Update on Eli. He is doing excellent! I met my goal which was September 15 (my birthday). I was able to drive him in full harness hitched to the cart thenight before my birthday, so I was really happy.
Congrats!
Horse Talk
- Thread starter abigalerose
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Congrats!
Way to go, both of you!Update on Eli. He is doing excellent! I met my goal which was September 15 (my birthday). I was able to drive him in full harness hitched to the cart thenight before my birthday, so I was really happy.
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abigalerose
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- Feb 22, 2016
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Well I know my horses aren't perfect by any means, it's true to me they are, but to others they probably are not. Now I will say, I've had a few horses, and out of all the horses I've ever had its obvious that these are the best ones. My others have had confirmation flaws, nothing that would cause harm but they were still not what you want, or no papers, or not the type of personality you'd want, so even though I always love my horses, I know that to me, the ones I have now are the only ones that I personally think are good enough to breed. Also I know if a horse did have some problems (like if it literally did have 3 legs and 4 eyes) that it would need put down. I was just saying that if the baby comes out less than exceptional I'm not just gonna put it up for sale and say oh well. Although your point on Blondie just kind of shows that it doesn't matter what you're breeding, professional or not, so I get what you're saying but I don't think it's a very good point to make, becuase you could very well have a top show horse out of two flawed horses, if you base off that. Yes, I have heard all the arguments and know the risks, like I said I'm not oblivious. But I do know about the risks and that's not what I'm wanting to talk about right now, if I decide for sure it's something I'm gonna do then we can talk about the risks - all of them no matter how big or small. But I haven't totally made up my mind yet. It's just something I go back and forth with sometimes and I do really want to think it through. And yeah, I hear a lot of people who breed just to breed and don't really give a crap about the horses say that they've never lost a horse or foal before, and then there's people who've lost both mare and foal and it sours them on breeding forever. Some people are just lucky, I guess, and it's usually the people who are trying to make a quick buck, which is somewhat unfortunate.
I've been told before that Jade and June are both really nice horses, should be use as broodmares, etc.
which I know that's just people's opinions and stuff so it's not like they've been professionally judged. I also would never use them as broodmares becuase I'm not looking to churn out babies every year or sell them.
I think sometimes people make to big of a deal about breeding a horse, and maybe that's just my way of thinking, probably becuase of the very rural area I've been raised in, but there's always gonna be too many. Too many horses, too many cats, too many dogs, people, deer, rabbits, the list goes on and on. But that doesn't stop people from breeding. At least I'm not planning on going out and buying ten of the cheapest mares I can find and breeding them all every year just so I can sell the foals, now that would really contribute to the over population problem and would definitely make me a BYB, actually that'd make me like a lot of people in my area
I'm just talking maybe 1 foal, maaaaybe 2 but that's a stretch. Especially since I'm only (if I'm being honest) 70% decided on doing it at all.
And all breeders, even the "professional" ones, are doing it "becuase they want to", just becuase they have top cutting horses or whatever they have, and a big money earner stallion, and fancy barn and all the money in the world doesn't mean they have to breed or need to breed. They still just want to. So that's a little bit of a silly argument.
With that being said, yes I do want to. Will I actually do it? Maybe, maybe not. It is a lot to think about.
And Eggsoteric, that is crazy! It must just depend on the area. There's no way you could get a horse like that for that price here, heck, horses going to slaughter sell for money than that here. And like I said earlier that guy who raises the trail horses, he gets $2500 and up out of all of them, and other than being really pretty and a nice trail mount (although the one I got was pretty spooky), there's nothin special about them. Horses sell easily here. I put a green broke, 13.3 hand, pretty ugly, somewhat spooky, bay horse up for sale one time, and she sold within 4 hours. I couldn't believe it lol. When I've sold nice horses my inbox fills up so ridiculously fast. I have to weed through all the people and just pick who I think would be best. It's not hard to sell things around here. At least not animals. Not sure if it's becuase it's rural or what. But selling isn't my immediate concern anyways since I plan on keeping.
Anyways, I appreciate everyone's thoughts and it's a lot to think about and even if everyone doesn't agree that I should do it, just know it's a decision I won't make lightly. And it's nice to see the supportive comments too!
I've been told before that Jade and June are both really nice horses, should be use as broodmares, etc.
which I know that's just people's opinions and stuff so it's not like they've been professionally judged. I also would never use them as broodmares becuase I'm not looking to churn out babies every year or sell them.
