Horse Lovers Here!

[northernlight]

beautiful pics, horsegirl! jade is so gorgeous, and jumps beautifully! i love the pic w/you as an elf, too.

i get to ride almost every day now that it's holiday break from school! fantastic!

welcome to the thread, rider! tommy sounds cute.

hope everyone and their horses are doing well!

[Asfaloth]

I am an old member back from Imladris and I made an appearance in the old thread a couple of times. Now I would like to reintroduce myself.

I am Asfaloth, I have been horse crazy since I was born. On my fifth birthday my horse (on loan, a 17hh thoroughbred mare) flipped over to avoid being loaded in to a small two horse straightload horse trailer, her rib punctured her heart and she had to be shot. (i've never recovered, I am now a paranoid hauler). I currently own two of my own horses, my family owns 6. I have a 16.2 hh paint gelding by the name of IMA Mr. Cool Charge (C.C.), and a 15hh sorrel Quarter Horse mare named Peponita Lena (Lena). I live in the foot hills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, USA, and I enjoy camping in the mountains with my Dad and the horses. As soon as I get some pictures uploaded I will post them..

Anyways, I have enjoyed looking at pictures of your equine buddies and reading about them too!

[Dragonflight]

Peponita Lena? Any relation to Poco Lena? My first horse was a Poco Bueno granddaughter. Poco Bueno was Poco Lena's dad. I always perk up at any connection to him . . . My horse was a seal brown, short, big butted QH. She lived to be 36!

[Asfaloth]

Yea! She is has Peppy San, Bonita Tivio (by Poco Tivio, by Poco Bueno), Do'cs Hockory, Sugar Tianna, Doc O' Lena, and Doc's Lynx, as far as her foundation bloodlines....So she's a short squat lil firey chestnut with one big ghetto boootay!....

[Lady Mithril]

I hope to own a horse some day, but wonder if I can afford it. I'll be working full time for at least another 10-15 years (unless my knight in shining armor comes along and sweeps me off my feet to a life of semi-luxury before then...) and know that it'd be impractical to keep and board a horse on my property, even if I had acreage. I was thinking about buying a nice 3-4 yr old quarter horse within the next few years and stabling it somewhere. I'll have to do my homework to find out how expensive all of this is. I know a good horse can't be had under $1000 and then there's medical, grooming, stabling, etc...

But, it's something I must do. I've known since I was old enough to know anything that I would own a horse some day. I think it must be one of those things that is in your blood.

Anyone read "She Flies Without Wings"? Nice writings about the unique relationship between women and their horses.

If anyone out there has advice to offer to someone in the early planning stages of horse-ownership, it would be greatly welcome. Til then, I'll continue to drool over Shadowfax and Secretariat... (anyone know if Breyer will have a Shadowfax edition any time soon?)

En Equus Veritas!

[Asfaloth]

got a digital camera for Christmas and took mucho pictues of my mare, then made her a page!


http://www.angelfire.com/rant/pondomoocow/Lena.html

that's her, I will get my gelding up to, he is absolutely gorgeous...I know I am supposed to think that because he is my horse, but WOW! He's got a mane better than Asfaloth and Shadowfax, long and snow white...yay!

[Horsegirl]

Lena is gorgeous, Asfaloth! She looks like a very happy horse.

[glaelia]

okay okay, this is ted.... on a bad day.... it was wet and soggy.... but currently the only pic i have of him on line.... he's looking a bit mad... was rolling his eyes at me.... i STILL think he's B-A-U-TIFUL though!!!


hope you agree!


glae

xxx

[Rider of Rohan]

Asfaloth, Lena is so cute! She has such a pretty face. I used to ride a mare named Lena... she was an Appy mare and really smart.

glaelia, that's a cute picture of ted. =) Whenever I see that expression on Tommy's face, I know we're in for an interesting ride.

Horsegirl, Jade is beautiful, and I noticed you're riding without tack! I'm impressed. How long have you had her? That's something I've always wished I could do, especially after reading Tolkien's description of how the Elves ride. Did you do any special training with her?

