Tolerance: it's what we admire in our horses!
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This is Alex Wind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Dear List: A few words about inter-list wrangling. Take a clue from our animals that we so admire. Why did we turn away from quarter horses, TB's, haughty warmbloods, and other breeds which have been ruined for temperament, longevity, ease of foaling, soundness, etc., due to being bred for more superficial traits, like small hooves, tiny muzzles, specially flashy coloration, etc. We love them because they are tolerant, kind, forgiving, easygoing, bombproof, in short lifesaving pleasures. This is hard to communicate to other non-Fjord folks at first. They say, with dismay in their voices, "But he's so clunky!" "You paid that for a drafty pony?" Etc. Then they see for themselves, a new level of reliability, despite amateur training, how unflappable they are, and we get new converts. How about us? couldn't we just let it pass? Do we have to balk at a difference of expression? Let's rejoice in each other's triumphs, and learn from each other, and pass along information to newcomers. And turn the other haunch. We need some bomb-proofing, ourselves! Best wishes on a Monday night, Alex Wind P.S. I think stumbling has a lot to do with boredom. My Gillyn, my number one lesson horse, stumbles in the ring, especially with confused beginners (not so far as to go down, though) but get a more advanced rider, on him and he improves. Also he doesn't stumble on trails. I think they're plum stupefied going around and around. I try to vary the routine a little, by mixing in drill team stuff, and "Simon Says" with things like ride close to the vaulting dummy, climb off, and then back on your horse, without touching the ground. Also I use several different cone courses. Good for the kid's memorizing a chart, better for the horses, than going around and around and around. . . See you soon.
thanks!
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I want to thank you all for the responses on my stumbling post. I will have the farrier roll his toes at the next shoeing. I also totally agree with the boredom/tripping idea. I have seen that stoned look on Baldur's face esp after the 2nd lesson with the same excersizes. I'm going to have to challenge myself to vary my teaching a bit more LOL! He never trips while doing groundpoles or jumping and is a little burro on the trails. So a great deal of it must be him zoning out. I'm not sure about the ringbone, with his drafty conformation it is a possibility...but this has been going on for 18 months now. About riding on the bit... As a dressage person and an instructor of beginners I've found that it is not always safe to throw that phrase about. Many well meaning riders try to get "on the bit" and instead get "backed off". I prefer to have my students ride forward and through rather than worry about on the bit and collection. Forward and through gets Baldur's head up as well as keep him focused on the task at hand. When his rhythm becomes hurried he trips frequently, when kept long strided but with a slower rhythm he stays more balanced. I just get the willies when riders think that a horse "has" to keep his head down to be ridden correctly. Instead the horse needs to be using his hindquarters and softly taking the contact. Oh BTW, Baldur got really heavy and pulling in the last few months, now he's being ridden in a hackamore...much lighter and easier for even the smallest rider to steer. Amazing what happens when you take away the leaning post :-) Kate
Re: Criticism? Huh?
This message is from: Mike May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> At 10:09 PM 4/30/99 -0700, you wrote: This message is from: "Karen McCarthy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Guess it's time to slip into my flame suit - hope it still fits! I for one hope it doesn't fit. They are very un-becoming on anyone that wears them. Lets leave the flame throwers in the closet.
