# Nicki and Jesse"s Journal



## TrainedByMares

This is Jesse, a beautiful Appendix Quarter Horse mare. I first met her when she was a few months old and she came to live with me as a long yearling.She was orphaned at birth. She is now four years old.
We have worked on many different things during our time together, both on the ground and saddled. Jesse is very smart and generally a good worker! 

We have been working on our own and recently with a local trainer who is also named Jesse! Today, with the recent heat and humidity abated, we are going for a walk and a short training ride in the round pen.


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## TrainedByMares

Walking down the driveway we check in with Nicki







Then we are on our dead-end road and we must run the gauntlet,this section of road between the creek and a little ridge where all manner of biting insects await!


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## TrainedByMares

We also pass the cows. They arent so scary anymore but we like to keep an eye open just in case!


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## TrainedByMares

Now its go time. We ride! Just a short ride today because Jesse is getting over some allegies that made her cough like crazy when we rode a couple of days ago. Some bunny hops and head shaking attitude means Jesse doesn't get a peppermint today! We ended on a good note with some walking and a proper whoa. Jesse is still a good girl!


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## ACinATX

Wow, those pictures are beautiful. Whereabouts do you live?

Obviously your horse is beautiful also.


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you very much! We are in central Pennsylvania, near McVeytown


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## TrainedByMares

This is Nicki. My beautiful 7 year old Quarter Horse mare. She came to live with me as a long yearling. She is very opinionated and sassy.We worked on the ground almost every day for a couple years,even if it was just going for a walk in the woods and when she was three years old,we started riding some. We bonded tightly and we can't be apart from one another for very long. At our previous property, she would walk with me at liberty in the creek on hot days or on the back lawn with no fences. She is what you would call my heart horse. We can tell what the other is thinking.
Today, Nicki and I are puttering around on a maintenance ride, after several days off due to heat and humidity.


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## TrainedByMares

Off we go! Nicki has always been spooky and some rides got pretty hairy. I have tried different ways to prevent or reduce the spook but to no avail. Recently , I read a post right here on the forum that helped me alot. It was by Cherie and it was advising someone in the same boat as I am what to do. Drive the horse forward and keep the head down. Well, it worked for me.


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## TrainedByMares

Up the hill toward a downed tree branch in the pasture. You may not be able to see it in the pic, but its there and looking scary! We stopped to take the picture but normally, I just drive with my seat and we would walk right by it.


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## TrainedByMares

A back laneway is always full of surprises!







The view due west from the hill where the roundpen is. The wind comes off that mountain in the distance and rips straight through here where we are standing.


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## TrainedByMares

A very spooky area ,indeed! We have been through here before,but we had to dismount and do a walk-thru first just to make sure







I swear that pool moved! Yes, I'm sure it did, Nicki Finally able to ride past


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## TrainedByMares

The view to the northeast and we are done our simple little ride for the day. Good job, Nicki!


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## TrainedByMares

Today we are riding again! It has been very hot and humid the past couple of weeks and Jesse and I have been trotting in the round pen. It's been way too hot to take pictures. Just get the lesson done and we are both soaked in sweat when its over! Can someone take this heavy humidity away? Jesse has been doing really well and seems to be quite proud of herself. I 'make much' of her performance and give her lots of rubs and praise. We can trot all the way around the round pen. 

Tacking up, I noticed the bot fly has been busy laying eggs on Jesse. They eggs are tiny and straw-colored and are difficult to remove. You may be able to see them in the picture of her leg.


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## TrainedByMares

It's a little cooler today with the cloudcover but still obnoxiously humid and damp. Jesse had the last three days off because of my work schedule and the crazy oppressive atmosphere. 
We start by lunging and Jesse walks,trots and canters,turns in and changes directions like a pro!







Now it's time to don the helmet and mount up. Helmet was left out in a thunderstorm last evening and never dried out. Yuck! I hate humid swampy weather!


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## TrainedByMares

We have been lunging and riding in a rope halter up until our lesson with the trainer last Wednesday. Now we wear a bit and bridle! Jesse has had experience with bit and bridle so it's an easy transition.







We spend some time trotting and turning. Jesse is a champ! Sit deep in the saddle,weight in the stirrups and slight back on the reins and "whoa". Jesse comes to a stop! I love my Jesse! Time for a well-earned peppermint!


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## TrainedByMares

Nicki and I take a little ride afterward and we have to check in with Jesse and say 'hello'. The flies gave us a little break this morning because the sun wasn't out so that was nice but it sure would be great if we could get some of that cool,clean Canadian air to blow this tropical moisture away!


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## TrainedByMares

Lesson at the Trainers arena this morning! According to the weather service,the humidity has dropped to 99%! Wow,what a relief! This morning I am making excuses why I rode Jesse only a couple of times the past 6 days since I had my last lesson. Heat and humidity!
My Trainer says Jesse must be ridden more than that. Real cowboys ride in the heat and humidity.
She is right ,of course. I must improve my game. You can see I am not a real cowboy because I am wearing shorts. 

Today I feel 'off' my rhythm and unbalanced while I am riding. I dont know why,just a tense feeling and it translates into my lesson in a negative fashion.

Jesse and I trot and steer around cones and through poles and I think she did well considering my riding. The final ten minutes was spent walking in an adjacent field. Jesse's first ride outside an arena or round pen!! Good girl, Jesse!!


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## TrainedByMares

Today, Nicki is going through a de-spookifying process. We choose a known scary location and walk the heck out of it. This little path through the front field has always caused fear and loathing for Nicki. Hand-walking has advantages for me since I can go exactly where I want without much of an argument. Nicki learned that even if I am not carrying a training stick, I can quickly make one out of a tree branch! I rarely carry one anymore. 

So,with a resigned expression on her face,we walk around the field two times. Interestly, she will gently touch my arm with her muzzle when we enter a 'scary" area or if she spots something she feels I should know about. She will shake her head and open her mouth by my ear as if she wants to bite if I choose to walk into the 'really scary' areas like where water comes out of the hillside and makes the ground mushy. She knows better than to bite but expresses her displeasure with my decision making ability.


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## TrainedByMares

We ride the field with no spook!







We look into the woods of the neighbors property. Our neighbor gave us permission to ride in his wooded property.







Curiously,this is where Nicki shines. In here,we are the hunters. We can chase deer and track animals. Nicki moves out with confidence and if we stop,it's because she wants me to look at something important, like a porcupine.







We are very fortunate to be able to ride here. It is a beautiful,peaceful location and this morning was fun!







I sprayed her legs before we rode but its always a good idea to check for ticks when we are out of the woods!

Update on Jesse. Last week her left hind swelled up between the ankle and the knee from a strain or sprain so she is off work and riding until next week. She is improving daily. We can't wait to return to riding and learning!


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## egrogan

TrainedByMares said:


> if we stop,it's because she wants me to look at something important, like a porcupine.


This made me laugh; the closest I've ever been to a porcupine was on a trail ride at the barn where I used to board. Fizz and I were just walking along, minding our business, when I heard the sound of claws scratching up the trunk of a tree ahead of us. At first I was worried it was a small bear (I didn't have my glasses on while riding and only made out a round, furry looking shape scrambling up the tree)- but as we stopped under the tree to see what was up there, I realized it was a porcupine. I got a little panicked as I thought, incorrectly, that they could shoot their quills when threatened (no idea where I had heard that), so we just hurried by, leaving him up the tree. Haven't seen another one while riding, though I know they are out there.


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## TrainedByMares

egrogan said:


> I got a little panicked as I thought, incorrectly, that they could shoot their quills when threatened (no idea where I had heard that)


I have done that as well! Nicki can get brave with small animals and I thought I would have a horse with a face full of quills!


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## TrainedByMares

Nicki and I have ridden together the last three days in a row and I have noticed a reduction of spookiness. This morning we went up the road to the base of the mountain and around our front field (of unmentionable terrors lol) with no spook to speak of! We rode past the pool which truly is a horrible sight with green water,dead bugs and grass clippings. A bit of balk at this location was overcome with leg pressure and some soothing words. 
I did not bring my phone and so : no pictures! Near the base of the mountain there are some interesting sights so next time I will take some pictures. 
With no silly spooky behavior to contend with, I was fortunate enough to concentrate on my balance,posture,keeping heels down,eyes up 

and light hands. Captain Caprilli would have been pleased! Balance is critical with Nicki because she has a barrel shaped body and the saddle will rotate no matter how tight the girth is cinched. Nicki is careful to tell me when I am approaching ' too tight'!

Jesse has been giving me the look lately. She says ' I'm all better,can we ride?' I took her for a walk in-hand yesterday and she seemed fine with no swelling and a normal gait. This morning, we saddled up and walked and trotted in the round pen. Transitioning to the trot ,she would drop her head and bounce like she wanted to buck but I just growled,applied more leg and rode through it. She seemed to trot just fine. After about 10 minutes,we walked over to see Nicki but she ignored us. I was calling to her ' hey look, Jesse and I are riding!' but I think she knew I was pushing her buttons. No phone and no pictures but a great morning in the saddle nonetheless! 

Last week, I had begun work on sliding barn doors and my wife had rigged up a hammock between two large pines near the barn. She absolutely adores the five barn cats we got a couple of months ago. After we installed the doors yesterday afternoon,she had a siesta in the hammock with two of her favorites! Those lazybones!









The doors are lightweight and are clear to let as much natural light into the bottom of the barn as possible. When nor'easters hit us ,the driving rain or snow comes from the east ,right into the opening that these doors will secure. Another plus is that when the doors are closed and all the barnyard gates are closed,we can use the small barnyard as a dry lot.


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## TrainedByMares

Despite the heat and humidity, Nicki and I ride this morning. The more we ride,the less spook we have! Near the base of the mountain is a log house from the 1800's that is undergoing a complete renovation. I was told it originally was located further up the hill behind it and was brought down to it's present location sometime in the 1900's. Another house we ride past is a stone house built 200 years ago. Unfortunately, or fortunately as the case may be,the stone walls are covered by wood siding now. It has a fireplace right in the middle of the main floor that is big enough to accomadate a large iron kettle.








Nicki stops so we can get a picture of the cows in the woods. In months past, this was the cause of great nervousness and fear for Nicki. From a distance, to a horse unaccustomed to seeing them this way,they must look like a pack of predators waiting for a hapless horse and rider . Hey,that's not us today!







At the end of our ride today, my daughter was driving up the driveway and stopped to get some pictures. It may not show in the picture but I am soaked in sweat .temps are in the high 80's with obnoxious humidity. There is a slight breeze every so often that makes it bearable. Can't wait for cooler temps!

Nicki did very well today and enjoyed a peppermint ,a hug and a kiss as her reward!


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## egrogan

I love your new barn slider doors! I like that clear material for letting the sun through in the winter- we considered using something like that to put a roof on our chicken run when we lived in our previous house, but ended up just repurposing some extra metal house roofing sheets. Your wife has the right idea with those barn cats!!

You will probably not be surprised that I am jealous of Nicki's indifference to those horse eating cows. 😉


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## TrainedByMares

Thanks! At our old place,closing the big,heavy barn door was like closing the door to a vault so it was time for a change! 
Don't be too jealous, your bus episode would have been intense for Nicki!


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## TrainedByMares

Jesse update: Last week's lesson was eventful. Jesse and I trotted and turned in the arena,practicing our direct rein cues as well as some leg pressure both for turning and impulsion. We rode figure-eights around barrels and poles.After a short time, Jesse offered some resistance in the form of head tossing and bouncing around avoiding communication. I continued with my pressure and kept making her work. We were approaching a barrel when she tripped and crashed into the dirt and sand. I bailed out because it was easy for me to dismount so close to the ground and roll cleanly away. I was not going to take a chance and get rolled over. I was not wearing a helmet either! 
Sorry,no crash photos! 
I got back on and now Jesse begrudgingly listened to the cues. We rode a bit more and then out into the field for a cool-down walk for a few minutes. Because of the change in the weather,dew and rain on the grass,her soles are more sensitive and that may have contributed to her resistance.
All week I applied turpentine to her soles,picked the stones out of the round pen footing and took it easy on her during our training sessions. Still sensitive. 
At the end of each session, Jesse would get to do a micro trail ride out on the grass and she seemed to enjoy them. We even had a tiny spook event near the edge of the woods! Ahh, that's my home turf! I know how to ride that!

Todays lesson with Jesse was eventful too. Our trainer was on horseback in the arena and there was someone else on horseback getting a lesson. Jesse was so excited, she about jumped out of the trailer. Horses to play with!!
Imagine her disappointment when we entered the arena and got busy lunging to burn off steam and then began to ride. "What, I have to listen to you? But I want to play!"
I knew the head tossing and bouncing would begin and it did...right away. I began my corrections and grew frustrated and tired the more I worked.
All of this was obvious to our trainer and she was vocal about it. I wish I had rode all my life and had more experience! I felt like a 12 year old kid but not in a good way.
We managed to have a decent trot both ways around the arena with a couple turns and no silly moves . Our trainer,still on horseback, says we are going for a mini trail ride around her field. Off we go and Jesse is pulling like a freight train locomotive. Anxiety level goes up! We are riding on unfamiliar territory and my mind is racing! Who knows what shrapnel is underfoot? Jesse scoots around an old washing machine that is riddled with large-caliber bullet holes. Can I get off and walk please?? I saw a post where ksbowman and tinyliny talk about drinking to kill the pain after riding and the days events. I need to drink before I ride and not to kill the pain!
I kept telling Jesse to take it easy and our trainer turned around and told me I need to take it easy. 
Again,she is right. I do need to take it easy and relax on my green,green horse. 
A couple more anxious moments and we are done with the lesson. Trainer is talking about next week and what to work on in between but my brain is mush. We get home , I made Jesse stand while I hosed her legs off and then released her into her pasture. She galloped off,up the hill and almost out of sight gave a little kick in my direction. 

Nicki update. Lots of riding! Very little spook! The more I ride and the more I drive her,the more confident she is. The more confident she is, the more confident I become. She is still looking around and somewhat wary of her environs but much better overall. A car passed us on the road with no reaction,flinch or squirt. A large tractor passed by on the road while we were on our driveway and she shook a bit but stood her ground. Overall, it has been very nice to ride with Nicki. Sorry, no pictures, I have forgot to bring my phone each time I rode.










Some people are fortunate to have a "back 40" . We have a "back 4". Last we we seeded pasture grass and oats on the back field. Will it be pasture for boarding horses,raising sheep ,cutting hay or simply more pasture for our horses? Time will tell. Sure dont need to irrigate for things to grow in Pennsylvania!


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## TrainedByMares

This morning, Nicki and I ride out to our freshly mowed front field. Lately, Nicki has been doing well and while she was a bit ' looky' ,she was not spooky. I attributed this to our regular riding schedule now. We have been riding almost every day for the past week and a half.
Today was going to be different.
In the picture, Nicki is turning her head to the left towards the trees because she is nervous and looking for something to spook at. She knows thats where we are headed and it's not going to be good.







The recent rains have left parts of the ground muddy and wet.Nicki avoids mushy areas if she can. So do I. It is something we both agree on.Mushy ground in scary areas is cause for even greater concern for Nicki. We ride into it and the spooking really starts. A couple days ago, it was not a problem but today it is.







Up the road a bit, some birds are chasing one another around some bushes. Their cries work Nicki up to no end. She stops and pivots around to go home. I am kicking and clucking and turning her head in the direction I want to go. She backs up almost into the barbed wire fence beside us.
Eventually, I win and we proceed up the road to where it ends at the base of the mountain. None of it is any good . Spook and prancing is followed by more of the same. Coming back is even worse. 
When we reach the mushy area of the front field I rode her right into it. At that point I was frustrated and I figured I would ride around in the scary,mushy area until she got her head back in the game. 20 minutes later, she started to lower her head and go exactly where she was pointed. 
We finished up by riding the perimeter of the field with not much of an issue. No peppermint today!







On the way back, I spotted this tiny bird nest. Long ago abandoned and shaken from the tree it was in by the recent storms, it was lined with horse hair.







After the ride, Nicki spent some time in the round pen with a slow feed hay ball because the grass is very rich and Nicki is getting a crest on her neck.


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## TrainedByMares

Nicki and I ride the next morning . I am in no mood for nonsense today after what happened yesterday. The pouring rain no sooner ended and we were saddled up and riding in a known scary area. 
Nicki began to jig ,pivot and back up. No amount of clucking or kicking would make her listen. I hopped off and gave her an open-handed smack on her hindquarter as hard as I could! She jumped forward a step or two and I could see her attention was on me. 
Like flipping a switch, it worked! We rode with no spook or whimper to the end of the road! We passed the bushes where the birds scared her yesterday. The first pic is the gate at the end of the road, which was open , but we do not have permission to ride past it...yet.







Not an issue today! All along the way, I praise Nicki for her efforts and lately I rub her neck near her withers when I am praising and encouraging her.







Her head carriage is normal and much lower than yesterday. Success!







We stop in and see my wife's mini horse, Treats. She is in the round pen fighting the battle of the bulge. The grass and clover is really sweet right now and we have plenty of it!

I am proud of Nicki for getting herself together today and she gets a small carrot out of the garden and a peppermint!


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## TrainedByMares

Surprise! Nicki has a 'guest rider' this evening! My wife is riding after a long hiatus! She walks and trots a little bit in the round pen ...














and then go for a little trail ride!


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## TrainedByMares

After two days off, Nicki and I ride the same route we have been taking for the past two weeks. I was feeling sluggish this morning and I did not have the willpower for a big fight. As soon as we started down the driveway, the refusals began. Reluctantly, I smacked her hind quarter but I could tell she was not surprised and the 'shock and awe' was greatly diminished. I remounted and we fought some more. Dismount and lead! We walked a ways, came back, I mounted and she slowly made her way to the road.







There was a bogeyman in the bush this morning and we had to walk the road,up and down,several times before Nicki would relax. On the road,however,we discovered the woolly bear caterpillars were quite busy going their way, getting ready for winter.







The people around here generally believe the more brown fuzz you see compared to black, the easier the winter will be. This myth is perpetuated every autumn. All I'm going to say is any color woolly bear caterpillar means good riding weather!







Here is a good reason to wear a helmet! That broken tree limb is at head height. On our way back , two pickups drove by on the road and Nicki took a couple jiggy steps just as we passed it. A loud motorbike or a rattling trailer and I may have been uploading pictures over the hospital wifi!







Nicki fears the narrow run between the horrible woodpile and the pumpkin patch. Of course, we are forced to ride this treacherous terrain. 'Why would anyone take the risk??' Nicki asks.







Like fools, we continue riding into danger. At this point in a spooky,angst-filled ride, if I am still of sound mind, I will focus on my balance and keeping my hands soft and just keep Nicki moving along.
Nicki slips on the ball-bearing-like walnuts littering the ground and trips and falls on her face. We have been here before and Nicki carefully picks her way through but today she is looking around for things to spook at and that is the result. 
Fortunately, I am quite balanced and she quickly picks herself up. Whew! Another good reason to wear a helmet!







So this is the woolly bear I found in my helmet after I put Nicki in her pasture.
He says always wear a helmet and enjoy the autumn riding!!


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## Knave

I love Nicki’s hair!! Where you ride is so beautiful.

The more you ride Jesse the better it will get. You will look back in amazement at how far you have come.


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you @Knave ! I love Nicki's hair,too! Yes, Jesse is just a baby and a 'blank page' just waiting to be written. I have to learn patience.


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## TrainedByMares

Buddy the cat says ' oh no, not again! Not another post about horses!'







Yup, take a hike, Buddy! Jesse has been working hard at keeping her head in proper position. We free lunge in the round pen with some 'strings attached' prior to one of our recent rides.







We have also been going for walks in some of the places that we will soon be riding.







We are still practicing walking,trotting and turning and whoa in the round pen. I am trying to learn the fine art of split reins as well.







Jesse is doing really well on her small rides outside of our round pen!I am not doing so well catching her so we can trailer to our lessons. Here she is flying away this morning, making us late again!


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## TrainedByMares

Previous post edited because I messed up picture arrangement. My apologies.


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## TrainedByMares

Jesse, Nicki and Treats were trimmed last week. Jesse and Treats were footsore ,with Jesse showing soreness when riding even a week later. My trainer ,farrier and I had discussed shoes in the recent past and now,apparently ,was the time to act.








Jesse stood reasonably quiet while her first shoes were nailed on!







Wow! Jesse is a BIG girl now with her new pair of front shoes!







She is supposed to wear bell boots to prevent her from catching the rear of the shoes and knocking them loose or off buuuttt...







she prefers them off! We went through the routine of removal and reinstallation many times today and finally, I gave up.

The weather has been very warm,humid and sunny. Flies, stink bugs,bees and ladybugs, spiders, you name it ,they are here and into and on everything. I have not felt like riding for the past three days because of this and I am hoping we return to some crisp,cool but dry , October weather very soon!


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## egrogan

Not laughing at her being sore and needing the shoes, but the picture of the bell boots is pretty funny. That's pretty much what happens here when Maggie has her grazing muzzle on longer than she can stand.

Weirdly warm and buggy here too. This weekend looks like a cooldown is coming.


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## TrainedByMares

Yes, Jesse left them there for me. Lol! She is in a 3.5 acre pasture so I am fortunate to be able to locate them.
Nicki wears a grazing muzzle as well. She has gradually worn the intake hole oversize with her front teeth and has become an expert at vacuuming clover into it! After 5 hours or so each day, I switch her into the round pen or the barnyard/drylot with a slowfeed hayball for the rest of the day.

I am looking forward to a cooldown ,just not too cold!


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## TrainedByMares

So, last night during my shower, the water shuts off. No water. I'm soapy and sudsy. Getting a little chilly,too. My wife fetches a nice cold bucket of water from one of the pasture troughs. I rinse off and do some tests and find the well pump has power. Not good. 
The next morning I confirm my test results and investigate the well. It is a deep well with a submersible pump. I call the professionals and once they arrive, they give us the bad news that not only the pump has failed but the casing has collapsed and the well has failed.







There is probably no shame for the well because it is likely 100 years old below the recent top cap of pvc pipe. It's days are done.This is the only well on the property and it supplies water for the house, barn and three hydrants. A call to the well-drilling professionals tells us they will call back tomorrow,hopefully within a few days, we will be up and running again.

So, what do you do when you run out of ' hot and cold running water '? We have horses ,chickens,dog,cats and us to look after. 
Fortunately, we live in a region abundant in natural resources! 

We load the truck with plastic tubs that were left in the barn when we bought the farm. Off to the clear-running mountain stream to pick us up some water like the pioneers did!







Fill them containers,mama!!







The containers were all washed and rinsed out and then we had a little bucket brigade to fill them up on the truck bed.







Hauling water home, we drove very slowly to avoid sloshing our precious load all over the truck bed. We may have to repeat this process in a couple of days.

It should be an interesting week here. Running water, electricity and flush toilets sure make life easier but it is times like these that make me appreciate them and the other things I do have.


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## egrogan

Hard to like that post @TrainedByMares. I guess the silver lining, if there is one, is that this happened in October and not January! Our frost-free hydrant I use out at the horse's field went kaput about this time last year because something cracked way down below the frost line, but fortunately the ground wasn't frozen and it could be dug up and replaced. 

I sure got tired of bringing those 5 gallon containers down from the house and across the field for a week. But that was just a small inconvenience compared to everything running to the house and animals failing! 

Hopefully the well company can get you back up and running earlier vs. later in the week! 🤞


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## TrainedByMares

You are thinking positive,@egrogan ! The heat of summer or the dead of winter would be a greater challenge for sure! 

We have always used bottled water for drinking or cooking so we had a good supply of that to start.

Thanks for keeping your fingers crossed!🙂


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## Knave

I’m sorry! That’s really too bad, but you are so lucky you have a creek! You could lead the horses down to drink a couple times a day if you were too desperate.

We would have to go to my parents’ house or the shop and fill the water truck.


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## TrainedByMares

Thanks @Knave ! A water truck would come in handy! We have many blessings and this is just a bump in the road


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## TrainedByMares

I caught a break in the action today and managed to get a short training ride in with Jesse and her new shoes and ... a new pair of bell boots! She trashed the first pair and lost a shoe earlier in the week. Our farrier promptly put it back on and we have been learning to keep the bells on!







Jesse's ability to travel over stones has been increased with the front shoes in place. My challenge now is keeping them and the bell boots on!







We have hot and cold running water again! Yay! The yard and part of the driveway is a mess but I can fill buckets at the hydrants!

Todays ride was forward and energetic. Jesse was not afraid to move ahead regardless of the footing or terrain. It began with a little bunny hop / buck but went reasonably well after that.

Exciting news for Nicki and I but mums the word until the next journal entry...


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## TrainedByMares

Well, I will spill the beans,so to speak, even though life and work schedules conspire to keep us from doing so, Nicki and I have permission to ride the mountain trail beyond the gate at the base of the mountain!! It promises to be very exciting as the trails lead right over the mountain and across the top! We have been taking short rides around the property and immediate area but hopefully soon we will see some new, interesting terrain!



Jesse and I have been riding in the round pen and very short outside the pen rides. We are still working on responding to rein and leg cues. Jesse loves to get out and roam around. She loves to show Nicki that she can ride well!
These pics are from yesterday. Today, the rain returned. The morning began with some fog which gave








an ethereal view of Jesse in her pasture.







The biggest chicken on the property is not a chicken at all... it's Nicki! Here she stands at the nearest corner of the ' scariest ' pasture,telling me it's all wrong and please get her out of there!







Pretty and peaceful, not a bogeyman to be found up there when I go up to look around but Nicki knows something hungry lurks in those woods!
This day,while in the saddle, I work on stretching to touch toes with opposite hand and reaching back to scratch Jesse's tail







Caprilli and others have written about stretching and flexibility of the rider in the saddle . My trainer feels the same way about it so each ride now includes such exercises.







Jesse is also learning to ground tie! She is really good at it!







Notice her bell boots are still on! Good girl ,Jesse!


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## Knave

Those are beautiful pictures!


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## TrainedByMares

@Knave , the pictures of Jesse in the fog reminded me of the dusty picture you posted. I think you won photo of the month with it!


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## Knave

Yours looked like a fairy tale.


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you! That is very nice of you to say!


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## ACinATX

Those are really beautiful pictures. That's super exciting about riding over the mountain!


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## egrogan

Love the misty photos-so beautiful!

Its always exciting to get access to new trails. Hope they provide lots of adventure


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you very much, @ACinATX and @egrogan , for your encouraging words about our new trails! I will be taking pictures along the way so you all will be with us!

I never was a picture taker until I began here on the forum. I credit those of you here on the forum that post amazing pictures in journals and posts with my inspiration for doing so! I love reading your stories,too! It all adds up to being a very positive experience in my life! 😄


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## gottatrot

I'm curious about how long you think the mountain trail will be? I've often used the measuring feature on Google satellite to figure out how far my rides will be. But also sometimes I've ridden with a GPS watch. I think some phones can tell you far you are going also. It can be fun to plan out ahead how far you might be riding though, in my opinion.


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## TrainedByMares

Good question @gottatrot . I was up near there years ago at a camp and I do know there is a system of public and private roads, logging paths and trails. Where I would begin riding up the mountain is privately owned,hence the gate, but once up there, I could possibly branch out to those other routes. 
My plan is to start out riding up the private road ,going as far as I feel comfortable and trying to increase that distance each time.
I want to take it slow because I will be riding alone on unfamiliar territory. One of the landowners up there is a "difficult" person so I do not want to tread on his ground. 
Not so much where I am starting out, but around there are camps and places where people go because the law isn't there. I don't want to stumble upon a meth lab. Bears are on my mind ,too. 
It may be wise for me to first go up on foot to make sure I know where I am going and how far before Nicki goes.
It is very exciting to be able to explore new territory, ride new trails and take some pictures! 
I was looking at the area on Google satellite images this morning and the roads and trails are quite visible.


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## Knave

Your life is filled with more colorful things than mine! I can’t imagine riding into a meth lab. If I were you, I would pack a gun. You could pack a pistol with the clip out but easily accessible. I think a rifle would be too slow. I am too afraid of accidents and strict with gun safety myself to have something loaded. 😊 

The whole idea frightens me. Not the riding in the mountains, but the rest of it. I have only ever been scared of a man at work once, and when I reached for a gun there was not one to be found in the pickup, and that both surprised and frightened me!


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## ACinATX

I really like the idea of going on foot first. So far, that is what I've done for our trail ride and anticipated rides, and I expect to continue to do so. I want Pony to trust me, and I think to get to that point I need to deserve his trust. I wouldn't want to get us into a spot that was dangerous or really hard to get out of.

I can imagine a meth lab, homeless encampment, criminal on the run, bears, and feral dogs. And wild hogs if you have them up there.

But I still think it sounds cool. Regardless, make sure someone knows where you have gone and when you are expected back. Some really good advice I got, which you probably already know, is to keep your phone on your person, not on your horse / tack.


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## TrainedByMares

@Knave There are by far a vast majority of great people around here that would literally give you the shirt off their backs if they knew you needed it. I'm sure the negative element is extremely limited,however,heroin and meth are in the area. I don't want to end up somewhere I shouldn't be and I used that example as one of the reasons to explore slowly. 
Your idea of carrying a clip or magazine seperately while on horseback is a good one. I was wondering how to manage that safety issue.
I spent a great deal of time working in bad urban environments and that is why I am cautious. 
Gottatrot got me thinking and sometimes maybe I think too much!


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> I really like the idea of going on foot first. So far, that is what I've done for our trail ride and anticipated rides, and I expect to continue to do so. I want Pony to trust me, and I think to get to that point I need to deserve his trust. I wouldn't want to get us into a spot that was dangerous or really hard to get out of.
> 
> I can imagine a meth lab, homeless encampment, criminal on the run, bears, and feral dogs. And wild hogs if you have them up there.
> 
> But I still think it sounds cool. Regardless, make sure someone knows where you have gone and when you are expected back. Some really good advice I got, which you probably already know, is to keep your phone on your person, not on your horse / tack.


* 

Thanks for that advice, AC!*


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## Knave

I know we have meth, but everyone knows who the users are and they still seem safe enough. I don’t think there is any heroine, but I probably wouldn’t know. I don’t believe there are any hidden meth labs or anything of that sort though, and definitely not in the mountains.

I REALLY didn’t like not having a gun when I thought I might need it.


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## gottatrot

Once when we were coming down off a mountain trail around here, we ran into some guys with drug enforcement jackets on. Apparently they were looking for a marijuana farm, which were common around here back then. We hadn't thought about running across something like that.

My brother came across a big farm in the woods once, he said suddenly there were rows of plants and watering systems. He got out of there fast, because you don't want anyone to think you're threatening them and there were rumors some people booby trapped their places. As far as I know, people with meth and heroin just keep it in houses around here. Nowadays marijuana is legal here, so I don't think there are farms in the woods anymore. Or if there are, no one cares.

I have a Kydex holster that molds around my handgun and clicks it in so it can't fire unless I pull it out. That way I can leave a clip in safely. For me a big concern is that there is no cell service on the mountain trails, and difficult access if a horse suffered a debilitating injury. I want the ability to put a horse down if the worst happened. My other concern is mountain lions, and if one tried jumping us I'd hopefully be able to fire a shot and scare it off. I probably would lose my horse too, but I suspect we'd both make it out that way.


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## TrainedByMares

@ACinATX there are feral hogs in counties southwest of us but I've never heard of any here. We do have coyote-wolf hybrids. Plenty of them here. I hear them howling up on the mountain at night . I keep my phone on me to take pictures so that should work out well.

@gottatrot I never thought about the euthanizing aspect of carrying a sidearm but it makes sense. Let's hope we never have to...

@Knave I hope you never find yourself in a situation like that again


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## TrainedByMares

Life with horses is not always about riding or spending quality time with fuzzy buddies. Every couple of days, the paddocks near the barn,the round pen and part of the big pasture need to be cleaned of manure. Neither man nor beast wishes to walk or stand in piles of poo. Not a glamorous job but a necessary one, it ensures the health and safety of the animals and their environment. 
We have been composting manure since having horses on the property. After a year or so, the manure dirt grass mixture has decomposed into a rich,black soil and can be used for the garden or filling in low spots in pasture before seeding grass.







Sometimes, if I have left it too long, I have to drive the tractor in and fill the bucket. The horses are really good about pooing in the same spots but let it go too long and they find fresh places to go,making it much more difficult to gather.







The poo inspector drops by to check out my progress! It's slow progress today because I am preparing for a colonoscopy and I am not allowed to eat the cherry pie and pizza in the fridge. Finally railroaded into going to this procedure, I can only drink clear liquids today and I am gradually losing steam.







Here is another chore around the horse farm! Repairing and maintaining fences. In this photo, you can see the fencepost has been broken and knocked over. If you look closely, you can see the culprit that is responsible for this.
Fallen branches, trees,natural deterioration,vehicles and our beloved equines are hard on fences. I always seem to be fixing them! 
At our previous property, we had three-board fence in two paddocks and one-inch polytape in two courses in another two paddocks using T-posts at the corners and push-in post in between. Managed properly, polytape works well. Every so often, I include a stainless connector that acts as a breakaway in the event someone runs through. When the fence is powered up, it is never challenged. 
No riding today or tomorrow 😔 but on thursday Jesse and I resume our training in the arena so we are looking forward to that!


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## TrainedByMares

Yesterday ( thursday ) , trainer had an issue and wanted to delay the lesson until afternoon but I could not because of work. So, I worked the morning and early afternoon and decided to work with Jesse here at some point during the afternoon. I have been feeling below par and I knew it was not going to be a high-energy workout and ride for me.

Jesse and Nicki have been off for several days now and their energy levels are quite high. The recent turn to chillier weather has fueled their frisky little fires as well. My wife and I had gone for a walk the other day and when Jesse found out,she bucked and kicked and galloped about for several minutes to show her displeasure.

We began with some ground work which went very well...until the neighbors dogs wandered near the edge of the property. Quite a good distance away but an area where nothing usually happens. Jesse was free longeing and ... spook! The cats were around the round pen too and every so often, one of them would jump straight up out of the high grass... spook! Jesse was sprinting at times,head up, neck muscles taught ,looking for the next movement. I knew my ride was going be very short today.







I took the time to admire the beautiful sky while we practiced turning at a walk. Very simple lesson which Jesse did well at but she was looking outside the pen most of the time. I decided it was time to do something else. Lets go for a walk up the mountain !!







It is hunting season here so Jesse dons some orange so she doesn't look like a big doe.







Here we go! It is wise advice to walk the new trail first before you ride and I did bring my phone to capture the moment and be able to communicate in the event of an emergency. My plan was to keep it short and sweet, giving Jesse and I a chance to get our feet wet without the cumbersome burden of a long walk.







Sharp,jagged shale!! The road had been improved after a recent washout with truckloads of shale. Freshly laid shale has not yet broken down by traffic and poses a hazard to our feet. Not only poky but loose and slippy too! Nicki and Jesse know what " watch your step " means. If its really bad, I bend at the knees and say " creep" while taking careful steps.







The path is paralleled by the mountain stream. Thats where we drew our water when the well was kaput. We note that it is very narrow in spots,much too narrow for a vehicle and a horse to pass. Something to think about when riding.







We are travelling through the ' gap ' ,a valley worn through the mountain by the creek running through it. Blue mountain looms up on either side in a formidable rock pile. Local legend has it that the indigenous tribes used this gap to travel to a huge island in the middle of the nearby river to pow-wow there.







If you like rocks to spook at, this trail has plenty of opportunity! Here is a happy face gumby head rock with lichen eyes







Jesse wanted me to take note of this big rock. It must have a special significance because she gently notified me of it's presence at the edge of the trail.







We made it! This is the end of the first leg of the trail and where we will turn around today. Near here is a colony of endangered species, the Allegheny Woodrat. First discovered in a cave near Carlisle, PA in 1858, their habitat has gradually diminished. As long as they stay up here, they should be fine. Don't come down to my place!

Jesse and I triumphantly return to our farm to the sound of Nicki calling. Nicki hates it when Jesse and I go away together. I wish I could take them both!
Cell phone service was non-existant once we reached a certain point in the 'gap' so I will have to aware of that point next time. Overall, a fun 'recon' for Jesse and I, we can't wait to return!


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## ACinATX

Ha, I love the happy face rock.


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## gottatrot

That rock is funny! Great looking trails. I'm sure the woodrats wouldn't mind treats, LOL.


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## TrainedByMares

A day of ups and downs. No pictures because of the downs.
The day dawned bright and clear. Cool crisp air. Its a saturday morning , I'm feeling pretty good and I don't have answer to anyone today. Perfect...let's ride.
I saddle Nicki up and we just hack around the property. Let's go see what so-and-so is doing...let's go look in that field and so forth. No running hard, no pressure. I am wearing my cowboy boots. Most of the summer, it was easy to wear my tie-up Ariat shoes and shorts. I wear them for working too so easy-peasy, finish work and jump on a horse with the same shoes. Today, my boots feel weird in the stirrups. Like real strange.
Anyhow, we ride for a couple of hours , put Nicki in the 'scary' pasture, I go in for lunch and tack up Jesse. We work on the ground,which she does really well and then we ride ...in the round pen.
We do some walking and trotting and both of us were very relaxed and confident. My cowboy boots felt great in the stirrups of Jesse's saddle.I knew I could ask her to canter. I bumped my legs, made the kissing sound and she tucked her head down and bounced a bit. I pulled her head up and growled and called out 'canter!' ,started the smooching sound and Jesse switched gears and cantered! Wow!!
I heaped praise upon her which I know now was not lost on Nicki, who was standing in the corner of her pasture watching and listening.
I led Jesse out of the round pen for a little ride around the perimeter of Nicki's pasture.
We made it about 30 yards and the torpedoing began.
Nicki began her frantic 'danger, I am scared,save me' call and barreled toward our position. She would spin when she came near and sprint away,all the while whinnying her danger call.
Of course, Jesse was freaking out. I got off and led her,trying to show her nothing was wrong with our direction of travel. No can do. Jesse is bucking and kicking out while turning around.
We took a walk around the pasture like this and when we returned, I asked my wife,who was working in the yard,if she could move Nicki.
So Nicki goes to the round pen where she continues her antics.
Unbelievable! I am trying to calm Jesse and show her there is nothing to be afraid of and it takes about five loops around the pasture before she is breathing easier and listening.
Thanks alot , Nicki.
So, back in the saddle I get and we ride around the pasture like we intended. Great, but Nicki is still going at it so I change my plan and we do a little ride away from her in the front field.
We return,riding up the driveway toward the round pen facing Nicki who is head-up-in-the-air and staring at us with her worried look.
I know Nicki is jealous of Jesse. I know Jesse is doing a better job than Nicki and Nicki knows it and is worried about it. She sees us ride and she knows. So she torpedoes us.
Jesse did a great job today,nonetheless! She received a peppermint for her efforts. I am very proud of her! We cantered for the first time!🤩


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## TrainedByMares

Thoughts 

Training and riding horses is dangerous work. My hat is off to anyone who puts their heart into this. The day I picked up Nicki, the breeder gave me a piece of advice I never forgot. He said the day you think you know everything about horses is the day you're going to get hurt. So true. 


There was a question on another members journal about how to inspire a spouse or partner to ride. The hard reality is you cannot make anything happen like that. It has to be an organic sea-change in that person that would lead them to desire to ride. If you have a spouse or partner that is supportive of you and your riding, if the horses like them and it is a generally positive environment for all, then you are fortunate. Another thought is perhaps two riders would have more conflicts about horse matters. Be grateful for the blessings you do have.


A topic on another journal was about 'horse communicators', or people who telepathically talk to horses,living or dead. I do believe that horses in particular and perhaps some animals in general can sense things about us, other animals and the environment. I think some people can as well. Sometimes , while working with Nicki or Jesse , all it takes is a thought and the action I was thinking about takes place. I have felt like I needed to check with them and when I did, they needed something. I think it is possible that communication is by body language, voice and some other sense.


Horses are like people. I have an automotive background. You build an engine and it does this. You attach a certain type of transmission and it does this. Horses and people can do this or that one day and do something else the next. Such a challenge! Training a horse and oneself to be able to repeat certain actions and maneuvers is difficult work. Working as a horse and rider or horse and trainer team to perform such tasks is a monumental feat. If you can do this, you have my respect.


Sharing true knowledge, experience and camaraderie is priceless. If you do this, you have my utmost respect. Thank you!


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## Knave

I think you are right, that people have to have some sort of innate desire to ride. Many people grow up and ranches and leave it all behind easily, hoping to never ride again. I have a rule with my girls, “you don’t have to ride for a hobby, but you have to ride enough to be competent to get your job done until you leave home.”

My oldest didn’t love horses until Bones. Cutting brought out a spark in her, and now it is all she dreams about. She cannot wait to get back on a horse, or should I say back onto Bones. It took that for her, and the drive was born. She naturally was talented, naturally rode a horse well. She is extremely coachable, and I could put her on a colt when it was necessary, or if her sister was crying because a horse was trying to buck with her or run away she could get on and deal with it. (That sounds awful, but I was always on a baby, and I couldn’t trade my youngest when these things happened. They were so tiny too, I remember Pete trying to buck off my youngest when she was 8 or 9, and the job was blowing up, calves running everywhere, and it was panic central, and the oldest took care of it at 10.)

There is a lot of pressure, and I can understand people walking away. Often they are people who do have some sort of talent with horses, but they have to like them.

Most people do not have to ride for their living. I read a quote I really liked about people saying the world was better off when it required horses. It said the world was better for the horse when it no longer did, and only those who wanted to use a horse did.


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## gottatrot

TrainedByMares said:


> ...There was a question on another members journal about how to inspire a spouse or partner to ride. The hard reality is you cannot make anything happen like that. It has to be an organic sea-change in that person that would lead them to desire to ride. *If you have a spouse or partner that is supportive of you and your riding, if the horses like them and it is a generally positive environment for all, then you are fortunate. * Another thought is perhaps two riders would have more conflicts about horse matters. Be grateful for the blessings you do have...


Great post! I really agree with this attitude too. Honestly, my cousin married a guy because they both liked horses, but it was a big conflict for them. They disagreed on what breeds to own, how to feed, hoof care, etc., etc. Since horses are so important to me I've thought it is good that my spouse does not have strong opinions, and I am allowed to be the uncontested authority in horse matters. 
More important than having someone ride with you is having someone who supports that you spend so much time, money and emotion on your horses. I am grateful that at critical times with my horses such as severe illness and death, or when major decisions had to be made, my spouse was there to support me. I'll never forget how many years ago I was ready to give up on my mare, thinking I just didn't have what it took to deal with her. That was when my husband told me I couldn't think of selling her, because he was too attached and she was family. It really warmed my heart and gave me the strength to keep trying. You can always find someone to ride with, IMHO.


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## Knave

This is true too @gottatrot. Anymore husband and I have been on the same page most days, but to be honest we’ve had some screaming fights about horses.


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## egrogan

TrainedByMares said:


> while working with Nicki or Jesse , all it takes is a thought and the action I was thinking about takes place. I have felt like I needed to check with them and when I did, they needed something. I think it is possible that communication is by body language, voice and some other sense.


I think this is really true, but maybe for an unexpected reason. I do NOT have this ability. I read all the time about people who have horses that move at the slightest thought of their rider. Or with dogs that know and do what you want before you even get the idea out of your head to ask them. It must have to do with communicating through emotion and body language, which I have come to accept I am just not very good or natural at. Since I have breeds of horses and dogs (Morgans and English Shepherds) that seem to be generally known as very sensitive to "their person," and I have never had a horse or dog that responds to me in this way, I can only conclude that it must be something about me! Every now and then there are conversations here on HF about whether or not being really good at riding is innate or something that can be learned, and believe it is mostly innate, with learning useful for refining that natural feel. I think I have gotten to be better at working with both horses and dogs because I have tried to learn, but I do not have natural feel or timing, and that does hold back the progress I and my animals will make. That's ok because we don't have to be the best at anything we do, but sometimes I really do wish things came more naturally.



gottatrot said:


> Since horses are so important to me I've thought it is good that my spouse does not have strong opinions, and I am allowed to be the uncontested authority in horse matters. More important than having someone ride with you is having someone who supports that you spend so much time, money and emotion on your horses.


Yes, my lovely husband and I have talked about this a lot. Sure, there are times when I wish he'd like to go on a ride with me to see some of the beautiful places I see horseback. But at the end of the day, since we spend so much time together already, we've both decided it's really good to have our own hobbies and passions. For example, he's a runner, and runs 5ish miles a day 6 or 7 days a week. He thrives on that alone time and would definitely not appreciate if I tried to take up running.


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## Knave

@egrogan your post made me think about something. Kids at school I guess… those naturally gifted children that eventually seem to struggle, and those children who have to work at every step who end up flourishing. I think you will fall into the latter category, and I think that is a good thing.

Now, I do have horses who respond as soon as I think. I didn’t give it much thought, as it seems I always have. There are those like Cashman, who often takes a bit longer to respond so you wouldn’t notice, and those like Queen on the other side of the spectrum. A though begins and she is intensely jumping into action. Bones was intense for me too, but now it seems we are relearning one another.

This said, the horse who taught me the most of any horse I have ridden about training, that horse did not do that. I had to learn to specifically teach him every move I wanted. He couldn’t be conned and couldn’t be bullied. He was a slow learner too, but when he did learn he was solid. The General, many would argue, became the best horse I have ever made. Now, he wasn’t my favorite, but I did have a respect for him and I still carry a gratitude to him.


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## TrainedByMares

More thoughts on monday night... the time change is a popular subject lately. My experience is it took away an hour of free time at the end of my daylight and shifted the daylight to the morning, when I am doing horse chores and getting ready for the workday. I can get ready for work and do chores when it's dark out but I cannot ride in the dark. So , you know how I feel about time change. I read in a post that statistically there are increased rates of heart attack after the time change. Friday night my 81 year old neighbor had a heart attack and died. Was the time change responsible for this? She would sit on her porch swing and we would wave to each other when I was out walking a horse past her house. Could she have lived longer had there been no change? 

So that leads to the next thought. @egrogan mentions feeling guilty about not riding due to weather and other factors such as hunting season. I get the guilty feelings for not riding more than I would like to admit. The big challenge is working and balancing and managing time well enough to be able to ride and spend time with the horses. Often, working with two horses in the same day while balancing a reasonable work schedule (where I can actually accomplish something) is next to impossible. Add a rain storm or heavy wind into the equation and something has to give. Unfortunately, it is usually the horse activities and then guilty feelings begin to flow. I love the days when I can ride and train and then work and it all fits in like puzzle pieces. Do I feel guilty about short-changing work or family or other commitments? Not as much as when I feel I have short-changed the horses. What does that tell you? The shorter days,longer nights compresses the whole schedule too. I need an indoor!

@Knave you are right, applying oneself and working hard can outdo un-nurtured natural ability. I have experienced that in my life. I also think every one of us has some amount of natural ability and this can be enhanced with hard work. Hat's off to you who ride for a living. I think I would love to do that but then maybe horses would be more fun as a hobby. I would hate it to be a grind every time I rode because I was burned out . I crossed that bridge recently when I considered getting a equestrian job because of my love for horses. Would I still feel the same way if I worked with other peoples horses day in and day out? I chose not to go that route.

@gottatrot it seems to me horse owners, barn owners, trainers and farriers are VERY opinionated about subjects related to horses. I am amazed at how strong-willed they can be. Two of them in a marriage or relationship would have sparks flying I'm sure. All of the barn owners, trainers and farriers that I have met I would not want to start a fight with. Horse people are tough... the " uncontested authority" indeed! Why do think that is? In order to properly control a horse, one has to show dominance.Are these people extending their dominant behavior beyond the realm of horses?


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## Knave

Riding other people’s horses has a sense of “job,” for sure. I have done it before, and I did enjoy my work, but I did not get my own horses ridden. So, then that guilt you talked about comes on.

I too have that. I feel a sense of guilt every time I choose not to ride. Cashman and Queen make it worse, whinnying ever time I step out the door, or spending the day solemn with their head over the gate staring in my windows. Since I rode Bones down and to work he joins them in their pity party. He threw a massive temper tantrum yesterday when the little girl and I rode. Today he just banged the fence when I took my two out and the whole time I had them out.

I also don’t get that feeling often in regards to family duties. I do get it if I sit around, but if I am working I don’t. I guess that does say something about us.


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## TrainedByMares

Today, I am back in the saddle,again! Jesse and I are both excited about our lesson after several days . Our trainer's new puppy is proving to be quite a distraction for Jesse. 
We begin with some small bucks after which I correct her with some tight turns and figure eights. The footing in the arena is slightly frozen on top of a wetter layer and then hard pack making it slippery for both two- and four-leggers.







Lucky for me,we are working at the walk. Jesse soon learns to navigate through this mush and we practice circles in the arena corners and large figure eights around a barrel in the center of the arena. I am learning how to make perfect circles and turns using my seat,reins and legs as well as learning how to properly correct Jesse when she looks away,roots the bit and decides to try her own path around the arena. Lots going on!







More often than not, my cues are too soft,especially my leg pressure,although today I believe there was an improvement. My corrections should be made immediately but I am prone to delay. Even at a walk,there is a lot going on for a greenhorn like me to process.

Due to the time of the year, our lessons may be few and far between in the near future. The arena footing will not improve. Jesse and I will probably have to work at home for the next three months or so. Today was chilly but the sunshine and blue sky sure did make it seem a little bit nicer!

