[gizduk42]

I have two horses. They are so great. With a horse you always have a should to lean and cry on and they do not talk back.

[lizardlady]

Gizduk42, I also have two horses, two TB geldings. Have had horses since I was a teenager. You're right about them listening.

[gma45]

I love horses. I wish I hadn't had to move as I would still have mine. I really miss the unconditional love I got from my animals it is like no other.

[Spirit0662]

Originally Posted by gma45

I love horses. I wish I hadn't had to move as I would still have mine. I really miss the unconditional love I got from my animals it is like no other.

GMA, my daughter loves horses as well. After her assault last fall we had to move away and leave her quarter horse which she loved so much. I can relate to the sadness in having to leave such a dear part of a family. (((hugs)))

[Fresia]

Love horses as well. Since I can no longer afford my own, I have been fortunate now to be exerciser for friend's and others' horses. I adore being around them. The unconditional love as mentioned, but the grace and power are so magnificent.

[sugahorse1]

I love my horse to pieces too. I don't get to see him as often as I'd like to, but he is awesome! It's a lifestyle I'd never trade

[carrie_ann]

i loves horses

[Ria_13]

If anyone has any advice for this problem, it would be greatly, greatly appreciated. I'll listen to anything and everything.

My horse that I lease is turned out to a paddock every morning, so when I come to the barn, I have to grab him from there. He's currently turned out in the same paddock with 4 other horses. One of those horses, "Julio," is a brat, and the "alpha" male of the herd. He always stays near the gate and won't let the other horses near it without kicking at them or chasing them away. I hate dealing with this horse in the paddock because it's so difficult to make him get away from the gate, you have to use a whip to get him to back off. When he's finally far enough away so that you can open the gate, he's still not far enough away so that my horse will be comfortable coming to me - I usually have to go in and get him - but lately, before I've had the chance to even step in and grab my horse, Julio will start walking or trotting toward the gate. A few days ago, he was being extra difficult and as soon as we opened the gate, Julio came at me and my friend who was trying to help me and he basically ran through us/over us and escaped. How can I make him go away and stay away from the gate, and make it easier to get my horse? The past few times, it has taken more than one person to get my horse out of the paddock, but when I go to the barn next, I'm going to be the only person at the barn, and am going to need to be able to do this by myself. And I've always been comfortable dealing with Julio before, but this is making me nervous (which is annoying.)

Personally I wish he'd move to a different paddock, but c'est la vie...

[mel80]

I love that horses do not judge you and you can share your innermost thoughts and feelings with them.Horses make wonderful therapists and friends

[sugahorse1]

Ria - ask for Julio or your horse to be put into another field. He sounds somewhat dangerous and you shouldn't have to deal with that when you just want some time with your horse. Julio needs to learn some ground manners - maybe speak to the owner?

Horses are the best therapists - I need to keep reminding myself that when I feel I'm too busy to get to the stables

[lizardlady]

Ria, have you spoken to the owner of the farm about Julio? He needs to be trained to back off, but that shouldn't be your problem. See if the owner will move Julio. Better yet see if they will teach Julio better manners.

[eskielover]

Ria.....agree with Lizardlady.....but if that can't happen....maybe take a halter & rope in & tie Julio up to the fence far enough from the gate so it's safe while you get your horse out & tide up where you are going to groom or tack him up.....then you can go back & let Julio free from his halter & rope.

I know how dangerous it is when the horses are wanting out the gate & will run you over to do it. Ground manners are definitely important. I worked with Izzy from the day she was born on her ground manners......geeeez I miss my girl.

