The Horse and Mule Thread

[searcyfarms]

33 minutes ago, exSW said:

"I know there's horsewomen that are handier with a horse than me. 

But not every damn one of them!"

ive spent my time around those women too, funny they are in your neck of the woods like here, I know a couple great horse women i would trust with my animals if i had one, 

i grew up with 5 women in my house and no brothers and learned quick the aspects of estrogen and that i was out numbered - I spent a lot of time outside :-)  -  my oldest daughter was stubborn and tried and did great with most horses and learned much in those efforts however from time to time she would come in the house and say ok dad come show me how to get this horse to do X, Y or Z - its usually a matter of watching the horse to see their reaction or out thinking the horse - sometimes it takes more insistence than some are willing to push - some are afraid to tap tap tap on a horse to get them to understand they are in your space or some horses need a bigger stick ? 

my mare was fearful and was broke hard and treated badly - it took a lot of patience with her but she made a fine horse for ME, not so much for others, i didnt let others ride here unless they were experienced. Her jittery nature with a new rider was scary to most, she was calm as could be with me. 

a horse smells way better than a cow or pig too !!

[sandhiller]

On 1/4/2020 at 3:53 PM, searcyfarms said:

A good portion of the barrel horses i was around were not cultured enough to be around anything but an arena and a barrel. Example, they would blow up around the goats in the pens for goat roping, they would spook around the cattle for roping or riding. They would run like forest gump when rounding a barrel from a banner hanging on the fence. 

I would sit on my mare a lot at arenas to get my mare used to being hauled around, noises, sights, everything, trying to give her what i call culture - sat on her for hours n hours and if out in the hot sun i carried a HUGE golf umbrella so i could sit in the shade or ward of a shower. I made sooooooo many people MAD and women would tell me to I HAD TO close my umbrella because it would make their horse spook during competition. Those women i never complied with, the ladies that asked if i wouldnt mind when they ran to fold up my umbrella I certainly obliged. 

It sounds like you get it but a some of the people you are around do not. 

The best thing for an arena horse is time on the ranch. Out in the hills, riding through cattle, maybe a dog trailing along, prairie chickens, jack rabbits, nature is good stimulus. Just being a horse with nothing else expected of him. Put a throttle back in him not just an on/off switch. 

A neighboring rancher and good friend of mine who is also doing real well team roping. He rides a stud. This horse is all business in the arena and is making him a lot of money. This horse is also one of the quietest I've seen in the branding pen. He gets time off to just be a horse. 

I understand not everyone can go home to the ranch but maybe they should make more of an effort to find a place to ride to give their horse some time off. 

[exSW]

First ProRodeo I ever entered I rode a bulldogging horse in the Grand Entry. Pretty much was a non event. "That kid just rode "The Mare" in the Grand Entry!" I just looked around and said ,"Wut?".

[sandhiller]

 

When you are too short to get on your horse by yourself ?

 

[exSW]

Hire that young man!

[MTO]

I only spend about 20 minutes in the barn in the morning but in the evening I get about half an hour to 45 minutes .at night I like to brush the old Thoroughbred down .it does me as much good as him .just stands there for however long it takes me and lets me do whatever I want to get the dirt off of him and give him a good curry .I enjoy it as much as he does and I clean his sheath and dig the peanuts out too. Those have never spent time with a horse won't understand this.

[sandhiller]

24 minutes ago, MTO said:

I only spend about 20 minutes in the barn in the morning but in the evening I get about half an hour to 45 minutes .at night I like to brush the old Thoroughbred down .it does me as much good as him .just stands there for however long it takes me and lets me do whatever I want to get the dirt off of him and give him a good curry .I enjoy it as much as he does and I clean his sheath and dig the peanuts out too. Those have never spent time with a horse won't understand this.

It is as good a way to relax and let the BS of the day fade away as there is. Very calming for you and the animal. Everyone should be lucky enough to have the opportunity.

[lorenzo]

[searcyfarms]

1 minute ago, lorenzo said:

now thats relaxing!!! only thing better is laying with your horse out in the field taking a nap together. 

[nomorejohndeere]

 

[TP from Central PA]

Lot of hay getting burned up on this thread..........

[WishIhada1466]

I couldn't decide where to post this picture. Kid riding a calf doing horse work roping and branding a dog. It could have went in any of the dog, cattle, horse threads. 

[exSW]

I've barn cleaning. Finding a lot of old tack,harness whatever. I plaited this square bulldogging rein when I was 19. 38 years ago. The practice mare that wore that headstall has been gone more than 20 years.

[MTO]

Old saddle club guy told me at a show to NEVER connect the reins.

Gave me 20 reasons why but forget 19 of them.

[exSW]

42 minutes ago, MTO said:

Old saddle club guy told me at a show to NEVER connect the reins.

Gave me 20 reasons why but forget 19 of them.

Dumbasses are everywhere. 

[sandhiller]

1 hour ago, MTO said:

Old saddle club guy told me at a show to NEVER connect the reins.

Gave me 20 reasons why but forget 19 of them.

Old saddle club guy obviously never jumped off the back of a perfectly good horse accelerating full out with the intent of landing on a steer and putting all four feet in the air. ?

[sandhiller]

Youngest sent me this shot of him moving bulls. He knows how to put words on his pics somehow. Don't know why he's complaining about cold, don't see any snow on the ground and the bulls' tails ain't blowin' sideways?

 

[Wes806]

2 hours ago, sandhiller said:

Don't know why he's complaining about cold, don't see any snow on the ground and the bulls' tails ain't blowin' sideways?

Plus I don't see type of hand warmers on his hands.

[exSW]

3 hours ago, sandhiller said:

Youngest sent me this shot of him moving bulls. He knows how to put words on his pics somehow. Don't know why he's complaining about cold, don't see any snow on the ground and the bulls' tails ain't blowin' sideways?

 

Gotta make it worse than it is so the girls feel sorry for you.

[Delta Dirt]

Sure have enjoyed this thread------glad to see that I am not the only crazy old soul who carries on conversations with the horses.

Seems the older you get-------and the more "ass-chewings" you get from your children, grandchildren, and in-laws;  the more you enjoy the settled honesty of the friendship and respect from your horse, dog and cats!!!!???

Only appropriate to post these comments as I look forward to go to the barn and feed my ol' buddy Wrangler  Sunday night supper and then sit down with him and in a return favor soak up some calming medical treatment from my "big brown pill".

 

 

 

DD

[exSW]

This whoamaker was my mothers answer to a 15.2 1300# mare that ran away with her baby boy. Me. I was nine years old. Heaven forbid we use a bit and make her hard mouthed! I built the one ear headstall later. About the same time as the bulldogging rein. I don't think I've ever used that contraption since.

[lorenzo]

[sandhiller]

Start em young

Start em right

 

[WishIhada1466]

We had a nice late afternoon ride today. Last night we went the the Dolly Parton Stampede in Branson. Our Daughter absolutely loved it. Very well trained horses and highly skilled performers. 

 

[Tmtbob]

Saw it last year with my kids. Good show but I was highly disappointed I couldn’t get a beer.