Riz-a

So I met this guy today that used to work with my horse before my barn owner bought her. I just bought her in June, 6 months after she arrived at our barn. This guy has been my facebook friend for a few years due to us sharing friends, but I never met him until today. Well, he has been begging to come see my horse for a while, so I finally let him come up today. First of, the ground is frozen solid. I was being nice and let him ride her bareback, telling him to not push her do to the bad footing. What did he do? Kicked the S-t out of her to get her to trot and canter- she could barely walk on the uneven ground. I told him to cool it but he wouldn't listen. and of course I can't be mean so I just gave up. Anyway, after he rode he went and got his camera and started taking pictures of her and told me he wanted to get a tattoo based on her picture because he had a "deep bond" with her. He only worked with her for 3 months- she came to us completely afraid of ropes and stupid things, and very unresponsive to riding cues and lots of bad habits. He was nice enough, but I don't think he's that good with horses. I am a little creeped out by the fact that he wants her tattooed on him when she is MY horse- I am the owner, not him. Do you think this is weird and should I take extra precaution to keep him away from her? Sorry this is so long, I just want other people's thoughts on the whole tattoo thing

I feel like this is a very dumb question, but I am currently looking to buy some new stirrup leathers to replace my Wintec ones which I hate. I am having trouble finding black leather ones at a decent price- all I can find are shades of brown! I have no trouble finding dressage leathers for a good price that are in black. Can you use dressage leathers on an A/P saddle? I have a Wintec 500 A/P.

So a couple months ago I brought my 2005 Ford Taurus in to the garage to get it checked out when the check engine light came on. I was told the engine was running lean, and I think they unclogged the fuel injectors but I forget exactly what they did. All winter my engine was freaking out when i started it up, like full on vibrating and shaking the whole car- i thought this was just because of the extreme cold. They said the codes for the engine light came on when the car was stationary and the temperature was zero degrees- I don't know if that has anything to do with anything.

Jump to the end of march. Out of curiosity, I checked through my message center in the dash, and it told me the AVG MPG was 14.6 ... I didn't feel like this is normal, the only people I know who have a vehicle that gets anything under 15 MPG drive huge trucks, not mid-size sedans!

My MPG is now reading as 14.9 and goes between that and 14.8 . I put Lucas Fuel Injector treatment in the tank last week when I filled her up, but it hasn't made any difference. I filled the car 4 days ago, drove less than 100 miles, and now I'm below half a tank. Also, when I touch the accelerator, the engine roars and gets really fast really quickly- I do enjoy getting from 0-60 in under 5 seconds but that's not really normal for a taurus and could get me into trouble with the law! When I am going 40+ M/Hr the engine makes a weird whirring noise, too- not sure what that could be.

So basically I just want to know if anyone else has had this problem (especially Taurus owners!) and what I can do about it. I want my baby to run better, gas is too expensive for this college kid! My entire paycheck fills my tank and the only reason i have to fill it is to get to my work- it's a never ending cycle! What can I do? Can you fix engine lean?

So I just got a saddle off someone for $25, and it's so old (yet in great condition) that i can't really tell what brand it is. it's not super important, I'm just curious. One side has a label under the top flap which is coming off, but i can make out a word that ends in "-ess" and then "company". under that is Boston, Massachusetts and then "made in england". On the other side it has a metal seal thing that says "Christie Saddles and Saddle Trees" and then AlSALL. I looked up Christie Saddle Alsall, and it said theres a place in England called Walsall. So if anyone knows anything about Christie Saddle company or anything, let me know! I can't find anything.

Anyone remember them? they came in blue or pink, and you pressed the toe or the sides and they changed color... can't find anything on them.

I also remember there being little blocks that you made stuff out of, that were oval shaped and came in glow in the dark or ones that you dip in water that change... anyone else?

So i just got a pair of boots that were custom made for a friend... they are wide calf, size 9. I am usually an 8.5 (so is my friend, but these are 9s). I am 5'5" with wide calves and short legs, so its so hard for me to find boots that fit. These come up to my knees and they are pretty snug, but idk if they are too long because i feel like my leg kind of floats in them, and they are all bunched up around the ankles. also, the heel feels huge and the ankles. How are tall boots supposed to feel and look? Oh and they are hunt boots without the laces. Also, is it okay if the heel is a little big? the toes are fine.

i just got a guinea pig last night. my girl that i had for 3 years was put down wednesday after suffering from a huge bladder stone, and my mom surprised me with a new one last night. he had a brother and two sisters, and the brother looks exacltly like him. he's really lonely, and im wondering if i should go get his brother. do i have to quarantine and stuff, since they were living together just yesterday?

