Regarding the Horses in our lives...

[perchie.girl]

Beautiful drafties.. Know anywhere near north louisiana that I could get one??? (Love the mini's too but I already have four of them

Drafts are all over the place.... I am Southern California.... Yet I had to go on a horse classified to buy my mare out of Washington State.

Just start digging on horse sale sites and see what comes up.... you can also inquire at feed stores to see if anyone in the area has drafts.

Just one thing.... I got into drafts in 2000. I had had horses since 1967... so I thought Hey I could do this... please dont do like I have done.... they are entirely different from light horses. Sweet yes and some are quite quiet.... But they are very strong and dont let you know when they do get scared... or they do but their signals are way subdued compared to a light horse....

I have been: bucked off, jumped out from underneath, Trampled, Dragged, and knocked out... each time I had no clue she was going to do this. I attibute this to being too self assured that I knew what I was doing.

Go to the rural Heritage website to start your hunt... that site has a lot of info on Draft horses and teams and harness and just about anything youd ever want to know about drafts.... Including places to buy them.

https://www.ruralheritage.com/

Drafts need less calories per pound than light horses do as well... so read up on nutrition too. I started at Rural heratige and followed the leads to other sites that help me understand my baby girl.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

This horse may have been from an approved sire, I really don't know. She wasn't locally bred; as I recall, she had come from somewhere in the upper midwest. Word was she had spent a brief period with an Amish trainer. That had apparently not been a happy time for her; the only time that I can remember her refusing point-blank to be led into the barn was when my husband was there, and he was wearing a gardening hat rather like the straw hats one often sees the Amish wear. She had been bought as a very green 4-year-old for a very green teenager; before they came to our barn, she threw the girl and broke her jaw. Poor kid was pretty thoroughly scared of her.

Just because they are Amish doesnt mean they are kind to their horses.... Too bad for the horse too bad for the girl.... Like I said on the other post.... that draft blood denotes power.... and they can learn to use it... I am glad you didnt get hurt as well.

dont let one horse color your perception forever.

deb

edited to add.... I need to learn those last words for myself... sigh.

 

[Peaches Lee]

This horse may have been from an approved sire, I really don't know. She wasn't locally bred; as I recall, she had come from somewhere in the upper midwest. Word was she had spent a brief period with an Amish trainer. That had apparently not been a happy time for her; the only time that I can remember her refusing point-blank to be led into the barn was when my husband was there, and he was wearing a gardening hat rather like the straw hats one often sees the Amish wear. She had been bought as a very green 4-year-old for a very green teenager; before they came to our barn, she threw the girl and broke her jaw. Poor kid was pretty thoroughly scared of her.

Spanish horses themselves are very sensitive and intelligent. They need a kind, consistent and tactful rider/trainer/handler. Too rough handling or training will end up with a horse that is untrusting of humans and as you can see, bad things can happen.

 

[Bunnylady]

One evening, I went into Destiny's stall to put a blanket on her. I had blanketed her several times before without issue, but I took the usual precautions of folding the blanket up as one does to make it as small and unthreatening as possible. Destiny had finished her feed, and was munching on her hay when I went in. I talked to her, made sure she saw me and knew what I was doing, and gently placed the blanket on her withers. I unfolded the first fold, so it now hung across her. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide, and she started plunging around the stall. I backed away, trying my best to stay in front of her, because I sure didn't want to be in the line of fire if she kicked out! We made a full circuit of the stall like that, me backing away, her half rearing and bouncing and generally acting as if her brain had fallen out. Then, because I was watching the horse instead of where I was going, I backed into a wall. There I was, nowhere to go, with this huge black animal one step away from squashing me against the wall, and still coming toward me. Reflexively I put my hand on her neck and said, "Destiny!" She stopped, completely stopped, and stood there, blowing. I petted her, gave a rather weak laugh, and said, "well, silly girl, what was that all about?" After a minute, she relaxed and went back to eating her hay. Incredibly, the blanket had not come off in all the drama, so after petting her a little more, I finished unfolding the blanket and did up the buckles and straps, and Destiny continued eating her hay as if nothing had happened.

