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Horse talk for mature people over 40

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#1 ·
I thought I would start a new thread for people over 40
who love horses.
This thread is open to owners leasers an people who
love horses

I will start I am 48 years old and I never yet owned a horse
mainly because of finances.
I have been around horses most of my life. I have ridden
all kinds of horses first ponies then horses
I have ridden Arab, Quarter Horses, Morgans, Appendix Quarter horses.
Thoroughbreds, Appaloosas, American Saddlebreds and Paints and lots of mixed breeds too and all sizes 14hh-17hh
I have ridden both English and western
here is are pictures of me riding my friends Pinto 14hh
and my friends Half Arab

My husband knows how much I would love my own horse so in the spring we are looking in to leasing a horse
 

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#11,181 ·
Good advise Stan. The previous owner used her in the mountians for hunting trips. Basically she sat in her field for 11 months then then 2-3 times in the fall he would load her up and they would go hunting for two or three weeks at a time. He used her for riding and packing. I have ridden her on some steep hills out behind my house and she does seem to know whats she is doing. My friends horse is very experienced on the trails and is also in great condition as he is an endurance horse. The trails will be shared with mountian bikers and there are some photos on line. They look nice and smooth.
So I am hoping she will be fine. I certianly have given her more work than the previous owner and I still have a week to get some ride time in.
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#11,183 ·
Good advise Stan. The previous owner used her in the mountians for hunting trips. Basically she sat in her field for 11 months then then 2-3 times in the fall he would load her up and they would go hunting for two or three weeks at a time. He used her for riding and packing. I have ridden her on some steep hills out behind my house and she does seem to know whats she is doing. My friends horse is very experienced on the trails and is also in great condition as he is an endurance horse. The trails will be shared with mountian bikers and there are some photos on line. They look nice and smooth.
So I am hoping she will be fine. I certianly have given her more work than the previous owner and I still have a week to get some ride time in.
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You will be fine that horse knows what to do and I think its fitness may surprise you. The amount of riders that attend the treks we go on that have never had their horse of flat ground would surprise you.

Then they fall off because the horse does not know how to handle hill country and nore do they. At least one has to be experienced. It surprises me how many don't realise the horse has to learn how to go up and down hills and blame the orginisers of the trek that it is to hard. Thats what trekking is. It also has to learn how to push through bush and not be scared. Your horse sounds like it knows all it needs, so give it some hill riding in prep and you and the horse are going to have a great time. They really do enjoy a ride where they have to think. I have found our horses get interested when we ride the forests and bush but in the paddocks play up because they are bored.
 
#11,184 ·
Thanks TJ but actually she is a Trakehner (warmblood) but still huge. I guess some drafts can weigh a ton (2000 lbs) yikes! Glad you enjoyed the joke too. I about died when I read it! Had to share!

Stan, thanks for posting as I have missed you. And beautiful grand baby!

Alex, where are youuuuuuuuuuu??

Roseann, love your pictures. Bunny is cute as heck!!
 
#11,187 ·
I am not too old but too out of shape

My wife keeps on telling me i'm out of shape I keep telling her round is a shape:lol: I have lost a few pounds though. Soup for three evening meals in a row each week.

Wet weather fashon parade
 

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#11,189 ·
Don't have much time have to get groceries then back to the barn but Hey Nickermaker, here's a thought- are you sure that when you collect the reins to mount you are not flexing him too much toward you? Like maybe he thinks he should turn? Just a thought. Personally I like my horse to be flexed toward me when I get on but maybe he's not use to that and he thinks he should turn? Also, I have a couple of horse that if you just look at their hindquarters they will move them over because they have been taught to keep that butt away from me. These are just a couple of things that came to my mind when I read your post.

How's everyone else? Is Alex missing? Maybe she ran off with her baseball sweetie? Maybe she couldn't stand to be w/o him?



I have got to MAKE myself get done in the barn because I am so sick of painting. Hopefully today will be the last day. My neck and back are killing me, I need to be done.
 
#11,190 ·
Hi all!

