New member with intro. and questions

[system]

Hi all. I have lurked about for a few months and finally took the time to join. I live in Colorado and have a 16.2 spotted draft gelding who I trail ride. I started lessons a few months ago after years of just riding. So far I have learned it is much harder to learn things as an adult! Once we thaw out here I hope to resume my lessons and become a much more skilled rider.

So, my questions are:

Does anyone else have big old drafty beasts?

Anyone in Colorado, more specifically the western slope?

Thanks!

[jazzrider]

Welcome, Silverfox, from snowey (right now) Virginia. This particular forum on COTH is a little sleepy, so don’t be surprised if you don’t get too much attention until Monday :). I know there are some folks on here from CO, and definately some draft lovers. What great horses for trail. A big old draft cross that belonged to a friend of mine convinced my non-horsey husband to become a horsey husband, oh so many years ago. We now both ride gaited horses out on the trail.

Great to hear you’re taking lessons. Good equitation will help you in everything you do. :yes: I’m sure you’ll find that a lot of us lesson on and off regardless of our skill level. Particularly us re-riders.

Welcome again!

[JustTrails]

Welcome Silverfox from sunny Southern California! Would love to see pictures of your beastie, I love me a big draft. My ride is a 14.2 hand 23 yr old Arab mare, practically a pony! My friends have a draft and a draft pony - one Halflinger, one Oberlander, so a big and little version of each other. They do great on the trails!

Hope you find some CO people to connect with, wherabouts are you located?

Welcome again!

[Painted_Horse]

No drafties. But I like to ride the Western Slope. I used to come over and ride with some friends near Maybell and down around Grand Junction

The last few years I’ve stayed in Utah and Wyoming

[system]

Thanks everyone for the welcome. I need to figure out how to add pictures and I’ll get some of my big guy up.

I live just outside of Grand Junction so anytime anyone is in the area let me know! I am working on getting a trailer and hope to have one someday sooner rather than later. Right now kids (I have a dtr. who is almost 3 and a son who is 14 months) take up most of the time/money!

[CosMonster]

Welcome Silverfox! I used to live in CO, but up in the Fort Collins area. Most of the CO COTHers I know of are on the eastern slope, but if you’re just looking for riding buddies one of my best friends grew up in Grand Junction and might still know some people there. I can ask her if you’d like.

I don’t think you can add pictures unless you’re a premium member (which you have to pay for IIRC), but you can put them up for free on a site like Photobucket or Flickr (or even Facebook if you’re on it, which will give you a link so people who aren’t your “friends” can see it) and link to it. I’d love to see pics of your horse. I love the look of spotted drafts. I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum, riding Arabs mostly, but I think drafts are lovely.

[system]

[QUOTE=CosMonster;4654647]
Welcome Silverfox! I used to live in CO, but up in the Fort Collins area. Most of the CO COTHers I know of are on the eastern slope, but if you’re just looking for riding buddies one of my best friends grew up in Grand Junction and might still know some people there. I can ask her if you’d like.

I’m always on the lookout for new horsey friends. If your friend knows people let me know! I am sure there are a ton of horse people around and I haven’t found them. I board at a friends farm so while it is beautiful/cheap/convenient I am the only one. They are an awesome couple but are the only other ones around. I’d like to find more people to ride with. They are great, don’t get me wrong but having more than 1 person to ride with would be nice. Of course, the farm owner routinely kicks my butt at horse stuff even if he is 80 and I’m 31!

[momal]

Matryoshka, we used Soleguard from March of 09 until 2 trims ago…so November or so? So spring, summer and fall - My farrier has the gun for it, and he does it after trimming and shoeing. He really presses it in covering it with a little pink cellophane square. We then leave the pink thingie on and try to keep him in his stall for 20 mins. or so, so that it “cures” and hardens better before turning him out. Then I peel the pink paper plastic off and turn him out. His never ever came off - not once - we do flatwork and a good amount of trail riding…but I didn’t have it on during all this snow, ice, etc. He seems very good at putting it in when I watch him do it. In our case between the shoes and sole guard, I had a new horse - he had thin soles and barefoot just didn’t work for us. He was SO happy in it but luckily is fine now without it so I am saving some money - just shoes now.