Re: Check out Listing of directory: /fjording
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Actually, Lars did not move more than a few inches during most of that photo shoot, even as I was running back and forth to the videocam to reframe the image to compensate for changing heights (a zebra sitting on top of him). He seems not to mind the Zeeb one bit. My Icelandic still has reservations about him, though. The mane is my standard cut, as you can see from the other pictures of him at my FTP site. It is in need of work to level the black and get a true zebra look, before his next event. The public loves it, and the children remember him by name at the parades and street fairs. I have to get pictures of him with the inflatable Zeeb to send to the makers of the piece, so they may evaluate the possibility of a Fjord inflatable. There is also a 6 foot giraffe, as I show on the FTP, and eventually Lars will see him, too. Maybe you should include inflatable zebra training in the bombproofing courses. Merek
stumbling
This message is from: "Jean Gayle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Mary, arrant we lucky to have Naaman, a great ferrier. He also observed that horses close in front (legs) narrow chested will knock a knee out with the other leg on a turn. So round pen or on the circle it could be the opposite knee hitting the other leg. As I looked back at Howdie's stumbling everytime, except when he and I went down, he was on a circle. He was narrow chested. the time he went down with me I am sure he stepped on a rock because I had him balanced and we were on a straight path. I would never let children ride him after the nine year old went down with him. I do not think carriage horses do this do they? In other words perhaps these stumblers would do better at being driven? Jean Gayle Aberdeen Wa
Re: Check out Listing of directory: /fjording
This message is from: "Jean Gayle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> That has to be the funniest thing yet!! I really should turn you all in, (including the person continually hiding behind Lars and threatening him if he moves one eyelash) to the SPCA for fooling with poor Lars self image. Who knicked his mane to give it that zebra look? Does Lars actually move? Hahahaha, what a treat for the day. Jean Gayle Aberdeen, WA -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Monday, May 03, 1999 9:35 AM Subject: Check out Listing of directory: /fjording >This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://members.aol.com/fjording";>Click here: Listing of directory: >/fjording > > > OK, here is the correct address link to my AOL FTP directory of Lars and >the Zebra (and the inflatable 6 foot giraffe) pictures. Later, I will include >some of my Icelandic, Styggur. For reference, the address is: >http://members.aol.com/fjording to reach the index, then navigate from >there. Merek > >
Fwd: worm subject
This message is from: Mike May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> This message is from: "Bushnell's" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I hesitate to bring up this subject again knowing it's been covered thoroughly but I can't locate the sequel to Brian's "thesis" on Quest.. I just mailed it to you privately. Mike
Re: stubling
This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > "Jean Gayle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > So, is the suggestion then that ringbone may be causing our horses > to stumble? All of them---probably not. Some of them---maybe. I.e. it is one of many possible causes. I have learned the hard way that it is a good idea to at least consider underlying physical problems, rather than automatically "blaming the horse" for being lazy, or some such. Ringbone can be tricky to recognize, since it's often "symmetric"--- both front legs hurt about equally. The animal doesn't limp in the normal sense, but if it steps wrong on an uneven spot in firm footing, stumbling is likely. Mine move much more freely on level ground than downhill, and prefer sandy (or loamy, or moist) footing to anything dry and packed. Marsha Jo HannahMurphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 30 mi SSE of San Francisco, Calif. ---
Check out Listing of directory: /fjording
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://members.aol.com/fjording";>Click here: Listing of directory: /fjording OK, here is the correct address link to my AOL FTP directory of Lars and the Zebra (and the inflatable 6 foot giraffe) pictures. Later, I will include some of my Icelandic, Styggur. For reference, the address is: http://members.aol.com/fjording to reach the index, then navigate from there. Merek
Re: get a life, etc
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 5/3/99 7:36:32 Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << Please try keeping their head up(on the bit?), hind quarters underneath them (squeeze with your legs, equal pressure). I guess this will keep them on the bit? Maybe shorten up the reins. Shift your weight back some, maybe that will make them shift weight from fronts to hinds, & keep that head up too. >> Yep. Joel, you sound just like my riding instructor. I had a tb that was 16.3, and 3 years old. She had those super long legs and hadn't learned quite how to carry herself and me comfortably at that point. She stumbled frequently. I was told to literally hold her up. Using the methods you described above. Something else I've been thinking about that works is using cavaletti to get your horse thinking about where he/she puts his/her feet. It worked well on my little arab I had years back. Stumbled a lot when I first started riding him, the cavaletti work (and a lot of hill work) made him pretty sure footed after a while. Pamela
Re: get a life, etc