Nicki has been avoiding gravel over the past several days and yesterday,while coming in to her stall in the evening, I could see she was quite lame in her right hind. Pressing on her frog brought a flinch. Nothing out of the ordinary is visible.Trainer Jess said it was likely an abcess. This evening, in her stall, Nicki is moving around gingerly. The farrier is coming over to have a look tomorrow or the next day. Hopefully, she will be doing better soon. 
The ground is soft here right now so walking and grazing on the grass are not as bothersome for her. Nicki's hooves have never given her problems,they were always like iron. She walked over gravel and rough,rocky terrain with no issue. All that has suddenly changed.


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## Knave

I’m sorry. Abscesses suck!


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## TrainedByMares

The day began overcast and cool but early afternoon brought sunshine! I decided Jesse and I should ride in the round pen and get some practice while we had such stellar weather.

Jesse comes over to the gate on her own as soon as I appear there with her halter and lead rope. What a great work ethic!

We quickly tack up ,some brief longeing and a short ride. While riding clockwise around the 'rail' or outside edge of the pen, Jesse has taken to turning her head to point outside the pen and then as we go around, her whole body follows suit while her legs are running sideways underneath so we are still following the rail but basically tracking sideways. This is more pronounced at the trot. My reaction to this is to begin pressure on the inside leg,eventually bumping as hard as I can. Most times it does not work. After a few trips round the pen like this, it even starts happening going counter-clockwise, just not as pronounced. Quite baffling. My trainer told me to pick up the reins and turn her almost in a pirouette.
I made a few vain attempts at this technique but soon failed and gave up on it. This does not happen in the arena with the trainer when I ride the rail there. 

I fell in love with shadow pictures of horses after seeing some posted on the forum. I could not let the afternoon sun pass us by without a picture of our own!


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## TrainedByMares

Nicki's back! Our farrier came out a few days ago to examine her hoof and declared it likely to be a bruise from contact with something hard like a stone or maybe she kicked the fence. Ever since then,she has been improving and today we rode!







We practiced some basic longeing first just to establish some ground rules for the morning. Nicki wears orange because it is Bear hunting season . Sometimes,people ask us what Nicki's middle initial, 'B',stands for and I tell them: some days it stands for Bird and some days it stands for Bear. Today, Nicki feels like Bird but we don't want to be mistaken for a Bear.

This morning, her front hoof flare is quite obvious and I decide to break out the rasp to try to fix it.







This is the first time I have attempted trimming.I have seen others on the forum post pictures of their own trimming. Empowered by this, I figure now is a good time to start. A little touch-up of the flare is a good,simple beginning.







Nicki finds it quite fascinating that I have shown an interest in rasping her hooves and sniffs me all over while I work. She knows that I am trying to help her.







A little improvement at the front and a confidence-builder for me.

Now we ride. What a beautiful morning and I am glad to be able to enjoy it with one of my best friends!







We hack around the front field,stopping occasionally to take in a view. I want to avoid the road and gravel so we will stay on dirt as much as we can today.







We have to check in with Jesse to let her know Nicki can ride again!







A big bull,cows and calves give us something to look at .







My poor pumpkins! October was too busy and I never got around to doing anything with most of the pumpkins that I planted. I planned to give them away and maybe sell some.The chickens enjoy them and I think the deer are eating them,too. Next year I will try again.

Every time I ride, I just want to ride more. Like every day. I put my tack away after riding and I'm already thinking about pulling it back out the next day. We are coming into late fall and the weather and daylight are fading. Rifle season for deer is coming up so the mountain will be off-limits for awhile. But still, all I can think about is riding. What a great feeling!


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## gottatrot

Nice job with the hooves!


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## egrogan

The most recent pictures are great, especially the one with the pumpkins. Glad you got a good ride!


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you very much, @gottatrot and @egrogan !!


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## TrainedByMares

Happy and safe Thanksgiving to all!! One of the things that I am thankful for today is horses in my life!!


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## TrainedByMares

" The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting long/ Feels like we're running out of time"

The verses of an old Triumph song run through my head. It's dark when I feed grain in the morning and let the horses out and it's dark when they go into their stalls. 

The pellet bedding under the shavings was creating more dust than I was comfortable with so I went to straight pine shavings and reduced stall dust considerably. Nicki, Jesse and Treats are spending much more time in their stalls now so any dust reduction is great for them.















"Don't get discouraged,don't be afraid/ We can make it through another day/ Make it worth the price we pay"

What to do? I get bummed out about not being able to explore and ride different places because it is snowy,muddy,wet and cold. Hunting season limits my range.So, I am reading @Knave 's journal and I see knave dragging a rope behind Queen and a light bulb goes off! Bam!







Nicki is familiar with the rope but we don't work with it on a regular basis so I reintroduce it gently.














We ride around a little, moving the rope around while we go from place to place. The ground is very wet and mushy from the snow and rain.







Now the fun begins! Nicki and I walk around dragging just the rope behind us. We circle around the equipment shed. You can see the old red woven mat that we will be dragging next. Jesse and Treats are getting worked up but Nicki is doing well...







until the rope draws along the edge of the steel building with a 'rrrrr' sound. We spend some time de-sensitizing to the sound and soon Nicki and I calmly drag the red rag around the building.
Success! We had fun and it was something different. More importantly, it was something we could do right here and right now!


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## Knave

She did so good!!!


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## TrainedByMares

She got a peppermint and I told her I was proud of her!!


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## Knave

Good! You should be!!

One time I was working on dragging a log with a baby Bones. Husband rode a horse called Charlie back then. I was proud of myself and he said he could do it, and I called bs that he could pull it without Charlie spooking.

Charlie was a broke horse mind you, and had been roped on a ton. So, husband goes and ropes this log and goes to pull it. Charlie blew up! He wasn’t expecting it and Charlie almost got him. Boy I laughed. It took a long time for that horse to agree to pull the log.


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## TrainedByMares

Beautiful sunny morning! Seems like everyone is getting sick around here,some with covid. Daughter and I both have horrible sore throats, little dry cough and general yucky feeling. This has been with us for the past few days but I am not going to let that stop me this morning! 

Nicki and I drag the woven mat around some more,making sure to rub up against the building so it makes noise and gets caught on the corners,giving a bit of a yank to an otherwise steady pressure.







Nicki is a little jiggy here and there but does a great job. We drag it past Jesse, standing at the gate to her pasture,who is snorting and has a wide-eyed expression when she sees the woven mat/rope combo slide past. Nicki knows she is a brave girl and I think she is proud to strut her stuff in front of Jesse,especially with that kind of reaction from Jesse. After a short while and several trips around the shed , I dismount and finish up with Nicki.







On a previous occassion, I had let Jesse get acquainted with the rope,letting her pick it up and play with it. I'm not sure that was a good idea because now she thinks she can play with the rope every time. One step forward, two steps back on that front.







Jesse works with just the rope at first and does really well,even rubbing it along the corner of the building and making the noise.
Then comes the real test! We drag the woven mat around. Jesse does a terrific job! At first, the added pressure and different sound are concerning but she soon levels out and pulls like a champ! What a brave girl!!

That's it for today. I'm worn out with a simple lesson and I'm going to soak up some sunshine and relax the rest of the day. I have one more chore to do today, in anticipation of a big event and exciting news a week from today? What is this exciting event? A new fuzzy friend?


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## ACinATX

I love your "boss mare parking only" sign. I need to get Moonshine one of those. She's not the boss but she likes to imagine that she is.


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## TrainedByMares

LOL I need to get a couple more of those signs myself ,since there seems to be quite a few 'bossy mares' around here!


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## TrainedByMares

We are getting a new friend! Saturday we are scheduled to pick up this little girl...


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## Knave

Ohhhh, we had one of those dogs once! His name was Opie and he was the very best dog. So kind… I am excited for you!!!!!


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## egrogan

Love, love, love!!! You'll have to tell us all about her when she arrives.

Get ready for those little shark teeth to mow down everything in their path!! 🦈


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## egrogan

@TrainedByMares, I couldn't help myself and looked up pedigrees on the English Shepherd Registry. Looks like Hugh and your little ball of fluff share some common great- and great-great grandparents. Not so surprising in such a small breed, but how cool to find out! 💕


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## Knave

Oh @gottatrot, I thought he was a Bernese Mountain Dog. It’s funny, because Opie was sold at a fair as an Australian Shepard I think, but he was the epitome of the Bernese Mountain Dog. All of the pups looked exactly the same too. I didn’t know the breed existed until years later.

Opie was never a cowdog. He was such a good pet though. He loved everyone, but wasn’t a jump on people kind of dog. He was perfect with our tiny kids, and my cousins who were young and lived down the road. Everyone loved that big dog.


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## egrogan

@Knave, the tri-color English Shepherds do look like the Bernese dogs when they are pups. I haven't been around those dogs before, though I know a lot of people where I live have them sort of like a status symbol. I guess they can be really expensive as pups? 

Hugh's dad is a tri-color. I think it's one of the prettiest coats a dog can have!








Sorry to hijack your thread @TrainedByMares. 😉 I just really love these dogs. I think you're going to have one pretty awesome pup!


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## Knave

@egrogan those dogs are pretty and look very much like the Australian Shepards we have commonly here. We didn’t think anything of Opie being different as a pup, but he grew up to look exactly like the mountain dogs, and we knew he was no Shepard. It took a couple years after his death for me to realize there was the breed. He wasn’t an expensive pup, being sold as something he wasn’t. Lol. He was about going rate for a cowdog pup at the time, which years ago was $250.

We joked about him having been the most expensive cowdog pup we’d ever purchased, and then he had no desire to even consider being a cowdog. Lol. Since him I’ve never seen another in this area, although if I were looking for a pet I would definitely consider one. If they are all like him, he was lovely.


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## TrainedByMares

@Knave , the little pup does look like a mountain dog! I would have thought the same thing if I was not aware of the English Shepherd like I am now! The Bernese Mountain dog and Greater Swiss Mountain dogs have very similar color schemes. The mountain dogs are great pets but I can see how they would not work out as a cow dog. My wife had a Greater Swiss when we met and he was big and friendly but quite lazy. We would walk around her neighborhood and mid-way through the walk,he would lay down and quit! 😡 He was generally a good boy and the last two years of his life were spent with me at the shop. His bark was intimidating!

@egrogan you are the investigator! That is really neat that Hugh and puppy share some lineage. Who is it they share and how did you find out?
We are so excited about puppy! It is going to be a big change but a lot of fun! Puppy is supposed to be a very active and vocal little girl and I think she will love living with us because there is always something to do around here.
The breeder is meeting us in northern virginia on saturday and every day, the excitement is mounting!!


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## egrogan

@TrainedByMares, you can create a free account to use the English Shepherd Club Registry online lookup: English Shepherd Club Registry
Once you login, you go to the "All Dogs" tab, find the name you want, and on the right side of that dog's page you can click "5 Generation Pedigree." In the pedigree, you can click on any dog's name and keep drilling back in the pedigree. Through Hugh's dad, they share some relatives with the "Good Shepherd's" prefix, going back to a dog called Wingler's Becca. I looked quickly, so there might be other connections.


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you, I will check it out!😀


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## gottatrot

What a beautiful pup!


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## TrainedByMares

Our new friend arrived home Saturday! She is an eight-week-old English Shepherd named Maya! Saturday evening and Sunday were an adjustment in all our lives!







Everyone has to say hello! She was very excited to meet some of her new friends.







Maya is very interested in cats. She loves to chase and play with them. The cats assumed that they would rule the roost around here. Now, Maya is taking charge.







She loves being outside and finds her own things to play with but just loves doing stuff with us.She is a perfect fit around here.







Work or play, she has it covered!







We absolutely love her!







Horses had turned my cold,steel heart into a gooey glob and now this little puppy melted it down to a bubbling mess.







Welcome to your new home,Maya!


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## egrogan

She looks like she’s fitting in perfectly already! Please keep sharing her stories


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## gottatrot

Maya is so cute! Looks like you have her hard at work already.


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## TrainedByMares

@egrogan I can't wait to share Maya's adventures here on the journal! She has met Nicki ,Jesse and Treats but I am very concerned about her getting underfoot with the big horses so I am limiting her time around them. Any training tips on how you keep Hugh safe?

@gottatrot thank you, I think she is too cute! She loves to check out everything we do . Today she helped me clean a paddock and I could tell by her quizzical looks she was wondering why we pick poo up around here


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## egrogan

@TrainedByMares , I am no dog trainer, so take what I say with a grain of salt! With Hugh, we just did slow, frequent introductions to the horses to keep everyone safe. When he was a very small pup, he was actually pretty intimidated by them. He'd shake and whimper if they got too close, so it was probably a month before I actually brought him into their paddocks with me. I didn't want to push the issue because he seemed scared.









A lot of people had recommended "tethering" as a good way to introduce pups to the chore routine, so we started doing that. Basically, I just had him on a longer leash clipped to a belt loop, so he was always with me but still in control. That's why we started putting the harness on him, so it wasn't a leash on a collar that he could slip out of easily. We've used the Ruffwear Front Range Harness and it's been really durable (a size S until he was about 8-10 months old, and a M since then). That worked well for us; he got the be around the horses a lot but was always with me or my husband.








I can't remember how long we did that, but I do remember one of the first times I let him be with me loose, he thought it would be great fun to chase the horses once he realized he could make them move on his own. He got them all stirred up, and actually narrowly missed taking a hoof right to the face when he got too close to Fizz. After that failed experiment, we went back to the tethering or just tying him up while I did chores. One time I had him tied in the sheds and for some reason Maggie ended up in the shed with him, which got him barking at her. She darted out, getting tangled up in the rope he was tied with- he freaked out and actually snapped his harness getting away from her, and she freaked out and pulled a board off the shed with the rope that was tangled. That was a bit of a disaster, and I learned my lesson about tying where something like that could happen, but actually it was a good teaching moment for him. He has never barked at or been aggressive towards the horses again. So now he's fine around them.

Not sure if any of that's helpful. I guess I'd distill it down to do slow, supervised intros; use a tether while Maya gets used to the routine; and be serious about shutting down any interest in barking at/moving/chasing the horses, because that's what their instinct is telling them to do.


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you! I appreciate your valuable insight and experience! I will pick up a longer lead and a harness. Maya is not a timid girl. She seems somewhat daunted by the sheer size of the big horses but still wants to meet them. I have allowed 'supervised visits' with me holding her in my arms while they are behind a fence or a stall door. She is not afraid of little Treats and actually barked at her this morning when we went into the barn to feed grain. I will have to stop her from that challenging behavior. 
Is Hugh a poo-eater? Maya is into everything and even though I keep things clean, she has found the odd chunk to chew on. I quickly remove them from her mouth but I wondered if it gets better or is it an ongoing habit?
Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions. Maya is so precious and I want to do everything to the best of my ability!


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## egrogan

He definitely went through a poop eating phase but he's not that interested in it anymore (unless it's deer poo in the woods...)


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## gottatrot

You're picking up the poo, and she doesn't have a manure rake, so she uses her mouth to help. LOL.

It was interesting reading about dogs that basically train themselves, and ones that are more difficult. I've had both. 

I'm not sure if there are any other breeds that are specifically bred to be with horses, but that was something I experienced having a Dalmatian. Just like other breeds have instincts about pointing birds or digging for rodents, Dalmatians have horse instincts. 

Herding breeds seem to want to round up horses or nip at them and need training on how to deal with horses. My Dalmatian knew instinctively to run next to a horse but out of the way of the legs, to never bark at or chase horses, to move calmly and quietly when close to horses. On rides he would range ahead to scout for danger and to clear out the path, or run next to the horse at times. He thought of horses as his friends and charges.

My Papillon was raised around horses, but he had a different approach. He has spaniel blood and thinks of himself as my right hand. So his instinct was that he and I were training horses together, and he learned exactly what I was asking the horse to do. Then if the horse didn't do it, he would get furious so I'd have to put him out of the way because he'd "help" too much. If I was lunging and said "trot," and the horse didn't immediately trot, he'd start trying to bark and rush at the horse to make the horse mind. 

It sounds like your dog will have more of the herding instinct like Hugh, which is a good thing but also might make him want to chase before he learns not to. Hopefully you already know if your horses are trustworthy around dogs, because that is the X factor in my mind. All of my horses have been gentle with dogs except Amore was a small animal killer, and would purposefully try to harm dogs.

ETA: Other than the natural horse instincts, my Dalmatian was difficult to train in most other areas. A lot of energy and very little focus.


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## Knave

All of ours, excepting Beamer, are rough on dogs. They know when you are riding that they are supposed to ignore the dogs, but any given the chance will tear one up. Well, Zeus is mostly good. He is himself a big dog though, so he could be rough playing accidentally.


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## TrainedByMares

Thanks for sharing that about your dogs,@gottatrot and @Knave ! I find it quite interesting,especially about the Papillon . I could use a dog like that around teenagers! I have been very careful to introduce Maya slowly to the horses. Predictably, Jesse is very interested, as she seems to have a big, playful dog personality herself. Nicki says "I'm not interested" and when she smells Maya on my hands or coat, she shakes her head and tells me she is upset. Only when I tell her she is still the only one for me and my favorite out of anyone in the whole world and how sorry I am does she relent. I rode both of them yesterday after a long time off (for puppy and being sick with whats going around these days) and they were so happy to be in their normal routine again. Keeping Maya safe is a priority but also a wrinkle I had not really been anticipating. When I rode at the barn, when daughter was getting lessons, Nicki and I rode with BO's pup labrador and she seemed to know to keep out of the way and not be a pain. I assumed they would all be like that.


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## TrainedByMares

After re-reading what I wrote I realized I had used a poor choice of words ," not be a pain" should be " not under foot"







Some of the cats may consider Maya to be a pain!







Buddy the cat is learning to play nice and be friends with Maya


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## Knave

I don’t think it will last too long. She’s just a baby. I didn’t have to watch Junie B, because horses intimidated her. I actually was worried about it when she was small. Cows and horses scared her to death, and I was sure she would be a defective cowdog. Lol

She grew up to be aggressive as any I’ve seen, but very controlled. I am so happy with how she is now, but then I was convinced she wouldn’t be good. Husband kept reminding me of how Ozzy napped with the baby goats when he was tiny, and he was convinced he would be awful. I remember him scolding the little pup, “They are not supposed to be your friends!”

He grew up good too. A bit far on the aggressive scale too. I think he was under foot a lot, but he outgrew it. Mostly, as I said he gets in front of my horse sometimes and drives me crazy. I let biters reach down for him, but Cash is a striker and I don’t allow that. If you just yell at him he’ll move over anyways, but it is irritating.

I think the pup is just so tiny right now that she’s probably a bit unaware. Give it a couple weeks and she’ll pay more attention.


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## TrainedByMares

Thanks again for your insight, @Knave . This little pup is not afraid of anything . I am keeping her tied when I do chores and keeping her away from the pastures or paddocks that the horses are in.

It's great to read your experiences with your pups, it gives me more confidence for the future with Maya.

She was quite a power pup today. I took her down to pick up the mail at the road and she carried the leash most of the way, like she was leading me and taking me for a walk!


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## TrainedByMares

" Yesterday was a good day/ It's after midnight and I've got you on my mind" 

Another 70's song enters my thoughts and refuses to leave. I spent way too much time listening to the radio back in the day.
Yet, yesterday WAS a good day hence my thinking. Yesterday was also the shortest day of the year , the least daylight and the most darkness in a 24 hour period. 

One of the reasons it was good is because I rode Nicki bareback for the first time! I never,ever rode bareback in my life until yesterday! Wow, what an experience!







Every time I have rode a horse, it was always the same : saddle up and ride. Not yesterday!
Reading about @ACinATX and Super Pony riding bareback got me thinking I had better try to keep up,which really is a waste of time because they are probably on the cover of Time magazine or riding on the moon by now. Anyway, I left the caked mud on Nicki's flanks and legs,threw her bridle on and hopped on! Right before I did so. Nicki turned her head and looked back at herself as if to say "you forgot the saddle,dum dum"
Whoa! This is different! What a direct feel,a direct connection with the horse beneath me! I wobbled like a Weeble for a little bit,gained some balance and off we went at a slow walk around the barnyard. 
There are no stirrups so where do your feet go? They just dangle down there while my thighs and core took over the weight transfer/balance duties. A few minutes of walking around I realized that I was too far back because Nicki's spine seemed to sticking into my buttcrack. I slid forward,closer to the withers and found my place.
We walked around close to the equipment shed ,barn and round pen and the more time we spent,the more comfortable it became. I could feel my thigh muscles working and I practiced holding on to the mane to assist my balance.

We rode past Jesse and Treats with me talking excitedly, both of whom had Disney character looks of amazement on their faces,wide eyes and all. The old man has really lost it this time!

Finally, we rode past Maya, who is just generally impressed when Nicki and I ride anyway and wants to play with either or both of us.







So I think I will ride bareback more often because it is a great workout and balance improvement but also because it was fun. There is something primal about it,a connection to the past perhaps,when humans began riding horses, the ancient ones would have had the same feeling I had.







Finally, I wanted to share a precious picture of Nicki I recently discovered of Nicki in the creek at our old place playing in the water at liberty. We would walk up the creek and back together. I would cut her loose when we got in and she would follow me wherever I would go . Pretty cool!


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## Knave

That made me happy! I like riding bareback and do it quite often. Queen prefers the contact of it; I think maybe because I started her bareback and kept it that way for a while.


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## ACinATX

TrainedByMares said:


> There is something primal about it,a connection to the past perhaps,when humans began riding horses, the ancient ones would have had the same feeling I had.


Yes!!!! I love that feeling of connection!

I'm impressed you rode around outside the arena like that. I mean I do it, now, but it took a while. Pony and I had to have that trust and mutual understanding before I was willing to try.


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## gottatrot

I have a lot of memories of bareback riding. When I was a younger teen, I usually only got to ride at my cousin's house in the summer. Once when I visited, she took me for a long bareback ride. Even though I could feel some chafing as the horse began to sweat, I was too happy to be riding and didn't say a word. I could barely sit for a few days while the sore on my butt healed. 

As an older teen, the woman I babysat for gave me her old mare. She kept telling me she would look in her storage and find me a saddle, but I started out bareback. One day I walked the mare past a cow shed and the cow inside flicked his tail. Neither the horse nor I knew that there was a cow in there, and I was still sitting in the air when my mare shot sideways. My tailbone was sore for days. 

The vet came by to give injections and saw me riding bareback. He said, "I have just the thing," and pulled an old bareback pad out of the back of his truck to give to me. He said he'd found it in his barn. After that I had some padding, and many happy rides until the woman who gave me the horse finally dug a saddle out for me.

A few years later, after I had bought Amore, I met a friend who was the queen of bareback riding. We would go on rides where I was barely hanging on in my western saddle, and she was galloping around bareback or with a pad. She'd jump over things too. This inspired me, and after I felt secure in an english saddle, I decided to try bareback again. Soon I was galloping too. But only in the right circumstances, and sometimes I used a pad for security. 

One day my friend encouraged me to try jumping on her mare in the arena while bareback. She said it was easy on her mare, and so I gave it a try. I told her she was insane after I tried it once, and nearly got cut in half by her mare's backbone on the landing. Her mare had an A frame and a prominent spine, and I have no idea how my friend survived. My other friend offered me her big, round padded gelding to try, and jumping over things on him was a different story. On the landing it was like sitting on a big squishy pillow. 

Glad to hear people are trying bareback! But some horses are a lot easier to ride bareback than others. There is no shame in putting a pad on a horse that is uncomfortable, and the horse will be more comfortable too.


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## ACinATX

gottatrot said:


> There is no shame in putting a pad on a horse that is uncomfortable, and the horse will be more comfortable too.


OMG yes. I think I have a picture somewhere, from me riding Teddy bareback. I had a bareback pad that was nice a cushy, and one of those one-inch thick heavy-duty wool wither relief pads, and a thick saddle pad under that. LOL. It was like princess and the pea. But neither one of us was happy without all the padding.

Pony, on the other hand, is ALL padding!


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## Knave

I rode Bones a lot bareback, and he’s got that shark finned wither… Cash and Queen are both a LOT more comfy.


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## Txshecat0423

I’ve owned Skip going on seventeen years and I’ve ridden him bareback exactly twice. One of those was because I was shamed into it by my teammates! I don’t remember riding bareback a lot when I was a kid either. Weird…..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> Yes!!!! I love that feeling of connection!
> 
> I'm impressed you rode around outside the arena like that. I mean I do it, now, but it took a while. Pony and I had to have that trust and mutual understanding before I was willing to try.


Nicki really hates the round pen and so do I. Both of us prefer to be outside it,perhaps because the two of us spent alot of time in there when we started out. I mean,she'll go in there and do everything you ask but she is much happier outside.

I did not know there was such a thing as a bareback pad. I suppose it may be a good idea to get one. @gottatrot got me thinking with the bum sore story. I sure don't want or need one of those! I do want to continue riding bareback though. I was also thinking about riding Nicki bareback with a rope halter instead of a bit and bridle. I don't know why that came to mind but it would be 'cave man style' for sure. Back to basics,you know? Just man and horse,and not much in between.


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## TrainedByMares

To everyone that reads my journal:
( me singing)
" I wish you a Merry Christmas, I wish you a Merry Christmas, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" 🐴


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## egrogan

Same to you and yours @TrainedByMares 🎄


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## Knave

Merry Christmas!!!


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## TrainedByMares

Todays forecast: wintry mix







We finally get a snowfall that leaves an accumulation. The forest is painted with a cloak of snow. What else is in the mix?
Drama!! Her Majesty Nicki does not like heavy wet snow or heavy rain







Hey Bonehead, can you see we have a problem here? she says







When I begin taking pictures instead of swinging into action clearing snow from the green grass below or providing hay, frustration quickly rises and she paws the ground.














Shaking her head and dancing around. What don't you understand after all these years? she yells in her language.







Finally, some hay!







I am sure to hear about this deplorable situation and my lack of attentiveness later at bedtime when she goes to her stall! Nicki is so dramatic!


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## ACinATX

Beautiful!


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## gottatrot

And I've had people ask me if horses have any personality...!!


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## TrainedByMares

Not too much riding lately. Why? Well, I've been sick with omicron-like symptoms for about a month now (wife says I'm not allowed to have the virus, I can only have the symptoms and it must be something else) and... I have a puppy, who is adjusting well,by the way,and is sleeping through the night! Yay!







And...it is the season of the rain thus also season of the mud!







Today I put the two boneheads,um mares, together because the mud was beginning to freeze and the ground was a little more solid than it has been. Some playtime, you know, to just be horses. Regret that move now because Nicki has a chunk of hide missing on her flank from hitting a post or Jesse's hoof hitting her. I got one application spray of vetericyn on it before Nicki realized what I was up to and bolted away with Jesse in hot pursuit!







Maya is quite the little stinker,always involved with what I am doing and trying to 'help'...














Gimme back my screwdriver! I feel like Elmer Fudd chasing Bugs Bunny..."you wascawy wabbit"
Maya is gradually becoming acquainted with her horse friends. For some reason,she enjoys chewing hay with Treats when we toss the little horse a handful on occasion.







Hopefully,some riding time is in the future soon as I am going absolutely bonkers without it!


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## Knave

I’m sorry you’re sick! I know we have something dragging on forever too, but it’s mild and I’m highly doubting omnicron, as we had delta not very long ago. Lol.


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you @Knave ! The last time I rode Jesse , I started to feel dizzy and called it quits to be safe. I am ready for this stuff to be over with!


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## Kalraii

Finally caught you at a civilized time (for me here) coz new threads get swallowed and any mental reminders not put down are like a bird fart on the wind! Beautiful pictures. Sorry that you're sick :<


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## TrainedByMares

Thanks @Kalraii !! Hopefully soon , I will do a "Kalraii Special" and hop on one of these horses!


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## TrainedByMares

Back in the saddle again! Snow fell about a day earlier and blanketed the ground with a dusting of 3 inches. Today was bright,sunny and cold compared to the previous weeks temperatures. I did some chores in the morning,the hay supplier came by around noon with 100 bales to top us off for the rest of the winter and after that,it was time to ride!







It started well... Nicki and I walked around near the barn and the house.







We rode the paddock near my 90 year old storage shed and you can see her head turned toward the lands that harbor monsters...yes,this is how it is when Nicki has time off.







Down the fenceline we go,descending to certain doom in Nicki's mind. As we proceed,she begins to quicken,squirm and hop. I'm thinking " why did I choose to ride Nicki and not Jesse today?"
We continue on,spook here and there and I sit and calmly ride it out,hoping my demeanor gives her confidence.







The snow makes it easy to ride figure eights to make Nicki work and get her mind off of the movements of the birds and squirrels in the woods. More work is needed but I got a ride in on a rare beautiful day in January!







I did not want to wear a helmet today,can you see why ? LOL

We are expected to have some cold clear days next week after some freezing rain tomorrow. Hopefully, I can get some riding in if it doesn't get too icy.


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## egrogan

@TrainedByMares , at first I thought your figure 8 picture was a picture of the spooking 🤣 I'm jealous of your ride time!

I thought about you and Maya today when I listened to this podcast: Ep. 17: The English Shepherd - Swiss Army knife of farm dogs by Farm Dog You might find it interesting too (it's about an hour long).


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## TrainedByMares

egrogan said:


> I'm jealous of your ride time!


Haha! I'm jealous when I see the pictures of your rides(and everyone else's),too! 

Nicki was prancing pretty hard when we were doing the figure eights, so I could not take a picture at that time, but I was impressed that the snow made it quite easy for me to follow a neat path while we were prancing them so I went back after with Maya to take a pic. 

Thanks for sending the link to the podcast! I listened to it last night while Maya was winding down. It brought attention to some things I had already noticed about her such as the ability of her coat to shed 'sticky' things like pine shavings and her ability to smoothly roll with a switch in routine. She really is quite versatile. Every day, she follows me around and we accomplish different tasks around the property from getting shipping ready for UPS to pick up (for my work) to cleaning stalls, keeping the cats in line, gathering firewood, shovelling snow...the list goes on! Some dogs would go find a hideout and lay down but Maya loves to work! Of course, in between naps, as she is still a growing pup. We spend time playing and at times, I wonder if she is part wolf-pup with her little 'shark' teeth biting shoelaces and hands but she is generally very friendly with new people and is a great fit around here!

She has developed a friendship with little Treats, the mini horse, who is a friend to all small animals it seems. I let them be in closer proximity but I keep a healthy distance away from Nicki and Jesse. If Maya is on the leash or in my arms, I will let them touch noses and get acquainted but nothing more. 

Thanks again for putting us onto the Front Range harness , as it is working out great! We had bought another, cheaper harness and tried it as well, hoping it would be a backup unit but I'm not sure it would even suffice for that task. The Ruffwear is a good quality piece that fits well and looks good! In a nod to @ACinATX and Super Pony, I tell Maya it is her Super Puppy outfit! LOL


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## TrainedByMares

Last week the living was easy. Blue sky, sunshine...mmm ,what's not to like about that?














Then came the snow. Followed by ice.














So, this week is a little bit different. Anything that travels on legs,wheels or tracks is going to have a tough time around our place.

This time of year my laptop slips away to sunny,southern climes,burning up the zillow to the Carolinas. Two hours from the beach you say? 30 acre horse property? Oh boy! How much? Oh no!
What about an indoor,right here? How much? Oh no!
Still, would I rather go quickly in a night-time EF3 or oh-so-slowly in the northeast freeze-thaw cycle?
So,no riding to report,just me and some fuzzy buddies waiting out the weather and taking stock of what we do have!


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## egrogan

Sorry the ice found you. I can absolutely empathize with how it wrecks your outdoor plans. Stay safe out there!


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## Kalraii

It's still a beautiful sight to behold and I am jealous of your skies when clear. And the quiet. I long for the quiet and the clean air. I constantly moan about our weather over here. But, where I am in the south and far in enough from the coast, life goes on all year round. Sand and snow. I think I've forgotten what both are like since covid! How long does this sort of weather go on for you?


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## TrainedByMares

@Kalraii our winter weather is the worst in January and February. Lately it seems we get warmer temps which result in ice,slush,rain and mud. Yuck! The bane of all horse people it seems. I would much rather have a powdery snow and colder temperatures. I think everyone complains about the weather. I wonder where in the world is the overall ideal weather and location for horse people? 

It's funny you mention peace and quiet! Our old place was on a busy ,fast road with lots of trucks and traffic. One of the reasons we moved was for quiet. The horses never did get used to big trucks exhaust brake noise approaching from behind.

I do love seeing the places you ride,though,as busy as they are. Some of the pictures you post,especially riding the narrow sidewalk between the wall and the road, would be too exciting for me!


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## TrainedByMares

A glorious day of warmer temps and ice-melting sunshine! Much too slippery for a real ride, Nicki and I take a short jaunt around the round pen and through a paddock. Better than nothing!







Muddy mane? We don't have time for any of that!







I love to see the places and horses of other people whose journals I follow. When I look at the pictures and read about the rides, I feel like I'm right there,like my spirit can fly to those places and visit for that short time. It is such an inspiration to see what you all are doing and gives me great ideas for my own rides. Like, one day I'm going to ride down a sidewalk in town and one day I'm going to pull a log and maybe one day I will go on a trail ride with other people...maybe. I kind of like my alone time with my horse.
Days like this remind me of better weather thats right around the corner!


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## MeditativeRider

TrainedByMares said:


> maybe one day I will go on a trail ride with other people...maybe. I kind of like my alone time with my horse


 This is me too. I could tolerate a small group (one or two others) if I had got to know them and we could sometimes ride in companionable silence; however, big groups of people I am not that acquainted with are not my cup of tea. I went on some trail rides with a group of about 8–10 riders and it was just so tiring trying to ride and do small talk with people you do not really know.


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## Knave

I think you will do all those things and much more!


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## TrainedByMares

Work has been busy and stressful. Weather has been cold and snowy. There is still a layer of ice below the snow in many places. No riding. Farrier didn't show up last week. Grrr.

Today dawned quite chilly. People I talked to said it was 0 degrees F. The bright sunshine had a promise of some warmth in it. All seemed to be quiet on the work front so I took advantage of the situation and tried to unwind by taking the horses for a walk...one by one of course.

First things first. Jesse is still wearing front shoes. Why? It's winter,there is snow on the ground and no riding is taking place. Jesse's shoes really don't belong and it's time they came off.







I really should have done this over a month ago.

Jesse has gone feral and she is so excited to go for a walk in the woods with me. It feels like I have clipped the lead rope to a locomotive.







In the above picture, Jesse looks out upon a field that looks perfect for a ride...







until Jesse digs down to the thick layer of ice below.







Next it's Nicki's turn. Nicki hasn't gone feral yet,she still listens and behaves...until a patch of grass pokes through the snow and it becomes a foraging expedition







We all still had a great time and some good exercise. Nicki had flared nostrils going uphill and I was huffing and puffing. The snow was deep in spots and none of us are in shape. I was glad I could share part of a beautiful afternoon with them!


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## ACinATX

Oh, I cannot WAIT until I get my horses at home and I can do things like this with them all the time!


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## AndreaShine

TrainedByMares said:


> View attachment 1116876
> This is Nicki. My beautiful 7 year old Quarter Horse mare. She came to live with me as a long yearling. She is very opinionated and sassy.We worked on the ground almost every day for a couple years,even if it was just going for a walk in the woods and when she was three years old,we started riding some. We bonded tightly and we can't be apart from one another for very long. At our previous property, she would walk with me at liberty in the creek on hot days or on the back lawn with no fences. She is what you would call my heart horse. We can tell what the other is thinking.
> Today, Nicki and I are puttering around on a maintenance ride, after several days off due to heat and humidity.


I love this one she’s prettier than the first


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## TrainedByMares

AndreaShine said:


> I love this one she’s prettier than the first


Thank you very much! I think she is so pretty too!!


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## TrainedByMares

As requested by @Kalraii , a look into my horse history with some never-seen-before photos!

So there I was, a southern boy... southern Ontario Canada that is. Growing up in suburbia, surrounded by factories and auto assembly plants, not a horse to be seen in the neighborhood and no one in the family that had any interest in them, horses were not on my radar. Car culture was hot and heavy at the time and as a guy if you weren't going to college or university to make something of yourself, you most likely were driving your musclecar to work at one of those factories and racing in the streets at night. That was me. Except I was not satisfied with one car, I had to have many. To support that habit, I bought and sold cars and parts on the side,hustling before and after work,gaining a work ethic that would come in handy the rest of my life. Got married, got divorced. Went on one supervised commercial horseback trail ride ( a story in itself).

Eventually, I became fully self-employed and spent 7 days a week with cars and parts. Business was good ,I was on the road alot and every building I had was packed full of Pontiac GTO's and parts.Some were really nice cars and I had a lot of fun with them. I met my wife and moved to a nice rural property in beautiful central Pennsylvania in the early 2000's and we started a family and I continued collecting rare GTOs and hustling auto parts. At night, I would work in the shop stripping parts cars and building my latest project, sometimes from a bare frame. Musclecars were my life. 

Something was missing. I had come full circle with my dreams . Do you want a Ram Air IV Judge? How many do you want? A realization crept into my heart that the cars had become hollow idols. They set silently, row on row, like Terracotta Warriors in a king's tomb. Yuck! 

So, I sold them all.Every one. All the spare parts too.People who knew me were very surprised. I lost some friends over it. Car guys thought I was off my rocker. I knew better. I bought properties in town and became a landlord. I was providing a service that people really needed, not just stroking my own ego. I could stand proud with what I was doing,providing a good, safe, clean home for those that needed it. I still hustled parts , just didn't go on the road that much. 

Then it happened. 

My wife's best friend's daughter was taking riding lessons at a local barn and she told our 10 year old daughter about it. So one day the boss called me in and said you're taking our daughter to lessons! Okaaay...what the heck am I going to do out at this barn for an hour every week? Most parents sat in their cars and played on their phones or snoozed or dropped the kid and took off. I'm hardwired different. What's in this barn? What is out in the field? Let's go for a walk and find out! So, I'm in the barn and these horse faces are all looking at me.What do you want? Who are you? What do you got? I can almost hear their voices and I walk around inspecting the premises and taking it all in. Horses smell good. Even manure doesn't smell that bad. I'm getting good vibes from these horses. This is a comfortable place to hang out. The next week it was the same, but better. The horses seemed to be more familiar to me and I to them. You got anything to eat? I asked the barn lady what do these guys like to eat? Oh, you can give them carrots or horse treats if you want. So, the next week I am loaded with carrots and treats and it turns into a party with me and the horses. Every time I go, it just gets better! My daughter is enjoying her lessons too so it's win-win. Pretty soon, I want to go and hang out after work so we ask barn lady and she says yes, no problem! So I start going to the barn two or three times a week, just to hang out and check out what is going on. Everything was new and fresh and I wanted to learn as much as I could. My daughter and I talked about the future and the possibility of us getting our own horse some day. It was very exciting and the best part about it was we could go to the barn almost any time we wanted!

To be continued...


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## ACinATX

More more more! I can't wait for the next part!

The funny thing is, in a way my journey is a reverse of yours. I am really getting into my F-250 right now, the way I haven't been into a car since I had my Miata, and maybe even more than that. I bought the truck because I needed something to haul the trailer. It was just there to do a job. But the truck is so awesome and so much fun! It will never be better or more fun than the horses, but I've started watching truck videos and lurking on truck forums. Learning about maxing out torque, which RPMs are best for HP, etc.


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## TrainedByMares

Trucks are great,AC! They do so much, hauling trailers, hay, people ,groceries, auto parts and so much more. With 4 wheel drive (because a 2wd is just a parts truck) they can go so many places a car can't go. I love trucks,too!


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## gottatrot

I love the horse origins story.


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## Kalraii

Oh man you can't just leave us hanging! This is definitely not what I expected though I don't know what I did! I love the way you got into them - it really is like a whirlpool sucking you in. I am ashamed to say I had to google some of the cars mentioned 😅 Don't get me started on anything else... well, when I got rid of my car when I first brought Katie DIY near home I said to myself, as I cycled in the bitter cold with my fingers nearly coming off, "a downgrade in horsepower but an upgrade in willpower and happiness". Sure did work out! 

I love the old pictures you gotta put that somewhere where it wont fade! I shall just keep refreshing daily hoping looking forward to part-2


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## TrainedByMares

Kalraii said:


> "a downgrade in horsepower but an upgrade in willpower and happiness"


LOL


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## TrainedByMares

HORSE HISTORY CONTINUED...

Being a buyer of auto parts in various places like warehouses in the Detroit ghetto or rural Maryland country junkyard and buying cars across the US, I had to quickly establish a rapport and gain the trust of the people I was dealing with. I had to rapidly assess the situation for personal safety and I had to act efficiently to complete my job and move on. Sounds like some things we do training horses doesn't it? 
At the barn,some things were immediately quite apparent. Each horse had a different personality and each had a unique smell to them. Some were outgoing and some were withdrawn. Each one was completely different from the others. They were individuals. Most of them quickly took to the new guy. I was there to talk and interact with them on a level unlike anyone else at the barn. I wasn't there to make them work or bother them like the vet or farrier. I was there to listen and sometimes touch in a nice way. I brought food and shared it which can melt the hardest horse heart. I stood and ate with them, talked with them and listened to them... and it was there at that barn that I fell in love with them.

I'm usually all about the underdog. So I'm not an Alabama college football fan. Some of the horses at the barn were boarded and some were lesson horses. One was a 17 year old Appaloosa lesson horse named Romeo that no one ever rode. Appys are supposed to have spots but he was completely white with one brown dime-sized spot. I was always asking people at the barn about the horses history trying to glean as much information about each one as I could. When I asked about Romeo, they told me he was getting Equine Metabolic Syndrome and that he had taken to bucking off the young girls that were riding him. No one at the barn seemed to care for him and he was aloof. To me, he seemed burned out and withdrawn.

I was an odd sight at the barn. Late 40's, a guy with zero horse experience at a barn where women ran the place and little girls learned to ride. What are you doing here? So Romeo and I hung out, two guys with cynicism and skepticism in common with nothing better to do than hang out together. I would brush him or pick his hooves. We would eat carrots and I overfed him horse treats because I didn't know any better that with his Metabolic condition, he really didn't need any more sugar. I was learning about horses though.

On my birthday, a special surprise! My wife arranged with the barn lady for me to ride with Romeo, walking only, and I was thrilled to ride with my new buddy! It was only the second time I had ever been on horseback.

As time went on, my daughters lessons were going well and her riding had steadily improved and I kept thinking that the next step would be for me to begin taking lessons. It was all I could think about. What great excitement! I arranged a time first thing in the morning and I began to ride on one of the lesson horses, another Appaloosa named Simon. Simon was an old, steady mount but sour. I could tell he didn't like me much and was reluctant to respond to my beginner level cues.We suffered the lessons together but my riding improved and so did my confidence! I was like an 18 year old with 30 years experience. When can I canter? I think I'm ready. Even my wife began taking lessons. We were all on board this train!

I began to bug the barn lady about Romeo. Could I ride him in lessons? She agreed to walk and trot and also showed me how to longe him. Wow! I was on top of the world! A few lessons later and I was thinking about cantering. The barn lady didn't think it was a good idea due to the chance of bucking. I finally got my chance and when we cantered and he didn't buck I knew that we had a connection. I was in love with horses!

I started talking about buying a horse or two. My daughter and I agreed it would be a good idea. I had an empty building that would be suitable as a stable and I began to work on it. At the time, I had an older guy working for me on my properties. He was a good carpenter and together we built stalls and renovated that building into a real horse barn, complete with a tack room, cross ties, three stalls and a small storage area. I went out and bought a late-model 3-horse slant bumper pull trailer. I think at that point, the barn lady knew we were serious. There was talk of them selling Romeo and I struggled with the idea. Somehow, I knew it wouldn't be the right decision. One day I went to my lesson with a pocketful of cash but I never pulled the trigger. I knew in my heart that I would go in a different direction.

Suddenly, the barn lady was rabid. She said she knew about a horse and I should buy it...like right now! Huh? When confronted with the hard-sell, I recoiled fast. I have to think about it. She was quite rude on the phone and finally it was my daughter that flat out told her no. Neither of us thought the horse was suitable. Too much money, not enough training or ability and not the right look either. Why was she pushing so hard for us to buy this horse her friend owned that needed trained? I knew why. Money. So I was learning about horses and horse people too. Kind of like some car people, all about the money! Around that time, Romeo went to a therapeutic riding place. I had made him a copper and oak door name tag and they didn't send it with him, just left it on his empty stall so I took it over when I went to visit him some time later.

My daughters lessons became endless circles or maintenance riding a boarded horse because the owner was away. Even at 11 years old, she knew she was getting ripped off. It was time to move on to better things at a better barn but we were on our own when it came to finding a horse (or horses heh heh)

Little did we know of big things and big learning to come!

To Be Continued...


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## TrainedByMares

We were actively looking to buy a horse. My wife had bought quite a few horse books and I read them every night, the anticipation and excitement building as each page was turned. What would it be like? I can't hardly wait! Nothing was panning out for us. We looked at crazy horses owned and trained by teenage girls and a beautiful ,well-trained prospect that kept getting cheaper.We went to test ride and she was lame.We may have to buy a young, untrained horse and I would train it myself for my daughter to ride. I can do that.It can't be any more difficult than assembling a car, right? My wife found a Quarter Horse breeder with a farm about an hour away and I went reluctantly. There, we were surrounded by about two dozen horses as the breeder took us out in the pasture to look for one that would fit our requirements. He was a cigarette smoking crusty old character. Do you have a horse that will do this or that? He said the horse will be good at what it wants to be good at. How long will it take to train and get under saddle? He said I've had some of them riding after a few weeks but every horse is different. It takes as long as it takes. We made our way to the top of a hill where more horses awaited us and I spotted a very good looking sorrel gelding and made my way towards that pack. All this time we were being shadowed by a couple of bay yearlings the breeder called Little Girl and Good Boy. How much for the sorrel? He's not for sale, I'm giving him to my grandson, the breeder said. Bing! I knew I was gaining an eye for horseflesh.

As we trudged through the pasture, other horses lost interest or were frightened by our changes in direction and moved off but Little Girl orbited around us until we left to go to another farm nearby that had more of his stock. There we witnessed 3 and 4 year old geldings thundering through their pastures to get a look at us and then rocketing away like bay bolts of lightning! We left,








overwhelmed by the choices we could make.

Weeks later,our searching elsewhere being fruitless, we returned to the breeders farm to have another look. Down in one paddock, standing well away from all of the other horses was Little Girl. We called to her and she nickered and ran up to greet us. What a happy surprise! We entered the pasture and petted her.What a sweet little filly,so calm and serene.

Soon the breeder was with us , we talked at length about all his horses . He looked at me and said Little Girl is the one for you and he cut his price in half. What was I to do? There are some decisions in life that just seem so right and put a smile on my face and this was one of them. I was getting a horse of my very own!!

I told him, we don't have another horse at home, Little Girl will be alone. I have heard this is not good for some horses. He said she will be fine. Will I be able to train her? You'll be fine, he said. We agreed to pick her up a couple of weeks later. I gave him the money and it was done. Little Girl was going to come live with us!

My heart was pounding! Big changes were coming fast! 

To Be Continued...


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## knightrider

I love this story! I can't wait for the next installment!


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## TrainedByMares

HISTORY CONTINUED:

You had better get going, it's only going to get worse said the breeder. Little Girl had been coaxed into my trailer with a cup of grain and was now thrashing about, rocking the trailer from side to side. Filled with excitement and nervous energy, I hopped in and began to drive home. My wife and daughter were driving seperately and I anxiously asked them on the phone to drive ahead and get the paddock ready for a wild entry! We were prepared for a horse but not a crazy monster. Was it the shape of things to come? 

Surprisingly, Little Girl walked off the trailer into her paddock and we chained the gate behind her. We made it! We had been advised to let her acclimate to her new surroundings for a few days before we started doing things with her. My hired man, Paul , and I were still finishing up loose ends around the barn and paddock and that gave me a chance to be near Little Girl throughout the coming days. It gave Little Girl a chance to be around us, too. Paul was working on the fence boards when I heard him yell out. Little Girl bit him! His ex-wife had been into horses and he had told me stories about being dumped, carried off and abused by horses he had come into contact with when he was married to her. I had come to the conclusion that horses may not like him very much and I chalked it up to another one of his bad experiences. Certainly, Little Girl would not attack me. I was the boss around here! 

Ouch! I was walking across the paddock to get a tool when my back was bitten! I whirled around to find Little Girl retreating a safe distance away but circling me ,obviously lining me up for more abuse. Silly, inexperienced me just yelled and blustered, unable to punish her in a meaningful manner. Working on the fence in a corner, I let her approach me thinking she was friendly... another bite! Ow! Walking across the paddock the next day and Bam! A little kick! The following day, inside the confines of the paddock again, I sensed something and turned around and looking up, saw the bottoms of Little Girls front hooves! A full out rear and she came down right beside me! What am I doing? How did I get myself into this? What should I do? None of the books I had read prepared me for this.

Well, I could just swallow my pride and bring her back to the breeder, tail between my legs and everyone will laugh at me, especially old barn lady. What an embarrassment! Think you can live with yourself after that? No way! Like a wrestling cage match, two go in, one comes out and this time it's going to be me.

