Jumanji

I was at a friends house the other day to visit and see how their puppy was doing. He is a six month old red/blue nose mix pitbull. My friend wanted him as a guard dog, so hasn't been exposed to much. His owner would always rough play with him, and has pretty much taught him its okay to jump up and bite.

Yesterday i witnessed something that pretty much crossed the line. His owner was rough housing with him again, and my lady friend, one who is an owner of a female dog (mind you this female dog is not fixed) was constantly getting attacked by him. He was sniffing her, violating her space, and jumping and nipping her. At first she thought it was funny, but then you could see in his eye that he was not intending on stopping. She tried putting a little more force into it, like raising her voice and using her body to move him away, even tried getting him to submit and lay on his side, but he would not stop. The only reason he stopped was because his owner got his attention and started to "play" with him. Here's the topper though; the puppy turned the play fighting into an actual challenge, as he stood with his hind leg over my lady friend and raised the hairs on his back, pretty much saying she is mine. His owner kept slapping him around and looking him in the eye, taunting him in a way, "challenging him back". His owner finally stopped, or submitted, by looking away. The puppy kept complete eye contact, and any time his owner would look him in the eye he would bark aggressively, But when his owner would look away, the dog would sneeze/sniffle in relief and walk away as if he had won.

I am not too knowledgable about dog behavior, but I am a horse trainer and seeing this is very similar to how horses work. The dog has seemed to assert his self as pack leader, and is getting out of control. He will be a very big dog, he has to be pushing 50lbs already and is stocky. He is also a PITBULL, meaning he will get put down and I don't want to see that. I am hoping it is not too late for this dog. I will most likely be the owner of this dog soon since the owner will be moving to a different state and cannot take the puppy.

I've taken the next 2 weeks off to spend with my mare. She is scheduled to be put down very soon due to a hind leg injury from getting injured in the pasture. She has been suffering from arthritis in her hocks and I already planned on making her a pasture pet for her last years, but this was completely unexpected.

We are trying everything we can to keep her alive, it hurts even typing this, she stalled 24/7 right now and in a sling to keep her on her feet. The prognosis is bleak, and all we can hope for is a miracle.

I feel like such a sap, men aren't supposed to cry. But I bought this mare 13 years ago, we've gotten all the way up to Prix ST. George on our own. I do train for a living, so many horses are in and out of my life, but this mare has had a special place in my heart for over a decade. I feel empty, I just don't know what to do.

If any of you have any tips on how to feel better, that would be great. Even comforting thoughts would be acceptable. Again sorry for being such a sap, I've never had to put my own horse down before, especially after so many years of partnership.

By the way, the injury is a fractured cannon of the left hind and a major hind suspensory tear. She already has arthritis. I have no idea how this occured, it was most likely a fight between her and the new gelding. He is shod, and she had the tendency to pick fights. Again, this is an assumption. The gelding is a big horse, size 3 hooves (Tbx Shire). He has been removed from my property and is boarded at the barn I work at.

Well, I'm on a bit of a break from working. Today is my day off and I thought I would visit some old friends on Y!A.

I have no legitimate questions to ask, so why not a poll?

My current favorite place to ride has got to either be our new outdoor dressage arena, or the beach that's about an hour away. We revamped the arena with new shredded rubber, and its a bright vibrant green color. Freshly painted fencing too. The horses absolutely adore it, riding the extended trot feels like you're on a trampoline...

I like the beach as well due to the fact that it is summer now, and finally good weather is on our side. I live in Western Washington state, and any of you who live here would know that its constant rain. But anyways, the beach is great for the people. Lots of people ride at the beach I go to, and we hold our annual barn races there as well. I've raced dirt bikes, golf carts, and quads all onhorse back there and its just hilarious. My Dutch mare is not the fastest horse, her fastest gait is the extended canter, no such thing as a gallop for her. We usually come in about dead last.

Now, where is your favorite place to ride?

Also, what breed of horse do you own/ride? I have two Dutch Warmbloods, a Danish warmblood colt, and a new gelding I just bought, he's TB/ Shire cross.

By far, this is my most successful year of training. My barn is dominating the Dressage ring as of now, and we have a good crop of horses as well. This is my first actual year of training on my own with my own clientele, I have been an apprentice for the past 12 years. I'm having an amazing year already, and I can't imagine how the summer will be. Also, if everything goes as planned, I will be showing Grand Prix this year.

I did lose about a thousand dollars on the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, but that's alright. I now know not to place win wagers on such hard races such as those two.

How has your year been? New horses? Are you showing? Training going well?

So I realized that most of the people I know who own horses, board them. So I thought I'd ask you guys.

If you do board, is it full, self or partial care?

