# The Horse Thread



## wonderpony

Harvey said:


> Wp lately when I ride through the stables and corals (totally allowed horses get right of way) the horses are running. Is that a spring thing? I don't think I'm bothering them they are running before I arrive.
> 
> I have questions about horses maybe we should have a thread.


Harvey, where are you riding through? Are you on a bike? Is there a human on the horse, or are they just hanging? I am always happy to talk about my favorite thing.  Nothing is beats strapping a couple of boards on your feet to go down a mountain, unless it's getting on a thousand pound prey animal with a mind of its own.


----------



## wonderpony

wonderpony said:


> Harvey, where are you riding through? Are you on a bike? Is there a human on the horse, or are they just hanging? I am always happy to talk about my favorite thing.  Nothing is beats strapping a couple of boards on your feet to go down a mountain, unless it's getting on a thousand pound prey animal with a mind of its own.


Black flies?


----------



## Ripitz

Maybe they are just horsing around


----------



## Harvey

No black flies.

It's this huge equestrian center that I think owned by the county, the same entity that owns the miles of gravel trails and limited amount of single track near my house.

There's technically a bike path in the center but it doesn't go all the way through. And yea, you do come to a point where a sign says "no bikes beyond this point."

It's a crucial connection for me, it connects our woods with the rest of the system. The first few times I got off and walked it. Eventually I started riding, slowly along the edge of the woods. 

The horses are in huge corrals (do they call them that?) I've rarely been closer than 50 yards from a horse, except occasionally they'd get curious and walk over to me. Sometimes the horse are giving lessons. Usually they are just chilling but lately they are running a lot. They don't seem unhappy to me, maybe they are flirting.

Today I actually came across a lesson on the bike path. There are signs all around that show that bikes and walkers yielding to horses. I dismounted, they said thank you, and walked by.


----------



## Harvey

wonderpony said:


> animal with a mind of its own.



I've been thinking about this. Horses seem different from other animals, I was trying to understand them a bit better.


----------



## wonderpony

Horses are poorly designed critters. They are thousand pound prey animals with minds of their own. They have ginormous digestive tracts, but they can't throw up. If they eat something bad, it's BAD and $$$ vet call. The average riding horse has a cannon bone (lower leg) circumference of about 9 inches. They stand on what used to be their middle finger, now the hoof, which is a complicated and amazing sling of parts.

Horse ownership is not for the faint of heart. Draco has "Sweet Itch". He's allergic to the bites of the midges. He's very high maintenance from mid-April to mid-October. He has goop (Swat) on his belly, wears a sheet, neck cover and fly mask in addition to fly spray. I ride early in the morning because he is so sensitive to the bugs. If I slack off, he gets open wounds, and I'm not ok with that.

That said, they are amazing. They are so smart, and so sensitive. It's a complete and total addiction. After I came off him ten years ago and fractured my L1, the only thing I could think about what getting back on. I was beyond terrified when I did. I have lost much of my confidence, but I still wake up in the morning and look forward to seeing and getting on my horse.

This is me and Katie the WonderPony. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...


----------



## wonderpony

Harvey said:


> No black flies.
> 
> It's this huge equestrian center that I think owned by the county, the same entity that owns the miles of gravel trails and limited amount of single track near my house.
> 
> There's technically a bike path in the center but it doesn't go all the way through. And yea, you do come to a point where a sign says "no bikes beyond this point."
> 
> It's a crucial connection for me, it connects our woods with the rest of the system. The first few times I got off and walked it. Eventually I started riding, slowly along the edge of the woods.
> 
> The horses are in huge corrals (do they call them that?) I've rarely been closer than 50 yards from a horse, except occasionally they'd get curious and walk over to me. Sometimes the horse are giving lessons. Usually they are just chilling but lately they are running a lot. They don't seem unhappy to me, maybe they are flirting.
> 
> Today I actually came across a lesson on the bike path. There are signs all around that show that bikes and walkers yielding to horses. I dismounted, they said thank you, and walked by.


On this side of the continent, they are paddocks. If the horses are just hanging in the paddocks, I wouldn't worry about them. And, since you were an admirable human, dismounted, made sure that the horses could see you, I wouldn't worry about that, either. Just remember that you are dealing with a prey animal. Say good morning and make noise before they see you. And bring treats.  You will be their bestest friend ever.


----------



## wonderpony

And, here is Draco. He has taught me how much I really want to ride. He is now 13. He is not an easy horse to ride, but I still love him.


----------



## Brownski

Susie, the gray facing the camera, was a pisser. It’s possible she’s still with us but she’d be pretty old by now.


----------



## wonderpony

Brownski said:


> Susie, the gray facing the camera, was a pisser. It’s possible she’s still with us but she’d be pretty old by now.
> 
> View attachment 9323
> 
> View attachment 9324


Appaloosa?


----------



## Brownski

No- percheron/ quarter horse cross. 
She was a big girl with great manners so she got the big (or scared) guests but she was usually smarter then her riders so she got away with being lazy and eating on the trail. No matter where I put her in line, she’d take advantage and drop back one spot after another til she was at the rear and then she’d rail further and further back. I would constantly call back “ come on, Susie!” And her ears would perk up and she’d take two or three quicker steps while I was looking and then go back to browsing. It was pretty hilarious but frustrating too. when we didn’t have any heavyweight guests and I didn’t have a guide-only horse working, I would take her myself and her personality was transformed. All business, ears up, looking around, She was a great lead horse.


