Spring Fever

[streamline]

Who else is over it? Me!

My normally very well behaved, saint of a horse totally blew my mind today and not in a good way.

Today I was reminded why leather halters aren’t the best. He set back (never does) broke his brand new leather halter before I could pull my quick release and ran all over the place like a wild man that he isn’t. We have 20+ acres and a long drive to the county road, with 30 unfences acres next to us. I’m just lucky pee brain stopped right next to the main pasture gate.

Like I said he’s the most quiet, easy going horse we have and the snow has melted and grass and sprung and he’s been a terror. He is only 5 and has been off the track for 2 years, 1 year he was super sick/rehabbing. Rode him most of last year without problems.

He is over due for shoes too (have had farrier flake on me 3x, new farrier tomorrow eye roll) he was even a pill for me when I pulled his back shoes and normally he stands well.

My husbands horse also figured out how to crawl under the back pasture fencing so I’ve locked them all in the no climb fenced area and that really set them all over the edge. I was over getting calls from my in-laws about Lucky being in the front yard. Will be fixing fence tomorrow

[HPFarmette]

Oh dear! They do make us crazy sometimes…

[shiloh]

Ah yes…the TB in spring. My guy would lose his normally sane mind and be “springing” all over the place. It would fade after awhile but during - argh. Like a two year old only more wily. And beware of the TB the first super cold or frosty day. My friend used to tell me that TBs wear “jewelry” during the wintertime. Maybe they need to wear it during spring, too. lol

[Jackie_Cochran]

Newly sprouted spring grass is rocket fuel for horses, especially TBs/part TBs.

In the springtime my normally reliable, steady, unflappable Anglo-Arab “remembered” he was 1/2 TB, and therefore born to RUN, especially under saddle (or under a rider, happened to me bareback too.)

Yes, the wind whistling in my ears was as much a sign of springtime as the singing birds.

[atr]

@streamline

My husbands horse also figured out how to crawl under the back pasture fencing so I’ve locked them all in the no climb fenced area and that really set them all over the edge. I was over getting calls from my in-laws about Lucky being in the front yard. Will be fixing fence tomorrow

I looked up from my desk yesterday to see my very own “Lucky” cantering down the driveway, having apparently shimmied under the fence. He’s 35 and really should know better…

[sophie]

@atr

I looked up from my desk yesterday to see my very own “Lucky” cantering down the driveway, having apparently shimmied under the fence. He’s 35 and really should know better…

Thanks for the morning laugh!
My own little fruit loop of an Ottb is 21, acting like a 3 yo. Spring is the time when I throw her back out to live 24/7 until November. She is much saner on pasture board.

[streamline]

@sophie

Thanks for the morning laugh!
My own little fruit loop of an Ottb is 21, acting like a 3 yo. Spring is the time when I throw her back out to live 24/7 until November. She is much saner on pasture board.

The worst part is they all live outside 24/7

I think they finally dethawed.

Someone shared 10 ways to be a better equestrian on FB and the “Jog long distances carrying a halter and a carrot. Go ahead and tell the neighbors what you’re doing- they might as well know now.” Really spoke to me.

[sophie]

@streamline

Someone shared 10 ways to be a better equestrian on FB and the “Jog long distances carrying a halter and a carrot. Go ahead and tell the neighbors what you’re doing- they might as well know now.” Really spoke to me.

HA! In my sister’s case, it’s more about driving your car all over the
(hilly) area while asking people if they’ve seen a “light brown, a white, and a light brown with yellow mane and tail” horse Houdinis. She lives in open country, with open fields and woods, and appetizing village gardens with salads etc. growing…she now has a Reputation in the area, lol. At least the people in her village now know her horses and know how to put them back where they belong when she’s gone all day (she’s a country doctor).

[MissAriel]

I got through the usual antics with my young horse I purchased as an unbroke 2.5 year old. Then last year, he turned 5, and he was mentally maturing and doing amazingly well. Winter came and the rains and we hardly did anything for a few months. Even hand walks became a chore as he became a crazy, leaping, snorting monster. I was getting nervous riding him, which was new. Then, just as quickly, the spring sillies went away and he is back to being a mostly level-headed young horse.

Hang in there. spring will be over soon.

[Bluey]

I think my 21 year old, a reiner and ranch horse, missed his calling, watching this afternoon feeding airs above the ground display.

[2DogsFarm]

Lately I’ve been turning my Live Out 24/7 group into my indoor while I pick stalls w/o their “help”.
The ground is still too wet for much hijinks, but the sand indoor gets all 3 going like Lippizans on crack.
You ain’t seen nuthin’ till you’ve seen 16H, 13H & 34" all leaping in the same 10m space :eek:

[Rackonteur]

They’re all singing the same song to each other –

My beloved is like a mare among Pharaoh’s chariot horses …

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. (or a young horse)
Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
My beloved spoke and said to me,
"Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come …

Refresh me with apples,
for I am faint with love.

