The Horse Thread

[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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.