, and the parts of the saddle/bridle/etc. I did group lessons, but private lessons or 2-3 children per group are fine too.
I feel the basics are so much more important than just plopping a kid up on a horse and letting them "ride". I was tying the horse by myself at 5 and 1/2 to 6 years old and saddling it by myself at 7 or so(saddles are heavy!).
You would probably make her day by getting her a lead rope so she can start learning how to tie the proper slip knot. I learned by tying it around the bottom of a rocking chair :)
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I'm scared of horses... they're pretty... but oh my, do they hate me... lol :rolleyes:
Oh btw, Ginevive... Emma is beautiful.. :)
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Thank you Becky for the response!! You have listed some great ideas!!
I guess I was under the assumption that if you pay for lessons that they would teach you everything, not just the riding part. Although, looking back, I did mention just learning to ride, but would definately want her to learn everything that she could do according to her age/ability at the time (as I think all of that would highly interest her as well, well maybe not the cleaning out the stalls part..LOL). She has done very well so far in helping me take care of all of our animals and if we were to ever get a horse, that wouldn't be an exception. But that is why LONG before I would get a horse of our own, I would volunteer/take lessons in learning how to completely take care of them/understand them, and she would go with me. But thank you for mentioning that, when I look further into lessons for her, I will make sure that they go into basics as well!!
Unfortunately, from briefly glancing at the website for our local 4H (which is a great idea that I didn't think about, thank you again Becky), they don't mention horses, just some of the smaller animals and cows. I'll have to contact them sometime and ask them exactly what they do. And the pony clubs around here seem more competition oriented, could be a possibility much later on though.
I will have to get her a lead rope. She has a ton of larger play horses that she likes to find string/small ropes and tie "halters" (I think that is the term) around their heads and in comparison to what you see on tv and in horse care books, she does pretty good. Then she'll attach a dog leash to it and tie the dog leash to something so the horses wont "run away". She is too funny!! I think though the lead rope will make her day though!!
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
My wife has on average 30+ horses! Ok we don't own a single one but she manages a horse farm/riding school. Aside from the every day farm management my wife is primarily a trainer but does fill in and teach a class here and there. She's one of the lucky ones who gets work on her life long hobby every day!
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Quote:
Originally Posted by TekWarren
She's one of the lucky ones who gets work on her life long hobby every day!
Good for her!! ... There is nothing better! ;) :sweeet:
-adam
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
It is a great idea to find a local stable and let your kids learn the ropes. I did this; we had family friends who had several horses. I believe that the basics are way more important than actual riding. Things like husbandry; how and what to feed and water; grooming.. and foot care is one topic in itself that many owners and riders overlook. I myself am learning more about their feet everyday; trimming, the need for or against shoeing, diseases, etc. There is sooo much to learn besides riding!
Learning the ropes, and about horse care in general, would help them differentiate between the horsey "ideal" and reality. Reality holds a lot of surprises that are not in the storybooks; mucking stalls, repelling flies, deworming; I could go on!
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Quote:
Originally Posted by BallPythonsRule
I'm scared of horses... they're pretty... but oh my, do they hate me... lol :rolleyes:
Aw; did you have a bad experience with one or something? Granted, some horses are dangerous around anyone.. and most could be dangerous around someone who is not knowledgible about how to behave around horses. But even Emma, our skittish mare, is fine around most people. I just tell them not to make sudden noises or movements or to shoot guns while we are working with them.. some horses really have a knee-jerk response to being spooked, like Emma. I just keep her on a lead around strangers and let them pet her and she is not bad. Cuesta is like a friendly old dog but yet, you can't let your guard down because they are unpredictable like any animal, only bigger than many..
Maybe you were just around the wrong horses? Or no one told you how to act and move around them.. you have to have total confidence and be a leader without being overly scary or predatory. And standing right in front of, or right behind, a horse is never advisable; they could either kick out or move abruptly and that could hurt you..
One thing about lead ropes! Never loop them around your hand or wrist. A sudden yank from the horse could tighten it around and yo could either get hurt from that, or even dragged if the rope knots or attaches to you and the horse bolts!
I was a horse-crazed kid. I loved it when people bought me anything horse-related. I had halters and leadropes hung all around my house. Not much has really changed; I store tack indoors and it makes great decor :D
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I was a kid who always wanted a horse and finally decided that "someday" had come about 5 years ago. I have had a few horses since then and recently found my passion in carriage driving, especially CDEs (a carriage version of Cross Country event). I don't have any horses now but will get a pony one of these days and start driving again. I found that my body is much better with driving a horse than riding one now that I'm older :sunny:
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ginevive
Aw; did you have a bad experience with one or something? Granted, some horses are dangerous around anyone.. and most could be dangerous around someone who is not knowledgible about how to behave around horses. But even Emma, our skittish mare, is fine around most people. I just tell them not to make sudden noises or movements or to shoot guns while we are working with them.. some horses really have a knee-jerk response to being spooked, like Emma. I just keep her on a lead around strangers and let them pet her and she is not bad. Cuesta is like a friendly old dog but yet, you can't let your guard down because they are unpredictable like any animal, only bigger than many..
