Baby Greenie Support Group now open: Share Your Pain!

[Duffy]

acolvin - Aren’t they just so frustrating and loveable in that way? LOL Of course, my “made” and “aged” old lease horse was exactly the same way!!!

pkd - Yeah to Fleet! Mares can be SOOOO brave. When you have a good mare, they are unbelievable!

We had a mare named Fleet Nancy at the barn where I grew up riding and she was incredible. My first instructor owned her and man, did she take care of her. She (the lady) had polio and could barely walk, yet showed that mare in the WORKING HUNTERS over those solid outside courses, etc!

[Merry]

Yes, Duffy, he’s a very handsome man. Love the ears, too! Has “warmblood” written all over him. Hammie says, “I think I’d like to play with him!”

Picking down to a fence? Ah, come on, isn’t that what hands and laced snaffle reins are for, to get a really good grip on the reins while you try to convince your horse that you really do know best?

One of my favorite (HA-HA) feelings on a baby is trying to ride them to a certain spot and they’re like, “Oh-dee-do-dee-do, I think someone’s trying to tell me something, but I’m choosing not to listen to a thing their aids are saying.”

“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”

[Hopeful_Hunter]

Duffy – you look WONDERFULE!
Merry – You got guts, girl, and Ribbons to prove it! With all that, sounds like you did VERY well.

My greenie seems to be ripening, but not evenly. We had one completely perfect jump over the weekend – set up a 2’8" vertical (horiz. block on vert. block with poles, odd size, but hey) and after clipping it with his hind once he just floated over. NO change in pace, lovely arc, just wonderful. Probably helped that I was REALLy trying hard, too (funny how the RIDER influences things with a greenie).

But then we came right back with a ride that, well…we did get some nice lead changes. Would have been even nicer if I hadn’t been asking for a trot figure 8. Oh well…he’s green. We’ll see what he does tomorrow in my trainer’s lesson…

[Bumpkin]

Elliot and I had a lesson today also.

Lots of figure eight cantering and lead changes,(atleast we tried), then the figure eight with jumps, yipeee, but he was a tad bit stronger than normal.

[Beezer]

Even Merry says so!

And proving that this human mother knows her horse son, last night when I arrived for my “usual” 8 p.m. ride, it was to find him right up on his toes. It was foggy, a little hint of a chill. He was practically dancing when I walked up.

“Hm,” I said as I tried to get a halter on the bobbing head, “you look like a 4-year-old in need of some playtime.” Let’s just say that his “bouncing” out to the ring was about the last time his feet were remotely near the ground for the next 20 minutes or so.

Bulletin Board Goddess

[LaurieB]

Paggy, Star is really cute. Good luck with him!

[DMK]

Merry, you are right - he does look a tad like RV! Although I do believe I will pass on the Hamosabi+++ relationship I used to work at an arab farm. I’ve served my time in hell (Disclaimer - the author is entitled to her opinions, they are merely that. They do not reflect the opinion of management, and management mostly wants nothing to do with the author, so there. Also, we have noticed the author doesn’t much care for fish tacos and brussel sprouts either).

BNH - I so feel your pain. My 4 year old OTTB is 17’1, although his withers are still higher than his hips, but he is (sadly) just generally built downhill (ever seen a 17’1 QH without the bulk?). And, oh, by the way? All of my OTTBs have grown UP until they are mostly done with their six year old year, then at 7-8 they grow out, which presents a whole 'nuther set of saddle-fitting challenges…

RV spent yesterday in the stall because on Sunday he klunked over a ground pole (cantering them is still a challenge) and cut the bejesus out of the bulb of his heel. So today I turned him out. He cut loose and ran like a fool. As I was bathing one horse I watched him gallop up the hill, proceed to attempt to stop, attempt to turn and then just more or less fall down and slide under the fence. He stayed there for a minute (probably trying to figure out what happened), carefully extracted himself from the fence, took off and did the EXACT same thing again!!! God save me from TBs. I told him if he wasn’t as dumb as a box of rocks, I didn’t know what dumb was.

[horsecrazy]

I would wish for my horse to understand the concept of going FORWARD! He’s such a slug and sooo behind my leg that its quite frustrating. Oh, and if I use too much of my spurs and/or seat, he’ll buck like I’ve never seen a horse buck before

This was the scene during one of the first lessons with this horse and my trainer…

Trainer: He’s not going forward - KILL HIM!!!
Me: (taking crop and using it about 10 times like I really mean it - hard!)
Horse: la da dee, la da da
Trainer: (jaw dropping) Its like it doesn’t even PHASE him?!!