I think sometimes people make to big of a deal about breeding a horse, and maybe that's just my way of thinking, probably becuase of the very rural area I've been raised in, but there's always gonna be too many. Too many horses, too many cats, too many dogs, people, deer, rabbits, the list goes on and on. But that doesn't stop people from breeding. At least I'm not planning on going out and buying ten of the cheapest mares I can find and breeding them all every year just so I can sell the foals, now that would really contribute to the over population problem and would definitely make me a BYB, actually that'd make me like a lot of people in my area
And all breeders, even the "professional" ones, are doing it "becuase they want to", just becuase they have top cutting horses or whatever they have, and a big money earner stallion, and fancy barn and all the money in the world doesn't mean they have to breed or need to breed. They still just want to. So that's a little bit of a silly argument.
With that being said, yes I do want to. Will I actually do it? Maybe, maybe not. It is a lot to think about.
And Eggsoteric, that is crazy! It must just depend on the area. There's no way you could get a horse like that for that price here, heck, horses going to slaughter sell for money than that here. And like I said earlier that guy who raises the trail horses, he gets $2500 and up out of all of them, and other than being really pretty and a nice trail mount (although the one I got was pretty spooky), there's nothin special about them. Horses sell easily here. I put a green broke, 13.3 hand, pretty ugly, somewhat spooky, bay horse up for sale one time, and she sold within 4 hours. I couldn't believe it lol. When I've sold nice horses my inbox fills up so ridiculously fast. I have to weed through all the people and just pick who I think would be best. It's not hard to sell things around here. At least not animals. Not sure if it's becuase it's rural or what. But selling isn't my immediate concern anyways since I plan on keeping.
Anyways, I appreciate everyone's thoughts and it's a lot to think about and even if everyone doesn't agree that I should do it, just know it's a decision I won't make lightly. And it's nice to see the supportive comments too!
- Thread starter
- #904
abigalerose
Songster
- Feb 22, 2016
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Update on Eli. He is doing excellent! I met my goal which was September 15 (my birthday). I was able to drive him in full harness hitched to the cart thenight before my birthday, so I was really happy.
Congrats! That's so awesome to hear!
Quote: Yeah, and I might win the lottery (though my odds would be better if I actually entered). I've been breeding rabbits for over 30 years, and IME, while good + good might not get you better than "meh," bad + bad almost never gets you anything more than "slightly better than the parents."
Quote: Honey, there are always people who will tell you that - mostly those who have no stake (financial or otherwise) in the outcome. Shoot, I had someone tell me I ought to try to see if my mule was fertile (some female mules are, you know; nobody has a clue on the percentage that might be, because most people never even think to try it). If you could see Betsy, you'd know that the way she is put together does not need to be inflicted on another animal, be it horse, donkey, or mule.
About that "top money earner stallion" - you might want to look at him a little differently. On another thread, you brought up Silver Spurs Equine as an example of a money maker - welllllll, maybe. That isn't a little grassroots operation that with a little luck and hard work made the big time. Looking around their website, I get the impression that what they are is a foundation - a couple of very rich people got interested in a cause (QH's in general, reining horses in particular), and they created that place as a means of supporting that cause. They don't board, they don't train; they buy top performing stallions that someone else has already campaigned to big wins (which costs them plenty!) and promote them, and breed a few foals every year and put them up for sale. The majority of the money they receive gets donated; in effect, they are getting other people to help them donate to this cause. There's a lot of money involved in taking care of that many horses, and a facility like that, and paying all the people that do all the work . . . It's quite possible that, if that operation really had to support itself, it couldn't; maybe "Silver Spoons" might sum up the real nature of the finances of that place.
As you said, there will always be "too many;" every one that gets born may be just a drop in the bucket, but enough drops make a bucketful, and that bucket isn't just full, it's overflowing. Not being in it for the money doesn't really change things, because we already know that almost everybody loses money (sometimes a lot of money!) doing this, they don't make it. Sometimes "because I want to" is the only thing that keeps them going. Does just breeding one or two somehow make you "better" than the one who breeds a dozen every year? Ummm, well, no; it's not a competition. This isn't some kind of qualitative thing at all. You are responsible for the lives you bring into the world, and to some degree, responsible for what happens to them even when they are no longer in your hands. You alone can decide how you carry that responsibility. When it comes to something as long-lived as a horse, that can be a lot of responsibility.
Many years ago, I met a mixed breed gelding named Oberon. He was a big-boned, 15-hand gray with a surprisingly long back and a real stubborn streak. Nobody had a clue what kind of breeding he had; he might even have had some cold blood in him. Funny thing about Obie, though he really wasn't built for it, he loved to jump. The lady who owned him had a bunch of horses on her place, some were hers, some were boarders; she even bred a few.
