I see a lot of typical animal postings, which I love and enjoy as well, but I was wondering if there were any other horse lovers out there. We could share horse pics, humor, stories, whatever. Ok thought I'd give it a try, we'll see if it catches on

[sugahorse1]

Yip, I'm one of them and there are quite a few others out there.
I have 1 riding horse, an English Thoroughbred that we raced first. We have 2 mares with foal at foot, and one racehorse racing, and a 2 year old growing up

[lizardlady]

Count me in Tru Butterfly! There's a fair number of us at PC. I used to teach and train professionally. Life circumstances lead to me no longer being in the profession. I still have two horses of my own, a couple of Thoroughbred geldings. Both went to the track. One raced until he reached an age he could not out run the younger horses. The other never raced. The trainer said he was "slower than dirt." True that!

I also board a friend's QH gelding.

[Nightlight]

I usually only post in and read psychotherapy board, but I thought I'd take a look about for once, and saw your post . I have a retired TB and I know there are a few other horsey people about too. I've trick trained my boy in his old age. He's full of mischief and he doesn't think he's old either. He spent today pacing around inside the barn because he couldn't see the other horses. He's a slow eater and I was trying to give him a head start on some hay outside the paddock, but it wasn't happening. Silly boy.

Glad to see this catch on a little. Growing up I always wanted a horse but my parents were far set against it. I rode anyone's horse who'd give me half a chance. Almost two months ago, I finally bought my first horse; a 12yr old QH mare. She's so smart at times she really amazes me. She's really become the highlight of my life.

Anyone know of good reliable tack supplies online? My local stores are really limited and I'm in need of much longer reins.

[Pikku Myy]

Yep... have two

[Pikku Myy]

[Pikku Myy]

[Yoda]

my BFF, Dusty - 1988-2012 - RIP my friend

[-jimi-]

I have posted horse images here so maybe someone noticed yea I like horses! I wish I could have one myself. I love driving small ponies and I like riding any horse but especially the Icelandic. I love just grooming the horse and being close to him/her.

I got a little scared for a while because an abused horse pretty much whacked me. But I'm over that.

I like Shetlands, Welsh/WM or Welsh partbreeds, Icelandics and.... well all the rest too!

One reason I like the Icelandic is that it is strong enough to carry an adult like me, but is still quite small and I'm short. Then many have good temper, they don't startle and they are gaited. It's so much fun riding them especially since I'm more interested in trail riding, not so much paddock training.

I'll just steal some google images to give you an idea.

[-jimi-]

More Icelandics!



More Shetlands!

[Open Eyes]

Yup, me too, I trained and taught for years. I still have 7. My daughter has two, she is an avid rider and very good at training.

I wish I knew how to post pictures of mine. It is on my list to learn how to do that.

We do dressage and hunter/jumpers/equitation. We have had thoroughbreds, shetlands, welshes, Dutch Warmbloods, I ride an Arabian, I have a beautiful Mustang, and a welsh/shetland cross that is black with big blue eyes.

I have not ridden a gated horse though. I hear they are very smooth. I like to ride on the trails myself, I am not into competing, but my daughter has competed for years and still does.

[Yoda]

When I was a teenager my dad bought some Tennessee Walkers. Smooth rides and calm horses. I was looking for another TW when I found Dusty (standardbred) and I was so impressed with his personality I knew I wanted him. Unfortunately pacing is not a smooth gait to ride so we either walked or galloped.

Shetlands though? I don't know about yours but my grandpa bought me a Shetland mare, Flicka, when I was five years old and she was full of attitude. She would buck and I would go over her head and then she would run over me (good thing she was little). When she thought we should be done already she would lie down on the ground, but I quickly learned to jump off on the way down and jump back on when she started to get up. What a brat she was!

[sugahorse1]

I have pictures in albums on my profile of my horses.
I'm more into retraining a TB off the track and hopefully get back into competing in show jumping. If I'm brave, we may try our hand at eventing.

[Yoda]

gorgeous star dappling, sugahorse

[lizardlady]

This is Kyote in his winter blanket.

[Open Eyes]

Standardbreads are known to have nice temperments Yoda. They are used for driving/racing competitions where they use their fast pace trot only. I met a very nice woman about 6 or so years back that took the ones that were trained but not fast enough and found homes for them. They have to be retrained because pulling back to them means go, that is how they are trained when they pull those sulkies. I had sent some people to her that wanted a horse but could not afford very much to buy one. She is such a nice woman and works with the ones she gets to prepare them for good homes. But, yes she said the trot can be uncomfortable, even if you try to post it.

