Horsetopia Forum - Horse Stories http://forum.horsetopia.com Tell us about your experiences -- funny, happy, sad, or otherwise! en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:57:36 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forum.horsetopia.com/images/misc/rss.jpg Horsetopia Forum - Horse Stories http://forum.horsetopia.com <![CDATA[Well, I'll Be Danged...]]> http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118626-well-ill-danged.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:11:20 GMT Recieved a message from a fellow barrel racer last night (who lives in the same town I used to--but that I only recently got to meet), and she told... Recieved a message from a fellow barrel racer last night (who lives in the same town I used to--but that I only recently got to meet), and she told me that she had just read that I was leading the points race for the saddle at our winter series!!! :shock:...:mrgreen: I had no idea!
So I went to their website, and sure enough! Not only are Mia and I in a slim lead for the saddle, but we also have a sizeable lead for one of the D buckles!
My swell of pride might be short lived, as Race #4 of 10 is scheduled for tonight. So the girl trailing me might overtake me tonight, but then again, I might just expand my lead (I hope, I hope). I've never won a saddle before!
I'm just so proud of my little mare :mrgreen:. ]]> Horse Stories Rockin GR http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118626-well-ill-danged.html A Farewell to Rocket http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118549-farewell-rocket.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:11:55 GMT Rocket is getting picked up in a few hours. The haulers are coming to get him at 6 am. Although I cannot tell you how immensely happy I am that I... Rocket is getting picked up in a few hours. The haulers are coming to get him at 6 am.

Although I cannot tell you how immensely happy I am that I found him a new home that will absolutely adore him, at the same time this has been the hardest farewell. This horse has been a crucial part of my life for 10 years and I still cannot imagine my life without him. It just hit me that I will never see him again.

With that being said, I will not dwell on his leaving, but instead view it as a farewell into the next chapter of our lives.

I will start his farewell with a story of our meeting.

I was 10 when we moved from Berkeley, in the San Francisco Bay Area to Window Rock, Arizona on the Navajo Indian Reservation. I was a horse crazy kid, I said horse before mom and started taking riding lessons at age 5. However, due to the cost of living in the Bay Area we could never afford to own a horse. The move to the rural backcountry of the rez afforded a new lease on horse ownership.

My mom's friend from work, a local steer wrestling celebrity picked me up from school, I had no idea where I was going. He told me that she was in a meeting so he had to come and get me. We drove to the local grocery store parking lot, which also served as a swap-meet, fast food restaurant and taxi stop. There I saw a lonely, beat up horse trailer. We pulled in next to it, and I was elated when the driver asked if I was Hanna. "Yes, I am." I said. He replied "Come take a look at your new horse."

My mom's friend knew a guy in El Paso that had a horse for short sale. He had been trying to sell the horse for a year, but no one wanted him. He had told my mom about the horse - he was only $1500, dead broke horse. He had an eye for horses, and said to my mom "He's the one, something is just telling me." So my mom made the call to arrange transportation from Texas, and my grandparents donated the $1500. He was delivered a week before Christmas.

We brought him to a friends ranch, that would unknowingly become my home. Everyone there thought Rocket was going to die. They all could not believe I got such a nice horse for that cheap. Rocket got tried out by every wandering cowboy stopping by the arena that day...he soon became a local favorite.



Rocket the day we got him.

I spent my every waking hour at that ranch, helping the guys run the chutes, gather the cows, and exercise their roping horses. I came from an English background and had never ridden western until purchasing Rocket. The ranch owner took me under his wing and taught me how to rope, work a cow, and turn a barrel. I still had a distint english flair that made the cowboys laugh, but I got the job done. Although helping out around the ranch was fun, my true joy as found in trail riding. There was 600 acres of pristine Northern Arizona high desert to be explored...and believe me, I covered every inch in the first year. I'd come home from school and get on Rocket and just ride until the sun went down. I went out mostly by myself, my younger sister had no interest in horses and the cowboys found no joy in the trail riding pasttime. No one ever had any qualms about me going alone on Rocket at 10 years old, no one ever questioned it.



My dad and I on the range. Dad is on Rocket.



Rocket and my mare Ziggy on a trail ride.

As my skills progressed, I began roping on Rocket and was the star of the weekly jackpots. My mom began dating the ranch owner and we started traveling on the USTRC and Pro Rodeo roping circut. We traveled from Texas to Montana, driving to the rodeos on weekends. Rocket went everywhere with us, and me and him where the backup team incase my mom's boyfriends heeler didn't show up.

