Equestrians???

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  • Dom82
    Dom82 Posts: 235
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    I'm in Australia but on the other side of the country to the floods... well we have floods in the north of our state at the moment. The problem we are facing is that we haven't had enough rain this winter. So there is a hay shortage and the paddocks are starting to die off ( where I keep my horse they water the grass twice a day over summer so that it stays green)

    So we are battling major fires about once a week at the moment. :angry:
  • ShannonWinger
    ShannonWinger Posts: 309 Member
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    Wow, I didn't realize there were so many horse lovers on here. I'm in Tennessee and have 4 Arabians and my husband's old grade mare. I don't ride near as much as I should but more riding one of my New Year's resolutions. I have a website at www.sweetwaterarabians.com if you want to see pictures of mine. I couldn't figure out how to post a picture on here.
  • ShannonWinger
    ShannonWinger Posts: 309 Member
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    Wow, I didn't realize there were so many horse lovers on here. I'm in Tennessee and have 4 Arabians and my husband's old grade mare. I don't ride near as much as I should but more riding one of my New Year's resolutions. Here's a photo of me and my colt, Sterling from a couple of years ago. He looks like crap right now with all the hair and mud. I have a website at www.sweetwaterarabians.com if you want to see pictures of mine.
  • misssuperstitious
    misssuperstitious Posts: 178
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    Another Minnesota Cowgirl here! I was born into horses, and help care for the 20+ we own and board on our property everyday (meanwhile asking myself why we live HERE Nov-April...) I personally own APHA and AQHA horses. I've shown forever ...my highest accomplishment so far was showing my AQHA stallion to a top ten placing at the AQHA World show, but my favorite show memory was winning a state 4-H title with my gelding Charlie. :)
    This year (after this damn snow leaves) I'm hoping to continue my pursuit of Cowboy Mounted Shooting!
  • HeatherMN
    HeatherMN Posts: 3,821 Member
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    No I volunteered, right now I am just pleasure riding, I have to go through a riding test to be certified so I am going through all the basics again.

    Best of luck! It was a stressful process, but worth it.
  • HeatherMN
    HeatherMN Posts: 3,821 Member
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    Another Minnesota Cowgirl here! I was born into horses, and help care for the 20+ we own and board on our property everyday (meanwhile asking myself why we live HERE Nov-April...) I personally own APHA and AQHA horses. I've shown forever ...my highest accomplishment so far was showing my AQHA stallion to a top ten placing at the AQHA World show, but my favorite show memory was winning a state 4-H title with my gelding Charlie. :)
    This year (after this damn snow leaves) I'm hoping to continue my pursuit of Cowboy Mounted Shooting!

    I love watching Cowboy Mounted Shooting! Best of luck with that. Hopefully you have access to an indoor arena during the winter months. Even though I do have indoor access, I still don't ride much in the winter just because my horse doesn't care for riding indoors!
  • time2move
    time2move Posts: 78 Member
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    I'm in NW Indiana. I've had horses for 13 years. My current horses are Kobe (<--- my pic) - Appendix QH mare, 21 yrs old, and Raja - Arabian gelding, 23 yrs old. I've had Kobe for 10 years and Raja for 4. I rode Raja years before that though. Long story, but he fell into bad hands and found his way back to me. His last owner (not the one who abused him) was scared of him and sold him to me for 1 month's board.

    I used to ride 3-4 horses a day in college (h/j and dressage). I have a degree in Equine Studies, but am a SAHM now. I haven't ridden in 3 years due to trying for, and having my son. I wanted to ride this past summer, but it never seemed to work out. They are both ex-race horses and still have a LOT of get up and go. I'm not comfortable riding when no one is home (my horses are in my backyard basically!). They are enjoying their lives as pasture pets though :) I worked at two breeding farms and just loved the babies.
    How are you guys all handling the winter months? (or the flooding for those of you in Australia?)

    Ugh, I hate winter. This year, we are trying to avoid the tank heater because it adds at least $200 a month on to the heating bill. Since we're a one income household, that really takes a chunk out of the budget. We're doing an insulated box around the tank. It's working well so far, but I still had a bucket or two of hot water from the house daily.
  • kristinlough
    kristinlough Posts: 828 Member
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    Spot Spot (in my profile pic) is my baby boy. He's a 13 year old appendix who has had the last 5ish years basically off because of law school and work (80+ hours a week makes it hard to ride!) We used to be show jumpers, but I think when we re-start, we'll do more hunters. At least until it drives me nuts.

