Any 'Horse People'?

[Rachel.And.Yue]

Since I do not like dragging up old topics just to talk about someone's horses and just joined not that long ago, I thought I would make a post where everyone introduces (or re-introduces) their Equine friends.

Then we can all drool and comment on each horse/pony. (and maybe snatch some in our imaginations)

Sooo I will start.

I now only own two horses since the passing of my beloved gelding this Feb (a lovely TB x Clyde, reg. CSH).

Name: Aries
Breed: Arabian (SE)
Age: 8 yrs old
Gender: Stallion
Additional Info: My very first horse (that I owned) that I bought when I was 14 yrs old and he was a weanling. Gorgeous boy that has great show potential if I had the time and $$$ but so far I have just been riding him for fun. He has the SMOOTHEST trot I have ever ridden. And I have been on a large amount of horses and ponies (and many breeds) in my life.

Name: Tahea
Breed: Arabian (mix of bloodlines, mostly polish and crabbet)
Age: 20
Gender: Mare
Additional Info: I rescued her in Feb. 2012 after my sister showed me her ad. Because of her last home she has a founder problem, a large untreated sarcoid (that thankfully I have reduced to less then half its size) and needed lots of TLC. Luckily I had the experience and time needed to take her in. And a bunch of nephews and nieces to give lots of love to her and a ton of grooming. She is now admired by many people because of her personality and looks. Plus she is the type of horse I can throw a 4 year old up on and she listens to every cue with no spooking. She can have a large winter turn out blanket thrown on her from 10 feet away and just stand there looking very bored. She even puts up with pushy 13 year olds that come for a visit and want to ride her all day (gave me a headache negotiating with that child about the mare). Can ride her with only a halter or with full tack.

I could go on all day about my two but I will stop now. Will share photos if I see an interest in this topic.

Anyone else feel like sharing?

 

[Secuono]

Pictures or it didn't happen [imaginary horses!]



I've got two, wild caught pony and a snooty mare. Pasture puffs for the most part.

 

[OnTheBrightside]

Oh boy... you asked for pictures. Don't hate me...

I love my pony <3 She's my best friend and I have no idea what I would do without her. Will have had her for a year in August.

 

[Dood]

I am a 'dog person' but have had 4 horses in the last 27 years. Just for fun, I don't show. They are all rescues and have either medical or behavioral issues or both. PAt first they were to keep the weeds down on our new property, now they are for the grand kids about responsibilty and animal care.

First - Belgian cross, but looked pure belgian, mare with navicular and founder. She was also and amazing escape artist that was booted from 3 stables because they couldn't keep her confined and she would get into the feed, have a flare up and a huge vet bill. Owner didnt want her to go for meat so gave her to us. We had her from 6 to 23 years she taught me so much, I am tearing up just thinking about her.

Egyptian Arab - GORGEOUS dark bay gelding who was a mental wreck and a companion for the mare. You couldn't do much with this guy, he acted more like a deer than a horse and would spook at any little thing. He had a special bond with my mum who always wanted her own "Black Stallion". We had him from ages 10-28, once his mare died he started going down hill fast. I got a pony mare for him and he perked up a little but it wasn't the same.

Mini x Shetland - sweet, lovable, cuddly, honest! Nothing like the stories of mean little ponies. She was an quick pick up as a companion for the Arab and has Founder, sweet itch, and accident prone. Still trotting around and teaching the kids to ride.

Iberian Warmblood- My dream horse! Mum wanted another Arab but once she saw this guy she fell in love too, but he is my buddy. The previous owner rescued him from a bad situation and wanted to make sure he was permenatly retired. Even though he is completely sound physically, mentally he can no longer tollerate showing. I am totally in love this breed and have never thought it would be possible to have a horse so 'in tune' with me - it is truly amazing.

 

[shumes]

I'm currently horseless but I've had two horses in the past few years.