----------



## Brownski

She loved to scratch her forehead on my back, which was also funny because she was so big and strong if I wasn’t paying attention Id practically be flung across the yard. Some times I would take a good, firm stance and lean into it so she could get some leverage. I was better then letting her scratch her forehead on a post or something I guess.


----------



## Brownski

This guy was named Buck. He was the hands- down unchallenged ruler of the herd. Nobody fucked with Buck but once in a while he’d give one of the others a kick or a bite just to remind them.


----------



## tirolski

Derby winner Medina Spirit is a great horse with an interesting upbringing.


https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/john-clay/article251151244.html


Folks had a horse when we lived in western Pa. He only knew had one speed. Fast.


----------



## Harvey

wonderpony said:


> Horses are poorly designed critters. They are thousand pound prey animals with minds of their own. They have ginormous digestive tracts, but they can't throw up. If they eat something bad, it's BAD and $$$ vet call. The average riding horse has a cannon bone (lower leg) circumference of about 9 inches. They stand on what used to be their middle finger, now the hoof, which is a complicated and amazing sling of parts.
> 
> Horse ownership is not for the faint of heart. Draco has "Sweet Itch". He's allergic to the bites of the midges. He's very high maintenance from mid-April to mid-October. He has goop (Swat) on his belly, wears a sheet, neck cover and fly mask in addition to fly spray. I ride early in the morning because he is so sensitive to the bugs. If I slack off, he gets open wounds, and I'm not ok with that.
> 
> That said, they are amazing. They are so smart, and so sensitive. It's a complete and total addiction. After I came off him ten years ago and fractured my L1, the only thing I could think about what getting back on. I was beyond terrified when I did. I have lost much of my confidence, but I still wake up in the morning and look forward to seeing and getting on my horse.
> 
> This is me and Katie the WonderPony. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...



"After I came off him" understatement of the year?

What do the ear mittens do? Doesn't look cold you are in short sleeves.

Love these pictures and tales.


----------



## Harvey

Zoomed


----------



## Brownski

Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit fails post-race drug test
					

Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit’s victory could be reversed, and Bob Baffert has been suspended from Churchill Downs.




					nypost.com


----------



## tirolski

Why can’t we have nice things?


https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/250027/medina-spirit-tests-positive-for-betamethasone


----------



## wonderpony

Harvey said:


> "After I came off him" understatement of the year?
> 
> What do the ear mittens do? Doesn't look cold you are in short sleeves.
> 
> Love these pictures and tales.


Here's an understatement. My son said, "Mom, you just sat down hard." I had a burst fracture, about 60/40. I lucked out, big time. My spinal cord was fine. Draco spooked and went sideways. I hit the ground hard. Then, I got up and grabbed him. Because I was in so much pain, I undid the saddle, which was under his belly because of the spook, left it on the ground, and walked him back to the barn. I put him in his stall and walked home, which is just down the road. I figured I would ice my back, go back and longe him. (Work him in a circle on a long rein.) After a shower, ibuprofen and more ice didn't work, my son who was 14 told me "Mom, you can break your back without being paralyzed. Sean is going to pick me up to take me to the paintball field." Eventually, I got smart, and called my parents, who came and picked me up and took me to the ER. I hurt all the way. Once I got there, they gave me high-test pain meds, an x-ray, strapped me to a board and sent me to Upstate via ambulance. My parents picked up my son, and they waited with me until I finally got admitted. Don't crash and burn on a Saturday. The ER is jamming with gunshot wounds and stuff. I waited in the hallway. I ended up in surgery on Tuesday, I think. I have screws and plates that stabilized the L1. We joke that I am bionic.  I used to have the x-rays, but can't find them. I was able to get on Draco about six weeks afterwards. I sat on him for about five minutes, and almost threw up because I was so scared. But, I tried every day. And, every day since then, I push myself a little bit more. Now, most of the time, when he spooks or gets goofy, I'm ok . I do hop off quickly if I am concerned, and I'm ok with that. I did come off over the winter. He spooked, and I was pretty much sideways on his left side. I usually can save those, but this time, I chose to let go I go up, said "Really???" and got back on. In about two minutes, the nerves were gone. I was happy with that.

Ear mittens, are actually a fly bonnet to protect from flies. I do tend to ride in short sleeves once it's warmer. You actually work hard, once the temps are above 60ish, plus I have a helmet and gloves, and tall boots. You keep warm.


----------



## wonderpony

Harvey said:


> View attachment 9328
> Zoomed


Nom, nom, nom.


----------



## wonderpony

Brownski said:


> This guy was named Buck. He was the hands- down unchallenged ruler of the herd. Nobody fucked with Buck but once in a while he’d give one of the others a kick or a bite just to remind them.
> 
> View attachment 9325


Is that a rifle under your right leg?


----------



## Brownski

It’s a shotgun. Grizzly country. I was a wrangler/guide in AK for two summers


----------



## wonderpony

Brownski said:


> It’s a shotgun. Grizzly country. I was a wrangler/guide in AK for two summers


What else do you have attached to your saddle?


----------



## wonderpony

wonderpony said:


> What else do you have attached to your saddle?


How did you learn to be a guide?


----------



## Brownski

It was an overnight. That’s a tent and sleeping bag and other stuff. I learned on the job.