    He's in Virginia at home, and I'm in Alabama. So 12 hours one way makes it pretty difficult to ride regularly. Soon enough I'll graduate and he won't be able to get rid of me again! :smile:
  • Dancerten
    Dancerten Posts: 237 Member
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    I have a 25 year old Thoroughbred (named Dancerten :happy: ) that thinks he's 12. We still do local schooling shows (mostly dressage, but in the summer there's a hunter show near us with an obstacle course that we do now and then), but not as many since he has moderate heaves... He's a big ol' teddy bear!!



    of50296442.jpg

    EDIT: ok, i give up trying to make my other picture fit... i've cropped, resized, reloaded and it still comes out wayyy to jumbo :grumble:
  • princesshoagie
    princesshoagie Posts: 34 Member
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    I have a North American Spotted Draft mare (Percheron/Paint cross). Her name is Gypsy and she is 16.3 hh and about 1800 pounds. I ride English and we are currently in training for dressage. My girl is huge, but she can be collected, light, and elegant when she tries! She is so wide that it makes lateral work hard, but we are learning! She is my farrier's favorite horse. He can walk between her front legs and all under her belly and he's 6'4! She's a sweet snuggler and I love her so much. That's one reason I want to lose weight and get in shape, so I can be a lighter and better rider for her.


    We also adopted a TWH Gelding from a local horse rescue. When he came in, he was a body score of around 2, had shoes on only 3 feet, and those shoes had been put on with roofing nails and were not the right size. And the idiots were caught riding him the day he was seized! Ugh! So now he is all healthy, fat, and sassy. He is my hubbie's trail horse and best buddy. He has some resource guarding issues and some dominance issues that we are still working on. But he is smart and he is eager to please and my hubby adores him.

    Edit - I can't figure out how to properly post pictures, so I guess I can't show off my babies... :(
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
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    I don't ride (I prefer motorbikes...it's a lot shorter distance to the ground if you fall off) but I'm co-owner of two horses.

    The horse in my profile picture is one of them. Natural Storm - a 13 year old gelding. The jockey in the picture is also the guy who co-owns both horses with me. Natural Storm had a number of wins on the track (about 20% finishes in the money -1st to 3rd place). We've been racing him in Point-to-Point races since he was retired from the track. However, he's having a nice rest at the moment after injuring a leg just before Christmas.

    The second one is a 6 year old gelding. We haven't given him a name yet. The trainer has a lot of work to do with him. His previous owner did nothing with him and he got very overweight and un-fit....a bit like me actually :)

    Natural Storm will probably be back fit in March and the other lad will propably be fit for racing in March or April.
  • Warmbloodwear
    Warmbloodwear Posts: 387 Member
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    YAY! Horsey people!!!!
    I have a Shire cross. His name is Bacon and we attempt dressage!!! Here a wooly picture....
    We hate the cold and he grows a coat like no other!!!
    How do I add a picture?
  • kknudson
    kknudson Posts: 60 Member
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    I started riding when I was 6, maybe 6 and a half. I've never had the money to own or lease a horse, which kind of stinks because I never got to ride whenever I want/bond with my own horse. Though, I suppose the plus side to that is that I've ridden a million and one horses in my long career of lessons.

    I rode english- over fences most of the time. When I was little, I wanted to be an Olympic show jumper SO BAD. I used to announce myself in the ring, and jump ridiculous obstacles whenever my trainer wasn't paying attention. I also regularly braided my grumpy lesson ponies manes with flowers I yanked from the yard because I was convinced that's what Team USA did, and how was anyone supposed to know I was in the Olympics IF MY HORSE HAD NO FLOWERS?!?!?!?!?!

    Anyway, I stopped riding all together soon after I went away to college. Not because I stopped loving horses and everything that comes with them, but because I gained so much weight. I was riding at a pretty cut-throat barn at the time and there were quite a few girls my age who were light, fit, and better riders. My new coach was pretty unconcerned with me when he had these great riders with athletic horses to worry about. Plus, I was really embarassed that my breeches and long boots no longer fit, and the schooling saddles were barely containing my butt. The whole thing made me really insecure about my skills and body, and that plus being out of shape was affecting my seat. I suffered some gnarly falls, lost all my confidence, and just stopped.