When we moved up to Washington from Los Angeles I immediately started begging my parents to finally let me get a horse (I was one of those horse-crazed city kids). They ended up having me sign-up with the school's 4H program and not long after I started taking lessons with their 4H equine instructor (it was a tiny group, mostly horses). My parents ended up buying that "lesson" horse for me.

Thunder was her name, which was hilarious since she was only 14.1HH. I quickly found out she had the attitude to match. She was true solid black (not a speck of white) and a Welsh/Quarter horse cross. She definitely had an attitude but in a spunky sort of way. To this day I'm not really sure why my instructor did let me buy Thunder. I was a new rider and Thunder even gave her advanced students problems. I had her for about 2yrs. It was fun for a while but as I stopped 4H (and lessons) Thunder began taking advantage over my lack of skill. I ended up selling her to a girl who was used to belligerent horses and they ended up making an excellent team. Thunder met her match so to speak

*Unfortunately I have no photos of her on this computer*

My second horse was actually my mom's horse which she purchased to go on trail rides with me. Well, she never did so her horse was sitting around in the pasture. TL (short for her reg. name, TL Puddin' Tag) was a sweet APHA/PtHA mare, 15hh and a red/strawberry roan tovero. I actually thought she was ugly when we first saw her LOL I thought paints were supposed to all look like tobianos. As I was having issues with Thunder and riding started becoming far from fun (or sometimes safe) I began riding TL. She had excellent training but was pretty characterless when we first bought her. She seemed kind of dead. As I started riding her more she came out of her shell and was a blast. We worked well together and she could really read me. We had her for about 3yrs before my mom decided to sell her to a family friend who had foster kids. It still kills me that she did that but it was her horse and I didn't have a great excuse to keep her.

Here are a few photos:





I wish the second photo showed her conformation a bit better but she was standing on a slope. She was a lovely athletically built mare, nothing like the old Quarter Horse style APHA I always saw around our area.

So currently horseless, but I hope to change that soon In the mean time I keep myself busy with making rope halters, writing for online publications and print, plus I have a website in the making.

Aside from horses, I'm quite in love with saddle mules.

 

[WildWolf]

awwww you guys are making me sooooo jealous!!!!!!! I wish I had the time, money, and property to keep a horse or two or five or ten. I don't know what breed I'd want... maybe a Rocky Moutain Horse. Or a Fresian. I know, two completely different breeds, but I love them all.

 

[Zab]

Oh, horse thread.. yeeeees... I have a horse...

Crow, a swedish standardbred with 100% american bloodlines! (I do love how standies become ''swedish trotting horses'' for being born here, no matter if their parents are full standardbreds or mixed with different warmblooded trotters....) while Arabian throughbreds doesn't become Swedish throughbreds no matter how many generations they have here Or.. Swedish ponies instead of shetland ponies, or...Anyhow.

He's strange, according to everyone. Or ''special''... I usually get that comment; "Well, Crow's special.." then they look at me and continue "you two are a good pair." :lol:

We usually go trailriding. I love just being outside and ride, the smaller and more slithering the path, the better. I also like to ride for my instructor, some mix of classical dressage, academic riding and centered riding. And, as we found out last week; appearantly mixing feldenkreist into it, although she doesn't know feldenkreist.. We had another instructor who has converted her feldenkreist studies to horseback and gave us a lesson, which was exactly like hoe my instructor starts with all new riders. All about just feeling what the horse does.. I'm making you bored now.
Since he's strange, and I'm strange... we do strange things. Like learning terre-a-terre when we were going to learn canter and other such foolishness. But we love each other. At least I think he likes me because I rarely ever give him treats and he keeps coming up to say hi.. perhaps he's just a work-a-holic..hmm.. But he's a great horse. Sensetive, cooperative and wonderful. He's the kind of horse that when he spooks, he carries the rider with him to safety, rather than dumping the stupid person insisting to climb onto his back... That's probably the only reason to why I'm able to stay on.