Then my mom broke up with the ranch owner, in a nasty explosive fight. We moved, but had nowhere to keep Rocket. So, he went in the front yard for a year. We lived in government housing behind the capitol of Window Rock and I spent all summer adventuring in the back country. That is when Rocket showed his true trail prowess - he's scale sandstone rock outcrops like a goat, we'd break into the Fish and Game yard to get to a dam, we rode on the streets and even to the post office and frequented the drive thru at McDonalds.



Rocket is a master escape artist out of a chain link fence and often ended up wandering around the street.



Me and Rocket bonding over some hay



Rocket was the neighborhood eco-friendly weed wacker and was borrowed to neighbors to mow their lawn.





I always trusted him.



Monsoon season was always my favorite time of year.



Rocket after a bath...he made himself a sand pit.



Adventuring during monsoon season.









I was an avid explorer, and found this bowl in the rock filled with grass.



Rocket standing under the capitol of the Navajo Nation...Window Rock.

After living on the Indian Reservation for 5 years, my mom had enough with the place. It is very difficult living there because of the prejudice, ruralness and poverty. She decided to move to the first place her finger hit on the map...San Diego. That was our first experience with boarding in a city...and man did the $300 a month bill surprise us. Upon arrival in San Diego, Rocket was kept in Lakeside while we lived in the city about 30 minutes away. My visits with Rocket became more sparse so we leased him out. Unfortunately, it was to a very irresponsible girl who ended up jumping Rocket in a saddle that was way too small for him and taking out his back. It took a year of chiropractic rehab to be able to ride him again.



And the problem starts.



First turnout after 4 months of hand walking.

Then we moved to a horse friendly suburb of San Diego called Poway. We boarded Rocket for a while, then moved into a house that we could keep him at home. Poway has wonderful trails along the tree lined streets. Me and Rocket spent many days wandering around these trails. By the end of the 4 years that we had him here, he knew every trail front and back.



Trail ride to Tooth Rock



Ever the comedian



Starting to look old.



Rocket's boyfriend. He always got along with other horses pretty well.



Rocket playing in the front pasture at my house.



Playing in the show arena.



And that is where our story ends. I wish that I could continue it eternally, as we all do with our beloved animals, but alas my time with Rocket has come to an end and it is time for someone else to be able to enjoy him. ]]> Horse Stories Crookedblaze http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118549-farewell-rocket.html Pop vs. The Bull http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118527-pop-vs-bull.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:37:12 GMT What does a naughty cow bred 3 yr old do when a bull is put in a stall next to him? See below... Image:... What does a naughty cow bred 3 yr old do when a bull is put in a stall next to him? See below...



He proceeded to bite the bull on the ear, nose, and halter. :rolleyes: Guess it's in his blood. :laughing6: Would have moved him but they had bulls in every other stall so nowhere to go.



]]> Horse Stories samtom http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118527-pop-vs-bull.html Took her trail riding today. :D http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118361-took-her-trail-riding-today-d.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:05:25 GMT My daughter's horse went with me on a trail ride today, with people I didn't know well, in a location I hadn't been to. SHE WAS A ROCK. I was wishing she would relax. She did, her head went down, and she went right down into the warm sand, planning to roll. I bailed and rolled, and she had the grace to look embarrassed. On the UP side, she walked placidly when she had several horses barrel past her going full bore, and was looking -- Where are THEY going? Huh. Can we go, too? Yup. Ok -- trot, trot, trot. Do you want to canter? Nope, thanks - I'm fine at the trot, trot, trot. . . . . . I was really super proud of her, and it looks like our little resale project isn't going anywhere. ;) ]]> Horse Stories enigma http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118361-took-her-trail-riding-today-d.html I am mean to them http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118330-i-am-mean-them.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:26:06 GMT I am extremely mean to my horses for those of you who don't already know.

;)

I don't give them as much hay as they ask for, no matter how nicely they ask.

They only get fed twice a day, where as Stella gets fed 4X a day. Not fair.

They don't get pellets when they nicely ask for them, but I then feed Stella hers RIGHT in front of them! How rude!

As for Stella, I am mean to her because I don't just let her have a whole bale of hay and make her patiently wait for her food 4X a day.

I don't hurry to get her pellets no matter how fast she wants me to.

I don't bring her a treat every time I come down to her, but yet I still hold out my hand.

When I work her I ask her for more than a walk. Gosh...

I won't let Stella eat grass when we are simply just standing there. What a waste of time.