How often do you go and see/ride your horse?

I personally do not board my 3 horses. But I do trailer to my trainer's barn to school them and do some groundwork with the colt.

Do you ride every time you go to the barn?

I am officially retiring my mare after we compete Prix St. George this year. She's given me 12 years of hard work and I think it would be best to retire to the trails. By the time she retires she will be 18.

So I decided to throw a party (later in the year of course, but I'm so giddy I had to ask now.) I'm a parent that allows alcohol and drugs under my supervision, so there will be lots of that. Any choice of liqour or drugs?

I was also thinking about playing pin the tail on the donkey. So Big Nasty Fister and Peter, will you join?

Any other game suggestions? Maybe naked twister? Strip poker?

And after we're all liquored up, we will all sit down to watch some movies. I've decided on broke back mountain. Name one other movie you would like to watch.

Please, keep it PG-13. There are children.

First off, hi.

..........Hi.

How are you doing?

LQ: is it okay if I start calling you Boobers.

LLQ (LEGIT Legit Question): how is everyone else doing with their riding? Any improvements? Let's talk.

I've taken on a project colt for my trainer. Our plans were to leave him under my care for the next five years, and once he's competing 1st level, give him back and she pays me for my work. Kind of an odd deal, but we've been working together for the past 12 years and have our own way of doing things. It was more like a step toward me being a trainer. I don't call myself a trainer yet because she is the only person who pays me to train. I have no clients yet.

But here's the deal. The colt is growing up. I do not plan to geld him. But that's a problem! Because I have a mare :) she's my current competition horse, we're going to be competing Prix St. George this year. She is pretty solid in her schooling, but hard to predict the future. ANYWAY. As you all know, you can't keep a stud and a mare together. But I need to train this horse for the next five years.

Any advice?

There is also an option to buy him as well. Due to his breeding, and potential, he is priced very very high. But my mare will be retiring after this show season (its official, and it saddens me so) and I will be in need of a show horse. I have a gelding as well, but he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer and will not be my main show horse. Should I consider buying him?

This may be confusing for some. Its an odd situation. But I'm kind of stuck. The real questions are:

Should I just train the colt, or buy him? If I do buy him, I will not be paid for my training. Whatever she would pay me, however, will be cut from his purchase price.

How should I go about keeping a stud on my property when I have a mare? I have acreage i could build on, but most of which is untouched and fenced off. I'm thinking this is my only way, to clear out a pasture for him, but I don't have a clue.

Advice? Thanks in advance.

If you see this question twice, sowwwyyy. Tried posting links but Y!A wanted to be a biotch and not let my question show up. My apologies.

1. What area are you from?

2. Is it predominantly western, or english? (As in do you see more western or english riders.)

3. Do you like it there, and do you ever plan to move?

4. What breed is most common in your area?

5. Is it city-like, or more country?

(My answers)

-I'm from the WA state area.

-In this part of town its very english, but head out to eastern WA and its pretty western. HOW IRONIC. -I do like it here. I've been here for 21 years, and don't plan to move anytime soon. Maybe when I'm rich and have the ability to sh*t money, I will move to Dubai, UAE. Look up Dubai on google, that place is f*ckin amazing.

-The breed that's most common near me is warmbloods. But there are a bajillion QHs too.

-I live on the side of the mountain, so neither really. The city is about an hour away, but there aren't very many ranches or farms either. Just a bunch of trees.

So I live in the WA state area and the weather was just a nightmare throughout this winter. I live in the mountains in the middle of nowhere, so we had well over a foot of snow, ice, yada yada. Took the side of my barn down, damnit.

BUT, this past week has been all sun. Upper 50's. Its like its already spring! So is winter over for you, or is there still snowy weather where you're at?

LQ: What is your favorite discipline and why?

I prefer dressage, been doing it for 21 years and probably won't change anytime soon.

I have the right to ask questions too!

Not educated on the breed whatsoever. Was discussing this with a few fellow horsemen and my trainer. One claimed haflingers are just light chestnut horses with a flaxen mane. Others claimed they were dark palomino with a golden white mane. Which is true?

I was watching some videos and came across Puissance. The wall just towers over the horses, how high is it?

Do jumps get any bigger than that? If they do, what show goes higher? I'm not a jumper obviously, and don't follow along with it on tv or anything.

So, yes, I have been chillin' on this site like all day. I took a day off from riding to enjoy the trolls and lounge around in my tighty-whities. I live on the side of a mountain, and there isn't much around me to do, unless I drive an hour into town. Yeahhh, no. I'm too lazy to walk 10 yards to my car, so driving into town is out of the question. I'll probably go to the barn eventually, just not atm.