This lady did lessons, and Obie had been one of her lesson horses for a number of years. She thought the world of him, and though she'd had several offers, never intended to sell him. Then something happened, and the need for cash became critical. She wound up selling Obie to the family of a kid that had been taking lessons with her. A short time later, they moved him to another barn, then another, then she lost track of him.
A few years later, a story reached her about a gray horse that was at a boarding stable in the area. This place did not have a good reputation in the horse community (you know what gossips horse people are; we all know each others' business!) The horse was called "Tombstone," but from the description, she knew it had to be Obie. She was torn. Her husband told her, "do not go over there; you know you can't leave him there if you see him." But she went. And yes, it was indeed Obie. He was horribly, horribly thin, and had a running sore on one foreleg. She argued and argued with the owner, and finally got them to agree to sell him to her at a ridiculous price. Then she went home, and convinced her husband to help her hitch up the trailer and go to get the horse.
When they brought Obie out into the sunlight, he looked even worse than he had in the stable. He looked like he could barely walk, and nearly fell as he limped up the ramp into the trailer. "Oh, great," her husband said. "You're bringing him home so I can bury him." On the ride home, she kept an ear out, half expecting to hear a crash as the horse collapsed in the trailer.
Obie didn't fall, and they were as careful as can be backing him out of the trailer. Suddenly, he reared, nearly flipping over, and pulled the lead from her hands. Screaming like a crazed thing, he ran down to the riding ring, jumped into the ring, jumped several of the jumps in the ring, jumped out of the ring, ran to the pasture fence, jumped it, and started chasing the horses in the pasture. However many places he had been over the years, Obie knew that this was home, and he was clearly glad of it!
At the time I met him, he'd been back for several years, and was fat and sassy and getting a bit long in the tooth. The lady told me, "he will die here. I don't care what happens, I will never sell that horse again."
Yeah, they can rip your guts out, and she didn't even breed that one.
The point is, though she may not have been there when this horse was foaled, she felt responsible for him. She didn't sell him out of callousness or greed, but from sheer necessity. She tried to make sure that he went to a home that would take good care of him. Even though she didn't sell him to that neglectful/abusive owner, she felt responsible for the fact that he was there, and to some extent, she was - if she hadn't sold him, he couldn't have wound up there. Just because circumstances may put things beyond our control doesn't relieve us of the responsibility for the decisions we make. Does that mean you guilt-trip yourself over every little thing? Of course not. Just that sometimes there is a bigger picture than just what we want, and it needs to be considered, too.
Quote: Honey, there are always people who will tell you that - mostly those who have no stake (financial or otherwise) in the outcome. Shoot, I had someone tell me I ought to try to see if my mule was fertile (some female mules are, you know; nobody has a clue on the percentage that might be, because most people never even think to try it). If you could see Betsy, you'd know that the way she is put together does not need to be inflicted on another animal, be it horse, donkey, or mule.
About that "top money earner stallion" - you might want to look at him a little differently. On another thread, you brought up Silver Spurs Equine as an example of a money maker - welllllll, maybe. That isn't a little grassroots operation that with a little luck and hard work made the big time. Looking around their website, I get the impression that what they are is a foundation - a couple of very rich people got interested in a cause (QH's in general, reining horses in particular), and they created that place as a means of supporting that cause. They don't board, they don't train; they buy top performing stallions that someone else has already campaigned to big wins (which costs them plenty!) and promote them, and breed a few foals every year and put them up for sale. The majority of the money they receive gets donated; in effect, they are getting other people to help them donate to this cause. There's a lot of money involved in taking care of that many horses, and a facility like that, and paying all the people that do all the work . . . It's quite possible that, if that operation really had to support itself, it couldn't; maybe "Silver Spoons" might sum up the real nature of the finances of that place.
As you said, there will always be "too many;" every one that gets born may be just a drop in the bucket, but enough drops make a bucketful, and that bucket isn't just full, it's overflowing. Not being in it for the money doesn't really change things, because we already know that almost everybody loses money (sometimes a lot of money!) doing this, they don't make it. Sometimes "because I want to" is the only thing that keeps them going. Does just breeding one or two somehow make you "better" than the one who breeds a dozen every year? Ummm, well, no; it's not a competition. This isn't some kind of qualitative thing at all. You are responsible for the lives you bring into the world, and to some degree, responsible for what happens to them even when they are no longer in your hands. You alone can decide how you carry that responsibility. When it comes to something as long-lived as a horse, that can be a lot of responsibility.