I got on the internet, looking for information about my problem. I read that in the absence of true leadership, Little Girl was taking charge. Well, I was taking it back. I got my longe whip from the barn and walked into the paddock. Sure enough, here comes T-rex! I cracked the whip into the air. Craack! T-rex stops, stunned. Ok, let's run Little Girl. Run she did. I free longed her around the paddock, moving her from place to place. After a few minutes, I was finished and she had a great respect for me and my new friend, Whip. 

Right around this time is when she got her name, Nicki. Every time she saw me, she would nicker to me and so that's what I called her.

So, I wasn't a whip-toting hard*** deep inside. Inside me, a transformation was taking place.Cold,selfish, pre-formed steel was slowly melting to make way for a red-hot gooey-soft heart that was big enough to let a little horse in. Poor,beautiful, fuzzy, fragile Nicki spent the night alone in her stall in the stable. To ensure her survival, I had to sleep in the barn with her. I would sleep in full winter gear inside a sleeping bag on a cot right outside her door so we could see each other. It would go down to 26 degrees at night and was it ever damp and cold! I didn't get much sleep because every little sound was waking me up. It was all new and exciting but very tiring. After a few days, I was trying to sleep in a bit and she was making enough noise to wake me up. I slowly opened one eye in a groggy, foggy freeze and found her looking down at me ,leaning out her door. When she saw my eye open, she nickered loudly and started to kick her door. Get some grain and hay in here, you bonehead!

And so it went on. I was sleeping in the house again because it was way too cold and damp in the barn.How do horses do it? Nicki and I spent every day together. We would walk around the property or in the nearby woods.A creek ran through our property and we enjoyed that together. Our house had a walk-in basement and I brought her in to show her where I lived. What's mine is yours, I told her. We bought a round pen and I set it up and we trained in there.One of my books was called Countdown To Broke and I began following it. Depending on my work schedule and the weather, I would work with and generally spend time with Nicki for a couple hours each day and then lots of time scratching itches and rubbing withers and butt once she was in her stall. New barn lady was giving me advice when I needed it. Things were going good but it was quite apparent that Nicki would not be ready for action until she was about four years old.We need another horse! 

Advice given to us from different sources said we needed a 10-year-old gelding, trained and ready to go. We found one at a lesson barn about two hour drive away. Ash was a 11 year old grey quarter horse gelding who was ridden Western in the past but who was learning English and was ready to go. We went to see him, my daughter rode him and a deal was made. Now we had two horses! This is so easy!

New barn lady made things happen. Soon, Ash and my daughter were jumping and as late winter turned to springtime, plans to attend local shows were made. When my daughter went for a lesson, we trailered both horses out to the barn and Nicki and I would walk around and explore trails and farm lanes, meet the local cows and the other horses at the barn. I was getting my horse and barn fix but this time, I had a friend to enjoy it with! I could hardly wait for the day that Nicki and I could ride for the first time!

Everything was progressing very well but the learning curve was going to get steeper!

To B















e Continued...


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## knightrider

Ohhhh, I am loving this story! What is happening for you in the story now reminds me of when I was 12 and 13. Several people had colts that needed training. Being a kid, I said, "I can do this! I have a book!" I just kept doing whatever the book said to do, and the colts got trained.

Great pictures, too!


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## ACinATX

Our future home also has a daylight basement. But my husband has been very firm, for some reason, that he will not allow ponies in the house. He says that animals, especially "farm animals" should not be allowed inside. Little does he know that one of our old hens used to come inside when he was at work and lay her eggs on "his" spot on the sofa. Ha!


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## Knave

I really wanted to bring Bones in the house when he was younger, and then Zeus. Zeus offers to come in. There is a narrow staircase and he goes up it, but my husband is also adamant that no horses come into the house.

I would have done as I pleased, but he made a good point. Our laminate floor would be excessively slippery and I’d just be asking for a wreck.


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## knightrider

When we lived in Maryland, we had a Sears Roebuck catalog house with a porch that someone had closed in at some point. It was a hot summer night, and we had only the screen door closed to let in a breeze. At 2:00 a.m., we heard a bang, crash, bang in our house. We leaped out of bed to discover my mare Magic Fox had come up the cement steps, pushed her nose against the screen door latch, let herself into the house, and walked through the porch into the living room. And she was 16 hands! She barely fit!


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## egrogan

I still haven't heard the end of brooding chickens in the garage years ago, coating my lovely husband's tools in feathering chick dust for the weeks they were in there. I just tell him it must have been a good spot, because those little chicks are turning 6 years old this year and all but one from that batch is still alive!


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## TrainedByMares

HISTORY CONTINUED: 


SMOKIN GREY ASH was his given name. Everybody just called him Ash. Supposedly, he had been a ranch horse from out west somewhere. My daughter was about 13 years old and was riding quite well. Ash had some quirks but New Barn Lady seemed to be able to smooth them out.Ash and my daughter were beginning to be a team. In halter or under saddle, Ash had a confidence about him and did most things he was asked to do very well. It was a challenge to keep him clean and preparing for a show was always an ordeal because he was always covered in dirt, manure or pee. I was happy to be 'upper management' and not intimately involved with such things. My wife spent many hours and dollars cleaning and preparing Ash for events and he always looked great when we were there. 

Of course, Nicki and I attended the shows. I would lead her around in a halter and we would take in the sights and sounds of the show field and parking area . We would find cool, shady spots and hang out and look for grass to eat. Since she is bay, my prep time was limited to a quick brush of the mane and tail and some scuffing of her fur with my hands. All done!

I was the barn and property manager here at our place. Most days, I was on site. Boots on the ground. It was where I wanted to be. After more than 20 years of being on the road chasing cars and parts and dealing with people, it was refreshing to spend my days with horses ,learn about them firsthand and not have to travel. I still worked from my shop on the next property but the cool part of it was I had some small dry lot paddocks at the shop so I could bring the horses! When they became bored, I could take them back down the driveway to the house and the larger grass paddocks there. I was still nearby if they needed anything.

The lesson horses I had been exposed to at the riding barns did not prepare me for living and working with Nicki and Ash. When I went for walks with Nicki, she would try to bite my hand, arm, head.legs, back you name it, she would bite it or try! She would bash me with her head, body and legs. Of course, I would fight back but she was feisty! Little things could set her off and turn a good lesson or walk into a wreck. We were walking along a path in the woods and I began smiling because I was so happy to be with her and out in the woods walking on a beautiful day.She saw me smiling,flew into a rage and started a fight! I would carry an old sock filled with nails and would put it in the way of her mouth when she tried to bite. She actually seemed to enjoy a good fight. She would lean in. Stalled at night, she loved a good butt rub and she would pretend to be friends... until she got what she wanted and a quick nip or bite for good measure. Nonetheless, Nicki and I were falling in love. Sometimes, she would blow out softly when I was near or she would give me a gentle touch and a kind eye. Foolishly, I would let her off her lead and she would follow me around wherever I went. No fences, no boundaries. Sometimes, when it was hot out, the two of us would walk up the creek and back at liberty,just cooling off and splashing around. Nicki and I were bonding tightly. If she needed something and I was at the shop, she would call out and I would come running to see what it was that she needed. Sometimes it was hay, sometimes it was a walk, sometimes it was to be put inside because of rain or snow. Nicki had my number...

Ash was a horse of a different color, both literally and figuratively. It was obvious that someone had beat him about the head and neck because if I made a move with my hands or arms, he always flew up and away. He was more at ease around women than men. He hated it when I took Nicki away for our walks and training sessions.He did not do well the couple of accidental times he got out of a paddock. Running wildly like he was pursued by tigers, he would bolt into the forest beside our property. Only when he got tangled in a briar patch and had to turn back toward us did we catch him.The last time he did it, he bolted up to the main road and galloped off around the bend...in the wrong lane. Lucky for me it was sunday morning and no one was coming the other direction.I'm standing there watching him disappear and these girls pull up in a car. Hey, do you need help? Ya think?? They drove me after him, we got him turned around and he ran straight back to our property where my daughter corraled him. After that big lesson, I learned who to put on the trailer first and I kept the herd separated to prevent buddy souring. Put a halter or saddle on him and he was almost unflappable. He kept my daughter safe. I could sense how careful he was when she was on his back. He was bombproof on the trail. Looking back , I realize just how good a horse he was was and just how ignorant I was. 

Ash was jumping but everyone knew he was at his limit in the English world. He was more of a Western Pleasure horse.He was a perfect trail horse, a mount that would keep his experienced rider safe and secure. He was very sensitive and a great judge of my feelings. He was very friendly with my favorite barn cat, Gizmo, whom Nicki despised.Maybe, in a way, Ash was getting my number,too! Ash had come around to my handling, he was less shy and we were building an understanding. As an example, his last day at our place, no one seemed to be able to get him on the trailer to leave. I walked on the trailer and asked him to follow me and he did. His calls after the door was closed knifed through my heart. I had betrayed a friend. 

Our harsh reality was that there was a perception that the natural progression of my daughters riding should be done on another , larger framed horse. The show ring was filled with Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds and it was time to step up. Our property and budget would not allow an extra horse. It seemed to be clear that Ash would have to go. 


To Be Continued...


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## TrainedByMares

HISTORY...

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE

Mistakes were being made. Lessons were being learned. The breeder had told me the day I picked up Nicki : The day you think you know everything about horses is the day you are going to get hurt. That was something I never forgot.It's funny the things other people say that stick with you. I hope nobody remembers some of the things I've said through the years. 

Sure, I got bit and I got kicked and I fell off but the mistakes I was about to make because I thought I knew better were going to hurt the horses and cost some money.

Mistake 1. It was a wet late winter again,mud season. Our paddock was a mess. Two big horses in a small grass paddock will do that. In places, they were up to 8 inches deep in mud. Board them at the barn until it dries out! Bad move! Barn lady promptly put them in a small paddock which quickly turned into a quagmire as well. Now I was paying for the privilege! Back home they came!

Mistake 2. Ash was going to be rehomed. What better place to market him than at the barn? Barn lady would show him and vet potential buyers and it would end in blue sky and sunshine, for a fee of course. Well, Ash was an astute fellow and he knew what was going on. He became difficult to catch. Barn lady and her new boyfriend ran him around and pushed him so hard he jumped into a 5 foot fence and injured himself. Nothing horrible,just soft tissue injury,but we now had a lame horse to sell.Ash comes back home to be rehabilitated. Chalk up a red flag for Barn lady too.

Mistake 3. Booker. Booker was an OTTB. Barn lady knew someone near the track that had taught him to jump and had taken him to some shows. The price was reasonable. I called him Boogie or Booger. Whereas Ash expressed feelings and a sensitive personality, Booger seemed like a machine. He was what the future looked like.

Boogie had an old injury on his hind leg and he needed joint supplements but he was a good boy and he could jump. Just like musclecars, if you wanted one of the faster ones, you were going to pay a lot more for maintenance and parts once you had it. Boogie came home to live with us. Now we had three horses,two small grass paddocks and two dry lots at the shop. One grass paddock has three-board fence, one was just T posts and polytape...on an embankment. So I put them all together in that one. Ash had recovered and the people were coming to pick him up later that day.

Now, I was pretty cocky. I was like a sergeant at boot camp. It's my way or the highway. You horses listen to me. You all get in there and behave. It was muddy. Ash and Boogie didn't get along because Ash knew that was his replacement and they were fighting over Nicki. Boogie slid into a T-post and long story short it was off to New Bolton Horse Hospital for a $2000 overnight stay and treatment shortly thereafter. Nice,professional people and fine facility there. I would go back if I ever had to.

Mistake 4. Now it was just Nicki and Boogie. Nicki is in polytape paddock and Boogers is in pen panels right beside when the vet arrives for vaccinations. I took Nicki to the barn and Boogie freaks out and jumps the panels, landing on top of one and crushing it down enough to escape,squirting blood from a big gash on his front coronet. The vet was there to handle it all after we caught him. Big lesson. More $.

Deeply humbled, I began to have conversations with horses instead of demands. How can we work together to accomplish my goals and how can I help you to be a happy and willing partner?


Boogie and my daughter seemed to thrive once his injuries healed and they had time to work together. He never seemed happy at our place though. There was not enough room for a thoroughbred to stretch his legs and in frustration, we boarded him at the barn. There, he had acres to roam,buddies to hang out with and lots to eat. There were storm clouds on the horizon though. My daughter and Boogie were attending shows and lessons but the focus and enthusiasm were waning. Barn lady seemed to be losing interest as well,cancelling lessons and an observer of human nature could tell that it wouldn't be long before things crumbled to a halt.















To Be Continued...


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## ACinATX

TrainedByMares said:


> Our harsh reality was that there was a perception that the natural progression of my daughters riding should be done on another , larger framed horse.


That's something that I think stinks about the show world -- the idea that a particular horse can only get you so far and then you have to "move up." I mean, I suppose it's true, if your goal is to keep advancing. I just don't see how you can form a partnership with an animal, and presumably love them, and then just sell them and move on to the next, better, thing. 

When we bought Moonshine, the lady who sold her to me told me, "Your daughter will outgrow her in a few years." I suppose that might be true if my daughter's primary consideration was to excel and advance in some discipline. But she just wants to ride her horse and be happy and have fun. Just like me. To me, the relationship is the main thing, and you don't give up on the relationship. Along those lines, "moving up" in horses is like the tycoon that keeps getting new trophy wives. 

I guess a lot of it is those same people who come out to the barn, ride their horse, put the horse back, and then go home. I feel like, You have a horse! You are so lucky! You should want to do things besides just ride them! Just hang out with them! Smell them! Love them! But honestly I am in the minority in my barn, and we're not even a fancy show barn. We have 10-15 boarders now, and the only ones who even do a little groundwork with their horses, it's because the horse is young and in training.


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## TrainedByMares

You are so absolutely right, AC! True enough that one should look for all the talent in the horse one has and have fun along the way! I am glad you feel the way you do.You certainly are in the minority when it comes to your attitude about horses but that is what makes your journal and experiences so interesting to follow!


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## TrainedByMares

HISTORY AGAIN...

Nicki B. 

Concurrently, around the time of Ash's departure and Boogie's arrival. I started riding Nicki. She was three years old and we had done enough ground work that I was comfortable enough to hop on her back. This was when I began learning about saddle fit. 

We began in an old western saddle bought from a local horse and tack dealer. Common knowledge among people I spoke with seemed to be you got a saddle that fit your butt, throw it on the horses back , cinch it down and ride. That was saddle fitting. So, of course, the saddle dug into her back and moved around because it didn't fit. I could tell Nicki was not comfortable at all and desperate to ride in anything that fit properly, soon gravitated to an old English saddle that we had bought with Ash and was no longer in use because we had bought a much better saddle for daughter to ride in. The English saddle fit Nicki well. I was riding English!

I began taking lessons at the barn on Nicki. When my daughter had her lesson, I would ride Nicki. If they were using the indoor arena, we would be outside using the arena out there or going for a trail ride. It was great. Lots of time spent riding and hanging out at the barn. I was spending $250 to $300 every month on fuel trailering out there and back but it was such a great time.

I had bought new quality English bridle, saddle pad, stirrups and leathers for Nicki's outfit but since I did not show or have to impress anyone, my riding outfit was my work outfit: industrial grunge. A frayed ,faded black hoody that exuded homelessness, Toronto Maple Leafs fingerless mittens my brother had given me and woodland camo BDU pants. What a sight! 

My daughter was in 4H and their local county fun shows were entirely Western oriented. The district and state level had English riding. I started running Nicki around barrels and poles so she could ride Nicki at these shows. Boogie was usually sidelined for some reason or another anyway so it worked out well. What a sight that was for the other kids and the fans in the bleachers when she would come out and race around the barrels! Go, English, go! some of the kids would call out! Everybody had a good time with it!

My wife bought a miniature horse yearling named Treats and together with daughter, trained her up and took her to the 4H junior horse show and did fantastic. Treats is a really sweet girl. There were other plans for her that fell through because of the pandemic but this year , they plan on showing her and training her to drive.









My wife took lessons again, on a lesson horse but rode Nicki occasionally. Everything seemed to be going very well on the surface but the dynamic at the barn was changing. Boarders were leaving and soon, Barn lady would be getting a full-time job,casting her lesson program to the four winds.... At the same time, my daughters focus was less on the horses and more on a social aspect...boys. Soon, it would be time for Boogie to go...


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## ACinATX

That's good to know you can barrel race in an English saddle. If we ever decided to try that, we wouldn't have to buy more stuff. You must need an amazing seat, though.

I also didn't realize you had a mini. She's cute!


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> You must need an amazing seat, though.


The western saddle definitely keeps you in place. My daughter went around the barrels faster than some of the kids riding western and it was fun to watch! You will have to try it!


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## TrainedByMares

This picture is what fun looks like! 

We were trying to set up a visit with Ash a few months after he left when we were informed by the lady we gave him to that she had sold him to a neighbor and that he had just died. Rest In Peace ,Ash


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## Knave

My husband and I were just having this conversation a night or two ago. He said he regretted some of the horses we sold, and I agreed. I regret giving Sassy and Runt away. Both were in response to injuries, and Sassy could have been nerved where I just feel that Runt should have lived out her life with me.

He regretted turning two particular horses- Kristi Brinkley and Long Face. He didn’t like Kristi. I did. I rode her in high school quite a bit, and he didn’t realize what my father had given him. He thought her kind of junky and she was bucking a bit then, and he just didn’t give her a chance. Back then we didn’t work together; what was his was his and I couldn’t touch it.

The mare Long Face was something handed to my father-in-law at a race. She scared a jockey, and he got off and his owner handed her to my fil. She was the ugliest horse I’d ever seen, but her heart was big as her head. She was the kindest natured animal I had been around. We were young, and my fil gave her to us.

Husband had zero patience for this filly. She didn’t know about mountains or creeks, all she had seen was a track. She got scared of things outside, but not spooky, she was too kind for that. She would just refuse certain things. I remember at work once she flat quit at this ditch. No way! Well, I ended up roping her and dragging her across with the filly I was on. Husband was so irritated that he didn’t want to use her anymore after that.

She was another I would have taken on, if we were friendly with each other back then. He told his dad she wouldn’t work, but also that she was a kindhearted pet, and he gave her away to my husband’s sister. She had a pile of kids who could use a kind filly. They didn’t take care of her feet though, and she ended up put down over it.

I think growing up and learning more makes us realize the mistakes we have made. Today we are very loyal to our horses. We try to find their own talents and use them in those ways. We are very close to them.

Now, we also have horses we don’t regret turning. Keno, for example, I still wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole if he showed back up. My life is better without him, and I hate that he still effects me. My husband just didn’t like Charlie. He doesn’t regret Charlie leaving. He’s one I’d have taken on, but I don’t tell him that.


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## TrainedByMares

You're right @Knave It goes both ways! Boogie just came up for sale recently and I wouldn't touch him ( or any other thoroughbreds) with a ten foot pole either!


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## TrainedByMares

And then along came Jesse!
Here is a picture of our old barn, the former car garage/ workshop that we renovated into a horse barn. I was not there when this picture was taken. I don't know what is going on here and it looks like Nicki and Jesse are concerned.


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## ACinATX

Why can't I heart it and laugh at it together? Why do I have to pick one?

What a great picture. You have the BEST pictures!


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## TrainedByMares

Jesse came to me from the same breeder that Nicki came from.
Here is a picture of her at the breeders farm before I picked her up. She is a Palomino Appendix Quarter Horse and she has the thoroughbred mentality. Her dam died when Jesse was born and Jesse was kept alive by the breeder. He slept with her and fed and looked after her. She is named after the vet who assisted him. I had heard about this and went over to see her and freakin' fell in love! I need another horse! How many of you have needed another horse? Exactly! So did I.







The breeder told me this one would be more difficult but that just stirs up the rebellion in me. That's like when I was 13 years old and my dad told me I didn't know nothing about cars. I showed him, didn't I?

Well, my screen name is trained by mares not trains mares. As it turns out, Nicki and Jesse teach me a lot! Some of the things I learned about Nicki do not apply to Jesse. It is more difficult. When Jesse is two years old, I begin riding her and going way too quick, one day I smack her in the butt with a barrel whip to get moving and move we did. She took off bucking until we hit a pile of stone and fell over. I was riding it out and managed to step off unscathed but my red flag went up. I was a bonehead and I need to start being less cocky and start thinking more. Didn't I cover this topic before? 

The breeder told me to slow down, there is no timeline. And so I stepped back and slowly worked with Jesse until it was time to ride again. This time, I enlisted the help of an established and experienced trainer who makes sure I am on the right track. It's not about ego. This is no 30 day mustang. Just being safe and getting the job done the right way. 

So, we ended up sending Boogie to a lesson barn about an hour away where he thrived and was part of a great team. My daughter pretty much stopped riding. She is in school, has a part-time job and a boyfriend. Not much time for riding horses but she mucks out stalls with me in the morning. And that's about it for history...


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## ACinATX

Ugh. My daughter is 16 and while she's not tired of Moonshine I think she's tired of lessons. At least she enjoyed the jousting, so we'll keep doing that for a while at least. She better not stop riding altogether. Moonshine is staying with us -- she's getting older and needs injections to stay comfortable and I wouldn't trust anyone to take care of her -- but I hope my daughter doesn't just decide to stop riding altogether. I don't need another pasture pet, especially one who could be ridden.

Hearing about how your daughter stopped riding is depressing. I mean, she has two horses right there at home! And she still doesn't ride?


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## Knave

Well, I think it’s different in your worlds. I think when horses are a hobby, it is alright for a kid to lose interest to be honest. I would feel like it is a sport. My girls put a lot into basketball, and I would be sad to see them quit, but it would be okay.

Here we have a rule. “You don’t have to ride horses for a hobby, but you do have to be competent and have your horses competent for work.” After they graduate, they could say goodbye to horses if that is their choice as they make their lives look how they want.

I always figured my oldest would drop horses like a hat when the time came around. Yet, when I gave her Bones her world changed. She loves that horse, loves cutting and competitive roping, and has grown a love for work. She always was good, always natural at reading a horse and cows, but dreaded it. It was the horse for her.

Whenever she hears about a kid who wants to step away now, she always says it’s all about the horse. Lol


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## TrainedByMares

You can't make someone ride. Then it's a job. It used to bother me but now I do my thing and don't worry about it. At the end of the day, these are my horses and my responsibility, not hers.


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## Knave

That is the difference. It is a job here. In this life, everyone has to work together. Kids start working super early in life, and that is the only option there is.

I enjoy it, and my girls love it now. They went through a phase of being jealous of the town kids, who played in the summer and on school breaks, and hung out with other kids. There are a big portion of kids like them here though, they work and don’t socialize often.

The work is hard too, and oftentimes there is an element of danger, but it makes for a certain environment that is wonderful. Everyone looks back at what they have accomplished, and everyone has a place. It only works because of the team.

Of course, as people lose their kids into the world and their own livelihoods, then people must be hired to take their places. So, several town kids farm in the summer. We will be able to handle the cowboying, although it will be difficult to adjust, but something will have to give with the farming, unless my young cousin moves home, which I don’t think is his goal.


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## TrainedByMares

You are blessed, @Knave !


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## knightrider

About the barrel racing, I know in my club, Suwannee River Riding Club, in Florida, you cannot barrel race except in a Western saddle. I was barrel racing in an Aussie saddle with a horn, and they told me I couldn't do that anymore.

In Maryland, I belonged to a saddle club that did shows, and you were not allowed to barrel race or do any speed events in an English saddle. Just so you know . . .


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## gottatrot

knightrider said:


> About the barrel racing, I know in my club, Suwannee River Riding Club, in Florida, you cannot barrel race except in a Western saddle. I was barrel racing in an Aussie saddle with a horn, and they told me I couldn't do that anymore.
> 
> In Maryland, I belonged to a saddle club that did shows, and you were not allowed to barrel race or do any speed events in an English saddle. Just so you know . . .


Funny...as if cross country is not a speed event.


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> but I hope my daughter doesn't just decide to stop riding altogether. I don't need another pasture pet, especially one who could be ridden.
> 
> Hearing about how your daughter stopped riding is depressing. I mean, she has two horses right there at home! And she still doesn't ride?


I spent some time thinking about this because it brought up some old feelings. 

At first, I was mad and relieved at the same time. The rollercoaster ride of shows and lessons and Boogies constant needs was over. But you're right, AC. Here is a horse to pleasure ride at your fingertips, why don't you ride ? Who cares about boyfriend? Horses smell better anyway. However, she is a teenager and teens don't always take advantage of everything they could. She may take it for granted that the horses and me will always be there. It took me awhile to reconcile how I felt but when I started looking at the big picture, here is what I came up with: She is taking courses in school to become an RN which in my opinion, would be a good career. What if she fell and hurt herself at this point? An injury could sideline her career ambitions. Perhaps, things happen for a reason. Once she has a career and can support herself, maybe she will take up riding again. Either way, I enjoy working and playing with my horses and if no one else cares about them, I don't let it affect what I am doing. Many times, it's just me and them and that seems to be okay.

Don't be too hard on your daughter, AC. Hobby riding should be fun and interesting, not something she has to do, but something she wants to do. You are branching out and discovering many facets of riding and enjoying time with your horses so if she did quit or scale back, it would not be your fault.


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## Knave

I think that’s how I would feel too. I love basketball, but I’m always relieved when the season is over. It’s emotionally draining for some reason.

I watch my friends chase all these high school rodeos. Often they begin with the jr rodeos, which I think is 6th grade -8th. So, for six years, everything is rodeo. The emotions and the pressure… having the right horses, and it will pay for some of them with college scholarships, but I look and I’m grateful we don’t play that game.

My husband did, and he went to college for rodeo. When the girls were babies he said he would let them do it, and I kind of disagreed. Until now they haven’t pushed us to do it, but both want to go team rope. I won’t let them. I would rather them jackpot against adults and have a chance to bring home money more than spend it.

Just watching I know I would hate it. It’s more intensive than basketball. It would just be too much.


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## knightrider

gottatrot said:


> Funny...as if cross country is not a speed event.


 Ah, you are 100% correct, but the club didn't do cross country. We had English classes in the morning--jumping, English pleasure, hunter. Then at lunch, we did trail classes with both English and Western riders. After lunch everybody pulled off their English saddles, undid their braids, and slapped on the Western saddles and curb bits to do Western pleasure, reining, and 3 speed events: barrel racing, pole bending, and keyhole race.

My Magic Fox was a dandy English show horse, and one time I was heading in my trailer to a show when I got a flat tire. Luckily I was right next to a gas station, so they said they would change the tire for me. They couldn't get it off the axle. The nuts were frozen. It took them several hours to get it done, and by the time I got to the show, all the English classes were over (this was not our club, but many clubs had a similar program). So there I was, kitted out in lovely hunter attire with my elegant appaloosa neatly braided. All the classes were done except the speed events. I asked if we could just ride in those 3 since I had gone to so much trouble to get to the show. The people running the show felt sorry for me and said, "Yes, of course."

The Western riders grinned and looked at me sideways, certain that my long legged lovely English appaloosa hunter would certainly not be able to turn and burn around the obstacles. One of our best events was handy hunter, and my mare was GOOD at turning at the touch of a heel. We won all 3 events and got the speed championship. Then the Western riders got mad, and rallied the people running the show to deny us the championship because we were English and the rules said, "Western attire." But the show promoters stood by their word and awarded us the championship. I shrugged and said, "A good horse is a good horse."

I really don't begrudge the barrel racers and pole benders for demanding Western saddles. The rules for many of the English classes are extremely specific, including what kinds of bits you are allowed to ride in. Some barrel racing clubs don't let you run in a hackamore. Fortunately, our club doesn't mind what bit or lack of bit you use.


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> both want to go team rope





Knave said:


> It’s more intensive than basketball


I've often wondered how team ropers manage, especially the heeler. If you miss, the header gets nothing. That's a tremendous pressure on the heeler. I've asked several heelers if they mind all that pressure and every one of them have said their header is a good sport and does not resent their missing when they do. Human nature being what it is, I would never want to be the heeler.


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## ACinATX

knightrider said:


> Then at lunch, we did trail classes with both English and Western riders. After lunch everybody pulled off their English saddles, undid their braids, and slapped on the Western saddles and curb bits to do Western pleasure, reining, and 3 speed events: barrel racing, pole bending, and keyhole race.


That "undid their braids" thing made me laugh, but then it made me think. I guess this is part of why I've never been too interested in showing. I feel like the way you have to have "the look" for your particular discipline is off-putting, at least for me. Braid the mane for English. Undo for Western. Braid and trim the tail for English. Get tail extension for Western. This kind of bridle, that kind of bridle. This color of horse, that color of horse. This style of pants. That style of pants. I guess people like to differentiate themselves and their chosen activity. But honestly, aside from functional issues, it just seems kind of ridiculous to me.

But, I am probably once again in the minority.


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## Knave

@knightrider I have always heeled. I never handled the pressure well as a kid. I kind of hated it to be perfectly honest.

Yet, I’ve had a lot of headers miss for me, and I never held it against them. I’d much rather my header miss than me. I think it must be something mental one has to accept in team events. I stress over them still. When we team brand I start throwing up two weeks before. Entry fees are high and I can’t handle the pressure of losing that money for someone. Plus, it’s not just a miss and you are out, but if you start missing and get in your head you could sit out there making a fool of yourself time after time.

I guess we need to understand that people who we want to rope with are like us. Kind and happy for the chance to compete, and hold no grudges for a bad day. Yet, there are a lot of “hot” teams I have flat refused. I know I would just pass out from the pressure of roping with them.


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## egrogan

ACinATX said:


> But honestly, aside from functional issues, it just seems kind of ridiculous to me.
> 
> But, I am probably once again in the minority.


This is one of many reasons people love endurance! On the endurance FB pages, people wanting to try it often post questions about what tack they need, what clothes they need, etc. The answer is always that there are no rules about any of that- you should use what is safe and well-fitting for you and your horse, and a ride would welcome you if you wanted to show up bareback and naked, as long as your horse was fit and sound 🤣


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## Knave

@knightrider I hate when people throw a fit over losing like those barrel girls. When I was a kid, there weren’t any rules around here about speed events. The best horse wins, end of story. That’s why I have always loved competing the speed events. There is no subjectivity to them.


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## TrainedByMares

egrogan said:


> you should use what is safe and well-fitting for you and your horse


I like the sound of that! I've read some of the endurance stories here on the forum and while I'm sure it could be fun, riding with some of the other people and horses in close proximity may not be that much fun. I feel the same way as AC, probably because I am an outsider and I had no preconceived notions when I started riding. If it fit and worked why not? Western headstall and English saddle, no problem!


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> but if you start missing and get in your head


I've watched at our local rodeo and I can see this exact thing going on. Now they are trying harder and it messes with the rhythm of the run. First you have to win the battle with your brain, then your body can do it's thing. Haha, I just thought of something. I was in a flight simulator once trying to land a plane and I crashed it. My instructor was disappointed because most kids that play videogames could do it no problem. I told him, give me a beer or two and I'll land that thing without a bump!


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## TrainedByMares

knightrider said:


> Ah, you are 100% correct, but the club didn't do cross country. We had English classes in the morning--jumping, English pleasure, hunter. Then at lunch, we did trail classes with both English and Western riders. After lunch everybody pulled off their English saddles, undid their braids, and slapped on the Western saddles and curb bits to do Western pleasure, reining, and 3 speed events: barrel racing, pole bending, and keyhole race.
> 
> My Magic Fox was a dandy English show horse, and one time I was heading in my trailer to a show when I got a flat tire. Luckily I was right next to a gas station, so they said they would change the tire for me. They couldn't get it off the axle. The nuts were frozen. It took them several hours to get it done, and by the time I got to the show, all the English classes were over (this was not our club, but many clubs had a similar program). So there I was, kitted out in lovely hunter attire with my elegant appaloosa neatly braided. All the classes were done except the speed events. I asked if we could just ride in those 3 since I had gone to so much trouble to get to the show. The people running the show felt sorry for me and said, "Yes, of course."
> 
> The Western riders grinned and looked at me sideways, certain that my long legged lovely English appaloosa hunter would certainly not be able to turn and burn around the obstacles. One of our best events was handy hunter, and my mare was GOOD at turning at the touch of a heel. We won all 3 events and got the speed championship. Then the Western riders got mad, and rallied the people running the show to deny us the championship because we were English and the rules said, "Western attire." But the show promoters stood by their word and awarded us the championship. I shrugged and said, "A good horse is a good horse."
> 
> I really don't begrudge the barrel racers and pole benders for demanding Western saddles. The rules for many of the English classes are extremely specific, including what kinds of bits you are allowed to ride in. Some barrel racing clubs don't let you run in a hackamore. Fortunately, our club doesn't mind what bit or lack of bit you use.



That is a great story! I'm glad the promoters did what they did!


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## knightrider

TrainedByMares said:


> Western headstall and English saddle, no problem!


Trail riding! You see combinations of everything and anything out on the trail and nobody cares a bit.


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## TrainedByMares

Vaccination time! We split shots up and do the annual comprehensive shots late winter and the Potomac shot in the spring. The vet came out yesterday to do our first round and also to draw blood for a Coggins test on Treats so she can attend shows. She asked me what I was feeding these horses because they were shining,even with winter coats, and looked so healthy. I told her a little bit of grain, hay and grass but mostly it was love! 

These horses get kisses throughout the day. They get conversation, loving touches and rubs and hugs. They can feel it. Is there any other way? Doesn't everbody do this?

Nicki gets laid low by her shots. You could tell they were all feeling it by late afternoon but Nicki was particularly sensitive. When she saw me, she nickered for me to come over. She continued to nicker ,telling me she was not feeling well. Her neck was so sore, she could barely lower her head to eat her hay when I put her in her stall. When I brought grain out, I lifted her bowl up and held it so it would be easier for her. I felt so bad for her.

This morning, they are all still a little sore but getting better.







Another challenge right now is the paddocks and pastures are ' the land of many poo's '. Frozen ones. I love to keep things clean but this winter, the weather has not cooperated. Ice and snow have locked the manure to the ground. It is everwhere! Even the afternoon sun ,while turning the surrounding earth to mud, cannot thaw it and it remains firmly frozen to the ground.

It's lighter later. The sun is stronger. Plans are made. A feeling of hope washes over every day. I love the slow march towards the longest day in June.


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## Knave

Oh, I do too! I just love every new season.

You should see Mama’s corral. Ugh. I’m a neat freak about it, but like there, the weather has not cooperated. I think when it finally thaws up it is going to take a full week to get into shape again, if not longer. She’s a terrible mess herself too.


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## gottatrot

I've been filling in some depressions in the field with poo while there are no flies. It's good to do near dark when no one is around, because after I dump the wheelbarrow into the depression, I do a "poop dance" where I stomp around and smash the manure so it becomes flat with the ground. It must look quite ridiculous.


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## TrainedByMares

Sometimes it is difficult to remain positive even when I know that I should be. The most recent winter weather event,similar to most of the others this season, has been a wet snow turned to slush turned to ice. 

As quick as the ice arrives, it's departure, in sharp contrast, is very slow.

Of course, I am fortunate to have the horses out on pasture. There are still patches of grass and the tops of the tall stands available to graze. I am still supplementing with the odd fleck of hay here and there throughout the day but oh! the hay I am saving!!

Last year at this time, I had run out of stored hay and had to scrape around and overpay for marginal quality hay to make it through to spring. I made sure that was not repeated this winter. I have a barn full of hay!! A horse person knows what a great feeling that is!

Anyway, back to being bummed out... right now I live,eat and breathe to train and ride horses. I feel that I couldn't care less about other aspects of adult life. Is that shallow? I am drawn to the deep mysteries of horses. The challenge to unlock the Nicki code or the Jesse code or even the Treats code for that matter absolutely fascinates me. And this weather just shuts that right down.


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## Knave

That looks treacherous! Wow!

I don’t think it’s shallow. I am that way. I remember in hs going skiing with my school. I remember thinking, “this is like horses. I am glad I don’t do this, because I would never be able to leave it.” I wondered if there were those who didn’t have horses who would feel how I could about skiing.

Now there is you, to answer my question. 

I think it’s good to have a passion and something to think about. There are so many layers to how each horse thinks that it is always going to be interesting and difficult.

Living through difficult footing on certain winters is just something to accept I guess. I finally got on Queen for a second yesterday. Another storm had knocked us out of the game for yet another week. I think Cash’s two-year-old year we were completely out of the game for two months!


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## TrainedByMares

Thanks @Knave ! Learning about and working with horses feels so real and makes me feel so alive. I suppose, to make up for lost time, I am trying to compress that experience. Patience! Is what I need! With horses and with the weather.

We had a bit of fun on the ice while taking Maya on her morning walk!







There goes mama and Maya sliding down the icy trail!







And Maya bravely pulling like a sled dog while mama slides along behind her! Mush! Mush! Maya!


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## TrainedByMares

You mentioned Queen, @Knave , and I follow her with great interest because she reminds me of Nicki. They have some similarities. The other evening I watched a show about the Colorado State prisoners that train mustangs and I thought about Queen. I also saw myself in those guys because they fell in love with horses.


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## Knave

They do seem similar! I hadn’t thought of it. Nicki is pretty tolerant, but would bully given the opportunity as she proved. Queen is nice to me, but a terrible bully. Lol

She was happy to go today. I am trying to get her ready for work. I’m a bit anxious about it all.


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## TrainedByMares

What are you and her working on today? I hope all goes well!🙂


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## Knave

It did go well.  We worked on trotting tight serpentines, spinning, sidepassing, backing and trotting big circles. I want to lope circles. The only patch of dry ground is small, and so she doesn’t believe she can break into a lope. I know she could, but she is convinced she cannot. I’m not sure I’ll get to loping circles until more ground dries out.

This is conflicting for me, because at work I’ll have to lope and run. I have loped her before, but not all winter because of the footing. So, we will be doing things that we are not practicing. I’m hoping the first few days can go slow, but you can’t expect that.

I’ve never loped her after a cow. She has that mean streak… so I didn’t want to go there in her head. This is another reason I’m frustrated about not being able to lope circles, and the inability to get her rode down. I think she will be convinced when we have to go fast that she needs to go into attack mode. It’s her favorite mode. Lol

I did just go out and hang out with her for a while. She would rather me love on her than eat. I tried to pet Bones and she pushed me in the butt with her nose fairly hard. Lol


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## Knave

While we were gone feeding buffalo, I guess Zeus ran away with little girl! The dogs started a fight behind them, and he took off. He made 1/2 mile before a bobwire fence, and she was sure they would hit it. I guess even Zeus gets fresh!

So, she worked him hard, which was correct, but I guess we’ve never explained cooling a horse down. So she didn’t. When I went to hang out with Queen Zeus was soaked. I came in and explained to her cooling a horse.

Big girl is visiting her boyfriend. We’ve explained to her not to get hurt, and then got pictures of her sacking out a colt! It makes me happy all she is learning from the boy, but if she gets hurt I’m going to hurt him! Lol


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## gottatrot

TrainedByMares said:


> Anyway, back to being bummed out... right now I live,eat and breathe to train and ride horses. I feel that I couldn't care less about other aspects of adult life. Is that shallow? I am drawn to the deep mysteries of horses.


I'm not sure...I've pretty much been that way about horses since I was born. 
Last night I watched the PBS documentary on American Horses. There were quite a few people on the show who were the same way. In my life, horses fit in rather seamlessly I think, but still I always wish there could be more "horse" and less responsibilities. 

@Knave...crazy about Zeus, and about your big girl sacking out colts.


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## knightrider

gottatrot said:


> I'm not sure...I've pretty much been that way about horses since I was born.
> Last night I watched the PBS documentary on American Horses. There were quite a few people on the show who were the same way. In my life, horses fit in rather seamlessly I think, but still I always wish there could be more "horse" and less responsibilities.
> 
> Me too. I kind of wish I wasn't that way, but there was never a time when horses were not a huge priority for me. I was 9 years old, not a good student, not getting good grades, when I realized if I was going to have a life with horses, I would have to study hard, get good grades, and have a responsible job. My parents let me get rabbits, and I raised them, sold them, and took good care of them, often reminding my parents that me being responsible for my rabbits proved that I could be responsible with a horse. And I was.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I think she will be convinced when we have to go fast that she needs to go into attack mode. It’s her favorite mode. Lol
> [/QUOTE
> 
> Nicki gets amped up when we lope,too. Probably because we don't do enough of it. Some days when I ask her to slow down from a lope she gets mad,shakes her head and rocks around.
> 
> I'm glad your little girl didn't get hurt. Didn't she have any reins to stop Zeus? So, I know you have cattle but you have buffalo as well? Do you ride horses around the buffalo ? @Knave you have so many blessings! I just watched part of that PBS documentary on American Horses last night. Seeing the mustang herds I was trying to imagine what it would be like to ride with them like you did! I would be happy to just hang out with them. I would never want to go home. It's weird but knowing that a person with so much horse experience like yourself still gets frustrated and anxious makes me feel better. I am not alone in that.
> 
> We have had a couple warm days and most of the ice and snow has melted. The ground is soft and mushy but I need to work with Nicki and Jesse. I may have to confine my activities to the round pen and parts of the driveway but it will be better than nothing!


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## TrainedByMares

gottatrot said:


> Last night I watched the PBS documentary on American Horses. There were quite a few people on the show who were the same way.


I desperately crave that lifetime of horse experience that some of you have but I temper that with the knowledge that I was not truly ready for horses until I was. Nonetheless, when I read your journals and stories I wish it was me (except for the spills and injuries lol)


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## Knave

She had reins, but he was in a true run away. She’s never actually ridden a real runaway before, and so her reaction was to try and one rein stop. I explained to her later to never one rein stop once momentum is built up, in that case one should bend a horse into a large circle and regain control that way. Luckily I guess, Zeus didn’t let her. Her hand got cut up trying to take his head away from him, but I always figured if Zeus ever decided to misbehave you would be along for the ride. Lol

We don’t own the Buffalo herd. My buddy does, and when he leaves he asks us to do his chores for him. Buffalo are intimidating at their full growth. He butchers them and also guides hunts on the bulls I believe. He did have one leppy in who is cute though.

I completely get what you mean! My husband once told me, “Don’t you think everyone gets scared? We all do. We just decide whether it’s worth it or not.” That was shocking to me. I never did get scared, and didn’t think a horse alive could best me, and then I bought Lilly. Lilly was a horse who was not only a superbly bred athlete, but also a horse who had a learned hatred of people. She scared me.

After her I would occasionally get anxious in certain situations. One day, when Bones was two and I was trying to desensitize him, and he kept rearing up and striking out, my husband took over, and that is what he told me.


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## TrainedByMares

LOGGING NICKI !!

I asked Nicki if she wanted to ride with me this morning while I was doing chores. When I finished,changed clothes and walked out to the barnyard,Nicki was near the gate keeping an eye on me. I told her as I was tacking up it will always be you and me,everybody else can go their way but we will always be together. 

So,we had to stay on the solid areas of the driveway and parking areas because the earth is pure mush. First things first...today we will pull a log. We do a drive-by to check out our rope/log combo and practice circles,turns and stops to warm up.







Then the junkmonster reared it's ugly head. What is this doing here? Well Nicki knows her truck parts but we never had one look like this sitting here before!







We had to ride around this a few times. No problem. Junk buys gas ,hay,food,you name it.







Jesse is so jealous! She was running ,rolling in the mud and kicking to show her displeasure. You expect me to get on your back when you're acting that way??







Now it's time to pull. Nicki takes some jiggy steps at first but soon settles in and we drag the log all over the driveway!







Watch out Queen, Nicki will be catching up!!


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## Knave

That is so awesome!!!!


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## TrainedByMares

IN THE MOMENT


Everybody talks about living in stressful times. You don't have to be a refugee to feel the tension. A click on a keyboard or screen is a heartbeat away and images of disease,war,unrest and misery can enter your life. We are all affected.

Recently, I was reading a book about liberty training horses and the author recommended 'being in the moment with your horse' when handling and working with them. I have read and heard this before, it's not a new concept. Yet, for me, it is difficult to apply. Of course, there are times when I walk out to one of the horses in their pasture and just hang out and be in the moment ...for a short time. In that time, stress seems to melt away.

Yesterday I decided to redouble my efforts to truly be in the moment and STAY in the moment while I worked and played with Jesse. I worked through all of my required duties and responsibilities of the day and by late afternoon I shelved my cellphone and put Jesse in the roundpen for some back-to-basics groundwork. It really took some effort to keep my mind from racing into the future and the past!

After the roundpen, I grabbed my phone to take pictures so you could see what I was talking about and we took a walk and I focused on the beauty of my surroundings. The blue sky, the mountains ,the fresh air ,the peaceful environment and the horse I was walking with. Being in the moment with Jesse gave me real relief from the barrage of information I process through my thoughts. Although it took a concerted effort on my part to do so, it seemed to be a great tool in my kit to manage stress.














Now, I realised that looking at pictures can put the viewer in the moment too! So these pictures can relieve your stress as well! Bingo! A win-win!

I have sworn myself to try to do more of this. When I am with my horses, truly be with them in the moment...and keep those moments going! 
Try it!

THE CAMBODIAN CONNECTION

Years ago, I frequented an auto parts warehouse in Buffalo. Over a few years, I got to know several Cambodian guys that worked there. When I was there, I would usually spend the better part of the day selling and checking in my load of parts and buying stuff that I could sell to someone else. I would eat breakfast and lunch with those guys and we talked about many subjects.

I came to find out they were refugees from the killing fields of the Pol Pot regime. We used to call them the Boat People. They told me they ran day and night,without sleep,rest or food to escape the communist soldiers. Their families were murdered. They were the survivors of an atrocity.

Here in the United States they were free. No one hunted them down. They could work,play and pursue their dreams. One day we were all hanging around on the open truck docks soaking up some sunshine and talking,taking a break. I was watching them : smoking cigarettes,laughing,smiling faces and fun conversation and I was thinking look at these guys and what they've been through and they can still enjoy the day! Try to remember that when you have a stressful day!


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## gottatrot

Great post! I had a coworker whose mother fled with her from the khmer rouge regime also, with her two little girls. She always talked about how brave her mother was, the hardships she went through to save them, and how her mom taught her to be grateful for the opportunities she had now.


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## TrainedByMares

Romeo ,my old buddy, is still going! According to what I was told, he should be about 25 not 35 so maybe thats a typo. Either way, he is still bringing smiles to faces!!


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## ACinATX

It's always nice to know that horses we've interacted with are happy now.

He's blind? Was he before? I don't remember you saying...


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## TrainedByMares

Romeo was not blind when I hung out with him. I just learned that from this recent posting. Yes, I am very happy that he is well!!😀


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## TrainedByMares

Today was mostly sunny and somewhat mild. Tomorrow is supposed to snow, blow high wind and get very cold.Jesse was standing at her pasture gate waiting when I finished chores. Hmmm...what to do?? I had better get a ride!

I had no sooner brushed the dried mud off of Jesse when I heard Nicki's distinctive grunting whinny which means she is bulldozing the electric fence. I could hear the sound of her hooves around the other side of the barn. Nicki is out!!








If Nicki can torpedo a ride with Jesse,she will. It is a shame that I have to put up with such jealousy. 

I called my daughter in and Nicki's antics soon ended. Into her stall she went! No water,no hay! Just look out your window and watch Jesse ride! Ha!

Jesse and I walked around on the stone driveway and parking areas. She is a sweetheart! We rode into the barnyard so we could show off to Nicki. After I rode,my daughter hopped on and they walked around.







I took my time putting Jesse back ,talked on the phone a while and finally got around to Nicki. Oh,was she sorry! I suppose you want to ride?







Nicki and I were the Pony Express today. We rode down the driveway to the mailbox to retrieve the mail. Simple beginnings to (hopefully) a springtime filled with riding! Hopefully tomorrows winter storm will be our last of the season!


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## gottatrot

The look on Nicki's face says it all.


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## TrainedByMares

What a difference a day or so makes...







Another wintry ice-scape! Some of us enjoy it...







And some of us don't!

Another Nicki bust-out from a different electric pasture. Back to solitary she goes...







Truth-be-told, we both enjoy the time together. I laughed when I was talking to her and she nickered softly in reply. Tu es mi caballo. You are my horse...and I am your man.


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## Knave

I love Nicki and your relationship with her!


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I love Nicki and your relationship with her!


Thank you for understanding and encouraging! Sometimes I wonder if it's healthy . lol I would rather spend time with the horses than people. If I go away, it's only for short periods of time. After several hours away, I can feel the pressure to return. Treats needs some hay. Nicki needs to talk or more likely 'yell' at me about something I should have done. Jesse says 'are we going to ride?' . It's kind of a shame but if we go visit with people, most times all I hear is blah,blah,blah and soon I'm thinking I gotta go! I feel the pull and when I am back with the herd, it's all good.


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## gottatrot

Yep, supposedly we own animals, but they own us. When you take better care of them, they expect more, too.


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## TrainedByMares

My oldest daughter made me a t-shirt


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## TrainedByMares

Here's another one...


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## Knave

I love them!

Yes, I completely relate to that feeling. I haven’t really messed with Queen or Cash for what feels like forever. I did the day with the BLM person here, and one day I just went and sat with them on the trough while they ate. Finally today I am back to mostly healthy!

It is good to feel like that- to have something that brings that kind of joy into one’s life.