Maybe you were just around the wrong horses? Or no one told you how to act and move around them.. you have to have total confidence and be a leader without being overly scary or predatory. And standing right in front of, or right behind, a horse is never advisable; they could either kick out or move abruptly and that could hurt you..
One thing about lead ropes! Never loop them around your hand or wrist. A sudden yank from the horse could tighten it around and yo could either get hurt from that, or even dragged if the rope knots or attaches to you and the horse bolts!
I was a horse-crazed kid. I loved it when people bought me anything horse-related. I had halters and leadropes hung all around my house. Not much has really changed; I store tack indoors and it makes great decor :D
I was with my dad, I was like 5, and I was picking up an apple in a fenced area where the horses roam, and the horse came up to me and bit my shoulder... it was really bad, I had a huge scar, it was bleeding and I had to get stiches.. and worst of all the horse ruined my tweetie shirt! lol
I respect horses, I know I was at the wrong place at the wrong time but I just rather not go near them.. :)
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I've got a breeding stock quarter horse (both of his parents were paints, but he didn't color enough to be considered a paint) that is about 9 now I guess. I believe he's registered with the APHA. My mom and uncle have 3 or 4 others that he is kept with. Well, I guess, was kept with. I'm going to school in OK and the horses are all down in AR :( He was recently moved to my other aunts house so he could be worked with more. When I was about 15ish I was breaking him in, and got thrown, landed funny, and was on crutches for about a month. While I was on crutches, the horses were moved to AR (we were still in OK at the time) so I haven't really been able to really ride since then. My mom and aunt are working with him again now, but it's been a long time since he's been worked with, and he's pretty set in his ways :P Lil brat. I can't wait until I can eventually have a place where I can have him up here with me. ^_^
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Quote:
Originally Posted by BallPythonsRule
I was with my dad, I was like 5, and I was picking up an apple in a fenced area where the horses roam, and the horse came up to me and bit my shoulder... it was really bad, I had a huge scar, it was bleeding and I had to get stiches.. and worst of all the horse ruined my tweetie shirt! lol
I respect horses, I know I was at the wrong place at the wrong time but I just rather not go near them.. :)
Yikes; I have never been bitten but that had to hurt. The horse was disrespecting you and probably just seeing you as what you were; a smaller, inferior creature compared to itself, that it could bite. They bite either out of aggression (ears pricked back) or confusion; many horses are used-to eating treats out of a person's hand, and this can lead to accidental biting when they think someone has a treat in their hand but does not.
I would never let a 5 y/o kid be out in a pasture with horses at liberty though! Not to disrespect your father, but it seems like an unsafe situation from the beginning! I don't think that the horse disliked you; rather, it either wanted to snack on your shirt, or was trying to put you in line like it would another horse..
People use different methods to keep horses from repetitively biting. A good whack to the nose is used by some, though this could contribute to a horse becoming head-shy; but in a dangerous situation, it is great. Others grab the nostril and pinch for the same effect. Light tapping or whacking does no good and can actually make nipping into a game, like tapping a dog's nose when it is mouthing at you. Then there are some horses that mouth you while you grooom them; they will mutually groom one another in the pasture and they are trying to groom you!
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ginevive
I would never let a 5 y/o kid be out in a pasture with horses at liberty though! Not to disrespect your father, but it seems like an unsafe situation from the beginning! I don't think that the horse disliked you; rather, it either wanted to snack on your shirt, or was trying to put you in line like it would another horse..
You can disrespect my father all you want.. :) lol
I only saw him 3 times in my life and even with that I knew he was a jerk from the beginning... Not to talk about my personal life...
Yeah, it was bad. My friend told my that the horse might have though I was grass... my shirt was green... but I dunno..
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
We've got two fox trotters (A.J., 4; Philly, 9; Annie, 6)... and btw, if you're picking your horse based on smoothness of ride, go with fox trotters! :) I grew up with quarter horses, but when I first rode Annie, I couldn't believe it- it was like going from a Pinto to a Caddy. :)
I think everyone that spends a lot of time around horses has at least a couple of bruises. ;) My mom did take a nasty bite on the shoulder- horses are very social- there's always one that takes control and usually won't let the others eat until they do, etc... mom got between her and the food and turned her back as she was trying to control the other 2. To A.J. it was just a nip to say "Hey, that's MY food!", but mom ended up with scar tissue so bad they had to cut some of it out.
