# Here is Troy



## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

This our actual first horse.. He gets along well with my pa-in-law's mare and colt. He is absolutely beautiful and extremely loving and friendly. The lady I bought him from said he is American Saddlebred. We got him with all tack and synthetic barrell saddle for $500...


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## Tessa Bear (May 15, 2007)

wow it looks like you have a really harsh but in his mouth and a tie down on him....

makes me think you don't think hes safe?


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

That is the bit that came with him. My neighbor said that is the one that is supposed to be on him. It is a bit for gaited horses. The tie down was suggested until we get really comfortable riding. He is teaching us alot of things. My neighbor and his wife say he has a perfect gait and they loved it when they got on him. He listens really well so hopefully soon I can take the tie down off. I dont like the way it looks. I also want to be confident enough to take the halter off when I put on the bridle. It is all a learning process.


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## Kiki (Feb 7, 2007)

Yeah they are kind of harsh........

Have you tried riding him without them??


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

not yet, though i have been thinking about it because the people we bought him from rode him bareback sometimes. We found out today what the previous owners meant by "a little hard-headed"...


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## KANSAS_TWISTER (Feb 23, 2007)

ok you bought another horse with out really knowing any thing about horses?, and relying on what your nieghbor tell's you?....not to be rude but.........it might of be wise to take lesson's before jumping in to this......and yes i agree with every one else your horse have a very harsh bit and something a begginer should not be dealing with....btw that halter looks way to tight


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## meggymoo (Mar 10, 2007)

Hi Keith,

He looks nice, cute face. Troy's a good name, suits him too.  

I'm afraid I dont know much about western style/tack, I ride english, so I dont quite understand the tie down. :? Is it similar to a English Martingale?

I think its lovely that you have family and friends who can help and advise you. Everyone needs support, and I know from experience you will be on a steep learning curve for a while, but its going to be so worth it and you'll have such fun along the way. :wink: 

Good luck with him and keep us posted. :wink:


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I think he looks like he costs way more than $500.  Nice horse!

As for tack I'd recommend to remove the tie down: it won't help much if he decide to do something bad, plus some horses don't like it too.


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

Thank you Ms Meggymoo. It is nice to see some encouragement rather than negativity from people who forget that they were once beginners as well. 
I am learning ALOT and I mean alot about horses as far as training, riding, care, and I even started working with his hooves today. He is a very good boy and loves attention. He likes the kids more than he likes me though. lol... Alot of fun!!! My father-in-law just bought a mare and a colt and the three are almost like best buddies already. We are going to saddle the mare and Troy this week and go riding with my neighbor. I go every Thursday night to the local arena and ride his horses and he is teaching me about basic techniques and it will not be long before I am cutting cattle, hopefully. They also have team penning every other Saturday and that has been a blast.

The best thing so far about "jumping in without knowing much" is that my wife, my kids, my in laws and I are all getting alot closer not only to the horses, but to each other. There is alot going on with all of us right now and these horses are the best thing we have going on right now.


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## KANSAS_TWISTER (Feb 23, 2007)

keith we all own horses here because we took years of ridding lesson beofre jumping in and buying one....i did not wake up one day and thought it was a good day to buy a horse and learn later...i'm not trying to be mean i'm just concerned...troy look's like a great horse but did you ask your self why she sold you him at a low price?, did you have a coggins and vet check on troy or even have him x-ray?, some people out the will take any one for a ride and not on a horse, we had a newbie who thought she knew every thing in our barn and bought her first horse, shipped it in that night and it was dead by morning, yes dead by morning, because she did not vet check it she asumed she was buying a healthy 3 year old on good faith of what the seller was saying, the vet came that moring to inpect the body and said that the horse was in it's mid 30's, boy did that seller go in to hidding fast, $2,500 down the drain also, you also have to ask your self how well you know this person in order to buy a really good looking horse at that price, did you find out all of his history?, i've been around horses for over 30 years and by no means am i a pro, i would love to try team pennning and barrel racing but can't get back in to the saddle before late april of 08.