I have a friend I get a little annoyed with lately. For years I’ve done his chores when he leaves. He leaves too often and for too long! Lol. I feel like, when you have animals, you have a responsibility to not do that.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I love them!
> 
> Yes, I completely relate to that feeling. I haven’t really messed with Queen or Cash for what feels like forever. I did the day with the BLM person here, and one day I just went and sat with them on the trough while they ate. Finally today I am back to mostly healthy!
> 
> It is good to feel like that- to have something that brings that kind of joy into one’s life.
> 
> I have a friend I get a little annoyed with lately. For years I’ve done his chores when he leaves. He leaves too often and for too long! Lol. I feel like, when you have animals, you have a responsibility to not do that.


Yes, being sick is no fun. I'm glad you're feeling better! When I was posting the History series, I was very sick with covid and I pushed myself too hard so it lingered. I'm just getting to the point where I feel mostly healthy again too.

I think if I had someone who was trustworthy looking after the animals, I could justify being away longer,maybe even overnight. Perhaps your friend feels so comfortable he goes for longer periods of time! Lol


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## Knave

Maybe so, but when you have 15 dogs and a herd of buffalo, maybe you shouldn’t leave for weeks at a time every couple months. lol. When he got married I said, “yay, now he has someone to do his chores!” We did his chores for a month and half that time, and a month and half not much later for another valid reason. Nope. They just go together.


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## TrainedByMares

A warm sunny friday morning, things are drying out and it's time to work with Nicki and Jesse.I was going to grab Nicki, walk with her up the mountain trail,which she and I have never yet been on together and then return, tack up and ride the same route. When I approached the pastures, Nicki was grazing far away and Jesse was at her gate. Change of plan! I scraped the dried mud off Jesse, tacked up and rode around the barnyard, driveway and near the roundpen. Just a simple, easy ride. For whatever reason, I was nervous and I tamped my anxious thoughts down but I know they transferred to Jesse. She balked going down the driveway and startled when Treats gave a little snort from her corral nearby. I'm doing this to Jesse! I kept it short and sweet, everything went okay but I felt guilty about the ride. Had I followed my plan and rode with Nicki first, my nerves would have settled and not been a factor.

I left my phone/camera in the barn because I didn't want to carry and worry about it today so no pictures. I regret doing that because I could have taken some nice pictures. I have to remember that it's not just me going for a ride. So down the road Nicki and I go. A couple of times, she stopped and I've come to realize Nicki is a 'water horse'. She is sensing underground water. There was another post on the forum discussing this and around the same time, the road to the mountain developed a soft spot and the pavement crumbled in a certain area that Nicki has never liked to traverse. Underground water! I looked carefully at all the areas that make Nicki nervous and yes, every one of them has water flowing either as a natural spring or a pipe under the roadway/driveway/pathway. Nicki and I headed up the mountain road past the gate, so you can imagine, we are going to sense some water along the way. Today I decided, instead of fighting, I would dismount and we would walk across the scary areas which made it much easier on both of us. Yes, it's kind of pathetic that I have to walk my horse over a pipe underground but I think positive. Maybe if we walk over it 100 times, it will get better. 

At first, the trail was wide and inviting, with the creek babbling off to our left in a wide gap with great views and easy terrain. Soon, it narrows as the gap tightens and the rocks and deadfall line the narrow path like a wall. Here, the creek roars as it twists and falls over rocks and roots. Nicki saw the smiley face rock and the two huge rocks that lean on each other. This narrow canyon could lead to death! Nicki jitterbugged along in a nervous trot and even when I dismounted, she was anxiously pulling on the reins, looking in all directions. We walked a little ways and I mounted up, rode another hundred yards and decided if we wheeled and jigged into the rocks beside the trail, she could break a leg. We turned and made our way back and as the trail widened, Nicki's head lowered and she slowed her pace. 

We were walking along the road on our way home and Nicki stopped dead, looking at rocks near a culvert about 20 yards ahead of us. What?? Let's go! No, Nicki wasn't going anywhere. I dismounted and walked toward the culvert. What is there, Nicki? Nothing!! Nicki kept staring and telling me, yes, indeed, there is something! Finally, my eyes stopped focusing on the rocks, plants and culvert and began to see the snakes slithering around them!!! Ah, I am so sorry, Nicki! Yes, there is something!! I acknowledged her and petted her neck and we walked on. I am learning to listen but I am a slow learner! 

Back in the barnyard I dismounted and practiced my backwards flip into the saddle. No one is around today to take pics or help me but I did okay. The first attempt , I laid out with my stomach on the seat like a dead cowboy, then slid off head first. Nicki just stands there. The second attempt was a success but I landed on the cantle and had to hop forward. I will master it soon!!


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## Knave

I’m sorry. I hate those nervous rides. I’m in the middle of one myself. Queen is on one today. She kind of was yesterday as well, so I thought she’d be over it today. She did not follow my train of thought. So, she’s a lot of horse, which is nice in some ways: she’s super sensitive, quick to gather up and does what I ask with flashiness.

On the other hand, she keeps threatening to blow up and has a bad attitude. It makes me more nervous because tomorrow is her first work day. I left her saddled and came in for lunch. We both can take a minute to think about life and then try again. Since we are branding tomorrow, I also want to rope the dummy and drag it around. It’s odd, but I’m not as worried about the branding part. Probably she’ll prove me wrong, but it’s not my concern at this moment.

She’s good with a rope so far. Sometimes they blow over other random things branding- the chaos of the people running around, the dead man on the ground, and especially the smoke. The smoke of the burning hair is the thing that gets most horses. Bones still gets upset about it. The smoke makes him so nervous, and as a colt he would blow out. I’d have to drop my dallies and let him throw his tantrum. This is a terrible idea, because you are responsible for the safety of the ground crew. You are holding the calf, who will kick them in the face given slack, and often someone is down on the ground with a knife and it is extremely dangerous if the horseman is not doing his job.


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## TrainedByMares

Wow! That is alot to think about! I would be nervous too! I hope everything goes well for you after lunch. Any improvement in Queen will make it better for you. I will talk to Nicki and see if she can get a message through!! Lol 😄


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## gottatrot

My Halla always hated water trickling near where we rode. If it was on one side of the road she would want to walk on the other side as we passed, as far away as possible. 

I think every rider has random days where we have nerves bother us. Sometimes it seem strange though, because I might do something really potentally dangerous one day, and have no worries or nerves. Another day I might do something simple and safe like walk a horse in an arena, and feel nervous about it.


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## ACinATX

That's really interesting about the "water horse." I remember reading something about land restoration in the Texas hill country. Apparently the hill country was at one time prairie, but it was a very fragile ecosystem, as the soil is super thin and it doesn't rain too much. Settlers came and over-grazed it and now it's full of scrubby "cedar" trees which suck up all the water and give everyone terrible allergies in winter on top of it.

Anyways, I guess this was some decades ago. This landowner had some land, and every time he would ride over this one spot, his horse would shy. He could never figure out why. Then he cut down all of the cedar and restored the grass (don't ask me how). The next year, a small spring appeared at the spot where his horse had always shied, and then he understood why.


----------



## TrainedByMares

gottatrot said:


> My Halla always hated water trickling near where we rode. If it was on one side of the road she would want to walk on the other side as we passed, as far away as possible.
> 
> I think every rider has random days where we have nerves bother us. Sometimes it seem strange though, because I might do something really potentally dangerous one day, and have no worries or nerves. Another day I might do something simple and safe like walk a horse in an arena, and feel nervous about it.


It's true, every day can be different that way. I think what bothers me is I have seen Jesse slip and fall on her side, rearing and kicking out when she loses her head. During a lesson at the trot,she tripped and fell forwards because she was not listening to me. Luckily I rolled off and away smoothly but that stuff floats around the background of my mind.


----------



## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> That's really interesting about the "water horse." I remember reading something about land restoration in the Texas hill country. Apparently the hill country was at one time prairie, but it was a very fragile ecosystem, as the soil is super thin and it doesn't rain too much. Settlers came and over-grazed it and now it's full of scrubby "cedar" trees which suck up all the water and give everyone terrible allergies in winter on top of it.
> 
> Anyways, I guess this was some decades ago. This landowner had some land, and every time he would ride over this one spot, his horse would shy. He could never figure out why. Then he cut down all of the cedar and restored the grass (don't ask me how). The next year, a small spring appeared at the spot where his horse had always shied, and then he understood why.



I read Robert Caro's biography of Lyndon Johnson and learned about the history of Texas hill country! 
Some people are sensitive to underground water too. Back in the day, that's how they found places to dig their well.


----------



## ACinATX

TrainedByMares said:


> I read Robert Caro's biography of Lyndon Johnson and learned about the history of Texas hill country!
> Some people are sensitive to underground water too. Back in the day, that's how they found places to dig their well.


I wonder if that's where I read that story. Seems very possible. Yeah, I read the first book and found it really interesting, given that I live in the area. I read the second book, and it was also interesting, but by the end of it I hated LBJ so much as a person that I couldn't start the third book. I mean, I knew he was somewhat of a wheeler-dealer, but ugh he was a nasty, unpleasant person. As I told my daughter, I have a hard time wanting to read a book where I really dislike the main character.


----------



## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> I wonder if that's where I read that story. Seems very possible. Yeah, I read the first book and found it really interesting, given that I live in the area. I read the second book, and it was also interesting, but by the end of it I hated LBJ so much as a person that I couldn't start the third book. I mean, I knew he was somewhat of a wheeler-dealer, but ugh he was a nasty, unpleasant person. As I told my daughter, I have a hard time wanting to read a book where I really dislike the main character.


Haha, you would probably hate Robert Moses, who was the subject of Caro's ' The Power Broker' book. Interesting reading though. After reading that book, in classic Moses style, I created horse riding trails throughout the State owned ground that adjoined our property! I'm probably lucky that I didn't get caught but Nicki and I enjoyed alot of riding in those woods before we moved to our current property!


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## TrainedByMares

Today is the fourth day of cold wind. As the days progressed, the temperatures have been dropping. 
I had some work to do in town this morning and when I returned, I noticed that Nicki was not at the gate or near the fence at the driveway as is her custom when the wind blows. I thought 'wow, she's brave today' if she ventured up where the deer and coyotes play and I can't see her. But no, Nicki was busted out again...







You can see the wind has shredded the tarp over the chicken run and look,there's Nicki grazing on green grass!
This time, the fence is intact. Did she jump it ? Did she duck inbetween ? Don't know... 
She is quite satisfied with herself. She seems to be saying 'I'm like you now, I can work on both sides of the fence' . No, Nicki,only I am allowed to go wherever I want around here. Secretly, I would love to set her at liberty but I know it would set a bad example for the others. Nicki would probably go over and show off to Jesse. That wouldn't be good.

As I led Nicki back to her pasture, the National Weather Service alert buzzed my phone... Snow Squall Warning! You can see one coming in the distance...







Nicki says 'it's coming from that direction...' and then goes to eat some grass a little ways away.







In these pictures, you can't see the wind or the temperatures, but it's blowing steady and cold and just before the squall reaches us, it gusts and howls with increased intensity!







Nicki comes running for safety! Don't worry, Nicki! I will save you!

I put all the horses in their stalls to give them a break from the wind and I will bring them back out later in the afternoon for a couple hours of pasture before they go to stalls again for the night. It is brutal out there today!

I heard there was a terrible accident on the interstate today because of the weather. I think it's more the low quality of drivers these days than the weather. I was driving the speed limit yesterday and these idiots were passing me or attempting to pass in areas where it was not prudent to do so. I drove through the Donner Pass when the CHP had I80 closed and it was snowing a foot an hour. They said you can go but if you run into trouble,we're not coming to get you. I drove through the historic 7 foot dumping on Buffalo and other lake-effect events. It's possible to drive safely,snow or clear roads,but these idiots just don't get it.
More and more, I hate to drive ,especially towing a horse trailer! 


Last week, I was talking with a tenant and as we closed our phone conversation ,he said ' As always, it was great talking with you' . He's a straight-shooter,no b.s. guy and I knew he was not just stroking me with those words. What he said encouraged me and i thought of all of you who read my journal and add to it. And so I say to you: As always, it was great talking with you!


----------



## ACinATX

I suggest that Nicki is very smart. She let herself out through the gate and then closed it afterwards.


----------



## gottatrot

I think Nicki heard about Queen and they are planning to start a fence jumping team.


----------



## Knave

@gottatrot I thought the same thing! He did say Queen and Nicki are similar…


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## gottatrot

Probably he mentioned Queen's escapades out loud and thought Nicki wasn't paying attention...


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## TrainedByMares

She saw the pictures on my phone...😄

It must be the start of the spring fighting season , all these mares don't want to hear a word I say, nothing I do seems good enough and this morning, Nicki picked up a cat and threw it! Lol


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> @gottatrot I thought the same thing! He did say Queen and Nicki are similar…


Nicki and Queen both have three white and one black sock and I think that black sock means sass!


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## TrainedByMares

A montage of pics from the past several days. Maya's walks are always fun and interesting...














Last tuesday was back to Jesse and I having a lesson at the trainer lady's arena. Jesse plays hard to catch because it's time to get in the trailer...







We went to a friends baby shower on saturday. She has a grey Arabian who I just love. When I first began my search for a horse, I wanted an Arabian. Never found one but I just love them.







So that brings you up to speed... now it's a monday,and that means back to work...


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## TrainedByMares

WORK 

I just love to work. Hey,it's monday,great,let's get back to work! Today I decided to include some others in my work. We are clearing an old,overgrown fencerow. It's been neglected for decades and it's time for a cleaner look. I am leaving the row of Mulberry trees. June and July will see them loaded with fruit and I am quite fond of them. Daughter works with clippers,a reciprocating saw and wire cutters to cut out the rusty barb wire and fence,the briars and small trees.







I know Nicki and Jesse are eager to help out so I bring out the tack and some rope...







Nicki and I pull the briar bushes down to the brush pile.














Then we ride back for more...







This time we drag an old fencepost down to the pile...







Next,it's Jesse's turn to drag brush. I don't like the idea of this she says! A few false starts and soon she is dragging it calmly down the driveway toward the pile...







Now it's time for a short ride...







Everybody did a great job!!

Tomorrow is another lesson for Jesse and I. The split reins that we use baffle me sometimes when things are moving fast so I have to work on that. Trainer lady says I have to practice with them in the house in the evening but I haven't been doing that. I don't usually sit around too much,even in the house.

Perhaps tomorrow if the weather is still dry and nice, Nicki and I will ride. Ticks are out in force and any riding will have to be on road or open trail,unfortunately.


----------



## Knave

That is awesome! I am so impressed with how quickly you got those two broke to ropes!


----------



## egrogan

I couldn't even finish reading your updates because oh my goodness...when did puppy Maya become a gorgeous DOG? Look at how big she is. I adore her tan feet. And her coat is curly! 

OK, back to reading...


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> That is awesome! I am so impressed with how quickly you got those two broke to ropes!


Thank you! I was impressed with Nicki because we dragged that post right past a bucking,bolting,snorting and kicking Jesse in the pasture beside us! I was telling her 'easy' and she did it!


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## TrainedByMares

egrogan said:


> I couldn't even finish reading your updates because oh my goodness...when did puppy Maya become a gorgeous DOG? Look at how big she is. I adore her tan feet. And her coat is curly!
> 
> OK, back to reading...


Don't be fooled ,she is still a pup!! Lol she is quite curly and getting fluffy! 
We recently met another family in our area that have an English Shepherd,too!


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## TrainedByMares

Lesson day...

Trainer lady throws down some ground poles in the arena and Jesse doesn't agree. My ride begins with some bouncing and baby bucks. We have to ride through them and over them in figure eights. Jesse levels out and we get it done. 
Trainer says we will walk over the pallet bridge today as well so I lead Jesse over to it and we spend the balance of the lesson hour fighting. I say go and Jesse says no...














You can see her avoiding it and eventually I had to dismount ,lead her across and then remount and ride it.
Jesse has overcome this obstacle before so today was frustrating.







Not a fun lesson but a humbling one. I resolve to make a better showing of it next time.
When we returned, Jesse ran away into her pasture and bucked and kicked the air on the far side showing her displeasure.
No peppermint today!


----------



## TrainedByMares

Today I had dreams of grandeur. Work and ride successfully with Jesse and then ride with Nicki up the mountain trail with nary a spook. Get work done around the property,do work work and laugh out loud 'what a glorious day!'. 
Jesse and Nicki say, ,' hay,take it easy...it's not going to be so easy!'

To be sure, my good mood can't be broken so easily. It has not rained for about four days now and the ground is drying out! Ha! 

I set up some ground poles and laid out some roofing rubber,a tarp and a barrel and plywood. Today,we are going to kick some ***.







Everyone hates roofing rubber! But gradually,everyone accepts the fact that the old man wants everyone to walk and ride all over it today.







We are all broke to the tarp. The wind picks up and blows it around. No problem! The plywood is more of an issue... but it's finally overcome. I worked with the two horses for a total of 3 hours and felt they did a reasonably good job. I practiced the backflip into the saddle with Nicki but I was tired and managed to just lay myself across the saddle. No peppermint for me! No ride up the mountain either, its time to get some other work done but I think Nicki,Jesse and I are all satisfied with what we did today!


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## egrogan

Wow, you have green grass! Jealous  Our ground is drying out - except, of course, along the path where we need to drive the tractor to finally clear out the winter poop pile from the corner of the paddock. But we don't really have green yet, still just brownish. But the turkey flocks are all madly in love and providing entertainment everywhere, so it must really be spring!


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## TrainedByMares

Do we ever have green grass, @egrogan !! You are welcome to as much of it as you want! We could support quite a few more horses here. It must be sweet tasting because Maya and the cats are eating it too!


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## TrainedByMares

Absolutely perfect dry weather here. Sure, when they call for showers or rain,we get a spit and it's done. The fields are dry enough to trot and gallop. I love it. No mud.

Today,we continue our work from the other day,sacking out and riding on different surfaces. Nicki goes first and with no issues,we soon progress to other things...







I had recently made a trail through our little patch of woods so we check it out. You can see our back 4 acre field of green grass through the trees! Other signs of spring abound...







A tiny tree blossoms forth! There are many trees in full bloom all over the area. Beautiful!







Of course, I had to fill the gas can and the riding mower, it's that time again! Why couldn't it just grow in the fields?

On to Jesse. Miss Barbie Doll was full of herself this morning. I switched to clip-on continuous roping reins and gave up the split-rein fight for now. Instant communication! Instant confidence!
I lunged her in the round pen and she responded well. Outside the pen,she was Jesse-zilla! We rode the roofing rubber, pop-up plywood and ground poles and she wanted to GO! I started trotting around the outside of the round pen and she wanted to go straight out into the field. We trotted sideways with full neck bend and my boot thumping her outside for a little bit and the second time around she gave me a fast straight trot and then a full buck! I yanked her head back up,kicked hard and TROT!! She was as good as gold after that. 

Jesse is a big horse and she has such a different ride that's hard not to fall in love with. We cover some serious ground when we are moving and its so smooth. Nicki is like a small ,boy racer type of car,like a Firebird. Jesse is like a GTO, a man's car. I mean,they are NOT cars but wow, riding Jesse out in the open is like having the top down and ALOT of engine!

So...saddle fit. Check out the sweat under the pad. You can see Nicki seems to have a dry spot near the shoulder blade. It wasn't always there, I think she got fatter and needs more exercise.







I practiced my backflip into saddle today and flubbed again,sprawled over the saddle like some drunken sailor. Nicki has no withers and that darn saddle rotates off center when I do this. Grrr.

Jesse has a better sweat pattern but still a dry spot near the shoulder. Should I be concerned?







Are they gaining weight because of the crazy sweet springtime grass? I have a industrial scale and I will clean out my work room so they can walk in a on it. The last time I weighed them about a year ago,both horses weighed 1085 lb. Weird,huh? No,my scale is accurate to 1/2 lb. and it's the real deal commercial 4x4 steel plate walk-on type.

Equine dentist is visiting this afternoon. She is very professional and thorough but I've often thought,horses out on the range don't see the dentist.... Thoughts on horse dentists and such?


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## Knave

First, I love the pictures! I’m sorry Jesse had a day.

I don’t know about the saddles. I’d figure they will be back into shape quickly and worry about it then.

As far as the dentist goes, my thoughts differ than most. I don’t mean to discourage anyone else, because whatever you do for a horse’s health I applaud. Yet, I don’t. I feel dentists should be seen when or if an issue arises. I feel that unnecessary filing is a bad deal. I have had many horses who lived into ripe old age and never saw a dentist in their life, and never developed any sort of teeth issues.

I have taken certain horses and had them done. I think if one notices a problem they definitely should see a dentist. Yet, I’ve seen too many horses (other people’s) develop issues because of dentistry.

I now have that feeling regarding human dentists too. I had one massively scam me, to the detriment of our family’s teeth. He scammed many other people too! He would lie about issues and cavities and charge a ton of money to drill and fill teeth that had no need! Now, no more dentist for me unless there is an actual problem.


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## gottatrot

I agree with @Knave that I would wait on the saddles to see how they end up fitting. I've read that in general, large dry spots are less concerning, and most likely would get wet eventually if the horse was worked long enough. Small dry spots when the entire back is sweaty are more likely pressure points. 

You are so lucky to have a scale to weigh your horses! I heard a funny story, which is that the big vet hospital near here had a scale, but they painted the floor green and the scale was black, so they had the hardest time getting horses to walk onto the scale, which to the horses looked like stepping into a black hole. 

I've also heard of many cases where horses had problems from dentists. But I do believe in them, as long as you have people who do a good job. I've owned horses that had their teeth neglected for the first ten years or more of their life, and then we always dealt with the problems that had developed, like a wave mouth. A _good_ dentist will _only_ remove the problems, such as sharp points that have grown above the chewing surface and are poking sores into the cheeks. Amore had her teeth power floated every year from age 12 to age 30, and she still had chewing surface left when she died, plus never had to be on a special diet or with soaked pellets to maintain a good weight. She just ate regular hay. She did not have good teeth to start out either, but the vets were able to manage them well when they stayed on top of the problems. 

Aria has a missing tooth, and she never had dental work before I got her, so the opposite tooth had grown into the space and she had big problems with moving her jaw to chew. She'll need dental work every year to make sure everything doesn't grow even more crookedly over time. Hero develops points every year, and they start to injure his cheeks if they aren't removed.
Poor Aria, she was barely used to being handled last year when the vet was in her mouth with power tools. She needed a_ lot_ of sedation. 

I've read that the reason wild horses don't need dental care is because a) if they have a major problem they will starve and die, and b) they are continuously pulling and chewing plants that are tough and off of gritty soil. By interrupting the 24 hour feeding cycle with hay that doesn't have to be pulled out of the ground by the horse's teeth, and keeping the horses on soft grass and soil rather than desert soil and plants, we don't give them enough grit and wear to keep the teeth maintained. 

My friends and I also compare the way our horses ride to cars, trucks or motorcycles. You can have a zippy sports car, or a big lumbering truck. When we would gallop them from a walk, you could have a big motor that took a while to get up to full speed, or you might have one that took off like a high performance car. A little horse that takes off is a Ducati, LOL. Hero is definitely a truck, not a sports car.


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## TrainedByMares

Sounds like a nasty experience, @Knave . I'm sorry you went through that. I stay away from the dentists office myself. Teeth cleaning? I can do that with toothpaste,a toothbrush and some floss. If you are healthy ,eat healthy and keep your teeth clean, they kind of take care of themselves and I just wondered if horses could be much the same...


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## Knave

I agree. I will say, seeing a lot of mustangs myself, that they don’t live into the old ages as our pets. I think they live old aged as personal horses, but on the mountain you don’t see old enough to notice horses.

I think that in old age some horses may need teeth work, but I did do it with Pete (little girl’s old horse if you remember), and the dentist said he really didn’t need anything. He was old too. His body condition showed he didn’t need anything, and I appreciate the dentist for her honesty.

I won’t even get wolf teeth removed on Queen or Cash. Unless they showed a problem with them I will ignore them.


----------



## gottatrot

I have a hard time getting DH to go to the dentist even when a filling falls out or his tooth cracks. It's like "pulling teeth," LOL. At least I can make the animals go.


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## TrainedByMares

gottatrot said:


> I agree with @Knave that I would wait on the saddles to see how they end up fitting. I've read that in general, large dry spots are less concerning, and most likely would get wet eventually if the horse was worked long enough. Small dry spots when the entire back is sweaty are more likely pressure points.
> 
> You are so lucky to have a scale to weigh your horses! I heard a funny story, which is that the big vet hospital near here had a scale, but they painted the floor green and the scale was black, so they had the hardest time getting horses to walk onto the scale, which to the horses looked like stepping into a black hole.
> 
> I've also heard of many cases where horses had problems from dentists. But I do believe in them, as long as you have people who do a good job. I've owned horses that had their teeth neglected for the first ten years or more of their life, and then we always dealt with the problems that had developed, like a wave mouth. A _good_ dentist will _only_ remove the problems, such as sharp points that have grown above the chewing surface and are poking sores into the cheeks. Amore had her teeth power floated every year from age 12 to age 30, and she still had chewing surface left when she died, plus never had to be on a special diet or with soaked pellets to maintain a good weight. She just ate regular hay. She did not have good teeth to start out either, but the vets were able to manage them well when they stayed on top of the problems.
> 
> Aria has a missing tooth, and she never had dental work before I got her, so the opposite tooth had grown into the space and she had big problems with moving her jaw to chew. She'll need dental work every year to make sure everything doesn't grow even more crookedly over time. Hero develops points every year, and they start to injure his cheeks if they aren't removed.
> Poor Aria, she was barely used to being handled last year when the vet was in her mouth with power tools. She needed a_ lot_ of sedation.
> 
> I've read that the reason wild horses don't need dental care is because a) if they have a major problem they will starve and die, and b) they are continuously pulling and chewing plants that are tough and off of gritty soil. By interrupting the 24 hour feeding cycle with hay that doesn't have to be pulled out of the ground by the horse's teeth, and keeping the horses on soft grass and soil rather than desert soil and plants, we don't give them enough grit and wear to keep the teeth maintained.
> 
> My friends and I also compare the way our horses ride to cars, trucks or motorcycles. You can have a zippy sports car, or a big lumbering truck. When we would gallop them from a walk, you could have a big motor that took a while to get up to full speed, or you might have one that took off like a high performance car. A little horse that takes off is a Ducati, LOL. Hero is definitely a truck, not a sports car.


That makes sense about the different environments creating a different tooth wear situation. I am comfortable with the dentist, she is very knowledgable and professional and a horse person at heart. All the horses had points smoothed out and it always goes well . Nicki even got her fronts done with no sedation! Big girl! It is some money,though...

Got Nicki on the scale this morning, the readout was waffling between 1077 and 1078. Not bad! I will just have to get her back in shape with more riding and we should be good.














Jesse was freaking out and rearing because there is a different door open to walk in and on the scale and she could see us from her paddock. I will let her calm down before she weighs in today... to be continued...


----------



## ACinATX

I am so jealous of your scale! Not that I really need such a thing but... how much does something like that cost?


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> I am so jealous of your scale! Not that I really need such a thing but... how much does something like that cost?


Lol! I bought it many years ago,before I had horses. I think it cost about $2000 back then. I don't know what they cost now. 

It is handy to have...there is no guessing. Pudgy little ponies can't tell me any lies!!


----------



## ACinATX

TrainedByMares said:


> Pudgy little ponies can't tell me any lies!!


He could be like, "It's all muscle, really!" LOL. We like to joke that it's "pony muscle" (and "pony muscle" = fat).


----------



## TrainedByMares

Oh no! My arch-enemy, precipitation, is coming down from the sky in a horrible blanketing wet snow! In the Peanuts comic strip, when things went wrong,the characters would yell " Aauugh".







Now it's my turn to yell it! Nicki is anxiously waiting at the gate of her pasture. Time to go in!
This in turn ,works Jesse up and of course I just have to weigh her on the scale on the way to the barn...







Jesse is dripping melted snow and slips on the scale with her front hooves,throwing a fright into her and causing a poo! On my nice floor.

It's safer to try again another day. Aauugh!


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## ACinATX

What??? It's snowing again?


----------



## egrogan

Oh no! Please keep that mess out there!

Unfortunately the forecast says it's headed our way, expecting 5-8" tonight followed up with icy sleet all morning tomorrow...


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## gottatrot

Jesse didn't like the first weight. "Here, try again after my poo. I'm sure I dropped a couple pounds."


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## TrainedByMares

Not much progress to report. Had a lesson on Jesse yesterday...lets not discuss that. 

Today I finished the workday with easy rides.I made a pallet bridge which Jesse absolutely hates...We worked on that a bit and then we both took a relaxing ride out to view the neighbors herd of cows. Then Nicki and I had a quick but relaxing ride and we found some fiddleheads growing near the swamp. Pictures are backwards because thats the way my week has gone...


----------



## TrainedByMares

Another Lesson on Jesse ( part duh )


Rode Jesse a bit Saturday and a bit yesterday,both after big days of work. Tired and frustrated with the pace of work getting done, thinking more about work past and future than being in the moment with Jesse or focusing on the task at hand,left a gap into which defiance crept in.

Jesse has been slowly turning the tables on me. Taking charge and doing what Jesse wants. Short on time,weak of body and will, I let my dominance slip. If a word sums up my horse training during the past few days,it's 'duh'.

Like @gottatrot ,I would be better off not getting involved with a training session. Tired? Don't do it! Frustrated? Distracted? Go figure that out first and don't come back until you do! 
Jesse's breeder told me some years ago: " there is no timeline. Take your time and go slow,you can do it"

So today at the beginning of the lesson, I was attempting to walk Jesse over the pallet bridge and she was having none of it. After watching and coaching for a few minutes, Trainer lady took over, kicked Jesse's *** and Jesse walked on it several times like she had done it all her life. Duh. Humbled #1. 

Then I attempted to mount and get on with my riding. Jesse would not stand still to let me mount. "Get after her,make her move!" cried out Trainer lady. All I seemed to do was nag Jesse. Trainer lady kicked her butt again and I was able to stand and mount. Duh. Humbled again. 

After that, I rode circles and figure eights around barrels and poles and walked on the bridge and a tarp. Did okay keeping my head up,shoulders upright and using my body,reins and leg to help turn Jesse and make good circles at the walk and the trot.

I have to regroup and take charge of this mare. I have regressed in my efforts to train and her regression is a mirror.


----------



## Knave

I’m sorry you had a rough couple days. I think it’s easy for all of us to be distracted by outside things. Sometimes it takes a horse to bring us back to the present, and teach us lessons we don’t want to learn. Lol


----------



## gottatrot

I'm sorry you had a rough time, but it really helps to hear that other people have struggles too. With horses it seems the lessons we learn are never ending, and for me it keeps coming back to the fact that there is no timeline, and progress is not always linear. It seems they are very good for us, me in particular, because I want to think I'm doing so great, and then I get humbled. 

I do like to believe that when they say horses are a mirror of who we are, if we see a horse that is a robot, then we can see in the mirror a person that has little empathy and trains like the horse is an unfeeling machine. If we see a spoiled horse that is doing whatever she wants, then we can see in the mirror a person has too much emotion involved in the training, and that is still not being fair to the horse, because it holds back the training that will allow a good partnership. The horse wants a trustworthy leader. If we can have a horse somewhere in between, then I believe that is the reflection I want to see of myself.


----------



## Knave

I’ve heard that before too @gottatrot. It’s made me think. I do think we can see how someone works with a horse, but not necessarily taking into account the horse’s general personality. I used to laugh to think what Bones showed me. It felt a little too close to home…

Then, a neighbor showed up to get a trick riding lesson on Zeus. Zeus was being a big dog, and little girl’s Pig was being pig. They are both silly and friendly and funny and in your face. Then there was Queen and Junie B, and they are edgy and mean to other people. They love me! She said “do you think that says something about you? Your daughter’s animals are all silly and loving.”


----------



## Knave

I guess, to be completely fair, people make me nervous. It is possible Junie B and Queen both feel that and it makes them angry. Like they are protecting me…


----------



## TrainedByMares

gottatrot said:


> I'm sorry you had a rough time, but it really helps to hear that other people have struggles too. With horses it seems the lessons we learn are never ending, and for me it keeps coming back to the fact that there is no timeline, and progress is not always linear. It seems they are very good for us, me in particular, because I want to think I'm doing so great, and then I get humbled.
> 
> I do like to believe that when they say horses are a mirror of who we are, if we see a horse that is a robot, then we can see in the mirror a person that has little empathy and trains like the horse is an unfeeling machine. If we see a spoiled horse that is doing whatever she wants, then we can see in the mirror a person has too much emotion involved in the training, and that is still not being fair to the horse, because it holds back the training that will allow a good partnership. The horse wants a trustworthy leader. If we can have a horse somewhere in between, then I believe that is the reflection I want to see of myself.


I should print your last paragraph and post it on my fridge door. Well said!


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I guess, to be completely fair, people make me nervous. It is possible Junie B and Queen both feel that and it makes them angry. Like they are protecting me…


Sure! I get that from Nicki! " you are mine...you belong to me!" she says

It's funny, while I have had a difficult time with Jesse, Nicki has been very lovey dovey. Last friday,she came running down the hill to see me and love me up and it was like she was saying " I heard you had a rough morning. You don't need her around. I'm the only one you need" lol


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## TrainedByMares

Yesterday was no riding because of rain and work. Today , I was working and realized it is going to pour rain for the next two days so I had better take advantage of the sunshine. 

I set up a couple barrels and ground poles in different areas to ride figure eights and rode Nicki through the course and over the pallet bridge and roof rubber. Then we hacked around a pasture and soon it was Jesse's turn.

I longed Jesse very well thank you before riding and drove her over the pallet bridge. I didn't take no for an answer. Riding went well . We practiced our turns and trotted figure eights and rode the pallet bridge and roof rubber then hacked around the pasture.

I could tell Jesse has significant energy and needs to burn it off. I asked her to trot in the pasture and she was right there instantly,ready to kick it into the next gear.

I was mowing a pasture today,trying to cut down foxtail in the boot stage before it starts to set seed if you know what that means. I have a real big problem with foxtail in a couple pastures and I read if you cut it in boot stage, it will not grow seed the rest of the year. 

I ate a mouthful of foxtail over a year ago to see what effect it had. Nasty! Instant sore throat that lasted 24 hours and my lips and gums felt puffy and numb. I wouldn't feed foxtail to a horse!


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## Knave

If it’s the same thing we call foxtail, we don’t allow horses to eat it. I guess it can cause major problems for them. So, the pivots will occasionally get a few plants, and it’s foxtail picking day. Everyone goes out with big garbage bags and picks every single foxtail, so that nothing ends up in a bale of hay.


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## TrainedByMares

Rain,rain,go away... the second full day of rain here makes every one of us go bonkers. A lighter rain this afternoon allows a little time out of the stall for Jesse to stretch in the round pen.


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## egrogan

Sassy pants!!
Those are great pics


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## gottatrot

Great pics!!


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## TrainedByMares

It's been sunny and drying out! Rode Jesse and Nicki the past two days. Everything I asked Jesse to do,she did well. Crossed the pallet bridge with ease. I asked,not hoped and I kept work out of my mind.

Nicki and I took a ride up the mountain road today. I didn't wear my helmet so I walked on pavement and parts of the trail. We went all the way we had permission for on the original trail so some of it was unknown territory for Nicki. Predictably,she was jiggy and looky so we trotted most of the way.














Theres my shadow selfie!

The most remarkable part of the ride was that Nicki chose it. Earlier in the day when I walked with Maya down the driveway to get the mail,she had called me. I knew her intent was to go for a walk up the mountain. I think we both thought about it today. Anyhow, once we were mounted up and riding, I thought I'd test her. I pointed her in the opposite direction. We got about 50 yards and she stopped. I said, what do you want to do,go up the mountain? And she turned and we went !
I rode with one hand part of the way down and felt so much more balanced.


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## egrogan

I was wondering if you had been able to get out on that mountain trail. It looks like a beautiful stretch of road. I love when they're as in to the ride as we are. Go Nicki!


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## TrainedByMares

I have been very conservative and respectful about taking the horses up there @egrogan since it is spring and its soft in places. I don't want to leave any deep tracks. It's private property and from what I can gather not many people have permission to walk up there. I have heard stories from others about riding horses up there but apparently,now they don't have permission to like I do. I stop and kick the manure off the road into the brush as well. There is another trail that I got permission to use and it is absolutely beautiful. It ends at a peaceful pond. I want to make sure nobody views my activity as a nuisance.

Lesson day yesterday. Rode the pallet bridge like it was same as the dirt around it. Trotted circles around barrels and poles learning how to hold my hands,the reins and my body upright. Trainer says I'm too rigid,wouldn't make a good dancer and I should ride bareback to learn the rhythm of each gait.)

Okay, so after work I hopped on Nicki and we walked around bareback for an hour or so. My jeans were wet from Nicki's sweat and my inner thighs were sore from gripping. Nicki discovered early on in the ride that she could dip into the green grass,pull me off balance and grab a mouthful. So it was a challenge. I was proud of myself for mounting without a step or assistance but when I was finished the only dance move I could achieve would be called ' I'm worn out' lol.







I'm not certain where I should be sitting as I could feel her shoulders brushing my legs as she walked and it felt like her spine was going up my butt.

I think Maya is a bit of a unusual dog. She enjoys sharing mouthfuls of hay or grass with her equine friends. I keep her out of the horses pastures but sometimes she will hang out with Treats as they have developed a friendship. Yesterday evening,she was grazing with Jesse as I checked the fencer.







We have this beautiful flowering Dogwood tree in our yard. We had one at our old property and I love looking at the blossoms in the spring! I wanted to catch this one in a picture at it's peak.


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## Knave

Some horses, like Cash and Queen, are very comfy to ride bareback. Some, like Bones, are highly uncomfortable! So, I’m sure you were sitting right, but she might just be built that way.

Sometimes I would push back on those uncomfortable horses to sit behind their withers more, but that’s uncomfortable because you are in the wrong spot then, and I don’t know if it’s just in my head, but it feels wrong.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> Some horses, like Cash and Queen, are very comfy to ride bareback. Some, like Bones, are highly uncomfortable! So, I’m sure you were sitting right, but she might just be built that way.
> 
> Sometimes I would push back on those uncomfortable horses to sit behind their withers more, but that’s uncomfortable because you are in the wrong spot then, and I don’t know if it’s just in my head, but it feels wrong.


I was thinking about moving back some but I was thinking the same thing, that it would be the wrong spot and even if it was more comfortable for me, it would be all wrong. 
I will have to try bareback on Jesse too, maybe it will work out better.


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## TrainedByMares

Rode bareback again! Hopped on Nicki and my inner thigh muscles cried out ' not again'! Felt a bit better but oh those poor inner thighs! We trotted just a little and spent 20 minutes hacking around. 

Then I rode Jesse bareback! I took her in the roundpen because this was all new for her and I. I struggled to get on even from the top of the two-step. She pranced a bit because I was not quick and confident but we settled and practiced turns and circles around the step. Jesse has a dip right behind her withers that is like a ready-made seat. Felt better and my legs weren't stretched out because she is narrower than Nicki.







We definitely felt more natural moving around the pen so I think the width makes a difference.


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## Knave

I think it’s shape though too. Cash is as wide as a horse comes, and he is extremely comfortable. No withers at all. Lol

I used to get nervous about riding a horse I’d never ridden bareback, and this kid told me “why would they know the difference if you don’t tell them?” So, I’ve gone with that theory. Of course they know the difference, but I do believe they won’t just assume it’s scary if I don’t tell them it is.

Now, the first time I tried to get on Cash bareback, he thought about killing me. He splayed out shaking and was on the verge of panic, and I bailed. Slowly. Lol. Then, when I’d owned him a couple months I tried again. Little girl, who is not so little, was supposed to give me a leg up. Well, she powerhoused it, and she literally threw me over the other side. I hit the dirt laughing and he looked down at me like I was a moron.

Much like his fear of ropes, he totally had turned around and thinks nothing of bare back. I think he honestly prefers it.


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## gottatrot

I think it's helpful to put your leg forward so it's in the groove behind the shoulder muscle, and then sit wherever the spine isn't raised. The guys in the Palio de Siena race in Italy train bareback a lot and they tend to ride like that. Must be secure.
For sudden stops, hope your horse has a lower wither.








Hero has a long wither, so I have to either sit far back on him or else use a bareback pad (which I usually do). He's fairly comfortable. The problem is that horses are so slick without a pad. If they sweat, you tend to stick then. 
Some A-frame horses I would never ride without a pad. Their spine could cut you in half. 
I think if I rode bareback too much, I wouldn't be able to run. My legs would tend to pull inward from using those muscles and not track straight.


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## TrainedByMares

Here are comparison pics of where I sit on each horse.














You can see a difference. The only advantage of Nicki's back is she is short enough for me to slide on with no help. She is built like a barrel.
Jesse has a built-in english saddle. 

So when bareback riding and coming to a sudden stop, do you grip the mane and withers to brace?


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## gottatrot

TrainedByMares said:


> So when bareback riding and coming to a sudden stop, do you grip the mane and withers to brace?


I do!


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## Berralracer72

TrainedByMares said:


> So when bareback riding and coming to a sudden stop, do you grip the mane and withers to brace?


Normally i try not to but Major has figures out when lopeing bareback if he trows his head down mom goes overboard i think he enjoys that lol however i fixed that and on taco i have to hes just so fat!


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## Knave

Luckily I don’t have that issue, so I’m not really sure what I’d do. Clench my butt? I feel like that’s my first response. Lol. I position myself to ask for a stop, but it’s all in that same slide position.

Little girl has this problem though. Her and Zeus will be loping around the pivot bareback, and Zeus will laugh to himself I’m sure, slide to a stop out of nowhere, and watch her fly off over his head. I think he thinks it’s the greatest occasional fun.


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## TrainedByMares

I have ADHD. Thats short for All Day Horse...surely not Disease or Disorder,let's call it Desire or Delight! All Day Horse Delight! Yes! 
Yesterday, I was away for most of the day and when I returned, I called out 'Nicki!' and we ran to each other and loved each other up at the fence. The world just fades away to the background... Jesse was way up out of sight in another pasture and I gave her a kiss later.

Not much riding has occurred of late. Rain,work and other commitments have kept me from it. 

Nothing has kept the grass from growing. This region is blessed with enough rainwater that you don't have to irrigate. Now,as last spring and summer, I have too much grass. My friend and nearby farmer gave me a book about grazing and pastures and it points in the direction of me getting cattle and/ or sheep and goats to do the mowing and fertilizing for me. I really like the idea but I'm sure it will be quite a learning curve.

Another idea is to make hay on a couple of the pastures but from my understanding,making nice horse quality hay means you've got to get everything right. Waiting for someone else to get their equipment here to mow,rake or bale at just the perfect time seems like it could be disappointing...for me.

Right now,with a plethora of rich,sweet spring grass available, I keep Nicki and Jesse on dry lots for the morning and they graze the pastures until 'bedtime' when I put them in their stalls for the night. Nicki wears a grazing muzzle and they only get a taste of grain morning and night.







My neighbor made a birdhouse from a log and gave it to me last week and quickly it was inhabited by a pair of tiny wrens after I hung it in one of my mulberry trees.


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## Knave

What a wonderful problem to have!


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## ACinATX

TrainedByMares said:


> I have ADHD. Thats short for All Day Horse...surely not Disease or Disorder,let's call it Desire or Delight! All Day Horse Delight! Yes!
> Yesterday, I was away for most of the day and when I returned, I called out 'Nicki!' and we ran to each other and loved each other up at the fence. The world just fades away to the background... Jesse was way up out of sight in another pasture and I gave her a kiss later.


    

I find it interesting that you guys grab mane to brace when stopping. I'm having a hard time imagining how that is helpful, since stopping would tend to throw you forward and the mane is forward, so how is grabbing it helping to keep you from falling forward? Or maybe I'm missing something. I do put my hands on Pony's "withers" (such as they are) when stopping, but I'm also working on more gentle stopping (he tends to slam on the brakes when asked) so that I don't have to do that. Also my cue for slowing down or stopping is leaning well back, so I'm thinking that even if I get thrown forward a bit when he stops maybe it just ends up with me being in a neutral position again.

FYI, you do get used to riding bareback on a flat, wide back after a while.


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> I find it interesting that you guys grab mane to brace when stopping. I'm having a hard time imagining how that is helpful, since stopping would tend to throw you forward and the mane is forward, so how is grabbing it helping to keep you from falling forward? Or maybe I'm missing something. I do put my hands on Pony's "withers" (such as they are) when stopping, but I'm also working on more gentle stopping (he tends to slam on the brakes when asked) so that I don't have to do that. Also my cue for slowing down or stopping is leaning well back, so I'm thinking that even if I get thrown forward a bit when he stops maybe it just ends up with me being in a neutral position again.
> 
> FYI, you do get used to riding bareback on a flat, wide back after a while.


So,I was thinking of the mane at the withers so I could both hold on from side to side and brace on the neck or withers. I don't really know because I've never come to sudden stop bareback.


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## gottatrot

ACinATX said:


> I find it interesting that you guys grab mane to brace when stopping. I'm having a hard time imagining how that is helpful, since stopping would tend to throw you forward and the mane is forward, so how is grabbing it helping to keep you from falling forward? Or maybe I'm missing something. I do put my hands on Pony's "withers" (such as they are) when stopping, but I'm also working on more gentle stopping (he tends to slam on the brakes when asked) so that I don't have to do that. Also my cue for slowing down or stopping is leaning well back, so I'm thinking that even if I get thrown forward a bit when he stops maybe it just ends up with me being in a neutral position again.
> 
> FYI, you do get used to riding bareback on a flat, wide back after a while.


It depends on the horse, but if you have a high headed horse with no shoulder, a sudden stop can send you shooting forward. On a horse like Amore with a short neck the mane is right there. You can imagine in this photo how a person could push against that mane to stay back.


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## TrainedByMares

Time goes flying by...where does it get to? These lengthy days of late spring are filled from sun-up to sun-down with chores, work,projects around the property, horse training and... rain. 
Yuck! It can rain sunday night and monday night all it wants. Give me some dry,sunny days,clear cool nights through the week and I'll be happy. No. The past couple weeks have seen mucho raino and a resultant drop in my productivity all the way around. 

Last weeks riding lesson was canned because of weather. I did manage some bareback riding. Inner thighs still somewhat sore from that. I trotted bareback on Nicki,not sure if I told you that already but I'll say it again,because I am somewhat proud for hanging on. Bareback riders have my respect!

Had a lesson with Jesse today. More circling poles at the trot. Left circles are so easy! Jesse and I float through them . I feel like we could be performing at the Spanish Riding School. "And now, trainedbymares performs left circles for all of you!" the announcer would echo over the PA system while the crowd oohs and aahs.
Right circles are like a street fight complete with kicking,swearing ,grunting and a general loathing of the whole ordeal. 
Trainer lady says both horse and rider have stiffness in that direction. So,homework this week is to work on that and overcome it.
Still...I rode and it feels good. I also have to work on letting my hips roll with the horse while keeping my upper body straight. At the trot, I was doing some posting but when I was trying to sit,mostly I was bouncing up and down. 

I had to drive into town in the afternoon . At one point,the road and the railroad meet up and parallel for a quarter mile or so. Once in a blue moon, I will arrive exactly at the same time a train does. This is very exciting! It's even more exciting because on the side of the locomotive is a profile of Nicki's head and neck!!!

Roll on,Nicki!!


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## TrainedByMares

A collection of pictures from the past few days...



































First one: Nicki grazing under a rainbow. They say a pot of gold is at the end of the rainbow but my little pot of gold is right under the middle of it! Awww lol

Second pic: the little fawn was not much bigger than a cat. Probably born the night before, I had to make sure I didn't mow him with the grass. I shooed him off into the woods 

Third pic: A good example of the neglect this property endured before our arrival... this gate hasn't been opened in years!

Fourth pic: Nicki "when can I eat green grass?"
I realized how much I love to see blue sky in the background of pictures. Blue sky makes me happy. I like dark clouds on occasion but I like blue sky better. Nicki and I have been riding bareback and my inner thighs are not hurting as much. Riding downhill is a challenge as my legs seem to get involved with the movement of Nicki's shoulders. I lean back but then cannot brace on the mane. 

Fifth pic: Jesse and I look down into the valley far below. We have been practicing right hand circles and there has been an improvement. I think we are both sick of it! Jesse has allergies again. We went through this in the fall. She has a cough when trotting. There is a pile of pollen in the air these days and my nose is snotty and sneezy too. 

The next couple of days are supposed to be hot. The greenhead and stable flies are already quite active and the heat will supercharge them. 

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!


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## Knave

I love the fawn!!!


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## TrainedByMares

Hot,humid and buggy lately. Tuesday was Jesse lesson day. More right hand circles. Some cussing. I think it's improving a bit. Trainer lady says I can't compress years of riding experience into a short time. Green horse and green rider. We are both learning. I have to be patient. 
I can feel that Jesse is gaining confidence with a rider. She feels sure-footed compared to last year. My confidence in her balance has grown and sometimes, while we're riding,when every little thing seems to be working properly it puts a smile on my face and all is good in my world.

In this warm weather, the flies bite both man and beast.














You can see the itchy red welts on the back of my leg from the stable flies and poor Jesse's leg with the bloody medium-size fly bite. Don't go anywhere near the woods because the mosquitos will getcha! If you are experiencing the same thing,we feel your pain!

