Saddlebredshowmom......You sound like you could write for Hallmark......beautifully said.

 If you have bitten by the "horse bug", there is no satisfying that "itch", if I may, but by the antidote...the horse.

I can't think of a more beautiful animal or one that is so perfectly fitting for mankind.  How devine is that....

SO TRUE....CAUTION AND GOOD SENSE NEEDS TO GO BEFORE US .......THE FACT THAT THIS THIS RIDER WAS ABLE TO LIVE SEE ANOTHER SUNSET WAS A MIRACLE......HE WASN'T HURT AND THE HORSE WASN'T HURT EITHER.....SOMEBODY IS WATCHING OVER HIM.

IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO GET THE RIGHT HORSE WITH THE RIGHT RIDER.  I JUST RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A RIDER WHO GOT A YOUNG MARE NOT REALIZING HOW UNTRAINED SHE WAS.  SHE NEARLY KILLED HIM TWICE BY REARING STRAIGHT UP AND FALLING OVER ON HIM! AND IT HAPPENED AS SOON AS HE GOT IN THE SADDLE.  THE DECEIVING PART CAME IN BECAUSE SHE IS SO SWEET AND CLAM...THEY EVEN NAMED HER "SWEETIE".  NOW THAT IS A MARE APPEARING TO BE CALM.  THIS YOUNG FULL OF HIMSELF COLT IS ALREADY AN OBVIOUS HANDFUL. I REALLY HOPE YOUR FRIEND KNOWS HORSES.

Here's a good one for things to never do.....mercy.....felt like a rodeo at the OK Corral!!  This horse was just bought....the owner had no knowledge of it's past because she is a rescue horse. When he went to pick her up, the horse was being ridden by a 7 year old child and looked like a dream horse.  He tells me he gets her home and his first riding experience....well, the mare rears straight up and falls over backwards with him.  Second riding experience within the week...same thing.  So, I give him a hand with this 4 yr. old rescue horse.  She is green, but very sweet and calm.  Rider gets on and you can see she's thinking about what is going on.  I am leading the mare and rider on a lead line and she is doing fine...take them out on the sandy roads...everything scary goes by and she's a dream horse.  We have been walking for a while, and then trotted her with the rider....yeehaaa....a bucking moment and I stop and she stops and he gets off.  That was a good ending, but we are all over the place trying to figure out this mystery horse...does she have a back problem...his weight.. never been ridden...why was a 7 yr. old able to ride her?  A week later, he takes her out in the yard to try to lounge her.  She doesn't know what that is either...of course. But she had been checked and doesn't have a back problem so the rider gets on her for another try. I am leading her   but, right away I knew this horse was going to rear .... told him to get off and gave the horse to him.  She was rearing and continues to rear and falls over taking out a small tree and a section of the owner's fence. I don't know how the owner didn't get hurt as he almost got tangled up with her nonsense. Horse was fine, too. There are so many "things never to do" with this scenario.....but he knows this is not the horse for him and his family.

The soles of my horse's hooves (they are barefoot) are never touched.  The terrain and the amount of riding does a fine job of keeping them done naturally.  Seth's answer covers it all.

I have a 12 yr. old Arabian stallion who is "full of life", but very controllable.  I can ride him with my mare when she is in season.  He is quite an expressive horse, but I am always one step ahead of him to keep him acting like a gelding.  My vet even told me if I were to geld him, he would be the same.  I am definitely blessed to have him like this, but I have seen some stallions act like a STALLION.  I knew another person who had a young paint stallion who acted like an older gelding.  She had to geld him for boarding reasons and he acted the same...certainly not the norm. Every stallion is different as every horse is, too.  But with all the horses out there needing homes, I would look for a gelding, too, and not go through the process.

This is going to sound like I am making this up....but here it goes...I am cleaning my horse's stall...he's eating...all is well...peaceful...solving lots of issues in my head...I am all around my horse's feet picking up manure and then BBOOOMMMBBB!!!  There is this explosion across the street!  Here's the weird part...it was so loud, but I didn't even jump!  And better yet, neither did my 2 horses.  Oh, we all 3 looked up turned our heads to look around and they went back to eating and I went back to cleaning the stall.  I have never experienced so many fireworks and guns shooting off , and now explosions as I do while here in the Acreage.  It's the greatest desensitizing place for my horses who are both Arabs...talk about fight or flight.  And....there was another explosion some time later....and I was cleaning the other stall.  Yesterday, neighbor to the left was target shooting and the mare didn't even flinch for that.  My other horse was..."what was that!" We getting to the core of this fight or flight issue....