----------



## Brownski

Here’s another one. The three paints in the middle all were related. The owner bought them all at about age four the end of the first summer I was there but nobody really worked with them before the second summer so they were squirrelly AF. The guy with his butt to the camera and his head down was named Cheyenne. He was actually a little more together then the rest of his crew. So I took him out on a half day. maybe forty minutes in, it started to rain. I didn’t want to freak him out with a rain coat blowing around in his peripheral vision so I dismounted and stood in front of him where he could see me put it on. That all went well. he was cool. But as I remounted he went apeshit, bucking like a rodeo bronco. I only had one foot in a stirrup but I held on for maybe four bucks before I got launched. Of course he wouldn’t let me get within arms reach of him after that. He just made his way back home, grazing as he went, staying just far enough away so I couldn’t catch him. I tried reasoning with him, i tried sweet talking him, threats. I borrowed one of the guests’ horses to try to cut him off. Nothing worked. We walked all the way back, a couple of miles, that way. It doesn’t take a genius to be a wrangler but you do have to be smarter then the horse.


----------



## Campgottagopee

Horses have always intimidated me.


----------



## Brownski

Campgottagopee said:


> Horses have always intimidated me.


I bet if you really got to know one as an individual you would like them. They’re like toddlers that have a limited vocabulary but weigh 800-1500 pounds and have really sharp teeth.


----------



## MarzNC

Brownski said:


> It’s a shotgun. Grizzly country. I was a wrangler/guide in AK for two summers


Cool! Great stories.

I had a great time doing a simple trail ride outside Denali. My husband, his older brother, and a family friend all were too scared to deal with riding a horse. The mucky terrain was fascinating. Way different than the terrain in the Canadian Rockies.


----------



## Brownski

When was that Marz?


----------



## MarzNC

Brownski said:


> When was that Marz?


Mid-1990s. Was the first big trip after I got married in 1992.

The trail riding I did in the Canadian Rockies was with my older brother in the mid-1970s. That was a lot of fun. By then I'd been going to summer camps for both English and Western riding for a while. For reasons my mother never could figure out, I loved horses from the time I was very young even though I lived in NYC. I learned to ride English at a good camp near the city she found for me when I was 8. The Western riding camp was in the Finger Lakes region of NY.


----------



## Campgottagopee

Brownski said:


> weigh 800-1500 pounds and have really sharp teeth.


That's why they intimidate me!


----------



## Brownski

MarzNC said:


> Mid-1990s. Was the first big trip after I got married in 1992.


I may have been your guide. I was there in 94 & 95. There were 3 outfits in the area but we were then only ones that were silly enough to ride on tundra. Did you take pics?


----------



## Harvey

wonderpony said:


> And bring treats.


What is good for them? Carrots? Would the horse people be mad if I fed them? What is the chance of the horse eating my finger?


----------



## Brownski

Harvey said:


> What is the chance of the horse eating my finger?


Probably not more then 33% totally in your favor


----------



## tirolski

Harvey said:


> What is good for them? Carrots? Would the horse people be mad if I fed them? What is the chance of the horse eating my finger?


Horses like apples too. Best just roll em to them before they remember ya.


----------



## MarzNC

Brownski said:


> I may have been your guide. I was there in 94 & 95. There were 3 outfits in the area but we were then only ones that were silly enough to ride on tundra. Did you take pics?


Well, it was in August 1993. Back then I was organized enough to actually create a proper photo album for major trips. It was a 2-week trip that started with a cruise from Vancouver. Afterwards we drove to Denali from Anchorage. I planned out 3 days well in advance, Aug. 29-31. We lucked out with the weather. It was a little drizzly the day I went riding. But the next day when we did the bus tour in the park it was pretty clear all day. We saw the leaves start to turn color the day we drove to Denali and by the time we drove back, the color was gone and most of the trees were bare. Autumn was over and it was winter! Even a few snow flurries as we left.

My notes say "Wolf Point trail ride, $75 for 2 hour ride." The other people in the group were from the tourist train. They only had that day in the Denali area so didn't see much due to the cloud cover.


----------



## Brownski

Ah, ok. I started the following year. The seasons change rapidly up there for sure


----------



## wonderpony

Harvey said:


> What is good for them? Carrots? Would the horse people be mad if I fed them? What is the chance of the horse eating my finger?


Actually, the horse people would probably be mad, unless you asked them. Most horses would rather eat the treat than your fingers, anyhow.


----------



## wonderpony

Campgottagopee said:


> That's why they intimidate me!


There's a lot of bad information in movies about horses. Case in point, I love the movie Silverado. At one point, the bad guys have Scott Glenn on the ground, stretched between a couple of horses. A third bad guy rides his horse back and forth over Scott Glenn, theoretically hitting him. I just don't see that happening. Humans are gushy and most horses don't like stepping on gushy things. The horse would probably have jumped over the guy on the ground, if that were real.

There is the occasional asshole horse, but most are good natured critters Draco was a bit of an asshole when he was younger, and was super mouthy (a nice way of saying he would bite things and the occasional human). Now, he only does it when stressed.

My standard safety spiel to my son's friends when they would come visit is that a horse is a prey animal. They also have a blind spot behind them. Always make sure that they know where you are by talking to them. As long as they know where you are, you're fine.

I really do find it amazing that they let us sit on their backs. It's quite a privilege.


----------



## wonderpony

Katie and I used to do a lot of "hunter pacing." We would go out with a friend or in a group. There was a course of jumps, which you could jump or not, and a top-secret ideal time. The time is loosely based on the time a (fox)hunt would take while out hunting over the course of fences. We loved doing that She would pretty much pull me down the driveway to my friend's trailer in her enthusiasm. She loved jumping and would just lock onto the jumps and go. Once, I had to almost run her into a chain link fence to stop her after a line of jumps because she was having so much fun.