Currently ride him bitless, but that changes about as often as I change my t-shirt. He's been ridden in everything from a dog collar to spanish curb+muserola combo.. And I sometimes ride in skirts. Which is strange as I never wear skirts otherwise.

Bareback because I didn't have a saddle my knees liked,... now I have two..hm..

And sometimes when I can't get up on his back because there's nothing to stand on and I ride bareback, he lies down for me. But only sometimes, if there is anything nearby I can use to stand on, he refuses.. :lol:

I like him.

Besides Crow. my dad has a horse as well. Dacke, north swedish draft. A very kind heart but not the type that will work for you unless it's something in it for him.. but great with beginners and nice to drive

...sorry for the picture bomb..

 

[OnTheBrightside]

Zab, he is stunning! You've got a great position as well.

I was running short on time earlier so I'm going to make second post about her, instead of just photos.
Bunny is a roan Hackney Pony, 13.2hh (I'm 5"5ish, I can touch my feet together under her belly if I'm bareback!) I hope I don't grow any more. Haha
Mostly we just trail ride, eventually I want to get a cart as she knows how to drive and I think it would be really fun. We do just about anything and everything we can, though I don't show yet. We've worked on jumping, gaming, endurance and lots of exploring. Which is the great thing about living in Amish country, you can ride practically anywhere.

When I first got her I was absolutely terrified. I had had horses before and ridden since I was young but after being thrown/trampled/kicked and everything else you could think of I lost all my confidence. After months of trying, falling and getting back on I'm now a confident rider, she's taught me so much and is just like me, so we bump heads A LOT.
The quote "For every great horse there is but one rider" fits us pretty well. I think she's fantastic, but she will only allow one other person besides me on her back (my boyfriend) because she knows she'd have her butt kicked if anything happened to him. Anybody else and she is as wild as a mustang.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Horses? Did you say horses???

I'll start with the ones we no longer have.

First off is Dixie, who was sadly outgrown:



Next are Candy and Coco, who we just recently put down. They were both in their mid thirties. They were my daughter Queenpup and eldest son Firstpup's horses.

This is Queenpup and Candy competing in team penning last year:



The two oldsters out for an evening ride:



Here is a picture where you can see Coco's face- this was back when we still had Dixie:



This is my Hub's horse, Netta, and her foal Zephyr:



Obviously, Hubs was not riding her- I was:



This is Zephyr now:



This is me and my horse Beach Boy (Beach) when I helped brand a neighbor's cattle after he had heart surgery:





This is a close up of his pretty face:



And this is Marley, the Nakota Mustang that we got for Colliepup as a replacement for Dixie:

 

[Asinaway]

I have had a couple horses over the years. Can't now, don't have the land.

Started of with a haflinger/paint cross Gelding comet 15hh. He was Amish bred, and then broke and sold to another guy. Was a pain in my butt, often tried to kill me, never did like to be ridden, still dose not. Sold him when I got pregnant, we did love him but it was to risky to have him around, since I could never turn my back on him. He now has a lady love and pulls a cart with her for his new owners and loves it!

We then sort of rescued a 16.3hh Off the track Thoroughbred named Asinaway (hence our rabbitry name is after her) We were told she was crazy, don't you dare get on her, she will kill you. She came to us Lame, and was often locked in a stall for hours and days. She hated stalls, and that was why she was retired from her very successful racing career, she broke I believe her hock. Thankfully it healed. First time hubby got on her, yes she did take of at a I'd say close to a gallop. She felt free, and I yelled to my husband to hold tight and let her have her run. After that day she never took of with someone on her back ever again.

I can't say enough about this horse. She was a blessing to have, I loved her so much. She taught me so much, and after a bad fall of the first horse, she gave me the courage to get back on. She taught me how to canter confidently. She taught me with just a little courage and trust I could do anything. Sadly in 2008 a day before thanksgiving we lost her to cancer. There is not a day I don't miss her.

