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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by VTHokie on September 15, 2008 at 7:34pm

Ginger is a North American Spotted Draft (Belgian/Paint Cross) mare, 4 yrs. old.
She's huge but doesn't know it. But the other horse do. They all come up to her to get their back scratches, she's big enough to reach down over their back so nicely. It's so cute to watch.

She, like I said doesn't know she's big enough to crush anything that she's afraid of. The new itty bitty barn kittens had her snorting with terror.
Rabbits running across the treeline last night during our hack--she turns tall as a giraffe, paralyzed with fear.
But the worst of all was a pile of grass. Yep, we were riding along and she spotted a clump of freshly mowed grass. Would absolutely NOT go near it. Snorting, eyes bulging, practically shaking. I finally dismounted and lead her up to it. And of course she sniffs it with my insisting her to do so, and then happily eats it.
Here are some pictures of the big "chicken":
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...02707698JKpELS

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...02707698QvcUyK

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...02707698SAfmGr

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...02707698LFwjfO

Permalink Reply by lesley bruce on September 15, 2008 at 8:01pm

Hi VTHokie,
Oh Dear the pickys didn't load ... arrrgh!
She's a star, what a lovely person, wish she was here to scratch my back.

(¯`*•.¸(¯`*•.¸Lesley¸.•*´¯)¸.•*´¯)

Permalink Reply by Sue on September 16, 2008 at 9:00am

http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg233/blackjack078/?action=view&...;"/>' />

I have this year been lightly showing my Fell pony. We don't do lots of shows, but in July we went to a Fell Pony Show. At first all went well and Jack won a rosette, but we were at the show a long time and he did get rather bored. He was so bored in fact that he pulled hard enough on his lead rope to snap it clean through, then proceeded to gallop off up the hill at the side of the showground. He did find it dull up there on his own, so he galloped back down again, narrowly missing a terrified family who were climbing the hill. Jack rampaged round the lorry park for a few minutes, dodging the hunt staff who tried to catch him, before being recaptured by me in a very sneaky fashion - I have had to learn sneakiness since I bought this pony.
The pic above was taken before it all went so horribly wrong

Permalink Reply by Sue on September 16, 2008 at 9:02am

Am struggling to insert the pic...

Permalink Reply by Sue on September 16, 2008 at 9:03am

Oh drat, I give up - how do I insert a pic? Can anybody help? If it doesn't ever work, he is a typical Fell, rather round, short and very very hairy!
Ha ha ha! I have put in the pic but all you can see is his back end. Well, that's all I could see as he disappeared up that hill...

Permalink Reply by lesley bruce on September 16, 2008 at 9:57am

Hi Sue,
I love Fells, Photos nice, Jack has a great "But" perhaps he thinks it's his best feature, the one you see when he's legging it up the hill - hairy time ... You must have heaved a sigh of relief when you snuck up on the miscreant.

re. inserting Photos i think you need to resize them before or after you put them in photo bucket or something like that.

send admin a post and i'm sure they will explain.

thanks for your post.
Cheers
(¯`*•.¸(¯`*•.¸Lesley¸.•*´¯)¸.•*´¯)

Permalink Reply by Barnmice Admin on September 18, 2008 at 5:26pm

Hi Sue, you should be able to insert the pic by clicking on the little blue and green photo icon at the top of the message reply box. I will outline it for you and you can do it the same way that you can add a photo for your profile. It sounds like you have figured it out already, but perhaps your photo was a bit large...
1. Make sure you have a small photo saved somewhere on your computer.
2. Click on the photo icon and it will open and prompt you to browse your computer for your photo.
3. Double click on the photo and the info for it should appear in the little browse box.
4. Click "Save".
Let me know how you make out, but not to worry, as Lesley is really nice and she won't mind if she only gets to see the back end! :)

Permalink Reply by Brianne Wittman on September 16, 2008 at 6:34pm

Horse = Suds (10yr old National Show Horse)

Long story short - I tied my horse to to his stall door, finished grooming him, put his saddle on him and then went to bridle him. Removed his halter and put it around his neck and then went to bridle him. For some reason he decided he did not want to be bridle and pulled backwards, this rattled his stall door and caused him to spook and pull back harder. This pulled the door right off the hinges (Slideing stall door) and it fell to the floor, sending my horse flying backwards in panick. He backed all the way into the fence dragging the stall door, once he hit the fence i tried to grabbed him but was not quick enough. He took off at a full gallop with the stall door dragging behind him, his halter wraped around his neck. He crashed through the electric fence and took off into the feild. There was nothing i could do but watch my horse scream in absolute terror as he galloped around the field the door crashing behind him. I was balling my eyes out thinking my horse was going to come out of this with two broken legs. I have never heard a horse scream in fear like my horse did that day... he galloped for three full laps around the field before comeing to a stop in the middle of the field, soaking wet and shaking.

