The Old Folks Home

[Bunnylady]

You have no idea how relieved I was when the horse pregnancy test that I did on Latte (my palomino QH) showed that she WASN"T going to present me with a cute little palomino filly.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I had no idea you could pregnancy test a horse. I mean, I guess it makes sense, because I know about Premarin...

 

[Bunnylady]

Yup! The brand of test I used with Latte is called WeeFoal. Cute, huh?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

And to think, with a goat you have to wait, and guess, and wait, and guess...

 

[Wisher1000]

Arggghhhh!!! I'm back! I haven't been able to post in several days. I could read everything, but the reply box had no tools above it (font, bold, bullets, insert photo, etc) and when I typed something in it felt naked (like those dreams where you show up at work in your underwear) but it wouldn't post. I would hit the submit button and it would tell me I must type something to post.

SCG - The biscuits are in the oven....

Arielle - love the mini-mule! I never realized how many horse enthusiasts there are here. I got my first horse (after waiting for an ETERNITY) at the age of 13 and except for a two year stretch in college, I have had the ever since. I am in my second century now and have one old gelding left. I think he will be my last one...... a mini might be fun...... no, he's my last ...... or a donkey....... or a mini-donkey...............hummmmm

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Glad you can finally post, and got the biscuits started. Hope the jam lives up to its hype.

We have company here and think we're gunna get the apple butter out. Got some apple pancakes in the oven now and made some bread last night.

 

[Bunnylady]

Hey, Wisher! Welcome back to your own thread!

I'd been wondering where you were!

I fell in love with horses when I was about 4. I remember going to the fair with my parents. I was afraid of the merry-go-round, but not the pony ride! I read everything I could get my hands on about horses, and rode whenever I could (not very often, unfortunately), but there was no way I could have a horse, so I didn't even ask. Hubby knew I was a horse nut when he married me, in fact, we have a sort of running gag - "Look, a horse!" ("Yeah, yeah, Look, Hubby, a sailboat!") Being the practical one, I had pretty much given up on ever owning one. 7 years ago, I started feeding the horses at one of the local barns, and I love it. I've been there through 3 changes of regime; the folks who are leasing it now are leaving next month. In the last several years, I've done feed, blankets (in season) and turnout for about 100 different horses. I've handled everything from days-old foals to arthritic 20-somethings, dealt with an 18-year-old stud and a couple of really spoiled, food-aggressive mares. While being a feeder may not have the cachet of being a trainer, you'd better believe I know about ground manners! And since I am "the lady with the feed bucket" and never "the man with the whip," I have to get their respect in other ways. At the barn, they call me "the horse whisperer".

Oh, and Wisher? I know a lot of people who decided they were getting too old to get knocked around by "bigs" and went into minis. The only horses I have ever "trained" are my minis, and they're a blast! They can pull carts, you know . . . .

 

[Wisher1000]

I knew we were kindred spirits, Bunny!

My mom said "horse" was my first word, or it seemed so! I read every book I could get my hands on and started collecting buckets, brushes, hoofpicks, etc. with birthday money while my parents were still telling me it was impossible for me to have one where we lived. When asked what did I want for Christmas or birthdays, the answer was always the same.

When I was seven, I began secretly riding my bike four miles to a boarding stable with a bag of newly bought carrots to feed and pet the horses there. After a few times, the owners would let me brush one or two and I thought I was in heaven. I got caught when mom started noticing all the carrots were gone the first Saturday after she bought them and made me fess up. I was told not to ride there alone anymore and I later realized that Dad didn't like the looks of the owners but he would take me some Saturday mornings and let me see the horses and feed them carrots.

When I was nearly 13, we began "going to look at" horses that were for sale and I was cautioned that we were going to look only and that boarding had not been worked out yet. We saw some terrible horses. The full spectrum from old, thin, and foundered, to unbroken two year old intact colts. Between New Years and my 14th birthday (Feb) Dad said we were going to Montgomery (2 1/2 hours from home) to look at a horse the following Saturday with a cousin I hadn't met. They pulled up to the house to pick us up in a duelly with a two horse trailer behind it! There is no way to describe the feeling I had except it would be like learning you had just won the lottery.

I met my first horse that day and we brought her home to the cousin's farm. She was a 13 year old registered App who was push button western pleasure and kid broke. She was the best horse in the world and I still miss her. Mom and Dad were great about spending the money to get what I needed for her but knew NOTHING about horses and everything was up to me at 13. I learned to pick hooves, groom, bathe, clean tack, clean stalls, haul hay, feed, medicate, give shots, order vet and farrier services. By the time I was 15, I moved her to the boarding stable I used to sneak off to and started showing and winning consistently. She was a great horse for my first one and I learned responsibility and stayed out of trouble throughout the teenage years because of her.

I've had them ever since and have done a little bit of everything. Training, breeding, raising foals, breaking, gaited, western, roping, team penning, steer wrestling, dressage, trail, jumping, you name it, I did it at some time or another!

SCG - the jams were okay. I suggest that you send the remainder of them to me for disposal and try again with another batch. Of course, I will need to sample that batch as well..........

 

[Bunnylady]

Wisher, have you any idea how lucky you were to get that App as your first horse? I have seen some horrible mismatches in the last few years. I guess the worst was a greener-than-green Percheron/Andalusian (no kidding - she looked sorta like a Friesian without all the hair) that was bought for a 12-year-old girl. The horse wound up breaking the kid's jaw and nearly put her off horses for life! That animal was a bit of a flake, I remember telling her owner that it was going to be a red-letter day when I could bring her in or take her out without her finding something to spook at! Fortunately, the girl's parents bought a been-there-done-that rock-solid POA gelding that helped the girl get her confidence back, and sold the Bete Noire to a dressage trainer.

I've seen some "marriages made in heaven" too. When it's the right horse and the right owner, horse love is a beautiful thing!

 

[dsqard]

I loved horses ever since I was little as did my sister. Wisher, like you, we begged for a horse every chance we could get. Even researched the whole adopt a mustang thing and tried talking our parents into it. It never happened when I was little but at least they did get us riding lessons so we could get our "fix".

When I was finally in a good position to get a horse, I was lucky enough to board at a stable where the owner was happy to teach me about the things you never think of like the importance of fresh water or a clean stall. Learned a lot from her and a lot from the next lady I stabled with. Know how to worm, give shots and look for signs of trouble by looking at poo. I have seen good horses and bad horses (well at least mismatched horses for owners) and have been lucky with the three I bought and of course the two that my mares foaled out were learning ground manners from almost the time they could walk. So greatful for having them in my life.