----------



## MarzNC

wonderpony said:


> There is the occasional asshole horse, but most are good natured critters Draco was a bit of an asshole when he was younger, and was super mouthy (a nice way of saying he would bite things and the occasional human). Now, he only does it when stressed.


There was a horse at North Country School when I was a student in the late 1960s who turned into a bit of a biter after summer camp for some reason. I and a friend worked on him for the 2-week Grooming Contest in the spring two years in a row. We came in third place both times after a lot of work. The second spring when he was more inclined to try biting me when I was grooming in the stall, I would just put the dirty brush in his face. They sold him after that school year because he really wasn't a good school/camp horse any more.


----------



## Campgottagopee

wonderpony said:


> There's a lot of bad information in movies about horses. Case in point, I love the movie Silverado. At one point, the bad guys have Scott Glenn on the ground, stretched between a couple of horses. A third bad guy rides his horse back and forth over Scott Glenn, theoretically hitting him. I just don't see that happening. Humans are gushy and most horses don't like stepping on gushy things. The horse would probably have jumped over the guy on the ground, if that were real.
> 
> There is the occasional asshole horse, but most are good natured critters Draco was a bit of an asshole when he was younger, and was super mouthy (a nice way of saying he would bite things and the occasional human). Now, he only does it when stressed.
> 
> My standard safety spiel to my son's friends when they would come visit is that a horse is a prey animal. They also have a blind spot behind them. Always make sure that they know where you are by talking to them. As long as they know where you are, you're fine.
> 
> I really do find it amazing that they let us sit on their backs. It's quite a privilege.



The only horse I've ever been on was when I was a little kid while visiting my grandparents up in the Dacks. It was there neighbors horse, he was big and scary --- lol

Been cautious of them ever since that day


----------



## wonderpony

MarzNC said:


> There was a horse at North Country School when I was a student in the late 1960s who turned into a bit of a biter after summer camp for some reason. I and a friend worked on him for the 2-week Grooming Contest in the spring two years in a row. We came in third place both times after a lot of work. The second spring when he was more inclined to try biting me when I was grooming in the stall, I would just put the dirty brush in his face. They sold him after that school year because he really wasn't a good school/camp horse any more.


Draco would definitely not make it as a school/camp horse.  

I think that good school/camp horse is worth their weight in gold. We all learned on them and they put up with our absolute cluelessness, lack of balance and lack of coordination. They are amazing.


----------



## Harvey




----------



## Campgottagopee

That place looks beautiful, Harv.


----------



## Harvey

wonderpony said:


> Katie and I used to do a lot of "hunter pacing." We would go out with a friend or in a group. There was a course of jumps, which you could jump or not, and a top-secret ideal time. The time is loosely based on the time a (fox)hunt would take while out hunting over the course of fences. We loved doing that She would pretty much pull me down the driveway to my friend's trailer in her enthusiasm. She loved jumping and would just lock onto the jumps and go. Once, I had to almost run her into a chain link fence to stop her after a line of jumps because she was having so much fun.
> View attachment 9363


That is a killer photo. Great post.


----------



## wonderpony

Campgottagopee said:


> That place looks beautiful, Harv.


And, from a horse person's perspective, it does look beautiful. Nice big turnout with grass. Up here, we seem to get great facilities (indoor ring and outdoor ring with good footing) and shit turnout, or great turnout and not so great places to ride. Since my horse is a horse 23/7, other than when being ridden, I have gone with self-care where they are in a 10 acre pasture rather than boarding in a place with great facilities and crappy turnout. It's a lot of work, but they have been happy.


----------



## Harvey

wonderpony said:


> Nice big turnout with grass.



What's a turnout?

That paddock  might be the biggest one, but there are six or seven of them. I've never seen more than maybe 20 horses at once and that was only one time. How many horses are in that barn? I don't know.

I'll take some pics of the riding area next time I'm there and it's sunny.


----------



## wonderpony

Harvey said:


> That is a killer photo. Great post.


Thanks! Katie was one in a million. Her uncles won the driving in one of the Olympics. I could look it up, but it's not important. Lana DuPont has/had a bunch of Katie's relatives. She approached Katie's breeder some 15 years ago and asked "Why don't I have that one?" Katie's breeder explained that there was not enough money in the world to buy her. That was an absolutely true statement. I paid one dollar for her. The woman I bought her from knew I loved her and wanted her to have a great home. She said that "Katie is a backyard pony with some fancy relatives." Katie is buried on the hill in the pasture, where I used to let her graze when we were done trail riding. 

I did everything I could want to do with her and trusted her 100%. I rode her when I was pregnant until the midwives found out I was riding in my seventh month and grounded me. Until that point, I was using a mounting block to dismount because my belly was in the way. I could take her up into the woods, drop the reins and let her graze while I watched birds. I could also break one of the cardinal rules of riding and pop over some jumps on the way home from trail riding. You are never supposed to let the horse speed up on the way home from riding. But, we would see the jumps, she would pull, we would gallop over them, and then we would walk sedately back to the barn. Such a gift.

And, now, there is Draco. Different horse, different me, different world. I still get up every morning to play with him. He is also a gift, in his own way.


----------



## wonderpony

Harvey said:


> What's a turnout?
> 
> That paddock  might be the biggest one, but there are six or seven of them. I've never seen more than maybe 20 horses at once and that was only one time. How many horses are in that barn? I don't know.
> 
> I'll take some pics of the riding area next time I'm there and it's sunny.


A turnout, in this case, is a paddock or field that you let the horses into. A turnout can also be a blanket for high maintenance horses that the humans don't want to let grow a winter coat. 