I put her hay right on the ground and expect her to eat it. She is better than that. And today, I even put it 2 feet away from a pile of poo....how gross.

And Lena, I am mean to because I don't give her as much pellets as the other horses.

I make her wear a stupid halter. Apparently I don't realize that it isn't the same as everyone else's.

I also ask for more than a walk when I work her.

I take her away from her boyfriend "Chesney".

I won't let her go right to her stall. Instead I make her stand patiently. And guess what?! If she doesn't I make her back up! It's starvation really...

Sometimes I want to play with her mouth. I apparently don't realize that it is disgusting to put your fingers in someone else's mouth.

I also don't let her eat the grass just outside of the round pen when I am trying to work her. Again, starvation.

So there. I've said it. I am down right mean to my horses and those are just a few examples. I hope I am not the only one though. Are there any other people who are mean to their horses? :laughing6:;) ]]> Horse Stories Cait http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118330-i-am-mean-them.html Yay! Ashen is moving! http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118303-yay-ashen-moving.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:48:07 GMT To a new home less than a mile from my house!:mrgreen: It is a lovely place with a large pasture, nice well kept shelter, a barn to keep my tack and... To a new home less than a mile from my house!:mrgreen: It is a lovely place with a large pasture, nice well kept shelter, a barn to keep my tack and supplies, and 3 other mares to play with. :shock:

No more driving 25 miles one way down country roads to visit her! No more dealing with less than adequate facilities. No more wasting gas and time.

These owners are nice people and look forward to having Ashen there. I will miss my old BO because she did her best and is a good person:(; but Halleluja! Ashen will be near me! :laughing6:

And to top it off, they aren't charging me much at all! Even less than I am paying now!:lol: ]]> Horse Stories LadyAshen http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118303-yay-ashen-moving.html Do I have a right to brag? :mrgreen: http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118281-do-i-have-right-brag-mrgreen.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:50:17 GMT At the beginning of the year my horse and I or more like I decided to take on the Dressage world. I can say Fortune wasn't so excited about this new way of riding as I was since for the past year I had him back it had been nothing but trails and shooting the breeze. Me on the other hand I wanted to take it full force and start doing cute little dances with my horse! :laughing6: Yeah for the Dressage people laugh:laughing6:! If I only knew what I was getting myself into. Fortune went into training for 2 months and I was in lessons once a week. Talk about wake up call:shock:! It was more like lesson once a week and gym 7 days a week. I honestly never realized the work involved in such a graceful looking sport. I wish I could say I looked graceful. Forget the Passage, just getting my horse to free walk was a chore. Dressage people make it look so easy. The first show Fortune and went to we placed 2nd out of 6 entries. I was so proud! I felt like Fortune and I had finally found something we both enjoyed. It was bitter sweet though. My Dressage Instructor ended up leaving the farm and dropped me without even one phone call. I tried continue alone but felt I was doing everything wrong with my poor horse. He was doing so well and seemed to be enjoying the idea of full contact and seat only. I had never ridden him so comfortable in my life! I tried so hard to find someone else to help in my journey of this hard working sport that I was so addicted to now but came up with nothing. Three months passed when I pretty much abandoned my poor boy and he was lucky if he saw me once a month. My though process was why bother. I even gave up working out and started gaining my weight back that I had worked so hard to loss. Then I got the call......

Last month a friend of mine whom I had talked her into doing Dressage told me she was taking Dressage lessons. Then the spark fired up again. I found out that her Instructor was very good, very nice, reasonable and within reasonable distance. I started my first lesson the following week. I can't say enough about Barbara. Very nice and so knowledgeable of the world of Dressage. Not only Dressage in itself but the comfort of the horse and the effect a rider has on their horse when not riding properly. Everything she teaches makes more sense then any other Instructor I have ever had. And what happened with Fortune...well....he has his spark back! With everything that Barbara has tought me, I apply to Fortune. Its almost like we never stopped. He took back to work like it was nothing. He is living proof that he enjoys the work or at least the treats afterwards:laughing6:. The biggest setback we had in the beginning was backing up off my seat. Finally was accomplished Monday and even with a loose rein and in frame. We have even been practicing some lateral movements which he so fussed the whole time with the other Instructor. Now it is nothing to him. He seems to enjoy the challenge and differant routine as much as I do when done properly. Yes and we still enjoy the trails once a week. Our break. His spooking and antics seemed to have disappeared. Things that bothered him no long do. Have we finally found that connection between each other? I believe so. Olympics bound? :laughing6:. Hey a person can dream big right! Even as hard as a journey as it has been it has been well worth it. What next for us? Hopefully next year Training Level Test. We are on our way:). ]]> Horse Stories For8tune http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118281-do-i-have-right-brag-mrgreen.html Ingrediants for a Good Day http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118277-ingrediants-good-day.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:46:41 GMT After what seemed like days/weeks of rain/sleet and endless mud, I loaded up my horses and went to town. A friend and I rode them over to the little... After what seemed like days/weeks of rain/sleet and endless mud, I loaded up my horses and went to town. A friend and I rode them over to the little old place where my childhood horse lived. The old Italian couple still live there and enjoyed visiting with me and my new horses. Its been over 30 years since I kept a horse there :eek: It turned into such a nice SUNNY day that my friend and I just kept riding around our little town. We even went to the Post Office!!....I've always wanted to do that.....We rode thru neighbourhoods and down little trails behind houses, dealt with traffic and dogs and rode past a bunch of heavy equipment fixing our streets. We rode on grass and pavement, big bridges and even a gallop around the baseball park. The horses thought it was great to eat the lawn at the Father-in-law's house when we stopped there to say Hello....

