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Post by cyndi on Feb 6, 2014 15:33:05 GMT -5
I had a great lesson today! M watched me work with Fanny and gave me pointers on how to get her to quit trotting when I want her to walk when I lunge her. She also showed me how to work on teaching Fanny to ground tie. She probably spent less than 10 minutes with Fanny and she could walk around Fanny, with the lead rope 'wrapped' around Fanny's legs (she'd start in front of Fanny and walk around behind Fanny and up to the front of her again while holding the rope), and Fanny wouldn't move. Such a smart pony And a really good coach, too Then it was time to get on! Fanny had just been lunged in the area we were in, with no problem using up the space, but when I got on her, she refused to go near the west wall with the window!! She sure was testing me. We did some work on getting her to listen to me and go where I tell her to go, and we did some trotting. Fanny was not nervous at all, as her head was always kept nice and low, and she'd "blow" through her nostrils every once in a while. M said that Fanny is simply green, so we just need to keep at it and she has to learn, that's all. So now I have some homework for when I go to the barn!
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Post by ghostrider on Feb 7, 2014 0:35:36 GMT -5
That's great Cyndi sounds like things are working out really great and you're riding more than all the rest of us!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2014 13:49:55 GMT -5
Cyndi...this is excellent!!! So happy for you. Thank heaven you moved to that barn!!!!
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Post by horsespoiler on Feb 8, 2014 19:28:04 GMT -5
Cyndi, with all this weather everyone is having I think you are our designated rider. Enjoy for all of us.
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Post by luvmymorgan on Feb 8, 2014 20:42:07 GMT -5
Another short ride today but the weather was too nice to not ride for at least a little while. Going to miss a ride tomorrow with the BO since I won't be going out there but she set a "date" for next weekend to go out on the trail.
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Post by MaryS on Feb 9, 2014 8:36:32 GMT -5
Yesterday we took several people on a trail ride at a lake.
Someone borrowed thumb and he did awesome. Even galloped to catch a bucking horse that managed to lose his rider. The guy loved him.
Amigo was crazy! He tried to buck me off at one point. He nearly knocked me down a ravine when I went to get off to go get my bags that flew off from the bucking. I got him turned around, but he was still being goofy, so I backed him all the way back on the ground to a more manageable spot to get on. I changed positions to be front of pack (from dead last). That made him stay walking on egg shells the rest of the ride. After the other horse bucked off his rider, I got the reins of that horse, but amigo thought that gave him a right to blow too. He didn't get the chance because I let the other horse go and disengaged his hips. I wanted to kill him. My friend was also having the same kind of problems with her horse which is unusual. Must've been something in the air!
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Post by luvmymorgan on Feb 9, 2014 9:52:55 GMT -5
Mary, glad everyone was ok after all that! Yes, must have been something in the air or else when 1 started acting goofy the other thought it looked like fun & wanted to join in
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Post by cyndi on Feb 9, 2014 12:36:15 GMT -5
LMM, I'm glad you could get a ride in! I can hardly wait to teach Fanny to get out on the trails. Our new barn isn't far from a conservation area, so I hope that some day Fanny and I can get out there. We'll start in the open fields first, and see how that goes.
Mary, good for you for staying on when the bucking started! I think that right now Fanny would get caught up in throwing a fit if another horse did, because she'd think that there was a reason to. But she'd soon run out of energy for it. lol She's never been around a lot of other horses that are being ridden at the same time, so I don't think she knows how to react if they go into rodeo mode.
I hope that the rider who came off the horse was okay!
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Post by ghostrider on Feb 10, 2014 2:48:41 GMT -5
I still say those boring rides where nothing major happens is a whole lot better than the exciting ones! Glad three of you are getting to ride, snow again tonight they say.
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Post by Kirk Martin on Feb 10, 2014 9:20:28 GMT -5
My friend and I have been round penning the gelding (my avatar-Valeroso) and working with him so he joins up nicely. We've saddled him and my friend the experienced rider rode him while I led him. Even though I'm only an advanced beginner, I was able to mount him while my friend kept him on a lead-line. He took his cues nicely turning and stopping. Don't know why people skydive or rock climb when sitting on a green newly trained horse is much more exciting! He spooked in place only twice: once when some brush moved and the other when my stirrup slipped and tapped him on the side. I really want to buy this horse but scared of the costs involved. I've agreed to pay for feed, vaccinations, and hoof care (and have done so for 3 months) so my friend won't have to sell him to someone else (she has 8 already) but the emergency vet bills scare the heck out of me. Just wondering how you all do it? Boarding alone here is $450-500 month with field board maybe $350. Riding lessons are 45-80/hour Anyone else figured out how much their horse really cost them in a year. I want to give this guy a great home. I live about 30 miles from Washington D.C. in a former tobacco growing county that is rural but still darn expensive.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2014 12:15:49 GMT -5
These riding posts are so fun to read! Please...everyone...take five seconds next time you ride and pretend you are me, and then come back and tell me how my ride went, ok? LOL!!! We are still below zero here.