What's the name of the place, or the town? Nosy horse humans always want to know about facilities.


----------



## Harvey

It's called Mercer Meadows, just one part of a huge county park. Tonight I stopped at the Pole Barn "exhibit" and read the plaques.

In 1929 it was built as the AT&T Pole Farm, 1600 acres that, for years, was used as the hub in the US for international calls. The calls were routed via short wave radio towers.

If you called Europe, Asia or South America, between 1929 and 1965 from the US, your call came through the Pole Farm. In 1965 AT&T put up a satellite that put the whole thing out of business. At the end, at the peak, it was handling 2 million calls a year, and that ONE SATELLITE could handle 10m. Or something insane like that.

In 1993 our county paid 8.6 million for the land, and I think parcels have been added on to it. In 2013 it opened as a public park with horse farm, bass ponds, parks, bird sanctuary, some woods, and miles of gravel path. I can hop onto the trail from my house in the time it takes for the drummers intro in Oy Como Va. I do the same loop every night, the longest I can figure out without repeating anything. Maybe 12-15 miles?









More pics from the zone:









						They Reopened My Zone
					

Up until recently, I underestimated my reliance on the zone.




					nyskiblog.com


----------



## MarzNC

Harvey said:


> It's called Mercer Meadows, just one part of a huge county park. Tonight I stopped at the Pole Barn "exhibit" and read the plaques.


Really huge . . . 1600 acres combining all the sections.

_" . . .
The main barn at the Equestrian Center was built by the Janet Schaafsma in 1979. After it was acquired by Mercer County in 1994, the barn was updated to include 31 stalls, indoor and outdoor rings, and eleven horse pastures.
. . ."





Mercer County Park Commission


The aims of the Mercer County Park Commission shall be to provide recreation for all persons of all ages and creeds. To meet the recreational need as it exists and as it changes with the times and to serve, promote, encourage, and stimulate interests in leisure time activities for the benefit of...




mercercountyparks.org




_


----------



## tirolski

wonderpony said:


> Katie and I used to do a lot of "hunter pacing." We would go out with a friend or in a group. There was a course of jumps, which you could jump or not, and a top-secret ideal time. The time is loosely based on the time a (fox)hunt would take while out hunting over the course of fences. We loved doing that She would pretty much pull me down the driveway to my friend's trailer in her enthusiasm. She loved jumping and would just lock onto the jumps and go. Once, I had to almost run her into a chain link fence to stop her after a line of jumps because she was having so much fun. View attachment 9363


A friend’s daughter worked for Beezie at her place near Caz and they flew with horses in jets to places & then went jumping.
Their horses live better than most folks do.








						Broke in Europe, a Beezie Madden Story
					

Today, the name Beezie Madden is synonymous with American show jumping and Olympic medals. But there was a time when team USA’s most decorated rider was short on both money and good horses. Though never on ambition, it would seem. The year was 1989. Twenty-five year old Beezie (then “Patton”)...




					horsenetwork.com


----------



## witch hobble

We have raised our kids as townies, but my younger daughter, currently a junior in HS, has become quite the equestrian lately. She kind of got into it late compared to lots of horse girls. Has always been an animal nerd. Trained our dog in agility when she was 9.

In 2013, on a cross country road trip, we went on an afternoon horseback tour while in Glacier National Park for a few days and it really made an impression. A few years later we got her a couple lessons for her birthday one summer. And she hasn’t looked back.

Last year, during the height of the confusion over the pandemic, with school remote and lots of things shut down, she started taking care of the 3 horses at the small barn on the edge of our town where she had been taking lessons (the owners are older and were taking lockdown “orders” VERY SERIOUSLY). She and another girl were feeding, exercising and caring for the horses all spring. Every day.

We felt very lucky that she chose such a healthy habit to occupy all that time and to keep her busy. So many peers were making poor choices or just holed up on their devices.

She joined a small team and competed in flats and fences last summer and fall, and is thinking about Ag school (Animal Science or equine science) for college.

I ski tight, steep glades. I paddle challenging whitewater. But hopping on a 1100 lb animal and jumping it over a 3’ fence? That’s pretty intimidating.

Also intimidating: owning or leasing a horse!





The “Medicine Hat” Paint in first photo is Roxy, the lesson horse that she has ridden for years.
The Bay in the second pic is Hero, who is an OTTB (off track thoroughbred.....I had to be educated too) that she is helping to train and who we might wind up leasing for a year.

I’m not a horseman but love that she gets so much joy from it. It really has become a major driving force in her life.


----------



## Harvey

Nice. She certainly looks comfortable.


----------



## Brownski

Such a difference between my experience and the refined equestrians here. We weren’t jumping stuff, at least not on purpose. We crossed a few small streams on our regular rides and occasionally a horse that had happily walked through the water a hundred times in a row would decide he/she felt like launching for the other side instead. Some times the guest stayed on but it was funny either way.


