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Post by horsespoiler on Feb 11, 2014 0:07:01 GMT -5
Cyndi, we have all faced the unscheduled dismount. After I utilized that procedure onto a hardpan/rock roadbed I bought an eventing vest to wear with my helmet. I hope for bruises, not breaks, on my ribcage. If I am timid, my horse is not. If I am determined my horse is better behaved. Wear your bruises proudly, "look what I survived!".
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Post by cyndi on Feb 11, 2014 8:42:35 GMT -5
Thanks for the support, everyone. I guess I am just frustrated that it happens so quickly and I can't do anything to stop it once it's in motion. She is SOOOOOO sensitive and can't be 'overfaced', although she'd been doing so well before that, I thought she was relaxed and fine. All I did was ask for a trot, which she's done before with no problems. ARGH!!!! She did the typical thing - I asked for her to go left. Her head went left and her body made a quick exit to the right - major sidepass!! My body is prepared to go left, so when she goes right, I am totally taken by surprise.
I've been reading more of "Lyons on Horses" and he talks about the first ride. I think I need to back up to that. Just get on her and have her 'give to the bit'. Not ask her to move, just give to the bit. He talks about not using legs to get the horse to go until way later, and that the horse will walk on its own. Not Fanny. She'd stand there all day if it meant she didn't have to 'work'. But if I "make" her, then we see where that gets me. I guess I do what he says when a horse won't go...hold the pressure until they move to avoid the pressure, then release. She'd move her haunches, then stop. Oh well, if that's what it takes...
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Post by Kirk Martin on Feb 11, 2014 12:00:57 GMT -5
I started by rubbing the horse everywhere until it was really comfortable with me. Once we worked with the saddle on, we lowered the stirrups and put weight on them and jiggled them a bit. He didn't so much as spook as just really tense up. Wondering if he just thought the metal irons were too cold. I have not tried a stick or whip. I only use the longe line and twirl it a bit (never touch him with it while moving). He's a good guy and learning quickly! Our costs are a bit different here: $6-9 a hay bale; $60 a round bale. Purina Strategy is $18 bag and Omilene 200 is $22 Steam rolled barley $18 Trims of the feet are $45 Coggins $60 Vaccines? Guess I'll find out very soon :-) Still working on the truck and hope to have one within the year. 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 cyndi on Feb 11, 2014 12:59:13 GMT -5
I think I must've jumped ahead of where I should be with Fanny in some ways. I did Parelli with her a number of years ago, and she's used to all the 'games'. I can stand in front of her, either facing towards or away from her, and whack the whip (carrot stick) as hard as I can in front of me (if I'm facing away) or on each side of her (if I'm facing her), and she won't even flinch.
I can rub stuff all over her and she's fine. She'll stand still for saddling and mounting. She's a little more tense once you get on her, and if you ask too much (finding that limit is proving to be the difficult thing!!) she becomes anxious. I'm sure it's me. A more experienced rider knows better what they want the horse to do, and how to do it. I am just too unsure of myself and can't give Fanny the direction she needs. Some days she is good as gold, while other days she will tense up if you breathe.
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Post by MaryS on Feb 11, 2014 15:37:43 GMT -5
When I train, I'm a crazy person.
I want crazy to be normal to my horse. If I chunk a saddle up and it hits the back of the horse and then falls off, my horse shouldn't flinch.
I watched a guy at the horse sale had the saddle slip sideways, he stood up and started jumping on the other stirrup to get the saddle righted. The horse belly flopped, but its eyes were quiet. After the guy finished, the horse gave a big sigh. That was it. I want my horses to be that way, so that's why I act crazy.
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Post by Kirk Martin on Feb 11, 2014 20:12:02 GMT -5
Wow, I probably should ask an Admin to start a new thread on Horse budgets or the like... I appreciate everyone sharing their expenses. It is important stuff!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2014 12:01:14 GMT -5
I moved the horse expense thread to the general board. Thanks kwmartin!
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Post by Kirk Martin on Feb 12, 2014 19:30:38 GMT -5
You're all rapidly becoming my horse friends so please call me Kirk. Kwmartin sounds way too formal. I'm offically renamed.