Show yours off!!!!

here's mine:

http://i28.tinypic.com/10ruyas.jpg

http://i25.tinypic.com/2ykl4za.jpg

http://i29.tinypic.com/3449q2r.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/t6rmeo.jpg

http://i26.tinypic.com/2u57viq.jpg

some were painted on by the former owner who gave them to me... idk why, but i think she was trying to make them look like her old horses from when she was young.

anyway, show yours off!!!

My mom's friend is going to be taking my senior photos this summer... she has a horse, and we are going to her friend's place where she boards him. I don't know how to get a good pic with the horses (usually i just snap some with them, but this is supposed to be professional), so i just wanted some tips and examples of pictures if any of you have good senior/other pics with horses.

okay, so i have a long haired cat that has a super thick coat... and she's currently shedding. So, I was looking at my grooming kit which is in my room, and figured i could use my horse brushes on my cat. I used my rubber curry comb on her, and it worked wonders! And she loved it, she was purring like mad. Do any of you other horse people use horse supplies on your house pets... or am i just eccentric and bored?

I was looking on the Cabela's website, because there's one opening in a couple weeks up here in maine, and noticed that they carry some riding boots. they have really good prices on the Ariat Fat baby's, and I was thinking of getting some if they actually carry them in the store (they were online). Would they be appropriate for English riding lessons??? I don't show, but I ride once a week.... I just don't want to look like an idiot at lessons lol. But i need more personality and color to my lesson ensemble, because everything i have now is black, so i look like an emo.... or would i be wasting my money?

Okay, so I was looking in the Dover catelog, and just had a couple questions. First: what are "self patches" on riding tights. Second: Are the tall boots made of rubber worth getting, or are they junk? This is them: http://www.doversaddlery.com/continental-rubber-ri...

In my lessons, I usually use a bitless bridle, except when I ride this one difficult mare. Is this going to make me a better rider, or hurt me in the long run? I'm not the one that chooses what tack I use, it's just whatever the instructors want to use. I like the idea of a bitless, but am I just bringing my skills down??? Anyone have good/bad experiences with them?

I got to the movie theater late, and arrived at the part where they actually escape from Guantanomo (sp?) Bay. Can anyone tell me exactly what happened before this scene??? I really dont want to wait till it comes out on video or waste more money going to the theater. serious answers, please, dont make anything up... unless it is well written and funny, then i might laugh.

I have a gorgeous domestic long haired cat i got at the shelter. My mom and I have been trying to determine what breeds she could be part of (dont know how to word that lol). what do you think???

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=11hql90&s=3

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=oi9gzd&s=3

i can add more later if these dont suffice

Okay, so I was looking on a local rescue site, and I saw this horse http://mainehorserescue.com/images/100_1378.jpg http://mainehorserescue.com/images/823440-R1-07-17... . Her dam was kicked when she was pregnant, and thus this horse (named Flip Flop) was born with floppy ears and deaf. I was wondering if it is possible to train a deaf horse (she's still only three) to be a good riding/show horse, or would she not be able to learn? Also, does the fact that she has floppy ears make it hard to show her? I think she is adorable. Here's the link to the rescue site http://mainehorserescue.com/Up-for-Adoption.php

I ride a very lazy and difficult 22 year old quarter horse in my lessons... i've been riding him for 3 years, sometimes switching to other lesson horses (They are all very difficult horses), and only gotten some life out of him. I also ride him in a lane fox saddle (how a QH and that work together IDK lol). Do you think riding a horse that does not listen or cooperate will make me a better rider, or just drag me down? Will I be better when i switch to a better horse? Aaand will learning in a Lane Fox make me better balanced in a hunter saddle?

I have had success walking, trotting and cantering, but it is very hard to keep him doing stuff.

Okay, so I have these boots i got at LL Bean a few years ago, and been wearing them for riding lessons. They are advertised as dress boots, and my mom is convinced they are good for riding (I realllly want Ariats though :[ ) , and they seem to be fine.... but look and tell me what you think. should i upgrade?

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Ca...

Okay, so I am a Junior in highschool, I take weekly riding lessons, and i have a job. I've been riding off and on since I was 9 years old, and been taking lessons for 3 years. I help out with my mom's friends' horses every now and then doing barn chores (feeding, bringing buckets of water out to the paddocks, turning the horses out, cleaning paddocks, stalls, washing and grooming the horses, giving medicine etc.). I am saving up to support a horse (buying is not a problem). However, I only have one year of high school left after this one, and I don't know if I should get a horse senior year, when i am in college, or after college. Does anyone here have horses that are in college or have brought horses to college? Would it be hard to manage time/money? Do you think i am ready to have my own horse?

I need to write an essay by researching a certain topic. I want to do something to do with horses, but i need a specific question to answer by backing it with evidence. I am trying to steer clear of slaughter, because everyone writes stuff about that. Does anyone have any suggestions?