----------



## tirolski

witch hobble said:


> View attachment 9373
> 
> We have raised our kids as townies, but my younger daughter, currently a junior in HS, has become quite the equestrian lately. She kind of got into it late compared to lots of horse girls. Has always been an animal nerd. Trained our dog in agility when she was 9.
> 
> In 2013, on a cross country road trip, we went on an afternoon horseback tour while in Glacier National Park for a few days and it really made an impression. A few years later we got her a couple lessons for her birthday one summer. And she hasn’t looked back.
> 
> Last year, during the height of the confusion over the pandemic, with school remote and lots of things shut down, she started taking care of the 3 horses at the small barn on the edge of our town where she had been taking lessons (the owners are older and were taking lockdown “orders” VERY SERIOUSLY). She and another girl were feeding, exercising and caring for the horses all spring. Every day.
> 
> We felt very lucky that she chose such a healthy habit to occupy all that time and to keep her busy. So many peers were making poor choices or just holed up on their devices.
> 
> She joined a small team and competed in flats and fences last summer and fall, and is thinking about Ag school (Animal Science or equine science) for college.
> 
> I ski tight, steep glades. I paddle challenging whitewater. But hopping on a 1100 lb animal and jumping it over a 3’ fence? That’s pretty intimidating.
> 
> Also intimidating: owning or leasing a horse!
> 
> View attachment 9374
> 
> The “Medicine Hat” Paint in first photo is Roxy, the lesson horse that she has ridden for years.
> The Bay in the second pic is Hero, who is an OTTB (off track thoroughbred.....I had to be educated too) that she is helping to train and who we might wind up leasing for a year.
> 
> I’m not a horseman but love that she gets so much joy from it. It really has become a major driving force in her life.


Witchhobble, SUNY Morrisville has a good equine program and it’s not far from the CNY bumps if she likes to ski too.


----------



## witch hobble

Harvey said:


> Nice. She certainly looks comfortable.


Well, you know she has skipped some powder days and bluebird spring skiing days in order to reach this point! ??‍♂️


----------



## Harvey




----------



## witch hobble

Brownski said:


> Such a difference between my experience and the refined equestrians here. We weren’t jumping stuff, at least not on purpose. We crossed a few small streams on our regular rides and occasionally a horse that had happily walked through the water a hundred times in a row would decide he/she felt like launching for the other side instead. Some times the guest stayed on but it was funny either way.


I bet that was a fun job!


----------



## witch hobble

tirolski said:


> Witchhobble, SUNY Morrisville has a good equine program and it’s not far from the CNY bumps if she likes to ski too.


She was born inNYS, but we moved to NH years ago. UNH or some other “state flagship” is probably more likely.


----------



## Brownski

witch hobble said:


> I bet that was a fun job!


It was. It was a lot of hard work and being outside in the rain, cold etc... but definitely fun.


----------



## Harvey




----------



## Harvey

Good thing this doesn't apply to me.


----------



## tirolski

Harvey said:


> I've been thinking about this. Horses seem different from other animals, I was trying to understand them a bit better.


Dr. Temple Grandin does a good job understanding animals especially horses. 
They think in pictures.


----------



## Harvey




----------



## Harvey




----------



## Brownski

the swan belongs in the wildlife thread


----------



## wonderpony

That really looks like a super nice facility! Around here, my options seem to be great turnout (meaning the horses are on grass, and not in small paddocks eating hay (dried grass) or good footing (think good ski grooming). Since my horse is a horse 23/7, except for when he is suffering my attempts to ride, I have gone for the good turnout for the past 25 years. Draco is in a 5ish acre pasture, with grass, hills, trees and lots of good stuff. The pasture used to be 10 acres, but the owners had it logged and re-did the fence line. Most of the time, I loved that they were out on 10 acres, unless it took me half an hour to find them. I once managed to get myself completely turned around and lost, and ended up about 10 feet from a trail I used to ride on. That was pretty funny. 

During the day, I am now bringing them in out of the bugs. I just hung up part of my fly screens to keep the barn dark and the flies minimal. Tomorrow morning, when the sun is the other way, I will hang up the set on the other end of the barn.


----------



## wonderpony

Brownski said:


> the swan belongs in the wildlife thread


Desensitization clinic at its finest!


----------



## Harvey




----------



## Tjf1967

That certainly is a rich municipality. That place looks incredible.


----------



## Harvey

Mercer County is probably somewhere in the middle. Princeton very affluent, Trenton not so much. I agree I've never seen anything like it owned by a county.

That's the first time I looked in barn. They have a sign they put up and take down that says "no visitors at this time" or something, which makes me think I could go in there at some point. Would love to check it out.

What I don't get is does the county own the horses? Or do people pay to have them stay there? One thing seems evident, it's a lot acreage for a few horses. That's why the grass is so thick, it's not grazed very hard.


----------



## MarzNC

Since Mercer Stables offers lessons, some of the horses must be owned by the facility. It's common for a stable to own some horses while also offering boarding services for privately owned horses. There can be situations when people share ownership.









Mercer Stables Slowly Re-Opening Barn Doors


The horse, of course, is the main attraction at the Mercer County Park Commission’s stables — currently in the second phase of both the COVID-19 related reopening and renovations to




princetoninfo.com


----------



## tirolski

Colorado rounds the wild ones up and sends em to correctional facility.
WTF.








Largest wild horse roundup in Colorado history underway


287 animals have been captured and four killed as of Tuesday in what is the largest wild horse roundup in state history so far...




www.vaildaily.com


----------



## Brownski

It’s not pretty but neither would be a bunch of horses starving or dying of thirst in a desert. The prison program is actually a great thing for the inmates and much better for the horses than being diverted to the European meat market.


----------



## Harvey




----------



## Brownski

Nice. I was just thinking yesterday how much I miss being around horses. It might drive me to actually go for a trail ride at one of the local places.


----------



## wonderpony

There are days like today, with low humidity and things finally cooling down, that I would just about sell my soul for a good trail horse Draco is not a good trail horse. He is too spooky. Or, at least, he's not a good trail horse for me. Maybe, if I were 20 years younger it might work, but not at 56 with screws and plates in my back from falling off after he spooked ten years ago on Labor Day Weekend.

But, he is what he is, and I love him.


