OMG!! Just found this forum...Love it!!!!!!

I have been a member since July, and just now I found this forum!!!!  I have rode and shown horses all my life.  I have shown Americain Saddlebreds for years until my weight got so much.  It has been about 5 years since I have shown a Saddlebred.  I miss it so much I can barely stand it.  I have a Tennessee Walker I trail ride.  My husband and I have always ridden alot.  I have always rode horses with alot of  "motor", but since my weight gain I have rode ones that are more calm.  I just feel like I can't fit in the saddle right, like I can't get to my "comfortable spot".   My balance is off since I have gained all this weight , and it throws me and my horse off.  So I have made the decision to wait until I have had my surgery to ride again.  It is about to kill me!!!!!    It has been about 1 month since I have rode.  I can not wait to ride a Saddlebred again!!!  I go to shows now, and have to walk away from the ring because I just stand there and cry.  This has been the hardest thing for me to deal with except for the looks and comments people make.  But I should have surgery around Jan or Feb, so next summer they will have to drag me off a horse!!!!

Hi!  I own tn. walkers.  I have been riding for about 16 years.  Late starter since I'm 55.  It didn't take long before I was in the show ring.  I'm 210lbs now, was 255.  I have never had any trouble riding with my weight and there is no way that anyone is going to stop me even though I'm big.   My horse has learned to handle my weight and I don't have a problem with my balance.  Don't let anyone stop you from riding.  I have seen people bigger than me in the show ring.  If  your saddle doesn't feel right you might be like me and a friend of mine.  It's called "big butt syndrome". LOL  I bought the largest seat they make, a 18 inch.  That helped alot.  I may be able to help with your balance.  I used to be a riding instructor.  Hey, once I got started riding I had to learn everything I could.  If you have a round pen or riding ring to use, take your horse at a slow walk with your legs out of the stirrups.  With practice you will get your balance back in no time.  I have a ton of show clothes that I hope to get rid of next year.  Hopefully they'll all be too big.  I showed both western and english so I have a little of each.  If you need any help with anything let me know.  I'm always glad to help a fellow rider.  Showing is fun but trail riding is so peaceful.  Get out there and ride!

Hey!  It's so nice to hear from a fellow rider.  I love to "talk horse".  Thanks for telling me about dropping my stirrups, I will have to try that.  It sounds good.  I know I need to keep riding, but I guess I just feel so bad about myself that it is starting to effect every part of my life.  Horses have always been my one thing I could go to, and now I even feel to big for that.  So, I guess it's more a mental thing.  It is just hard for me to find a good seat, I bought a new saddle last year.  It was an 18 inch, I have that syndrome also!!!      My husband loves to ride in "rough" places, I always was in a ring or a field.  Trail riding to me before him was riding on the gravel road to the river, then riding in the field or maybe the woods to water.  And if I was feeling real adventurous, I would ride out in the river for a little ways.  Now I go with him, and he really has changed my trailriding!!!  We took the horses to The Great Smokey Mountains last summer.  Was that an experiance!!!!!   I was riding a 6 year old Pusher horse.  Don't know what I was thinking.  He did real good, I was proud of him.  It was very steep and some places were not what I call trails, but my husband loved it.  I would like to go back about 150 pounds lighter.  ( And with a mule!  LOL )  I always rode English, but I had to get something else to take there.  I feel to "held in" in a western saddle, I know that sounds crazy.  So I bought an endurance saddle, this has been the best  thing ever.  I thought at first it would feel to restricting, if that makes sense, but it has been great.  It feels like my english, only with saddlebag ties and better stirrups.  I really want to ride, I just am heavier than I have ever been in my life, I am around 311-315 now.  When we went last summer, I was around 270.  I hope to have my surgery around Jan/Feb, so next summer I will be ready!!  Please keep in touch, it was nice to hear from you.  If you ever want to talk horse, let me know!!!   Cindy

Don't Cutback saddles go to 21 inches?  It's been a long time since I've ridden in one (started out on ASBs) but I thought the seat sizes went bigger than hunt saddles.  Of course you are sitting farther back so maybe what looks like a bigger saddle really isn't.

