December 10
My brain has been fried by the winter weather today - unexpected freezing rain turned my 15 minute commute to the barn into a 2 hour ordeal, and I got into a car accident along the way (my car, the other car (a Culligan water truck), the other driver, and I are all fine, but it was a pretty terrifying 20 minutes), and now I'm at my real job and can't quite put thoughts together to make a post. Thankfully, L at Viva Carlos has provided another excellent Blog Hop for December!
Does your horse need shoes?
Leo had shoes on all four feet when I bought him, and I did away with the back shoes immediately (mostly because I didn't want to pay for a full set unless absolutely necessary), and he has never seemed to miss them. I wanted to pull his fronts as well and try him barefoot, but Trainer K thought that wasn't the greatest idea while he was in training. Farrier C says that Leo has ridiculously hard feet, so barefoot may still be something we try in the future - or we may go back to a full set when we start running cross country.
What do you think of the barefoot vs shoes debate?
I don't think that either side is right or wrong. There are horses at the barn who go dead lame without their shoes, horses that can throw a shoe and keep trucking along without missing a step, horses that are barefoot and have amazing looking feet, and horses that are barefoot and their feet look like shit. So in my mind, it depends almost entirely on the horse, and what is best for each specific horse's feet.
Favorite season for riding?
I really like late spring/early summer.
How many shows do you think you've gone to?
As a kid - maybe 3
IHSA shows in college - 4
Huntseat shows with CEC - 7
Events - 1 mini event
Hunter Paces - 1 (haunted)
So approximately 16.
Do you consider yourself a good rider?
Most days. (:
How experienced do you think someone needs to be to own a horse?
I mean, I feel like this is quite dependent on circumstance. Like, we have a lot of horses at the barn that are owned by kids/parents, but they're half leased by the barn to be used in the lesson program, and so Trainer K is primarily responsible for their care. But if you have a horse on full board and you never come out to see it or ride it, why do you have one? Also, I would think that keeping a horse at home would require infinite more experience than owning a horse that is boarded. And everyone has to start somewhere!
Have you ever gotten into a fight with your trainer?
Not that I can think of. I'm not a very confrontational person. I've definitely had disagreements with trainers, but not actual fights.
Describe your dream horse.
As a child, I wanted a solid black Arabian. I don't even know why, since as a child I was also super obsessed with thoroughbreds. When I started looking at horses, I wanted something huge (16.3+) and brave and experienced, preferably with interesting markings and a puppy dog personality. Leo fits the markings and personality part, and he's learning how to be brave. Someday I would still love to have a monster sized OTTB though.
Does anyone in your family ride?
Nope, although I've gotten both parents on horses before. B will ride, but he's not interested in lessons or anything, just trails. Although I think he would get into something like cutting if given the opportunity.
If you could ride any horse in the world, which one would it be? Why?
Oh man. I don't even know. I would love to ride an upper level eventer, or a super experienced dressage horse. If time wasn't a constraint, I think it would be amazing to ride one of my favorite ex-racehorses of old, like Secretariat or Seattle Slew or Man o' War. Or Charismatic, my favorite racehorse of all time ever.
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| Today in winter fashion: ice mane, modeled by Emma |
Leo had shoes on all four feet when I bought him, and I did away with the back shoes immediately (mostly because I didn't want to pay for a full set unless absolutely necessary), and he has never seemed to miss them. I wanted to pull his fronts as well and try him barefoot, but Trainer K thought that wasn't the greatest idea while he was in training. Farrier C says that Leo has ridiculously hard feet, so barefoot may still be something we try in the future - or we may go back to a full set when we start running cross country.
What do you think of the barefoot vs shoes debate?
I don't think that either side is right or wrong. There are horses at the barn who go dead lame without their shoes, horses that can throw a shoe and keep trucking along without missing a step, horses that are barefoot and have amazing looking feet, and horses that are barefoot and their feet look like shit. So in my mind, it depends almost entirely on the horse, and what is best for each specific horse's feet.
Favorite season for riding?
I really like late spring/early summer.
How many shows do you think you've gone to?
As a kid - maybe 3
IHSA shows in college - 4
Huntseat shows with CEC - 7
Events - 1 mini event
Hunter Paces - 1 (haunted)
So approximately 16.
Do you consider yourself a good rider?
Most days. (:
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| blankey baby |
I mean, I feel like this is quite dependent on circumstance. Like, we have a lot of horses at the barn that are owned by kids/parents, but they're half leased by the barn to be used in the lesson program, and so Trainer K is primarily responsible for their care. But if you have a horse on full board and you never come out to see it or ride it, why do you have one? Also, I would think that keeping a horse at home would require infinite more experience than owning a horse that is boarded. And everyone has to start somewhere!
Have you ever gotten into a fight with your trainer?
Not that I can think of. I'm not a very confrontational person. I've definitely had disagreements with trainers, but not actual fights.
Describe your dream horse.
As a child, I wanted a solid black Arabian. I don't even know why, since as a child I was also super obsessed with thoroughbreds. When I started looking at horses, I wanted something huge (16.3+) and brave and experienced, preferably with interesting markings and a puppy dog personality. Leo fits the markings and personality part, and he's learning how to be brave. Someday I would still love to have a monster sized OTTB though.
Does anyone in your family ride?
Nope, although I've gotten both parents on horses before. B will ride, but he's not interested in lessons or anything, just trails. Although I think he would get into something like cutting if given the opportunity.
If you could ride any horse in the world, which one would it be? Why?
Oh man. I don't even know. I would love to ride an upper level eventer, or a super experienced dressage horse. If time wasn't a constraint, I think it would be amazing to ride one of my favorite ex-racehorses of old, like Secretariat or Seattle Slew or Man o' War. Or Charismatic, my favorite racehorse of all time ever.
Love that frosty mane! How cool would it be to gallop Secretariat?!
ReplyDeleteThe coolest ever!!!
DeleteI love that big blaze!
ReplyDelete