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I try real hard to say nothing if I have nothing nice to say to or about someone. I really get a charge about the public cat fights between Carol & Ursula. Maybe private e-mail would be a more appropriate forum for these exchanges. Perception is all there is & one seems to be remembered by the last utterances that emanated from their fingertips or mouth. When one sends something derogatory one should think about how one would feel if that comment were directed at them. Treat people the way you would like to be treated. This requires some effort & doesn't always work but you don't know until you try. Moving on. This may have already been discussed ad nauseam but it sounds like the stumble bums need to be more "collected". They probably don't stumble when playing in the pasture no matter how steep it is. Look at their posture(do horses have posture?) when they are screaming around at & with each other without humans. Head up, hind quarters under them, tails up. They have their weight on the drivers - the hind quarters. Please try keeping their head up(on the bit?), hind quarters underneath them( squeeze with your legs, equal pressure). I guess this will keep them on the bit? Maybe shorten up the reins. Shift your weight back some, maybe that will make them shift weight from fronts to hinds, & keep that head up too. Please educate me, I can't figure out what this mare is trying to tell me. In the corral, round or square, she keeps her nose on the ground when she stops. I'm working her loose. She has learned to face me when she is asked to stop because if she doesn't she is not allowed to stop. She still keeps that nose on the ground. She knows who I am. Thanks Joel Harman ___ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Re: Fjord sanity testing
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] That was the second time he has seen the zebra, the first being two weeks ago, when he had a few minutes to look it over in the ring. This time, he went right over to it and examined it. I then moved it around, over, and under his head and body, bopping his head with it's legs at the end. My Icelandic is still not up to this point of acceptance on the matter. Then I set him up and took the pictures with the video. I do have to re-shoot them after cleaning up his mane, to get the final images to send to the Chinese guys who make the zebra. This summer, the zebra is going in the rear section of my trailer when I take Lars to an event, the better to freak the motorists on the LIE, who beep me to ask what Lars is when they see his mane through the slats of the stock trailer. It should be interesting. Glad you liked them. Merek
stubling
This message is from: "Jean Gayle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> So, is the suggestion then that ringbone may be causing our horses to stumble? Jean Gayle Aberdeen Wa.
Re: Stumbling
This message is from: Mary Thurman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --- Jean Gayle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This message is from: "Jean Gayle" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> . We had this discussion > about six months ago and > many of us decided it is a fjord thing. Two things, > have your ferrier do a > "wild horse" trim, The toes are squared off so > there is a quick break-over > for the front feet.. Second, ride with him on the > bit, this keeps him > balanced and paying attention and off the fore. We have the same farrier as Jean does. He does a wild horse trim (square toes) on our Fjords as well - plus he always rounds the edges off on their feet so there are no "sharp corners" to catch. My Fjord is short and stocky with pretty high action in the front. I've only had him stumble once with me. However, his dam and granddam will stumble over a pebble! They have heavier legs, so that may be why - but I suspect it is more inattention. My husband's horse is a long, tall Fjord with medium to heavy bones in his legs. He is quite close in the front, since he is still young. He will go down at a moments' notice, because he is very "uncollected" most of the time. This is his second year under saddle and we have begun to be able to control this some - by keeping him trimmed short (square those toes front and back) and keeping him focussed and on the bit (a cute trick when you ride Western). We find the biggest problem comes in the transition down to the trot from the canter. If you don't collect the horse up (push him into the bridle) and get YOUR weight back off his front end, he will put all his weight onto his front end as he comes down into the trot - stumbling on his toes (or actually knocking a knee out from under himself with the opposite foot) and going down on his nose. Not fun, as sometimes they then do a summersault depending on how much forward momentum they were carrying! If he is collected up, ie. paying attention, and the rider's weight is back off his shoulders (don't lean forward when coming down, lean back slightly) he has no problem at all. This horse has good natural extension in the trot and a very nice slow canter with good front leg action, so he is clearing the ground nicely when he is in stride, it is in the transition down that he gets his front feet and legs all out of sync if he isn't paying close attention. I have never seen him do this when he is out in the pasture, only in the round pen - either ridden or just being worked from the ground - when his attention is on something else other than what he is supposed to be doing. If he is fighting the rider during transition - pulling on the bit, or throwing his nose out - he will stumble, guaranteed. So we handle it by keeping him trimmed and keeping his attention, plus paying attention to where OUR weight is on his back. It is easy to get "sloppy" in a Western saddle which feels so secure. Hope this helps. Good luck. Mary PS. Our farrier was "satisfied" with our horses' feet and their trims too - until he saw my husband's horse go down and do a summersault with the trainer! The farrier was standing right there and saw exactly what happened. He took the horse out of the arena, squared and bevelled his toes, and then sent him back in to try the same maneuver again - with decidedly different results - much to everyone's relief! That is why I always ride or work the horse in hand for the farrier now if I am trying to explain a problem to him that might be corrected by different trimming. He needs to SEE what is happening and how the horse is travelling on his feet. === Mary Thurman Raintree Farms [EMAIL PROTECTED] _ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