Today, I grabbed Nicki for a short,lunchtime ride. Our mission was to do a leisurely 'patrol' around the property. Nicki seemed relaxed and I was not expecting any issues.







We rode down to the 'bog',which actually shows on mapping as a body of water. At one time, I am told, it was a swimming hole.

We rode on and I decided to ride across the roofing rubber thats doubling as weed-killer by the veggie garden. Nope! No! Not going to! Nicki says.
Now,we had rode on this before and in the same spot but I got off and tried to lead her across on foot. No way! Nicki says again.







So I got the rope halter and heavy lead and we proceeded to get good and lathered about the whole deal. Nicki was breathing hard and sweating profusely and walking calmly on rubber when we left this place.

I hopped back on and we rode on the rubber a couple more times and then continued our patrol. In the excitement, I had forgot to avoid the woods and we blundered into heavy mosquitos and flies ,both of us suffering the consequences and bringing a cloud of them back to the barn with us.

It was a longer ride and more of a workout than expected but hopefully that's the last time we fight about the rubber!


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## ACinATX

TrainedByMares said:


> Tuesday was Jesse lesson day. More right hand circles. Some cussing.


Is that you cussing, or her?


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> Is that you cussing, or her?


Everyone else around here is so nice, AC, I'm the only one with the bad habit


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## Knave

I understand your pain! Both in the bugs and the circles. Today Queen and I faced both. We ended up leaving my folk’s arena, because my mom was doing yard work, so we came home and there were bugs in between.

At home I decided we were loping circles without anyone around to hook onto (figuratively). She did the cussing, but she finally decided we could do it! I was so excited I bailed off and rubbed on her in all her favorite spots!

It’s not that I couldn’t make her run easily, but I wanted her to lope calmly and correctly, rather than get worked up. This is where our problem has been. Sure, she could lope out down a dirt road without blowing up, but circles have been an issue for her. It’s not balance, just a need to assert her opinion over the nonsense of it all. I was so excited that she did it finally!


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## Knave

I think, circles are harder than I ever realized. Growing up I always had access to a round pen. Loping circles is easy when one starts a horse in a round pen. Yet, starting a horse without the help of any corrals, makes me realize circles are super difficult as a concept. I struggled with the horses since General, for to use a round corral I have to get to my folks’, and they only have one set up certain times of the year.

The whole concept has been a difficult one for my horses to grasp, and it frustrates me! With Zeus we finally set one up. There would have been no other way to get through to him.

The advantage of the round corral is definitely helpful, but even then I have struggled with loping circles outside of them. Then you have the pushing out… yet, these last few horses have taught me the struggle of circles more completely. Once you have circles, you can teach everything. You and I will both get there!


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## ACinATX

Knave said:


> It’s not balance, just a need to assert her opinion over the nonsense of it all. I was so excited that she did it finally!


Could this possibly be a mare thing? Pony doesn't like circles either, but he'll do them. Whereas Moonshine, you can just feel waves of "THIS IS SO STUPID WHY ARE WE DOING IT" coming off her when you make her do circles.

To be fair, I also don't like circles LOL. So yeah maybe it is a mare thing...


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## Knave

@ACinATX my husband always blames her attitude on being a mare. Lol. “You wanted a mare,” he says when she is pinning her ears and bogging her head when I ask her to lope a circle.

I don’t know though. I feel there is a level of intelligence to it. General was the most trainable horse I ever rode. He had to understand the concept, and once he did he was solid in it always. Circles annoyed the living crap out of him when we first started. I bought him already started, but he had had around 45 days of riding, and all of it but the first were to work. When he came he had a clear understanding of the importance of a job. So, when I asked him to lope a circle, it was like I could hear him saying to me, “you are the dumbest human born. You realize we are going in a circle? Correct? We aren’t going anywhere. This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of!”


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## ACinATX

Knave said:


> “you are the dumbest human born. You realize we are going in a circle? Correct? We aren’t going anywhere. This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of!”


With Moonshine, I feel like it's like "if you just want to start here and end up here, WHAT IS THE POINT??? Let's just stay here the whole time. Only idiot hoomans would create extra work just to end up in the same place."


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## TrainedByMares

Jesse was started in the round pen but I remember one day, going to the right became difficult,meaning she would dog-track her body or turn her head to the outside. Now, it's strange that Nicki, Jesse and I are all stiff going that way in a circle. All of us? Wierd. Today, when I was riding Nicki, we actually rode around the barrels to the right and she did really well. I was surprised how easy it was because last week we tried it, it was rough. 

I get tired of riding circles too so I try to break it up and ride in the field or ride around the outside of the round pen in a big circle and then come back to the barrels.


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## Knave

I notice my horses struggle more to the right, and I believe it’s because I sit on my right hip. If I make an effort to sit on my left hip, their movements are all improved.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I notice my horses struggle more to the right, and I believe it’s because I sit on my right hip. If I make an effort to sit on my left hip, their movements are all improved.


I will have to be aware of that today when I ride Jesse and see if it's the same for me! thanks @Knave !


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> Once you have circles, you can teach everything. You and I will both get there!


Thank you for the words of encouragement! That means a lot!


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## TrainedByMares

Todays ride on Jesse was a mixture. Absolutely beautiful day with sunshine,some clouds,blue sky and lower humidity. The wind kicked up a bit and seemed to rattle Jesse some. She was looky and spooky at the trees and underbrush flapping around near the barrels. So it was tough for her to concentrate.

We did manage,however, to get a few circles correct. This surprised the heck out of me and I wanted to capture the moment with a picture but of course the second my concentration shifted to taking a pic, Jesse drifted to a stop near a barrel just like when the bumper cars ride is over at the amusement park.







Tomorrow evening there is a little local rodeo and we are going! To spectate,of course! It will be fun to get out and exciting to see the horses and people!

Now that I know a little bit about riding, I like to watch other peoples form and try to learn something while I am there.


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## Knave

Queen did some good circles today too! Not whole ones, as she broke into a trot on occasion, but she did lope without a draw and didn’t try and run. She kept exactly to where I asked her to too, and seemed easier to break into that softer break. She was more angry going to the left, which is odd as she’s left handed, but maybe she just felt more confident to fight. However, I asked her to go anyways, and even though she pinned her ears and curled her neck, she didn’t take a jump or anything bad breaking or maintaining. So, it was more progress today!

I played with a calf, but I didn’t take him out into the arena because I was a little off and the wind was just starting.


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## TrainedByMares

I'm glad Queen did some good work,too! "Angry" is a good term for it. Jesse roots the bit,shakes her head,dives and breaks. Like AC thinks Moonshine is saying 'dis is stoopid!' So the lesser trained horses won't do circles and the properly trained ones will!

What were doing with the calf,roping?


----------



## Knave

No, I’ve been trying to work on her cutting. Well, I’ve been planning on working on her cutting. Dad and I went to the auction to buy play calves. We use them for roping and cutting and sell them come fall, except what we keep to eat.

This group is wild! So, I took the first two days and just worked on settling them, and also taught them about Junie B and her job of turning back. Today I planned on taking a single calf into the arena and letting Queen track it. Then, you occasionally step ahead and work on your turns. It is the most basic step of cutting training. Granted she did it last year already, but I want to refresh and get that good before trying to work her out of a corner.

I did manage this three rides to get her settled and calm in the herd. She wasn’t hot about a herd of cows ever, but she would tend to lock onto a calf and get too aggressive. She was not doing that during our settling, and would lock onto something without the meanness when I asked her to.


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## TrainedByMares

Interesting! Why don't you use the calves you already have from your herd?


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## Knave

Um, there are a few reasons. Our calves are still on their mamas this time of year. Granted, the calves we buy should probably be on mamas, but they are weaned to sell higher alone (the cows and the calves). It is a harder life, being weaned to early and used for play. We don’t want to do that to our own animals.

One could justify using Mama Pepper’s calves for play, and we’ve done a few very small things with them, but since we are raising them, we want them at their best and to be gaining weight and living carefree, plus she only has had four on her at her max.

I guess it’s an oddity though, not caring as much about someone else’s animals. They tend to be lower quality cattle, although this year they are a very nice bunch of calves.

I guess the main reasoning is that ours aren’t around. Although, I’m sure my dad would murder any of us for running weight off of them, so that might not be true. Lol.

All that said, the play calves leave in better shape than they arrive in. They are fed all they can eat, and they are never over worked like some would be.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> Um, there are a few reasons. Our calves are still on their mamas this time of year. Granted, the calves we buy should probably be on mamas, but they are weaned to sell higher alone (the cows and the calves). It is a harder life, being weaned to early and used for play. We don’t want to do that to our own animals.
> 
> One could justify using Mama Pepper’s calves for play, and we’ve done a few very small things with them, but since we are raising them, we want them at their best and to be gaining weight and living carefree, plus she only has had four on her at her max.
> 
> I guess it’s an oddity though, not caring as much about someone else’s animals. They tend to be lower quality cattle, although this year they are a very nice bunch of calves.
> 
> I guess the main reasoning is that ours aren’t around. Although, I’m sure my dad would murder any of us for running weight off of them, so that might not be true. Lol.
> 
> All that said, the play calves leave in better shape than they arrive in. They are fed all they can eat, and they are never over worked like some would be.


I have way too much pasture for the horses so I was considering getting some 'play calves' and beefing them up,learning about them and of course,'horsing' around with them and then letting them go when pasture is thin. Maya will help!

We are getting more chickens and they have their own pasture,too.

My wife asked how we were going to move the cattle from one pasture to another and I nodded at Maya looked at my wife and I said 'you ride Nicki,I will ride Jesse ,Maya will help and we will have a cattle drive!' Lol


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## Knave

The good thing about “play” calves is that you generally get out of them than you pay for them, if you pick well. Pasture would make it much more of an investment, and you could hope you make some money on them. Plus, having something to eat when you are done is a good plan. Almost every calf we end up eating comes from that pen of calves. We have eaten a leppy one year, and debated keeping a calf one year because the quality of the play steers was especially low that year.


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## TrainedByMares

Re-arranging some paddocks and on the hunt for some calves... getting a few lambs in a couple months when they are weaned and we got another dozen chickens,they are 5 weeks old and 25 cents each!







I've been riding almost every day. Sunny,dry...perfect! I could use another month of this!

This morning I longed Jesse in the round pen. At the trainers behest, I attached a short twine lead to bias her head in the direction she is turning. It seemed to have a mostly positive result.After running her around, I would hop on and try to duplicate the run. So, the twine was like me putting pressure on the rein when I was in the saddle and me standing in the middle of the pen with the whip was like the pressure from my heel and leg when I was in the saddle.
We had some success so I stopped there. We rode outside the pen around the barrels and right turns were acceptable. So,overall, some mild improvement.







I have a brand new riding buddy! Lately, I have been riding Nicki and Maya has been tagging along,just on our property. Maya was slowly introduced to the big horses and taught to respect their space and resist her natural instinct to herd,chase and play. She is a smart girl and learned fast! Since last week, she has been a great riding buddy,happily chasing cats,rabbits and squirrels while Nicki and I take a ride around!
I've been riding bareback again and my inner thighs are just screaming at the end of it. I almost slipped off going around a turn at the trot. Lost my balance and what? ...where's the stirrup, I need it!
Who does this stuff and survives? I read somewhere about people posting and two-pointing bareback! Are you kidding? My thigh muscles would become detached if they haven't already.

I'm not supposed to watch western movies. Trainer lady says I should watch Chris Cox ,Clinton Anderson and other trainer videos instead so I learn something about riding correctly. So, I pretty much stopped watching westerns but I'm not there yet when it comes to watching training videos. But, if I do watch anymore westerns, I'm going to take my hat off out of respect to the Indian bareback riders and all other bareback riders!








Ahhh, late spring,early summer and my little mulberries are getting ripe for the pickin'! Even Maya loves them and gorges herself on the ones that have fallen to the ground... I should have named her Bear!


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## ACinATX

Knave said:


> . We have eaten a leppy one year, and debated keeping a calf one year because the quality of the play steers was especially low that year.


What is a leppy calf? My brain keeps jumping from leprechaun to leprosy, but I'm pretty sure neither of those are relevant...


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## TrainedByMares

A leppy is an orphan. @Knave can correct me if I'm wrong


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## Knave

Yes, a leppy is an orphan.


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## ACinATX

Knave said:


> Yes, a leppy is an orphan.


Where does the term "leppy" come from? Is it short for something?


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## Knave

I don’t know where it originated @ACinATX. It’s always been a word I’ve known. In fact, if you are around old or young cowboys, and you hear them insult someone, they may call them a leppy (more old than new, for we know the language tends towards being more graphic today).

A leppy calf is generally thought of as bottle raised, as the leppy I mentioned. So, they are your buddy. The leppies I have now are what most call “milk pen calves,” and they don’t have that leppied appearance. Leppies are a lot of work unless you have a milk cow, and then they are a benefit in the work department. My leppies nurse out my cow in about five minutes morning and night. They are a quality appearing calf too, unless there are too many assigned to a cow.


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## Knave

In fact, if TrainedbyMares were so inclined, he could go to the auction and pick up a culled milk cow for very cheap. She usually is milking. He could then buy four or five leppies very cheap, remembering they would need doctored and likely bring illnesses into his yard which will always remain causing further doctoring down the line, which is an important knowledge and why I don’t purchase leppies. He could turn those leppies into nice calves and make a good profit for a small investment. This is not true for milk breeds, but for beef breeds put onto a milk cow.


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## Knave

Also, you would need to remember that the cow purchased would need sold when she dried up after the leppies were weaned.

Now, I know some who do this, not with purchased leppies but with their own. Some of those cows can be kept in milk for extended periods of time, like Mama Pepper currently is.

These people have pastures where they can run the cow without putting feed into her, and they just throw the calves in with her. They call a cow like that a nurse cow. Once they dry up they usually won’t breed back, or something is wrong with them in any case and that is why they are at the auction to begin with.

It’s a fairly decent plan. If we had pasture my father said he would keep one to just nurse. All those older men refuse to ever milk a cow again. I prefer a good milk cow like Mama. I would hate to drink store milk again! Lol


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> In fact, if TrainedbyMares were so inclined, he could go to the auction and pick up a culled milk cow for very cheap. She usually is milking. He could then buy four or five leppies very cheap, remembering they would need doctored and likely bring illnesses into his yard which will always remain causing further doctoring down the line, which is an important knowledge and why I don’t purchase leppies. He could turn those leppies into nice calves and make a good profit for a small investment. This is not true for milk breeds, but for beef breeds put onto a milk cow.





Knave said:


> Also, you would need to remember that the cow purchased would need sold when she dried up after the leppies were weaned.
> 
> Now, I know some who do this, not with purchased leppies but with their own. Some of those cows can be kept in milk for extended periods of time, like Mama Pepper currently is.
> 
> These people have pastures where they can run the cow without putting feed into her, and they just throw the calves in with her. They call a cow like that a nurse cow. Once they dry up they usually won’t breed back, or something is wrong with them in any case and that is why they are at the auction to begin with.
> 
> It’s a fairly decent plan. If we had pasture my father said he would keep one to just nurse. All those older men refuse to ever milk a cow again. I prefer a good milk cow like Mama. I would hate to drink store milk again! Lol


Ok,so I'm following along ... question: you said culled milk cow nursing beef leppys so leppys aren't weaned? They wont eat grass? The nurse eats the grass and feeds the leppys milk?

You said thats the plan but you wouldn't buy leppys ? So thats not the plan? 

What if the culled milk cow I buy is not milking? 

Are leppys identified as such at auction or I would have to find a beef operation that needs them gone?


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## Knave

So, you really would look at the culled milkers. There are usually a ton at the auction. A full bag without obvious evidence of mastitis. Or, you could buy one bred and that would be the best plan, but you have to be careful.

Look at the small calves. If their nose hair is tamped down, then it means they were just pulled off of moms to sell. You don’t want soft fluffy noses.

Sometimes leppies get sick at the auction. You could give them a shot of penicillin when you get them home.


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## Knave

They also have the day old calves to sell, but they are usually milking bred, and you won’t get money for them.

The mama will feed them the majority of what they eat, but they will eat grass and the like too quicker than you imagine.


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## Knave

I won’t buy leppies because I have them available to me here, and I don’t want to bring any illnesses into my yard for the future ones. Everything here is usually healthy and clean. Yet, you don’t have to worry so much about that. You just have to worry about keeping them healthy, or getting them healthy, for the first couple weeks after you bring them home.

The cow will depend on the luck of the draw. A Holstein produces the most milk, and they’d do good on it, but you’d need several to keep her healthy. A jersey will make big beef cows, as her milk is super rich. She can only raise four or so easily. You can press her with more, but then they don’t do as well. She will be more inclined to raise calves without you having to make her do it. I don’t think Holsteins are good mothers that way. A lot of jerseys want all the babies.

Because the milk is so rich with a jersey, the calves tend to scour in the beginning and it takes some dealing with. Yet, in the end that mama is raising you a lot for a little. Say Mama Pepper has raised me ten calves in her three years of milking. She is not a cull of course, but those ten calves have paid a lot more than she costs to raise. They were income.

For you, having a pasture to throw the cow on, she is raising you a lot of meat for her feed. Yes, they eat too, but not as much because they are filling up on that good milk. The cost to bring home that cow will be paid for by a single calf, and the other three will be income. You would not be paid well for her in the end, but you won’t pay too terribly much for her in the beginning.

Mama is different, because I grain her and feed her hay. She would be happy to just raise calves in a pasture, but I enjoy having the milk. The molasses in the grain gives the milk the sweet taste and ups the milk production.


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## Knave

It probably would be easier to just bring home some calves to fatten up. Not probably, definitely, it’s just how much of a profit you hope to make.

My plan in the beginning is not free from labor, where the older calves would be not as much work at all. That is important to remember, the value of your time.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> It probably would be easier to just bring home some calves to fatten up. Not probably, definitely, it’s just how much of a profit you hope to make.
> 
> My plan in the beginning is not free from labor, where the older calves would be not as much work at all. That is important to remember, the value of your time.


Wow! So much to ponder. Thank you for explaining it to me! I think I understand about the leppys now and it will give me another avenue to explore. Tomorrow is the local sale so I put pressure on myself to make a move. Today was a better sale a bit further away but I had my riding lesson. There is also a couple dairy farms nearby with a feedlot right across the street from me. I should probably ask them about a cull milker. 
I did ask some of my mennonite neighbors about calves but they already seem to have buyers for them. I really should have been lining something up months ago but it's taken me a year and a half to figure this property out and deal with the crumbling infrastructure so my mind was on other things.
It is exciting and I want to move forward but I want to do everything right! Thanks again!


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## Knave

That is exciting! Remember, if you want to start lowest maintenance, see what you can profit, and then move on as you see fit, you may end up being able to make decisions with the most knowledge behind you.

Going and purchasing weaned calves, and putting the weight onto them, is the easiest method. I’m not sure how the money changes at that level.


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## TrainedByMares

Well , the money is one thing but the grass will get mowed down , I will gain experience and like you said before: the food aspect of it!


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## TrainedByMares

Lesson day! Today is a split lesson. Nicki and Jesse! Wow! The herd is all here!







I rode Jesse first and she and I did okay with some reasonably good right turns around barrels so we finished up quick and ended on a good note . I tied Jesse back to the trailer and hopped on Nicki.
Now, with two horses here at the arena for the first time, I was kind of nervous. It showed. I got over it quickly as we rode and my brain focused on tasks at hand. Nicki did well and my poor riding was sharply contrasted. 
First off... my hands were low ,maybe a bit too low but right above the conchos when riding Nicki. On Jesse,my hands are held too high.
Second...my core has poor balance. Nicki's saddle rotates around her barrelesque body. I bet you have never said the word barrelesque. Anyway, my balance issue shows up when the saddle rotates because I am putting to much weight in the stirrups one way or the other. Interesting...I have more bareback riding planned to work on that. 

I have always thought that my balance was it's best when I was between lesson programs, cast out in the wilderness so to speak, and I read Caprilli's writings and followed them. Of course, Caprilli and company rode with one hand because the other was free to wield a sidearm or sabre and that is how I rode,with one hand on the reins. No, I did not wield anything in my other hand but it was free to do so. 
I seemed to find an equilibrium in the saddle that I cannot duplicate when riding with two hands.
I will try this bareback and report the results back to you. Don't tell Trainer lady because I'm supposed to keep both hands on the reins.

Interesting also was Trainer lady's take on Nicki and I as horse and rider. She said I was suited better on Jesse because I am tall and Nicki is short. Of course,we agreed that Nicki is stout enough to take the weight ( not that I'm heavy) but yeah, now I can join the discussion on the thread ' Am I too big for this pony?' Lol

So there you have it. It's been hot and humid lately with plenty of precipitation. Not easy weather to manage work,property maintenance and riding but somehow it all seems to happen.


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## ACinATX

How tall IS Nicki? She doesn't look short in your pictures, but then again I'm probably mentally comparing her to my own shorties...


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## TrainedByMares

She is pony-sized, maybe 14.2 or 14.3 Jesse is more than a full hand taller. Nicki is short enough that I can hop on her bareback without a step.


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## TrainedByMares

We have cattle!
The previous 48 hours or so have been a whirlwind of activity. Friday night was feeder sale and I bought 4 steers and a heifer. Talk about excitement! Late friday night we off-loaded them into the round pen with some hay and a tub of water and off to bed. That night I had a dream some neighbors cattle and a big donkey were on the loose!
The next morning we shooed them into the horse trailer for a short ride to the pasture...except one who jumped a four foot high pallet and escaped!
After a bit of work, he was in the pasture with his herdmates! 







Thanks for ongoing help and encouragement from @Knave !!

Everyone is getting used to the cattle being here but in a few days we should all be acclimated!
The learning curve begins!


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## ACinATX

So exciting! I'm so jealous! You can learn to sort them!


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## TrainedByMares

Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. I suppose this could be my favorite day of the year because it has the most daylight but there is another reason too... 

It's Nicki's birthday!!! Happy 8th birthday to my beautiful Nicki!!

So, the last week or so has been busy and somewhat stressful.I haven't spent much quality time with Nicki,either. Why not take some time to celebrate and reconnect? What better way than to go for an adventurous ride?

Nicki and I start up the mountain. Today we will ride on what people call the 'mail trail' or 'horse trail'. According to the locals, this was the old indian trail that mail was brought over the mountain by horse and rider way back before roads and automobiles took over.








The humidity and heat is rising and you can see the vapor rising off the road in the distance. It's not quite jungle-like but it's getting there.








A wild blueberry bush ! You bears better keep away from this one! I'll be back! Part of the trail is steep and slippery so I dismounted and walked just to be safe.


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## TrainedByMares

We made it to the top of the mountain and the powerline cut!Then we made our way back down and rode the Red Shale loop,which takes us behind our place. On red shale,you can see the mountain and the powerline cut from the other side. Pictures are backward! Sorry!


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## ACinATX

I LOVE your trails! You should go back to the blueberry bush and have some quality time with Nicki, you picking the blueberries and her eating them! Especially since it's her birthday!

I wish I knew when my horses' birthdays were.


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## gottatrot

That is really neat you are riding on an old Indian/mail trail. It's beautiful!


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## egrogan

Happy birthday Nicki!!

The trail is beautiful!


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> I LOVE your trails! You should go back to the blueberry bush and have some quality time with Nicki, you picking the blueberries and her eating them! Especially since it's her birthday!
> 
> I wish I knew when my horses' birthdays were.


You should pick a day for Pony and just celebrate! I'm happy I can share pictures of my trail ride with everyone!


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## TrainedByMares

"Don't think,just do" says Trainer lady. Lesson day. Today I am riding Nicki. 

Let's go back to yesterday for a moment. The humidity of the past several days has blown away and I rode Jesse in the round pen. Everything seems to go well circling to the left but going to the right,anything faster than a slow walk breaks down into a ever tightening spiral ,even bumping with my right leg. So,we end on a good note at the walk. Same old thing. 

What's it like to work in the round pen and succeed? I thought about Nicki. I was going to ride her into some spooky areas for 'training'. When was the last time I actually rode her in the round pen. I mean worked on the basics like I'm doing with Jesse? So I saddle up Nicki and instead of doing some adventure like trailblazing up the mountain or riding into the spook, we practice some basics in the round pen.

The first thing I notice is how relaxed we both are. We trot the rail of the pen like we've been riding together for decades. Both directions... 10 circles each,perfect. She responds to small cues and I am sitting the trot comfortably. So this is how it should feel. I turn and change direction by looking that way,turning in my seat. This is the way it should be.

I'd like to tell you that I promptly got on Jesse and it all worked out but that's not how it went. I asked Nicki to lope and it all blew up. She loped but dropped her shoulder to the inside and as I gradually lost balance,the saddle rotated off-center and things fell apart. It was my poor riding that did us in.We ended on a good note with some walking and trotting.

So,last night I was thinking. What are the differences between Nicki and Jesse's training. Well, for one, Nicki spent alot more time on ground work. Alot! She was trained to respond to cues on the ground until the cows came home, if you know what I mean. Is that the missing link in Jesse's training? Lack of proper groundwork? I believe it may be. She should be able to trot nice circles like Nicki. I should not have to fight and apply greater cues to obtain a mediocre result. 

So...todays lesson. Don't think,just do. I recently saw that new Top Gun movie in the local theater and I think that line was in the movie. Which,by the way,reminded me of @bsms and his tactical call sign. In the movie,they flew an F-14 which by todays standards is old but when I was a kid,watching the air show at the Toronto lakefront,the F-14 was impressive. When the USAF pilots left the show, they always went straight up into the sky until I could no longer see them. Wow! Impressive! In different years, I also saw planes crash there,tempering the excitement and teaching a kid that flying airplanes is reality and death is a mistake away.

I am piloting Nicki and her proper movement makes it easy to point out areas of my riding that could use improvement. I need to relax my upper body and my weight is not evenly distributed on my stirrups. My right foot is heavier than my left, hence the saddle rotating. We trotted circles around poles and barrels and then loped around the arena.

When riding, I overthink each manuever and I need to just flow with the movement of the horse "don't think,just do". I have to work on balance and keeping the same amount of weight on each foot. Trainer lady told me about "barrel challenge" where you strap an English saddle to a barrel or drum and stand in the stirrups,perfectly balanced. I have a crappy saddle and I have barrels so maybe I will give it a try. 
I could be Top Gun on a barrel! For that I will need a tactical call sign! Lol


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## Knave

I think you sit on your right hip. I sit on my right hip too. I have to intentionally sit on my left hip at times. There is an exercise I showed QHrider. I’ll see if I have it still on YouTube. It’s an exercise to teach the spin, and it was videoed a while back, so understand Queen is much improved. Lol

If you try this exercise, and pay attention to your body, I think you will kill two birds with one stone. You will get better body control of each part, but also be able to feel where your hip bones are sitting.

Then, when you go to lope that left circle, you put your weight onto the left hip. Point your inside foot just a bit forward. It opens a gate for the horse to go through.

I only am telling you this because it took me YEARS to figure out. I think it could possibly help out a ton if just doing doesn’t work. I only realized I did it because of multiple horses eventually showing it to me. Often I got away with it on horses like Nikki. Then Bones came along and really pointed out his difficulty. Cash also did. Queen would let me get by with it, but I am choosing to try and fix it.

UGH! I deleted it. I will see if I can make one for you sometime soon.


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you very much,@Knave ! All your help means alot!


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## Knave

Okay, here is a shot for you. I didn’t correct anything to make anything look good, because we learn more from mistakes. Queen was considering herself half dead from the single cow exercise and the heat, so she was happy to keep it very slow. I hope it helps!


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## gottatrot

@Knave, great video! It really shows how the horses move around based on your seat and weight. Very funny watching Cash trying to get into the canter.


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## Knave

Thanks @gottatrot! I think doing it really makes one feel their body position a lot better. It also is just really good for body control.


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## egrogan

@Knave, so fun to watch you and little girl working together. Cash is such a good boy


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## Knave

@gottatrot it was funny to be on him and ask him to in such a small circle after his time off. He has an injury on his solid colored hind. He is not a whiner by any means, but I think it is bugging him pretty bad. I figured taking him out for something so small would probably only help it out. I’ve been back and forth about giving him the time off. He was so happy I bridled him!

@egrogan we had fun this morning! Both of us are off today from work! So, she rode with me up to the arena and left me there while she loped down the dirt roads a few miles. It was the first time Queen and I were at the arena alone, and she watched her leave and called a little bit, but then she was really very good. She got a decently good workout though, so she was kind of disgusted that I asked her to do the warm up again. Little girl had so much fun with making the video though. When she was laughing she was asking me to restart it, but I said we’d just leave it.


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## TrainedByMares

Thanks so much, @Knave! Just awesome! I'm going to work on that tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes!


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## SueC

Knave said:


> Okay, here is a shot for you. I didn’t correct anything to make anything look good, because we learn more from mistakes. Queen was considering herself half dead from the single cow exercise and the heat, so she was happy to keep it very slow. I hope it helps!


Loved this clip!  And that's the first time I heard your voice, so now it's my turn: Very nice! You sound calm and unhurried and relaxed and awake, and friendly and enthusiastic. I'd relish having a riding lesson from you. I'm just remembering back to Germany, not to my riding school where the main instructor, Monika, was really lovely and soft-spoken and fun and gentle. I'm vividly remembering the adult riding lessons at an agistment barn we had our horses before moving to Australia. I was never tempted to ask if I could join in. You could hear the instructor yelling from half a mile away. I watched his lessons once or twice. These were group lessons. His normal tone of voice when instructing was a shout and when people made mistakes or didn't understand what he meant, he'd scream at them like a banshee. The horses were cowering and none of the riders smiled. It gave me stomach ulcers just to watch. I'm pretty sure his name was Herr Krause, which kind of fitted the persona.

Both of you riding in the clip have wonderful posture and balance. You get a lot of practice at it with the kind of riding you do - the closest I ever got to that kind of work is doing gymkhanas on my Arabian mare - all sorts of what we call novelty events here, like flag racing, slalom, barrel racing, walk-trot-canter races, bareback versions of all of the above. Lots of turning, reaching, small circles, rapid transitions up and down. I thought it was fun, but riding trails recreationally doesn't require you to do much manoeuvring, and gymkhana is stuff you do in groups to make it fun. Could still be fun without other horses and riders, but not nearly as much I think.

There you go, an old photo from a bending race my mare won at the Byford Gymkhana many moons ago. I was 21.









Our riding styles are quite different - for instance, coming from a dressage tradition at my first riding school, I ride with "silent legs" that may squeeze slightly or change position but are not my primary "go" cue - that's the seat - we weren't allowed to kick, no matter how gently (and since adulthood my heels usually hang below the horse anyway because I'm so tall). I can see why it's different for the rapid-fire riding demands of your work and I was really happy to see that your leg aids are actually quite gentle even though they fall visually into "kick" - but it looks more like a bump and the horses' body language is happy and positive when they're working with you. So it was lovely to watch the two of you riding here. 

I'd totally take lessons off you anytime! Maybe I'll try a little of that stuff when I set up a playground area for Julian.

@TrainedByMares, I too am "sided" and find circle-left so much easier than circle-right - for the reasons @Knave explained. When I first started riding I thought it was my horse, but then I rode another horse and the same thing happened, and I put two and two together. 😄 So now thinking about it I should be having sessions riding circles and figures again etc, instead of just being on trails, because that kind of work helps to make me less "sided" - something that can go by the wayside when you're just riding trails. I guess I can kill two birds with one stone and think of it as yoga/Pilates with horses - the exercises you do regularly so you can be more balanced even when you're not in the process of doing those exercises...


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## Knave

Thank you very much @SueC! I’ve done such a small amount of English riding, and I can keep quiet legs, but I feel I actually add a bit more hidden pressure when I do so. Queen, if I were to more than bump, might teach me a lesson about bad attitudes. Lol. Cash uses a little more leg, as he likes things very black and white, but he’s still lighter than I make him look. Of course, if I wanted to make him break into his lope correctly it would have taken more leg, but I am feeling a bit sorry for him with that injury, and didn’t want to cue him up.

I love the photo of you! I really had so much fun doing those sort of fun events. My girls have too, and sadly big girl has aged out of the one I allow them to participate in.

I think the majority of our cues come from legs. Yes, seat pressure is used to stop and to gather up, but I think we can’t rely as much on that when we have a rope in hand or a calf in front of us maybe. That is the only reason I can imagine for the difference…

I think dressage is lovely! I have played around a little with it and some of the books with exercises. I imagine I wouldn’t want to take a lesson with what you say though! I’m not the greatest student. I find myself stuck when I have a lesson. I feel I would insult someone to say no, or refuse to do something, but I absolutely hate to confuse my horse! In the couple I have tried over the years because someone drags me to them, I find myself stuck. I don’t want to ask a horse something they are not educated to answer, and often it has seemed, in my experience, that they pressure me into doing something to my horse I really dislike.


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## Knave

@SueC it made me feel really good that you said that. I was self conscious about how I sounded. I felt embarrassed trying to talk. Lol. I also tried to over exaggerate body positioning and didn’t think at all about sitting up straight. When we finished it and I showed it to little girl she said she liked it and laughed at herself, and like any sweet daughter she said “you look good,” and I was like “It’s not like I didn’t know we were videoing! Why is my posture so awful?!” She laughed and told me she thought it wasn’t bad, but maybe we need what she used to call “English posture” in our lessons again. Lol


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## SueC

It's so funny how nearly everyone is so _ecchh_ about the sound of their own recorded voice. And then we sound fine to others haha. 😁



Knave said:


> I’m not the greatest student. I find myself stuck when I have a lesson. I feel I would insult someone to say no, or refuse to do something, but I absolutely hate to confuse my horse! In the couple I have tried over the years because someone drags me to them, I find myself stuck. I don’t want to ask a horse something they are not educated to answer, and often it has seemed, in my experience, that they pressure me into doing something to my horse I really dislike.


You ride horses you trained yourself. They are custom. I would feel the same. It's pointless asking a horse to perform on cues it has not been taught. You would have to talk first about how you cue and the new thing would have to be scaffolded onto your existing communication system with your horse, and not come from the "standard dictionary"! 

Or you'd have to ride the instructor's horse!

And then go home and translate that for your own horse, with your own alterations added! 

I was thinking about using the seat as a primary thing. In part it's the early training, in part that I notice even with Julian already, whose back I have only been on five times, that he's responding to the merest whiff of the start of a cue once he understands the cue. So you know, ex harness, so at the start you tongue click and/or lightly tap their hindquarters with a crop while also doing seat and a light leg squeeze, and eventually you drop the click/tap and then you find that the horse is moving just as you engage your seat and shift weight slightly and a millisecond before you even got around to tightening your legs. If I break it down it's that I do the weight/seat slightly before the legs and so we end up with minimal cues when we get more familiar with each other.

But as you are asking so many more different things in your work it makes sense that you need more cues and cue combinations. The more different things you ask and the less time there is between changes, the more specific and explicit your communication has to be, I think.

So here we are, deconstructing.


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## TrainedByMares

So, Nicki and I worked on the lesson. We also trotted and loped. Loping to the left actually went reasonably well, much better than last time. Loping to the right fell apart but still gave hope because it was not as bad as last time. I will continue to work on this and improve . It did take a while for Nicki and I to get the hang of it. I think it will get easier as we keep practicing.

I made my first video, to keep up with the times, although it is in no way representative of most of the work we did today. It is just us warming up a bit and pretending we know how to make a video. We don't. No one was home today so next time I will get daughter or wife to record the video. Videos are so much better than stills!


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## Knave

She did excellent! I do like the feeling she has to look at. I see why Queen reminds you of her. There is something very similar about the two.

Could you feel in your body what I was talking about? It would be much easier if you could sit on Cash and do it and then try it with Nikki. Cash I did not slow down for the video, as that is about how he always does it. Correct and slow. He makes himself move as well as he can when he has to, but he’s always going to be big and big things move differently. More power and less agility…

It is a hard lesson at first for a horse to understand, and Nikki did wonderfully I thought! As a side note with it, when a horse gets upset, it is often a great go to exercise. They kind of have to think about you, and it is half difficult, and it is monotonous, and it loosens up their body and mind.

General was the type to get mad about things. When he got worked up, we would do that exercise, and he would get over whatever it was pretty quickly. Anything to not have to repeat that exercise. Lol.

It gives you so much control of your body and an understanding to them of what you are asking. It gives you a very basic way to communicate with each body part individually. So then, when a circle is ducked or a shoulder drops, you have the ability to communicate that you want the shoulder picked up, or the ribs to move, or anything like that.

For me, it is a way to build later to more intricate cues, but when those cues fall apart, it gives me a simple and easy communication to fall back on. It teaches the spin, which was something I tended to struggle with, but also helps me to get a lot of overall good basics.

It’s funny. I learned the exercise in a moment that was overall awful. My mother begged me to attend a clinic from a big shot with her. Right away he picked me out as someone he disliked. I was riding General who was three, and a late started horse, so he only had so much riding. Maybe 60 days at that point.

This man tormented me. I was the person selected to be against. His apprentice was ashamed I could tell. General ended up doing a few amazing things for me there, kind of pulling out that condescending nature to shove into this man’s face. That was a bright moment. The apprentice felt awful, and took me aside a few times where no one could see. This was an exercise he taught me in secret, and I value it so much.

He came to me later, and wondered aloud why God had chosen for me to come. He said that it was impossible for me to take anything for my horsemanship from the weekend. He was wrong though. I took that exercise and another from his secret lessons. I also took and learned something about myself and about big names. I came out with the realization I wouldn’t put a horse through anything like that again.

Maybe one day I will show Queen to really rub something in that man’s face, or maybe I’ll never see him again. The clinic, although difficult on my emotion, did end up giving me a lot of knowledge. I learned both things I wanted to do and things I never wanted to do. I also learned that people go to big shots clinics to show off, not to learn something about a hole they have. I think that is quite silly.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> She did excellent! I do like the feeling she has to look at. I see why Queen reminds you of her. There is something very similar about the two.
> 
> Could you feel in your body what I was talking about? It would be much easier if you could sit on Cash and do it and then try it with Nikki. Cash I did not slow down for the video, as that is about how he always does it. Correct and slow. He makes himself move as well as he can when he has to, but he’s always going to be big and big things move differently. More power and less agility…
> 
> It is a hard lesson at first for a horse to understand, and Nikki did wonderfully I thought! As a side note with it, when a horse gets upset, it is often a great go to exercise. They kind of have to think about you, and it is half difficult, and it is monotonous, and it loosens up their body and mind.
> 
> General was the type to get mad about things. When he got worked up, we would do that exercise, and he would get over whatever it was pretty quickly. Anything to not have to repeat that exercise. Lol.
> 
> It gives you so much control of your body and an understanding to them of what you are asking. It gives you a very basic way to communicate with each body part individually. So then, when a circle is ducked or a shoulder drops, you have the ability to communicate that you want the shoulder picked up, or the ribs to move, or anything like that.
> 
> For me, it is a way to build later to more intricate cues, but when those cues fall apart, it gives me a simple and easy communication to fall back on. It teaches the spin, which was something I tended to struggle with, but also helps me to get a lot of overall good basics.
> 
> It’s funny. I learned the exercise in a moment that was overall awful. My mother begged me to attend a clinic from a big shot with her. Right away he picked me out as someone he disliked. I was riding General who was three, and a late started horse, so he only had so much riding. Maybe 60 days at that point.
> 
> This man tormented me. I was the person selected to be against. His apprentice was ashamed I could tell. General ended up doing a few amazing things for me there, kind of pulling out that condescending nature to shove into this man’s face. That was a bright moment. The apprentice felt awful, and took me aside a few times where no one could see. This was an exercise he taught me in secret, and I value it so much.
> 
> He came to me later, and wondered aloud why God had chosen for me to come. He said that it was impossible for me to take anything for my horsemanship from the weekend. He was wrong though. I took that exercise and another from his secret lessons. I also took and learned something about myself and about big names. I came out with the realization I wouldn’t put a horse through anything like that again.
> 
> Maybe one day I will show Queen to really rub something in that man’s face, or maybe I’ll never see him again. The clinic, although difficult on my emotion, did end up giving me a lot of knowledge. I learned both things I wanted to do and things I never wanted to do. I also learned that people go to big shots clinics to show off, not to learn something about a hole they have. I think that is quite silly.


That is horrible that you were treated that way! I learned from the automotive world that 'big name' can mean big ego and big A hole. You did learn something really good out of it though and you faced a trial so maybe thats why God allowed you to be there!
I did feel balanced when I was loping! I can't explain it exactly, just that loping to the left was such an improvement and even to the right when Nicki was breaking down and leaning, I was not losing my balance! I was moving the shoulder and straightening her out and she would slow down. Overall, it did feel so much easier to ride today. I have to admit that I had to watch your video about three times for it to sink in and when I was practicing, I had to check myself and slow the process down . I think I was leaning forward and driving Nicki a bit too when we were doing the exercise.

I rode and did groundwork with Jesse today,too and just for kicks,tried it out on her. It quickly fell apart. She seemed responsive at first but became confused. I think my leaning forward was partly responsible for that. 

It's hot and sunny here today so I didn't have a fire-breathing dragon to work with. These mares were happy to take it easy on me and I was very happy to practice my new exercise!


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## egrogan

You two looked great practicing @TrainedByMares. She definitely seemed to be listening to you and trying to figure it out.

I've found it really hard conceptually to teach a horse to turn on the haunches. It must be something about me and my understanding of it, because I've struggled with it both on the ground and in the saddle with all the horses I've tried it with. I think because turning on the forehand seems so easy and logical, I can't seem to put together the pieces of pivoting around the forehand with the hind end instead of letting the front legs move. I have really horrible spatial thinking and can't see how the pieces work together.So when I get confused, obviously the horses do too.

I've only been to one clinic with a somewhat big name trainer, and I have to say it really was transformational. It gave me a set of basic skills that helped me better understand how to communicate with horses (trainer calls it the "ABCs of Horsemanship"). I had never learned "groundwork" before, so it was pretty eye opening. I also liked that there were versions of the ABC exercises to do both on the ground and in the saddle. I give that clinic a lot of credit for really turning around my relationship with Fizz when I first brought her home and was intimidated by everything.

You know what though, one of the things that still stands out most to me from that clinic is when the trainer told me that Fizz was too dumb to learn one of the exercises she was struggling with. It was an exercise I still don't fully understand, but was essentially asking the horse to move forward and sideways at the same time, and Fizz just wasn't responding to the cues. And trainer turned around and told me, "I'd much rather work with an aggressive, angry horse who understands what I'm asking and is fighting me about it than a horse that's too dumb to get it in the first place." I couldn't help it, that really hurt my feelings! One more reason it's a good thing I don't have kids, because I don't know how you don't take a comment like that personally. It's funny how our brains cement in the negatives even when it's still part of a mostly positive experience.


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## Knave

@egrogan sometimes I think the horses one would consider dumb, in the training world, are actually the smartest. I would have had that impression of General, and yet in the long run he was the most trainable and intelligent horse I ever worked with! He took longer to understand, because he truly tried to grasp the concept.

A worried horse would easily stumble to the right conclusion in their many efforts to find the answer. Yet, that worried horse may not stop looking for answers when he finds the correct one. General took longer to consider the request, and longer to find the answer. When he did, he was solid and perfect.

Fizz may be like General. He took a bit to get the concept you explained, and in the end he could dance! He always learned more and more, and never plateaued. So, I think that there is a massive misunderstanding about what is smart sometimes.


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## Knave

I think I would break it down more for Jesse. Work on just one of the moves at a time for a bit, and only a couple steps at a time. I always release pressure with one correct step and then add on for a confused horse.

@egrogan I actually find the turn with the hindquarters so much easier to teach, although I agree it doesn’t seem a move with any positive use. It does give the first steps for sidepass and lead changes and things like that, but as far as on its own? I find it logically makes no sense.


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## SueC

Not sure if it helps anyone, but turns on the forehand or the hindquarters are easier to teach with a horse parallel to the fence when starting out, in my experience. 

And those trainers!


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## TrainedByMares

Happy Independence Day! 

Today, I feel pretty good. The sun is shining,the sky is clear and blue and the humidity is low. There is a small breeze here and there. It is hot in the sun but not obnoxious. 

Nicki and I have been practicing our new exercise and this morning we did so yet again. Some trotting and then,yes...loping. Nicki has improved, leaning over less than before and my balance and seat have improved. Tomorrow is lesson day so that will be the real test. We won't stop there. This is something we will be working on for a while, I'm sure.

Jesse and I worked the other day and it was very frustrating. I could move her about on the hindquarters on the ground but she took not a step when I was in the saddle. Groundwork deteriorated as Jesse became less responsive. What is going wrong here? I thought. We ended on a minor good note but I was so frustrated. She came over and put her head in my arms as if to say sorry. 
I woke up this morning and decided the only thing sorry was my poor training technique. We were going to start from scratch. Today was no saddle,no riding,no nothing except turn on the hindquarters absolutely perfect. I mean perfect.

Jesse played her little game of a couple good moves and then whatever,sucker. And just like sham-wow I cleaned her right up! We loped and loped and loped some more! Like to lope? Good! Lets lope the other direction. Once she tired out and was happy to stand, we turned on the hindquarters. So we turned and turned and loped and turned and then,suddenly, like a switch being flipped, it became perfect. Thats what I want! We ended there after turning several circles on the hindquarters,perfectly. Tomorrow we will do the same. And the day after and so on...until it sinks in. When I touch you there,you move. 

I can see how good work goes down the drain when I am too soft. When I let them into my bubble. But at the same time, I crave having them in my bubble. It's the dance I have to do.

Anyway, today had me thinking about the good things,the positives that are happening. It is good to focus on them and enjoy them while they are here.


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## gottatrot

Happy Independence Day!


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## Knave

I hope the lesson goes good today!

I think that often, when we are teaching something new, we have these moments where it all kind of seems to fall apart. Sometimes they last for a long time! Queen and I loping circles was like that. Yet, when they fall into place it seems we jump up a step. Suddenly everything is smooth for a while and we make these massive leaps and bounds.

I think there is a level of frustration there for a horse, when they don’t really understand. General and I were there before we learned the exercise you are working on. He did everything well, and then when I worked on spin he was mad. He was the type to have a temper; it was part of his overall condescending nature.

So, I was lost. I did everything I knew to try and teach him to give me his shoulder. Nothing worked. I went to groundwork. That horse just got mad. His teeth bared at me, his ears pinned, and I remember thinking “just a single step. If you give me a single step, even on accident, I will quit before we both die. Just a step. Please. I can’t let you win with your temper at me right now. One step.”

It was such a hard concept for him! When we learned that exercise, it finally clicked. General just hated not understanding something. I guess he was similar to my husband, who told me stories of trying to learn his math facts as a child.

I will say for General though- that was our only mountain. Sure, we butted heads on occasion, but that was the thing we had to overcome. Everything else was pretty easy. He took time to learn things, but he always learned and tried hard. I am feeling that with Queen it is the circles. I hope they were our mountain, and that, like General, nothing else is very big.


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you! It did go well! Before the lesson,we warmed up with the exercise and throughout the lesson,which was a complex set of left and right circles around poles and barrels, I seemed to be able to keep my balance and hands and legs quiet much better than I have in the past, even with dropping stirrups!


I see a great improvement in Nicki,too! She seems to understand what we are doing and is carrying herself much better. The saddle is staying centered on her back and she seems much more comfortable. Win win!

Jesse knew she missed out this morning. She was upset when we left in truck and trailer. I may get a chance to work with her later but it's raining right now.


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> It was such a hard concept for him! When we learned that exercise, it finally clicked.


This reminds me of training Shadow to rear (although she never got upset with me). I used to train all my horses to rear on command, first from the ground, and then mounted, to use in the joust show. For some reason, Shadow could not learn it. I cued her every day for a year and a half, hoping to get a little tiny pop-up, anything. The best I could get was she would shift her weight up. But never even a tiny rear.

One evening, my friend from PA was visiting. She considered herself a competent horse trainer. And she was . . . for a certain kind of horse . . . but she wasn't very flexible about horse personalities. She trained all her horses to rear, and had been, long before I did. I was showing her how I was working with Shadow, and suddenly Shadow got it! She reared up nice and high. Of course, I showered her with treats and praise. I was ecstatic! After a year and a half, she got it! And then, Shadow reared and reared and REARED! My friend got really upset with me, said I must correct her immediately, I had ruined her, etc. blah blah. 

I said, "Oh no, you don't understand. She finally realized what I wanted and she's thrilled to death that she got it and understands." I don't know how I knew that, but I absolutely certainly did know that. From then on, Shadow reared perfectly on command, but never any other time.


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## TrainedByMares

Update: Treats is now learning to ground drive and this will eventually lead to pulling a cart! My wife has been working with her the past few weeks. Treats always has a good attitude and is a willing and sweet worker.

Nicki has been getting smoother at the trot and loping! My balance has improved in the saddle. Nicki and I work on our new exercise every time we ride and even though it's a little change each time, it is an improvement! I can really feel the transfer of weight from right to left hip and back when I am practicing .

Jesse has been a challenge. She has been missing her riding time and she has been telling me about it. She has been doing excellent work on the ground . About on the haunches goes without a flaw. Over, Over, Over. Step,Step, Step. Boom, Boom, Boom. So, yesterday we saddle up and practice a bit on the ground but as soon as I am sitting in the saddle she cuts the line of communication for about on the haunches to the left. No, she says actually I'm going the other way. I try, unsuccessfully, for a bit and then cruise to a stop by the gate....
Previously, Trainer lady had told me we were going to try spurs and I saw @Knave wearing spurs in the video so I broke out the spurs.