So why aren't you out and the barn? Your horsies meeeees youuuuuuu.

1. Racing Stripes (whatever, zebra movie, horse movie, same thing.)

2. Seabiscuit

3.Secretariat

4.War Horse

5.What was it... Black Beauty? Black Stallion? Can't remember. One of those.

6.Flicka

7.Flicka 2

8. What was that movie with Dakota Fanning when she was just a lil bebe? Can't remember that either.

I personally can't answer this, as I've only seen 3 of them. War Horse (bootleg), Secretariat (bootleg), and Racing Stripes (bootleg). I would probably do WH first, RS next, then Secretariat.

Ehh, I'd have to say I prefer mares. Probably because the horse I've had for 12 years is a mare :/ I do have a gelding and a colt as well, so its not like I'll ONLY ride mares. I adore stallions because of how studly they are built (crestier neck, large jowels, overall just more muscle mass) but I do not like handling them or training them. I had a bad experience with a stud, and prefer to stay away from them. They can just be eye candy for now lol.

So which do you prefer, geldings, mares, stallions, no preference? Why?

As they think they know everything about horses, everything about riding, etc etc etc, can actually EXPLAIN things very well, but when it comes to their riding its like all that talk just went down the shitter?

There is a clique of new girls getting lessons at my trainer's barn and I'm just like OH GOD here we go. I am a fan of the no children policy at certain barns for one reason: all the sh*t talking that goes on amongst youngin's. I of course introduced myself because I'm at the barn everyday and don't like seeing strangers, and after about five minutes of talking they just start bragging about how they know this and they know that, and I'm liiiiiiiike: http://myfacewhen.com/90/

Then I see them ride. Okay wizards, I'm not very impressed. All that time wasted listening to the teenies talk. I could have been doing something important like cleaning tack or picking up poo.

Being a seasoned rider, I am a more humble person and really don't like bragging. Actions speak louder than words, and if I wanted to show you how well I can ride, I ould show you. Not say oh I can do this and that.

Have you encountered any people like this?

If you could shoot me a quick email that would be great. I am unable to email you at the moment, and would like to discuss a few things with you. Thanks

For those who live in western WA, I pray for you. This snow is just ridiculous. First, its a half inch layer of ice covering the ground. On top of that, a good 10-12 inches of snow. On top of THAT, another half inch of ice, and so far the snow today has added up to about 2-3 more inches. LIKE WTF.

For those in the lowlands, you are lucky because there isn't that much snow. But here on the mountain side? Yeah frickin right.

OOOOOHHHHH guess what??????? Power's out too!!! YIPEEEEE!!!!! I have half my battery left on my laptop, and my cellphone is dead! F*ckin awesome right?

Sorry for the rant, here's my actual question.

So the snow and ice is so heavy that it caused a tree to fall and take down the side of my barn. My neighbors and I managed to chainsaw the tree to pieces and get it moved out of the way. But my barn :( its only one wall, so I'm contemplating on if I should just rebuild it, or tear the whole b*tch down and rebuild one away from the trees. What do you think I should do? There's only like 4 big evergreens in my yard, but you never know what the snows going to do. Any suggestions on wood, or building materials that will put up with snow and ice?

WELP. I'm trapped in a snow storm. 5 inches the other day and another EIGHT inches in the past couple hours! To make it even worse, there's a inch thick layer of ice underneath that, so I can forget about driving anywhere today. This is no good.

Muh ponies seem to enjoy it though. They were bucking and ripping around the pastures like maniacs, one of them even did this tuck and roll thing (obviously on accident, he seemed quite embarrassed when he got up).

My mare though, she came back to the barn, and she started licking on the icicles hanging from the barn. The funny thing is, my other two horses are monkeys. Monkey see, monkey do. So the other two come flying towards us, I'm scared for my life because I thought I was going to get run over, so I hop the fence, but they just end up hitting the brakes and start licking the icicles. They are just a bunch of children lol.

What's the silliest thing you've seen a horse do? It can be your horse,lesson pony, etc. Just any horse.

So a few friends and I went out to the bar midday to get some food and a beer (perfect way to watch Sunday football). I don't know, maybe they had a few too many, but they started asking weird questions about my horses, and just horses in general. One question they asked me was quite unappetizing...

My friend Rob asked me if I were offered a million dollars, would I sell my horse. I said yes. But here's the catch. The person who bought your horse, would eat it in front of you. I said well I don't know, that's a lot of money, but such a waste of an amazing horse and it would probably hurt me too much to watch someone EAT my horse... So I couldn't answer really.

What about you? Don't sk me why they asked me this... we were all drinking and conversations lead to some unusual topics when your a little buzzed lol.