Horses

[Sparrow]

It used to be, only a few decades ago, that the upfront cost for a horse wasn't something attainable to most people. At that time the cost of stabling and care was relatively low. Now, in many, many cases in all of North America you can get a good horse for virtually free if you can prove that you'll provide a good home (and they won't just be sold to slaughter). Or you could go to one of the many auctions, online ads, rescue groups etc ... to obtain a good low cost horse.

I got my TB from a rescue for a few pennies. She has amazing breeding, is simply breathtaking, sweet to me and her family ... intelligent as a whip. But like most Tbs, needs special care for her feet which adds up to quite a bit every year. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

So if anyone wants to talk horses - let me know! Right now I am reading: The Man Who Listens to Horses - Monty Roberts. I am only on the first chapter ... but it is great already! With the concept of 'joining-up' with a horse instead of breaking them. Which I can identify with!

If you are in Canada I can help you locate rescues, we have a great facebook group for matching horses to owners. Also links to rescues in the US as well.

[ladyhk13]

So if anyone wants to talk horses - let me know! Right now I am reading: The Man Who Listens to Horses - Monty Roberts. I am only on the first chapter ... but it is great already! With the concept of 'joining-up' with a horse instead of breaking them. Which I can identify with!

Sparrow, I have always believed in that...my favorite way to get to know a horse was always to go up to it and lean into its belly and just feel him/her breathe,,,and then breathe with it...close my eyes and let my weight into the horse and feel the warmth. I've never had any training with horses and haven't been on one in years but I can't wait to have one again some day!

[Sparrow]

Sparrow, I have always believed in that...my favorite way to get to know a horse was always to go up to it and lean into its belly and just feel him/her breathe,,,and then breathe with it...close my eyes and let my weight into the horse and feel the warmth. I've never had any training with horses and haven't been on one in years but I can't wait to have one again some day!

That is beautiful. I am going to try that: learn into her belly, and breath with her. I have breathed with her but only when my arms are around her neck. Oh I bet she'll love it ... I know I will!

Do you know the rescue groups around you?

[ladyhk13]

That is beautiful. I am going to try that: learn into her belly, and breath with her. I have breathed with her but only when my arms are around her neck. Oh I bet she'll love it ... I know I will!

Do you know the rescue groups around you?

No, I'm not sure there are close by. We are more of a cow area. But once we find our final BOL and get it organized we'll get some horses through our realtor...he's an ex jockey so knows everything horse!

[dragon5126]

Dragon you are so right cattle are much more easier to raise than horses. However if you have the property to raise a bunch of cattle you will need to round them up, so as much as a pain they are horses are a necessity. In a SHTF situation most horses will be pasture fed rather than fed each night with a flake or two of hay. Dragon you must have a huge feed bill with your Percheron.

One other thing that you hit on was shoeing. If you are really going to be working the horses you will want shoes. If you are going to do this yourself you really need to learn correctly. The hoof needs to be trimmed and shaped. Shoes need to be properly fitted and then nailed on. Nailed incorrectly and you have problems. For the most part when we got in the horses off the range they were usually in pretty good shape. I found that it was the horses that were in the more confined spaces that we had more problems. I guess that is why the place with one or two horses has to pay more close attention. Just a few thoughts..........

Fortunately we have the land and we "farm out" (pun intended) the bailing to limit the work required. If/when it hits the cattle farm up the road will need help... and our horses will be pastured. Also since we have a river and well, water is no issue, neither is people feed due to land and game... As for working horses and shoes go as I noted it is a controversy at it's finest. What I have learned from shoe-ers, farriers and trimmers seems to come to an unagreed consensus even though if you put them all in the same room together it wouldnt happen. It depends on the ground they would be working. If there is a constant wetness shoes are not good, same for sticky ground, wet leads to fungal growth, particularly if it's constantly trapped under the shoes. Sticky ground constantly pulling the shoes causes splitting and damages the hoofs and can lead to permanent injury . Hard and rocky ground absolutely requires shoes to protect the hoof. Draft horses pulling heavy loads need shoes to prevent excessive wear of the hoofs, and here special shoes, with replaceable "soles" cut from car and truck tire tread have become rather popular, as well as for horses with bone issues. It also helps protect other horses if you have a kicker... these are often easy to repair if a template is made as all they are is a thinned down shoe that is drilled and tapped with the overlay of treaded rubber glued and screwed in place. My first experience with these was on a horse with nuvicular that kept throwing the normal padded type shoe.

Another irony I've faced is ten years back I would have had a good belly laugh if someone ever told me I'd be working with horses... now I have them following me around like puppies...

[dragon5126]

No, I'm not sure there are close by. We are more of a cow area. But once we find our final BOL and get it organized we'll get some horses through our realtor...he's an ex jockey so knows everything horse!

Check out Craigs list, you will be suprised!

[Optimist]

I'd recommend to you Monty Roberts' book, The Man Who Listens To Horses, as a good place to start. More info there on how the horse-critter works than you'll find most places. Insofar as horses are concerned, you don't own them, they own you. It is like a wolf-critter dog, or a house cat, it plays by a set of rules that are different than naked ape rules, and if you want to keep it happy, and healthy, you have to play by its rules. Me, I love the big skittish things, but they are a serious time obligation if you are going to treat 'em right. It has much in common with being married in the degree of obligation.

[rice paddy daddy]

Lots of good info on this thread. The main point is that horses take lots of time/money/love/patience, but most important of all - a certain level of knowledge.
We have three horses, all rescues. One that's a blend of quarter horse with something else, came to us from a bad divorce situation. One is an appaloosa that my wife says is a POA (ponies of America) rescued from in line to get on the slaughter truck. And the last (I hope) is a registered quarter horse that was part of a law enforcement abuse seizure.
I'm just a city boy, don't even know how to ride, the wife is the horse person.
Horses are expensive to maintain. I built stables, one for each, with an attatched feed room. There's hay to buy, a round bale out in the pasture @ $55 a pop, square bales @ $4.50 each (we get a good deal on our hay). There's grain, alfalfa cubes, shreded beet pulp. Before the budget cuts we added a feed-thru fly contol to their grain (works really good). Don't forget the Sweet PDZ to sprinkle in the stalls after you fork out the manure. We buy fine white sand by the dump truck load to spread in the stalls.
There's hoof care - you will go thru a few incompetant/overpriced farriers before you find the right one. We don't shoe, but the hooves still need to be trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks.
You will learn to medicate and treat your horse - large animal vets ain't cheap.
You must be willing to spend time with your horse, besides the usual brushing and hoof picking - a bored horse can be destructive.

All-in-all, horses are an expensive proposition, but the rewards are great. Horses make my wife happy, my main job in life is to make my wife happy, ergo we have horses.
I could no more imagine life without horses than I could without our dogs.

edited to add: if your satelite or cable provider offers RFD-TV (Rural America's Most Important Network) there's lots of good equine programming on, including people like Monty Roberts.