Bing! Jesse felt that. Over, Step. Gooood! And just like that, we start about on the haunches to the left. Now, it's not without it's challenges. I'm going to have to introduce spurs slowly because Jesse brings out the power and speed . She is not without fight. But communication has been re-established!


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## Knave

That’s awesome! I couldn’t watch the video. It said no.

I do like spurs. I find them to give me a quiet way to communicate more specific requests. I am very light with them. I’ve seen some horses dislike them no matter how light you are. Now, I start everything with spurs on, but I can feel the touch lightly and nothing minds them. Some horses other people have started though, you’d better grab your butt if you plan on riding with spurs. Beamer was one. If you pulled out spurs he took everything too seriously. You didn’t have to touch him; he knew.

I think some horses have had people on them that are hard with spurs, and that is the reaction. Luckily Jesse only knows you!


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> That’s awesome! I couldn’t watch the video. It said no.
> 
> I do like spurs. I find them to give me a quiet way to communicate more specific requests. I am very light with them. I’ve seen some horses dislike them no matter how light you are. Now, I start everything with spurs on, but I can feel the touch lightly and nothing minds them. Some horses other people have started though, you’d better grab your butt if you plan on riding with spurs. Beamer was one. If you pulled out spurs he took everything too seriously. You didn’t have to touch him; he knew.
> 
> I think some horses have had people on them that are hard with spurs, and that is the reaction. Luckily Jesse only knows you!


Sorry about the video. It was a cute little video of my wife driving Treats around the round pen! I will have to figure out what I am doing wrong.

Jesse does not like spurs! I am going to proceed very slowly! Nicki never needed spurs and so I never wear them so it will be a learning curve for me too! I almost tripped myself walking into the house after my ride! lol


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## TrainedByMares

okay, this is from this evening... it says July 8 but it's today


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## Knave

It didn’t really let me watch it, but I was able to scroll through it. I have a new phone… it’s a learning curve I guess.


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## gottatrot

They are doing great!! She'll be pulling a cart in no time. I love minis, most have great attitudes.


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## SueC

TrainedByMares said:


> okay, this is from this evening... it says July 8 but it's today


Watched this with Brett and laughed at his commentary so here it is verbatim:

"Go on little horse, give'em both barrels. Don't let that monkey push you around! Also you have teeth, nice sharp teeth...those fingers are like little carrots and if the monkey is mean to you, you can maul its face off!"


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## ACinATX

I feel like you guys live in or near Amish country? So there's probably plenty of places you can get a harness for your mini. But in case there isn't, this is where I got Pony's, and I really recommend them:









Chimacum Tack: Harness and Equipment from Mini-Draft


Horse tack and harness supplies, specializing in hand-made American craftsmanship since 1992. Mule, Donkey, Draft horse, Mini horse, Pony, and custom.




chimacumtack.com





Their blog is great, too: Blog | Chimacum Tack

Also that video is super cute!


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> I feel like you guys live in or near Amish country? So there's probably plenty of places you can get a harness for your mini. But in case there isn't, this is where I got Pony's, and I really recommend them:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Chimacum Tack: Harness and Equipment from Mini-Draft
> 
> 
> Horse tack and harness supplies, specializing in hand-made American craftsmanship since 1992. Mule, Donkey, Draft horse, Mini horse, Pony, and custom.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> chimacumtack.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Their blog is great, too: Blog | Chimacum Tack
> 
> Also that video is super cute!


Thank you! There are a couple harness shops nearby but I will pass that info along to my wife. She is using borrowed equipment now but eventually will need to buy. I didn't know Pony pulled a cart. Is that in your journal?


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## ACinATX

TrainedByMares said:


> Thank you! There are a couple harness shops nearby but I will pass that info along to my wife. She is using borrowed equipment now but eventually will need to buy. I didn't know Pony pulled a cart. Is that in your journal?


I trained him to long line and to pull stuff, then we had an incident with pulling the tire that went really badly, and we've only done it sporadically since then. Maybe when I get them at home we'll have more time to work on it. There's so many things to do with him and not enough time to do them all.


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> I trained him to long line and to pull stuff, then we had an incident with pulling the tire that went really badly, and we've only done it sporadically since then. Maybe when I get them at home we'll have more time to work on it. There's so many things to do with him and not enough time to do them all.


I'm sorry that Pony had a bad time. He is such a happy guy. It's true when you have horses at home, you can just walk out and do stuff with them but there are so many chores that go along with it, that the time just vanishes. I wouldn't have it any other way,though.


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## TrainedByMares

We did other non-horse-related stuff for the past week and a half. I really miss a regular training routine. 

Anyhow, slowly back into the swing of things. I had a lesson with Nicki yesterday. We trotted serpentines with and without stirrups and I had to trot around with no hands on the reins! Apparently, I'm a control freak and I like to ride with hands on the reins. I reluctantly let go and I trusted Nicki to do the right thing and she did! I could turn her with my body. It was really a neat experience just letting go and relaxing and riding.
I am supposed to practice in the round pen here at home. 

I really enjoy riding in the arena. I like the space and freedom it offers compared to the cramped, circle of the round pen. I had plans to make one but dropped them when we got busy with other projects. I may revisit the idea.

Treats and mama worked a bit this evening. I worked Jesse on the ground. About on the forehand and haunches. She is improving but still trying to avoid me or anticipate me. Both are not acceptable. We are getting some hot weather lately and training work will be done in the evenings or early mornings. Early mornings are great if I can fit them in but mostly I prefer evening work... if I'm not wiped out from work work during the day. It's supposed to get really hot in the next few days. Today I hid the horses in the barn for the afternoon to give them a break from it. It is a shame to think fondly of the winter in the dead of summer!


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## SueC

I've had a riding hiatus too, @TrainedByMares - part work, part existential pothole and not helped by a succession of gloomy cold grey days and not having nice hot showers because of that. Hoping to get in the mood for it again soon, and a warm sunny day would help. Not a hot one like yours though! I love the autumn best, and yours is coming up with better riding weather too. It's good for me to read the kind of stuff you are riding at present because that's the kind of thing I need to work towards riding Julian on the Common when I get around to it, and the reminder is helpful.

What are your main work/maintenance projects at the moment? I just finished gap-filling ceiling lines and small cracks inside the house, fence repairs, and arranging hay delivery and storage; woodwork in the attic needs last third completing and I need to do something about the MDF floor to seal and pretty it as an acceptable finish floor. And the windows need cleaning again and the external woodwork on the French doors and entry doors re-finishing. The strainer posts ordering and then putting in. Also hosting on the weekend...no wonder Diogenes lived in a barrel!


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## TrainedByMares

SueC said:


> I've had a riding hiatus too, @TrainedByMares - part work, part existential pothole and not helped by a succession of gloomy cold grey days and not having nice hot showers because of that. Hoping to get in the mood for it again soon, and a warm sunny day would help. Not a hot one like yours though! I love the autumn best, and yours is coming up with better riding weather too. It's good for me to read the kind of stuff you are riding at present because that's the kind of thing I need to work towards riding Julian on the Common when I get around to it, and the reminder is helpful.
> 
> What are your main work/maintenance projects at the moment? I just finished gap-filling ceiling lines and small cracks inside the house, fence repairs, and arranging hay delivery and storage; woodwork in the attic needs last third completing and I need to do something about the MDF floor to seal and pretty it as an acceptable finish floor. And the windows need cleaning again and the external woodwork on the French doors and entry doors re-finishing. The strainer posts ordering and then putting in. Also hosting on the weekend...no wonder Diogenes lived in a barrel!


I love the inspiration provided by reading the journals of my favorite people here on hofo ! It is a good reminder of the horse things I could and should be doing. Sometimes, when I read the stories and look at the pictures, I do get jealous of what others are doing. I wish I was right there in the picture. Riding along or helping out on the ground I would jump right in!
Certainly if you keep horses, the work never ends and the chores always get done before any other work gets done so I always have a feeling like timewise I'm behind schedule. The poo needs picked though.

Currently, it's been dry and hot. I asked for dry but that was before we got cattle so now I'm scrambling to get another pasture 'cow ready' with a good three tape fence and high voltage. I love acting more than reacting but those potholes really do slow me down.

@SueC ,hosting means guests correct? Do you test for covid? It would be a shame if someone brought you something that you didn't want.

It seems to me that my perfect guests would love to talk about,spend time with and ride horses and love to help out with things around the farm here. Other intelligent conversation would be welcomed,too! I would treat them as royally as I could!


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## Knave

We are on our way home from a vacation, and we stayed at an Air B and B. I’m so confused at the difference of what those things mean. This apartment was in the basement of their home. It was really decorated nice, and it was perfect to go out and come back to a house.

My girls were uncomfortable when they realized the people lived there, but I can’t see the difference from the condos we stayed in during their basketball games. We only saw the husband once, and it was because we couldn’t get the pin to work into the house. He was really nice, although he laughed when he saw my husband and called him Captain, which got his panties in a twist for a few minutes. Lol. He decided he liked him better when he came back down to redo the door lock. I think husband is just really uncomfortable being seen in shorts, and so he related the comment to his dress. We teased him because the guy was also dressed in shorts and a surfer type guy.

I liked it though. Their rules were minimal. “Don’t kick the neighbor’s dog,” made me laugh. Other than that we never saw them though. I do wish there was an extra roll of toilet paper, as we had to go buy some and extra garbage bags.

It would have probably been fun to talk to the owners more. I saw he had a food truck, and I would have loved to have tried his food!

I am happy to be headed home though. It was a super fun trip, but I miss my horses and my dog.


----------



## TrainedByMares

Lol! I don't think I would want to be addressed as 'captain' either @Knave ! Other people in the same house would weird me out too. It's a separate place but still they are right there. 

We have rented houses and condos when on vacations too. I like the privacy and space of a full house or condo.


----------



## ACinATX

If someone called me "captain" I'd be like, "No, it's admiral."


----------



## Knave

I think he thought it worse because the guy was walking along with me, turned the corner, looked him up and down and laughed before saying “hey captain.” He was a very attractive guy too, which made it worse.

To me he just seemed like a surfer type guy. Odd for the setting, but that’s what he definitely portrayed. Long blonde hair in a man bun, very fit and tan, and younger. Husband finally laughed and said if he saw him again he’d call him Matey.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I think he thought it worse because the guy was walking along with me, turned the corner, looked him up and down and laughed before saying “hey captain.” He was a very attractive guy too, which made it worse.
> 
> To me he just seemed like a surfer type guy. Odd for the setting, but that’s what he definitely portrayed. Long blonde hair in a man bun, very fit and tan, and younger. Husband finally laughed and said if he saw him again he’d call him Matey.


Well, he can tell all the guys back home that a hot blonde was calling him ' captain' !!


----------



## Knave

That has me dying! Lol


----------



## SueC

That reminds me of an old joke. "Hey Joe, who was that hot blonde I saw you with at the bar the other night?"

"Hot blonde? That was my son-in-law!"


----------



## SueC

TrainedByMares said:


> @SueC ,hosting means guests correct? Do you test for covid? It would be a shame if someone brought you something that you didn't want.
> 
> It seems to me that my perfect guests would love to talk about,spend time with and ride horses and love to help out with things around the farm here. Other intelligent conversation would be welcomed,too! I would treat them as royally as I could!


Yes, we have two guest rooms in the guest wing for people to stay, here's one:









Airbnb: Holiday Rentals, Cabins, Beach Houses, Unique Homes & Experiences







www.airbnb.com.au





As people have the option of eating with us, which means being in shared indoors spaces for meals, we do have to be careful with infectious diseases. Until March this year we didn't have community transmission of COVID in Western Australia, with very strict border and quarantine rules. 90% of our community was double vaccinated when the border opened in March, but the vaccines we have are based on the Alpha strain, and only offer partial protection for Omicron, and while it does decrease the risk of severe illness and death, doesn't prevent nearly as much long COVID as we would like, with 1 in 20 here getting long COVID after infection, and also a new study showing you can catch Omicron repeatedly and it seems to progressively weaken the immune system with each infection, potentially ending with an HIV-like state, so we really aren't keen to catch this, not to mention I am in a high-risk group because I have a paralysed vocal cord which makes me susceptible to complications from any kind of respiratory infection.

So Brett and I have had two boosters already since our initial two shots last year, and we wear N-95s when in shared indoor spaces with others, or in any crowd situations. House rules are people can't check in with any kind of active respiratory infection and if that happens to a guest I will re-book them later or refund them. Masks in shared spaces except when seated (but not in the guest wing or outdoors). We do social distancing at the table but have a big table where that is not an issue, and we still have great fun with most of our guests - anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers and other deluded or inconsiderate people are not encouraged to book with us.

If there's only one guest staying we waive the mask requirement if we all do an antigen test. My next guest works at a hospital and antigen tests every 48 hours anyway so we'll probably just do that.

Since mask mandates were removed here a month or so ago, hospitalisations have doubled and medical spokespeople are daily calling for their re-introduction, with which we fully agree. We went shopping this afternoon, and I got coughed on at close range by a maskless woman making no attempt at all to stay away from me or cover her cough - not impressed. While I was wearing an N-95, they aren't perfect and my eyes were exposed, so if I catch anything I will know whom to thank. Minutes later we saw a clearly very sick maskless old guy wheezing and sneezing all over the contents of the meat refrigerator and spreading his contagion far and wide. We brought him to the attention of management, who were wearing masks themselves and lamented that while there weren't mask mandates there was little they could do other than ask people nicely.

It's a bit different in the medical practices, hospitals and aged care, where masks can still be enforced. The surgery my husband works at is very strict and keeps anyone with respiratory infections in their cars to be seen there. Masks on everyone in the building at all times. The other day two people walked in maskless and declared they had COVID - to the astonishment of the desk staff, who handed them masks, ushered them out of the building, and disinfected surfaces immediately. They had just been shopping maskless. Every day over 50 people in Australia are dying of this thing and hundreds are getting chronic illness from it, and a proportion of people can't be bothered to wear masks to protect themselves and others, let alone stay home when coughing and sneezing - this is why we need mandates re-introduced. It gives me a very low opinion of people if they can't care enough for fellow citizens and struggling hospital staff to do something as simple as wear a mask and wear it properly. The new incoming strain of Omicron is as contagious as measles and one person in a crowd can spread it to dozens of others.




Knave said:


> We are on our way home from a vacation, and we stayed at an Air B and B. I’m so confused at the difference of what those things mean. This apartment was in the basement of their home. It was really decorated nice, and it was perfect to go out and come back to a house.
> 
> I liked it though. Their rules were minimal. “Don’t kick the neighbor’s dog,” made me laugh. Other than that we never saw them though. I do wish there was an extra roll of toilet paper, as we had to go buy some and extra garbage bags.


We started with minimal rules but had to add things after strange experiences, like those Canadian girls who sprayed the whole room with some kind of air freshener before they left. Smelt like toilet deodorant, just vile, and had to wash and air all the bedding multiple times before we could even think of hosting people in that room again...

You really should have been given spare toilet paper! Make a note to him when reviewing. You don't have to put it in the public section if you don't want to, there's also a "private note to host" part that can be used if you prefer.


----------



## TrainedByMares

Yesterday Nicki was giving me sass. I must have done something wrong because she was not happy with me. I figured she may be cycling.

Today was lesson day. Warming up with circles and serpentines at the trot,everything seemed fine. Then we loped. Buck buck buck! We loped big circles. Going to the left was better than going to the right. At one point, Nicki,trying to run out of the arena, almost loped us into a fencepost! F! I yelled it out loud and immediately felt bad for the neighbors. 
I could not seem to keep myself from being stiff and to keep my arms from rising upward, especially when Nicki would dive hard going to the right. At the trot or loping, she would dive hard and I mean hard, like we were at a 45 degree angle and she would tighten the circle,dropping out of her gait. Near the end of the lesson, I was using the right rein on her neck and holding her head up and I was using leg as much as I could and we had a couple circles at the lope that were a bit better. 

Here are a couple pics that Trainer lady took while we were warming up. I think I look stiff in the upper body. My arms seem to be up.


----------



## Knave

Wow! I wonder what crawled under her tail? Every once in a while I figure everyone wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. It does me well, this idea. One bad day, and I let it go entirely. Cash has a similar mindset with me, and lets me get away with a bad day now and then, because it happens on my end too.

It serves me well because I don’t bring it with me. I try and completely let it go. Now, if it is in the next ride I think about it. What is going wrong? What did I change? What is this horse getting burned out on?

If I was your trainer, I’d have had you get one good thing and get off and ride Jesse. On days like those, I feel like backwards is the only direction you go. Of course, at work a bad day is just drawn out the whole day because there isn’t another option, but in the arena that is what I do. I do something really simple they are good at (not quitting in the direct middle of an argument, but say as soon as Niki was loping even half relaxed), and then I call it quits until the next day.

My parents taught me that. I can’t remember what they used to say about it, but I know it came from them.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> Wow! I wonder what crawled under her tail? Every once in a while I figure everyone wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. It does me well, this idea. One bad day, and I let it go entirely. Cash has a similar mindset with me, and lets me get away with a bad day now and then, because it happens on my end too.
> 
> It serves me well because I don’t bring it with me. I try and completely let it go. Now, if it is in the next ride I think about it. What is going wrong? What did I change? What is this horse getting burned out on?
> 
> If I was your trainer, I’d have had you get one good thing and get off and ride Jesse. On days like those, I feel like backwards is the only direction you go. Of course, at work a bad day is just drawn out the whole day because there isn’t another option, but in the arena that is what I do. I do something really simple they are good at (not quitting in the direct middle of an argument, but say as soon as Niki was loping even half relaxed), and then I call it quits until the next day.
> 
> My parents taught me that. I can’t remember what they used to say about it, but I know it came from them.


I did not bring Jesse with me today @Knave ! We did end on some figure eights at the trot then the walk which went well. I tried to get a couple of decent circles to the right at the lope and I thought they went reasonably okay but Trainer lady did not. 

When stuff goes wrong , I need to stay loose and handle it calmly and quickly, not swear and stop breathing ! Lol


----------



## Knave

Dang! It’s too bad she wasn’t there. I wish I could remember what my parents word was for those days. You have to remember Dad made really successful horses, and even he still had those days. It was a lesson I think hard learned, and it did him well when he learned it too.

Everyone has a hard time staying loose and relaxed when things are going wrong. It’s a mental game, but trust me everyone struggles with it. Sometimes, if a horse has to be rode, we just change tactics. We move them outside and just go lope down a long dirt rode. Sometimes avoiding the battle is far better than even winning it. Anytime you have an argument, there will be things you go backwards on. Some you just have to have, like the bad day that isn’t just a bad day. Then you just have to really have a plan. Of course, that plan needs to be fluid, but you need to be thoughtful rather than just reactive. Then, you can also gauge what mistakes you are making for correction later.


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## TrainedByMares

" thoughtful rather than just reactive" that's it, that's my goal right there


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## TrainedByMares

Who woulda thought digging a posthole by hand would be so much fun? Lol


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> Dang! It’s too bad she wasn’t there. I wish I could remember what my parents word was for those days. You have to remember Dad made really successful horses, and even he still had those days. It was a lesson I think hard learned, and it did him well when he learned it too.
> 
> Everyone has a hard time staying loose and relaxed when things are going wrong. It’s a mental game, but trust me everyone struggles with it. Sometimes, if a horse has to be rode, we just change tactics. We move them outside and just go lope down a long dirt rode. Sometimes avoiding the battle is far better than even winning it. Anytime you have an argument, there will be things you go backwards on. Some you just have to have, like the bad day that isn’t just a bad day. Then you just have to really have a plan. Of course, that plan needs to be fluid, but you need to be thoughtful rather than just reactive. Then, you can also gauge what mistakes you are making for correction later.


So ,that got me thinking... would it make sense to always haul both horses in to each lesson?


----------



## Knave

I don’t know. It’s probably rare for Niki to have a bad day, right? I usually have both Cash and Queen out, only because they both need ridden. To be honest, I haven’t been putting the time into Cash I should lately, and now I’ve been so sick…

He’ll start going consistent though, because we’ve put our entry fees in for a team branding. $400! Wowza, no wonder I get so nervous. Queen will go along beside because husband and I are sharing Cash for the event, and sis will borrow Zeus from her sister.

I digress. I mean to say that since I usually have both of them out, I always start with Queen, because she is at such an important time frame. If she is having a particularly bad day, which isn’t the same with a horse like her, because she usually wakes up with an attitude, so I haven’t called one on her yet, I would just get something good and get on Cash. Since Cash rarely has a bad attitude, if he does I am more likely to call it on him.

It might be nice to have another option there for you, but I wouldn’t count on having a bad ride with Niki almost ever. Jesse might be more like Queen, and at a point that you can’t be as forgiving of a bad day unless it was unique.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I don’t know. It’s probably rare for Niki to have a bad day, right? I usually have both Cash and Queen out, only because they both need ridden. To be honest, I haven’t been putting the time into Cash I should lately, and now I’ve been so sick…
> 
> He’ll start going consistent though, because we’ve put our entry fees in for a team branding. $400! Wowza, no wonder I get so nervous. Queen will go along beside because husband and I are sharing Cash for the event, and sis will borrow Zeus from her sister.
> 
> I digress. I mean to say that since I usually have both of them out, I always start with Queen, because she is at such an important time frame. If she is having a particularly bad day, which isn’t the same with a horse like her, because she usually wakes up with an attitude, so I haven’t called one on her yet, I would just get something good and get on Cash. Since Cash rarely has a bad attitude, if he does I am more likely to call it on him.
> 
> It might be nice to have another option there for you, but I wouldn’t count on having a bad ride with Niki almost ever. Jesse might be more like Queen, and at a point that you can’t be as forgiving of a bad day unless it was unique.


I understand what you are saying. Just treat it as a bump in the road and don't get too excited about it...unless it becomes regular.

I hope you feel better soon! How much time do you have to get Cash ready for the branding? Lol it seems like $400 is alot of money and it isn't these days. If you are putting gas or diesel in your tanks these days you know what I mean.


----------



## Knave

That is true. It still feels like a lot of money to me, and it’s always been the price. I guess it would make sense if it inflated too.

Um, we have 11 days. I am pretty sick today still. I walked out like maybe I’d catch a horse, but I’m still thinking I won’t… we need to practice big time. Husband and my oldest roped one day, and I ran ground. I jumped on Queen and was going to rope, but I kinda chickened out. It was super funny actually. The calves have only been roped that time, so they buck and beller and it is a heck of a racket, and you have to be watching really close because they’ll tie up your horse easy when they’re like that.

So, I pulled my rope and went over like I was going to rope this calf, but I decided against taking the chance of getting Queen in a wreck her first time heeling behind a header. I threw my loop down and started coiling up, and wasn’t really riding and she took off and got into position like “okay, rope him.” I pulled her off and we were all dying laughing. Husband said I let her down, because she just wanted me to rope the calf. He was right too!

I couldn’t figure it out for a minute, how she knew where exactly to be and what to do, but then I realized all the practice with the dummy is the same as roping behind a header. So, I was all worried about it and she just wanted to do it. I guess I did let her down.

I want them to be roped a time or two more before I put her in there though. I got General clothes lined bad as a colt, and it was a heck of a mess, and I just don’t want to make the same mistake. I kind of have a fear of that. Once they line out and figure it out it doesn’t really bother me, and it doesn’t really bother me on baby calves, but those bigger guys bucking and bellering and fighting the rope stresses me out big time.

Cash makes me feel really confident. He’s so stinking good. Yet, while we’re sharing it seems I haven’t been on him for any of that. It’s all been Queen. I think she will be amazing in the end.

So, I haven’t done any team branding type roping this year at all! I get really nervous on team sports like that. I start panicking way in advance. It’s a problem for me. Every year I say I won’t do it again, but I always come back. This year I have a new partner. I can’t remember ever having roped with him before, so that makes me really want to practice. I am surprised at the thought we’ve never roped together, because we’ve worked together a lot, but I can’t remember roping together. I think he’s fast. I tend to like a slower handle, but the mare he rides is just overall really fast. It’s going to be something for me to face.

The other thing I’m worried about is sharing my husband’s saddle. I don’t love dallying in it. It has a different style of horn, and it’s really fast. I’m hoping he’ll be willing to rewrap it. He’ll be mad, but he’s got to work with me. He’s better than I am at this game, I think, so he’s the one who should compromise. lol. Plus, he’s using my horse.

One thing that will be good is that I will use Queen when we go to his place for practice. He doesn’t have live cattle, but a really good dummy. That dummy is pulled with a four wheeler. So, Queen will have a couple travel days and be exposed to something entirely new.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> That is true. It still feels like a lot of money to me, and it’s always been the price. I guess it would make sense if it inflated too.
> 
> Um, we have 11 days. I am pretty sick today still. I walked out like maybe I’d catch a horse, but I’m still thinking I won’t… we need to practice big time. Husband and my oldest roped one day, and I ran ground. I jumped on Queen and was going to rope, but I kinda chickened out. It was super funny actually. The calves have only been roped that time, so they buck and beller and it is a heck of a racket, and you have to be watching really close because they’ll tie up your horse easy when they’re like that.
> 
> So, I pulled my rope and went over like I was going to rope this calf, but I decided against taking the chance of getting Queen in a wreck her first time heeling behind a header. I threw my loop down and started coiling up, and wasn’t really riding and she took off and got into position like “okay, rope him.” I pulled her off and we were all dying laughing. Husband said I let her down, because she just wanted me to rope the calf. He was right too!
> 
> I couldn’t figure it out for a minute, how she knew where exactly to be and what to do, but then I realized all the practice with the dummy is the same as roping behind a header. So, I was all worried about it and she just wanted to do it. I guess I did let her down.
> 
> I want them to be roped a time or two more before I put her in there though. I got General clothes lined bad as a colt, and it was a heck of a mess, and I just don’t want to make the same mistake. I kind of have a fear of that. Once they line out and figure it out it doesn’t really bother me, and it doesn’t really bother me on baby calves, but those bigger guys bucking and bellering and fighting the rope stresses me out big time.
> 
> Cash makes me feel really confident. He’s so stinking good. Yet, while we’re sharing it seems I haven’t been on him for any of that. It’s all been Queen. I think she will be amazing in the end.
> 
> So, I haven’t done any team branding type roping this year at all! I get really nervous on team sports like that. I start panicking way in advance. It’s a problem for me. Every year I say I won’t do it again, but I always come back. This year I have a new partner. I can’t remember ever having roped with him before, so that makes me really want to practice. I am surprised at the thought we’ve never roped together, because we’ve worked together a lot, but I can’t remember roping together. I think he’s fast. I tend to like a slower handle, but the mare he rides is just overall really fast. It’s going to be something for me to face.
> 
> The other thing I’m worried about is sharing my husband’s saddle. I don’t love dallying in it. It has a different style of horn, and it’s really fast. I’m hoping he’ll be willing to rewrap it. He’ll be mad, but he’s got to work with me. He’s better than I am at this game, I think, so he’s the one who should compromise. lol. Plus, he’s using my horse.
> 
> One thing that will be good is that I will use Queen when we go to his place for practice. He doesn’t have live cattle, but a really good dummy. That dummy is pulled with a four wheeler. So, Queen will have a couple travel days and be exposed to something entirely new.


11 days gives you plenty of time but you're right, you don't want to let that other guy down because you didn't practice enough. So the team branding is a header and heeler both on horseback like team roping and someone on the ground to 'brand'?

I keep forgetting that Cash man is your horse because it's been all Queen. What page(s) is his story on in your journal? He is from the BLM too,correct?
I think I understand about you letting Queen down... when Nicki and I were riding down the mail trail, I got scared and hopped off because all the big smooth rocks on the trail were soaking wet and slippery with condensation from the humidity and it was steep. She looked at me and started pawing like she was saying ' come on we can do this!' I got back on and we did...until it got real steep again. But like you said, you don't want to have a wreck and then they shy away next time!


----------



## SueC

I'm sorry you're not well, @Knave - get better soon! 🖤 Great advice re the one good thing and end-lesson on a good note, rather than flogging a dead horse on a bad day. I read Tom Roberts' horse books before I started training horses and he says the same. Also to repeat again next time rather than prolong. Works for me. If I have a bad day I don't ride but that's probably not an option for you mostly?

@TrainedByMares, we all have bad days. If you're feeling rigid maybe stretch your back before riding? Other stretches may help too.

If you do take both mares they can keep each other company and the spare can have a hay net. Also trailer practice, so why not?

And I was thinking, re some visitors you had - do you have a Texas Longhorn? If not, it seems like a good investment in the future.  Or maybe you can get creative and carve some horn extensions for your favourite cow? 😇


----------



## TrainedByMares

SueC said:


> I'm sorry you're not well, @Knave - get better soon! 🖤 Great advice re the one good thing and end-lesson on a good note, rather than flogging a dead horse on a bad day. I read Tom Roberts' horse books before I started training horses and he says the same. Also to repeat again next time rather than prolong. Works for me. If I have a bad day I don't ride but that's probably not an option for you mostly?
> 
> @TrainedByMares, we all have bad days. If you're feeling rigid maybe stretch your back before riding? Other stretches may help too.
> 
> If you do take both mares they can keep each other company and the spare can have a hay net. Also trailer practice, so why not?
> 
> And I was thinking, re some visitors you had - do you have a Texas Longhorn? If not, it seems like a good investment in the future.  Or maybe you can get creative and carve some horn extensions for your favourite cow? 😇


Those longhorns are intimidating! I saw some for sale when I was looking and I was like ' uhh no' ! That Simon guy you photoshopped into your longhorn picture is just as intimidating. Lol

You are right about the stretching. Trainer lady tells me I should be stretching every day, even doing yoga! Yoga, ha! I will begin a stretching regimen today.


----------



## SueC

He has a tendency to scowl on the red carpet, @TrainedByMares, but he's an excellent bassist without the rock star ego. Also I read somewhere he did ludicrous miles on his bicycle while the band he's in were recording an album. We made up a series of stories for fun once in which he and his friends had encounters with aliens and craft beer. 😇

I'm just beginning to stretch again when I remember - Pilates is excellent stuff. Yoga too but Pilates is a killer for getting the core strong.


----------



## Knave

I’ll look and see what page he is introduced on. I think it’s hard to remember he’s mine right now too because he’s been husband’s only horse since last fall. It makes me feel even more negligent of him, but I do remember he is being used quite a bit.

I think it’s probably good for him, to be exposed to different people and styles. He transfers excellently between the two of us, and it doesn’t seem to bother him too much. His only rule is that I catch him first. He will lose his mind with jealousy if I don’t catch him first.


----------



## Knave

I found it. Page 19! So, a lot earlier than I thought. I also didn’t write a very good story about getting him, but I’m sure I was so tired and excited to show everyone!


----------



## Knave

It’s funny to remember back. On the next page was the first time he fell, and I’m still convinced God worked that out for us.

Trying to find where he showed up I saw on page 50 was when he ran me over! Lol


----------



## Knave

Oh, I forgot to answer your question! Team branding has four competitors per team. Co-Ed requires two women and two men, or a young kid can replace a woman, under 13 or something like that. There are the mens, co-Ed and women’s. (They do have a youth the day before I have to judge this year and it is different).

Rules differ slightly depending on the venue. In this one there are four calves. The first set of ropers rope two calves, and the two on the ground run the ground. They string the calf (flip him and remove the head rope and place it around the front two legs, and if a single heel was caught they remove it and replace it around both hinds). The ropers pull him tight and the brand (a branding iron dipped in paint) is placed. After the first two calves are completely up, the riders swap the ground crew, and they do the next two calves.

There are lots of rules. Like one cannot break from a walk prior to the calves breaking, no roughing the cattle, there are illegal catches and that type of thing, and the ground crew must be in a chalked circle when the calf is not roped completely. The iron cannot be dropped and has to be placed correctly.

The steers are usually pretty decent sized. Last year they were probably 700#s.

It is hard to find women without a team already, because most who are capable are already teamed up. This is part of why I don’t quit. I also like it, once it has started. The days before are hard for me, and the countdown I always am afraid I’ll faint or puke in front of everyone. The worst I’ve done so far was get scolded by a judge for swearing.

I’ve only done one women’s team. I really didn’t want to. It’s not that I don’t have faith of myself on the ground, because I do, but I think I feel even more pressure there. The women’s teams are watched fairly closely.

This year will be the first year my oldest daughter has done it. She’s the other woman on my team, and why I’m not roping with husband. She is a good roper, but she’s always worried about the stress of it. She’s really excited though.

Prior to the branding there is a way to gamble. They sell the teams by auction to the highest bidder. So, you really know who has faith in you. Lol. You also know someone else you let down! The teams who no one thinks will win are put into a group, and a bidder can buy all of those teams in the end. I think some good money gets exchanged there.


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## TrainedByMares

Thank you for looking that up! Your journal is the best! Those artsy photo entries that look like paintings are different. At first I'm like 'what?' but I think they are pretty cool. You should put it all in a book .... 

I have always been about Queen but the Cash man is so cool. How did you know about him before the auction? Reading about Lucy is interesting too. Since she was with foal when I began reading your current journal entries, I haven't seen much recent about her of course. It will be great to see her back to work.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> Oh, I forgot to answer your question! Team branding has four competitors per team. Co-Ed requires two women and two men, or a young kid can replace a woman, under 13 or something like that. There are the mens, co-Ed and women’s. (They do have a youth the day before I have to judge this year and it is different).
> 
> Rules differ slightly depending on the venue. In this one there are four calves. The first set of ropers rope two calves, and the two on the ground run the ground. They string the calf (flip him and remove the head rope and place it around the front two legs, and if a single heel was caught they remove it and replace it around both hinds). The ropers pull him tight and the brand (a branding iron dipped in paint) is placed. After the first two calves are completely up, the riders swap the ground crew, and they do the next two calves.
> 
> There are lots of rules. Like one cannot break from a walk prior to the calves breaking, no roughing the cattle, there are illegal catches and that type of thing, and the ground crew must be in a chalked circle when the calf is not roped completely. The iron cannot be dropped and has to be placed correctly.
> 
> The steers are usually pretty decent sized. Last year they were probably 700#s.
> 
> It is hard to find women without a team already, because most who are capable are already teamed up. This is part of why I don’t quit. I also like it, once it has started. The days before are hard for me, and the countdown I always am afraid I’ll faint or puke in front of everyone. The worst I’ve done so far was get scolded by a judge for swearing.
> 
> I’ve only done one women’s team. I really didn’t want to. It’s not that I don’t have faith of myself on the ground, because I do, but I think I feel even more pressure there. The women’s teams are watched fairly closely.
> 
> This year will be the first year my oldest daughter has done it. She’s the other woman on my team, and why I’m not roping with husband. She is a good roper, but she’s always worried about the stress of it. She’s really excited though.
> 
> Prior to the branding there is a way to gamble. They sell the teams by auction to the highest bidder. So, you really know who has faith in you. Lol. You also know someone else you let down! The teams who no one thinks will win are put into a group, and a bidder can buy all of those teams in the end. I think some good money gets exchanged there.


That sounds like a lot of strenuous exercise but alot of fun, if you have a team that works well together. So two ropers,two calves and two grounders are working in the ring at once?


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## Knave

Thank you!! I did like the artsy photos, but after a while I decided everything is so beautiful that I prefer them unedited. Lucy is an interesting horse. She is my husband’s favorite he’s ever owned, and he loves her so much. This is why we bred her. I don’t know if she’ll come back with her feet being messed up, and it really worries me for him. He gets along well with Cash, but it’s not the same. I understand that for sure.

I bought Cash because Bones was my main horse. We were going after a cow and he dropped a hind leg into a badger hole. It tore his stifle and took him out. I had to have a horse for work. When he came back, he became my oldest’s horse. It was a hard transition for me because I loved him so much, but I’m really happy watching the two of them.

When I bought Bones, General was out. I had to ride Beamer and Pete for a year in replacement, and they were great horses, but I longed for my own. So I really do understand.

Little girl transitioned from Pete, who you don’t know from where you started, to Beamer. Pete had brain cancer or something like that, and we ended up putting him down. So, everything happens for a reason. Cash has been well needed and a good addition to our place. Queen seemed to do the same thing, because who knew Lucy would be out and we would have to make another change?

I hope so much Lucy comes back. She is a cool horse, although we struggle with each other. Lol. She is handy and dependable.


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## Knave

The four calves are in the ring the whole time, so you just have to not accidentally rope something that’s been branded. Lol. (I did that once! Terrible! My dad had to pull my rope and he wasn’t happy. Lol)

Being in the chalked area on the ground, a horse cannot step over. Sometimes you are trying to not get hit and also not step out of the line! Lol


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## TrainedByMares

There is alot going on at once. It would be fun to watch! If I was competing,my nerves would be getting the best of me right now ,too.


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## Knave

It is a pretty fun event to watch. It’s wild, so that makes it fun. Watching people get their butts kicked on the ground is pretty entertaining. Sometimes there are bad wrecks, and those I don’t like seeing. A good friend of ours came very close to dying in a wreck in there one year. Sometimes the later teams will have someone who’s drank to much, and they get bucked off or fall off.

Before I was married, I was dating this guy on a team who’s member fell off drunk and threw a little temper tantrum right there in front of everyone. He was so mad and there was a fight. That was pretty entertaining.

It’s cool to see some of the talent on the teams. Some people can throw the most amazing shots. The horses are usually very good that are entered too. It’s like getting to see the best of the best ranch horses around all in one place. People only take their very best, and most horses are old and wise. I like that. So many grey faces are out there.

The first year I took Cash I had to; he was my only horse. He was so young, and he made a mistake, but only one and it was on the women’s team and he blew my shot because he spooked of a hat on the ground. No big deal. Then, some woman comes up and tells me how awful he is and that he cheated me, and I knocked her down a peg with his age. Lol


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## TrainedByMares

I imagined it to be wild with all that going on but amazing to watch the talent of the people and horses for sure. I was thinking of what it would take to be on the ground wrestling with a 700# steer. You better know what to do and fast! I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt though.


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## Knave

I don’t like seeing people get hurt either, but it happens often enough at real brandings too. I’ve seen lots of wrecks. One thing I really like about team branding, and ranch rodeo events in general, is that they display skills we actually use. It shows what it’s like, and the kind of skills required. The horses are doing things they do on a regular basis, and the people too.

There used to be some really cool events, although many have been banned or looked down upon anymore. The wild cow milking was crazy! You take a wild range cow, then they have to get her milked out into a cup. The wild horse race they let out a bronc, you had to get it mugged, saddled, and race to the finish line. Those were my favorites to watch.

There is still the trailer loading contest and some others. When I was a kid I followed my dad around and watched him compete at all those things. His team often won everything.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I don’t like seeing people get hurt either, but it happens often enough at real brandings too. I’ve seen lots of wrecks. One thing I really like about team branding, and ranch rodeo events in general, is that they display skills we actually use. It shows what it’s like, and the kind of skills required. The horses are doing things they do on a regular basis, and the people too.
> 
> There used to be some really cool events, although many have been banned or looked down upon anymore. The wild cow milking was crazy! You take a wild range cow, then they have to get her milked out into a cup. The wild horse race they let out a bronc, you had to get it mugged, saddled, and race to the finish line. Those were my favorites to watch.
> 
> There is still the trailer loading contest and some others. When I was a kid I followed my dad around and watched him compete at all those things. His team often won everything.


Wow! Those sound awesome! Hearing about this stuff makes me think I wasted my life away with cars! Lol! By 'mugging' do you mean a halter or bridle?


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## Knave

No, I mean someone holds onto his actual head so that he can’t kill anyone. Lol. They are broncs, not colts. They get let out of the chute with a halter on, but if you’ve seen a full grown non halter broke horse you know that’s only worth enough until you get an actual hold on him.


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## TrainedByMares

Success! Today was a different day with Nicki for sure. We saddled up in the morning , I rasped the flares off her long hooves and walked ,trotted and loped in the round pen. Going around to the right she still wanted to fall in but she held it together. When she got too fast or was trying to dive in, I would slow it all down to a walk and just practice the exercise we learned from @Knave and then try again. I stopped several times to stretch and twist.We rode around the outside of the pen and she was near perfect,just loping around to the right and the pen preventing her from falling in! We did some figure eights in the field beside and called it quits. She was a bit trippy in the field from being long. 

I saddled Jesse up,rasped her fronts a bit and same thing, walk,trot lope in the pen. To the left was fine after some initial bucks, to the right she was falling in at the trot. Then fedex arrived, daughter started the lawnmower and neighbors horses were stirred up about something so we did some simple figure eights in the field and ended on that note.

No pictures today, just the update. I was thoughtful and not reactive. I kept thinking ' this is how I want it to go and I am going to make it happen' and I told Nicki 'we are going to do this right' .

It is very humid , 100% according to the weather service and my jeans and t-shirt and helmet liner were soaked in sweat. Yuck! I don't mind being covered in two things: horse hair and beach sand and I sure could do without being covered in sweat!


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## SueC

TrainedByMares said:


> Training and riding horses is dangerous work. My hat is off to anyone who puts their heart into this. The day I picked up Nicki, the breeder gave me a piece of advice I never forgot. He said the day you think you know everything about horses is the day you're going to get hurt. So true.


Yep. Or the day you relax and go off with the fairies. I somehow managed to escape major injuries in my life doing all sorts of wild things with horses, mostly alone on trails. So many hairy situations, so much speed and remoteness, wildlife crossing unexpectedly etc. And the worst injury I ever got was four years ago, when I was riding a now very experienced horse who I could communicate almost telepathically with, at a walk just going around the back of our house to the trail head, not expecting anything to go wrong and relaxed as a rag doll. He did a tiny spook backwards and I fell off and under him, landing at a funny angle and breaking three bones in my midfoot. I'd never broken a bone in my whole life and I'd not fallen off this horse in half a decade, saving overshoots when mounting bareback.



TrainedByMares said:


> There was a question on another members journal about how to inspire a spouse or partner to ride. The hard reality is you cannot make anything happen like that. It has to be an organic sea-change in that person that would lead them to desire to ride. If you have a spouse or partner that is supportive of you and your riding, if the horses like them and it is a generally positive environment for all, then you are fortunate. Another thought is perhaps two riders would have more conflicts about horse matters. Be grateful for the blessings you do have.


Yeah, I agree that being supportive of what you do is enough in a spouse, and that too much overlap can also lead to conflicts. I've never wished for my husband to take up riding, though he did get offered rides on my horses. Years ago I walked him cross-country on my Arab mare - he'd never ridden before! Because of his martial arts background and great posture, balance and flexibility he was a natural, but this is what he said to me: "It's all juddery...sort of like being drunk, without the euphoria." 😂

He expressed no further desire to ride and I respected that. We do so many things together, it's also good to have some separate pursuits. But I did talk him back onto a horse once more, when he came home with a Nazgul costume for Halloween - you can't be a Nazgul without a horse, and I needed a photo! You probably saw that one on my journal. 😄

I sort of see a good spouse relationship as being like a Venn diagram, with overlapping and non-overlapping areas. It's really important that your core values overlap, and very helpful if your general life aims do as well. Hobbies and interests, it's great to share some and the passion for them too, and to spend time doing those together, and also just sitting and talking! Which is where the non-overlapping stuff comes in, because that is how you can extend each other, and not run out of super conversations - especially if you're both continuously self-educating. I love how Brett extends me and teaches me things, and vice versa. So we're continually feeding off each other that way too, and it never gets boring, and helps you grow as a person.

Some of the non-overlapping stuff is of less interest to each other, but that's fine too, and makes things a bit mysterious!


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## SueC

TrainedByMares said:


>


That sign! 




TrainedByMares said:


> What to do? I get bummed out about not being able to explore and ride different places because it is snowy,muddy,wet and cold. Hunting season limits my range.So, I am reading @Knave 's journal and I see knave dragging a rope behind Queen and a light bulb goes off! Bam!


Is it just me, or did anyone else think you were going to rope the pony for practice?

...possibly that's even what you were implying in your entry, with that photo? Haha...


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## SueC

I'm reading your journal because it's a cold windy day and Brett is still unwell... and I don't want to make a post forest here because catching up, so this will be the last for this session, and I will edit it if there is anything else that comes up reading, and add it to this post. 🙃

About when Maya was eating manure. Technical term: Coprophagy. Very good reasons to do it and only a problem when there's parasites that can be transferred, which is not the general case with carnivores and herbivore manure - but I don't like that Jess has a habit of eating fox scats, and have to worm her for hydatids every month. While just a tapeworm in dogs/foxes, if a herbivore or a human ingests the worm eggs by accident they can end up with hydatidosis - a cancer-like condition from larvae which burrow through the gut, get into the circulation and form large cysts in the muscles and organs. Very hard to treat as often missed until it's a huge issue. Dogs can also pick up the to-them-merely-intestinal parasite from eating infected herbivore meat and organs.

You don't need to worry about dogs eating herbivore manure - they do it for gut health, and extra vegetable matter. In nature carnivores eat some of the gut contents of their kills, plus herbivore manure. You will know about the importance of gut microflora in humans - this is the same for other animals. Dogs eating horse or cow manure is like you eating yoghurt or fermented foods.

Young animals in particular need to establish good gut microflora - so are particularly interested in eating the right kinds of manure. Foals will eat their adult herdmates' manure to get the right cultures for processing cellulose etc when they start grazing. Also a good gut microflora prevents a lot of gut infections, like having a good skin microflora prevents many skin infections as good bugs keep pathogens at bay. Did you know non-breastfed infants have more skin and gut problems? You're meant to get good bacteria off you mum's skin to, not just the milk! 

Editing to add already...

Bareback riding. Yes, yes, yes! Loved your observations, both on the extra connection with the horse and the great workout for core, balance, general independent seat. This really improves you as a rider and communicator with horses in so many many ways. Good for you and good for your relationship with your horse.

Next edit:

Wonderful background story. From mechanical to life...love how you just hung out with horses. Chatted with them. You see, many people I've come across seem to treat horses like motorbikes - things to ride and put in the shed after. Get upset if they don't move push-button. Talk about respect and don't know what it means, and that you're supposed to _have_ it, not go around demanding it from others like you're entitled to the service of your fellow-creatures. A lot of ugly psychology. A lot of projection and ignorance. A lot of anthropomorphising. A lot of "love" that is just dysfunction - a lot of "I love icecream, I love what you can do for me" misnamed as love. Narcissism isn't love. Projection of fantasy isn't love. Using others isn't love. Kicking a horse that doesn't want to go around the arena with you isn't love - I saw someone describe it as such on the main board recently and called them on it - it's the kind of thing abusive parents call love, but is harmful and corrosive and causes great pain and harm to those unlucky enough to be dependent on you, like young children or animals.

I saw too much of that on the main board here as well, including from various moderators. And it makes me sick to the stomach. When I say what I think there, it's rarely left to stand, so like some others on the journal group I tend to ignore such stuff on the main forum and stick to people I like and post mainly on friendly journals where I am welcome and don't have to wince at how people, animals and the planet itself are talked about and treated.

You talk about being trained by mares. I grew up an emotional orphan and was mothered by a kind mare who'd had foals and saw the vacuum in me, between ages 10 and 13. And then she died, because of my parents' values, their big dreams of having a champion racehorse, their failure to take veterinary advice, and I sat on the ground with her head in my lap as she bled out. It nearly broke me, and I had nobody to comfort me. But she'd taught me well, about how to treat animals - I never forgot it. I will see each and every story about animals from the perspective she taught me. I understand what you mean when you say you are trained by mares.

And I really appreciate that a person who grew up with mechanical transport as a passion understands what some so-called horse people (who our farrier friend Greg refers to as "horse dabblers" - he thinks real horsepeople are rare, even amongst those professionally involved with horses) just do not understand: that a horse is not glorified motorised transport, and not your underling, and not your ego extension, but a sentient being of great depth and perception who can teach you things you will not learn from our own species - and that you need to come at it with egalitarianism and reverence and respect, and nothing less.

A horse is not hollow. Yet many humans are hollow.


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## TrainedByMares

Lesson Day! 

Great day! High 80's and humidity make for a very sticky day. My lesson was late afternoon so heat of the day. I was anxious to show Trainer lady that we could easily lope circles so we warmed up with some trotting and loped a few circles for practice. Wow! Felt great! Sunshine, blue sky and easy loping circles in the sandy arena!

So Trainer lady arrives a little late and I say watch this and I go lope with Nicki. No real issues just some easy loping around the arena. I felt relaxed , balanced and confident. There was even a tarp loose in the arena and once in a while a little hot breeze would make it flutter but we didn't care. Everything was just feeling right. 

So we did some serpentines and some circles and we rode past a cross-rail jump. Trainer lady says have Nicki and I ever jumped and I replied over a ground pole but nothing more. So we are riding some more and Trainer lady says hey you are stiff, you need to loosen up and I said yeah because you mentioned that jump, now I tightened up! lol

So, Trainer lady walks over and sets the cross-rails up and she says we are jumping. I'm going to be pushed out of my comfort zone. Oh for pete's sake! It was going great and now this!
Well, long story short... we jumped! We began at the trot and then we loped the jump! Now Nicki and I can jump! To be sure, I still need to practice...alot! But we did it!

I felt this was the best lesson that I ever rode in. I seem to be loosening up in the saddle and Nicki and I are having fun. I feel like Nicki and I could do anything, go anywhere.I have to translate this to Jesse. Isn't it the best thing in the world when a horse and a person can learn to work as a team?