We never had a repeat of that performance, though after that, I made a point of haltering and tying her before blanketing, if only to make sure she had nothing else to think about besides what I was doing.

 

[perchie.girl]

One evening, I went into Destiny's stall to put a blanket on her. I had blanketed her several times before without issue, but I took the usual precautions of folding the blanket up as one does to make it as small and unthreatening as possible. Destiny had finished her feed, and was munching on her hay when I went in. I talked to her, made sure she saw me and knew what I was doing, and gently placed the blanket on her withers. I unfolded the first fold, so it now hung across her. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide, and she started plunging around the stall. I backed away, trying my best to stay in front of her, because I sure didn't want to be in the line of fire if she kicked out! We made a full circuit of the stall like that, me backing away, her half rearing and bouncing and generally acting as if her brain had fallen out. Then, because I was watching the horse instead of where I was going, I backed into a wall. There I was, nowhere to go, with this huge black animal one step away from squashing me against the wall, and still coming toward me. Reflexively I put my hand on her neck and said, "Destiny!" She stopped, completely stopped, and stood there, blowing. I petted her, gave a rather weak laugh, and said, "well, silly girl, what was that all about?" After a minute, she relaxed and went back to eating her hay. Incredibly, the blanket had not come off in all the drama, so after petting her a little more, I finished unfolding the blanket and did up the buckles and straps, and Destiny continued eating her hay as if nothing had happened.

We never had a repeat of that performance, though after that, I made a point of haltering and tying her before blanketing, if only to make sure she had nothing else to think about besides what I was doing.

Sounds like she had a flash back. Gawd I have seen some horrendous trainers... I saw one use a cattle prod on a wet colt in the wash rack once because he was moving his feet too much. Broken jaws from tying with a stud chain....

My trainer Julie the one who worked with Katee for me was one of those horse whisperer types... Just a natural not any devote of any trainer... But she was given a very very well bred quarter horse to rehab Good cutting horse bloodlines. He had come back from his original trainder head shy difficult to saddle and generally un trusting of people... The original trainer had broken the horses jaw somehow. When the horses owner got him back she couldnt do anything with him except sue the trainer and get the horse good health care.

So now the horse is well no one can do anything with him except turn him out for his own exercise. He was sold to a horse dealer... who hired Julie. Julie started with just brushing him and taking him everywhere with her..... Julie rode english she was a cross country trainer as well. So I watched her try to saddle Junior... She would put a western blanket on under her saddle every time she would raise the blanket up he would scoot away... she would rub it on him then raise the blanket up again.... That fist time it took a hundred tries till he stood for the blanket.... Success.... she patted him and put him away... it took a month for her to get to the saddle... the saddle was eaiser because he was beginning to trust her.

Then it was time to get on.... She took him to the round pen... Foot up to the stirrup and he would bolt. Shed let him go till he got his senses... Foot up to the stirrup bolt again... I saw her do this more than thirty times. till Foot in the stirrup and she was up... he was blowing but standing.... She patted him got off and lead him out. Small battles but she left them in his own head to sort it out.

She was very sad when she was done because every time he saw her he got all gooie eyed... he thought he was her horse.... thank goodness his next owner came to her to begin their relationship.

I sooo could not be a horse trainer.... ever.

deb

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Thanks, Freedman was the name I was looking for, but couldn't remember!

-Kathy

 

[perchie.girl]

whew I am not getting emails from BYC.... I have a picture to share here.... I used to draw a lot untill a college professor told me I would never be an artist.... All because i drew horses...

I drew this today while I was waiting for grandma to get a perminent... took about an hour and a half...



the technique is Stippel... Just dots

deb

 

[casportpony]

That's a very nice picture!

-Kathy

 

[perchie.girl]

That's a very nice picture!

-Kathy

Thanks Kathy.... I might actually try a chicken next.....

deb

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I won't bother sharing my stick figure drawings.

-Kathy