The Front Porch Swing

[enola]

What a lot of newbies do not realize is that horse that they think is soooooooo sweet - - - has the ability to kill them in a single second.

Horsemanship lessons can/will save lives.........

 

[perchie.girl]

What a lot of newbies do not realize is that horse that they think is soooooooo sweet - - - has the ability to kill them in a single second.

Horsemanship lessons can/will save lives.........

Yep... Even my own horse trained her myself... Trampled me while I was un hitching her from the Cart in the picture. She broke two cross tie snaps trampled me pulled that vehicle BETWEEN the cross tie posts over the top of me Jumped two brush piles Cart and all. The cart came loose jamming one shaft into the ground and that freed her to run off into the desert. I got a heliocopter ride out of that. That happend in 2004 or 2005.

My helper that day was my neighbor Tom who rode for many years driving cattle. He swore to me up and down that she had stomped me all over.... But even in her flight (for what ever made her bolt) she kept enough sense to not step on me in the process. Because I had no footprints on me... Believe me I know what a foot print feels like.

That situation was completely my fault. A been there done that person should NEVER become complacent.

I been thrown Bit kicked trampled (More than once) Bucked off fell down with Bolted with and dragged both by the foot and by the hand because I was too stupid to let go.

All mostly by horses who knew what they were doing, meaning doing it on purpose... Or by horses who were sweet and even tempered being placed in a position where their fight or flight instinct took over. This last is where experience will serve you to keep your horse out of that flight or fight scenario...

When i bought my Percheron mare I had trained two horses to be driving horses. The first was a Standardbred/Arab cross. He was the only foal I rased. He was my liesure suit larry LOved people and would follw me any where... Arab owners will testify this is a hot breed capable of quick action and often times judged as being nervous. I could drive him with the cart down a paved city street and have double dump gravel trucks pass us... So I ASSUMED training a draft horse would be a simple deal.... And for the most part i was right.

They learn quickly and enjoy work and are very stoic in stressful situations. The deal is during those situations they will communicate with very small voices. And when they do blow up its BIG really BIG.... meaning if I had had my horse hitched to a thousand pounds she would have still been able to pull that cart over the top of me and jump the two hedges. WE both went back to the trainer after that one.

deb

 

[dpenning]

For what its worth The advice I give to people who want to get their kids involved with horses is:

Find a good childs trainer
They will teach both you and the child about what is safe
They will have a child safe horse to learn on.
They will have rules that are never to be broken.

Always wear hard toed shoes with a slick sole and a heel. Cowboy boots or riding shoes can be bought second hand for children. Sneakers are not allowed.
Always wear Hard hat when riding. Always.

The child will learn how to halter lead and tie. yes even four year olds can do this. How to clean feet and brush the coat....LOL... though they may have to climb the mounting block steps to reach all parts of the horse.

they will also learn the relative safety zones around a horse... and the fact that every horse has the potential for stepping on you or knocking you with a foot... Typical scenario... swatting at a fly on their tummy with a front or hind foot. I knew a stallion that would wipe flies off his legs by crossing one front foot over the other and rubbing it up and down... Oh and by the way he was a Leopard Appaloosa...

There are a bunch of other things to learn about feeding, watering, cleaning, and health care. Then there is care of the gear too..... All this will be taught over time and while learning how to ride.

My initial riding instructor taught me all this in about thirty days... with reinforcement over the next two months. by the end of that time I could go in the corral catch my horse bring her up tie her safely brush her out check for boo boos Clean her feet then bridle and saddle. All in the course of about thirty minutes.

Riding took about a two months. Progressing as I was ready.

I rode for about 30 years then learned how to Train and drive Carriage horses. Not a trainer but have trained my own two and helped with a third. So I have been involved with horses for almost 50 years now.



me and Katee It was her Birfday. A co worker made the hat for her...


Katee and me at the Del Mar Fair... in 2002

Shes my last horse.... and she turned twenty this year.

deb

Great pics Deb! I used to go to Del Mar as a kid. The Carriage pic looks like something i could enjoy if money were no object.

 

[ducksanddoxies]

Oh what a great name.     So where was he from?  Um er how far away?

Awesome....  i was soo worried... for both of you.

deb

Well you have my house and we are on the east side of the main highway. On the west side there is woods for I don't know how far but eventually you hit the old road that ran through the county called midway route. He lived almost right across from us "the way the crow flies" on midway route. I don't know how many miles of woods are between us.

 

[Wisher1000]

I'm glad the horse is home, I'm glad it sparked interest in your boy, and GREAT advice from Perchie! I, too, have had horses for DECADES! I got my firs horse, after waiting an eternity, when I was 13. My last horse died this spring at 32 years old. I guess I'm through horsin' around, but it's a great way for a kid to grow up!

 

[LindaB220]

Found the owner! And in such a roundabout way. The horses name in Popcorn and he is a super gentle Leopard Appaloosa, probably the only one in the county and one of a few in the state.

My cousin in Texas sends me a picture and says is this the horse?

Yeah, sure looks like it. Her husbands mom went out to check on Popcorn and noticed he was gone and called cousins husband. Well they are friends with me on fb and saw where I was trying to find the owner of this horse. They put two and two together and Popcorn should be home by dark.

My oldest is upset. This may have sparked an excitement for horses that I'm more than willing to help him learn and pursue!

Awwww. Life is sweet. And you're a hero.

 

[Tomtommom]

Our doggy made it home too. I posted it all over Facebook and someone mentioned where all the golden retrievers in the neighborhood live (creepy... sort of

). One of the addresses was just down the street, so I got hubby to go knock and ask if it was theirs. It wasn't, but then two people with flashlights walked by, as he was leaving... They were searching for the dog!

Her name is Sandy and she had gotten out early in the day. Apparently some folks a few houses down noticed and put her in their yard. And she got out of that yard and came to ours where she took a nice dive in the pool with my step-son

He was loving that dog.. but oh boy, I was stressing out. My house is WAY too small for such a large dog. I was already wondering how on earth I was going to take the dog to a vet to get her scanned, in a Toyota Corolla with three small kids. So glad she went home.

 

[lazy gardener]

I had the awesome experience of growing up on a farm (until 9 y.o.) with horses, sheep, and chickens. Also had 2 beautiful black walnut trees, a fantastic climbing ledge, turtle pen, pine forest, wild berries of all kinds, brook with a sand bar... absolute paradise. Horses are a lot of fun, and lots of work. And as stated by PP, capable of inflicting damage on the unsuspecting handler in a nanosecond when they get upset.

 

[ducksanddoxies]

I'm glad the horse is home, I'm glad it sparked interest in your boy, and GREAT advice from Perchie!  I, too, have had horses for DECADES!  I got my firs horse, after waiting an eternity, when I was 13.  My last horse died this spring at 32 years old.  I guess I'm through horsin' around, but it's a great way for a kid to grow up!

Well I'm definitely not going out getting him a horse anytime soon but I defiantly believe in supporting whatever sparks that excitement in you.

Mine was sports. I ate, slept, and breathed basketball and softball. My parents would drive umpteen dozen miles to watch me play. Only God knows how much money they spent.

I still love sports. I have a masters degree in physical education and teach elementary PE. And whatever it is that makes that spark for my boys, whether it's band, drama, sports, horses or animals, I'm going to do what I can to fan that flame.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Thanks Its solid hickory.... I couldnt afford one either. but I found a place on line that sold kits. I built it. Saved about 50 percent in purchase price and more than that in shipping costs.

deb