[Yoda]

Dusty didn't trot, he paced. I tried urging him on, wanting him to canter but he only paced faster unless he was in a full out run. The only time he would ever canter was after he jumped a log or small stream and then it was only for a few steps.

Even though he was sweet he still could be stubborn. When I first got him I would mount him in the paddock by the barn and wanted him to go the adjoining field but he didn't want to leave the barn and went in circles. Finally I shut the gate to the barn paddock and again I urged him to go to the field but he stood looking over the gate at the barn. So I let him. I sat on him quietly for ten minutes as he looked at the barn and then he let out a big sigh. I then asked him to go to the field and he went willingly and we never had that problem again. Some people would have used a whip or smacked him with the reins but my patience and respect for his own feelings helped us to develop mutual trust, I think.

Once he managed to get the barn door open and a neighbor knocked on the door and told me he was loose. He was walking up the road about a hundred yards or so away from me. I sang out his name as I always did to call him in from the field and he turned and started walking back to me. As we neared home he pulled wanting to go back to the barn but I said, oh no, you didn't want to be in the barn so you are going into the other field. He wasn't very happy about that and when I shut the gate after putting him in the field he did a perfect capriole in frustration. I didn't even know he could do that move.

He also had a habit of tossing his head in a circle when he was unhappy or impatient. It was like the girl did in the Exorcist movie. He always twisted it in the same direction. He was quite the personality.

Yoda, I too, believe in patience and mutual respect. It may take longer to get results, but in the end I feel like you get more respect and cooperation.

[Maven]

I'm a little phobic (maybe that's not the right word?) about horses and large animals like that. I love them, but I've never ridden one. I'd like to, plus just pet one. I tried to pet one many years ago when I accidentally stepped away from the town fairgrounds and wandered to the stalls where the horses were kept, but I think the horse might have tried to bite me.

Loved the Clydesdale Buddweiser commercial during the SuperBowl (I didn't watch the sport, but I found the ad on YouTube), and even cried. I'm a sucker for touching animal vids!

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by Tru_Butterfly

Yoda, I too, believe in patience and mutual respect. It may take longer to get results, but in the end I feel like you get more respect and cooperation.

I always tried to look at things from the horse's perspective when I train.

[refika]

I have 5 miniature horses, they're pets for us and though they can be naughty at times, I love them dearly. When I'm having a bad day, I'll go talk to them and just pet them. They always make me feel better.

[Open Eyes]

Yes Yoda, they pace, which is why they are the breed used in the competition I talked about. It is interesting how they are different like that.

Yes Liz, seeing things from the horse's point of view both mentally and physically
is important to good horsemanship. The truely good horse trainers that produce animals that are well trained with good manners, ability, and a "healthy willingness" to cooperate are very patient and very professional.

What used to upset me is the people who let their horses sit for months and then decide to take them out for a long trail ride and expect the horse to keep up with other more conditioned animals. They don't have a riding ring or even a field to take time to get their horse in condition on the ground so it can first just carry a rider. Then they wonder "why" it colics or developes bad habits/attitude.

I have seen lesson barns, where the horses/ponies are asked to give lessons all day and then are put in stalls with no real free time or turnout. One lesson barn that comes to mind had a high number of animals that would just suddenly die. And another place that comes to mind is always replacing "sour" lesson animals. They buy new ones and expect them to go right into long days of carrying several riders that ride crooked, pull, and punish with how badly they sit the horses.

I remember going out on a trail ride with a gal and we would stop in a field and do some flat work. She couldn't get her horse to pick up the correct lead in one direction at the canter and would get very upset with the horse. What she didn't realize is that where she was looking and leaning kept telling the horse to pick up the opposite lead that she wanted.

I have seen people that lung their horses on a line and not realize that they are doing it in a way that actually "harms" the horse rather than helps it gain balance and stretch it's back and warm up it's muscles.

A lot of people truely do not understand the significance of flat work. I have seen trainers ruining horses by constantly jumping them when they have no real muscle tone and stamina to do so. Haste always leads to "waste".

[lizardlady]

Don't get me started on barns where horses are not allowed to be horses. Be it a show barn lesson barn, racing barn or what I consider hell on earth for horses, a renatl stable. Time for horses to be horses has always been important to me. Even our show horses used to get plenty of turn out time to just be horses. I don't show anymore. About the only time the guys spend in the barn now is to eat or to get out of the weather.

Do you know who Michael Matz is? He used to train/show hunters and jumpers. He was on our Olympic team. He now trains racehorses. When he was showing on the hunter curcuit, at the end of the season he took all the horses home, pulled their shoes and turned 'em out in pasture to play.