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

I do not try to be rude either. The woman we bought Troy from had circumstances arise in her life and could not take the time with him that he needed. The saddle alone she gave us with him is worth more than what we paid. He was living in a little pen about 30' round maybe and it was worth every penny of $500 to get him out of that condition. I do not care if he would have died the next day. He would have lived that last day of his life in a nice big field with plenty of grass and water and people to love him. Same thing with the other two that my wife's parents bought. There was no one to take time with them and they were fairly cheap. The guy selling them had major surgery and did not want to see them go to waste. Again, it would be worth every penny for them to live one day in the nice field we have for them. They have enjoyed the grass, the pond, the love from us and our kids, and play time with Troy (once they got used to him) We bought horses being green yes, but we are not so naive as to try something without asking someone around us what is the next thing for us to do. My grandpa raised horses and worked on a farm for most of his life, my neighbor eats, sleeps, lives, and breathes horses for his whole life. I'm just not the kind of person to bother people and his time is valuable to him. So when he gets time, he tells us what to do next etc, etc...


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

Also, my father in law is quite knowledgeable as well as he used to own horses of his own. Now that he is retired, he can enjoy them again. I did not come on this forum for interaction such as this. 

I can say this. With the exception of a few people on here, my "greenness" of horses has been a much better experience with these horses than the experience of some of the responses on this forum.


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## angelia2719 (Aug 20, 2007)

Tessa Bear said:


> wow it looks like you have a really harsh but in his mouth and a tie down on him....
> 
> makes me think you don't think hes safe?


I would like to ask what makes this bit look so harsh i mean you can not see what is in his mouth?


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## sweetypie16 (Jun 19, 2007)

G'day mate!

I am glad you are getting into the feild of horses! It is very rewarding! What i think everyone is trying to say is that, having that sort of bit in a horses mouth can do som damage in the wrong hands. We don't know you very well, so we can't make judgments. It looks like he is happly placed in a loving, caring home and his new owners love him! Keep up the Team Penning, its great! 

And keep us posted! Maybe you could take some piccies of you Team penning? Thanks alot for contributing to Horse Forum!!


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

It does not take much for him to stop or turn. He is reined and very gentle for the most part. He is a bit out of shape. My neighbor told me as long as we keep him in his gait he wil be fine. About 30 minutes a day for a few weeks and he will be back in shape in no time.


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## angelia2719 (Aug 20, 2007)

KANSAS_TWISTER said:


> keith we all own horses here because we took years of ridding lesson beofre jumping in and buying one....i did not wake up one day and thought it was a good day to buy a horse and learn later...i'm not trying to be mean i'm just concerned...troy look's like a great horse but did you ask your self why she sold you him at a low price?, did you have a coggins and vet check on troy or even have him x-ray?, some people out the will take any one for a ride and not on a horse, we had a newbie who thought she knew every thing in our barn and bought her first horse, shipped it in that night and it was dead by morning, yes dead by morning, because she did not vet check it she asumed she was buying a healthy 3 year old on good faith of what the seller was saying, the vet came that moring to inpect the body and said that the horse was in it's mid 30's, boy did that seller go in to hidding fast, $2,500 down the drain also, you also have to ask your self how well you know this person in order to buy a really good looking horse at that price, did you find out all of his history?, i've been around horses for over 30 years and by no means am i a pro, i would love to try team pennning and barrel racing but can't get back in to the saddle before late april of 08.


I would like to comment on your post. First of all let me introduce myself. I am Keith's wife Angelia. I would like to understand why most people on here are being so negative. My father had serval horses when I was younger. Unfortunately he had to give them up because he was in the Navy at the time and was being shipped out. Now that he is retired and has more time he has decided to work with them again so his grandchildren have a horse they can ride. (and not just my children they have 15 grandchildren and 3 great grands with one on the way) My children have been taking riding lessons from our neighbor and are riding very well. They have caught on very quickly. I have not jumped into anything without weighing everything that is involved. We now have two wonderful horses that they can ride and the horses are very gentle with them. I trust my neighbor in what he says about horses. He has grown up with horses and I have seen him with his horses, As a matter of fact his horses have stayed in our pasture several times while he is working on his place. During that time we were able to learn about how to take care of horses and what their needs are. I understand that you have your concerns but our horses are doing great. They are much better off here where they are then where they were. They are getting more attention than ever and all the grass they can eat. They are getting daily exercise to get them back in shape and are being cleaned and groomed. As far as the price goes, it is not unusual for a horse to be sold here in Mississippi at a low price this time of year. Horses are going for anywhere between 500.00 to 3000.00. I have seen more horses for sale in the past couple of months between 500.00 and 800.00 than anything. You see the people down here in the south are not as worried about money when it comes to animals as they are finding them a good home. It may not seem like it to you but our horses are a blessing to us. We are very much animal lovers in our home and we give our animals nothing but the best. On days that we are not able to ride because of work or school, we still make time to go out there to love on them to build the bond that we need to have. I am not ignorant to the fact that these animals can hurt me or my children that is why we have taken precautions until that bond is made. I have already seen it forming. We can just walk out in the field and here comes all three of the horses. We are building their trust just like they are building ours. I hope this does not come off as being rude or hateful I am not writing it in that tone at all. I just wanted to understand why everyone is being so judgemental when you do not even know us or know the whole story.