~Rider

[Gimli the Dwarf]

Glaelia, Ted is gorgeous! If that's him on a bad day then he must be very handsome indeed normally!
Jade and Lena are both soooo pretty too! When my friend gets back from Newcastle I'm going to dump some pics of my beast on her and make her scan them in so I can put them up here
Did anyone else notice that in TTT Shadowfax was two different horses, much like Asfaloth in FotR? At the beginning, he had only a little bit of grey around his muzzle, whereas at the end it was almost half of his face. Also I'm pretty sure at the end his legs have grey points at the hock and fetlock but at the beginning her doesn't.
I'll have to watch closely to check that out tomorrow

[Horsegirl]

Ted is so cute!
Gimli - I noticed that as well! However, at the end of the film, it may be mud or orc blood on his face.
Rider of Rohan - I've owned Jade for about two years, but have only been able to train her for one year (she was still in a different stare, then evil farrier came). I had turned her out one day, and decided to get on her without tack. She responded to pressure on her neck ok, but was better when I put a rope on her. I started off with transitions and changes of direction, then moved on to jumping her. When I ride without a rope in the jumping arena, she is fine until I ask her to trot; she typically heads towards the largest jump in the arena at that point. If you plan to ride bridleless, you must trust your horse and your own ability
Jade prefers being ridden without tack, and actually responds better that way. She likes having a say in things. When other people try to ride her bridleless (my friends, usually when we switch horses), and expect her to do as they say, she will not respond. They then try to kick her forward. And she doesn't budge, pins her ears, bares her teeth, and threatens to bite their leg. However, if they politely ask her to go forward, she will do so.

[Asfaloth]

Thanks horsegirl, Lena is a special horse.... Not to mention very beautiful...


Rider of Rohan, I used to have an appy too by the name of Candi..She was the best horse I have ever owned....

[Horsegirl]

(Back from the void)
Has anyone else been having trouble with mud? Here in California it seems as though the few storms we have had never dry up. I am reluctant to turn my horse out in the mud, as she tends to gallop, buck, and rear when she is turned out, and yet dislike riding her in the slop. The covered arena that was supposed to go in before winter hasn't been started. I can't wait for the dryer days of spring!

[glaelia]

i have terrible problems with mud my cob lives out year round... she's fine with it... i only bring her in when it's snowing... and she only has a rug on if it's really cold... but my TB is 12 and has stiff tendons in his back legs... he finds it difficult to live his back legs out of the mud, it tires him out but he hates being in as he's always lived out. i bring him in when it's really bad... at the moment the field's like a quagmire... there's two streams running down the middle!!! not fun............

[horsey]

Originally posted by Gimli the Dwarf
Did anyone else notice that in TTT Shadowfax was two different horses, much like Asfaloth in FotR? At the beginning, he had only a little bit of grey around his muzzle, whereas at the end it was almost half of his face. Also I'm pretty sure at the end his legs have grey points at the hock and fetlock but at the beginning her doesn't.
I'll have to watch closely to check that out tomorrow

Yep, there are two different Shadowfaxes.
I even have their piccies.

The first, Demero:


Then we've got Blanco:


And here are some extra piccies from them:

[Gimli the Dwarf]

Ah hah! I KNEW it!
have probs with mud too. The farmer won't let our ponies on the field if the fields are too boggy, so Ellie (my sister's pony though i'm the one who looks after and rides it ) stays on the 'hard-standing' which is a non-grassy, fenced off area where she can stay outside (Am not sure if they're real things or things of our creation!) and Dandy comes in at night then stays on there with her during the day.
We don't have an arena we ride in the fields, 'round the back' which means round the crop fields at the back of the farm, or round the roads. Mostly it is too wet, too cold or too dark to do that. We do have a horse-walker though, which is incredibly handy!
Recently our yard (well, most of us!) have begun a game called 'Chicken Farm Complaint of the Day' (yes, it's a chicken farm) and we record the best complaint of the day, most common complaint, and the stupidest complaint. Here's the results for this week:
Most common: I can't get in me shed cos of your damn pitchforks! (Pete, general handy-man)
Best: Who keep dumping feed on the muckheap!? My pony is EATING it! (Me ) and 'Who didn't lock Charlie's door/Maddy's field gate!? They escaped this morning! (Legolas)
Stupidest: I'm not picking up the effing haylage from the effing floor! (Ady- looked after hunters whilst groom was away)
Other complaints are 'Who's not swept the yard!? And who's not swept the walker!?' by th groom.
Not that you care but I'm bored and can't be bothered with my homework