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Post by ghostrider on Feb 13, 2014 0:36:35 GMT -5
Hi Kirk
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Post by cyndi on Feb 13, 2014 13:27:25 GMT -5
Nice to meet you, Kirk Okay...I told M yesterday that I'd go to the barn this morning, so I did. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Part of me wanted to go, while another part is still a bit miffed about falling off. I'm not afraid of Fanny, just feeling like a failure. I went back right to step one with John Lyons. I tied Fanny up just because there was another horse tied up in the arena (the one that's in for training) to groom her, but then I untied her and grabbed another lead line and rubbed her all over with it. I wasn't gentle with it, but rubbed her and let it 'slap' against her, etc.. She just stood there. At first, she didn't really care for it being all over her face/head, but it didn't take long before I had it looped around her ears and all over her face and she was fine. I was taking the steps that John uses in "Lyons on Horses", so the saddle pad was next. I rubbed it all over her, under her, and over her face. She just stood there. Next was the saddle. I bumped it against her, rested it on her rump, let it drag all over her, slung it up on her back, took it off, slung it back on again...and she just stood there. All I was holding on to was the end of the lead line, so if she wanted to walk away, she could. I just wanted to hold onto the end of it in case she wandered over to the other horse. Before I did anything with the cinch, I just left the saddle sitting on her and pulled the stirrups away and let them drop against her sides. She stepped away from me when I did that a couple of times on her right side, but then she stopped and was fine. I cinched her up and she didn't budge. I did quite a bit of lungeing with her, and M came in with one of her minis who was full of beans, so she lunged him too. When she put her mini away, M asked if I wanted to get on Fanny. I really didn't feel like it, so she asked if she could get on Fanny. She didn't feel secure in the Gaucho saddle (makes sense, if you're used to a Western saddle), and the stirrups were too short for her, but she just wanted to get a feel for what Fanny was doing. She said it's different to watch someone ride, because how the horse feels beneath you can be deceiving. She said that Fanny knows her cues quite well, but she could feel a couple of times that Fanny felt 'unsure', and she could feel what I do when Fanny appears to be heading in one direction, but then goes in another. I'm glad M got to feel that. The good news is that M said it is all 'workable'! She strongly urged me to get on Fanny, even if it was just to sit on her and not go anywhere. So I did. Fanny did not move an inch. I probably sat on her for five minutes, and she stood stalk still. M said that each time I come to the barn, she'd like me to get on Fanny, even if it means that we just sit there. She said that Fanny is sensitive like I am, and we just need to build our confidence. We are very confident on the ground, so I just need to sit in the saddle until both of us are confident with me on her. Just like John says to do in the first ride - just sit there. No cues, just sit there. The horse needs to feel totally calm with you on its back before you start telling it what to do, so that's where we'll start. If Fanny decides to walk around, then I'll just be a passenger and let her do so. I'll only direct her away from the other horse if she gets too close. Otherwise, if she just wants to stand there, then so be it. So that's it for my riding today. About five whole minutes! lol
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2014 14:33:07 GMT -5
HI Kirk!
Good for you Cyndi!! That's awesome! M is so wise. I'm glad you have her to help you. I used to just hate riding that gelding sometimes. I was so scared. I gotta tell you, though...my confidence was improved each time I got through something with him.
I just want to throw one more thing out there. Please just take it as friendly advice. I think you should try a western saddle. My DD is an advanced rider. She used to fly through cross country courses with her pony tail on fire. LOL. One day she had a nasty riding accident just cantering in our arena on the flat. She was so afraid afterwards, that we bought a western stock type saddle for her. She NEVER rode one...she always rode english....but that western saddle felt so good to her. She felt so much more secure. If M doesn't really feel secure in your saddle, I might take that as a sign that you should try something more secure. It could make a world of difference in your comfort. Maybe even see if M has one you could just borrow for now. It's just a thought.
I am thinking I won't make my goal of riding once per month all winter. I think the ground is too hard. I suppose I could saddle up and walk a few feet on Angel and be done, just to meet my goal. LOL. I just don't want to ask her to do much. Plus it's pretty slippery still.
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Post by cyndi on Feb 13, 2014 15:05:30 GMT -5
Funny you should say that, Nana. I've been tossing around the idea of a Western saddle again. I just hate the weight of them! lol Maybe I could find a synthetic one. Or one of those custom made ones that I mentioned in the 'coop' one time. Too bad they all cost $$$$ And I'd better wait until I know whether or not we're staying put before I make more saddle plans. I enjoyed my time with Fanny today (I forgot to mention that in my earlier post). I went there feeling rather 'neutral', but there is no denying that I enjoy being with her, and I felt better when I left the barn. Nana, maybe you could just saddle up and sit on Angel for a bit. Still classifies as riding
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2014 15:34:24 GMT -5
Cyndi...you get used to the weight of them. I did. And I gotta tell ya...I'm a super weenie. Just ask my hubby. I was thinking my current saddle is in the 35 lb range, but it's not. I was reading the spec on it on line and its 28-lbs. So you can find lighter ones that are leather. Does M have something you could borrow?
I have had a couple of Abetta's that I bought from the company. You get to try them out and send back if they don't fit. They make wide ones. I loved my Abetta's. I like leather better, but if I ever get so I can't lift a leather saddle, I'll buy an Abetta.
I'm glad you felt better after your time with Fanny. I know you love her.
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Post by ghostrider on Feb 13, 2014 17:00:03 GMT -5
Abetta is my #1 choice but the Weaver is a great saddle too and runs about $200 new.
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Post by horsespoiler on Feb 13, 2014 22:50:55 GMT -5
We have 3 Weavers and while they aren't leather they don't weigh much. They are not a working saddle but how many cows are you going to rope anyway? We've had them over 10 years, they were the first saddles we bought.
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