A couple of weeks ago, I probably would have had lots of answers but then I took my mare to two shows back-to-back and it was as though the lightbulb blinked on. She finally got it. All of it, every bit of it…says the proud mother 
Her favorite thing? Finally getting promoted to doing the strides rather than the adds, which involved a serious “wheeee!” response on her part. (The picture illustrates our joint enthusiasm. 
)
Ah, LaurieB, you do indeed lend me some moral support. So, you mean the lovely Tess often thwarts your plans for a 20-minute ride? Break out the draw reins, you say? I just stuck with the smooth loose ring snaffle, sans training gear. I was not going to be defeated. Then, afterwards, I left Hammie tied to the tree outside the arena. I figured he’d either get bored with the scenery or have a coronary. When I returned he nickered for me. So I guess… I won? 
DMK, RV sounds like he tried really, really hard to behave. Dontcha just love that feeling when they start to tense up underneath you? 
Dear Bumpkin, those half-hearted efforts Elliot makes at playing? Beezer and I call those “warmblood threats”. They’re threatening to pitch and play, but heck, they’re warmbloods. It would just require too much effort.
“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”
Additional Note: Just vetted, teeth are fine, this just started, have been riding her in the same tack for 3 weeks with no problems.
Member of the Baby Greenie Support Group of North America
Another NO to that Bumpkin.
We sure don’t bounce back, and the less we get hurt the better is my motto. So just plain take your time.
Yup those prolonged “ala family” holidays take alot out of you to boot. Finally shipped Mr. Wty back to work. I need a rest!!! Too much holiday. 
Beezer has to chime in gleefully: She got to ride Barbie the Hanoverian Cow Beast today … and hop over a coupla little, itsy-bitsy jumps. 
Barbie is more of a Beezer horse, while Hammie just has “MERRY HORSE” written aaaaaaallllll over him.
And speaking of the Precious Bay Prince, Merry was moaning to Beezer earlier about how very, very naughty he was today. Beezer has an update: He’s still in a foul mood. When Beezer was feeding, not only did she have to dodge two land shark attacks, but when she pushed on him to make him get out of the way so she could toss in his hay, he spun and kicked at her!!
Methinks Merry will need to borrow more than lead changes this weekend… 
Bulletin Board Goddess
Go Bumpkin!!! Whopeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Thats wonderful, and knowing you did it, will make next time even easier. So glad for you Bumpy By the way, did you get your new hlemet yet? Heard they are making the GP’s with velvet now…
Ouch LaurieB, you are very lucky. That is an easy place in ones skull to fracture. Right around the eye socket. Was told this by a surgical nurse, who also rides…Please be very careful…
weeble, you’re baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!
Wow, Pam! It’s hard to believe that those 2 pictures are of the same horse. And, it’s even harder to believe you could get him ready for a class just an hour later.
His over fences picture is marvelous and shows us why you keep cutting him slack. He’s already pretty fancy and should develop into a killer hunter – hopefully an A/O horse for you?
Cheers, Maggi
Welcome to our new members – I guess this means I’m not the newest anymore!
And major congrats on all the new horses! May they be sane and sound and simply wonderful for you all.
My guy goes with my trainer for a lesson with her trainer this week – should be interesting to hear the evaluation. I don’t love this woman from a horsemanship aspect, but she does well on the local circuit so we’ll see…She’s seen him before last year, actually, and I’ll be interested to see if there’s any improvement. Of course he’s been having lots of time off due to the weather here, so who knows what he’ll be like. He was really good in my lesson last Friday (MEMO – RIDE the line, look up and over the fence and feel the horse, and he jumps like a champ. Throw yourself at the jump, and, well…) but distracted last night…at a stupid SNOW PILE?! Like there aren’t snow piles in his field?
As to the saddle pad and thin-skinned TB question – yeah, it could be something on the fabric. Have your tried washing it in Ivory or whatever horsie shampoo your beastie’s skin prefers? My guy has been know to be irritated and break out over, well, nothing, so good luck!
Well, Bumpky, I’m 46, but I must admit I feel like 26, and ride like I have the guts of being 16! Plus, I interviewed the greatest gal, a 70+ lady who won this big whoop-tee-do Saddlebred class on a horse SHE SCHOOLS HERSELF! She actually rode hunters at Flintridge with Jimmy and Mousie years ago. Anyway, she was a real inspiration. So we shouldn’t give up on our greenies, despite our, ah, “ages”.
I rode three horses today. Will someone pass me the Ben Gay and the bottle of Advil?
“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”
Gramento and Elliott must have been on same wavelength! 
CONGRATS!!!
Your boy is beautiful!
Duffy, what an adorable picture! Thats when you know it’s worth all the sacrfices Very cute!
