I'm a-Workin' at the Stables!

[catjac1975]

Slow oldies are the best place to start.

 

[journey11]

Just think of all the free manure you'll get to take home!

We have a great 4-H program here. My DD6 will be going into Cloverbuds next year. I would think with Ohio being so rural and ag centered you'd have really good clubs to pick from there. Must just be that leader.

Cane made a really good point about watching and learning from their body language. Learn to watch their ears, eyes and the way they hold their head...you'll learn to see what they're thinking usually before it happens.

I hope you'll get some opportunities to ride! I'm sure you'll do a great job. You seem to be very mature and responsible for your age.

 

[Sprinkler Buddy]

My boys just road a horse for the first time yesterday, they had a blast! I know a lot of folks with horses, might start riding more often now.

 

[catjac1975]

Lessons, lessons,lessons. Surprisingly not that expensive! As a note. His feet are too far in the stirrup for safety. The ball of the food should be on the stirrup with the heels down. If he falls off his foot could get stuck and he could get dragged.It is a blast!!!

 

[bobm]

I am glad that your boys had a great time riding horses. I have been breeding horses for over 37 years and riding them for twice that long, and have seen too many instances of accidents waiting to happen. So, I would HIGHLY recommend that you invest in horse riding lessons with a COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL riding instructor ( obviously they did not receive any or received poor instructions) before your boys get any road burns about their head , shoulders, back, butt, and biting dust as a snack. Have fun !

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Just think of all the free manure you'll get to take home!

We have a great 4-H program here. My DD6 will be going into Cloverbuds next year. I would think with Ohio being so rural and ag centered you'd have really good clubs to pick from there. Must just be that leader.

Cane made a really good point about watching and learning from their body language. Learn to watch their ears, eyes and the way they hold their head...you'll learn to see what they're thinking usually before it happens.

I hope you'll get some opportunities to ride! I'm sure you'll do a great job. You seem to be very mature and responsible for your age.

I know, isn't horse poop just great!?

We have many 4H clubs here, it is just our specific club. Although the leader is bad at her job, she is our neighbor and also knows a bit about horses.

I'll probably get a chance to ride eventually, he job's going through the summer.

 

[canesisters]

So how's the summer job going?

 

[nachoqtpie]

BEST advice I can give you is to invest in a good pair of boots, but not steel toed! I've seen a horse step JUST RIGHT on a steel toed boot and almost cut a guys pinkie toe off!!

Watch their ears. Ears forward, they're listening, ears laid back on their head you're about to be bit or kicked!

Pay attention! People do things differently wherever you go. I worked with show horses (raising and training) my entire life, and after I got divorced from my first husband I was fortunate (unfortunate?? LOL) enough to land a job as a groom at a local race track. I learned there that they pick up all their feet from the same side (right side).

Always walk a horse on the right side.

When picking feet, always work from the heel DOWN, never the other way, you can bruise the frog.

The thumb in the side works like a charm, so does putting pressure on the very top of the hoof where the hairline is when you get stepped on, it is bound to happen sooner or later.

Always be calm when working around them. They feed off of your energy. If you are freaking out, they pick up on that. Sometimes it's harder than others, trust me! I once was "issued" a horse as a groom that NOBODY wanted anything to do with because every time you would even get CLOSE to his stall he would rear back, teeth flashing, trying to take your head off, but he was my buddy! Can't tell you how many times I was kicked and bit by that boy. His name was Irresistible Charm.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

So how's the summer job going?

Sorry, completely forgot to update this thread! I did the job for about a week, it was fun (partly) but it didn't work out. With school work and 4H the stable job was taking up too much of my available time. The payment didn't seem worth the time spent (at first I tried getting the price higher, didn't work.). Even though I hate doing so (I did agree with it after all) I told them to go get somebody else. If I would have kept the job I wouldn't have had time to care for a garden, which is what I'd prefer to do. The stable owner also took advantage of me by adding more tasks on top of what I started out with (she's also elderly). Originally it was care for the horses, then she added the cat and dog, and then mowing the grass and getting rid of her refuse pile in the back with her tractor. (Sorry, lady, not going to happen.)

Hopefully I'll find another stable owner that will give me a fair price and all.

 

[ninnymary]

Good for you SeedO for making a difficult, mature decision. You know your worth and I'm sure something will come up for you.

Mary