....does she want to geld him because he is too much to handle or she just doesn't want a stallion...or both?  When he is gelded, it will take about a year for all the "juice" to be drained out of him.  I sincerely hope she is a superb horse(wo)man and this stallion is a "gentleman" to begin with.  What breed of horse is he?

Yes...I finally figured that out...it was just too funny trying to get that word out.

I can't get this posting to say s..u..c..k..e..d her tongue.  Maybe typing it out this way will work...

ED her tongue!!!!!

I don't know why it came out "ed" her tongue? But obviously I am saying she ED her tongue....yes...Flicka was a product of human intervention.  She thought my mother was her mother since my mother did raise her.  I think this story is definitely in the category of "you know you're horse crazy in love".  (P.S.  Many years later, I rescued a Rottweiler from the shelter in St. Thomas, and one reason why I got him was because his huge tongue would hang to the side of his mouth...reminding me of Flicka.  I don't know what's going on with the tongues hanging out in the islands??)

Bump up to the story of my horse, Flicka, ( bottle fed/hand raised ).....I didn't teach her to kiss, but she ed her tongue!  Remember, we found her when she was two days old.  Since she didn't nurse from her mother, she ed her tongue like a child would  his thumb.  Yes....it got to be a bit embarrassing as we would saunter down the street with her big ole tongue just sticking out like a red flag.  And one time she did bite her tongue...don't exactly remember why....I would assume because it got in the way

What was the outcome of the horse with the droopy lip?

Horses and kids.....always thinking ahead of them.

 What a miracle that horse lived and I can't imagine what happened to have that handle drive so hard into the horse.

My mare is so full of common sense.....the fork means nothing to her.....I can leave anything in her stall and she is so good...can leave anything sitting on the stall wall while I am tending to her and she all about being polite and doing her stuff.  My stallion.....they are a different breed of animal.  I just realize they are wired that way due to what they have to do in life---reproduce!  Stallions...mine especially...are so curious about everything!!  That is well put about the stallion and the fork..."nobody has to get hurt here."  But is so true....to have horses means we need to be so aware of everything for them!

Thank God that horse was saved......

What is so wonderful now is the fact that bull riders are now wearing helmets!  I have a cousin, Shane Proctor, who is a pretty well known bull rider and he is competing in Madison Square Garden this weekend (NY city).  During an interview, the subject was about the injuries and wearing helmets.  I just say thank God for their helmets and vests now.

Very good!  And very nice to the Arabian!

I gave the wrong telephone number for Heidi--it is 561-662-2405

Heidi took care of my horses and cat and did a fantastic job.  I have a stallion and a mare.  She did everything I had asked her to do.  Everybody was happy and healthy when I came back.  I found her from someone who highly recommended her and now I highly recommend her.  Heidi's # is 561-662-2405

P.S.  Heidi is very honest and always on time.

I have a pure white horse---let's talk keeping white white!!

Thanks so much for taking care of the horses and giving me peace of mind while I was away!  As soon as I met Heidi, I knew she was trust worthy.      

Thanks for the video!  That is the most amazing riding and shooting...and those horses look like the ultimate trail horse!

.....and when we got back to the barn, 3 gun shots went off in the area.  I don't know what it is called, but I've seen videos of people riding their horses shooting off their guns and going around barrels....there is a name for it...but we will probably be ready to do that....

FANTASTIC!!

You know you are horse crazy in love...when you, "Saddlediva", and I love your name, clean other people's horses and barn.  That's just good integrety.....

Here's the scenario...looking forward to a wonderful ride....got my guy all saddled up..thanked God for no rain...and off I go at a good clip down the Acreage roads...feeling good  ..then I get a gut feeling to walk.  And to my amazement there arose such a clatter...OF FIREWORKS right next to us! I thought to myself... what a  time to desensitize, whether I like it or not.  I kept riding him forward with a dance of resistance, but he did it! Go figure...fireworks?!?  Are we having fun yet?