----------



## Brownski

Is Drago still all there, so to speak? What’s his deal?


----------



## wonderpony

He's fine. It's just how he is. Some horses are a bit more anxious than others, the same as humans. I kind of think he would have been a happy show hunter, so he could see school over all the jumps and see everything prior to competing.

But, that's not his life. So, we muddle along the best that we can. Adding to his spookiness, he has sweet itch (allergic to bites from midges) and is currently dealing with clover slobbers. All of these things make him an interesting ride because he can be very distracted by bugs and periodically needs to let his head down to drool.

However, that said, this morning, we played with shoulder in to haunches in, only at the walk because of all the rain. It wasn't perfect, but I was really pleased. He's pretty good with shoulder in, but we haven't done much with haunches in.


----------



## Brownski

I meant is he gelded? I realize TBs are squirrelly but Stallions of any breed can be nuts


----------



## wonderpony

Of course, he's gelded. No way in hell would I ever want to deal with a stallion.

(Edited to add.) That actually was a huge point of contention in my divorce.  I had bred my mare and gelded her son. My ex held onto that for almost ten years, maintaining that we had lost lots of money on stud fees. I, however, looked at it as a) we had wire fencing and b) I had no desire whatsoever to deal with breeding. None. Way too much work, no matter how well he was bred.


----------



## Brownski

Got it. I kind of assumed but he seems kind of extra so I asked


----------



## Tjf1967

Brownski said:


> Got it. I kind of assumed but he seems kind of extra so I asked


Careful you are getting political.


----------



## wonderpony

No politics with horses and their genitalia, IMO. 

Horses are horses, each is different within their breed and each is bred for a purpose. Draco tends to be on the hotter side. He's not as hot as an Arab. (I had an endurance-bred Arab for a bit.) I am guessing that the horses that Brownksi had while being a trail guide were bred for being more mellow. Probably Quarter Horse and Quarter Horse crosses. Maybe some draft blood thrown in. They tolerated beginners. Putting a beginner on Draco would be bad for all involved.


----------



## Brownski

Exactly right except that there was a mustang and an Arab also. Some of them we didn’t even know what they were. They were a motley crew. A few still provided a horse explosion once in a while but generally undramatic individuals.TJ was referencing another thread


----------



## XTski

Brownski said:


> Nice. I was just thinking yesterday how much I miss being around horses. It might drive me to actually go for a trail ride at one of the local places.


Check out Rough Riders ranch, one of the last in the Catskills


----------



## Harvey

View attachment 9364

I asked about getting inside of this building to check it out. It turns out that all the stables surround some kind of an indoor (dirt?) riding ring. Apparently on weekdays after school, you can check it out.

I also learned that that there are spots for about 30 horses and the stable isn't full.There are about 8 boarding horses and 10 "county" horses.


----------



## wonderpony

Harvey said:


> View attachment 9364
> 
> I asked about getting inside of this building to check it out. It turns out that all the stables surround some kind of an indoor (dirt?) riding ring. Apparently on weekdays after school, you can check it out.
> 
> I also learned that that there are spots for about 30 horses and the stable isn't full.There are about 8 boarding horses and 10 "county" horses.


It won't be dirt. It will be some kind of special "footing" for horse. Some places have sand, some have a sand/rubber mix, some have oiled sand mixed with fiber. 

If you thought skiers were picky about conditions, they are mild compared to horse people.


----------



## Harvey

wonderpony said:


> If you thought skiers were picky about conditions, they are mild compared to horse people.


Not us NY skiers. ?


----------



## Harvey




----------



## Brownski

Dude, go ahead and buy a share in one of the horses there. You’re clearly fascinated by the equine world. You won’t regret it.


----------



## tirolski

Brownski said:


> You’re clearly fascinated by the equine world. .


A pair of Amish work horses drug out Walnut logs today at the neighbors just over the corner of my yard.
The tree was rotten inside and needed to come down.



Half of it is down in the above pic.
They dropped the other half cleanly after this eventhough it was leaning toward another nearby Walnut tree.
Ya can see the rope used pulling to the right and away.
Horse team pulled the logs out thru the back of my yard toward the truck at another neighbor’s.
Looks like they plowed it so I can put in a fall cover crop.
Gave em all some apples from my tree.
Horses knew dozens, if not more, commands.
I’d like to go to Amish school.


----------



## MarzNC

tirolski said:


> . . . work horses drug out Walnut logs today at the neighbors just over the corner of my yard.


There are a couple of farms in Essex County that have draft horses. Reber Farm breeds and trains them. Essex Farm has been using draft horses for a decade.









Name our foal!


The first farm assets that Nathan and I owned were horses, before we even had a farm. We were inspired by Chad’s team of logging-turned-farming horses that we drove at Essex Farm when we all …




reberrockfarm.wordpress.com













Essex Farm: How Best to Use Our Draft Horse Power?


Here’s the news from Essex Farm shared by Kristin Kimball: ” […] We brought Jake and Abby up from pasture this week and hitched to the wagon for a ride around the farm, with the e…




www.essexonlakechamplain.com













A Tour of Various Draft Farms - Small Farmer's Journal


Amidst all of the possibility that is out there, all of the options and uncertainties, it helps to remember that there is also a strong community in the draft-farming world. There are a great many like-minded yet still diverse people working with draft horses and ready to share their...




smallfarmersjournal.com


----------



## tirolski

tirolski said:


> A pair of Amish work horses drug out Walnut logs today at the neighbors just over the corner of my yard.


They were both Percherons and smart. Over 10 years old.


