Roll call - horsey folk!

[katpower]

Just wondering how many pony lovers are around on the forum! Tell me about your horses, your riding etc.

I have a 7yo TB gelding called Darcy. He's a rescue, was a mostly unhandled stallion who'd spent his entire life in a small yard until ~18 months ago. I broke him in earlier in the year, and am now trying to train him up to do fun stuff like dressage, jumpinmg and eventing. This is not helped by the fact that he thinks he's exclusively a walking horse, and trots only under sufferance. Ho hum. His nickname is Crocopony, because he likes to bite. He thinks it's a fun game. I think it hurts. We are still negotiating.

I also volunteer for a horse welfare group called Second Chance Horse Rescue.

How bout y'all?

[katpower]

This was his third ride ever

Smiling for the camera!

And having a Moment last year...

[Rivanariko]

Oh, Me!

Been riding around 15 years or so, training semi-professionally since I was 16. Tried a bit of everything, but I've focused mostly on Dressage and Eventing. I've got a Bachelors in Therapeutic Horsemanship Instruction for St. Andrews Presbyterian College (now SAU). I teach dressage lessons, do a little training here and there, but North Dakota isn't exactly chock full of aspiring dressage riders! It's less a business for me right now than an exchange of services so I can keep myself sharp for when we move somewhere that I actually CAN train and compete again. One of my students gives me free dog grooming in exchange for lessons, for example.

I've got a 6 year old paint mare, Indigo. She's got the biggest personality I've ever encountered, and the people I bought her from didn't do anything with her because they were a little afraid of her. She's a sassy, opinionated mare who is very easily offended, but incredibly curious and playful. She enjoys biting things. (but not me, she knows better.) I have to make sure that my grooming box is far enough away that she can't reach it when I'm brushing her or she'll go through the whole thing and toss her brushes all over the aisle. If she's afraid of something, if I let her hold it for a minute, she'll be okay with it, such as the flyspray bottle. She bit the bumper of a friend's truck while we were in her pasture fixing a fence the other day. I hung a LickIt in her stall today to help with stall boredom/confinement-induced rage. She was really excited about it, but then got frustrated when she couldn't quite get a hold of it.

She's been a challenge to train though. Any time I correct her she throws a temper tantrum. It's getting better, and two years later we can canter for almost a whole circle without bucking. Sometimes. I still firmly believe though that once we have that breakthrough, she's going to be amazing. And I can't wait to show her, she loves being the center of attention.

[RescuedRuckus]

Oh oh oh! Pick me! *raises and waves arm enthusiastically*

I started riding in college on the St. Andrews Presbyterian College western team (IHSA). Showed for two years and am proud to say I earned myself a nice selection of ribbons. Started riding dressage lessons partly due to the suggestion of my coah, and partly to my friends like Riva up there . Sad to say that I haven't ridden since I graduated in May 2010, but I still work around horses. I'm the groundskeeper on a small horse farm here in the Charleston, SC area. Have not owned a horse yet, but I'm definitely a horse lover and can't wait to get back in the saddle again!

+2 awesome points for the horse name of Crocopony btw

[ponita]

Had horses growing up, started team roping after high school and had some really phenomenal horses. I went to vet school to be a large animal vet and, during my senior year, one of my patient's was an amazing 3-year old off-the-track QH who had a severe case of pigeon fever. His owner purchased him to be a barrel racing horse but his abscesses were so severe an widespread that one spread to his eye. Three weeks of round the clock care for this horse and I absolutely fell in love with him. He was so well-mannered and tolerant of all of his medications. He was happy on his walks and stood still like a good boy while I cold-hosed his feet to prevent laminitis. His abscesses resolved but he lost vision in his right eye. His owner loved him but didn't feel she could handle a horse who was blind in one eye and she even contemplated euthanizing him. My mom has a blind horse and I told the owner that I was in love with her horse and felt totally comfortable with a horse blind in one eye. She didn't even hesitate. She paid his entire hospital bill and gave him to me. He traveled with us from CA to WV and now PA. I love Rio to death and he is a part of our family. He is my trail horse and big, handsome man.

After graduating, I practiced as a mixed animal vet for a year. It was fun, but the salary did not compensate for the student loans. Plus I grew tired of working so many nights and weekends, being away from family. I'm now a public health veterinarian working for the USDA. Great salary, benefits, and hours. No more colicky ponies

Glad to see the horse folks representin'!!

[Rivanariko]

I may have bought a horse today. I don't really know for sure though.