Hey Cindy,We went riding today through the cotton and corn fields.  I bought an endurance saddle this past year and I love mine too.  I have been trail riding in my english saddle for a long time.  When I needed my billets repaired I rode in my sisters endurance saddle and then made the decision to get one.   I had just about wore out my english anyway.  Would you belive it!  My husband's riding horse is a Pusher mare.  Boy she can cover alot of ground.  We have to tell him to slow down so we can catch up.  My horse is by Armed & Dangerous.  His name is Show, full name is A Show of Arms.  Black gelding.  We have 11 horses now.  Used to have 40!!  Can you believe that?  We did alot of breeding.  But when the market on horses went south I sold most of my mares and my two stallions.  But we are going to be breeding three of my mares this fall.  I have a paid breeding to JFK and two to Calvin Klein.  I used to own Calvin and when I sold him part of the deal was to included two breedings.  CalvinsKlein is a WGC spotted walking horse.  My other stallion was a beautiful golden palomino named I'm No Stranger.  I sold him to some people in Canada who have been using him as a stud and also as a cutting horse.  They say that he has done great showing him as a cutter.  I really miss raising babies.  I have a system that lets me know when the mare is giving birth and I am there to help deliver every one.  Well, almost.  Sometimes they sneak up on you or they have them early and miscarry.  We have had two sets of twins but none survived.  I am going to breed the pusher mare to JFK and to Calvin my Generator and Falcon mares.  If everyone get preggers than I will be playing midwife next fall.  I just think horses are almost better than people!I have decided to have DS with Dr Husted in Kentucky.  I did my paperwork but I have to wait till I get the money for the surgeon.  My insurance will pay for the hospital.  Actually it will be a revision since I have a band.I almost forgot.  My husband decided to teach his horse to shoot off of.  He was using a pellets gun to start and she jumped all over the place.  So I decided to try it and Show didn't even flinch.  My horse is better than his horse.  LOLSusan

Hey, good to hear from you!  I can't believe you had 40 horses!! OMG.  When we had 7, I about died!   I have always thought I would like to raise babies.  It just seems like so much worry.  I would love to see that Calvin Klein stud.  Do you have any pics?  That's funny about your horse holding still, and your husbands didn't!  I told my husband.  He has a Saddlebred he trail rides.  He always hated them.  I told him that they just get a bad reputation, because of their appearance.  That if he ever got a good one...he would see.  Well now, his horse is the best.    He loves this horse!  We call him Bayboy.  ( I call him Gayboy to make him mad.)  LOL  If you got any picturesof your horses, I'd love to see!   I never knew till my husband told me that they use TWH for cutting.  He said that they have started to alot now.  So, you had the Lapband, is that right?  And you are going to get the DS?  I read alot about the DS..I had originally wanted that.  But, my insurance would not pay for it.  So, my surgeon recommended the RNY.  I will hopefully have that around Jan/Feb. Well, I better go.  Please keep in touch!



And you are right ....Horses are alot better than people!!

Hey,

I got my new bitless bridle the other day.  I can't wait to try out.  Imagine no bit.  I was going to try it out on Show today but I got a call from my mother's doctor in Selmer, TN.  I have to drive up there and take her in because they want to talk to her with the family present.  They didn't want to tell me over the phone what it was but I asked them if this was bad and they said yes.  I told them I wanted to know ahead of time what it was so I could be ready for her when she freaks out.  She's 83.  When I asked them if it was lung cancer they said yes and it was bad.  It showed up on a ct scan so I know that by her symptoms they probably won't be anything they can do.  After I talked to her I think she knows it's cancer too.  I'm not as upset as I thought I would be.  I guess because she is so old and she always wished she could be with her husband who has passed on.  It's like she wished it and her wish came true.  I've always been one of those to accept death easily.  Whenever a close relative has died, I have always been there holding their hand and telling them that it's ok to let go.  Well, it's time for me to leave and head to Selmer.  I 'll catch back up with you in a couple of days.