----------



## Brownski

I used to know a Percheron cross. She was a sweetheart


----------



## Harvey




----------



## tirolski

Harvey said:


> View attachment 14574


Looks like he’s going for the green.


----------



## wonderpony

That is a super lovely paddock! It's huge!

But, where are his/her buddies? Horses are herd animals and like to have friends around.


----------



## Harvey

wonderpony said:


> That is a super lovely paddock! It's huge!
> 
> But, where are his/her buddies? Horses are herd animals and like to have friends around.


From where I was it was hard to get them both in the same shot. Didn't want to get too close.


----------



## Harvey

Pony is right there's always 2 of them together


----------



## Brownski

Horses always form cliques and crews. It’s basically like high school


----------



## Harvey

Brownski said:


> Horses always form cliques and crews. It’s basically like high school



Wonderpony made it sound like it would be mean to put them out to pasture alone.


----------



## Brownski

Harvey said:


> Wonderpony made it sound like it would be mean to put them out to pasture alone.


I’d agree


----------



## tirolski

It was run for the roses today.
Came from way back to winit.


----------



## wonderpony

Not a fan of racing 3 year olds. They are basically teenagers. Their joints aren't closed. Lots of injuries that prevent them from continuing on, and then what? There are tons of thoroughbreds out there that need homes. Rehabbing an off the track thoroughbred (OTTB) is not for the faint of heart, from what I have heard. They need six or so months to decompress from life at the track. Their feet need to regroup because they are shod for racing. And, they are bred for running.

I have friends with OTTBs who adore them, however.

And, finally, I didn't watch the race, but a few friends said that the winner got pretty beat up for biting the outrider. I can't find anything on YouTube, but it probably got cut.


----------



## Brownski

I’m hearing there was a biting incident at the end of the race. Anybody have video of that?


----------



## tirolski

Brownski said:


> I’m hearing there was a biting incident at the end of the race. Anybody have video of that?


That horse is a spirited child. 

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1523078118801502208


----------



## tirolski

Horses are horses.








Relocation of an aggressive and highly food conditioned horse from Assateague Island National Seashore to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch - Assateague Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)







www.nps.gov


----------



## Harvey

I just watched the vid. I know nothing about this but man, that was a ton of traffic to get through, unbelieveable.

Rich Strike was only mentioned once before the final few yards.

I sure hope that whip doesn't hurt too much.


----------



## wonderpony

I just saw a picture of Rich Strike biting the outriders leg. I would go ballistic as well.

Still not a fan of racing 3 year olds.


----------



## Brownski

wonderpony said:


> Still not a fan of racing 3 year olds.


I agree FWIW. Let them fully mature at least.


----------



## jasonwx

wonderpony said:


> On this side of the continent, they are paddocks. If the horses are just hanging in the paddocks, I wouldn't worry about them. And, since you were an admirable human, dismounted, made sure that the horses could see you, I wouldn't worry about that, either. Just remember that you are dealing with a prey animal. Say good morning and make noise before they see you. And bring treats.  You will be their bestest friend ever.


My daughter rode at cornel and taught horse back at camp. She loved her horses. But boy o boy they hate me🤣


----------



## tirolski

When I was at Ole Miss there was a thoroughbred farm across the highway from the old brick house we rented from a lawyer on the square. We payed $0 rent for the first few months as the place needed some work to make it habitable.
Place had 65 acres, a go-cart track, garage full of garbage, a fireplace, fig trees and definitely needed some TLC.

The thoroughbred horses had much better living conditions than we did.
John Grisham bought the thoroughbred farm later on.
The place we lived is a subdivision now with a lake.








						John Grisham's House in Oxford, MS (Google Maps) (#2)
					

John Grisham's House (Google Maps). The award winning author splits time between his home in Charlottesville, VA and this home.




					virtualglobetrotting.com


----------



## Harvey




----------



## Campgottagopee

We're working our way down to the OBX for vacation. We stayed at Wolf Trap Farms last night to break up the drive. Highly recommend this place. We're staying in the Milkers house. Doc approves, as do the rest of us. The Milkers house is right in the middle of a working horse farm.


----------



## Campgottagopee

Wolf Trap Farm
					

Vacation Rentals and Bed & Breakfast accommodations on a working cattle and horse farm 30 minutes from Charlottesville.  Convenient to Monticello, Montpelier, Barboursville and other Monticello Wine Trail wineries.  Horseback riding nearby.




					www.thewolftrapfarm.com


----------



## jasonwx

Campgottagopee said:


> Wolf Trap Farm
> 
> 
> Vacation Rentals and Bed & Breakfast accommodations on a working cattle and horse farm 30 minutes from Charlottesville.  Convenient to Monticello, Montpelier, Barboursville and other Monticello Wine Trail wineries.  Horseback riding nearby.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thewolftrapfarm.com


I’m in Charlottesville as I type this


----------



## Campgottagopee

jasonwx said:


> I’m in Charlottesville as I type this


We made it to the OBX


----------



## jasonwx

Love it there
I have done a lot of windsurfing there, near kitty hawk
Also great fishing by Oregon inlet


----------



## Campgottagopee

jasonwx said:


> Love it there
> I have done a lot of windsurfing there, near kitty hawk
> Also great fishing by Oregon inlet


First time here for us. Place is totally beautiful. Housemate of mine from VT lives half hour from here, haven't seen him in 30 years. Tomorrow we gonna party like it's 1989....lol


----------



## Brownski

Could go in wildlife also


----------



## Harvey




----------



## Harvey




----------



## Harvey




----------