All my horses are still in California after I moved to Kentucky (horse country) but ran out of money to get my horses here with me after leaving my husband & everything I owned mostly. My filly was sick with strangles when I left.....so she couldn't be transported.....& she was only 3 years old & I really wanted my California trainer who knew her & her stallion to train her......didn't want to trust her to anyone else because she was the sweetest foal....didn't want anyone to mess her up......My oldest was blind & had arthritis....so I wasn't going to move him anyway.....figured he was in his retirement home for life....unfortunately, he had to be put down last fall at the age of 33. He had an accident in his stall.....which was horribly sad to me....I could have handled old age as a reason much easier than the accident he had. I also have my mare who was not a good investment. I bought her to breed, but she only had the one foal that lived & only one other live foal before that which she had stepped on & the infection got so bad...the hoof separated from the bone & she had to be put down.......Izzy however is my pride & joy. She is amazing. I think I bonded with her as much as she bonded with me that first hour I went out to the ranch. I was so worried after loosing all the previous foals....kept having the vet come & check....each time he kept saying 5 more weeks......5 more weeks......5 more weeks & she finally came....the waiting was horrible........so I finally get the call that disco had her baby around 5am......I was out at the ranch by 6 to get to know my baby......that kept hiding behind mom Disco. Got her to come to me finally & within a few hours, she was laying & sleeping on my lap.....ahhhhhh.....but what to name her.....the hardest thing is to come up with the right name....kept thinking & kept looking at her......then I thought about all the long waiting for her to be born & all the foal watch I had been on......& realized the perfect name......ItssaboutTyme (It's about time)......Izzy for her barn name. She's out of a beautiful 17H3Salle Francais TB stallion (who sadly died of colic about 5 years ago) & Disco 16H3 who was unpapered (but sold to me as papered) who was out of Jocky Club lines....hunter jumper background......figured Izzy would be a perfect size for a wonderful dressage horse......she has ended up being 17H3 also just like her daddy.

I am praying to get her here this coming fall.....hoping my trainer will be coming here to the KY horse park for some carriage shows & then up to Ohio to family......with an extra space in her trailer for Izzy......best way I can afford to get her here since finances have been horribly tight & it seems I am always paying for past vet bills or my own Dr bills.

How many horse accidents have you all had?

Know for me, there have been quite a number....starting from my equitation class back in college when my horse was fidgeting. Instructor said to use my crop....I did & went flying over his ears. Landed on the ground with this horse face smiling down at me as if to say....that wasn't nice....see what you get when you use the crop on me!!!!

First little accident was a broken finger from holding onto the reins of a horse that was rearing. A girl was walking toward the horse & I thought I might have to pull him away from her or I would have let go. Ended up breaking my ring finger....looked at my hand & noticed my finger wasn't in the right place....I snapped it back a couple of times until I got it straight.....yep, it was broken. I went into the ranch to get a drink of water & almost passed out from the pain.

Another accident was when we were goofing around at the ranch at a 4th of July party.....had Mister out bareback & my husband graciously gave me a leg up right onto his rear......he bucked, I landed on the ground in massive pain....layed there for hours with everyone thinking it would go away & I would be getting up. Ended up I couldn't even barly get into the car.....husband called the ambulance after I got home...no way was I sitting in the ER waiting to be seen. They took x-rays that showed up NOTHING.....I was in pain for weeks....finally went to an ortho & found I had fractured my hip. It took quite awhile to heal.

I was out trail riding in the desert before moving here & Mister was only blind in one eye at that time.....I wasn't being his seeing eyes at the time like I should have been & he stumbled on a small mound of dirt. Going down, he gashed his left leg with his right hoof & shoe. I went over his neck & down on the hard desert ground with my helmet & my shoulder. Ended up with a concussion & a sore shoulder....but getting my horse cared for was my priority....vet was coming to the ranch for another horse luckily....spend the rest of the afternoon caring for Mister.

Have had several close calls here with my trail riding of other people's horses. A couple of years go, we took out a group of 4-H kids to beautiful Eagles Nest....we were out with the owner of Eagles Nest. One of the 4-H girls came off her horse when it jumped the stream. Her mother came up behind....the mother's horse got a branch caught between it's legs & ended up bucking the mother off.....both horses came flying toward me & the horse I was on....in front of me was a metal post with a barbed wire fence attached......the trail went sharply around that metal post & up the hill to the left.....with some bushes straight ahead of the left turn. I picked my left leg up in the stirrup (I hate western saddles) praying that it would miss the barbed wire & metal post....my horse took the sharp turn......post just barley tore my pants & I went flying over the horse & off his right side.....landing smack in the middle of the bush as he took off up the hill. Luckily he stopped with all the others who were ahead of me watching the whole thing from on top of the hill. Ouch....but nothing broken or damaged.