[peterofvalinor]

sadly horses and i seem to disagree

[Horsegirl]

Great pictures, Horsey!
Sounds interesting, Gimli! Homework is evil.
PeterofValinor - Maybe you just haven't met the right horses.

[cherie_c11]

Suilad everyone!
I got my first horse, Whiskey, in October 1983. A little bay Standardbred. He was not in very good condition then and almost died the first winter but he pulled threough. I had to retrain him as he didn't know how to canter at all and would just go faster when i pulled the reins to stop. I frequently rode elf style in those days ( and dismounted Dwarf Style! )
So now 20 years later I am still riding the same horse! He being but a youthful 34 years old now and still wants to run with the wind. No other horse in the barn can keep up with him on the trails. He and I went to collage togather where I learned the fine art of training reining and cutting horses. Eventually he stayed at school while I spent two years training and showing appaloosas on the circuit in PA and OH. Whiskey became my husbands mount for several years until he (my husband) passed away 4 years ago. Meanwhile I had a terrible accident while riding another horse which nearly caused me to stop riding altogather. Fortunatly Whiskey was there through it all and helped me cope with my loss as well as regain my confidence on horseback. I will miss him so much when he is gone but am so glad to have had this fine animal as my companion for the past 20 years. I Work hard to be able to afford his board and do without some things in order to do so but He is more than worth it to me.
Glad to mee you all. Enjoy your horses as much as I do mine

[Horsegirl]

Welcome, Cherie!
Whiskey sounds like a wonderful horse! Horses are always able to help us through traumas in our lives, and are always there for us to lean on.

I am going to show western for the first time this season, and have recently trained Jade to be ridden in such a fashion. I would appreciate any tips on showing western!

[cherie_c11]

Hi horsegirl, I stoped showing horses about 9 years ago and I am sure much has changed so I don't know how much I can help with the actual show but if you need any advice on any particular problem you are having I would be happy to help. If you really need an answer in a hurry please PM me as I may at times not get to this thread for several days.

[cherie_c11]

Anyone her in or near Columbus Ohio going to Equine affaire next weekend? I am going on the 12th!

[Horsegirl]

I would very much like to go to it, but I'm in California.
Have a good time!

[cherie_c11]

I believe ther is one in CA later in the year. Mabey you can go to it. Shame you can't come but that is a long way away from home for you.

[Gimli the Dwarf]

*Gimli scrambles past several threads, loses her footing and falls, landing splat into the empty horse thread* Well, whaddya know! (Yeah, I see CoE forums as loads of rooms going up connected by rope ladders. I'm sad.)

So, horsers! Any news? I have some

Show season has started! Whippeee! I went to my 2nd show today and fell off in the first jump-off, (though I got a 3rd- yay! ) then I went clear in my next class, though Dandy refused a HUGE treble in the j-off. I have to say that today was the first time I experienced lost confidence, and scrapped my next class. My friend made me do the 2 foot 3 clear round which was alright- I'm not sure about going higher though. She's making me jump at least 2 foot 6 tomorrow though, cos on Wednesday I'm in the Pony Club showjumping team at 2'6''

On a happier note, new riding hat tomorrow! And the beast is having a numnah with his name on it

[Horsegirl]

Hi!
Summer is coming! More time to ride for me!
Good luck on the showjumping team, Gimli! Congrats on the helmet!
I went to a show a few weeks ago, right in the middle of a storm. My horse didn't like the thunder and hail, and spazzed out. It was rather difficult trying to get her to lope. Needless to say, we didn't do too well, and were frozen by the end of the day. But now the weather's nice, and so will be the shows!
Good luck to everyone on the show circuit!