    I'm slowly losing weight and regaining confidence, and as soon as I feel I'm ready, I'm going to get back into horseback riding (though, this time at a more supportive barn, I think ;)). I'm looking forward to it whole-heartedly! I'm glad to see so many equestrians here on MFP-- I think we can all do this together. GO TEAM USA (or whatever your home country is)!!!
  • jbug100
    jbug100 Posts: 406 Member
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    I own no horses, but I take a weekly lesson. I ride a few horses at my barn (hunter/jumper). My daughter is10 and also rides. I do some jumping. I certainly don't put in the time that a lot of you folks do, but I truly love the barn, the animals, the smell, and I have to say I feel so alive when I am cantering around the ring. I have to say that the New England weather is very challenging this year, lots of ice and snow. I cancelled my lesson last week due to weather...My instructor is not happy! Must get tougher:)
  • galvestongal
    galvestongal Posts: 186 Member
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    You stole my idea Jsecret! LOL I was gonna try this sometime! So glad you did! I ride both English and Western and have jumped, done rail classes, and speed events. I have Cinco (of course) my AQHA Appendix gelding and two grade paints who my dad claims as his now. :) Anyone who wants to talk horses can "friend" me!
  • Dancerten
    Dancerten Posts: 237 Member
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    YAY! Horsey people!!!!
    I have a Shire cross. His name is Bacon and we attempt dressage!!! Here a wooly picture....
    We hate the cold and he grows a coat like no other!!!
    How do I add a picture?

    Upload your picture(s) to photobucket (www.photobucket.com) then copy the "IMG Code" and paste it in your post...

    BUT HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART:
    after you paste it in your post you have to change the at the beginning and end of the link into lowercase img for whatever reason the pics won't show up unless the "img" is lower case. That's as much as I know. I tried to post 3 pics, but 2 of them were too big. I tried cropping and resizing them but it still didn't work... hopefully you won't have the same problem!
  • Dancerten
    Dancerten Posts: 237 Member
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    I am very tired of schleping hot water to the barn from my house. And sick of snow! And rain! And mud! And below zero temps! All of which we have had in the last month! My horses live out with a shelter, so they are blanketed and I am getting tired of changing blankets. The temps have been fluctuating wildly here. Today we are getting snow, sleet and freezing rain. I worry about the ice. I have to shut the guys in if it gets icy.

    Ditto on the mud and the blanket changing!! My horse thinks he's a pig!! His favorite pastime is wallowing in the mud, and right now we've got a ton of it :grumble:
  • IceFaith
    IceFaith Posts: 81
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    Wanted to see if I could post a pic of my girl...Sunny.

    Sunny.jpg
  • Amb1976
    Amb1976 Posts: 241 Member
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    :laugh:
    I am very tired of schleping hot water to the barn from my house. And sick of snow! And rain! And mud! And below zero temps! All of which we have had in the last month! My horses live out with a shelter, so they are blanketed and I am getting tired of changing blankets. The temps have been fluctuating wildly here. Today we are getting snow, sleet and freezing rain. I worry about the ice. I have to shut the guys in if it gets icy.

    Ditto on the mud and the blanket changing!! My horse thinks he's a pig!! His favorite pastime is wallowing in the mud, and right now we've got a ton of it :grumble:

    i hear ya on the pig analogy! angel thinks shes one too and shes not easy to keep clean...(all pure white)...in the winter, i dont even bother....i brush her off and thats it :laugh:
  • Asphaltcowgirlx
    Asphaltcowgirlx Posts: 34
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    Stumbled upon this and boy am I glad! I was wondering if there was a board like this! My name is Chelsea and I own a beauuuutiful Arabian mare named Gypsy. I 've had her almost 2 years now. I learned to ride on a Twalker named Rex and a saddlebred X named Scarlett. Both were such sweet hearts!

    I do mostly western riding. My fiance is my trainer! He rode for years upon years upon years and competed a lot as well! I'm a lucky gal! :P I can ride english, do some jumping, and I love trail riding. So relaxing!

    Gypsytrot.jpg
    Hope that works 8]

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