I would also wish for him to overcome his A.D.D.

[Cinnybren]

Vet called! X-Rays of left hock and pastern were clean! Right hock had a minute change, but not anything the vet was concerned about. So, all’s well there! As soon as Murphy gets new shoes we can start riding again. Hopefully, the saddle will be here to try too! Yea!!!

[Merry]

Chairs are a big deal with all of my greenies. What’s up with that?

Now, if you seat a human in the chair, they’re fine.

Hammie also has a problem with one particular corner of our arena. But so do about 1/2 of our other horses. There are trees there, along with the manure bin. You can only see glimpses of the neighbors and their movements through the hedge, so I think that bugs them, too. Every day, tracking right, it’s a gamble as to how much we tense up/spook in that corner.

I’m so glad to know I’m not alone in my struggles!

“Charter Member of the Baby Greenie Support Group of North America”

[Dragoon]

I’ve been enlightened to the Support Group…

I wish the green jumper pony had a brain - I also wish I actually could jack up my stirrups enough so I could really work with her .

Does this group count for older horses who have been out of the showing loop for a while??

~Linds

• Co-Founder of the Everyone Thinks I’m A Pessimist Club
• COTH Night Owl Support Group
• This Week’s Lesson: “Ok, you pressed the ‘Whoa G’Dammit!’ button when you wanted the ‘Whoa’ button…Don’t press the Whoa G’Dammit!!”

[VTrikki]

I feel your pain… the most recent pony project goes into a coma the moment the rider hits the saddle. you could take that magic wand they were talking about, hook to a large source of electricity and nothing would wake our wretched, i mean dear, pony… until i found some rowel spurs, not western ones, little ones… ahh he is alive… worked wonders, highly recomend them!!!

[weeble]

I would venture a guess that many of us could consider ourselves very savvy horsewomen/men and yet I can add myself to the “knew I shouldn’t be doing it while I stepped in front of the two-year-old” to paint feet for an in-hand class. Needless to say went to the class a little woozy and with a good-sized goose egg on my temple. I was lucky and can at least say I learned from my mistake.

[Bumpkin]

Kicking out at flying changes or on the corners.
Just as I feel we are finally not doing it too much it gets worse!
I keep thinking my dear trainer is going to just throw her arms in the air and give up on our landing on the wrong lead and then kick, kick, flat tire feeling, kick, kick, circle, kick, correct lead.
Those kicks are me kicking with my outside leg and Elliot kicking with his hind legs.
Whats up with that???
This weekend is just for fun…is my chant. hahaha

[DMK]

LaurieB - I almost imagined you were contemplating my response when you wrote that! So, d’ya need help down at WEF - I’m sure I can find nice things to think and say about WBs for a few days!!!

wtywmm - actually it was pretty funny AFTER the show was over, but I tell you, I contemplated yanking the pad out and dropping it as I went down the last line, it was so badly bunched up in front of me. Also the PC is a girth, not a pad - it’s wonderful thing, I put my leather girths in storage and even show in PCs now (and I am the ultimate in leather snobs, I promise you). I did buy a black pad today from Dover - my greenie does slip his pad a bit in spite of the PC girth. He doesn’t have as prominent of withers as Robbie, but he is still pretty slab sided like most young TBs. Between the two maybe it will solve the problem.

Beezer - hoping for good things about Sam AND Tigger! Sam sounds like a perfect find, and if my old QH mare could do halter, drive, race, WP, hunters and event all at different times in her life, I am pretty sure Sam can do a quick relearn. QH’s are pretty good at that learn/relearn thing.

Just an update on RV - first there was the clip of death which did not abscess… This was followed by swollen LH leg/mild lameness, which seemed to be nothing more than a wrenched ankle since lameness/swelling was gone in 36 hours… Then last Friday I noticed the huge gaping hole on his right elbow while I was repairing fences (it was hidden on the inside and under the blanket)… sigh… Well it was huge but unstitchable - location was lousy and it didn’t look new even though it was… I think what happened is he stabbed himself with a stick (or god knows what) about 2 months ago, and methinks there was still a little pocket of stuff in there, that finally abscessed and worked its way out. However we are going back to WORK!!! He isn’t lame, and tucoprim is a beautiful thing.

