Thursday, February 23, 2012

Hobby Horse Blog Hop - Week One

Hay, thanks for stopping by! I hope you have the time to participate in this new blog hop I'm starting. I think it will be great fun to get to know more horse lovers and to learn from each other.

The Hobby Horse Blog Hop is for bloggers who:
  • love horses, whether they have one now, had one at one point in their lives or just enjoy seeing them.
  • cantered plastic horses around their bedroom floor,  jumping over shoes and trotting over pencil cavaletti. 
  • have taken a riding lesson, or never taken a riding lesson, or wish to take a lesson.
  • dream of owning their own horse, or have their own horse.
  • put a pony on their Christmas list every year as a child.
  • read every horse story in the school library as a kid!

What experiences and memories do you have to share? 


Each week I'll post two or three prompts. 
Choose one, two, or respond to all.
You can respond in comments or 
create a post on your blog and link to it.
Complete your post by asking a question for Blogger friends to answer.
And, who knows, maybe your question will become a prompt some other week.

Put the Hobby Horse Blog Hop image on your post
and create a link back to this post.

Link your post to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop
by using the Linky Tool below.
(If you link your blog and not your actual post
readers might not connect to your responses.)

Visit other participating blogs on the list
and respond to their questions or leave a comment.

Let's have some fun!


Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 1:
  1. Tell us about your first horse, real or imagined. 
  2. What lesson(s) did you learn from a horse?
  3. What riding discipline intrigues you the most?

Here are my responses:

1. My first horse was somewhere between real and imagined. My first horse was my barrel horse! I wrote about her here. At the time my barrel horse was created I was taking my first lessons and learning the basics of English riding, which is why I had jodhpurs, boots, a helmet and crop in the picture.

2. My first 'real' horse taught me a very important lesson about having a horse vetted thoroughly before making a purchase, or at minimum, having someone who is very knowledgeable go along with you to try the horse and assess its soundness, health and way of going. When I outgrew a friend's horse I began looking for a horse of my own. I bought a sweet little grey. He was a bold jumper. In fact, when I went to try him they showed me how easily he jumped 4'. I used 'Socky' for Pony Club, a few fox hunts and a few beginner's level three day events. He was a great first horse. He had a willing attitude and we traveled many a trail together. Sadly, Socky developed navicular disease. It became apparent that he would no longer be able to withstand the stress of the type of riding I was doing. Future horse purchases would be conducted only after X-rays and a veterinarian evaluation. (.... and then I bought the Haffies... no vet check, no X-rays. I went against everything I have always thought was important!! But, knock on wood, they have been pretty healthy, happy and sound!)


3. I am fascinated by vaulting. I admire the horse used for this sport, who holds himself to a specific gait until told to do otherwise. I admire the vaulters who lightly leap onto the backs of the horse as the horse calmly canters around the arena. Oh, my, it looks like such great fun!

My Question: What barn chore do you enjoy (or do you think you'd enjoy) doing the most?

Here's where you link to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop:

14 comments:

  1. I have to laugh--we have never gotten a horse vetted before we bought him, and never had a problem, either. It's a gamble, but I guess since we don't spend a fortune on our horses, buy them on the young side and just plan to use them on trail, it has worked out. If I was going to compete, it would be different.

    By the way, I have a friend who bought 2 horses, got them both vetted beforehand, and they both had serious problems shortly after purchase.

    Judi
    Author of "Trail Training for the Horse and Rider" and "Trail Horse Adventures and Advice"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judi, thanks for your comment! Maybe I should change that to something I 'thought' I had learned from a horse!!!
      I think you are right about having horses vetted who still have problems. There are vets... and then there are Vets!
      Also, as you point out, getting them on the young side and fairly inexpensive makes a difference, too.
      When I look at the prices some people pay for show horses, it scares me! I can't imagine spending a fortune like that!

      Delete
  2. I think buying horses is always a gamble, but I don't think I could buy one of those horses that cost more than a car or small house. If I did, they would be vetted and xrayed from top to bottom!

    I didn't bother with my last horse, Cole, because he was 3 hours from home, and I couldn't use my own vet. I didn't feel comfortable with using a strange vet. If I paid for my vet to get there--the vetcheck probably would have cost more than the horse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The 'not knowing' the vet was one reason I didn't have the Haffies looked at. They had a vet and a farrier at the sale that I could have paid for a check-up, but I didn't know if they were 'in the pockets' of the horse traders. I didn't know if they were any good, and to be honest, until the bidding started I really wasn't going to buy them!!
      You are right that buying a horse is a gamble... actually, life, itself is a gamble!

      Delete
    2. I did not have Shy vetted either. Although I did make the seller float her teeth before I bought her. And they ended up removing her wolf teeth, which she wanted me to pay for, but she didn't ask me in advance, I refused.

      Delete
  3. Oh, and I forgot to ask my question at the end of my answers. Next time. . .

    ReplyDelete
  4. 1. My first horse was my English racer bicycle, complete with saddlebags. I used to ride this bike in the street with my eyes closed, pretending it was a horse. One day I rode it smack into a mailbox with my eyes closed. The prongs of the mailbox left quite the scar in my forehead. There was much blood. This was the first of many riding accidents.
    2. Lesson learned - when around horses, pay attention. Even if they are make-believe horses!
    3. Dressage is the never ending quest. There is always something to work on, something to strive to improve on, no matter what the level.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used to 'ride' my English bike, too - and darn, those mailboxes were evil!!!
      Dressage is definitely an art form. I enjoy watching Intermediate and higher levels and I'm in awe of the riders and their horses.

      Delete
  5. No horse or even a desire for a horse with me. And, no --- I did NOT read "horse books" but did read all the orange & aqua books re presidents and historical persons in my classroom libraries. And, of course, Sue Barton & Ellery Queen were staples once I had access to a real library. Was there something "wrong" with me?

    Anne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nope, nothing wrong with you.... with your interest in history I'd almost say our brains are wired differently. But then, how do you explain our technology interests? Hmmm, interesting!

      Delete
  6. Horse vaulting astounds me and I wish I could ride that well. That's definitely a type of riding that needs to be started at a very young age before you learn fear. My niece is a gymnast and very into horses - I've tried to talk her mom into letting her vault, our local Westernaires has a horse vaulting program. My sister isn't into letting her daughter hang upside down off the side of a horse at a full gallop. Spoil sport.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree.... I see nothing wrong with hanging upside down...at a canter or gallop. Haven't we all done that at least once in our life, by accident?!

      Delete
  7. Camryn here:
    Shoot since I am a horse how do I answer question about "my first horse"?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm. that's an interesting question. I hadn't thought of this from your angle. Maybe next week I'll have to put in at least one question from the horse's point of view!

      Delete

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