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Post by cyndi on Apr 19, 2014 20:15:54 GMT -5
Having DH ride his bike while I ride is a good idea. First I have to work on Fanny 'listening' to me and not drifting off wherever she wants. I think having a bike next to her would be a great desensitizing exercise. How big is your arena? When we were at John's barn and I had that small area next to the barn sectioned off, it seemed really small when I was on Fanny. It was probably 50' x 80', which probably compares to a roundpen. Actually, it was the length of the barn, which I seem to recall John saying was 160'...but the area still seemed small. I've seen that nice rich dark compost when we were at John's, but it took longer to get like that than six months. Give it a try and see what happens I did a bit of groundwork with Fanny before I got on, just to get the cinch tight enough, etc., and she wasn't keen on cantering again. She was dragging her feet when we walked away from the property, but her pace picked up to a nice walk on the way back. lol
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Post by ghostrider on Apr 19, 2014 20:23:58 GMT -5
I could make it longer but then it wouldn't be round which I kind of want. I'll have to measure it. Making it oval would be an idea too.
The first time one of the mustangs ran off with me was in the nature park next to the corrals. He was fine and curious about the two boys coming at us on their bikes then all of a sudden he just blew! turned and bolted. Can't say I've been on a horse that fast before or since. LOL Took a good 1/4 mile to stop him. That same day Matt and his friend had ridden their bikes to the corrals and I sat on Chip while Matt and Kyle rode their bikes around him then at him then skidded within a foot of him etc.. he never spooked from a bike again but it taught me to desensitize them to bikes before you go out where bikes are.
Buddy drug his feet once we got to the yard, the grass by the creek is LONG and LUSH. Going to put up the electric fence on Tues when I'm off for them.
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Post by ghostrider on Apr 19, 2014 20:35:43 GMT -5
I love this pic of his face from above. Sometimes I get it even more turned if I rattle something yummy.
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Post by horsespoiler on Apr 19, 2014 21:52:50 GMT -5
GR, could Buddy's feet be a little sore? I know they will bob their head at a pace faster than a walk if they have a sore foot in time with the foot hitting the ground. I saw your post about his swelling on his jaw, could they be related? When we look down on our RP from the hill next to the barn we can see it is anything BUT round. It's more of an oval than anything even though we worked at getting it round. Seems fine from inside it. It's a 60' and seems much smaller from horseback although they can really get a good canter going in it.
Cyndi, that was great that DH was able to go with you today. Fanny seems to be improving every day. I know what you mean about drifting. Whitey uses the whole trail or road especially at a walk. I'm guilty of just letting her do that and pick her own footing. I figure she knows what she'd rather step on. She doesn't seem to appreciate my trying to find the softest surface. As long as she keeps me out of the trees I let her be. I do move her if she starts rubbing me with bushes.
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Post by cyndi on Apr 20, 2014 11:45:49 GMT -5
I sure like that beaded halter, GR! lol If I tried that with Fanny - rattled something from on her back - at this point, she'd probably spook. lol Even getting the camera out put her at full alert, even though she is VERY familiar with me taking the camera out when I'm with her It sounds like Whitey and Fanny have the same idea about walking...to use as much space as they can. lol I would let her roam except that she will head to wherever the grass is, just to try to graze. And if she heads into the ditch she'll rip it up with her hooves because it's still so wet. Normally I wouldn't care, but the ditch in front of the barn property is really shallow and they keep it cut nicely. When we were at John's barn, he did the same with his ditch, and had asked me to not let Fanny walk in it when it's wet (because the hoof ruts make for a rough ride on the riding mower), so I guess that is still stuck in my mind. The other day when I was hand-walking Fanny down the road she got all riled up because she could see her new pals (the minis) in their paddock and she started to trot in a circle around me. She pulled into the ditch and made some really big holes with her hooves Another problem with letting Fanny head into the ditch is that it's so soft she might stumble (which she has done on her own, never mind with my weight on top of her!), and that prospect doesn't appeal to me at all! Fanny needs more practice with 'staying between the reins'. She just doesn't know any better at this point. That's why it'd be nice to have M work with her...if I could afford it. Hopefully, once B sets up a roundpen this summer I can work with Fanny with rein cues in a nice 'safe' environment.
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Post by ghostrider on Apr 21, 2014 0:00:17 GMT -5
Buddy used to be terrible at "drifting" from side to side. He sometimes will start doing it if I don't catch him and stop it right off. Once I put him where I want him he'll go pretty straight. There's a lesson in one of JL's books about how to teach them not to drift. You look at where you want him to go, somewhere up ahead and then keep looking while riding and keeping him on track. I used to practice looking at the end of the arena or if we were out in the prairie I'd look at a certain sage brush and ride to it then pick another.
The weird thing is that for a long time he would try everything he could to ride right down the middle of the paved road on the lines. Never figured out why but I'd put him on the shoulder and have to fight him to keep him there. I'd be pulling on one rein and kicking him and he'd be leaning on the rein not listening. It was only on the paved roads with the lines though.
Thanks cyndi it's my second favorite one, the other is red too.