Guesswhat? jayJay was a TOTALLY difference horse today!! I went dressed to just 'practice' STAND, so I was in shorts! ( thank goodness I keep my boots at the barn)

So, anyway, I saddled him up and practiced like last night...just standing by the stirrups saying STAND. He stood, I gave a little treat. Did that a few times...even tried it in various locations...he stood. Progressed to putting my foot in the stirrup...he stood! Decided to hop on...he stood!:lol: this is all from the ground mind you, bc I was going to try the mounting block...which I did try later...after I took a tiny spin around the back field!!:D. Heck, I was on, why not!!:wink:

So, I don't know if I had the saddle on too far forward yesterday, treats worked, or our little training session last night worked, or what, but there was absolutely zero spinning!! :D. But I am relieved today went better!

Oh, and STAN, I used my authoritative teacher voice to say STAND, not my DW voice! Hahaha:wink:

Farmchic, actually I don't pick up the reins at all when I mount, they are laying on his neck right infront of my hand....he seems to move more when you do pick them up...who knows what took place where he was at....anyway, once I'm up he stands nice and quiet until I give a teeny tiny squeeze of my legs...gosh he is light on the legs...which is super nice. I also agree Farmchic, he does move his hindquarters over nice when I approach back there, that is why I practiced going back by his barrel and saying STAND. :). My thots exactly like yours.

We will practice again tomorrow! :D

Have a good day all! Off to battle the grocery store crowds....ICK! It's really hot here too!
 
#11,191 ·
I'm glad Jay Jay decided to behave. I leased an appendix registered quarter horse that was a wonderful dressage horse for about a year. He was 16.3 and even with a mounting block, he really needed to hold still while I mounted. His owner told me to keep sugar cubes in my pocket. I would show him one before I mounted and he would stand like a statue. Then he would reach back and get his sugar. Without treats, he wiggled.

How are Jay Jay's feet?
 
#11,192 ·
I'm glad Jay Jay decided to behave. I leased an appendix registered quarter horse that was a wonderful dressage horse for about a year. He was 16.3 and even with a mounting block, he really needed to hold still while I mounted. His owner told me to keep sugar cubes in my pocket. I would show him one before I mounted and he would stand like a statue. Then he would reach back and get his sugar. Without treats, he wiggled.

How are Jay Jay's feet?

Well in the absence of, i'm going to jump right on in and do an Alex. No No No Sugar is not a natural food for a horse and a bad habbit. it may work with kids but a horse heavens above.

now I'v finished with the Alex impersonation to which I expect she will have a read and respond in kind.

I don't think giving the horse a treat of sugar because it has done what was asked is a good thing. I think a scratch on the cheek and kind words work just as well. I once gave Savannah treats for doing what was asked and for just being. I would walk out to the paddock just to give her a treat untill one day i did not have a treat for her and she chucked a paddy and tried to bite me which I responded with a fist in her nose.

Now that was not fare to the horse as I had taught her to expect a treat, and her responce was normal when it was not forthcoming. I continued to give treats but on the ground so the association with my hand or pocket was broken.

If my horse was taught by being given treats then I would ween him off that by a sugar treat one time then the next a scratch and kind words untill the kind words were all that was required. Not knocking any one really but i do see it as a safety measure. Imagine the horse trying to poke its head into ones pocket. Cute untill it bites. Also, who wants to be on the back of a 1400 pound horse having a sugar rush

Now I know this works as Roslyn used that method on me when courting. I would get the odd treat for getting it right but as the years went by I have been weened of the treats and the scratch behind the ear and am damn lucky to get a kind word.:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: Thats marriage
 
#11,194 ·
Sugar is to a horse like Jack Daniels is to a man.

Yes, and both can lead to bad behavour not to mention habbit forming. I personaly don't have a problem with Jack as I spill most of it down the front of my shirt. But the rocks. Now that can cool one down real quick when it enters the shirt, and the melt heading south.:)
 
#11,195 ·
Hahaha. Celeste, I guess what you re saying is it could made them mean...or butter in your hands....:wink:

I do what you are mentioning Stan. I have sugar FREE treats in my pocket. :lol: apple flavored, My horses never know when they are going to get one. But for this training purpose, I wanted strong reinforcement to get him to stand. Just like when training a dog, at the beginning when they do TRY, I reward with a treat and a rub. They the treats become intermittent, but the good boy and rub stays constant. It works with my dog....it works with my students as well..:shock: ok, I don't pat my students...Stan, that's just wrong! :-:)shock::lol: I do give an exuberant YEAH, that's it!! And a high five.

