Horse club

[TropicalBabies]

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look how vividly green the grass is compared to a few months ago (and take note of the absolutely adorable puppy in the middle )

That green grass was the second thing I noticed... what a difference. It looks like a park in Scottland lol. BEAUTIFUL puppy!!!

 

[TropicalBabies]

Hi everybody, I've been meaning to join you guys for awhile, and now I have more time, lol.
I've been riding for - let's see - 50 years off and on.
As a kid I took lessons for a couple years, then did eventing on a leased pony and then a horse, but during high school/college/twenties I could only afford to take the occasional lesson or trail ride.
After I graduated I started taking regular lessons again, leased an experienced hunter/jumper horse and competed on him, Then moved here (Puget Sound region) took a few lessons here and there until I found the right place, then spent a couple years as a student/employee with an awesome eventing instructor, where I learned everything I could about caring for horses and rode all kinds of horses, including helping to start young ones. I also enjoyed being involved in Pony Club as a horse management judge at rallies and an intern at ratings.
Finally, I bought my own horse - a Trakehner/Arab who I bought as a weanling and my instructor helped me start as a 3-y-o. We had many fun years eventing, as well as trail riding and horse camping in our beautiful mountains. I still have him - he's now 26! Retired from competing, but still a lot of fun to ride non-strenuously.
I also had an Appy mare, a $600 auction horse. I don't recommend auctions as a good place to find horses normally, but all I was looking for was a mare with a calm temperament to be a pasture buddy for my colt while he was growing up, and sound enough to ride around our local trails. She turned out to be WAY much more than that! I have so many stories about her, but I'll save them for later, because this is already getting too long.
I also had a 4th-level dressage Trakehner stallion who taught me so much (the sire of my colt, another long story how that happened) as well as the younger full brother to my colt, who I started and sold to an awesome girl, - they went on to have lots of success in Dressage.
Lastly, an OTTB mare who another trainer friend of mine rescued from the kill pen and sold to me for $1 after I'd been riding her for a couple months and we got along. My trainer friend had tried to use this horse in her lesson program, but the mare was not at all suitable for students, in spite of her sweet nature on the ground. Super sensitive about any pressure on her mouth, to the point of flipping out, but very responsive to seat/weight aids. She's now 21 and I still have her, as well.
I'm close to 60 now, and not as competitive as I once was, so I'm happy to just do low-level schooling horse trials and derby events, to have fun, and keep learning!

I wish I had better pictures, but I got a new computer recently and haven't gotten around to salvaging many of my horse pictures. But here are a few of my two current horses: Komet (Arab/Trakehner, 26) and Fiona (OTTB, 22) hanging around in the pasture.
They look so similar, except Komet is a bit taller. I definitely have a thing for dark bays, lol!

As I get older, my next thing might be driving. I've only driven horses in a cart or carriage a few times, but, wouldn't these two look good as a matched pair driving a carriage?

Wow! Great story, great life experiences and accomplishments. Awesome place, thanks for the photos- I look forward to more. (hint, hint ) I have a "thing" for dark bays too.
Well, welcome to @Butterscotchbitesfinger 's thread.
I'd love to hear about how your cart/carriage training adventures if you choose to do. I kind of pipe dream of training Hombre for cart. He is still growing into himself at 6yo. (I don't have a cart and am not a trainer... lol) but has really started coming into himself this last year- he started off as a handful but I had faith and time lol. Though i don't work with him as much as I should. Despite that he is doing very well. Anywho, I gotta go feed the boys and shovel... ya know .
I'll check in with you all later.

And to answer @Butterscotchbitesfinger 's question somewhere up there. I'd love a Morgan mix... with what I am not too sure of, probably paint.

 

[Rocky1028]

Wow, everyone here has such amazing photos! I thought I would pop in and say hello since I love talking all things horse lol.

I've been riding ever since I was three; first Saddle Seat, then I switched to hunter/jumper, which I love. I don't own any horses at the moment and I haven't been able to ride because of what's happening lately, but I've been keeping busy by teaching my dogs in agility (dogs are like mini horses...right?) and doing my other favorite hobbies like reading and photography.

P.S. @Butterscotchbitesfinger, your puppy is absolutely adorable. I have a Great Dane too, and I think they're the greatest dogs

Here are a few pics of my crew:

 

[TropicalBabies]

Wow, everyone here has such amazing photos! I thought I would pop in and say hello since I love talking all things horse lol.

I've been riding ever since I was three; first Saddle Seat, then I switched to hunter/jumper, which I love. I don't own any horses at the moment and I haven't been able to ride because of what's happening lately, but I've been keeping busy by teaching my dogs in agility (dogs are like mini horses...right?) and doing my other favorite hobbies like reading and photography.

P.S. @Butterscotchbitesfinger, your puppy is absolutely adorable. I have a Great Dane too, and I think they're the greatest dogs

Here are a few pics of my crew:
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Great pics! Love the big spaces. Little dinosaurs crack me up- all are beautiful!!!!!

 

[Rocky1028]

Thank you! Yep, these chicks are super crazy but they're so fun.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Wow, everyone here has such amazing photos! I thought I would pop in and say hello since I love talking all things horse lol.

I've been riding ever since I was three; first Saddle Seat, then I switched to hunter/jumper, which I love. I don't own any horses at the moment and I haven't been able to ride because of what's happening lately, but I've been keeping busy by teaching my dogs in agility (dogs are like mini horses...right?) and doing my other favorite hobbies like reading and photography.