They are eating the roots because right now, it seems there would be more nutrition in the roots than in the dried grass that grows here in this soil.  And another reason could be since the grass isn't growing now and the horses are still grazing on it, they continue grazing even to the roots. 

I lived in SC with my horses for 10 years.  The locally grown hay was poor in minerals (calcium).  When I first moved there, I bought a yearly.  He started to eat dirt ...much to my horror!  To make sure he grew properly, I added loose minerals to his diet and loose salt and he was fine after that.  And, just recently I had forgotten to give him the loose salt and saw him eating  sand. Gave him loose salt and stopped that problem.

It's true-----having your animals cared for while away on vacation is so very important.  I also went away for a couple weeks for Christmas.  I did not know of anyone to care for my horses and asked Ingrid Taskin to recommend someone.  She told me about Heidi Michelbrink.  Heidi did a great job taking care of my horses.  If anyone needs a wonderful, responsible person to watch the pets...here is her # 561-662-2045.

All great ideas to get rid of the odor, but I wonder what is the cause of the strong odor?  My horse will use one area and it is out in the sun, but never is there an odor.  Does your horse drink a lot?

Mules and donkeys are like attack dogs in a herd of horses.  Horses will run from their attacker where donkeys and mules will do the attacking.  I saw a video of a mule attacking a mountain lion protecting other animals.  As for coyotes...attacking horses as big as they are...no...but baby foals...I would keep an eye on them.  They have been known to attack and kill small children and babies.  Coyotes are not our friends......

Is there a lot of iron in this FL well water that all of our horses are drinking?  And does too much iron cause a problem such as kidney stones?
Those researchers should do an iron deficiency study with our FL horses and FL well water.

As for eating dirt...I had a dirt eater and his craving was do to a lack of salt.  I have salt blocks plus I add loose salt just to make sure he gets his salt intake.

I wonder why the owner doesn't know the reason for the droopy lip ....when did he get it...did she get a vet to look at it...... there are many ways for this to happen.  Even a recent bee sting could be the problem.  Another horse could have kicked him or a snake bite----nerve damage from a stroke--but since he is riding so well, that doesn't seem to be the case.

  Does anyone know where I can get some free goats?  Rescue centers....anyone trying to find a home for their goats?

In SC, my pastures were filled with Live Oaks.....and only one horse would eat the acorns...and he never got sick.  At the time when I first heard about acorns being a problem, I was very concerned because I had so many trees and the acorns were everywhere.  But, apparently, he didn't eat too much or it didn't bother him...or both?  One thing I noticed, the deer ate the acorns all the time...and they kept multiplying....

Seminole all the way......

   ..........when you have been on a wonderful Christmas vacation.....and you think the highlight of your lovely vacation with your beloved family is.....coming home to the horses........

I remembered when (years ago) we had moved to our home in New York, I was so excited about letting my cats outdoors because of the privacy of the woods behind the house.  But, shortly after, I found I had  packs of coyotes right near the house in those gorgeous woods.  We even found their dens and "droppings" and heard them all the time.  Apparently, these coyotes were many in number over a large area and too many sitings.  The county took matters into their own hands.....what these coyotes were killing , plus even the threat to small children and babies brought an end to those coyotes.  I was shocked to hear hunters in the woods shooting them.

I was waiting for Seth to answer this one----cal him if he doesn't answer.  This farrier knows his stuff.

561-632-5291

Subject: IF I DIDN'T HAVE A DOG OR CAT

 
I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without
wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, with out taking into
consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money, and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians,
as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be:
out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.

I would not talk 'baby talk'.  'Eat your din din'.
'Yummy yummy for the tummy'...

My house would not look like a day
care center, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like
poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T,
O-U-T, G-O, R-I-D-E, C-O-O-K-I-E
I would not have as many
leaves INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having
ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud'
season.

I would not have to answer the question

'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have
the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by
someone
as close to an ANGEL
as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!!! 

Glad you told us----love happy endings.

