Coffee anyone ?

Cecilia's-herd

True BYH Addict
Joined
Apr 14, 2021
Messages
604
Reaction score
1,022
Points
213
Location
Zone 5b
https://www.hoofrehab.com/Diet.html is an amazing nutrition resource! I plan on using it with my guy when I bring him home. There is also a facebook group, if you do FB, "forage based equine nutrition". However, with boarding, you may not have much say in what they eat. It depends on the barn.

I looooooooooove barrel racing. My qh and I lived to run barrels when we were younger. You'll want a horse that enjoys moving out at speed, but that is also super able to stop/be slowed up when needed. (contrary to popular opinion, a complete hot head isn't necessarily a good plan). And you actually want to spend a lot more time doing dressage-like exercises for training- circles, loops, speeding up, slowing down, giving to your leg, impeccable stopping, etc. I love a solid QH type for barrels, but i've seen some amazing barrel horses with all different builds. Sometimes small built wiry horses can spin like a top and weave like nobody's business (they are easy to push around with your weight/leg). Above all, make sure they have the basics before you run, and don't over work barrels (bc they get sour and turn into demons, lol). anyways. i'll get off my soapbox now. :lol:
I was leaning towards arabian. Would this be possible?
 

Mini Horses

Herd Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
9,291
Reaction score
29,340
Points
728
Location
S coastal VA
Arabs are very agile and can excell in many performance events. They do very well in overland distance events, also. As with all breeds, some have better pedigree than others...ancestry matters.

They're my breed choice for their beauty and intelligence. I've been fortunate to own a couple over my riding years. I like a good qtr horse but, way different body.
 

Cecilia's-herd

True BYH Addict
Joined
Apr 14, 2021
Messages
604
Reaction score
1,022
Points
213
Location
Zone 5b
Arabs are very agile and can excell in many performance events. They do very well in overland distance events, also. As with all breeds, some have better pedigree than others...ancestry matters.

They're my breed choice for their beauty and intelligence. I've been fortunate to own a couple over my riding years. I like a good qtr horse but, way different body.
Very good to know! My dad has only ever owned Arabian horses so I wanted a breed he was very familiar with so he could always help me.
 

Alaskan

Herd Master
Joined
May 9, 2017
Messages
5,366
Reaction score
12,588
Points
553
Location
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Lessons!!!! get some horse skills at a good barn before you jump in head first. Horses are lovely but it can be heartbreaking when you get in over your head. Even buying tack takes some experience. A trainer/instructor can help!
X2

Start with lessons

That way too you can try out different types/kinds of horses.

I STILL remember to this day, crystal clear, how uh (insert huge embarrassingly large number) many years ago when I was 12-ish I got to ride a retired police horse.

:th I THOUGHT turn left and he turned left. You barely had to move anything, coolest thing ever.

And SMOOOOOOOOOOTH.

I never road anything like him before or since.

Some horses will jangle out your brains at a walk.
 

Alaskan

Herd Master
Joined
May 9, 2017
Messages
5,366
Reaction score
12,588
Points
553
Location
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Very good to know! My dad has only ever owned Arabian horses so I wanted a breed he was very familiar with so he could always help me.
Huh... haven't had one of those...

As a kid we had quarter horses.

As a scout I worked with mixed breed whatever. But mostly "ponies" and quarter horses.

As an adult I had a Caspian, a Percheron, and a quarter horse x Thoroughbred.

That cross broke me. Skin that would get cut, rubbed raw, messed up if you spit at it... hooves that would get bruised if you touched them, and had to be fed "fancy" to keep weight on him. Nice obedient beast...but sheesh!

The Caspian had a fiery side... I would guess like an Arabian, but if you did round pen work first he was fine. He had proper hide and was a super easy keeper. He had a stupid streak though. Every blasted spring he would get excited about the change in temps, and dance all over, and inevitably slip on an ice patch and get himself out of joint. Every spring this horse massage lady would have to come up and rub him back into alignment. 1 to 3 sessions depending on how stupid he had been.