No pictures! Sorry! Nicki and I were both saturated with sweat. This is nothing new, before I left for the lesson I was saturated because I was working outside. I could really do without the humidity!


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## Knave

That is so awesome! I’m so happy for you! Jumping feels like flying I think. I haven’t jumped Queen over anything yet. To be honest I’m a little scared to yet, because I know how much power she must have in a jump.


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## SueC

Let me second that for Julian, @Knave. Sunsmart was a good jumper and happy to do logs and ditches, but when I resume with Julian I'm going to need to do some other basic stuff before we can start to jump...

Soon you'll be jumping bareback, @TrainedByMares. But you will have to be extra careful with that compared to us girls, especially if your horse has a high wither...


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## TrainedByMares

SueC said:


> Let me second that for Julian, @Knave. Sunsmart was a good jumper and happy to do logs and ditches, but when I resume with Julian I'm going to need to do some other basic stuff before we can start to jump...
> 
> Soon you'll be jumping bareback, @TrainedByMares. But you will have to be extra careful with that compared to us girls, especially if your horse has a high wither...


That will really be out of my comfort zone! lol


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## SueC

@TrainedByMares, years ago someone on a social thread here posted a YT clip of a French professional show jumper who had lost a bet with someone and jumped a whole round of the official course bareback and in his birthday suit, after hours when the public weren't in the stands. It was pulled from the thread because apparently offending PG standards but was quite decorous and you couldn't see his wedding tackle, just his well-toned behind but above everything, a really wonderful display of horsemanship - boy were they excellent! It's still up on YT and so is this...






You might enjoy Alycia's YT channel, she's great at communicating with her animals and excellent fun.


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## TrainedByMares

@SueC Alycia's videos are inspiring. Another one of her videos had her riding bareback with no reins! The slow-motion jumping shots really show the form well. Up in the two-point and bending forward at the waist over the jump. I will have to ride bareback more. I have been avoiding it because it gives my thighs such a workout!


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## knightrider

I am a HUGE Alycia Burton fan! I got to camp out with her at The Oaks in Lake City, FL. Also got to trail ride with her and hang out one evening. Her show is spectacular. She doesn't do those huge jumps at her shows because Gold Dust has only so many jumps in him. She can't do that every couple of nights. But it was still a great show and she is a wonderful motivational speaker. But the best part is that she is so down to earth and fun to be around.























She is demonstrating a cued rear in this picture, not jumping. The jump is just in the way of the photo.
















This is Alycia heading out to trail ride with us on the camping trip. No saddle, no bridle. She said that Gold Dust is actually a difficult horse to ride tackless. There are many horses who are more suited to it. But Gold Dust was what she had, so she trained him to do it. She had another young horse coming along that she thought would be better suited for what she does. But he isn't (or wasn't then) ready yet.










Our trail ride with Alycia Burton. She is the rider in red. The horse ears in the photo is my Chorro. I bought the tee shirt! I only wash it by hand because the lettering is gold, and I want it to last and last and last!

Sorry I bragged so much about Alycia Burton, but I am just so excited about her. She is such a cool person.


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## SueC

Ooooh how fantastic, @knightrider! 

What wonderful photos - and thanks for all the reporting! 🌞🌛⭐🌟✨💫

Isn't it funny how people who are lovely to animals and would never dream of getting uppity or taking out a temper on them do so much better than others with what they can do together with their animals - and how they are also lovely to people and never from up here to you down there like some of the other people going around doing clinics etc!


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## SueC

egrogan said:


> This is one of many reasons people love endurance! On the endurance FB pages, people wanting to try it often post questions about what tack they need, what clothes they need, etc. The answer is always that there are no rules about any of that- you should use what is safe and well-fitting for you and your horse, and a ride would welcome you if you wanted to show up bareback and naked, as long as your horse was fit and sound 🤣


Years ago I translated an article about an alternative German riding school which had exactly this kind of commonsense approach and boy did it rile the "football teams"! Also the back story of the person behind it. Some of you might find that an interesting read - lots of great photos too.









Alternative German Rider 1922-2016 <3


Hello everyone! :wave: I recently translated the self-portrait of a really interesting rider for my journalling and social thread groups. I thought maybe some more general forum users might enjoy reading this too. I first read this at age 10; it was in my rider handbook for that year...




www.horseforum.com





I love the way this school teaches newbies and treats their horses, and have adopted much of their philosophy when I'm working with beginner riders. When the wide smile is on their faces and my horse's I know we're doing good things! 









...very ticklish horse who had to be brushed just right, and first-timer getting it spot on! 
If there's no joy in it for both sides, you may as well forget it.


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## SueC

TrainedByMares said:


> I ate a mouthful of foxtail over a year ago to see what effect it had. Nasty! Instant sore throat that lasted 24 hours and my lips and gums felt puffy and numb.


I think there are two scientists you should know about. One is an Aussie who studies mosquitoes. He keeps them in vials and at feeding time he inverts the vial over his own skin.

I don't know what nationality the other is, but he arranges various insect bites on a pain scale and it's quite fun reading his reports. He sounds a bit like a professional wine taster!


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## TrainedByMares

SueC said:


> I think there are two scientists you should know about. One is an Aussie who studies mosquitoes. He keeps them in vials and at feeding time he inverts the vial over his own skin.
> 
> I don't know what nationality the other is, but he arranges various insect bites on a pain scale and it's quite fun reading his reports. He sounds a bit like a professional wine taster!


Haha! It's always feeding time for the flies and mosquitoes around here! Lol


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## SueC

Well, and you run around in shorts a lot! When we were building our house our carpenter Chris was the same. The March flies were out and his legs were covered in little drops of blood from the puncture wounds.  They seemed to find him especially tasty but with Chris we don't even know if he owns long pants, we've never seen him in any summer or winter, although surely he must have at least rented some when he got married 30 years earlier.

Speaking of carpentry, is the rot in the old part of the house or the extension? What sort of rot is it - do you have a fungus? Here in Australia, the commonest cause of structural timber disintegration is termites. They got in my parents' roof but they noticed before major damage occurred, and fixed the situation by spraying around nasty organochlorines which also leached into the living space - once they get into you, by contact or breathing fumes or dust or eating contaminated food, they concentrate in the body fat and are with you for life. Our neighbours here spent 30 years living in a DIY machinery shed add-on, and just as they were looking into building an actual house, their add-on caved in from termite infestation of untreated pine.

We used copper/chrome/arsenic treated pine for our house frame - a lesser evil than spraying around persistent organic chemicals - and have a step-up slab whose exposed edges we check regularly for termite galleries, plus Termimesh around plumbing openings. No interest so far even though there are termite nests within 20 metres in the bushland, plus when they swarm we get clouds of them even around our windows!

We also get wood borers in Australia.

How much of your timber is affected? Are you using one of those thingummyjigs that spots internal timber disintegration and replacing the affected pieces? Is it widespread? I am really sorry this is happening. It's such a lovely-looking old house and I can't imagine many things more stressful than dealing with something like this, let alone time-consuming.


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## TrainedByMares

SueC said:


> Well, and you run around in shorts a lot! When we were building our house our carpenter Chris was the same. The March flies were out and his legs were covered in little drops of blood from the puncture wounds.  They seemed to find him especially tasty but with Chris we don't even know if he owns long pants, we've never seen him in any summer or winter, although surely he must have at least rented some when he got married 30 years earlier.
> 
> Speaking of carpentry, is the rot in the old part of the house or the extension? What sort of rot is it - do you have a fungus? Here in Australia, the commonest cause of structural timber disintegration is termites. They got in my parents' roof but they noticed before major damage occurred, and fixed the situation by spraying around nasty organochlorines which also leached into the living space - once they get into you, by contact or breathing fumes or dust or eating contaminated food, they concentrate in the body fat and are with you for life. Our neighbours here spent 30 years living in a DIY machinery shed add-on, and just as they were looking into building an actual house, their add-on caved in from termite infestation of untreated pine.
> 
> We used copper/chrome/arsenic treated pine for our house frame - a lesser evil than spraying around persistent organic chemicals - and have a step-up slab whose exposed edges we check regularly for termite galleries, plus Termimesh around plumbing openings. No interest so far even though there are termite nests within 20 metres in the bushland, plus when they swarm we get clouds of them even around our windows!
> 
> We also get wood borers in Australia.
> 
> How much of your timber is affected? Are you using one of those thingummyjigs that spots internal timber disintegration and replacing the affected pieces? Is it widespread? I am really sorry this is happening. It's such a lovely-looking old house and I can't imagine many things more stressful than dealing with something like this, let alone time-consuming.


You are right, it is stressful! It is widespread throughout the addition. The original farmhouse is in good condition. It is really disappointing because the addition was touted as the nicest part of the living space. Likely, it started leaking water right after it was built. So, search out the rot and black mold spots, cut it out and rebuild. The window and siding crew was here all last week and we worked together to get alot of it done in areas that they were working in. However, there is still a significant amount of it left to do and this week it is all mine.

I never did like the trim or the color scheme in the addition anyway , so now it's time to put my touch on the place.


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## SueC

I am so glad to hear that the old part of the house is unaffected! I'm assuming that's the major part of the house? And historically it's the heart of it. I know having structural problems in an addition is bad enough, but imagine if it was the other way around. Like you bought a castle and a car garage, and the castle falls apart and you have to go live in the garage. I know that's a bit exaggerated, but I'd prefer it if the garage fell apart and my castle was OK.

By the way you're not the only one here with shaggy orange carpet and other such appalling things - @egrogan had some really "interesting" wallpaper at her house...

I bet when you finish with your repairs/renovation, it will be better than before!


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## TrainedByMares

SueC said:


> I am so glad to hear that the old part of the house is unaffected! I'm assuming that's the major part of the house? And historically it's the heart of it. I know having structural problems in an addition is bad enough, but imagine if it was the other way around. Like you bought a castle and a car garage, and the castle falls apart and you have to go live in the garage. I know that's a bit exaggerated, but I'd prefer it if the garage fell apart and my castle was OK.
> 
> By the way you're not the only one here with shaggy orange carpet and other such appalling things - @egrogan had some really "interesting" wallpaper at her house...
> 
> I bet when you finish with your repairs/renovation, it will be better than before!


I've grown quite attached to my orange carpet! Lol


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## SueC

Why, is it sticky as well as orange? 😜

Ah, the 60s/70s. I once lived in a delapidated house with an orange and lime green kitchen, and in the late 90s looked at a rental with a swirly psychedelic carpet, sort of like technicolour vomit that had been turned into a Pollock-style artwork... I could not have lived with it!


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## TrainedByMares

I have always enjoyed @Knave 's journal, written in third-person narrative ,so out of respect for that journal and just for fun, I would like to use that technique in this post, if you all don't mind.

NICKI

The late afternoon sun beat down on the man as he finished his work. Another,long,hot day in what seemed like an endless string of them. The roofing crew had left, their job done, and he was alone with some time to think. It had been many days since they had ridden so he pulled Nicki's saddle from the trailer. Nicki watched closely as she always did. She always watched the man.

The little mare had been upset with the man ,shaking her head at him and prancing. Day after day was spent doing nothing,going nowhere. Sure, he was always around but he was always busy or the others would call him away. Still,she knew he loved her. Her coat gleamed and her eyes shone bright because he did. Yet, she could still show her feelings.

As he tacked up, the man gently combed his fingers through Nicki's dark mane and she closed her eyes. All the upset was drained away.
The man settled into the saddle and it felt good, like he had been away from it for too long.

The man yelled to the little dog to lead the way and they rode down the driveway to the front field. He had mowed the perimeter the day before and it was perfect for walking and riding. The little dog had chased a deer through the field two days ago and excitement was in the air. The little dog stayed a respectable distance from Nicki because she knew the bay horse could be violent at times.
They walked and trotted around the field and it was soon clear that no deer or rabbits were moving. It was still too hot and humid. The mare blew out ,lowered her head and relaxed as they walked up the hill. At the top, they practiced the exercise they had learned and the man surveyed the area for an arena he wanted to make. 

The mare had not forgotten her lessons and the man leaned forward and patted her neck. "Good girl" , he said. He was always talking to the mare,even though people said that wasn't good. "She's not listening!" , they told him, but he knew better. The little mare knew more than a few words but more importantly, she knew his intent when he spoke them.

The little dog was running crazy laps around them,trying to instigate a race because she had seen the man lope circles in the field there before but he growled not today. When they passed Jesse's paddock, Jesse was rearing and running, trying her best to stir the little mare up. Turn the tables! Usually it was three white socks that played those cards!

All too quickly, they were back at the barnyard. The man dismounted ,kissed and hugged the mare's neck and promised another ride soon.


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## Knave

I loved it!!!


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## SueC

@TrainedByMares, who on earth told you that talking to horses is useless?

1) They're much cheaper to talk to than psychoanalysts, and just as good.

2) Words are just the iceberg on top of the prosody of language, which is just the iceberg on top of the body language and gestures the horses are expert readers of.

3) All my horses enjoy being talked to. I should probably take that as a compliment, plus it's an intermittent thing, not an ongoing drone like an annoying radio without an off-switch.

4) Horses are excellent learners. Interacting with them reminds me a bit of when I used to spend summers in Italy as a kid without ever having formally learnt the language. I ran with the other kids, and we communicated very well by dint of body language, gestures, charades, and teaching each other words. It's amazing what happens when both sides are open and switched on. Ditto when I spent two days a week being the "adventurous outings aunty" for a nonverbal young woman with cerebral palsy. The people who said, "Oh, she's got nothing much going on in her head, the poor dear!" were the people who were as thick as two planks and made no effort to listen to her or to adapt themselves to the situation. Horses are really good at figuring out interspecies communication if they don't meet the dunces of other species. You know, like these...










Much enjoyed your writing experiment - isn't it lovely what writing in a group can do for inspiration.

How's the house looking? Are you past the halfway mark with the timber replacement?

PS: I now need to tell a joke, related to the cartoon etc. A couple were driving down the freeway with the radio on, when there was an emergency traffic announcement. "Traffic alert for people travelling on the M4 - someone is driving down the wrong side of the freeway!" ...and the driver of the car looks at the passenger and exclaims, "SOMEONE? They're all bloody doing it!"


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## TrainedByMares

SueC said:


> @TrainedByMares, who on earth told you that talking to horses is useless?
> 
> 1) They're much cheaper to talk to than psychoanalysts, and just as good.
> 
> 2) Words are just the iceberg on top of the prosody of language, which is just the iceberg on top of the body language and gestures the horses are expert readers of.
> 
> 3) All my horses enjoy being talked to. I should probably take that as a compliment, plus it's an intermittent thing, not an ongoing drone like an annoying radio without an off-switch.
> 
> 4) Horses are excellent learners. Interacting with them reminds me a bit of when I used to spend summers in Italy as a kid without ever having formally learnt the language. I ran with the other kids, and we communicated very well by dint of body language, gestures, charades, and teaching each other words. It's amazing what happens when both sides are open and switched on. Ditto when I spent two days a week being the "adventurous outings aunty" for a nonverbal young woman with cerebral palsy. The people who said, "Oh, she's got nothing much going on in her head, the poor dear!" were the people who were as thick as two planks and made no effort to listen to her or to adapt themselves to the situation. Horses are really good at figuring out interspecies communication if they don't meet the dunces of other species. You know, like these...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Much enjoyed your writing experiment - isn't it lovely what writing in a group can do for inspiration.
> 
> How's the house looking? Are you past the halfway mark with the timber replacement?
> 
> PS: I now need to tell a joke, related to the cartoon etc. A couple were driving down the freeway with the radio on, when there was an emergency traffic announcement. "Traffic alert for people travelling on the M4 - someone is driving down the wrong side of the freeway!" ...and the driver of the car looks at the passenger and exclaims, "SOMEONE? They're all bloody doing it!"




Lol Sue... I think sometimes I am like the radio with no off switch. 

The house project is ongoing... the more I look, the more I find 🙁


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## Knave

I feel like that too, although I’ve noticed I’ve been a lot quieter the last few years. I don’t talk often to my horses, or even my dog, and I’ve been fairly quiet with people. When I was little it was always “you talk too much.” Now it seems when I’m talking that often goes through my head.

I did talk to Queen the other day though. We rode home alone for the first time, and there was a lot going on. I don’t think she would have even questioned the idea at all, because she’s not lonely, but when we left Zeus started throwing this massive fit. He was screaming his head off, and that horse screams. It just confused her I think, like she had now the idea something was wrong.

I could have broken her into a trot and easily avoided the situation, but I decided if she didn’t get too bad I would keep her at a walk, because I just felt that it would keep her from thinking it was any different than any other day.

So, she started getting tight. She quietly nickered a couple of times, and she maintained her walk, but I knew she was a little worried and super tight. She was walking like a little short stride, and every muscle was bunched. You know the feeling.

So, I decided to start talking to her. It was my grandfather’s birthday, and before he died he loved the filly. So, I told her about him, and she relaxed quite a bit. She didn’t fully relax until we were close to the house, when she dropped her head down and started to move out loosely and fast. I think it helped though. It just reminded her she wasn’t alone, because I could have done the same thing, more effectively by touching her reins or putting a little leg into her, but I did want it to just be her walking home.


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## SueC

TrainedByMares said:


> Lol Sue... I think sometimes I am like the radio with no off switch.
> 
> The house project is ongoing... the more I look, the more I find 🙁


Maybe you need my husband's advice to me last night when I looked at the garden and told him I actually feel much better now there has been a good chunk of progress, looking at what we did yesterday, but still have a tendency to despair if I look at all the rest of it. He said, "Now is the time for you to develop some tunnel vision, and to only think of the next step, not the whole great big amount still in front of you!"

He's very good like that - excellent influence on me and full of wise ideas like, "If you feel really rotten, just do three really simple things on your list. You'll feel so much better then!" He also knows how to take breaks.


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## TrainedByMares

SueC said:


> Maybe you need my husband's advice to me last night when I looked at the garden and told him I actually feel much better now there has been a good chunk of progress, looking at what we did yesterday, but still have a tendency to despair if I look at all the rest of it. He said, "Now is the time for you to develop some tunnel vision, and to only think of the next step, not the whole great big amount still in front of you!"
> 
> He's very good like that - excellent influence on me and full of wise ideas like, "If you feel really rotten, just do three really simple things on your list. You'll feel so much better then!" He also knows how to take breaks.


You know, that is good advice. Compartmentalize. Do one thing well and move on to the next. It's when I must take in the big picture that I get overwhelmed because it keeps growing. My hay guy was here the other day and I like what he said: you are doing some good work and it will be nice when it's done...


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I feel like that too, although I’ve noticed I’ve been a lot quieter the last few years. I don’t talk often to my horses, or even my dog, and I’ve been fairly quiet with people. When I was little it was always “you talk too much.” Now it seems when I’m talking that often goes through my head.
> 
> I did talk to Queen the other day though. We rode home alone for the first time, and there was a lot going on. I don’t think she would have even questioned the idea at all, because she’s not lonely, but when we left Zeus started throwing this massive fit. He was screaming his head off, and that horse screams. It just confused her I think, like she had now the idea something was wrong.
> 
> I could have broken her into a trot and easily avoided the situation, but I decided if she didn’t get too bad I would keep her at a walk, because I just felt that it would keep her from thinking it was any different than any other day.
> 
> So, she started getting tight. She quietly nickered a couple of times, and she maintained her walk, but I knew she was a little worried and super tight. She was walking like a little short stride, and every muscle was bunched. You know the feeling.
> 
> So, I decided to start talking to her. It was my grandfather’s birthday, and before he died he loved the filly. So, I told her about him, and she relaxed quite a bit. She didn’t fully relax until we were close to the house, when she dropped her head down and started to move out loosely and fast. I think it helped though. It just reminded her she wasn’t alone, because I could have done the same thing, more effectively by touching her reins or putting a little leg into her, but I did want it to just be her walking home.


Talking about your grandfather probably was relaxing for you,too @Knave Now that you mention it, I don't know that I have ever read one of your stories where you go out by yourself with Queen or Cash.

I start talking too much on horseback when I get nervous about situation,terrain,footing etc. Nicki knows 'be careful' , 'slippery' 'mushy' but I probably should just ride quietly instead. That's why we never see bears in the woods because they hear me and clear out!


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## Knave

I do ride alone most of the time, but because of needing both horses ridden I’ve tended to take them both. Cash I have ridden a ton outside on my own, but I haven’t been riding him alone either because of my having Queen needing ridden. Lol

I was worried this desire to get both used would create a lonely horse, and why I wanted to take Queen for the ride home alone. I didn’t think she was lonely, because when I am riding at home and Cash is tied to the trailer I can go down the pivot road without her considering looking back, and at work I’ve separated some to go get this or that done, but I think I needed to actually prove it to myself.

ETA- probably 90% of the rides I don’t write about are alone. Just they are boring and training rides. That’s what fills it in. Prior to having two horses to ride I would often go outside with one. I need to prioritize that again.


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## TrainedByMares

Jesse got mad at me yesterday evening. I haven't rode Jesse since early July. Shameful,eh? So, Nicki and I were riding alot then and the month of August was wasted working on the house and I did near zero riding. September is turning out to be more of the same. Thursday,friday and saturday were heavy work days,cutting and splitting firewood for winter heat. 
My wife worked alongside of me which was very much appreciated and when I dodged out of going with her to the little local rodeo saturday night,she was upset with me. 
Hey, I was tired and I had to pick poo in the paddocks. 
Maybe Jesse picked up on that. Or maybe it was the full moon. I don't know. But man,did she freak out on me.

I picked her paddock first and she approached me like a hungry shark stalking a diver in a cage. I raised my fork and she backed off. Warily, I continued into the next paddock and she just lost it. She reared,bucked and kicked in my direction and I knew she was sick of doing nothing. The both of us were doing nothing. Sure, she was grazing and all I do is work but the two of us, we were doing nothing.

I finished up,dumped the poo and announced that I would brush Jesse. What an insult! She smelled the brushes I held ,pinned her ears ,spun and kicked out toward me as she rocketed off to rear some more in the center of her paddock. Snorting like a dragon, she circled back,bucking and kicking out in my direction.

Jesse was mad. She had a right to be and I knew why. I was the bad man. Reluctantly, I stomped back to the barn and retreived her lead rope. Jesse had shaken us from our inertia.

I ran her around her paddock at a gallop and then I would back off into the center. She would park in a corner and glare at me. Again we ran. This time,when she passed Nicki at the fence, she 'bellered' at Nicki,who was watching all the action but not moving and not saying a word, as if to say 'come on ,rise up! the revolution has begun!'

This continued for about 20 minutes. Jesse was good and sweaty. I was quite worn out. I sensed some softening on her part. She was looking at me,looking for a sign. I retired to the center ,softened my stance and waited. Soon ,Jesse walked over and I rubbed her and we stood for a minute. Then,the [email protected]** that I am sent her off again. Lope! More! Sweat!
I could see she was tired and I called out 'trot' and she trotted. I said 'walk' and she did. I let her in to the center ,rubbed her and apologized. We need to ride and we need to work, Jesse. And we will, I promise!

I haltered and tied her and then we brushed . Can the bad man turn his act around?


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## Knave

Cash and Jesse can start a club. He feels exactly the same way, and just like Jesse, he is a dangerous mad. He is naturally jealous and also possessive. He feels unjustly left out, and he is right.

Maybe I need to take a hint for Jesse and pull him out tonight. It’s so hard with him in with Lucy and Oakley!


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## SueC

Good to see you had some time with your horses!  By the way I don't think they get so totally personal about lack of exercise and variety, just super antsy and ready to let off steam at the drop of a hat. When the racehorses had spells they used to do the same - paddock antics whenever they had any tiny reason for it. They do it when they run together, or when a human comes into their solitary paddock. You're then starting their "let's play" instincts - for which they need company. What I used to do with my Arab mare when I was tired or didn't have time to ride is take her to the largest available paddock and just run with her. Jump around, run circles around trees, go wild and she would do the same. I'd just carry on like an antsy foal and run every which way in the paddock, and sometimes I'd pretend chase her, and sometimes I'd pretend to,run away from her. We both got great exercise that way in maybe 20 minutes!


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## TrainedByMares

SueC said:


> Good to see you had some time with your horses!  By the way I don't think they get so totally personal about lack of exercise and variety, just super antsy and ready to let off steam at the drop of a hat. When the racehorses had spells they used to do the same - paddock antics whenever they had any tiny reason for it. They do it when they run together, or when a human comes into their solitary paddock. You're then starting their "let's play" instincts - for which they need company. What I used to do with my Arab mare when I was tired or didn't have time to ride is take her to the largest available paddock and just run with her. Jump around, run circles around trees, go wild and she would do the same. I'd just carry on like an antsy foal and run every which way in the paddock, and sometimes I'd pretend chase her, and sometimes I'd pretend to,run away from her. We both got great exercise that way in maybe 20 minutes!


There is a big difference between exuberant,playful Jesse and angry dragon-girl Jesse of last saturday night. You are right though, some regular running around and play will take the edge off! It would probably help if I put them together but then they get buddy bound or they hurt each other. 
I've found that regular work keeps them happy and I have to get back into that groove.


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## Knave

I have to agree, because Cash gets mad. Prior to Cash I wouldn’t have understood, because all my horses in all my time never did that. Queen would too though.


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## SueC

I made the general comment not to suggest horses don't get angry or even self-mutilate as a result of lack of exercise, variety, socialisation etc - I've seen all of that, and it's why I rehabilitated a few. I made it to suggest that people are inclined to anthropomorphise around horses when those have strong behaviours, and imagine that they think and feel as a human might, and blame the person who is essentially their captor or ascribe character traits to them, when horses have their own unique ways of viewing the world. So in most cases, it seems to me, from my own observations, that horses who are made miserable by the circumstances in which they are kept, whether that be lack of exercise, lack of socialisation, lack of genuine exploration, lack of feed/appropriate feed, or any other lack, don't hate their captors over this or think they are "bad" - they just get miserable, grumpy, etc but not in a personal way. In my experience it gets personal and the handler is disliked if the handler is directly aggressive and unfair to the horse in an overt way. When I later compared those observations from my own experience to Marthe Kiley-Worthington's - a biologist who has spent a lifetime investigating horse behaviour - I found we'd come to similar conclusions. Her material is well worth reading, it's very interesting and well thought through! 

About horses hurting each other if you keep them together - that was the standard argument I grew up with, but that is really mostly about horses not having enough space or grazing, because if they are occupied in their paddocks and can't corner each other, and don't have to get into scraps about food, they generally don't get hurt. I adopted two stallions who had been kept in solitary confinement for their lifetimes after weaning, who had become miserable especially after retirement from racing. They were biters of humans and other animals and considered dangerous. The prior owner was doubtful I would ever be able to safely run them with others of their kind, let alone donkeys - and yet that is precisely what they do here. It took a bit of integrating and obviously I didn't keep them as entires because they weren't going to be bred, but the most these two have ever done is taken a little hair off another animal - and only once in a blue moon. No serious injuries, no blood. And minor scrapes are what even kids in the playground get, and it would be a sorry thing if we did not let children use playgrounds with each other because they might get scraped knees.

Everyone can make their own decisions about how they keep their horses, but if you want your horses to be happy and social, perhaps take the old argument about horses getting hurt with a grain of salt and learn how to successfully integrate them. It will make them less dependent on you also, for every one of their needs, which lets you off the hook more and is healthier for them too. Although in my father's case, he had a preference for others to depend on him so he could feel needed and like there was a point to existing - whether that was his children or his horses. It would have taken quite a bit of psychotherapy for him to give up his need for control and micromanagement.

I have spoken openly to you about my own experiences without wishing to imply anything about you personally or to make comparisons. I just give you this information because I can and because maybe you will value it.

I hope you and yours have a good week!


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## Knave

Oh, I agree with that wholeheartedly @SueC. I am just seeing something different in Cash and Queen. It’s more of a jealousy and possessiveness. Both believe they have to go. Both are in with other horses of course, and play and run with them.

I wouldn’t say they see me as bad by any means, but that they show they are mad at me. As soon as the situation is remedied, and they are caught and used, they are no longer upset. The second the halter is on, what they wanted is complete. Cash would prefer to be haltered, saddled, and then sit and do nothing. Lol. He really enjoys being the helper of starting a colt, because that means he can just sit there most of the time.

I don’t know what I have been doing to create this codependency, but my husband and I talked about it last night. I rode Cash last night, and Queen threw a tantrum in her corral. He rode Bones, and when he went to catch him Queen came after him and he had to beat her. Queen and Cash are obsessively jealous.

I don’t know why. It isn’t a lack of socialization by any means though, maybe a lack of exploration you could say. Yet, Cash doesn’t want to explore. Queen does. Maybe it is more of habit, being taken out consistently. If they weren’t taken out they wouldn’t expect to be. Bones being used less lost his jealousy. He no longer believes it is his right to go, but instead just enjoys when he does.


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## SueC

Haha, @Knave, my dog has a tendency to be like that. I think it can happen when an animal spends a ton of time with you doing things it enjoys and being genuinely cared for, and it gets really attached to you, plus tends to be bossy to other animals. 

They do get jealous as well. My main horses always tended to sulk if someone else got extra attention! I suppose my spouse would be the same. 😘


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## gottatrot

It seems like an idea of fairness to me, which horses and other animals seem to have. It's not fair if you give one a treat and not the other. It's not fair if you take one out and not the other. Amore had no separation anxiety at all. Yet she'd throw a huge fit if I took another horse out and she thought somehow they might be eating. It was all about getting her fair share of food rather than any attachment to another horse. 

One of our cats sulks if we have left her for too long. When we come home, she won't come see us for a while and acts aloof, as if she wants us to know she is mad. After about an hour or so, then she'll come over and want extra attention. 

I've also heard the argument that you shouldn't keep horses together in case they hurt each other. In general, I'm very much against that. However, I don't think you can have just any group get along automatically, just by providing enough space and resources. I've seen several times where two horses continue fighting long term, or in one case a gelding was so possessive of an entire field that he would attack any horse that entered it. This didn't matter if you put him in a five acre pasture, he still believed he owned it all and would not tolerate another horse inside it. 

Probably the fighting behaviors were caused by bad management at some point in life. In most cases, fixing the environment will allow the horses to get along. But for some it seems to become a habit and then the horses just can't get along with others, or with certain particular others they take a dislike to.


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## Knave

I had the meanest mare born, Runt. She was a snake and hated everyone. They sure learned to get out of her way.

My parents keep a couple horses alone, the others run together. They worry about them getting hurt. I probably don’t worry as much as I should. Zeus is really hard on things, and not because he’s mean, but he just sees fun and play. I’ve debated taking him out, and hope I never regret leaving him.


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## TrainedByMares

I keep my horses apart because the 'accident' rate is way down. Nicki is extremely jealous and mean to some people and animals (probably nowhere near what Runt was) and Jesse is not mean but she does like to play and she does want to climb the dominance ladder and so the conflict between them begins. In the past, I've taken a midnight trip to New Bolton Horse Hospital because the horses I had together should have been apart. We all want to avoid that scenario. 

Lately, I have been thinking about ponying Jesse along when Nicki and I ride. So ,perhaps it would be good for them to spend some time together to build a semblance of a 'team' before I embark on that endeavor.

Fairness factors heavily in my dealings with the horses. Butt scratch, peppermint, going for a walk? They watch interactions of others in the herd with great interest. I am constantly being monitored for fairness.


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## Knave

When my father in law met Runt he said every day he had a hard time not stabbing her with a pitchfork. Horses gave her a wide barrier, and still she would just beat the heck out of anybody for no reason at all. It was a joy to her, beating on things, and she was good at it.

She never liked any other horse. In the big pastures she would mostly just stay away, and do her own thing. She sure enjoyed a fight though.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> When my father in law met Runt he said every day he had a hard time not stabbing her with a pitchfork. Horses gave her a wide barrier, and still she would just beat the heck out of anybody for no reason at all. It was a joy to her, beating on things, and she was good at it.
> 
> She never liked any other horse. In the big pastures she would mostly just stay away, and do her own thing. She sure enjoyed a fight though.


What did she do to your father-in-law? That's so harsh of a statement


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## Knave

It was because she was hurting his horses, so I understood. I wouldn’t have had he stabbed her, but I did since he was just venting. The pasture was huge though, so she only tormented them mostly when they all came in for feed. She never broke anything’s leg, but she really did tear the horses up. She would corner something if she ever got the chance, and just wail on them. Nothing was safe around her.

I loved her, and I was young so I just thought it was funny. Today a horse that mean would bother me, and I’d keep them alone. She wouldn’t have minded in the least to be on her own.


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## Knave

Do you want to hear a funny story about Runt?

My parents bought me a goat for learning to goat tie. They got her from a man who bred milk goats. His English wasn’t great, but he insinuated he would sell her cheap because she was confused. Hormonally she believed she was a billy, and she spent her time trying to breed the females and even looked like a billy.

We called her Bertha. Bertha grew up to be massive, causing really bad muscle memory for me and goat tying. The other problem with Bertha was that she was a trouble maker. She could jump fences easily, and went into the horse corrals to steal their dinners.

When Bertha went into a corral, she would get a run and butt the horses in the heads. Poor horses would be dingy. Runt decided she wouldn’t tolerate it one day, and she waited for Bertha to take a run, spun around, and kicked that big old goat all the way across the corral! She tried a couple other times to kill Bertha, but she never managed to accomplish her goal.

The last time Bertha knocked a horse dingy, my dad had enough and he shot her. I don’t remember missing Bertha at all, and she did have it coming, but I did think she was the funniest thing.

Today, much like Runt’s meanness, I wouldn’t quite think it was funny at all. That goat would be dead right off the bat, but I’m glad I have the memory of her.


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## TrainedByMares

Ya, that is funny in a way and I'm sure I would have seen more humor in it when I was younger but I would be shootin mad if something was knocking my horses dingy,too! 

Did you ever have a run-in with Runt and you taught her a lesson or did she respect you from the beginning?


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## Knave

Runt and I never did seem to have problems I can remember at all. We were both wild as all get out, and always seemed on the same page about life. She went along with all of my terrible ideas, and I ignored hers.

Oh, we had plenty of wrecks you can imagine. From runaways, bailing off a bridge, being cut off the box, and lots more, but we never fought. I don’t remember a single argument we got into. We were just friends from the first day, and we got our jobs done.

No one else could stand her. I convinced my husband to get on her once, and it lasted about five minutes tops. This was a man who grew up riding the horses from the auction to turn a buck, and a colt trainer. He said “nope.” No one else was ever able to ride her once I stepped foot on her back.

It was a different relationship, which I struggle to put into words. We were a team from the beginning. We loved each other, and fed off the crazy we both held within us I guess. I felt untouchable on that mare, and I was. She loved having a friend who was game for it all.

So, never was there an “I am the boss,” moment. I think my father had the rounds with her when he started her. I didn’t get her until she was far past blown up as a coming four-year-old, and he washed his hands of her. They were not friends. I always wondered if I would be able to start a horse like her, and I think Queen is my closest opportunity. Yet, I can’t go along with it like I did Runt. I couldn’t justify allowing for that sort of wild any more.

Runt was like riding a cat. I’ve never had that kind of agility and athleticism again, and I doubt I ever will. Had she been able to control her heat, it probably wouldn’t have been as accessible.

I remember dad saying the only reason she was able to be broke was a fear of pain. He isn’t one to beat on a horse, so he didn’t mean it how you might hear it, but she didn’t want to be touched with a leg or anything like that. She was sensitive to the max.


----------



## Knave

The first day I rode Runt I was almost knocked unconscious by her. It is hard to explain the heat that she was made of. I’ve never seen a hotter horse. No one who knew her has. She was as wild as anything could come, and she definitely made a name for the two of us. She broke arena records in poles, and was only beaten once on a bad day where she knocked a couple down. That day she was beaten in barrels too, and the only day I remember her beaten in anything. It just wasn’t her day.

We chased mustangs off a mountain bare back and were in the middle of the herd in seconds on the steepest terrain. It’s the only time I remember her stopping the second I asked. She knew that was stupid, but the stud kept trying to steal our mares when my friend and I were working camped on a mountain with cows after a big fire.

We did some insane things, that mare and I. I don’t know how we lived through them all. I guess in the end she didn’t, and it breaks my heart. Riding her was like having an extension of one’s self.


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## TrainedByMares

I can't remember if you ever posted a picture of Runt?


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## Knave

I don’t know. I’ll show you what I have of her though! I wish more pictures were taken back then. These are what I have, and all there is sadly. Most barely show her or are so tiny!


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## knightrider

Well, I certainly hope you put those adventures in your book. It will be so well worth reading!


----------



## SueC

Knave said:


> My parents bought me a goat for learning to goat tie. They got her from a man who bred milk goats. His English wasn’t great, but he insinuated he would sell her cheap because she was confused. Hormonally she believed she was a billy, and she spent her time trying to breed the females and even looked like a billy.
> 
> We called her Bertha. Bertha grew up to be massive, causing really bad muscle memory for me and goat tying. The other problem with Bertha was that she was a trouble maker. She could jump fences easily, and went into the horse corrals to steal their dinners.
> 
> When Bertha went into a corral, she would get a run and butt the horses in the heads. Poor horses would be dingy. Runt decided she wouldn’t tolerate it one day, and she waited for Bertha to take a run, spun around, and kicked that big old goat all the way across the corral! She tried a couple other times to kill Bertha, but she never managed to accomplish her goal.
> 
> The last time Bertha knocked a horse dingy, my dad had enough and he shot her. I don’t remember missing Bertha at all, and she did have it coming, but I did think she was the funniest thing.
> 
> Today, much like Runt’s meanness, I wouldn’t quite think it was funny at all. That goat would be dead right off the bat, but I’m glad I have the memory of her.


I hope you had a good recipe, I'm partial to a bit of goat - especially under circumstances like that!

We had a Saanen milking goat named Hilda when I was a teenager. She wasn't confused like your Bertha, but she had horns and worked out they allowed her to enter the horse paddocks to steal food. She'd run at animals to push them off their food.

Only she picked the wrong horse one time - Sunsmart's great-grandmother, who was over 16hh and the lead mare. Hilda attempted to push her way into the hay pile she was eating, horns first. Next thing we heard the goat bleating loudly, and saw she was hanging high in the air. The mare had her by the scruff of her neck and elevated her own long neck like a crane, and she was literally just dangling the goat from up high while she wiggled and bleated. Serve her right, I thought. My mother was hysterical and running flapping her hands, "Let her go! Let her go!" and the mare did - from up high. Splat. Into sand, but it was a bit of a landing. The goat beat it out of there and never ever went near that mare again.

Julian's mother did kill an animal - a neighbour's sheep that strayed into her small sand yard. People were working outdoors and the moment they spotted the sheep, the mare was already running for her. She skinned the sheep alive; thankfully there was a .22 in the house so the poor thing was quickly put out of its misery.


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## TrainedByMares

Rode Nicki last evening and Jesse the evening before. Maya bounced along around us each time as we did short rides around the fields. Each ride was after a long,tiring day of work but they felt great and had a regenerative effect upon me. It felt fantastic to be in the saddle again and I believe we all felt that way. 

The blood-orange sun sat on the horizon and then dipped below the mountaintop creating a beautiful painted sunset sky as we rode and the temperatures have been cooling off ,especially in the evening so it was absolutely perfect. 

This morning, Nicki was hanging her head over her door and I drew in close for an intimate moment. She grabbed my shirt quickly but gently with her teeth and just as quickly let it go and looked me in the eye. I gave her a hurt expression and said ' awww ,that's not nice' . She nickered really softly in reply and gently put her head under my arm and against my side as if to say she was sorry and just couldn't help herself. I kissed her softly right above her eye. 

100% true love lol

More riding today...yay!


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## TrainedByMares

Weather report: beautiful! Low humidity, blue skies,sunshine and... wind. 
Jesse report: looky,bucky and a chance of spooky

So you know how my training went today. Should I even say?

I had a nice early afternoon to work with. Sure, it was windy and the cooler temps are going to spunk things up a bit with the horses but what the heck. I longed Jesse in the round pen to establish contact ( check the pic from the other evening when Maya raced around the outside of the pen while we longed inside and then began learning sidepasses over a ground pole) and then outside we went to ride figure eights around the barrels and some serpentines in the field nearby. 
Cat in the windy,waving bushes! Buck buck buck! Scary woodpile! Spook! I don't wanna trot serpentines! Buck buck!
I longed her some more, right in the field and things improved somewhat. We ended by trotting figure eights around the barrels without breaking down. No peppermint for you!

This evening, I plan to ride with Nicki, that sweet,little pony. She actually bucked the last time I rode her but it was because a big horsefly was on her butt. Nicki and I have been riding with Maya tagging along and we all seem to enjoy each others company.She listens and obeys commands. It bodes well for when I want to take a longer ride up the mountain.


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## ACinATX

Well, to be fair, that woodpile is obviously the lair of some terrible monster.


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## Knave

I didn’t know whether to press like or sad. No one enjoys those days I don’t think.

We have a pile of cedar posts right next to where I work on training in the worked up patch. There is always some reason for the danged dogs to start hunting in that pile right as I’m loping by it. I get so mad! Then I try and call them out, and the little white dog of little girl’s doesn’t listen. It drives me batty.

Some rides I think Queen and Cash use the cedar pile and dogs and cats hunting in it for an excuse to have a problem. Some rides, when the wind is blowing and nerves are high, I think it honestly worries them. I wish to move the dumb pile, but we already moved it once, to where it now sits… I can’t think of anywhere I could move it that would be more positive. It’s kind of the only place one could easily access the pile.


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## egrogan

Wind doesn’t usually get to my horses at all, but with the blustery wind blowing today Fizz spooked hard being led from one field to the other, and Izzy and Josie hyperventilated the entire walk over to the big pasture. It was the first icy wind of the year so I guess it just got them amped up 💨 I didn’t have time to ride today and maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing!


----------



## Knave

Queen has really not liked wind. When we were weaning and the last group of calves was being added, the wind was blowing so hard I had taken off my armitas. I was kind of scared to be honest. I couldn’t see a thing, and I let a calf get by me. I knew I needed to give it a run, but I thought she was just holding herself together, blinded and in that terrible wind. Dad got my calf back, and I was kind of embarrassed.

When I went home though I decided to be proud of myself. I was super proud of her, because it was such a hard mental day for her to handle and she was amazing. I was proud of me because I put her first. I didn’t make her run after that calf when everything was going so wrong. I could have gone and panicked and pressured her up, but I chose to not ruin my horse.

This is really a difficult thing for me. Husband and I talked about it later. I put the job first all of the time. I like being good at my job. Bones shows the mistakes I made. He was gentler than Queen, and I took advantage of that. I pressured him in places he wasn’t mentally prepared for, and it has effected him all of his life. Granted he has neurological issues which are always going to be present, but even without that acknowledged, I can see the mistakes I made with him. I can see when he gets so nervous about a job he can’t stand himself.

That is my fault. I put that pressure on myself at work, and I have a hard time not doing that to my horses. I made the decisions so far that have gone against doing that to Queen, and that decision weaning may have made me look bad, but it was the right one. I put away my pride and put the importance where it needed to be. She has a long future, and I need to do my very best to make that future successful.


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## TrainedByMares

egrogan said:


> Wind doesn’t usually get to my horses at all, but with the blustery wind blowing today Fizz spooked hard being led from one field to the other, and Izzy and Josie hyperventilated the entire walk over to the big pasture. It was the first icy wind of the year so I guess it just got them amped up 💨 I didn’t have time to ride today and maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing!


There definitely was a fall chill in the wind today. I have opted out of rides because it was too blustery and I knew what could be in store. 
Strangely, Nicki was cool as a cucumber today. We did everything without fuss. She had a warmup and some practice trotting serpentines and then we rode some fields. The wind was not a factor for her. Of course, Nicki got a peppermint. 
I saw the neighbor picking up her kid at the bus stop and we chatted. They have horses ,too.The first thing she said was she got up this morning, went outside and exclaimed " this is perfect bucking weather!" I thought that was pretty funny. Unfortunately, about three weeks ago, she lost her horse to west nile virus. The mare was owner-vaccinated so maybe that made a difference. I don't know. It's sobering, that's for sure.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I didn’t know whether to press like or sad


Don't press sad. It wasn't really that bad. Jesse spooked and bucked the last time I rode her and I am still having a good time. I must really be into horses! I just worry about having a wreck because she loses her head. Hitting a fence or a piece of equipment, that would be bad. 

Hat's off to you, @Knave for not blowing Queen up. It's easy to get caught up and driven in the moment. I am learning that pushing too far can have irreversible effects. There can always be another opportunity to try sometime in the future. You are looking at the long term and not everyone does that. I need my horse to do this now! Push it too far and he will never do it. I blew Nicki up when she was two and just started wearing a saddle in the roundpen. I walked away to talk to a trucker who stopped looking for directions and in that short time, she ran circles and the saddle slipped to her belly. Blow up! She still has some issues when saddling. Sometimes I have to talk to her about it and just go slow when tacking up, understanding what she went through. 
I should have let the trucker stand there and wait. Put the horse first.


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## Knave

I really have tried hard with her. At work there are different times for different levels of intensity, and I have reminded myself that with her many times.

I tend to always be anxious and trying super hard, but I am learning that I need to count on other people too. I also need to realize what is the emergency. Some things have to be done without question, and your horse can’t come first. Those things are life or death for a calf, and they are dangerous for a horse and rider.

Those are the times there are no fences near. The problem I saw, when I didn’t chase that calf, was that he was headed for the gate. Out of the gate he could go for miles and miles without being caught. Yet, it isn’t life or death that he got weaned that day. If you lose an animal, you teach them bad behavior, but it’s not the end of the world when it comes down to it.

Now, I was lucky this spring to not have any emergency situation on Queen, nor have I at all since I started taking her to work.

With Bones, the mistakes I made were not necessary excepting once. One time I had to do what I did, and that I don’t regret. Yet, the other times I do regret because it was me losing my long term outlook.

Once, the last time I had over pressured him and then when he couldn’t manage and everything was going wrong, I lost my temper and bailed off and started dragging this calf out by a leg. I was hot. I heard my husband yelling “You rotten witch,” of course witch was not the word he used. I looked up, ready to take my temper out on him, for I was losing my temper, and this cow was a breath away from killing me. It made me come back to reality and realize how stupid I was acting. I was lucky to not have learned an even harder way, because he and Charlie (a horse we had then that he couldn’t get along with and sold) saved me and took the hit from that cow, and then beat her off of me with a rope.

It took me a minute to think, and remember this guy who day worked with me when I was first married. I was riding an outside horse and just getting the job done, not taking her education into account. He called me out on it. He didn’t know me, but he knew of me and came to me and said, “You are better than that. You need to put your horse above the job; these aren’t your cows.”

I think I was good for a time, but coming to work where they are theoretically my cows took that away. I also really do have this chip on my shoulder about being good. I have to be good at my job. Yet, to be good I have to make really good horses, and I do want to always improve.


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> I tend to always be anxious and trying super hard, but I am learning that I need to count on other people too. I also need to realize what is the emergency. Some things have to be done without question, and your horse can’t come first. Those things are life or death for a calf, and they are dangerous for a horse and rider.
> 
> Those are the times there are no fences near. The problem I saw, when I didn’t chase that calf, was that he was headed for the gate. Out of the gate he could go for miles and miles without being caught. Yet, it isn’t life or death that he got weaned that day. If you lose an animal, you teach them bad behavior, but it’s not the end of the world when it comes down to it.
> 
> Now, I was lucky this spring to not have any emergency situation on Queen, nor have I at all since I started taking her to work.
> 
> With Bones, the mistakes I made were not necessary excepting once. One time I had to do what I did, and that I don’t regret. Yet, the other times I do regret because it was me losing my long term outlook.
> 
> Once, the last time I had over pressured him and then when he couldn’t manage and everything was going wrong, I lost my temper and bailed off and started dragging this calf out by a leg. I was hot. I heard my husband yelling “You rotten witch,” of course witch was not the word he used. I looked up, ready to take my temper out on him, for I was losing my temper, and this cow was a breath away from killing me. It made me come back to reality and realize how stupid I was acting. I was lucky to not have learned an even harder way, because he and Charlie (a horse we had then that he couldn’t get along with and sold) saved me and took the hit from that cow, and then beat her off of me with a rope.
> 
> It took me a minute to think, and remember this guy who day worked with me when I was first married. I was riding an outside horse and just getting the job done, not taking her education into account. He called me out on it. He didn’t know me, but he knew of me and came to me and said, “You are better than that. You need to put your horse above the job; these aren’t your cows.”
> 
> I think I was good for a time, but coming to work where they are theoretically my cows took that away. I also really do have this chip on my shoulder about being good. I have to be good at my job. Yet, to be good I have to make really good horses, and I do want to always improve.


I found this whole post super interesting. Thanks for sharing. I saw your heart in it and appreciate it. 💖


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## TrainedByMares

Been riding every day. Both horses. Except tonight, I rode Jesse only. We have been having some really nice fall weather and even if it was cloudy and windy a couple of the days, it was still good for riding.

The other evening, I rode Nicki and it was so relaxing. We took Maya with us and it was just three friends out for a walk. What a fantastic experience. It was windy but we all fell in synch and simply ambled along enjoying the sights,sounds and each others company. 