I made an offer on a Saddlebred that was rejected from the therapeutic riding program that my best friend works at almost six months ago. They had, unfortunately, purchased him, so now they need to sell him since he's not appropriate for the program. His temperament is great, and I think he could be a really nice lesson horse, he just wasn't suited for therapeutic riding. Freaked out about having a leader and a rider, if I remember right. Or maybe it was the sidewalkers. Can't remember. Regardless, he didn't want to do the job, and it's definitely a job that needs a very special kind of horse.

Anyway, after they'd been trying to sell him at a stupidly high price for several months (the executive director set the price, not my friend. She seemed to think they should be able to make money on 16 year old Saddlebred with no known history of any specific training in Central Washington. She wanted to recoup the cost of his vet bills when they got him and he ripped his chest open after getting stuck in the trailer. Yeah, he's one of those) I made an offer. I wasn't expecting to get a response, as I was offering almost $3k less than what they were asking. Which, in my opinion, is still more than he's really worth. But I really like this horse. I've ridden him a handful of times and he's got the kind of work ethic that you dream about.

So I got a text from my friend today that said "expect a call from Janie, don't mention an offer, she said something about 500" and later a voicemail that said she had good news about my new horse, and that she was going to take my new horse trail riding in the mountains this weekend.

Unfortunately, I was at work and my residents were being evil tonight so I couldn't call her back. So I still don't know what's going on, but I think I might have just bought a horse.

[katpower]

PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!! For all y'all!

[tigersheart]

both my wife and I are horse people

We have 3, one Navajo pony from the res here in arizona. He is retired due to leg issues, and may not be around much longer :(

Another is a quarter horse, who is not retired, but thinks he is, and yet another qh that is my wifes working horse.

I have been riding for about 6 years now, and she has been riding for about 25, and has been trained in jumping, dressage, western, etc,etc,etc.

[Neit]

Me have being on a horse since i was 2 always had horses and ponies on the farm .Don't do as much these days but still have 4 horses and Still Training one of them for the wife as she wouldn't be as experienced as me on a horse.

But her Horse is a 17hand Sport horse Skewbald pretty decent jumper and great cross country , the other horses i have are a 12 hand pony for the kids cool little thing but has a habit of throwing kids .

[Oogiem]

Used to breed Crabbet bloodline Arabians (old traditional working horses) & half Arabian mules

Still have our stallion, 2 mares & a gelding of the purebred and our spotted donkey jack as well. No time to keep anyone in shape for riding so they are all pasture ornaments now. Lost 2 mares this year and may have to put down one of the mares before winter.

Everyone is basically retired now.

[Seabright]

Oh, cool! Other Riders of Rohan!

I am a weekend rider who drives an hour each way to learn how to move cattle. I am very lucky in that I get to ride a lot of different horsies, although who doesn't want someone of their very own? :-)

I mostly do sorting work, but would like to move up to the working cow horse events. Many of my 6-week challenge goals are horse-and-cattle-related, as I work to overcome various mental and technique issues around going fast, facing down 10 charging cows, rolling back at speed while keeping my butt in that saddle, working one down the fence, and learning to ride different horse-personalities with a consistent degree of confidence. Last year my boy JJ taught me how to rate a cow and gave me tons of confidence at speed, but he is dealing with a hoof issue and will definitely be in recovery for at least another 6 months. I have been working with other horses with varying degrees of success. I don't mind telling you that I miss JJ something awful and think about him all the time. ;-)

[Rivanariko]

Turns out I did buy the horse Haven't sent off the check yet, but he's mine mine mine! Too bad I don't get to go visit him until November

[Silence]

This is a great idea. I've taken lessons on and off since I was ten and have had my own horse. I haven't ridden much the last few years due to time and money but now that I have my RN I'm hoping to get myself financially stable enough to get another horse or take lessons, maybe lease if I can't swing owning instantly. I've ridden western and English. I'd love to get beyond jumping cross rails and learn reining and I've always wanted to try three-day eventing and endurance riding but I'm also open to trying other horse sports and I've love to do trick riding or vaulting someday.

There are more of us here than I thought. There is only one problem with this thread. Very few pictures. Kat - Darcy looks very handsome in blue

[RescuedRuckus]

Turns out I did buy the horse Haven't sent off the check yet, but he's mine mine mine! Too bad I don't get to go visit him until November

YAAAAAY!!!! (Why have I not gotten a text about this?)

[Rivanariko]

I'll try to get some pics of Indigo tomorrow while I'm out riding, and I'll see if I can pull Loki's pics off of facebook. He's kind of a funny looking giraffe though, being a saddlebred and all. Still awesome and I'm crazy excited about him. November, why are you so far away!