HS, I thought about the foot thing but he's not favoring it at all. He just got shoes on and I was thinking maybe he just isn't used to them but two weeks ago when Sarah and I rode he was barefoot and I couldn't get him into a canter then so I'm thinking he's just not in shape after having a lot of time off this winter. My fault for going full time and only having time off during SNOW and RAIN! LOL Not sure about the swelling? I don't know if he was shod last year when he swelled up? I'm going to take them in to the vet's thurs for their check ups, immunizations and coggins. I'll have her look at it then. Leave it to Buddy to have some rare thing no one can diagnose though. Maybe the other vet will have an idea. You know that is the side he had that tooth bud removed from, I wonder if there was still a piece inside and it's drifted downward or shifted.
I used to go to a church in Bolivar and the youth pastor was a friend of ours. He came in to get his permit yesterday and told me he's got a REALLY nice Roper saddle for sale. It's a 16" in great shape and he wants $400 for it. It's killing me I want to go look at it but I don't need to be spending the money after having to put $500 into car repairs and then the upcoming vet bill and my trip to WY. But Ropers are sure nice...I may go look Tues if I'm in town. LOL
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Post by cyndi on Apr 21, 2014 7:19:19 GMT -5
GR, the "fighting" you had to do with Buddy is exactly what I have to do with Fanny! I try to do the pressure/release thing, but it feels like as soon as I release, I have to apply pressure again because she's got it in her head that she wants to go the opposite direction I'm asking her to go! Maybe there is still a piece of tooth in there. Hopefully the vets can figure it out. M and I were talking about saddles last Friday. She said she'd like an English saddle, in case someone came to her for lessons and wanted to ride English. I was telling her about the English saddles I've sat in, and how comfy they were...then she smiled at me and said, "Cynnndiii...you don't need to buy another saddle!", and then she laughed. She's right, of course. I told her not to worry, that I didn't have plans to buy another one. At least not right now LOL!!
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Post by ghostrider on Apr 21, 2014 10:21:20 GMT -5
One day Buddy just quit needing to walk on the yellow line, don't know why? I haven't had problems in about 2 years with his obsession. Maybe Fanny will just stop one of these days too.
I thought you were still looking for another saddle? have you decided to keep the tree less one?
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Post by horsespoiler on Apr 21, 2014 20:15:20 GMT -5
We had beautiful weather for Easter and went on another ride. Took our same loop, about an hour. Whitey was better than last time. Trotted when I asked but not in such a hurry. She even led for a while. She always moves faster in the lead, I think she's afraid Winnie is going to bite her in the butt She keeps her head cocked just a slight bit to whichever side Winnie is on to keep an eye on her. Winnie loves to follow, she practically goes to sleep. GR, we are never DONE looking at saddles, just pausing. You never know when that perfect saddle will show up. I bet that roper weighs a ton like mine does.
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Post by ghostrider on Apr 22, 2014 1:05:04 GMT -5
Yea I'll bet it weighs 40 lbs or more. Boomer hates to walk behind Buddy because Buddy always farts.
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Post by cyndi on Apr 22, 2014 5:51:08 GMT -5
I am still going to try the trooper saddle if the guy who makes them is ever in the area. Or maybe I'll drive up to pick one up myself. It's about an hour's drive. Other than that, I am quite content with the treeless Gaucho saddle. Fanny has lost a lot of weight so the saddle sits more securely on her now, which had been my biggest issue. M keeps bugging me (in a nice way) that I don't need 'this' or 'that' tack to ride Fanny better. She says I have what I need and it's enough. She feels that I don't "need" more tack, but if I 'want' to buy more, that's a different story. lol
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Post by ghostrider on Apr 22, 2014 19:45:33 GMT -5
When they say a 60' RP or Arena are they talking 60' in diameter or 60' circumference? The area where I was going to put the ring is only 32' across from tree to tree. No wonder it looks small from horse back.
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Post by cyndi on Apr 23, 2014 13:01:38 GMT -5
Usually, it's the diameter that is 60', so 32' would feel small from the horse's back. Mind you, I know of a horse 'guru' who always used to work with horses in a 36' square pen.
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Post by horsespoiler on Apr 23, 2014 22:46:43 GMT -5
It's 60' across. That would make the circumference 188.5'. 15 of the 12' RP panels plus a gate panel. Yes, I cheated and googled the figures. Geometry was a looong time ago. If you want to lay it out on the ground to see how big it would be take a rope 1/2 of the diameter you would like and have someone hold it where you want the middle. Hold the rope at the other end and just walk the circle the rope makes and scratch it in the dirt. That will give you a good idea of size and placement. The rope is a lot easier to move than the panels are when you encounter an obstacle in your path and have to adjust your placement.
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Post by ghostrider on Apr 23, 2014 23:23:49 GMT -5
The only place big enough is center of the clearing. It's doable but not unless I put in a lot of work building up the lower half. It's a LOT of slope. So I don't know if I'm going to build a ring or just say to heck with it and trailer down to the arena once in awhile. I might go look down at the bottom of the wooded pasture I guess it wouldn't necessarily need to be close to the corral. The whole bottom half of the wooded pasture is flat.
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