Even if there a humane way, the intention here is not.  And so, horses would be slaughtered that shouldn't be.  And why use slaughter???  That word gives them away.....euthanize might sound better...but you can still read between the lines...

Sad and disappointing for what you wanted----if that were me, I would want to get on with my dreams right away instead of holding on to this horse.  I am sure someone would love him....big beautiful warmblood...and he may be the best dressage horse for someone else.  Selling him may take time in today's economy, but there may be that perfect jumper disguised in a smaller jumper or another big warmblood at a lower price (because of the economy).  A crisis just may also be a crossroads for a miracle.

You know....go riding with your son.  You on your horse and your son on his 4 wheeler.  Let him ride his 4 wheeler a tadbit ahead of you and go from there.  Also, make sure the horse is pretty calm about this new way to go before passenger (that would be you) climbs aboard.  Then after the horse is calm about this, have the son drive in different variations---driving ahead---turning around and coming back....always making sure the horse graduates with calmness to each new variation.  I think this should be a winning ticket.  Bonding with the horse and the son at the same time....

...I quoted Ingrid's little cute saying wrong.    '..there are horse people and then there is everybody else....'

Animals definitely are the icing on the cake...and studies have shown how animals can be a benefit to our health.  Here's to living long healthy lives because of our horses!!

Maybe calling a few vets in your area--see if they have a Dalmation as one of their patients?

.....isn't God's creation spectacular!  The video speaks for itself....BELIEVE!  Thank you for sharing this message....and....Merry Christmas everybody!

...thus..you know you're horse crazy in love when your horses eat before you do.....and that is always the cardinal rule in my book.  Oh yes---horse lovers do things differently.  Ingrid Taskin has on her e-mail---hope I quote it correctly---I'll give it a shot--'there are horse people and then there are just other people'.  Saddlediva has sparked another memory---believe me I have so many because we are 'horse people'.  My mother literally found my horse, Flicka, on the back end of a gulf course.  She was 2 days old..the mother was dieing...long story made short...found the owner...he gave us the baby (island living) and so my mother raised this baby filly from 2 days old.  We have stories from here to eternity with Flicka...but here is a taste.  My mother cared for her almost 24/7.  Bottle fed--in the house---and here is where it does get a little different.  My mother would pick us from school everyday..and she would bring Flicka in the back seat of the car.  She would promptly go to sleep and thoroughly was enjoying the ride.  And on those occasions , my mother would also stop at the post office to get the mail.  Flicka would then pop her head up and people/tourist  would see her and, oh, did they have a story to tell when they got back from their vacation in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.  And I grew up at the mercy of thinking this kind of living is normal... ....the woes of horse lovers...

Exactly...it depends on the situation and the horse and the rider.  Everything "Moresian" said was exactly right.  This is common horse (backriding) sense.  Desensitize the horse....life saving....and just remember.....getting off your horse at times can be the best solution.  We don't want to experience...."getting knocked off your high horse".

......when one of your kids says...."you treat the horse better than me!"  But I was quick to say...."I ride with spurs and a crop.....are you feeling the love now?"

The best cared horse is exactly right.  Falko lived a wonderful life because of the love and superb care he got from his owner and caretakers.  I, too, was introduced to this amazing friendship and bond between horse and his adoring trio......impressed and in awe with what went on with Falko.  Adrienne.... .unique, special, and just a lovely lady.  I can only imagine the loss and emptiness this has brought......but know everything was done for the comfortable latter days he enjoyed.  Lin Bevanda

   ...and wouldn't we be treading in dangerous waters if we were so "horse crazy in love if"...we would rather be with our horses than our spouses ...thank God for our sakes my hubby rides with me ....

This getting good...we will be airing all of our issues and "dirty laundry"...confession is good for the soul..

  ''''''''''childhood memory'''''''''I grew up in the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas).  Many times I would let our horses out of their pasture to graze around the house. And on one of those days, I had fallen asleep to hear my mother calling me to come and get the horses out of the livingroom.....yes...we were horse crazy in love, and our horses knew it!  The two horses were both standing asleep in the livingroom...those are precious memories that happened a few times.  How did they get in....island living...front door always open....