My other favorite with that same horse was riding him for the first time after winter....still had his long winter fur......we stopped along the trail at the stream & he decided to take a drink. As he leaned down to get his drink, his saddle unbeknownst to me, had loosened up & with me attached ended up turning all the way under him....with me hanging on....not wanting to land in the middle of the water with my whole body....but not exactly sure how to get my foot out of the stirrup & fina a sort of dry place in the full stream to step & get myself off the horse. It was quite a funny sight seeing me dangling from under the horse.

I was riding another girl's horse at the same Eagles Nest location.....we were cantering up a hill & for some reason, this horses rear end went down....I ended up sliding off the back of her western saddle (how I still haven't figured out)....& landed on the ground with a thud.....again, nothing broken...nothing even hurt.

Last year was my blazing glory however. I went out with a friend to get the horses ready for an eventing clinic we had decided to go to. She was on her Appy & I was on one of her Friesians. Her dogs ended up going out with us into the alfalfa field....the dogs barked at her other horses that were standing at the fence watching us....they stampeded away from the fence which spooked her horse which in turn spooked the one I was on.....I was off balance, but thought I had recovered when he kept going. My mind was processing the whole situation & I thought better bail than end up accelerating out of control into the alfalfa field & really getting hurt since I wasn't back in balance or control quite yet. My bail landed me on my rear.....the dogs ran over & all landed on top of me. I was trying to figure out if anything was hurt.....wasn't sure, but in landing, I ended up peeing in my pants which definitely wasn't comfortable. I decided to walk back to the house.....ended up changing my pants & thought.....nah......nothing's hurt....at least it didn't feel like when I fractured my hip.....so we got back on & rode. I noticed that It really hurt to post....but thought it was just because I was sore from the fall. A few weeks went by & my back wasn't feeling any better......this time the only difference was that I'm on a heavy dose of pain medication for my migraines.....didn't realize how much it masked the pain in the rest of my body. I finally decided to go to a chiropractor....thought & knocked something out of place.....ended up I had a compression fracture of my L1....which is just below the waste. Didn't realize how much I couldn't do with a fracture like that....I was taking it easy, but didn't stop doing anything. Turned out in just the week between the initial x-ray & my ortho appointment....I managed to compress the spine even more, making the fracture worse.....was told....no lifting more than 5 pounds (geez, milk carton weighs more than that)......for most of last year....I did nothing but take it easy.....did some riding after my back healed....in a nice closed arena.....to get my confidence back in riding. Decided not to ride this year at all until after the Rolex show the end of April because I didn't want to take any chances & miss my volunteering to help with the floral decorations for the show. I have been so piled up with catching up from last year & things I couldn't do because of my back.....I am just now getting to the place where I can take time out to get back & start riding again......but I'm really missing having my own horse.....but I'm missing just riding also.

Ah, the joys of riding horses....but no matter how many times I come off....it doesn't stop my joy of riding.....never will IMO

Ok, so now I've bored you with my horse stories....lets hear more of yours. You know for me, talking horses is what it's like for other women talking about their children.....get me started & you'll never get me to stop...lol.

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by eskielover

Ah, the joys of riding horses....but no matter how many times I come off....it doesn't stop my joy of riding.....never will IMO

Ok, so now I've bored you with my horse stories....lets hear more of yours. You know for me, talking horses is what it's like for other women talking about their children.....get me started & you'll never get me to stop...lol.

Oh and we horse people do love to tell tales of spectactular falls!

Let's see....

There was the day I was schooling one of the horses after it had rained. We cantered around the end of the ring and I wondered why the ground seemed to be getting closer. Her feet had slipped out from under her. We both plowed into the ground face first with her pinning my leg under her. We both ended up with a concussion. Yeppers, horses can get concussed.

Once in my much younger days the girth broke as we were cantering along. Next thing I knew I was sitting on the ground, still in the saddle.

Once while warming up one of our horses in the schooling ring at a show she pulled a dirty, nasty stop that threw me over her head into the jump. There I lay on the ground with the rails of the jump on top of me, wondering if all my parts still worked. I was breifly knocked out. Came to to see someone leading the mare back with her whole left side bloodied. Seems that after dumping me she took off across the show grounds. When she tried to corner on pavement her feet went out from under her. She slid on her side until she hit a concrete planter. Her left side looked like hamburger, but at least she didn't have any serious injuries.

Anyone else want to share?

[Ruby claire]

I think there should be Enough Space to have Horses at home !