Horses and fences!!!!!! Im tired

[buckfever]

I am currently helping my bro-in-law build some fences on his land. The barn is next. I got the plan of putting a couple quarter horses out there. I have been around horses, rode, etc, but have never owned my own. We have any horse owners in here? I am looking at getting 2. A 9 yr old thats very broke and her 2 yr old filly thats yet to be broke. Any tips, thoughts, or comments from some horse guys feel free to share.

[ronn]

I was raised with horses along with all kinds of animals. I also rebuilt a barn with 14 stalls a couple years back. Did a lot of work for the family that owned it all. I love horses but here i NH if you want a horse you need to get a second job. If you had to board a horse its about $400 a month, then there is the vet, the tack, and they are always needing shoes. Its just expense here. I wish I could afford one. Good luck and oh yeah Quarter horses are the best.

[Turtle]

From what I understand about them, they take an alternative fuel and are all horsepower.


Could be good with current gas prices.

[joel the signman]

Horse.The original all terrain vehicle

[onehorse]

My wife and I have three. An Arabian, and Belgian/quarter horse cross (these two are my wife's). I have a mustang/quarter horse cross. We ride them in the mountains all summer, and are hoping to use the big boy for packing this year. My wife is the expert, and I just do what she tells me. None of our horses had much trainig before we got them. As a matter of fact, she broke hers herself. It's a lot of work and takes a lot of time to do right. She really knows her stuff when it comes to horses Oh, Oh, she just asked me what I was doing, and when I told her about your situation, she said you may be getting into something over your head. (no offense) She thinks you'd be better off getting horses with more experience and training. I can tell you this, if I didn't have her training all three horses and ME, I'd never have been able to start riding. But there are lots of sources of info out there - magazines, websites, DVDs, etc. They are great animals and great fun. Good luck.
Here's a pic of Oaky and me at about 9,000 - a tough climb!

[joel the signman]

you lucky ...................

[buckfever]

Onehorse hopefully I am covering all my basis on this horse deal.. Going in over my head is what I am trying to avoid. I am getting them from a guy Ive worked with for the last 7 yrs or so. Ive been spending alot of time on his farm to get used to horses more so and to get the 2 Im planning to buy used to me. Went and rode the 9 yr old for a couple hours this morning. She still likes to get out and run but is also a very well tempered/trained horse that will let you ride double with kids etc. She gives me no problems that I cant handle and Im still considered a rookie at this.

The filly is 2 and half years old and has been around me enough already that she allows me to do some simple stuff with her. She already shows the signs of being just like her mama. Since I dont have time to spend alot of it with her from the get go I will probably drop her off at one of my other buds house that breaks horses for a living. I will leave her there for a month or so and let him handle the basics for me.

I got my hay lined up from another farmer that ive known forever. Got me a good farrier that will do my shoe work for me. And they (horses) are going to stay on my bro-in-laws land where his wife lives who used to be a vet assistant and dealt with horses quite a bit. So any sickness problems etc. she will be able to let me know when to call the vet!

That sound like I got most of the basics covered? What am I missin?

[timberghost]

That's some gorgeous country you got there onehorse. I bet that place keeps you young doesn't it? What does that mean when one refers to "breaking a horse?"

[onehorse]

Originally Posted by timberghost

That's some gorgeous country you got there onehorse. I bet that place keeps you young doesn't it? What does that mean when one refers to "breaking a horse?"

In general, that phrase means working with a horse to the point that it can be ridden. Their are two schools of thought on how this is done. The first is pretty straight foward and has been the standard for a long time. As an example: if you want to train your horse to get used to something, you bombard him with it until he accepts whatever it happens to be. That works, but can look, and possibly be, a little rough on the horse. The other school which is catching on more and more, is a slower softer approach where little steps are taken until the goal is reached. This takes more time, but the advocates say it's worth it as it is easier on the horse.
I go with the second idea.

[onehorse]

buckfever,
sure looks like you've got all the bases covered to me, and a good plan at that. I hope it didn't sound like I was steering you away from anything.
We've had good luck with the Pat Parrelli system of training, but it does take lots of time, which no one, including us, ever seems to have enough of.
That mare sounds great and coming into her prime. Hey, trail her out here, and we'll head up into the mountains!