Many years ago, I met a mixed breed gelding named Oberon. He was a big-boned, 15-hand gray with a surprisingly long back and a real stubborn streak. Nobody had a clue what kind of breeding he had; he might even have had some cold blood in him. Funny thing about Obie, though he really wasn't built for it, he loved to jump. The lady who owned him had a bunch of horses on her place, some were hers, some were boarders; she even bred a few.
This lady did lessons, and Obie had been one of her lesson horses for a number of years. She thought the world of him, and though she'd had several offers, never intended to sell him. Then something happened, and the need for cash became critical. She wound up selling Obie to the family of a kid that had been taking lessons with her. A short time later, they moved him to another barn, then another, then she lost track of him.
A few years later, a story reached her about a gray horse that was at a boarding stable in the area. This place did not have a good reputation in the horse community (you know what gossips horse people are; we all know each others' business!) The horse was called "Tombstone," but from the description, she knew it had to be Obie. She was torn. Her husband told her, "do not go over there; you know you can't leave him there if you see him." But she went. And yes, it was indeed Obie. He was horribly, horribly thin, and had a running sore on one foreleg. She argued and argued with the owner, and finally got them to agree to sell him to her at a ridiculous price. Then she went home, and convinced her husband to help her hitch up the trailer and go to get the horse.
When they brought Obie out into the sunlight, he looked even worse than he had in the stable. He looked like he could barely walk, and nearly fell as he limped up the ramp into the trailer. "Oh, great," her husband said. "You're bringing him home so I can bury him." On the ride home, she kept an ear out, half expecting to hear a crash as the horse collapsed in the trailer.
Obie didn't fall, and they were as careful as can be backing him out of the trailer. Suddenly, he reared, nearly flipping over, and pulled the lead from her hands. Screaming like a crazed thing, he ran down to the riding ring, jumped into the ring, jumped several of the jumps in the ring, jumped out of the ring, ran to the pasture fence, jumped it, and started chasing the horses in the pasture. However many places he had been over the years, Obie knew that this was home, and he was clearly glad of it!
At the time I met him, he'd been back for several years, and was fat and sassy and getting a bit long in the tooth. The lady told me, "he will die here. I don't care what happens, I will never sell that horse again."
Yeah, they can rip your guts out, and she didn't even breed that one.
The point is, though she may not have been there when this horse was foaled, she felt responsible for him. She didn't sell him out of callousness or greed, but from sheer necessity. She tried to make sure that he went to a home that would take good care of him. Even though she didn't sell him to that neglectful/abusive owner, she felt responsible for the fact that he was there, and to some extent, she was - if she hadn't sold him, he couldn't have wound up there. Just because circumstances may put things beyond our control doesn't relieve us of the responsibility for the decisions we make. Does that mean you guilt-trip yourself over every little thing? Of course not. Just that sometimes there is a bigger picture than just what we want, and it needs to be considered, too.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
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abigalerose
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- Feb 22, 2016
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Worked with June for 2 hours this afternoon, she was super sweet and responsive. She normally round pens really well but never actually licks her lips, tonight she did about two laps each direction and started licking her lips. I also didn't have to put much pressure on her to switch gaits. We also did some liberty work too, which she did really well. And then we switched it up and after just a few minutes of riding in the round pen I rode her in the front yard (we've never ridden out there). She was so great. I even did some trotting back and forth through the yard so we could work on her consistency. And then we did some "pole bending" around a row of bushes, I've got a super cute video of that
And I gave my grandma a pony ride on her. I was so proud of her today. I think for our next venture we will try to cover the whole property (front and back yard, around the pond, the usual pasture, the old hay field and the back pasture/woods). I'd like to be able to ride her around the block too, it's about 4 miles, but I'm worried about the cars becuase they speed on my grandmas rode. Any tips for riding around cars? Even better I could ride her down to my farm.
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- #907
abigalerose
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- Feb 22, 2016
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She was lookin a little dappley today
Here's my Baby J in racehorse training. Beautiful big thoroughbred 2 year old filly. She has a j shaped mark on her forhead, that's why we call her Baby J.
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- #909
abigalerose
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Cute! Is she really big or is the saddle really small? Or am I just seeing it weird?
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- #910
abigalerose
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When you're sitting on a horse what should you look like from the front?
Becuase my grandma takes pictures of me on June sometimes and when she gets pictures from the front I feel like my feet are sticking way out and it looks silly to me
Becuase my grandma takes pictures of me on June sometimes and when she gets pictures from the front I feel like my feet are sticking way out and it looks silly to me
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