Yes, many people believe this treat idea is wrong, but my guys don't nibble or bite....they will sniff to see if something is in my hand, but bc it's inconsistent, they are OK with it. They wait for the rub or walk away.

So..it worked today, we will see what tomorrow brings...

Celeste thanks for asking about JayJay's feet. I am seeing heels and frogs beginning to shed...and from what I have read, that is what I want. The healthy stuff is pushing to the top. This makes me excited bc the farrier was saying his frogs were shrunken, and that to him is a sign of navicular....but..I believe this could be due to the thrush!! I've started treating twice a day. It said you could for bad cases. Those back feet are the worst. He rides sound. Even at a gallop....I HAD to try! Lol. But just a short distance...it does something nasty to my back. :-(

I'm going to print some stuff off I found for my farrier to read. He's Amish, so he doesn't have the access of information as we do....he goes to conferences and stuff, but he welcomed the info. :)

Hot,hot,and muggy here. Got the grocery shopping complete. Of course I saw several people I knew.....the good and bad of a small town. :cool:

Hope you are all well....quiet here lately!
 
#11,196 ·
Taking a day off work I had a very minor medical procedure yesterday they took a lump of skin of my head. Now that in its self is no big deal, but when stiching up the hole it felt like they had lifted my ears up half an inch. I did mention they could tighten the wrinkles. My doctor, a Lady, and I use the discription lightly, passed a comment on wrinkles that I can not publish. She said I would have a surprised look on my face and spent the next couple of minutes chortling to her self. I surpose if they tightened the skin on the back of my head it would have had the effect of lifting my **** back up to its rightfull position on the base of my back bone. However my head is sore and still bleeding a little so that was all the excuse I needed to take the day off.

Monty Roberts has a training session on hooking on. Bugs did it automatically but I am not sure what it was I did to get that from Him. When I brought Bugs on his very first day with me we were at a trek. I took him around on a lead and got him used to all the other horses and to doing what I asked and I now wonder if that impressed upon him I was the leader Hense his attitude now. But then he is a male, and they are so easy to get along with. (Little shot.)

Where i'm going with this is Stella. If I can find a way to get her to hook on then a large amount of her attitude will go. So today its spend money on one of Monty Roberts courses and try and learn somthing new.

There is a down side. I will still have to sell Stella. Or will I, don't you just hate horse ownership. Having them outside the window is a pain. One gets to see and experience all the interaction on a daily basis as opposed to keeping them at stables/barn where contact is every few days. I think its called hooking on. We get attached to the horse.:shock:

Well I'm not going to get any sympathy from SWMBO for my pain today, the sheep got into her garden this morning. However I can turn it to my advantage and respond to her request for me to make a cup of coffee. No dear I have a head ache:lol:

Cheers all.
 
#11,197 ·
Hey all
KNicker Sounds Like your Doing Great with JJ

Stan I am calling you a Jack abuser your Cut off No more jack for you

Hubby was at Fair with his kids yesterday and they all did Great. lots of Ribbons. they show Dogs and Horses. I have not uploaded pictures. Sorry

we have been Haying like mad. looks like we will have about 2400 bales. twice what normally comes out of it

here are a couple pictures....



the BO's coming back from taking the food to the guy running the tractor
 
#11,200 ·
Stan I hope you feel better soon CA it I hope will last till next summer we shall see. I think there is about 2400 to 2700 there I should find out tonight. there will be 2 barns full of it. Hope everyone has a great 4th of July I'm not sure I'll be on or not. My family is gon camping but I am helping the horse rescue tomorrow in the parade Hope to get some pictures of some Really cute ponies and a mini Donkey,
 
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