The Percheron was great. A gentle giant, just wouldn't tolerate if you were scared of him. But he had skin like iron, and also an easy keeper.

I would worry that an Arabian would be persnickity with his feed. Easier keepers are.... EASY.

Persnickity feeders are a pain in the rear, so much more work.
 

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
10,198
Reaction score
38,756
Points
748
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Not to rain on anyone's parade... but am I dreaming or are you expecting @Cecilia's-herd ? And with cows and all , then a new baby???? And not to be a real PITA, but you are how old???? It is a young persons sport.... a very agile, lithe, young girls' sport.... I am just curious where and when you would have time for a horse that will need daily work and time and effort as well as a substantial amount of money in feed and shelter and tack...... I had horses for years, barrel raced as a teen and then after my son was born... there were not enough hours in a day..... and I did not work an outside job..... AND I was accustomed to juggling horse chores with school and work as a teen and then as a newlywed.....
Just thinking you may be having a hormonal reaction rather than a realistic outlook. I spent several hours a day with normal trail riding to condition my mare as well as several days a week doing some ring work and practice runs.
Something to consider. Normal trail riding will even be more difficult with time constraints of a newborn....
 

Cecilia's-herd

True BYH Addict
Joined
Apr 14, 2021
Messages
604
Reaction score
1,022
Points
213
Location
Zone 5b
but am I dreaming or are you expecting @Cecilia's-herd ?
Yes I am! 5 months along.
It is a young persons sport.... a very agile, lithe, young girls' sport....
I'm 22, and I would like to think a girl can dream. I still play rugby! I would say I'm fairly agile... I don't know for sure. Thankfully money has never been a big issue with our family for reasons I won't disclose 🤣
And yes- it most likely is hormonal... :hide but its so fun to watch... so pretty
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
33,092
Reaction score
98,654
Points
873
Location
East Texas
Yes I am! 5 months along.

I'm 22, and I would like to think a girl can dream. I still play rugby! I would say I'm fairly agile... I don't know for sure. Thankfully money has never been a big issue with our family for reasons I won't disclose 🤣
And yes- it most likely is hormonal... :hide but its so fun to watch... so pretty
With a brand new baby, some things are off the table. I called it dropping out of the land of the living for 2 years. Everything I did was all about my baby and it will be for you too.

I'm not going to crush your dream. Get a horse. Get a horse that is gentle, absolutely calm, the kind that you can put out to pasture for 4 months, then saddle up and ride and he is still the same horse. Many horses will nut up and act crazy if not ridden often. You don't know how to ride. Your first horse does not need to be a hot head, chomping and tugging at the bit ready to RUN. Look at it this way, a calm gentle horse for you to learn on, then becomes a calm gentle horse for your child to learn to ride on. Make sense?

The blue eye that is in my avatar belonged to Joe's Tuff Bars, the absolute love of my life. He appeared in a neighbor's lot, cut up, skinny, standing 3 legged, head hanging almost to the ground and lower lip hanging loose. I came home from work, got out of the car and was drawn to the fence like a magnet. That skinny horse saw me at the fence and limped slowly to me and put his head over the fence for me to pet him. Instant love.

My new husband saw this and my excitement when I talked about this horse and the big smile on my face. Every day I was at the fence to pet this horse. Turned out the horse didn't belong to the neighbor, it belonged to a friend of his and one day when he came to feed the horse, my husband was there. He bought the horse. Joe was mine.

Joe was 7 years old. He was an old soul, calm, gentle, not spooky, practically nothing ruffled him. Over the years, there were times that I didn't have time to ride very often, due to work. It didn't matter, Joe was the same, day in, day out, ridden often or not ridden for months. I joked that he had 2 speeds, slow and stop. He would give me a good gallop or brisk trot, but was hard for a non rider to get above a fast walk. He was safe for anybody to ride. He was my baby, my heart horse. Other horses came and went, Joe stayed. We had to put him down August 2020, at age 32. BJ and I bawled like babies.

You need a Joe.

My two favorite guys. Both of them big guys, white haired and blue eyed. Both of them carried my heart away with them.

IMG282.jpg
 

Latest posts

Top