I'm sooo proud of my boys for being such Steady Eddy's in all this!! They just take it all in stride and seemed to enjoy the sights and ...best of all....no mud!!

A good ride with a good friend on good horses to visit good people in the sunshine makes for a good day!! :) Just wanted to share...hope everyone else gets to experience something that makes them say....."Its Good to be Alive"!! ]]> Horse Stories minnowline http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118277-ingrediants-good-day.html Picking up a new horse!!!! http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118169-picking-up-new-horse.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:49:36 GMT But not for me :D LOL... My daughter's best friend has a horse. When I went to pick Madison up from there on Sunday dad was telling me the girls spent all afternoon with Dolly and he would sure like to find a nice quiet horse for his 10 year old son. Paul said the only one he found so far was 21yrs old with a price tag of $1200! told him I know lots of people with lots of horses and always hear of something that would work for decent money. Just not to get impatient but that this was always a great time to look with winter coming on. So... yesterday I place a phone call on a 23yr old mare. Ruth is still sound and sane and just what a beginning kid needs to learn the ropes on.

Ruth is utd on all her vet and farrier work, has been rode every 2 weeks all summer but couldn't take the week long trail rides anymore the owner likes to go on. Though she still does great on over nights and going out two times a day.

I called Paul and told him I found a horse told him they were giving the horse to Connor and would meet us 1/2 of the way! Ruth is about 70 miles from us. Well Connor is very excited as well as Ruth's old owners. And I bet Dolly will be thrilled to have a buddy sharing her pasture as well!

I am taking Shunke and Scampi along for the trip which I am sure they will love :rolleyes: as when we get back to Amanda and Connor's we are going to ride down to the lake since it is suppose to be 65 here on Saturday. So I am thinking this is going to be a great weekend!!! I get to play with kids and horses!!!

Oh yeah... this is Ruth :)
]]> Horse Stories WickedNag http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118169-picking-up-new-horse.html <![CDATA[Little Horse wears a tiera & feather boa]]> http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118090-little-horse-wears-tiera-feather-boa.html Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:11:07 GMT I did a 2nd pair pace with some friends. Since I'm a western rider and the jumps were big, I just cantered the field. But....we won "Best Costume" with our slumber party theme. We all wore Snuggies. Our horses wore tieras ('till they fell off), feather boas, curlers in their manes/tails and had stuffed animals pinned to our saddle pads.

Here's a pic:

]]> Horse Stories SheZAAM! http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118090-little-horse-wears-tiera-feather-boa.html Zippy is sold http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118053-zippy-sold.html Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:25:52 GMT Zippy has been sold, leaving here in a few minutes to deliver him to his new home. Ive been crying my eyes out all morning, but its for the best.... Zippy has been sold, leaving here in a few minutes to deliver him to his new home. Ive been crying my eyes out all morning, but its for the best. Great home getting what he needs and deserves. Its just heartbreaking though, I raised him from 6 months old to now at going on 6. :(:(:(

I had thought about keeping him but the cons of keeping him outweigh the pros, plus the home is great how could I not give that to him. He deserves more than I can give right now.