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Post by cyndi on Feb 10, 2014 16:16:15 GMT -5
The good news is that I got on Fanny when we were all alone today. A big feat for me! The bad news is that I looked at the clock and said, "Just 10 more minutes, to make it an even half hour ride.", and shortly after that Fanny spooked at something and I fell off I am getting too old for this crap. I have a scrape on my hip. I have no idea where I got it because I landed on the sand, but it took me a good three minutes before I could actually stand up. Fell on my left hip and I KNOW there is going to be a huge bruise. We had been working on going around pylons and stuff, and she had been doing really well. She still avoided the west wall of the arena, so I worked with her in another area, just because we were alone and I didn't want to invite trouble. We were almost done so I wanted to do some trotting. She trotted a bit and then I was working on getting her going again when there was a snap in the wall from the cold (the sun was shining on that wall and warming it up) and she teleported and left me behind. Of course I had both hands on the reins, so when she spooked my arms went up in the air and I ended up using the reins to try to keep my balance. I am SO glad she didn't have a bit in her mouth I let go because I knew I couldn't drag myself back up into the saddle. I thought I felt her step on me, but I'm not 100% sure. More good news is that the saddle barely slipped at all!! I made myself get back on and she listened to me much better than before. I'm trying to think of positives, but sometimes I really wonder if I was made out to be a rider I have spent the past (almost) six years trying to figure Fanny out, and I STILL HAVEN'T!!! I know a lot of it is that when she doesn't want to do something, she is more apt to spook. It's almost like a temper tantrum, or maybe she gets so wound up that she is frightened, so spooks at the least little thing? There was another 'snap' when I got back on her and I felt her tense up, but I was a little ticked at both of us (her for spooking and me for falling off) and I just said, "UH UH!!" and she didn't do more than tense up. As I said, she listened to me better when I got back on her than before I fell off (even though she wasn't bad before), and I'm wondering if it's because I had a bit of attitude the second time. I'd hate to use 'anger' whenever I'm on her, so I have to transfer that to 'assertive' and 'decisive' instead. I just cannot be wishy-washy while on her. I guess that's how I am though, so I've got some huge changes to make. KM, I know what you mean about expenses. I now pay $400 per month for board, then there'll be regular vet fees, hoof trims, and such. It's the unexpected stuff that really throws you (like laminitis-ewww!)! I am grateful for an understanding husband who allows me to spend more than I make on Fanny. I spend $50 per lesson, but it's a private lesson. My coach only does private lessons. It's very nice of you to help out your friend with the expenses for Valeroso My family visited Washington last summer and we quite enjoyed it. I have a friend who used to work in Washington, but she and her husband lived out of DC, due to the expense of living there. DH is enjoying himself in Chicago. He really really likes the company, but there is more travel involved than he first thought. I don't know when it would ease off, if at all. He sent me a quick email to give me that update. He got up this morning at 4:30 a.m., and I managed to fall back asleep after he left, but I had a weird dream that woke me up before the 7:00 alarm and I never fell back asleep again.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2014 19:05:12 GMT -5
I'm so sorry, Cyndi. I know how unsettling a fall is. Let me tell you something that I had to learn, and that is I can't take it too seriously. Riding is fun, the horses are a huge expense, but I can't make it something that takes over all of my thoughts. I mean...I used to worry and think about all the things i had to change about myself, etc. Don't do that. Just go back and ride your horse. Try to figure out what happened, for sure, but don't over think it. You will just freak yourself out and pretty soon it won't be fun. I have agonized over these kinds of situations, so I know how you feel. Remember the gelding I had? I agonized over that forever. I had a lot of money in that horse, and I felt so guilty. I spent so much time thinking about how to make it better,etc. It just wasn't fun anymore. I'm glad you weren't hurt worse. I bet tomorrow you will really be feeling it. The day after I got bucked off last summer I had to go to a wedding. I had to travel 4 hours in the car, and by the time I got there I could barely walk! I had worn a maxi dress, thank heavens, because my entire leg was black and blue. LOL. I can laugh now, and you will be able to as well. It just takes a little while to get over the stress of it. If I were you, I'd wait to ride when M was there the next time. That will help your confidence. Also...if you get nervous asking Fanny to do something she doesn't want to do, then she is feeding off of you. If you don't feel comfortable asking her to do something she doesn't want to do, then don't. Just wait until you do. It will get better.
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Post by ghostrider on Feb 10, 2014 20:39:41 GMT -5
I posted earlier but it's gone! UGH KW I was saying that it sounds like your horse needs more sacking out. Do you use the stick or long whip with a piece of plastic on the end? Run it all over and shake it around him? The biggest mistake I see from people saddling a green horse is that they are so careful not to let the fenders and cinches hit the horse then when he gets plopped on the side he spooks.
Cost... I buy about $500 a year in hay, buy 40 lbs of sweet feed a week, worm 3 times per year, trim and/or shoe about 8 times per horse per year and do vaccines every spring.
per horse I'd say the basics run just under $1,150 per year. But the boys are on apx 10 acres of grass since some of the place is wooded, my farrier charges me $35 to shoe and $13 to trim, I paid $3 a bale for hay and the boys are not boarded. I know I've got it a lot better than a lot of other horse owners. Thank the Lord for those blessings.
I could live with those basics but then you throw in truck/trailer and maintenance with gas to go to trails off property and the extra stuff like jolly balls and himalayan salt licks and winter blankets...you can spend a lot of luxuries.
Cyndi, one thing I always told Matt...if you own a horse you're going to come off. Next time put that anger into the attitude that you're just not putting up with any nonsense today. She'll get it. Glad you're only bruised and didn't break anything.
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Post by luvmymorgan on Feb 10, 2014 21:49:28 GMT -5
Cyndi, someone told me once that if you're going to ride a horse, be aware that it isn't a question of "if" you will come off, but "when". I have to tell myself this with a smile, cuz I know it's true and been there done that. They do feed off your emotions, for sure. Glad you weren't hurt worse!
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