Merry so did your “friends” come out and play? Or were you the only brave heart to be out in all that? Sounds like the Hambola actually did do very well. Most horses have fits with the Santa Ana’s…Certainly wouldn’t want to try mine in it…
I was born in Boston, lived in Cambridge, Beverly Farms, Swampscott (then moved to Germany / Florida / California), and Wayland.
I struggle with the horse-keeping situation out here, but Mickey’s different than your horse in that I don’t think he’s ever known any different. He has it better now than where he came from (So. Cal) where he didn’t have green grass to eat, turnout to hang out & move around during the day (but he did have an in/out stall that was probably 14 x 28 or so?), or someone who paid as much attention to him as I do. So I think he’s happy. According to my animal communicator, he says he has no complaints (unlike the other horses who complain a lot)! 
I try to provide as much variety in his day as I can and that’s how I cope with it. He does get turned out in the morning, and during the good weather, I turn him out after I ride so he can cool down - or I take him for a mini trail ride or graze for awhile so that he can just be outside. When I don’t ride, I put him in a paddock to just hang out and visit with the other horses (they can’t touch each other, but I know he flirts with all the mares!). I like to keep him outside of his stall as much as I can, which isn’t nearly enough…
If you can’t get to the barn anyways and don’t mind him being far away from you, you might check out barns on the coast…the Newells have a place in Pescadero with (I would imagine) lots of land and I’m sure their horses are out a lot.
“Oh Mickey you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey! Hey Mickey!”
yes, the one-way away from the in gate jumping thing was really weird. It was full dark outside and we had the lights on, so I really couldn’t think of any reason for not jumping in one direction. Decided to hack out all weekend and school flatwork for several days before trying jumping again. The trail riding was great, my horse was a dream. You’d have thought he had spent twenty years hauling people around on trails. Gave him monday off. Then this morning he was so bad I was ready to sell him for dog meat. Except towards the end of the session he suddenly buckled down and spent ten minutes as the incredible responsive well-behaved horse with jaw-droppingly beautiful gaits that I know and love. Perhaps he has multiple personality disorder as well as ADD and hyperactivity???
I took my trainer’s advice and am now the proud owner of a 2.5 year-old colt, complete with testicles. These are slated for removal on Wednesday. He hasn’t been started yet, so there is a long road ahead. I’ll start with basic dressage, but hope to do some jumping eventually. We did free jump him a bit one day and he seemed willing and able.
He’s half TB-half Hanoverian, but the Hanoverian side is a quarter TB and at least a quarter Trakener. He’s branded as a Rhineland Pfalz-Saur (gotta learn how to spell that). His registered name is Aldebaran which is a star; thus, his barn name is Star (despite the fact that he has a blaze).
He seems to have a great mind and was quieter to lead to the turnout yesterday than my 16-year old (not that he’s a good example of proper behavior).
Here’s the only picture that I got before the battery died.
Here is View #2. This was our best round. I had the judge’s head removed…from the photo, not in real life, LOL! The judge was sitting in the booth and it looked like his head was coming out of Hammie’s butt!
When I see that Hammie can jump like this, it helps me to realize that (hopefully) all of my struggles won’t be in vain!
“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”
I would wave my magic wand and my baby green would have an attention span that lasted more than 2 minutes. Every time someone walks anywhere near the arena he has to watch every move they make. He will get so into watching other activities he will trip and almost fall down.
But seriously he had a previous owner that was a little rough with him and I would love to erase those memories permanently.
Keeping all 4 on mother earth is a good thing! We love this rusty. Nothing like the older pre-greenies to make you work. Mine was happy at not having to go over the troll bridge. Today we will, gulp. Hopefully, we too will have a carrot margarita… At least there’s no air flow over a slight fluff. And so far, it’s sunny…
Oh Elliot has his spooky corners in the arena. One end seems pretty licked, but the big sliding doors at the other end…if they are open and there is a chair(s) sitting there!!! Watch out, or if the chair(s) is gone, well then anything will do, people walking by, just about any distraction.
We circle, circle, circle at that end. Making Elliot look inside the arena not out the big door.
After awhile he tends to get in the groove and not look for ideas.
The one spooky thing, we have not really addressed/conquered yet it the large wooden playarea, you know, those ones that have treehouse, slide and swings all together?
There is one approx 50 feet from one side of the arena.
Pam - adding more warm and positive thoughts your way! I’m so sorry you’re going through this ordeal. You know we’re all pulling for you!
Bumpkin - also adding my vote for ABSOLUTE “no guilt”!!! I haven’t been back on Gramento since our last escapade and I won’t unless I lunge him first and/or he at least goes out in a paddock big enough for a few bucks. I know Elliott is a saint and he’ll be perfect for his mom when you do get back on him. But, don’t feel you need to rush it, especially when you are still hurting!
Take care - BOTH of you!
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