Angelia


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## sweetypie16 (Jun 19, 2007)

Correction not everybody is being 'judgmental'. And thanks for putting your voice forward. :wink: And i aren't either saying it in a tone for it to be offensive!!


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

sweetypie16 said:


> Correction not everybody is being 'judgmental'. And thanks for putting your voice forward. :wink: And i aren't either saying it in a tone for it to be offensive!!


You are absolutely correct. There are a few of you who offer support and it is greatly appreciated. You are a blessing....


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## KANSAS_TWISTER (Feb 23, 2007)

ANGELIA.....do not only use mine as a example ...i'm not the only one...i once worked as a animal control officer when i lived in canada and saw the horrors of people who did not know how to tend to there horses (do you want pic's, there graffic) my husband works for the sheriffs dept and can back me up on cases here....i'm sorry but it seems that you like to show pic's but not take advice from any one here, which yes this is called a horseforum, we all get along and take EVERY ONE advice with a grain of salt if we do not like it...you know what forget it it's not worth the time....go and play on your side of the sand box...leave me alone


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## sweetypie16 (Jun 19, 2007)

Thanks Keith, thats probally the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me = )


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## meggymoo (Mar 10, 2007)

:shock: Ok guys/gals, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but dont you think some of you could be a little more positive?

Keith and his family have bought Troy, they love him, they have a support network in place for advice and help. They're keen to learn and are giving Troy a happy loving home. They're committing themselves to learning and are getting pleasure out of it, instead of making negative or unneccessary remarks could you not offer advice, be helpful and make positive comments?
We were all beginners once. All eager to spend our lives with horses/ponies. How would you feel if you were getting negative comments? Remember this forum is open to all ages and the majority of the members are minors. This forum is a "friendly" place, but so far Keith and his family aren't seeing much of that.
If you have something to say that is negative or not of the same opinion, try thinking how that member will feel when reading it. Try wording it better, explaining why etc...
The Horseforum is a brilliant place, and its growing all the time. Please dont make it a place for negativity or unfriendliness.


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## sweetypie16 (Jun 19, 2007)

Well said Meggymoo!! I am being positive towards them, cause i know what it feels like being frowned upon, i also think it is quite rude to comment on how much the horse cost them!! C'mon make new members feel welcome!!


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

Thank you for your kindness meggymoo and sweetypie. You would have to get to know my wife and I a little better to know that our animals, not only our new horse, get more than enough attention. We are dog and now horse lovers. 
They will not be mistreated and we will continue to post pictures of him as he and we grow together.

I have been doing alot of reading on the internet and wonder about this bitless riding. Does anyone do this? Do you just attach the reins to the halter? My neighbor gave me a halter that he thought would fit Troy but it was too small and gave him a tiny bare spot on his nose. I went yesterday and bought some wound dressing and cleaned it out and put the ointment on him and he stood perfect while I did so. He could sense my nervousness and stood there while I did it and even nudged me on my arm after I was finished as to say "thank you". I gave the halter back to my neighbor and he is going to give me another one that is a bit bigger. He also gave me some split reins! WOW! A brand new set!!! I live in the country outside city limits and I am not used to the way people are. Lucedale is a very small town. The whole county has a population of about 24,000 people. Everyone knows everyone. All the horse people I talk to all know my neighbor as Mr. Mickey. He grew up here. His father raises catlle and horses so Mr. Mickey has done it his whole life. He knows how to train them. All of his horses are in perfect health and are trained/finished. He has a BEAUTIFUL TN Walking horse that is HUGE!!!!! Hijack stands about 8 ft tall at his ears! He is 16.5 hands and rides better than a Cadillac. We are goin to buy him with our income tax. Hijack and Troy seem to get along well. I will post pictures of Hijack when I take some. He lives in the field behind us on our neighbors property and I can look at him everyday. Well, I think I have bored you who read this to tears so I guess I will stop for now. 
Keep the passion alive!!!