[Alora Undomiel]

Hey Swifty, great Robert Vavra pics. I believe in unicorns too, don't fret!

Questions about Sham, who is gorgous!, by the way. Is he egyptian or polish? Registered? And how old did you say he was?

Just wondering b/c I'm a arab lover too. I compete in dressage on my 18 yr old white arab gelding Fair Exchange, Fairex for short. He's great. Unfortunatley, I don't have a scanner or I'd send a pic. But have you seen Lesley Harrison's painting called "Almost Magic"? If so, picture that horse with a dished face and a more arab-like profile and that's exactly what Fairex looks like!

[Luinëarátowen]

hi all. just stumbled across this thread and thought i'd introduce myself. i'm 22 now, and have been riding since i was five. i grew up just trail riding QH's in a western saddle, but when i got older i started taking hunt-seat lessons. i rode hunters for several years, then went back to learning western pleasure. i got my first horse when i was 16 (an un-broke bulldog QH gelding). i struggled with Ozzie for several years then gave him to my dad. when i did that, i bought two Arabians for myself. Jeze is a 14.1hh flea-bitten grey mare of Polish/CMK bloodlines, and Seminolewindd WA is a blood bay pure Polish mare who stands right at 15hh. After buying the girls, i made a brief venture into the saddleseat world (American Saddlebreds), but quickly fled. not that i have anything against riding saddleseat, but after so many years of riding hunt seat it was like asking me to speak another language. i spent the next couple years working with Semmi off and on while reacquainting myself with hunt-seat on Jeze. after a couple changes of location, i started distance riding with Jeze, while sending Semmi out to California for training and showing. Jeze proved not to be cut out for distance riding when we had many major battles about water crossings, so i bowed to her training and now ride her dressage. we're doing fairly well considering it's been years since she's done it and i've never done it at all. fortunately Jeze knows more about dressage than she lets on, so it looks like i could go really far with her. in-between all that i've also learned to show Walking Horses and Western Pleasure. and finally.... i acquired a new horse last year when my dad's boss gave me a really nice appendix QH mare. Socks is the sweetest horse in the world, so i'm planning on breeding her to Wild by Design next year (a sabino bay T-bred).
*very long exhale* okay, did everyone take notes? there's going to be a quiz in five minutes.

and Swifty, can i take a stab at it and guess that Sham is Polish (or possibly Russian)?

btw, for anyone interested...here's a link to Seminole's pictures. i sold half-interest in her to a friend of mine after a rather unfortunate situation where the mare was starved nearly to death by someone i had trusted to care for her.

~~Luin~~Semmi's picture

[SwiftSnowmane]

Hi Luin! Your horsies sound so interesting! (though I unfortunately couldn't see the pics)

Yes, Sham is Polish, and registered, however I couldn't tell you anything about his registry....as I no longer own him and was never really up on pedigrees or anything like that. (All I ever cared about was that he was my friend.) He's 16 now....I hope the young girl who owns him now is taking care of him.....I guess I could still get in touch with her and see how he is, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Its rather hard for me still to think of anyone but me owning him. Its been almost two years, you'd think I'd be ok with it now....

I was recently talking to a friend of mine who's daughter endurance races with her two Arabians, and I was coming to wish that I had tried endurance riding, it sounds so fun! (Though not with Sham, as he was easily spookable, the poor silly dear. )

[XELA]

Horses are amazing creatures! I dont have oneto call my own, but i do ride at a place called Blossom Hill riding school, it is really nice there, i only ever ride one horse because when i ride her she is just my horse and no one elses. I love to groom her and tack her up but the riding part is the best! I have just begun doing two jumps one after another, it is so fun! i love the way it is so smooth as you begin to canter too, basically i love everything about it! Hehehe. xx