The next day, I schooled with Nicki ,loping some circles and other exercises and then we grabbed Maya again for a patrol around the edge of the fields.

So here is what I did with the giant hole in the wall... a sliding glass door,leading to a soon-to-be patio. The kitchen was kind of dark anyway. 

Nicki loves looking at reflections in windows and mirrors. Ever since she was a yearling in a halter being led on a walk,we have to stop to admire our reflection...


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## TrainedByMares

Working today, driving into town, I heard a 'The Cure - Lovesong' on the radio. How can you not think of @SueC ? It is a good song and I do like it. How can I listen to the lyrics and not think of Nicki? " I will always love you" Of course, I love Jesse, Treats, Maya and the rest of them,too. But wow, Nicki... whenever I'm alone with her, I do feel like I am home again. 

Fortunately, later in the afternoon, there was time to ride so we saddled up. I have been working with Jesse and an old umbrella so I decided to try it with Nicki in the round pen. Pop! Surprise! After a while she got it and was standing still while I popped it open above,behind and beside her. Then we grabbed Maya and patrolled the perimeter of the property at a leisurely pace.

Our front field is about 7 acres and we just seeded it with pasture mix designed for making horse hay and managed grazing. We need a bit of rain to get it started.









I worked with Jesse after I finished riding with Nicki and had something to eat. She is dead broke to the umbrella. We rode just a bit until it was too dark for me and then we quit. I am pretty sure that I have to wear spurs with her from now on. She was not going where I wanted her to go. I was reluctant to wear spurs because, well, Nicki doesn't need them and I wanted her to be just as responsive. 

Still,another great day with my horses. I am really pushing to make sure I ride some every day no matter what.


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## TrainedByMares

We have been having some beautiful autumn weather. Clear, cool,breezy,low humidity. I have been trying to take advantage of this and I have been riding regularly. Evidently, this is what Jesse needs because I have seen a great improvement in her responsiveness.

Working when it's breezy or windy has it's challenges but once the flapping leaves and waving branches on the nearby tree are not a factor, we seem to learn a lot.
I spent a full two hours with Jesse the other day,both on the ground and riding. My goal was to ride the rail of the round pen. That day was quite windy and looky and she wanted to fall in away from the treeline. So we just kept working at it until finally, very relaxed, she did.
The next day we rode around the outside of the pen. You can't fall in now! After a little bit of work, she rode nice circles just fine and for a reward we rode around the fields on a mini trail ride which she quite enjoyed.

Now here's the kicker... this is with no spurs! Ha!
I put them on the one day and we used them briefly but I felt I should keep trying without.

Today we did something completely different. Polo!







So







here is the backstory: I get the paper Mid-Atlantic Horse every month with my subscription to weekly Lancaster Farming. Last month on the front page was a picture of an old lady playing polo!
Well,son of a gun, if she can do it so can I!
I got an old rake handle and there was an old plastic ball in the paddock that no one ever played with and we did it!

Nicki went first and I worked on the ground with her, smacking the ball around with the stick, swinging it around above her. No problem. Then,mounted, we engaged the ball again. After a few minutes, she understood the game and followed the ball where it was hit with a bit of encouragement from leg and my single hand on the reins.

The stick is much heavier than a traditional polo mallet but was a good length at 52 inches. I could hit the ball with ease. I will have to buy a real mallet now.

It seemed so easy with Nicki so I tried with Jesse next. Easy peasy! They both seem to know what we have to do. Jesse is much taller so I missed the ball on many occasions but the swinging at it didn't bother her.

Polo ponies!!

Realistically, Nicki seems to be naturally suited to such an endeavor and I will buy a mallet length to suit her height. Who knows where this could go?


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## ACinATX

That looks like fun! I'll have to give it a try!


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## TrainedByMares

I bet Pony would be perfect for polo!


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## ACinATX

TrainedByMares said:


> I bet Pony would be perfect for polo!


Yes! I wish we could drive up there and play you guys in a friendly match. My daughter was always game for stuff like this, but now that Moonshine is not rideable I don't have anyone at the barn who likes to do different things like this.


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## Knave

I would play too!!!


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## gottatrot

Probably Zeus or Queen would be great. Aria too being so short. We could have a team!


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## Knave

Yes @gottatrot!! We could all get together and play. You and I against TrainedbyMares and @ACinATX!


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## TrainedByMares

I ordered a mallet and a ball today! 

Rode both horses. Nicki and I practiced stick and ball in the higher grass of the back field, with a smaller ball and it was tougher . I missed alot and it was hard to locate the ball in the thick clover and orchard grass. We were just goofing around anyway.

After lunch, I dug out my old english saddle and tack and Nicki and I tried it out. I mean, that's what they play polo in so we better get with it.
Wow, it's been years since we used it and I can't remember exactly what goes where but I finally got it... I think. Tell me what you think. Is the saddle in the correct position? Girth not long enough? Noseband in correct position? I used an O-ring snaffle and yes I do not have a curb chain. Couldn't find it so we went without it.
English felt weird. I can't believe that's how I used to ride.

Jesse did great today. We rode serpentines and I kept making them smaller each time we would finish the course and start at the other end. With no spurs,she is responsive! I would break it up by riding outward at random when we would finish a course. Let's go see Nicki! Let's walk over the pallet bridge! Let's ride into the high grass! It keeps her thinking about what we are doing and not getting bored and resistant. I'm very pleased with Jesse.


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## egrogan

It's so hard to say off of photos only, but what I see about the tack...your bridle looks fine; some people would tighten the cavesson another hole, I tend to not even use one so it being looser doesn't bother me but if you care about a "polished" look then you could probably make it a smidge tighter, maybe drop it down slightly lower. No need for a curb strap on that type of bit. 

The saddle looks like it doesn't really fit her back, see the way it appears that if you put a pen sideways in the seat, it would want to just roll off out the back door? I'm no good at judging saddle fit from pictures, but I would guess you could add something like a "riser pad" in the back to have it appear a bit more level, and that would probably feel a lot more balanced to you sitting in it. Not sure it would actually make it "fit" better, just level it out a bit. If your fence is square and level- which, I'm going to guess it most certainly is 🤣 - turn her parallel to it and take the picture again, and that might give you a visual line to guide your eye when you have the saddle on her back. That seat looks so hard and uncomfortable to me! I've gotten spoiled riding in a lambswool seat saver.


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## ACinATX

Where'd you order the mallet and ball from?


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## TrainedByMares

egrogan said:


> It's so hard to say off of photos only, but what I see about the tack...your bridle looks fine; some people would tighten the cavesson another hole, I tend to not even use one so it being looser doesn't bother me but if you care about a "polished" look then you could probably make it a smidge tighter, maybe drop it down slightly lower. No need for a curb strap on that type of bit.
> 
> The saddle looks like it doesn't really fit her back, see the way it appears that if you put a pen sideways in the seat, it would want to just roll off out the back door? I'm no good at judging saddle fit from pictures, but I would guess you could add something like a "riser pad" in the back to have it appear a bit more level, and that would probably feel a lot more balanced to you sitting in it. Not sure it would actually make it "fit" better, just level it out a bit. If your fence is square and level- which, I'm going to guess it most certainly is 🤣 - turn her parallel to it and take the picture again, and that might give you a visual line to guide your eye when you have the saddle on her back. That seat looks so hard and uncomfortable to me! I've gotten spoiled riding in a lambswool seat saver.


Thank you @egrogan ! That saddle used to fit her but now that you mention it, I did used to use a foam Cashel pad underneath to raise it. Duh! Forgot! 

The saddle is just a cheapo Circuit that I bought used but the seat felt great today. I've never had a lambswool seat saver. Is it for extra comfort and grip or just comfort?


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> Where'd you order the mallet and ball from?


I bought them on ebay from two different places. I looked at used mallets but ended up buying a new one for 87 bucks shipped. It can get me started.


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## Knave

It does look like it drops a lot, but she looks handsome!

How fun!! I think that it might be like cows and a job, and maybe it will make everything easier. Having something to focus on and understand makes everything I do with a horse so so much simpler.


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## ACinATX

Ah, so there's no such thing as "Joe's discount polo place" lol.


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## egrogan

TrainedByMares said:


> I've never had a lambswool seat saver. Is it for extra comfort and grip or just comfort?


Primarily it's about comfort and helps prevent (human) chafing when you're doing a lot of walking miles. Some people do find it gives some "stick" as well. I had never had such a thing until last year when I started regularly going 10+ miles, and found that I needed a bit more padding on the seat. I'm definitely grateful to have it now!


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## Knave

I bought one, and it is comfortable, but I didn’t love it. I love the comfort, but I don’t like the feeling of being less stable (to me I guess).


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## gottatrot

I have one too, but don't use it. My saddles are generally not that hard, and it can slip a little on the seat as @Knave said. If it rains, it sops up all the water around your seat, LOL.


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## Knave

@gottatrot there is a thought! I never wondered about what would happen if it gets wet!!


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## egrogan

That’s interesting, I’ve never had it move at all. But it fits on there pretty tightly. M has tried a couple of other brands and didn’t like them much for similar reasons.

I think I have said before, I am a wimp and don’t like to ride in the rain. But yes, sitting on a soggy sponge would be awful!! 😆


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## gottatrot

Trotting is like "sploosh, sploosh, sploosh," as you squash into the puddle. A very secure seat though!


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## egrogan

Talk about chafing… 😳


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## TrainedByMares

gottatrot said:


> Trotting is like "sploosh, sploosh, sploosh," as you squash into the puddle. A very secure seat though!


You talked me right out of getting one! Lol


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## TrainedByMares

Another perfect-weather day. Sunny,dry,blue sky with the odd small ,white cloud,a nice fresh breeze,temperature in the high 60's or low 70's. 
I worked with both horses in the afternoon. 
Nicki and I rode first. We did some warm-up trotting serpentines and some circles and then we grabbed Maya for a walk and a run . I was happy just hacking around for a bit and then cutting them loose so I could do some real work with Jesse.

Jesse was really good today. I have been burning her steam off and gaining control by longeing her before our riding sessions but today ,to prevent boredom ,we went for a walk in-hand to some spooky locations. There is a spot,going down towards the swamp/bog corner of the property that Nicki has always hated. I mean she shakes and jigs when we are there. Well, a few days ago Nicki and I jigged through there and then some time later Maya was growling and barking and pointing at the same spot. There is nothing there. I've gone through many times and there is nothing to really see, it's just some trees and brush. It's great for spooking though.
After that,she was wide awake and paying attention so we longed and then trotted serpentines. Then we relaxed and rode our back laneway and part of a field and then went back to serpentines. It went about as perfect as I could want.

Jesse loves to work. She runs to meet me at the gate or sometimes waits at the gate for me. She loves to be challenged and doesn't much like repetition. So I have to break it up and make it interesting. I can't follow the order of what the book says, I have to dance around. We will accomplish all of what it says to do,but at our own pace and in our own way. 
Interesting. I'm not a teacher or a trainer. I'm the one who is learning.

Here is a picture of Nicki as we are tacking up. I was telling her that I love her like all get-out and giving her kisses on the neck.


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## TrainedByMares

Rain today. No riding. But I will update you on the latest...

Cattle Update

Well,the cattle are gone. Two of them were 'underperformers' in the weight department. One steer wasn't too bad but the heifer was small and I sold them to a guy who will keep them another year to build the weight up.
The three larger ones have made their way to the big beefy beyond or that great cattle ranch in the sky. ( They went to the butcher) 

I learned some things along the way. First off,they can jump...like 4 foot. They can get their heads caught in a corral panel and move it a good ways. Move them with gentle pressure. 
They were on pasture but I fed them some grain and when it was hot and dry, I supplemented with alfalfa hay. They were happy guys.

Life got in the way with my wife getting covid and working on the house so I never did do anything with the cattle and Nicki. I did,however,hatch a cattle plan for next year. 
Part of that plan involves a project that is soon to be in the works. One ingredient of that project is 300 tons of sand. Can you guess what I'm making?

One year ago today,my little friend Maya was born! Happy Birthday, Maya! She is a happy girl, always bouncing and trotting from place to place with a smile on her face. She is always 'on'. She has be doing what I am doing. She commandeered the horses Jolly Ball and she loves chasing frisbee or rabbits or cats or deer. She loves going for rides with Nicki and I. She is very respectful of the horses and she listens to my commands very well. She is the best and we all love her!


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## Knave

The two you show look nice! Yes, some cows can really jump! It’s funny, when you are around them all of the time like I am, I notice the athletes and the gentler souls.

One time I remember a cow getting on the fight and jumping the tub once we finally got her in. I am talking this cow cleared it, with no running start, and the tub is tall. I was young and shocked watching her. She had the worst temperament, and she just lost her mind that day. I remember thinking about how athletic she was. Like I always thought someone would be safe over the corral (I was pretty young that day with that cow), and I realized some cows were athletic in that way too.

I always wondered about people who breed bucking bulls, and how cows like her would make excellent breeding material.

Now I notice the temperaments of the calves. You know how a grade of kids holds it’s own feeling? Like how you are happy if your kid ends up in a certain class and unhappy with another? This years calves are generally big and gentle. I wonder why it works that way. Take the 5s for example. They were born in 2015, and I seriously dislike 95% of those cows. I didn’t like them then, and I don’t like them now.

My favorite calves walk out of the chute when we process. I mean, here they had all of these scary things happen to them, and then they just mosey out of the chute like it was just another day. This year several were like that. I just love those calves.

I think a lot about if that is how it would feel to run horses. Like how you would get a feel for their personalities while running them through for shots and brandings and that type of thing. I wonder if they would all stand out, like horses do for me, or if only specific animals would like with the cows. I mean, there are cows I know a lot about, and remember over the years because of things that happened with them or because they look a certain way or have an attitude that stands out to me, but there are some cows that are just another black cow, and I can’t tell you a thing about them excepting what I can glean from their number.


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> You know how a grade of kids holds it’s own feeling? Like how you are happy if your kid ends up in a certain class and unhappy with another?


Boy, do I ever! My brother is one year older than I am, so he was always a year ahead of me in school. He was in the grade that was always fun and easy to teach. He would tell me about all the fun things his class did, how nice the teachers were, and all the nice things I would get to do when I got those teachers. Not my grade! We were always in trouble, got all the fun stuff taken away, and had angry sour teachers that were so pleasant the year before with my brother's grade. My best friend and I were good students and quiet kids who wanted to do well, but every year we missed out on all the good stuff because my grade had so many bad kids who acted out.

We had a longhorn mama cow that my son named (appropriately) Sharp. We named all her babies sharp things like Razor, Sabre, and Dagger. She could jump anything from a standstill. When she'd get out (she rarely did, and I don't know why at times she would just jump out), when we'd find her and haze her a little bit, she would just raise up on her back legs and jump back in. Other cows, we would have to herd them to an opening. Not Sharp.


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## TrainedByMares

I never would have guessed the athleticism without seeing it myself. I watched them get excited and just go ripping through the pasture at speed. They were fast,even with their short little Angus legs.
I am proud that once they were in pasture,none escaped to roam the neighborhood. I always thought about that happening.

That is true about kids classes. Some years ago, my wife did a gun safety program through the Sheriffs Office for first graders in the county schools. I accompanied her,dressed as Eddie Eagle the gun safety eagle. So the kids got to watch a video and then do a skit about different gun safety scenarios with my wife and then Eddie would drop in and do some . The larger schools had multiple classes and wow,there was a difference! I'd get one class that was all angels and just in love with Eddie and the other class had meatheads that would try to punch him in the crotch or tug the costume off. 

I can see that relating to herds of calves for sure.


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## Knave

It’s funny how they always make out on TV that cows are slow and dumb. I wonder where they ever got such an idea?

My grade was a bad one. I wish I hadn’t been in it. It was defined by bullying and drinking. My mother held me back a grade and into that one because she believed I was too small compared to the other kids. I guess a teacher later tried to fight to get me back up, but it never went anywhere.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> It’s funny how they always make out on TV that cows are slow and dumb. I wonder where they ever got such an idea?
> 
> My grade was a bad one. I wish I hadn’t been in it. It was defined by bullying and drinking. My mother held me back a grade and into that one because she believed I was too small compared to the other kids. I guess a teacher later tried to fight to get me back up, but it never went anywhere.


Could it be that the trials and bad situations and bad people that embodied the bullying and drinking forged a stronger, resilient @Knave ? 

When I look back at school days now I realize I should have loosened up and tried to have more fun. I was very shy. Drinking and bullying was pretty popular at my school too.


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## Knave

Maybe that is true. I think it went out of style here for a while, but it seems it has come back to about where it once was. I don’t think there is much drug use in the school, which I appreciate for sure. I don’t think little girl’s class is one with many of that style. Although, she is pretty much an academic (she gets mad when I call her a nerd) and her friend group is all the same. She has it pretty good. Big girl’s grade is a wild one. A few from little girl’s join that crowd, but the majority doesn’t.


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## TrainedByMares

Drinking can be just as destructive as some of the other stuff. I'm glad little girl is an academic. She rides horses too so she's not really a 'nerd'. Lol


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## TrainedByMares

I have been riding Jesse almost every day. Short little training rides with something new each time. Yesterday and today, Jesse was pulling a log. She is getting used to it but when the log or rope rub up against things like the fire barrel it gets dicey. Right now, I'm just doing that on the ground. I have also been putting Jesse and Nicki together in a big pasture in the evening about an hour before they go into their stalls for the night. Some fireworks, as expected but the tall green grass calls their names and that drowns out Jesse's urge to overcome Nicki.

Jesse has been longeing with a friend you could say. To warm her up before training rides, I will run her in the round pen with Maya running outside. She is accustomed to it now and I believe it may help with desensitizing her to outside distractions during a lesson and also dogs running up from behind . In the picture, you can see Maya jumping the mount block behind Jesse as they go around. I'm not sure if Maya is trying to help me or is just having fun but her and Jesse can run along without interfering with my direction of Jesse.

Jesse is in heat. Like, raging monster heat. Today we warmed up,pulled the log but when I mounted she bucked several times real hard. Evidently her past bucks have been something I was ready for. This morning was a surprise and ow, the ol' prostate got a smack. 

Got my polo mallet today and got the ball friday. Tomorrow we try them out!


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## Knave

Ouch! I think the last fall heat is seriously the worst. It’s like some transitional thing and not even a real heat, and it makes them stupid!


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## TrainedByMares

You're not kidding! When I let Jesse into the pasture this evening, she bolted up to Nicki, circled around and bolted back towards me but on her way down the hill on an angle, she slipped and fell flat on her side!


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## TrainedByMares

Cooler and blustery day and lots of other things to do than ride. It was late in the afternoon when I finally had time to saddle Nicki and grab my new polo mallet and ball. In my excitement, I forgot that Nicki had not yet seen the new mallet, so our desensitizing was limited to about 30 seconds and then it was ' let's go play'! 

The mallet is a different shape and color than the stick we were using so she was nervous of me swinging it overhead and I figured I had better keep it low and slow. Nicki was not as interested today. There was a strange cat lurking way down by the swamp. I had to steer her toward the ball every time and when I let her have her head she would make her way out of our 'polo field'.

We did ,however, hit the ball around a bit despite all this. Way to go, old chap! My wife took some pictures and advised me not to overdo it and sour Nicki from the game so we quit a little early.

The mallet cost me $87 and the postal label said it cost almost $25 for postage. It seems to be well made and hopefully it will give some good service. The ball was about $26 and it appears to be of good quality. I think I should buy a couple more balls and I can scatter them around so I have more opportunity to swing and hit than with just one for practice.


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## TrainedByMares

Today I was the Senso-Tizer! Instead of de-sensitizing Nicki to the polo mallet, I did the complete opposite. She was tied to the fencepost, we were tacking up and my bright idea was to touch her with it while tied. 
Poor choice,old chap!
Old Nicki pulled away in fear and briefly strained against the rope. I had withdrawn quickly and thrown the mallet down and away but the damage was done. 
Now, the mallet was an object of distress. What a thoughtless bonehead I was.

So, about 20 minutes later, we were about as good with it as when we left off last time we used it. We went for a little ride around to get our minds off the subject for a while. We came back and did some more mallet work and another little ride.

Okay, now we can get down to some polo. I worked with her on the ground first,just walking around swinging the mallet and hitting the ball. Why didn't I start this way the other day? Just excitement and jumping into things I suppose. After a few minutes, I swung into the saddle and we chased the ball. Nicki did really well today under saddle. Our big issue is the saddle slips over to the right . I am shifting my weight that way to swing at the ball and her barrel body and mutton withers do nothing to prevent the saddle rotation. 

Nicki has some crud on the back of her foot that I am doctoring. It appears to be dry skin and its crusty and raw. I know it's bothering her so I haven't been riding her as much. I have been applying antibiotic and then diaper rash cream over top after I wash it out with soapy water and rinse.


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## TrainedByMares

Jesse Update! 

Wow! I've rode both horses every day and Jesse is shining through!
The other day I rode Nicki and when Jesse saw us, she had a major hissy. Bucking,kicking and racing around her paddock! I finished with Nicki,saddled Jesse and worked her in and out of the round pen and on the ground and under saddle. She was sweating and tired and then we rode for real. She was absolutely perfect that day. She did everything I wanted. 

The next day, we didn't work as hard but we did more hacking around and again, Jesse responded with a great ride. Every day, I try to switch it up a bit, go someplace different,do a new thing like include Maya on our hack,reverse the order of our exercises and keep her mind engaged. 

Today we did a really new thing! Jesse and I rode with my wife and Nicki! Just a little hack around but a great beginning!


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## ACinATX

TrainedByMares said:


> I am shifting my weight that way to swing at the ball and her barrel body and mutton withers do nothing to prevent the saddle rotation.


I had a similar issue with Pony and horseball. Apparently a lot of people use those chest strap things to help keep the saddle from rotating. I never tried it. You might want to?


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> I had a similar issue with Pony and horseball. Apparently a lot of people use those chest strap things to help keep the saddle from rotating. I never tried it. You might want to?


Do you mean a breast collar?


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## Knave

I don’t personally think a breastcollar has helped any of my mutton withered horses to keep a saddle slipping from side to side. They are great for pulling, but that’s where it ends to me. A back cinch helps, if you’re willing to tighten it. Cash has zero withers, which I have complained about, but as far as my weight, I can hang off the saddle trick riding and it will stay, but both cinches are pretty tight.


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## TrainedByMares

Nicki does wear a breast collar but nonetheless the saddle moves. I don't use a rear cinch and as far as I know, english saddles don't use them and that's what traditional polo is played in.


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## Knave

I thought about that after I posted! Lol. I don’t know how anyone keeps an English saddle on a mutton withered horse! I also have no idea, unless a nicely shaped back is present, how they get on without the block! I knew on Cash and simply didn’t try it, and rolled the saddle on Queen. They just don’t want to stay on!


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## TrainedByMares

I bet that road rider guy knows what to do! Lol


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## egrogan

TrainedByMares said:


> I bet that road rider guy knows what to do! Lol


Just spit out my coffee...


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## Knave

Me too @egrogan!


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## TrainedByMares

Another day...another ride together 😍❤


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## TrainedByMares

Rode both horses today! Cool,crisp air, a little breezy and very little warmup made for some spirited riding and no pictures.

Nicki went first. I trotted and loped a bit and we worked on serpentines which Nicki detested. She did her best to spook and distract me but I just rode into a paddock and resumed them there. At one point, she broke into a canter or lope to try to break the 'trotting serpentines' spell but i just laughed and said 'let's go!' and when she slowed down again we trotted serpentines. Today, Nicki hated schooling. So okay, let's do something different. So I rode her into some of her spooky places. Then, we played polo. I tired her out and when we finished, she was sweating and lathered.

The afternoon was fading fast and I had no time to warm up Jesse before riding. I was in a 'forge ahead' mood. Well, we forged ahead alright.

I had Maya along for the ride and polo with Nicki but put her in her outdoor kennel for schooling with Jesse with a promise that I would come and get her for a mini trail ride when we were done.
Jesse and I trotted some circles and loped a bit. We trotted some serpentines and I felt we had burned off some steam. 
We retrieved Maya and began exploring our back laneway. There is a cut I made in the treeline that connects the laneway with our back field. There is a short but steep embankment to drop down and then we are on a perimeter road around the field. Well, I let her have her head at the top of the embankment and when we hit the bottom,we were cantering with Maya hot on our tail. Up the hill we flew! Poor little Treats was in the round pen and she startled and freaked when she saw us which caused Jesse to buck hard. Maya ran around the outside of the pen ,chasing Treats, who was bucking and running crazy circles inside the pen and Jesse and I were wrestling for control . I kept Jesse trotting and running circles or figure eights and she nearly ran us into the corral panels. What a dog and pony show! Finally, I called to Maya, ' let's get out of here!' and we rode into the front field and everybody calmed down. 

I ride Jesse in a Crates trail saddle and it seems to have a hump that fits right in my bottom and connects with my prostate when she bucks hard. I don't like that at all. It was just feeling better from last time and now it hurts even worse. I ride Nicki in a Billy Cook barrel saddle and that one has a nice flat seat but it's too wide for Jesse. Time to try another saddle!

Truth be told, I kind of like bucking. Is that weird? I don't like the pain but that's just the saddle. I like the bucking.


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## Knave

I don’t suppose it’s weird. I liked it a lot as a teenager, and got in a lot of trouble by my dad when they caught me getting on the practice bronc in the chute. Lol. I was sure I could ride anything!

I think, had you grown up in my environment, maybe you would have been a saddle bronc rider, or a lot of different things!

I hope you get a better saddle!


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## TrainedByMares

Jesse has bucked and kicked from a yearling . It's her way of dealing with stress. I want to do right by her,though and I'm thinking for her it's bad. At least it's not scary for me,right? I don't know what I would have done if I found this out earlier in life! Lol


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## Knave

I don’t know necessarily that it is bad for her. I mean, from a training standpoint I guess so, but from her standpoint, probably not.

The mare Runt I talk about. She wasn’t a great bronc, which was probably my saving grace as she was a killer athlete every other way, liked to crow hop around, and rear. Rearing was her favorite. She walked on her hind legs part of the time, lol, straight up and down. I never worried about her losing her balance. She ran away on occasion, and when I say ran away she really ran away, and she could fly that mare.

Yet, she only ever tolerated me, and I was the only one who tolerated her. She was a blown horse, I’m not saying that had to happen, or who she would have been had she not been blown. I think though, that she felt freedom with me to be herself in a way. I wasn’t scared of her. I don’t know why. Today I probably wouldn’t ride a horse like her, but she was my soul.

Once, when I was talking to my father, I said “I wish I knew the things I do now, with Runt.” He looked at me for a minute. “Do you really though? Don’t you think you had more fun that way?” I thought about that a lot. Runt wouldn’t have been happy at all with me trying to be critical of her, and we fit together impeccably.

So, if it doesn’t bother you, I doubt very much it bothers her. As long as you get to a point where you can do anything you want to do, why does it really matter? You aren’t showing.


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## gottatrot

The first horse that really bucked with me was Amore, and she was so great at it I always went flying until she toned it down to crow hopping. That gave me negative feelings about bucking. Most horses are not that good at bucking, and I don't mind that kind. 

Hero never twisted or hit the ground stiff-legged or tilted, so he never bucked me off. I did spook off him several times though, lol.

People seem to think a bigger horse is tough because they buck harder. They have so much more real estate to stay centered over though. For me a smaller horse that twists and keeps moving is the hardest.


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## TrainedByMares

I'll just go with the flow. I won't encourage her bucking but if she does, I won't be surprised or overwhelmed. 

Speaking of saddles, I looked into Corriente but when I found a youtube video from the company it turned me off. In it, the Corriente guy has a saddle an he puts it on several horses backs and hey,look it fits them all! I don't know about that. Kind of reminded me of some cheap-chinese-saddle-selling huckster at a sale barn. 

The Crates has semi-quarter horse bars and it fits Jesse. I have a no name barrel saddle that I bought when daughter rode with SQH bars that I will trial fit today. I should try my english stuff on her,too.

The thought of rearing scares the crap out of me. I don't know how you all did it and kept riding.


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## Knave

Corrientes DO NOT fit all horses. Nope. That’s how I scalded Bones. In fact, I would find the horses they do fit more rare than what they don’t. Lol. They fit my two and Zeus, for they have those super wide backs and zero withers. Lol

Rearing has never bothered me any, although I know it does some. A flipper would bother me a whole lot. Keno was the only horse I rode who would throw himself down, but not flip. I don’t know how @knightrider wasn’t petrified.

I agree with @gottatrot that it seems littler horses are better broncs. lol. They don’t have the power, but the agility kills. Luckily for me Bones only bucked once. Sure, he throws his little tantrums and whatnot, but he really only blew up one time, and it was rather tough to ride. Partner could really buck, and I always figured he could buck me off. Actually, that lack of confidence was what actually saw me in a helicopter ride to a big hospital. I won’t made that mistake again. Lol

The hardest bronc I ever covered though was a really funny story! She was a filly my husband owner called Sister. I learned my lesson the hard way with her, that not everyone teaches a horse to back from her shoulder. I was trying to back her up, and she wouldn’t for the life of her, I lost my temper and took my feet from the stirrups and spurred her in the shoulder.

Well, for a second she ran backwards. She was setting herself up for the best bronc ride I’ll ever make. I decided to actually try and ride her (and to be fair, I did have a lot of experience and always won the steer riding lol). I don’t know how I covered her, but I did. She was squealing and blowing hard, peeing all down herself, giving everything she had. I got her shut down at some point.

So, this trainer, and bronc rider himself, was there. He had been going to show me a mare he said I didn’t want, said she was a nasty bronc. I was young and thought I could only spend so much money. After this bronc ride he had a new feeling towards me. I blew it off like it was nothing, when in reality I was shaking in my boots still.

So, the next day he brings this mare. I said “I don’t want her, show me the gelding.” He said “Nope. You can ride her.” That’s how I ended up with Lilly. Massive mistake. lol


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## ACinATX

Knave said:


> They fit my two and Zeus, for they have those super wide backs and zero withers. Lol


Wait... I don't want to derail @TrainedByMares journal, but are you saying that a Corriente would fit a horse with a wide back and no withers??????


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## Knave

Yes @ACinATX! They are the perfect saddle for such a horse! Now, I wouldn’t want one if I didn’t do some work to them. You need new stirrups, and either to replace the stirrup leathers themselves or to have a roll put into them. I had a roll put into mine as well as some work done to the underside to make them move a little easier. They are a really stiff stirrup otherwise, and you cannot train a turn into them at all.

Besides that, great saddles! They have a really comfortable seat, the leather is heavy and good quality. It needs a lot of oil when it comes, but I’m really happy with the overall picture of using them.


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> I don’t know how @knightrider wasn’t petrified.


To be honest, I don't know myself. I think it had to do with my horsie esp--that Isabeau was meant to be mine. I loved riding her. I was nervous on every ride, but somehow I just "knew" that she suited me. Riding her was just a dream come true when she wasn't doing her naughty thing.

Also, she normally gave me pretty obvious warnings that she was going to come over, and I quickly learned to stop pushing her when she started in with those clues. She'd do a little rear, and then a bigger one, and then a higher one, and so on until she'd hurl herself onto her side. It didn't take me long to stop getting after her when she'd start rearing. The secret was to pony her after the first or second smallish rear. The more I whacked her or spun her or kicked her, the higher she would rear.

And thirdly, I had been teaching horses to rear and making them rear for many years, so rearing on a horse was kind of second nature for me.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> Yes @ACinATX! They are the perfect saddle for such a horse! Now, I wouldn’t want one if I didn’t do some work to them. You need new stirrups, and either to replace the stirrup leathers themselves or to have a roll put into them. I had a roll put into mine as well as some work done to the underside to make them move a little easier. They are a really stiff stirrup otherwise, and you cannot train a turn into them at all.
> 
> Besides that, great saddles! They have a really comfortable seat, the leather is heavy and good quality. It needs a lot of oil when it comes, but I’m really happy with the overall picture of using them.


Did you buy the saddle new? Do you get the new leathers from Corriente? How do you put a roll in the leathers? Is that a twist so the stirrup faces forward? Sorry for all the questions


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## Knave

I bought them new, to get what I wanted. Mine is a Wade, and little girl has an association. The seat feels the same in them to be honest, but the rolls are different.

I had a saddle maker do it for me (she used little girl’s horse for a week in trade). She did the roll (yes, so the stirrup faces forward). I watched her do it, but honestly didn’t learn how to watching. She also cut down where it goes through the tree just a little, so it could swing a bit more, and blocked it up forward a bit.

Much easier was on little girl’s. I pulled the leathers out and put a pair from my custom Plumbly on them. I never liked the Plumbly, but I did like the leathers. Lol. (Stirrup leathers are harder to change than you think though. I made my hands bleed and may have cried just a little.).

We also had a little 13” one, wonderful kids’ saddle, and I put capriolas stirrups on it.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I bought them new, to get what I wanted. Mine is a Wade, and little girl has an association. The seat feels the same in them to be honest, but the rolls are different.
> 
> I had a saddle maker do it for me (she used little girl’s horse for a week in trade). She did the roll (yes, so the stirrup faces forward). I watched her do it, but honestly didn’t learn how to watching. She also cut down where it goes through the tree just a little, so it could swing a bit more, and blocked it up forward a bit.
> 
> Much easier was on little girl’s. I pulled the leathers out and put a pair from my custom Plumbly on them. I never liked the Plumbly, but I did like the leathers. Lol. (Stirrup leathers are harder to change than you think though. I made my hands bleed and may have cried just a little.).
> 
> We also had a little 13” one, wonderful kids’ saddle, and I put capriolas stirrups on it.


I just swapped the leathers from the Crates to the no-name so I know it's tough with good thick leathers! So how much do the Corrientes rotate on Queen and Cash?


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## TrainedByMares

Look who has been riding with me every day! Yesterday I tried the no-name saddle on Jesse and didn't like it. Just walked around a bit. I was still sore from friday. 
Today , I used the english saddle on Jesse and it was much better but ,wow, big difference from riding in the western saddle as far as feeling out in the open. It's a big change! Still sore today so ,again,just walking around but went a greater distance. Jesse was an angel. 

I am on the hunt for a suitable western saddle for Jesse but it will be english until I find one.


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## Knave

They are pretty solid on Queen. They are solid as well on Cash unless you rope something over the 700# range. If something over 700#s hits the side, it pulls my saddle. It’s frustrating, but rarely are you really roping things that big. I haven’t been riding him this year though, and husband says he’s starting to develop a minimal wither and a saddle is staying centered better.

Looking at Jesse though, I don’t think one would fit her well. I would be worried she may be just a little too narrow. Of course, that’s not seeing her in person so I don’t know.


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> (Stirrup leathers are harder to change than you think though. I made my hands bleed and may have cried just a little.).


After bloody cuticles every time I switch out stirrups for my daughter to try saddles (her legs are too short for adult saddles and I can't make the stirrups short enough), I found someone who will do it for me for $20. Seems like a lot, but he does it in about 5 minutes max. You aren't exaggerating about making your fingers bleed.


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## Knave

$20 sounds awful cheap to me @knightrider!


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## Knave

If it weren’t that my parent’s had the saddle made for me, I’d send you the Plumbly. It’s beautiful, and it would fit Jesse, but it sets you forward. I really dislike that about the saddle.

I felt awful when they had it made, and one day I tried to saddle with my old saddle and it kind of insulted them. So, I used it exclusively. It is so beautiful. Then people commented about how I rode so often standing in my stirrups. I didn’t think anything of it. It’s how I ride. That’s what I thought.

Then I got married and husband rode it. He was like “nope,” right away. Mom sat on one of my horses and said the same thing. “This saddle feels awful. I see why you stand up!” So, when I bought Bones, I also bought the Corriente. It did not fit Bones, which taught me the hard way about saddle fitting.

Funny though, I don’t stand in my saddle anymore. You think since I did it for so many years, that it would be a trait that stuck with me. It didn’t though. I don’t ever even think about standing in my stirrups unless I’m looking at something. Lol


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> If it weren’t that my parent’s had the saddle made for me, I’d send you the Plumbly. It’s beautiful, and it would fit Jesse, but it sets you forward. I really dislike that about the saddle.
> 
> I felt awful when they had it made, and one day I tried to saddle with my old saddle and it kind of insulted them. So, I used it exclusively. It is so beautiful. Then people commented about how I rode so often standing in my stirrups. I didn’t think anything of it. It’s how I ride. That’s what I thought.
> 
> Then I got married and husband rode it. He was like “nope,” right away. Mom sat on one of my horses and said the same thing. “This saddle feels awful. I see why you stand up!” So, when I bought Bones, I also bought the Corriente. It did not fit Bones, which taught me the hard way about saddle fitting.
> 
> Funny though, I don’t stand in my saddle anymore. You think since I did it for so many years, that it would be a trait that stuck with me. It didn’t though. I don’t ever even think about standing in my stirrups unless I’m looking at something. Lol


Thank you, that's a very nice thought about the Plumbly! 
I was thinking to get a Corriente for Nicki. Jesse is much narrower and actually has withers to work with. One question about the Corriente though: is the seat flat in the middle? Thats the big problem I face is the Crates and to a lesser extent the no-name have a slight hump in the center running front to back. The Billy Cook is dead flat and flat is what I need. 
I can't remember if I ever threw the Billy Cook on Jesse's back. There was no need to. But I may try it today to see if work and weather cooperate.


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## Knave

That makes sense! I was going to say I thought Nicki could wear one, but you said Jesse needed a saddle, so I was confused.

They have a nice deep seat. No hump. I’m imagining what you are saying, but don’t think I’ve ever actually sat in a saddle with a hump. Maybe more of an association tree… hmm… I don’t know. A wade is intended to be a deep seat, but I always thought the association meant to tip someone forward, but little girl’s saddle is an association and it shares the seat of my wade. So, maybe a seat is just a seat… it’s too bad we are not closer and you could test ride one of the Corrientes!


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## TrainedByMares

I've been wrestling with saddle fit on Nicki lately,trying different pads and even went back to re-try the no-name saddle I had bought years ago. It didn't fit then, it doesn't fit now.

I just bought a new Corriente which hopefully will fit. 

Riding almost every day with Jesse. She is a champ. If I call her to work,she comes right to the gate. We have been having very warm temperatures















and pretty dry but the gnats and flies are killer. Today I felt something on my arm and it was a gnat chewing on a vein. They cluster on the horses bellies and chew until it's bloody. 

My wife and daughter have been riding too!


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## ACinATX

I'm curious to hear how the Corriente fits! If it doesn't fit, and you want to resell it, let me know LOL.


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> I'm curious to hear how the Corriente fits! If it doesn't fit, and you want to resell it, let me know LOL.


Okay, I'll let you know!


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## TrainedByMares

Okay, so we had a sand-footing riding arena installed where the round pen was set up. About 120x220 feet of footing are there so it's going to be an easy 100x200. The footing is fresh,loose fine-grained and clean beach-type sand. Think of the sand in an hour-glass. Now think of it 3 to 4 inches deep. 
I hope it rains and packs down soon and works into the soil because it is too deep for anything but walking right now. 

Today, Jesse and I rode on it and she quickly realized it was tough slogging. We are all used to thick grass on hard ground. We walked serpentines and had to re-learn the pallet bridge and then we dodged off to some grassy hard ground. Jesse usually avoids the driveways and parking areas with their sharp stones but today she was glad to be on them and off the sand.

Saddle woes... I rode Jesse in the Billy Cook today and I felt 'off',like it was rotating to the right slightly. Was I using the wrong pad? The Crates never moved, the stirrup length was perfect. It inspired confidence...as long as there were no surprise hard bucks. I just don't feel the same with the BC. Feeling unbalanced or unsure on Jesse is not where I want to be. My faith in the BC has been shaken. 

The Corriente for Nicki is on it's way! I'm very excited and it's supposed to be here by the end of the week. Looking forward to fitting it and riding in it!

I rode Nicki bareback today. Hey, if you don't have a saddle that fits, you ride bareback. My inner thighs were good for about 15 minutes and then that was all I could think about, my poor worn-out,inner thighs. Don't tell anyone. Nicki dropped my phone so no pics from that ride. We had Maya with us and when we rode on the arena sand, Maya ripped around us in circles and wanted to play ball.


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## Knave

I love all of this, except for the Billy Cook. That sand looks amazing! I’m super jealous.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> I love all of this, except for the Billy Cook. That sand looks amazing! I’m super jealous.


Thanks! I want to enclose the arena with my corral panels now but I'd like to have posts and board fence.Hopefully I can learn to rope a calf in the arena next year!


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## gottatrot

That's great you have a new arena!


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## TrainedByMares

gottatrot said:


> That's great you have a new arena!


Thanks @gottatrot !


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## TrainedByMares

An unfortunate series of events have occurred over the past few days here at the farm. First, the time change made it get dark earlier. Then ,it got cold. Then...it snowed.

So, after work today, Maya and I made a snowman in the dim, waning afternoon light. Well, I did. She was chewing on a stick and poking me with it.

Not a normal snowman. I made him in a paddock so he was muddy and covered in old hay. Think Calvin & Hobbes snow goons, if anyone remembers that comic strip.

After a while, he developed a lean and he won't make it until morning. Lol


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## gottatrot

Ha ha, yes! Calvin and Hobbes!


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## TrainedByMares

Saddle Update:

Nicki finally has a saddle that fits her back... and fits me too! I bought a Corriente and have been riding in it and testing it out under all conditions. I have to report that it is a very large improvement in fitment to her back. When it is set on and cinched properly, it does not rotate like the other saddle did. It is also properly sized to my butt which makes for a very secure and comfortable seat. I am very much indebted to @Knave for all the help and advice she gave me while I was figuring out the details of the saddle and the fit. Thank you!

Arena Life:

Wow, what a difference a bunch of grading of earth and tons of sand footing makes. I can ride. I can train. The realities of winter and wet weather include slippery wet grass and mud around these parts. The arena allows me a much larger work area with consistent footing and more riding days. What is that worth? Yes the sand is getting everywhere. The wind blows it over the driveway and into the barn. It gets tracked into the house. But it is a small price to pay. 

Some pics from the past couple of days...


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## Knave

That arena sand looks so perfect and I am exceedingly jealous!


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> That arena sand looks so perfect and I am exceedingly jealous!


Thank you very much @Knave ! Riding went cautiously at first. I kept waiting for a deep hole or a slippery spot or a big rock. It's funny how I was conditioned. Now, the focus can take a higher level. No excuses!

You know, I was thinking the other day, I am a horse junkie. I got it under control though, I only have two but the things I do...like make an arena. Lol And the thoughts that run through my mind: I'll take Rowan. I'll adopt him! I'd be riding that boy within the week! When everyone thought Queen was pregnant and it wasn't clear what would happen with the foal, I was thinking I'll just drive out there and pick that foal up if nobody wants it! 
And you know, I think I'd make a good horse thief! Lol
I have to tamp all this down and keep it inside or I'll be in trouble. Reality is... I would give my last nickel for hay to feed my horses and I would sleep in a shed with them if we had nowhere else to go. I just can't live without horses.


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## Knave

I think my brain works the same way. When I thought Queen was pregnant a couple here asked to buy the foal. I didn’t answer! I thought, “who says I would sell it?”

Yet, I already think it is difficult to have two horses! Lol. Husband almost brought me home a baby, and I didn’t actually say “but I don’t want a foal.” I just waited to see if he brought it home or not. (He did not. He decided to follow the law. Sometimes it is hard not to break the law and help a horse orphaned on the mountain, or shoot a horse so starved to death he is in obvious suffering unable to move around. Everyone struggles with these decisions.) I was disappointed he didn’t bring me the colt, and I was so relieved he didn’t bring me the colt!

I see horses like that on here too, that I occasionally want. Sometimes I just want to show up at someone’s house and help them with something. Lol

Then I see things like your arena and I am jealous of those things too!


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## Knave

Oh, in regards to the couple who asked for the foal. I wish Queen had been pregnant just for them. The horse the husband rode was the only horse they owned. He is a great cowboy, the horse was mediocre. I didn’t love him, but his cowboy did. I guess at a branding, while they were overnighting for the next day, a horse he had run with before kicked and broke his leg, and they had to put him down.

That really broke my heart! It took me a while of working with that couple on occasion to kind of melt to them. They are really good people, and he really loved that horse I didn’t like. That horse was his only horse, and he did everything on him. He was young too, like 7.

They love Cash. Some people really do. Cash is getting a little name for himself, and they wanted a colt from him bad. I was relieved she wasn’t bred, and then when Hank died I wished she was.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> Oh, in regards to the couple who asked for the foal. I wish Queen had been pregnant just for them. The horse the husband rode was the only horse they owned. He is a great cowboy, the horse was mediocre. I didn’t love him, but his cowboy did. I guess at a branding, while they were overnighting for the next day, a horse he had run with before kicked and broke his leg, and they had to put him down.
> 
> That really broke my heart! It took me a while of working with that couple on occasion to kind of melt to them. They are really good people, and he really loved that horse I didn’t like. That horse was his only horse, and he did everything on him. He was young too, like 7.
> 
> They love Cash. Some people really do. Cash is getting a little name for himself, and they wanted a colt from him bad. I was relieved she wasn’t bred, and then when Hank died I wished she was.


That would have been a good home for the foal then! I hope the cowboy found a good horse to love since then


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## Knave

As far as I know he doesn’t have anything yet. (You also would have been an amazing home for the foal!) He’s handy enough people will mount him, but he needs his own horse.


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## ACinATX

Yes! Adopt Rowan! You would LOVE him!


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## TrainedByMares

ACinATX said:


> Yes! Adopt Rowan! You would LOVE him!


I think very highly of Rowan. I'm sure I would love him!


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## Knave

So funny, but today was a day we do a clay pigeon shoot. I was talking to my cousin’s wife, who told me she was selling her colt. He’s three and a good enough colt, started and done some work, but he’s had some time off. Anyways, she said that cowboy is coming to look at him to replace Hank. I don’t know if he has the kind of money she wants, but I think it would be a good match.


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## TrainedByMares

So, in some catalog that came in the mail, there was this sample of cologne. On the picture was some guy and his horse so that piqued my interest. I looked at it and thought, hey, that's like me... I'm a guy with a horse. So I wiped some on and I'll let you know if it works!


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## Knave

Hmm… what are you wanting the cologne to result in? Lol. If it gives you those abs I’ll see if it works for girls too.

Wow, I didn’t know they still did that in magazines! It’s been forever since I’ve seen that.


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## TrainedByMares

Knave said:


> Hmm… what are you wanting the cologne to result in? Lol. If it gives you those abs I’ll see if it works for girls too.
> 
> Wow, I didn’t know they still did that in magazines! It’s been forever since I’ve seen that.


She rubbed some more on me but it's not working out the way I planned just yet. Maybe I'll have to do some sweet talkin' too! Lol


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## TrainedByMares

The past two days were rainy and then horribly windy. We were supposed to be getting 40 mph gusts. I didn't measure them but I did see the arena sand moving to places I never imagined it would go. I have a project truck lingering in the equipment shed. The engine and trans are about ready to go in but now the truck and the parts are covered in a fine layer of sand. Sometime in the future, this will seem funny but right now it's not.

Jesse is in heat. Every time I put her in the pasture with Nicki, she is ready for her stallion to appear. She presents to Nicki, winks and is a general pain in the butt. She's also pretty frisky and not as docile when I am around her. 

I rode Jesse English today but I felt like I was way out of my element. It was not a good feeling. We trotted and worked a bit doing some circles and serpentines in the arena. 
The reason I felt so bad English is because I feel so good Western in my new 5-star pad and Corriente saddle! Wow! It doesn't move on Nicki's back and my butt feels like it is so secure. I've never felt that way in a saddle before!

Nicki and I rode. She was jealous because I rode Jesse first so she rolled in the mud. We worked a bit in the arena and then rode down to get the mail. I gave her the option not to but she walked down to the mailbox. "That's what you want to do, let's do it" she said!


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## egrogan

That rearing pictures is incredible in every way- looks like it should be the cover of a calendar or something!


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## TrainedByMares

egrogan said:


> That rearing pictures is incredible in every way- looks like it should be the cover of a calendar or something!


Good idea @egrogan ! Someone should do a HoFo calendar!


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## gottatrot

TrainedByMares said:


> Good idea @egrogan ! Someone should do a HoFo calendar!


I love the photo too. A calendar is a great idea!!


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## TrainedByMares

Sunshine, blue sky... hey, what do you want to do? Let's ride!
It's been a week of rain, clouds and mud so opportunities are limited.

It takes 40 minutes to properly clean the caked on mud that these two are expertly applying when they have the chance. 

I cleaned Nicki the best I could, tacked up and we began in the arena. Nicki is a water horse and the now-somewhat-dry streambeds formed by rainwater flowing over the sand caused her some concern. 
Perhaps this is the river Styx and I'm the guy that's going to take her across? Lol
Knock it off, Nicki!
So, if that bothers you, let's do something safe...like get the mail.
So that's what we did and when that turned out okay, we returned to the sand and realized it was not so bad after all!

We trotted some big circles and serpentines until Nicki had a nice, easy smooth trot and then for something completely different, we rode over a 3 foot high pile of loose stone. Nicki was a champ, the footing in the stone was very loose but she went through pushing on and over!

Jesse is not impressed! She wants to ride so bad, can you tell? Bucking and kicking...that's my Jesse!






























I dug out the prostate cracker...I mean Crates saddle because it fits so here we go! You'll find out how it went next time!!


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