Then came Melody I think a year after, another rescue. Seriously underweight. 14.3hh QH. She was just as great as my other mare. Loved her. She had some arthritis issues, that left her in pain sometimes, but with meds she was ok. I felt like a giant on her half the time lol I'm almost 5"9 so it was a bit akward. So we let her roam our yard, no fence and she stayed and would follow you like a puppy. I sold her to a lady because I had to move and money wise she became to much for me. The lady promised a good home, but I was tricked and I'm pretty sure this mare is no longer alive.

Also had a little Shetland cross names princess. Another rescue. She never trusted me, and I think she tried to kick me on a daily basis. Her old home, the teenagers would trap her in a corner and sit on her, so I don't blame her. I sold her to a girl who needed a pasture buddy to her older mare.

I will share some pictures when I get home.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

I convinced half my math class in 7th grade that I was an alien centaur, does that count? Seriously, I ate up all the horse stories (Walter Farley, Black Beauty, Chincoteague, Man O'War, etc) and religiously watched the Kentucky Derby on tv most years since I was 7 or 8 years old. Horses were the first animal I learned to draw, and my dragons seriously resemble toothy horned and winged horses. But I have never owned one! My mom has, my brother does, and his daughters have. Maybe now he's signed 6 acres over to me, I will get a couple when I move (if I can ever sell this house for enough TO move)!! Thank you all for the pictures though, they made me smile!

 

[fuzzy9]

LOVE all the horse pictures here! Happy to see this thread too. I've got two small ponies.....a.k.a. my big dogs! :lol: One leopard appaloosa 39" gelding, and one 42" solid bay black gelding. Love my boys!

 

[Secuono]

Oh, here's a baby picture of my mare before she grayed out.

 

[JDWest]

We have a miniature palamino paint stallion. I just adore him. His name is Horsai Blitzen. He hangs out with our Dairy goats.
When we bought him he was about the size of a large dog so we loaded him up in the back seat of our truck. On the way home we went thru drive thru, he stuck his head out the window and whinnied at the employees. It was pretty funny.

 

[Rachel.And.Yue]

Nice to see so many horses and ponies

Sadly my images are too big (since they come directly off my camera) so I will have to resize them.

We have had a few other horses/ponies on our farm before. The three I mentioned are my more recent ones.

We have had:

Babycakes-Welsh x Shetland palomino mare
Pepper-"Quarab" gelding, dapple grey, looked like an arabian, traded for the STB mare mentioned below
Apache: mix breed, half brother to the mare "Annie" mentioned below (same sire), chestnut sabino, ended up pony sized and owned by a lesson stable
Annie: QH x Paint x Saddlebred x Draft, chestnut, looked like a very large QH.
Private Matter: bay Standardbred mare, retired racer, amazing bloodlines and such a joy to ride. Plus she was beautiful

 

[tailwagging]

Dang horses are too "high fluent" for me :cowboy:

 

[fuzzy9]

Ha! Cute donkey, tailwagging!

 

[dangerbunny]

Me! Me! Me!

Currently just have two although I used to teach lessons and train horses.

Joy is a 9 year old, mostly Arabian (1/4 Saddlebred) We've been taking dressage lessons and I started eventing her (pre-having a kid, hah) and hope to get back to it this fall.

pre x-country at our first horse trial

Baby horse is a 3 year old Arabian, gotta get some new pictures as she is taller than Joy. Very sweet girl.

Baby as a baby

 

[Rachel.And.Yue]

Has the topic come to a dead end?

I finally was able to get on high-speed to share a couple new photos of my horses.

These photos were taken yesterday by myself. Shown here with my niece who was able to come down from NB for part of the summer.

Tahea: (getting her good girl rub)


Ariel: (hard to believe he was less then 10 feet from my mare, in the same paddock)


We just bought the "bridle" from someone and thoroughly cleaned it. So the next task was to see how it would fit them both...obviously it needs more holes punched :lol:

Again, I loved to read about everyones' horses (and donkey), and foals are always my week spot

 

[fuzzy9]

Rachel.And.Yue and dangerbunny...........your horses are all beautiful!