Brittany ]]> Horse Stories ThorArb http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/118053-zippy-sold.html What a ride! Glad to be in one piece...stupid pony http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/117934-what-ride-glad-one-piece-stupid-pony.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:21:39 GMT So I decided to take Celista out for a nice leisurely bareback ride around the hay field after her lunge tonight. Well...leisurely it was not! I am... So I decided to take Celista out for a nice leisurely bareback ride around the hay field after her lunge tonight. Well...leisurely it was not! I am very comfortable riding bareback at a walk but am very unbalanced riding bareback at a trot. Therefore, we mostly walk with occasional trotting. Well Celista decided that we'd both be more comfortable at a canter, & so, that's what she did! I panicked & then thought, "Hey, this isn't so bad. In fact, I'm way more balanced than I am at the trot." We come to a corner, I'm praying she slows down at least for the corner but my prayers went unanswered as she then decided to gallop:eek:. In the end, I'm alive, sore but alive. I am a little perturbed that she seems to know better than I do as to when I'm ready to move up a level. She did the same thing when I started her (& myself) over jumps. I could see it if she were a seasoned lesson horse but she's only been broke for a few years. It was kinda fun though;)! ]]> Horse Stories greygirls http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/117934-what-ride-glad-one-piece-stupid-pony.html So proud of my little girl!! http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/117908-so-proud-my-little-girl.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:51:22 GMT This weekend I took my filly, Autumn, to a local horse show just to get her some exposure and to see how she would do. She had never been ridden... This weekend I took my filly, Autumn, to a local horse show just to get her some exposure and to see how she would do. She had never been ridden anywhere but the farm where I board her, and I just started training her under saddle in July, so I had no great expectations.

Well, we went in our first class, and won first place! I was thrilled! But that's not all, at the end of the day we had won Champion of the Green division and Reserve Champion in the Hunter division!! She was absolutely wonderful and her manners were perfect the entire time.

The local vet and a few trainers came over to my mom to tell her how much they liked Autumn, and the vet told my mom that she wanted to breed her stallion to her. (I'm def not breeding though!)

I am so proud of her, and I really think that she is going to grow up into a great horse. If she is doing this well at barely 3 yrs old, I can't wait to see what she'll be doing in a few years! I feel like a mom must feel when their kid does something great, haha...

I don't have any pics from the show up yet, but here is one of Autumn and me after we finished dragging a tarp across the yard... that's the tarp on her back :) The other one is a shot I took to send to her old owner back in September.
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]]> Horse Stories Ashley20 http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/117908-so-proud-my-little-girl.html Two in Need:(pics added) http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/117903-two-need-pics-added.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:56:33 GMT Idea and input .. good feeding advice ....

I've come across two 3yo studs.

Horse number 1; Supposed to go back to Secretariat and Pacific Bailey. He is not reg. But they said they have a note or something like that on him. Breeding doens't matter. Light bay, thin blaze and cornet band around the left ankle, very small, looks like a yearling .. has not be handled at all.

Horse number two; Arabian x QH. Poor conformation, could be a cute kids horse with work. Light palomino, blaze. Also small but has been halterd.

Both horses are very touchable, not wild as far as I've noticed. The bay has weird scabby bumps on his ears, almost looks like rain rot. Both horses are underweight, lady is going through a divorce and cannot take care of them.

I'm simply offering a home, where once back to full health will be cut handled and broke to ride. They need alot of work ..

This is what I planned on feeding them for now until I know of something better. Both horses will be stalled and blanketed over winter, there coats are not quite KS winter ready and they are thin, this way I might be able to get weight on them a little better.

senior feed, corn oil, maybe some type of weight builder, alfa cubs (limited amount)

She said they've been wormed, but I was wondering what if they aren't? Should I go ahead and re-worm them or could that hurt them??

I've taken in other horses before, just none like this ......


ETA: I will get pics as soon as I go back to look, or pick them up. ]]> Horse Stories ChasnCans http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/117903-two-need-pics-added.html Evolution of a Round Bale Feeder http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/117828-evolution-round-bale-feeder.html Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:17:55 GMT Well I have been on a mission for two months to get a round bale feeder for my horses at the new barn. A few days ago, the guy that my boyfriend's sister gets her round bales from told her that he would sell me one fairly inexpensively. It is a cow feeder, but my boyfriend's dad is a welder...so I thought maybe he could fix it for me. And he did!

So this is what we started out with.



We cut it down.



And welded it back together.



This is what it turned into.



How nice it looks in the pasture!



And how happy are my horses to have it there. You should have seen the looks they had on their faces. Hilarious.



Dillon hoovered up the loose hay that came out when we pushed the bale out of the truck (no tractor available to neatly place it).

]]> Horse Stories DappleGrayMyWay http://forum.horsetopia.com/horse-stories/117828-evolution-round-bale-feeder.html