Oh Susan, I am so sorry.  I know what you are going through.  My father passed away in July 05 with prostate cancer.   He was 65.   It is a hard thing to deal with.  I was right there holding his hand as he took his last breath.   He was a farrier, and always shod at all the shows, so I still have a hard time with that.  I was a big daddys girl too.  I am an only child, so all my parents have/had was me.  It is hard, but the good Lord will pull you through it.  I saw a saying on a church sign that read.......If God leads you to it, he will lead you through it.  If you need anything let me know.  I will try to help you all I can.  You and your family are in my prayers.  Take care, and God Bless.   Cindy

Well I got to Ride today with my new bitless bridle.  It was great. He did everything I asked him to do.  Except when we where running flat out he didn't want to stop but I kept insisting and he finally did.  Your suppose to train them with this for a while which I did on turning so I thought that would be fine going straight.  Now I just need to teach him how to slow down with the new commands.  I'm sure that we will get it right in the next few days.

I think that I told you that my mother is staying here for a few days .  Her mind is unstable and she is a hypochondriac.  It's strange. She's always wanted to be sick with something terrible and now she' s got her wish.  Oh, she is 82 years old. 

It's advanced lung cancer and she doesn't have but a short time.  But she says she's tired and ready to go.  She wants me to take her to the funeral home next week to make arrangements.  So I will be dealing with her and with the insurance company too.  She has decided she wants to die on Nov 14 which is the date her husband died and her birthday. I also have to get her house sold and get it packed up and moved back to Memphis.  Buy I still want have our talks.  I like talking about my horses.  I'm going to add some pictures of my horses in a couple of days.

 

Hey Donna.  I might have to try that bitless bridle.  It sounds neat.  I had a FUN day yesterday, let me tell ya.  My best friend has a colt that she bought from a trainer last year.  She told the guy that she would only buy him if he would finish him to the double bridle.  Well of course he did, and she bought him.   The guy "rushed" him...(I tried to tell her), and she got to show him 2 or 3 times.  Well, after about the 3rd show, he started stopping and refusing to go.  Well she sent him to another guy, that beat the sh--t out of him.  (675.00 a mth)   Which only made it worse.   They told her she needed to sell him, and conviently had a buyer.  This colts got awsome papers.  Well she didn't , and brought him home.  She wanted my husband to see if he could do anything, if not she would sell him.  When we got him here, you couldn't put the halter on him in the stall.  He would pin his ears and come at you.  He would bite you as you were riding him, and try to kick.  It was awful.. And this horse was not like this before.  So, anyway we have worked with him.  My husbands threw stuff around him, rode him up hills, down hills, in brier patches through the wooods, around traffic, fourwheelers, and over logs, etc.  We threw gravel at his feet, anything we thought of to show him it was ok.  He was even scared of the mounting block.  Now, he is a differant horse.  You can crawl under him, jump up and down on him, throw stuff in the air...and he just stands there.  Well she wanted him to ride him in her barn and ring, at the places he always acted up.  So, yesterday we went up there.  She wanted me to ride to, so we could crowd him in a ring, because before he would cowkick another horse.  I don't want to ride till my surgery, but she begged.  So, I gave in.  I took our half draft  (out of a percheron  mare and  a Go Boy stallion)  up there.  This mare is always so gentle, we put kids on her, people who can't ride, anybody.  She is 14-15 years old.  HUGE!!!  I thought this would be a good choice.....I am big, she is big, I want something easy, she is easy.  Well.......I get up there, and mind you I have my English saddle, and get on her and take off down the barn.   I have this RAISING feeling, like I am being shoved forward.  SHE IS BUCKING!!!!!    All the way down the barn we go. My husband started screaming...GET OFF, GET OFF!!!  I was laughing so hard I almost peed myself.  This big ol' "gentle" mare.  He said her back feet were almost level with the top of the stalls.  It was hilarious.  It took a good 10-15 mins for her to settle down.  I haven't laughed like that in a long time.  She is just FULL of personality.  (if thats what you want to call it).  So, we had a good time.  Well, I better go, feed the animals.  I hear them yelling for me.  Talk to you later, Cindy