The time to buy a horse is unfortunately great for the buyer, but not so for the seller.  So many sad stories of people having to sell/free their horses.  Many horses needing homes...don't give up in your search for the (key word) right horse.

Oh yes...had it not been for that crazy horse love....when he stepped on my foot (and found out later he fractured my foot )....I still got on him and went riding.....what is more crazy than that....

...when you start calling your children your horse's names...

  ...when you first wake up in the morning and your first thoughts are on feeding the horses.....

Go to Classified and read the posting on feral cats by kde.  She is going through the same thing with feral cats and is trying to trap them, etc.  Maybe you all should get together....

Oh God.....help me.....my shampoo situation is the opposite and (breathe deep) I use dish-soap detergent to wash my horses!   Regular shampoo doesn't clean my Floridian-soiled, blackened white horse.  I am sure to hear the naysayers on detergent for horses...I know already.  My horse did knock my diamond out of my engagement ring and I did NOT hug that horse ...no! I did not.  But, I did find it and thanked God a ton of times.  And, sad to say...I do not exchange gifts with my horses...because they never reciprocate.     I can hear the naysayers again.....yes, horses do keep on giving...

                                                               Please feel free to forgive me for writing the complete opposite of this posting...

A vet...not heard of this...

Ok----I only used drops on the neck.  And as for those feral cats..rent a maniac guard dog--Rotweiller or German Shepherd--and leave them out at night.....let the games begin and let nature take it's course.    But, maybe more on the serious side, throw catnip in her yard at night---they'll want to stay over there for sure.... .  Ok...you might want to get better advice by calling some animal control cops---see what they recommend.  I don't think I would be too concerned about trapping feral cats and letting the critter control relocate them.  The neighbor doesn't have to know you are setting up cages to trap them.  Many people would love feral cats to roam their barn and get rats.  I personally knew someone who would do that--cats eventually became loving pets and some of these cats were so beautiful.  But these feral cats can also contain distemper and rabies and be a threat to your well being and your pets.  I would do some major praying.......

If you mean eating to keep warm as horses do keep warm by eating extra hay.....I think the problem started before the "chill". 

My thoughts would be a dog would the greatest deterrant for the "varmints".  But depends on the pooch. And is the dog out at night...... As for the worming monthly...must be new that those heart worm/flea and tick drops( you can put on the back of their necks monthly) covers hook worms...plus other worms that dogs can get.  My dog died 3 yrs. ago and I haven't used those products since.  I do stand corrected on my spelling of varmints though...

How serious are you in getting rid of them?  Money wise?  Maybe call some critter control.....have them humanely trap them to relocate the varmets.  If they get a neighbor's cat, then it hopefully has a collar.....and maybe you might know who it belongs to.  I have heard of sprinkler systems that are sensored that my neighbor used for deer that were coming into her yard (gorgeous garden). This was in SC.  It worked somewhat, but they got use to it, too.  How do you know it is cats?  Cats bury their business.  Is your dog digging "it" up and eating their business?  And I don't remember monthly worming my dog.  He got monthly flea, tick, and heart worm drops.  I, on the other hand am not serious by stopping my intruders.  I actually now feed the next door neighbor's cat.  When I bought the property for my horses, I inherited their cat.  They have 8 dogs and when they got their last (8th) dog which is a pitbull...."Mickey" skipped the joint and came to me. I feed him and he lives in my barn.  Problem is, his food is attracting another kitty which does steal his food and thus...I put more food out.  How can I not feed another stravin' "Marvin"?

Wonderful!

Thanks for such a witty input...

With all due respect for your opinion......and I also agree.....I would rather not use poison....but the rats in my father's house and yard were so numerous....I don't think I would be exaggerating if I said well over a hundred rats.  I saw the cats watch them during the day. The dogs didn't even raise a head to them running around.  My father lived in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.  And roaches are small birds and rats are litterally kitten-size---yuck!!  We tried other ways--traps--get them now and then.  Imagine coming for a visit to see dear ole Dad and our trip turns into a vacation from hell.  So, I don't want to offend anybody by suggesting rat poison....but we had to do what we had to do...it is either the rats or our health...even the rest of my dad's pet's health and our sanity. All the better to use natural means..of course.