Anyway, he’s been back to work (lightly) for three days. That’s one nice thing about him - gives me real hope for his future as a hunter. I have not been on him for almost 30 days, and I just hopped on and got a slightly fresh but very balanced, rhythmical, even W-T-C, and not even a hint of a crow hop… There’s hope… assuming the next time I bring him in from the pasture he still has 4 legs attached to his body

An optimist thinks we are living in the best of all times…
A pessimist fears this is true.

[headsup]

but not near my first greenies LOL. Actually, have very nice baby greenie story 4 yr old pony that client owns took her 1st ride with her 6 yr old owner yesterday not only did she allow her to groom her by herself including tail and belly LOL, but she was quiet enough that she could go off the lungeline and walk around the whole ring by herself AND over some ground poles LOL…even trotted…kid was giggling so much I thought she was going to bounce off the side…pony never even altered her trot, just same rhythm Nothing better to see than a little girl that loves her pony.

[Beezer]

You’ve done the group proud.

In other news, Sam is now an official member of the family. It’s kinda hard to send back a horse whose previous caretaker described as “a bad penny because he keeps turning up!” Plus, how could I not want a horse who, when out on the trails, is the only one on El Ranchito who didn’t spook at the sofa in the neighbor’s front yard (don’t ask ) and didn’t do more than walk a little worriedly – and hurriedly – when he started being followed by a whole herd of free-range guinea fowl?? (Really, really don’t ask )

Mr. Beezer’s only complaint? “How come he doesn’t jump higher?” Because he doesn’t know how yet! To which Mr. Beezer opined, “I bet if you put it way up and ran him down to it, he’d figger out how to get over it.” Merry and I – to say nothing of Sam – were not amused.

Perhaps Sam should get his own new “welcome” thread elsewhere.

I see trees of green, red roses too. I watch 'em bloom for me and for you. And I think to myself … what a wonderful world. Yes, what a wonderful world." – Louie Armstrong.

[This message was edited by Beezer on Feb. 04, 2002 at 07:13 PM.]

[Bumpkin]

Just to give you some humour here dear Merry.

I was cleaning out some “stuff” yesterday.
And I came acrosst an olde issue of Sunset magazine.
One of the main articles was…“Fanatic About Fish Tacos”!!!
Of course it gave some yummy fish taco recipes and wrote a piece about San Diego fish taco mogul Ralph Rubio. Owner of 35 Fish Taco shops!

[Bumpkin]

We started out on this gymnastic poles little jump, then more poles.
After doing that we then started a line that was the trotting X five canter strides and a vertical. All low but he was jumping huge, and my legs would not stay still and his sides can be very sensitive.

I feel like I have gone backwards and I am glad I viewed the lesson before and after mine, and saw my Perfectly Awesome Elliot was on the same wavelength as most of the horses last night.

“Have You Hugged Your Trainer Today?”

[Lord_Helpus]

Thanks for asking about Kimmie and Sophie Moose (and, yes, those are the right names.)

Ever since I fell off in July and ended up in the hospital, I have been having lots of weird problems with arm and leg weakness and other strange symptoms. MS was the original diagnosis and, thank God, it has pretty much been ruled out. So we are treating each symptom one by one. But it has made it really hard for me to keep to a full riding schedule – I can ride one, lunge one, per day and then I am too tired to do more. That is why Warren has been put away for the winter so I can get Mikey going and get him sold.

The 3 girls totally have been forgotten – so much so, that I have just had to realize that I cannot cope with so many horses and have entered them in a breeding stock auction in December. For some reason, the auction didn’t want Warren, Bear or the Mikester…

So, if anyone is interested in Kimmie for a good price (she will not bring much at auction, since her TB pedigree is not fashionable), but her jump is incredible, just let me know, or come to the auction and bid…

PS You do NOT want Sophie Moose, the poor darlin’ – she trots up to a jump, throws her head up and sideways, closes her eyes, throws her front legs straight out in front of her, squats down behind and bunny hops over the jump… When she lands in a standing still position, she opens her eyes and turns to look at me as if to say “Did I do good, Ma?” God Love Her… I am doubled over laughing and do not have the heart to tell her that it is the most incredible method of “jumping” I have ever laid eyes on.