Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Shirley on July 15, 2009 at 4:25pm

You must have been one of those people that said "I wish I had it all to do over again"? LOL I feel like that sometimes but feel like it's much more fun this time around. I bought a horse with my own earnings when I was 16. Had her for two years. Started a family and gave up on my horse abilities even though I loved having a horse. I could not figure out how to ride her in a safe way. She was wondrful for the gal that bought her from me. So for many many years I kept telling my husband "no!" for one reason or another when he tried to encourage me to get a horse. The right circumstances fell my way at 53 and I started over with a 3 year old that has been wonderful for 5.5 years now. We have learned so much together and a long way to go yet to really get out there and see some new things together. . Most important to me this time around is to enjoy the journey and lighten up a little.
Love to hear the continuaton of your story! It's only just begun!!
Shirley

Permalink Reply by Marti Langley on July 28, 2009 at 1:44am

Hi, Janet, I will be 63 in August. And I was "forced" to retire, also, due to disability. I was told I had to be 100% to return to my job. I had fallen in my hay barn in '07 and needed shoulder replacement surgery. The nerves never healed right and I have limited strength and mobility in my right arm. My balance stinks now. It is a bummer, but could be worse. I have been riding since I was 3, and got my first horse at 32. We have an australian shepard, and a pitbull, and my trusty bay Quarter mare.

Permalink Reply by Ann Hatfield on August 5, 2009 at 5:49pm

Janet, isn't there a very competitive endurance horse in his or her twenties now? I seem to remember reading something about it.

We had an Appie whom we had to put to sleep, at 32 only because he had lost so many molars that I could not get enough dairy chop in pablum form into him for him to winter well after a while. This was really his only failing, the rest of the body, and his mind and spirit, was in good shape.

My 22 year old Arab, however is suddenly fading quickly. Cushings maybe. He is drinking a lot, losing hair and beginning to act senile. I have done so much with this horse through 18 years, and now I must put him down. It is tough.

However, and I do not want to sound unfeeling, as mares foal and youngsters come along, it eases the pain: the cycle goes on, nature goes her way, with the horses and mules and with us. I age, my very elderly dad dies, our son grows into a fine young man; it is sweet, it is bitter, it is inevitable.

Permalink Reply by Debbie Matuszewski on August 18, 2009 at 10:11pm

You are so right on what you said about time. My dad passed away last June of 2008. He was my riding partner, and taught me so much about horses. On Nov 8, 2008, what would have been my dad's 76th birthday, I found a horse that is so much like the horse I had 31 years ago. Same color, size, disposition. His name was JJ. My new horses name is TJ(J is for Jerry-my dad) On Dec 9, 2008, we had our first granddaughter. Going thru the hard times is really difficult, but when there are happy things in there, it really helps. Memories never go away, they stay in your heart. I really believe that my dad had something to do with me finding a horse on that day his birthday, of all days of the year. He even had made me a special saddle and accessories for it, the winter before. I never realized then what it was to mean later. I really treasure those gifts. I do believe that God has a place in heaven for all animals too, as he loves them also.

Permalink Reply by Shirley on August 19, 2009 at 11:27am

Sounds like you had a wonderful relationship with your dad. How lucky you were to have that!
My dad also passed away in June of last year. It certainly does cause allot of emotion in many areas of our livesas so many of our feelings intertwine. How special you have so many memories to cherish.
Take care!

Permalink Reply by Shirley on August 19, 2009 at 11:13am

I guess I haven't quite mastered the safety part fully as I took a hard hit three weeks ago. I am recovering still and hope to get in the saddle again in the next few days. The good things are I did not break, I'm not giving up, it happened while the heat was horrible so I probably could not have ridden most of these days anyway. And another good thing that pleased me is that Cash stood by me till someone took him away to get me out of the dirt, He also started nickering at me when I come to his gate to get him out of the pasture. A friend suggested that he might be thankful that I didn't dump him after he dumped me.

What did I learn? If they are acting nervous and I can't see why, don't ignore it, don't ride with one rein and feet out of stirrups at the same time....especially if they seem nervous about something. I thought he was being lazy not nervous. I fell off cause he did a huge swoop and slide. I've sat thru worse but not with my feet out of the stirrups. I don't really think the one rein mattered cause I had no warning to even pull back on the reins. Live and learn! After three and a half weeks off, I'm wondering how he'll be. I think this is the longest break he's ever had in our 6-ish years together. Even when I broke my ankle tripping over the dog and had to have a plate and six screws put in it, I didn't stay off for more then 10 days. When I'm hurt, he babysits me as I heal he gets testier. I figure he's teaching me to be a better rider! LOL It would be great to actually know what does go on in their heads.

Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on August 19, 2009 at 12:44pm

My first horse would occasionally disappear from under me when he thought I was too relaxed for my own good, but only when I was fit enough to ride well and should have known better. If I was too relaxed because I was weak he would always take care of me, it was just when I could ride better he would stop taking care of me and sometimes express his sense of humor (You don't belong there down on the ground--you belong on my back. What are you doing there? Snicker, snicker, snicker.)

Permalink Reply by Shirley on August 19, 2009 at 3:54pm

Jackie, what kind of horse do you have? Cash is a QH and it sounds like they may be related somewhere along the line. What you describe fits Cash exactly! don't ya love em!

Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on August 19, 2009 at 4:27pm

This was my beloved Anglo-Arab gelding Hat Tricks, my first horse that I got when he was 5, just gelded and with 3 wks of training. I had ridden in South America as a kid so I was not a total beginner, but as far as riding Hunt seat I was. Hat Tricks never tried to kill me, I don't know why, but after I had him for about six months he decided that I was trying (however badly) to ride correctly and started really cooperating with me--I would try to teach him something, he'd figure it out, and then turn around and teach me how to do it. The blind leading the blind for real! I finally had to put him down 11 years ago at age 33 from a twisted gut. I still miss him. He taught me how to ride, he taught me how to train, he taught me how to teach, and he taught me how to be a much, much better human being.
Oh, I only had regular lessons the first 3 months I owned him, then I ended up at barns that did not teach what I wanted to learn so I did most of the training (while learning to ride) myself. I could not have had a better teacher. He is why I can get up on Arabs and TBs without major fear in spite of my disabilities, he taught me how to ride hot-bloods. (Of course I do not get up on any horse that my teachers think I won't be able to handle, I'm no fool.)

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