I've been kicked before (not by the ones we have now), but most horses are fine... you just have to remember that a 1200 pound animal can get very physical with you- not kicking, but they kind of bump you and push on you with their heads; they don't mean anything by it, but it can be intimidating if you're not used to it.
A good thing to do if you go behind them is to start up around their neck and keep your hand on them as you go behind them and keep talking to them... as long as they know you're there they shouldn't do anything. Some horses are just jerks, though. :)
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
One thing that I swear by; horses should only come into a human's body space if invited. If my mare is getting pushy, I do anything to get her out of my space; jumping jacks, a quick shriek with a jump.. she backs up. Then I bring her over under my circumstances, by petting her and grabbing her halter; all drive and no welcoming petting will just scare them off. Especialyl at feeding time; I fill their grain bowl and then make them step back a few times and pay attention to me instead of just plunging their nose into the food before I can pour it into the bowl! Moving them around without a leadrope, with your body language, is the key to gaining their respect. But anytime that anyone goes out into a pasture with even one horse, they should bring either leadrope, a dressage whip; anything with which to act with in case a horse rushes you.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
You know, I know owners of Missouri Fox Trotters, Pasos, and Rocky Mountain Horses and everyone says their horse is the smoothest ride. Personally I have loved the Rocky's that I've ridden.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I rode a retrained Standardbred.. bumpiest trot on earth! :)
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
My old neighbors bred standardbreds. Sweet sweet horses, but butt ugly heads. I've thought of sometime adopting one from a standardbred rescue for Ryan. Something tall and fun enough to trail ride for him.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
We used to train all of our horses following Monty Roberts. Awesome guy, and he got a lot of what he did from Native Americans and how they trained their horses. He deals with getting respect from the horse, but never physically hurting it. It works amazingly well...after working with my pig-headed boy a few times, he would follow me around the pasture, past food and whatnot, until I allowed him to do his own thing. Basically, the training makes you the head of the heard, then you don't have any problem getting the horses to stay in line when you are around them. ^_^
As for the bitting, Lucky used to bit me on the hip when I was combing his mane. The pinching works really well, and it doesn't take too many times for them to get what you want them to stop doing! :P
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I remember Monty Roberts, I liked the guy for awhile but after all the poo hit the fan with him I just couldn't bring myself to care for him. I never used his methods though, I combined a bit of Lyons with Clinton Anderson and Dennis Reis
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Last horse my family had was a sneaky little mustang off the range of nv.. He was given to us after the poeple who bought him didnt' know what to do with his biting and sucking air when saddled.... Sadly to say he died after sniffing a rattler.....
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I haven't kept up with it so much since I haven't been able to ride, and I've all this school stuff going on, so I don't know anything about anything bad happening with Monty Roberts. I don't know that I ever really kept up with what he was doing now, but just used his training methods, which worked really well for me. ^_^
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I've been riding for 11 years..
I currently have a 20 y/o off track thoroughbred. He's 16.3hh and was quite a jumper in his day (could do 6.6' fences) I used to show him in jumper and equitation.. haven't shown in years though.
What I really like best though is dressage.. especially classical dressage. My dream horse is an andalusian.. though I'm a big fan of icelandic horses and gypsy cobs too.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shelby
I've been riding for 11 years..
What I really like best though is dressage.. especially classical dressage. My dream horse is an andalusian.. though I'm a big fan of icelandic horses and gypsy cobs too.
You like the long-hairs, huh :) They are beautiful. I remember seeing a pic of a Gypsy Vanner (I am pretty-sure that's what it was) with a mane and tail so long, it was astounding!
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
Yeah.. I love long hair on horses, people, and dogs.. and whatever else can grow long hair. lol
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I am at a loss though, about our mares this year. The burrs in their pasture are horrible, and they keep getting them stuck in their tails and even their manes. I get them out by hand daily but it is tedious; they do not lose much hair during this but I hate it.. we are thinking about reseeding the whole pasture in the spring but then again we could just spread seed all over so we might ust use a broadleaf herbicide in springtime..
A friend of mine suggested WD-40; do you know if this is safe to use as a tail detangler?
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
WD-40 is actually very safe and makes their manes look like something from an 80's hair band, LMAO. So hilarious.
You can use Mane N Tail conditioner and leave it in, or use Absorbine ShowShine. Both work really well too.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
For burrs I've heard that mineral oil makes them break apart.. never actually tried it though. My horse doesn't find any burrs.
WD-40 and show sheen are safe, but they coat the hair and can lock moisture out.. if you use them a lot they can cause hair breakage.
You may want to put their manes and tails in braids.. the tails you can put up in a tail sock/bag, and they even sell mane bags (I'm sure you could make them easily) they protect the hair and keep burrs and things out.
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Re: Anyone ride horses?
I think that I am going to bag their tails. I read somewhere that you can make a nice tailbag out of a pillow case; I am going to have to do some research :)
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