[betonbill]

Well thank goodness my old horse (24) isn’t the only one. We basically go through this every year but I tend to forget. Also now that I’ve been taking him away from his buddies and he’s in a different pasture than where he spent the winter he’s all eyes, nerves, and lookie-lookie. Being a TB once he’s got that engine running he doesn’t like to turn it off while he’s being groomed. For now I’m basically trying to ignore it and going along with the program, knowing that in a while he’ll calm down. Add in head shaking syndrome and pollen, it’s sort of grin and bear it time.

[TWH_Girl]

Spring is not my favorite season! Because I have horses. To add to normal spring fever issues, I am moving barns. Both of mine are nut jobs now but by mid to late May they will need spurs again. Ugh

[2DogsFarm]

@Rackonteur :lol:
That is lovely, but what my geldings are singing is more Straight Outta Compton
G(eldings)WA! :ambivalence:

[sophie]

Mine was great today, trotting and cantering on the buckle in the big outdoor ring, relaxed as could be. Then as we were walking back to the barn by a paddock, the horse in that paddock trotted over to say hi and Mare lost it. Tried to bolt, cantered sideways, did her best Rocking Horse impression, threatened to rear…roll eyes so then we just had to work some more in the ring until she calmed down. Which she did, eventually. But man this is getting old…sigh

[SharonA]

Horse is on a few days of walk only. It is warm and sunny; I was looking forward to a quiet bonding session. However… things like the grass turning green is, apparently, a view into the gates of the Apocalypse. I was particularly charmed with the “eat it and then spook at it” maneuver, with a side of, “Whoa! Has that 200’ x 85’ indoor arena always been there?? No! You lie, Mom! Prrrrrrrrrrrrr….” Idiot. One the other hand, he is almost done shedding and the mud has dried up such that he is no longer covered in stinky horse-hair mud plaster, and I am remembering how beautiful he is. The moron.

[streamline]

I wormed the two I could catch today… previous owner said he was great to worm… I got more wormer on his face than his mouth :uhoh:

I couldn’t even get near my wild one husband has told me 100 times if I get rid of him he would buy me a nice, different OTTB won’t ever get rid of the wild guy.

I kicked the horses to the back pasture, it has a really nice creek that we water them out of and they have to cross to get to the nice pasture part. Yesterday they wouldn’t cross over, everyone was really upset I kicked them off the front. I want to put a water trough back there but DH is against it for now.

Also I’ve been having saddle fitting woes. The one saddle I rode in allll of last fall/early winter rubbed my one horse, I wasn’t even riding in it. Had just lounged horse for 15 minutes with tack on… not sure if it’s because he still has a long icky/dirty winter coat or what the deal is

I sold my nice saddles last year when all my horses got sick (strangles, thought we were going to lose my 5 year old) the barn lost 2 horses. I’m glad I just have my 3 personal horses all to myself now. I had a Voltaire and a Beval natural. I’ve been looking for a used Beval natural in my size, haven’t found one yet but I enjoyed it a lot more than my custom fitted Voltaire’s.

My only other saddle sitting option right now is DH western saddles, that I can’t lift up on my poor horse. They both fit my TB well, I was surprised. I’m also 25 weeks pregnant now and not sure now well I’d fit in it… I finally just started showing… I need to buy some large riding tights I think.

I might just buy a bareback pad and use that. Last year when I was totally saddle-less I just rode the 5 year old bareback for about 3 months… I was surprised how comfortable he is for a TB.

My favorite spring fever memory… I was in my early teens and had a wild little event horse (OTTB) was by West by West. I got on, he was even long lined before… he took two steps and all 4 feet came off the ground, he always had a nasty buck too. I went flying onto his neck, he took off and flung me into a fence and managed to step on me. My parent made me get back on and he did the exact same thing. I had to goto the ER and I wasn’t able to ride for a few weeks after that! I had something similar happen to me on my first and last training cross country course… we switched over to jumpers after that!

He was probably the naughtiest horse I’ve ever had… worst spring fever too! He actually coliced and had to be put down the night I found out I was pregnant. Lots of good memories with him and he always made me dread spring!

[Texarkana]

I was grooming the horses this evening when my usually placid donkey darted under the stall guard and trotted out the front door of the barn. No big deal, I casually walked out to bring her back in.

She was nibbling on grass, but trotted off when she saw me coming. Also no big deal, donkey has good brakes on voice command. I said “ho,” expecting her typical prompt response. She said, “screw you” and took off.

At this point, my horse on cross ties plus her friends in the pasture are going bonkers. With donkey long gone, I ran back into the barn to grab a halter and grain and put the horse on cross ties back out before she broke something.

Donkey proceeded to full out gallop from one end of a massive soybean field to the other, threatening to run into the road a few times and at one point disappearing over the horizon. I literally had no idea she could run like that. Then she (thankfully) came galloping back into the barn aisle. I ushered her into the pasture where she and her friends proceeded to carry on bucking, rearing, and running, including the 33 year old who is on the mend from a gnarly illness. When they finally calmed down, I had an entire washed out herd huffing and puffing. Geez Louise!!!

Spring fever is right.

[peedin]

Today is the first day of decent weather. In the 50s, sunny, no wind. My normally energetic TB mare was lying down the in the pasture sound asleep, I woke her up,with a cookie. She about fell asleep on the cross ties and dozed during a lesson break. Most of the horses were very quiet, enjoying the sun and relaxing.