P.S. @Butterscotchbitesfinger, your puppy is absolutely adorable. I have a Great Dane too, and I think they're the greatest dogs

Here are a few pics of my crew:
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Wow! I have had Great Danes all my life. Thank goodness you have them too, we Great Dane owners have to stick together

 

[littledog]

Hey, thanks for the welcome, everybody!
To answer Butterscotch's question about breeds, I'd definitely get another Trakehner/Arab, or maybe a Trakehner/Thoroughbred, for eventing. This is assuming I'd still be young enough to train a bouncy greenie, or rich enough to buy a trained one (neither of which are true) but your question, Butterscotch, is about what we dream of, right?

Realistically, at my time of life, one of my current goals is to compete with my 26-y-o boy Komet in a "Century" class, even if it's just a local show popping over cross poles and doing a walk-trot dressage test. "Century" means the horse's age and rider's age adds up to 100. We're only 7 years away! And we're both still pretty healthy - he has Cushing's, but it's well-controlled with medication, and I'm a bit out-of-shape but no health challenges.

TropicalBabes, you should definitely train your Hombre to drive! Have you done ground driving with him? Do normal longeing and teach him WTC voice commands, then longeing with two reins and teach left and right with voice commands. Then do all the same things with him pulling a weight, like a tire - something you can quickly detach if he gets scared.

Take a look at some YouTube videos from barryhook2. This guy knows how to train horses to drive, plus he's very kind and calm.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Hey, thanks for the welcome, everybody!
To answer Butterscotch's question about breeds, I'd definitely get another Trakehner/Arab, or maybe a Trakehner/Thoroughbred, for eventing. This is assuming I'd still be young enough to train a bouncy greenie, or rich enough to buy a trained one (neither of which are true) but your question, Butterscotch, is about what we dream of, right?

Realistically, at my time of life, one of my current goals is to compete with my 26-y-o boy Komet in a "Century" class, even if it's just a local show popping over cross poles and doing a walk-trot dressage test. "Century" means the horse's age and rider's age adds up to 100. We're only 7 years away! And we're both still pretty healthy - he has Cushing's, but it's well-controlled with medication, and I'm a bit out-of-shape but no health challenges.

TropicalBabes, you should definitely train your Hombre to drive! Have you done ground driving with him? Do normal longeing and teach him WTC voice commands, then longeing with two reins and teach left and right with voice commands. Then do all the same things with him pulling a weight, like a tire - something you can quickly detach if he gets scared.

Take a look at some YouTube videos from barryhook2. This guy knows how to train horses to drive, plus he's very kind and calm.

That sound like a great horse mix. Unfortunately my parents are so adamant that I don’t get another horse, I don’t see the point in arguing. I want a miniature Pony soooooo bad. They are adorable. I’m saving up to buy one.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Hey, thanks for the welcome, everybody!
To answer Butterscotch's question about breeds, I'd definitely get another Trakehner/Arab, or maybe a Trakehner/Thoroughbred, for eventing. This is assuming I'd still be young enough to train a bouncy greenie, or rich enough to buy a trained one (neither of which are true) but your question, Butterscotch, is about what we dream of, right?

Realistically, at my time of life, one of my current goals is to compete with my 26-y-o boy Komet in a "Century" class, even if it's just a local show popping over cross poles and doing a walk-trot dressage test. "Century" means the horse's age and rider's age adds up to 100. We're only 7 years away! And we're both still pretty healthy - he has Cushing's, but it's well-controlled with medication, and I'm a bit out-of-shape but no health challenges.

TropicalBabes, you should definitely train your Hombre to drive! Have you done ground driving with him? Do normal longeing and teach him WTC voice commands, then longeing with two reins and teach left and right with voice commands. Then do all the same things with him pulling a weight, like a tire - something you can quickly detach if he gets scared.

Take a look at some YouTube videos from barryhook2. This guy knows how to train horses to drive, plus he's very kind and calm.

That is awesome! Hombre is mostly there. He is fantastic with voice commands and not bad at all with long reining. The long reining I have only done in the round pen as part of his ground work. Wow! Now i want to hunt down a cart, which will not be an easy task on a small pacific island But it can be done!!! I'll probably have to rebuild it... think I saw one at the ranch we lease at... i'm kind of excited now.
So sorry about the cushings. That is a bummer but glad you are an old hand and have it handled. Lucky horse <3
Love the century competition. You are brave and fun for considering. I don't have that confidence to compete on a horse. Plus I have a bit of burn out from years as a young person and paddling canoe and running races. Though you have a few years on me, not that many by my measuring stick, I am an old soul.
Oh Hombre is 16+ hands and is fantastic about moving over to a stump/chair/what ever so i can hop on w/o breaking a hip. BUT, would be stunning with a cart. Thanks for your knowledgeable words. I think I am going to go for it especially since he has settled down this last year. I blame the appy in him

 

[CJLR]

Me either that’s why I am so behind. If you have just joined HELLO I welcome you with open arms

That sound like a great horse mix. Unfortunately my parents are so adamant that I don’t get another horse, I don’t see the point in arguing. I want a miniature Pony soooooo bad. They are adorable. I’m saving up to buy one.

hello i joined last August
I have 2 mini horses chocolate is 13 and buttercup my sister's mini is 10 or 11