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

KANSAS_TWISTER said:


> ANGELIA.....do not only use mine as a example ...i'm not the only one...i once worked as a animal control officer when i lived in canada and saw the horrors of people who did not know how to tend to there horses (do you want pic's, there graffic) my husband works for the sheriffs dept and can back me up on cases here....i'm sorry but it seems that you like to show pic's but not take advice from any one here, which yes this is called a horseforum, we all get along and take EVERY ONE advice with a grain of salt if we do not like it...you know what forget it it's not worth the time....go and play on your side of the sand box...leave me alone


Ms Twister, It is not the advice that is the probem. It is the "I'm concerned" attitude that you take towards us that we are going to let Troy become one of these statistics that you mention above. You think that people just buy them and then not take care of them? That is a poor atitude towards people. Be helpful and encouraging and see what kind of response you get. Do not be so quick to judge people without knowing their background or anything about them. You see we bought Troy without knowing much about horses, yes, but if we were not committed to taking the time with him to learn and get to know as much as possible, do you think we would have bought him then? I am not very knowledgeable yet but I know tons more now than I did 6 months ago when we first started reading and learning about them. We are beginners yes, but we are not completely ignorant...


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

keithturner said:


> I have been doing alot of reading on the internet and wonder about this bitless riding. Does anyone do this? Do you just attach the reins to the halter?


Well, Keith, look at "Training" section. There are number of discussions about riding in halter. You have to TRUST your horse to do that though. The halter doesn't have much stopping power in it. Not every horse likes it too so you really have to try it in round pen/ring first to find out that. My second horse, for example, doesn't accept any type of sidepull or halter riding and goes in snaffle.


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## sweetypie16 (Jun 19, 2007)

Very True Keith! Everyones entitled to have there opion i guess.... So guys settle down abit hey?? :wink: I don't want to contact the moderators to lock this thread because of some irresponsible behaviour... Keith has just simply ask to comment on his horse, not to give him a hard time about being new to horses ect. 
:roll: 

Keep it real guys!!


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

After looking at all these discussions... 

Angelia, I'm sure KT didn't try to be mean in any way. The bit which is on pic is indeed not the mildest in world. If you really want to try something ligther on your horse and you don't plan to use him in special events (which requires such bits), better try snaffle (one-joint or french), which is a milder bit (in fact french considers to be one of the mildest). As for tie-downs - I'v seen just once person used it on rearing horse. All I can say the horse perfectly reared with tie-down as well.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Hey, sweetie, we are not trying to be rude! Just comments afterwards cause more comments. Lol!


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## sweetypie16 (Jun 19, 2007)

Yeh i like to keep in touch with every post..... I am crazY leave me alone Kitten lol :lol: I think some members were being rude.... and so do others. But hey, hope we resolved the problem!! :wink:


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

kitten_Val said:


> After looking at all these discussions...
> 
> Angelia, I'm sure KT didn't try to be mean in any way. The bit which is on pic is indeed not the mildest in world. If you really want to try something ligther on your horse and you don't plan to use him in special events (which requires such bits), better try snaffle (one-joint or french), which is a milder bit (in fact french considers to be one of the mildest). As for tie-downs - I'v seen just once person used it on rearing horse. All I can say the horse perfectly reared with tie-down as well.


The bit that is on him is supposed to be snaffle. It just has long things on the side. It has one break in the middle. Could you maybe show me a picture or something to tell me what you mean by a milder bit? The bit that is on him is the one he has used the 4 years that the previous owner had him. THank you for your time.


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## keithturner (Aug 20, 2007)

Forget my last post. I just found out on wikipedia what the difference is. Very interesting... i did not like the chain that goes under his bottom lip either but I just figured that is how they are made. Thank you for that advice. I konw where to get one of these.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Keith, I'm sure you want the best for you horse. Otherwise I wouldn't even suggest anything.  In fact, he may still like the one you have more than snaffle or even halter/sidepull, or he may like bosal. You just never know. Sometime you change the bridle and the horse response changes just amazingly (in good or bad way). If you can borrow different bits and/or sidepull from your neighbor to try out that's the best way to go. I did spend quite a lot money myself on different bridles to find those my horses like. Wish to have someone around to borrow me instead of putting bunch of money in it, but....


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