Hello Group! Like Steven Moore I also started riding way beyond Pony Club age. I have been riding with a trainer for 9 years now and am leasing a horse and riding on my own. I am finally good enough to handle bucking and bolting! Not that I want to - I don't bounce like the young ones! :-) Horses have taught me a lot about thinking while under stress.

Hi I am new to the site. Glad to find people like me kids are grown and married. I am home and still raising animals. I still have a horse and 2 donkeys and many more animals. I haven't ridden in a while and I am in Southern California where I have lived for years. Everyone I used to ride with moved or don't have horses anymore. I guess I am blessed to still want to be horse crazy. Still love them and will have them forever. I don't show anymore. I just got a crushy ride a foxtrotter and I am wanting to get on her and ride in the hills but will have to take it slow for me and her she has not be ridden in a few years. I have to see if she is going to spook out on the road. People around here are not very horse friendly anymore. I am afraid I will get hit by someone driving to close and she might spook in front of there car. Hope to work it all out soon. Glad to hear I am not the only one still wanting to ride at my age with all the aches and pains.

Hi Everyone:

Sure some of you have dealt with the loss of a beloved horse...lie to me and tell me it gets easier.

What is amazing in the midst of such sorrow is the realization that this mare and I had been together for 29 years. Wow. Was I lucky to have had her. Thank you Hesas Juanita, AQHA (Hesa Commander x Juana Quixote ). May you rest in peace Nita, it was a wonderful ride and I'll see you again.

Sincerely,
Annette Kolkey
Monte Cielo Ranch
Anderson, CA

Comment By Dawn Pollock
on October 9, 2009, 1:17 pm

Sorry about your loss. I lost my best friend a few years back, I had him for 28 years. I was 14 and he was 2 when my Dad bought him for me. Barney kept me out of trouble as a teen and taught me how to hang on running thru the woods in back of my home. I ride a little slower now a days. I have had to put down 3 of my buddies over the years and it is never easy. The last one a mare I put sooo much time and training in. She was difficult but I was determined. And to loose her was the worst thing. I still have a hard time when I think on it. But I am blessed with Bo my paint. He filled a void, and personality boy that is a plus. Hang in there and if you do not have another horse get one . Life is better because of our Horses. Dawn P.

Comment By Annette Kolkey
on October 12, 2009, 5:49 pm

Thank you for your kindness Dawn. I do have four horses (three are Qtr ponies) two of them offspring of this wonderful mare. The oldest, Heza Sugarfrosty Doc or Frosty, my red roan has her great ho-hum personality. My quarter pony stallion, AllDunUpInColor aka P'nut also has her laid back attitude. Still unbroke, I look forward to enjoying him under saddle soon. My wish is that I spend less time making ends meet and more time with them.

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Anyone in or around Idaho?

Hi everybody! Stumbled on this site thru FB & this looks like a good group for me. I'll be 49 (4ever) in Oct. and have been riding off & on since my teens. Went to school for 2+ yrs to learn about horse care & stable management years ago & got to learn about huntseat & jumping. Did western whenever & then in the late 80s had an opportunity to ride saddlebreds for a few yrs. Boy was that exciting!
I left my 1st husband in the early 90's & went "west" for 3 yrs. doing seasonal ranch work. I got to work at some great dude ranches in AZ, pack in the Mts. of WY & work cows in MT. Was probaly in the best shape of my life when I moved back home to MN in 97.
I haven't owned any horses for years but I've taken some saddleseat lessons for fun & excersise hear & there.
Had an opportunity to go to MT to a ranch in the MT last month. Checking it out for a possible job for next season. Jumped right into 2 all day rides ionto the mountains. Wouldn't have missed it for anything but boy did I pay. And then just this past weekend I went to SD to help a friend who's family has a big cattle ranch. 2 days of working cows & calves. Thought I'd do better because of just coming back from MT, but very different type of riding. Do our knees ever recover? LOL
Looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Susan

Last night I went 'group crazy' LOL and joined 62-plus started 2 others-groups. Of all the groups this is the only one that welcomed me personally and I really appreciate that!! I now know I'm at home here!!

Hi! I've just joined this group and know I will enjoy it greatly, I'm 47 and don't heal as fast as I used too!! ...I've also created 2 new groups and am trying to connect with Floridians to check out & join 'Florida Horse Lovers!'...:-) 2nd group is for POA lovers--'POA's (Appaloosa Ponies)'...

Is anyone going to the Maine event in Red Deer next weekend?

Hi there Group

First does anyone know why I'm not getting automatic notices there are new posts to the group site?

We reset the clocks, is Spring really (almost) here? As much as I'd like to have great weather to be with the horses, the water situation here is critical and we need the rain. I thought I would be able to keep my pastures irrigated this summer, but can see already that isn't gonna happen.

Anybody here have experience training horses to drive? I've been ground driving my Quarter pony filly (coming 2 at month's end). She has been doing well ground driving on long lines and surcingle until she decided to spin around under the lines. Now I can't get her to stop, one minute we're going forward just fine then she decided to wrap herself up. Should I rig up some "shafts" so she cannot swap ends, or what do you suggest?

Thanks,
Annette
Monte Cielo Ranch
Anderson, CA

Hi everyone. I am new to this site. 52 and still riding as often as I can. Still breaking my own although I am thinking that maybe I should enlist some help with this last one. All the ground work is done and I can ride him in the arena at a walk. Pretty responsive but has a tendency to be "bucky" and I really am not into being thrown anymore> I have lots of patience for the young ones and am never in a hurry but some days it is nice just to go ride and not have to always be "training" them in the real sense of it all. Today was stunning and I was riding yesterday and today. Sore tonight. I have been reading the threads and think this is great.