My dad had to cut the rope that was tied to the door and the halter was so tight around his neck that it had to be cut off him aswell. Thank god that the halter had been around his neck, as if it has still on his face the door would have gotten entangled under his legs instead behind him. He walked away from this with only the hair removed from his hind legs... no blood, no swelling, no lameness. Amazingly, while it took me awhile to catch him after the incident he has never been a problem to tie, but i learned my lesson... never tie your horse to a stall door. EVER!!!

Attachments:

suds4.jpg, 78 KB

Permalink Reply by lesley bruce on September 17, 2008 at 2:25am

OMG Brianne, poor Suds.

You were soooo lucky. Thank goodness all ended well. You'll never forget that incident.

Many years ago a similar thing happened to my horse Jonas, I had tied him to a metal field gate, he got spooked lifted the gate right off it's hinges. The absolute horror of seeing the catastrophe unfold with nothing you can do about it and yes the torrent of the imagined injuries...... Not Nice ....I was luckier than you it was in the sixties when it was normal to have a leather headcoller, it broke but not before scaring the living daylights out of me. Jonas took it all in his stride he looked at the gate like it was just a nuisance and needed a good telling off.

I have NEVER tied any horse to anything that can move EVER again and always use a bit of thin bailing twine between the rope and the tying up ring.

That's one thing I hate about the modern nylon web halters, they are unbreakable.

Thanks for telling your story and so glad it had a happy ending.

Cheers
(¯`*•.¸(¯`*•.¸Lesley¸.•*´¯)¸.•*´¯)

Permalink Reply by amastrike on September 17, 2008 at 10:41pm

http://i37.tinypic.com/20ur589.jpg

This is Wilson. He's a 7 year old off-track Thoroughbred. He was a good racer, winning over $100,000 and setting a track record which is still standing. He came off the track at age 5 with an injured knee, and came to me a few months later, shortly after turning 6. Vets have not been optimistic about him, but this picture shows his heart and happiness. He's telling everyone who said he was done that he's not ready to give up. Wilson is my spoiled little baby, and hearing vets tell me he's doomed is incredibly painful. Seeing this picture of him happily galloping reminds me that he's not ready to give up, and I'm here with him forever. Wilson is an amazing horse, and my little (16.3hh!) boy.

Permalink Reply by lesley bruce on September 19, 2008 at 5:47am

Hi Amerstrike.
if I'm slow replying to this it's because I'm a tad confused on barnmice with "comment walls and discussions???? think I might not be seeing everything posted - is it my age??? - gasp!!!

It's so nice to hear about a lucky rescued racehorse, Wilson certainly looks like he's full of the joys of living thanks to you. My fingers are crossed that he fully recovers.

I wish they didn't race them so young. They are children still with their milk teeth. ... Gasp!.

you are a good person to stand by him.

thanks
cheers
(¯`*•.¸(¯`*•.¸Lesley¸.•*´¯)¸.•*´¯)

Permalink Reply by N D C on September 18, 2008 at 6:19pm

Star is a 17 year old Arabian mare and I owe her my life and soul. She came at a point in my life when I was struggling with the hows and whys to continue going. I didn't see the point of waking up another day.

The first summer I spent with her was interesting. Star is an extremely sensitive Arabian mare. She had a personality meltdown after moving 2,200 miles to her new home in Southern California. My own personality certainly was a disaster.

Together we found solace and peace. I'd wake up and work with her each day. Perhaps it was the "walk over the tarp quietly" lesson or learning how to take a bath and stand there. We rode as well and were fortunate to have many parks in the area.

One particularly memorable day was when Star and I were up on a mountainside. Star had only a few rides outside of home under belt and was considered "green" in the truest sense of the word. We were ambling along the mountain side (with a rather large drop off on one side) when suddenly she leaped a few feet up onto the hillside, trotted and then slowed back down to her walk.

What on earth??

I turned and looked back and there was a rattlesnake curled up by the path. Star had taken charge for that moment in time, resolved the situation, and then reverted back to my guidance. It was a partnership in the truest sense of the word, as I have a hearing loss and Star is my ears as well as the key to my heart.

I wonder how much horses really know and understand. Not only did I find a fabulous horse who didn't panic in a potentially hazardous situation, I found a partner for life who healed my soul.