MagiStream

Fingers crossed - 3 of the 5 roosters are supposed to go to a new home tomorrow. They aren't fighting, but instead are all going after the same hen to try and breed her to show dominance, so its time some of them found a new flock. Really considering hatching out some more chicks in the spring; someone talk me out of it, lol.

The girls *shouldn't* get taller than 22" at the withers(breed standard), but you can never rule out taller goats. I think I'm leaning toward wooden fence posts at this point, since your pygmies escape from T-posts. I'll have to look into pricing them. I think the welded wire will be fine-- I'll check out other places to be sure that's what they use, though. Maybe I'll do a tour of every goat farm I can find, heh. I'm asking a facebook friend to post a picture of the fencing she has for her own goats.

It looks like I've found a place to get some more hens! These folks are moving and have to get rid of their 12 ladies. I can't take all 12, but she has quite the variety! I'd especially love the Brahma that was posted... I recently lost my little Brahma, and she was gorgeous. Next week!!

Yay for farm critters! I like livestock and my Friend Amber's family has had some in the past. Right now her hen house is a cat house though for the cats who through dominance issues or other bad behavior issues can not be left in the house. She runs the local animal rescue so many kitties sometimes seem to abound. She has horses. They are lovely paints, Hona and her mother Ruby. They are papered purebreds. I am trying to convince her to get chickens again because fresh eggs really can't be beat and I want to do baking with them instead of eating them now that I bake. She wants to have goats and cows to make things with fresh milk. Milk based lotion sounds heavenly I am also trying to convince her once growing season arrives to let me grow some pumpkin vines. However processing Pumpkin without a food pro is never happening Again. 5th payday this month will see me ordering one. Someday goats though but fortunately she knows how to deal with escape artist goats and other creatures. Its good to have a friend who lives out in the back country by the mountains. Especially when I am trapped in the city when I think it was the worst thing My grandma ever did for the family to take the young ones and leave the farm. So as Dairy goats go which ones are primo good milkers with good attitudes? And how often do they have to be bred to keep producing milk? I want to help so I need to learn and ask questions. Also what does it take financially to feed and provide any needed vet care on average for a goat? I bet if I contributed she could get a goat sooner

Hello all! Just wanted to stop in and say hi, and to tell you I *finally* got my first horse! My wonderful hubby got him for me as an Anniversary/Christmas present, and I am over the moon.

I've taken riding lessons for a long time, but I have lots of questions, so if it's not too much trouble I'll post them here.

First up, Logan is a Tennessee Walker, gaited. I've never ridden a gaited horse before, and it is giving me fits. I can't figure out how to tell him to slow down if collecting his head tells him to go faster, and my riding teacher hasn't been able to put it into english for me

Thanks much in advance for your help!

Wynterborne wrote:Hello all! Just wanted to stop in and say hi, and to tell you I *finally* got my first horse! My wonderful hubby got him for me as an Anniversary/Christmas present, and I am over the moon.

I've taken riding lessons for a long time, but I have lots of questions, so if it's not too much trouble I'll post them here.

First up, Logan is a Tennessee Walker, gaited. I've never ridden a gaited horse before, and it is giving me fits. I can't figure out how to tell him to slow down if collecting his head tells him to go faster, and my riding teacher hasn't been able to put it into english for me

Thanks much in advance for your help!

I have heard of Tenn. Walkers. They are fast, yes. I talked to one owner, here, said that she can't stand that he doesn't know how to slow down. What are your plants for you Tenn. Walkers? They are well known for the running walk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambling#Running_Walk if you want info. The barn my mom currently goes, have Tenn. Walker. Chestnut. I saw him twice. He doesn't know the meaning of slowing down, either.

Typically there's sitting down on the seat, and a bit of resistant to signal the horse to slow down. I'll ask my mother (she trained 3 horses in her life).

Question for me: Can you ride this horse? Would the gaits be too much for you? I know several other horses with smoother gaits (My own beloved mare's dam, Star) and many are not gaited.

Related: What are you expecting with this horse? I see that you have taken riding lessons. What type? Dressage, Western, Hunter/Jumper, Pleasure?

Another question: What has been his past training experience?

[url=https://magistream.com/creature/13127473][img]https://magistream.com/img/13127473.gif[/img][/url][url=https://magistream.com/creature/13127474][img]https://magistream.com/img/13127474.gif[/img][/url][url=https://magistream.com/creature/13127483][img]https://magistream.com/img/13127483.gif[/img][/url][url=https://magistream.com/creature/13195947][img]https://magistream.com/img/13195947.gif[/img][/url][url=https://magistream.com/creature/13195949][img]https://magistream.com/img/13195949.gif[/img][/url][url=https://magistream.com/creature/13195948][img]https://magistream.com/img/13195948.gif[/img][/url][url=https://magistream.com/creature/13195945][img]https://magistream.com/img/13195945.gif[/img][/url][url=https://magistream.com/creature/13195946][img]https://magistream.com/img/13195946.gif[/img][/url]

Devcca wrote: I have heard of Tenn. Walkers. They are fast, yes. I talked to one owner, here, said that she can't stand that he doesn't know how to slow down. What are your plants for you Tenn. Walkers? They are well known for the running walk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambling#Running_Walk if you want info. The barn my mom currently goes, have Tenn. Walker. Chestnut. I saw him twice. He doesn't know the meaning of slowing down, either.

Typically there's sitting down on the seat, and a bit of resistant to signal the horse to slow down. I'll ask my mother (she trained 3 horses in her life).

Question for me: Can you ride this horse? Would the gaits be too much for you? I know several other horses with smoother gaits (My own beloved mare's dam, Star) and many are not gaited.

Related: What are you expecting with this horse? I see that you have taken riding lessons. What type? Dressage, Western, Hunter/Jumper, Pleasure?

Another question: What has been his past training experience?

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I totally forgot that I had posted this. Yes, I can ride him, he just gets too excited and wants to run as soon as I ask him for anything beyond a walk. He's young, only 7, and full of energy, so I have started doing some groundwork with him before I ride to work off some of that.

I started out taking English hunter/jumper lessons many years ago, switched to English pleasure, and now I'm riding Western pleasure. I haven't ridden in 10-ish years, so I'm a bit rusty, that's why I started taking lessons again. That, and riding a gaited horse is different.

I'm not sure about his past training except that he was mostly a trail horse, which is what I wanted. I'm not taking him out tho, until we can get our signals straight. So far, the only way I've found is the one rein stop, or turning him in circles. Sitting back in the saddle only works at the walk, any faster and he ignores it.

That's another thing. He's got a bit of an attitude, and I'm having some trouble getting him to respect me, which is part of the bigger problem. He likes me, he's just a brat.

I raise meat sheep. Theyre cute when they're babies. Is kinda sad to see them go off to slaughter, but they are pampered growing up.

Wynterborne wrote: Yes, I can ride him, he just gets too excited and wants to run as soon as I ask him for anything beyond a walk. He's young, only 7, and full of energy, so I have started doing some groundwork with him before I ride to work off some of that.
I'm not sure about his past training except that he was mostly a trail horse, which is what I wanted. I'm not taking him out tho, until we can get our signals straight. So far, the only way I've found is the one rein stop, or turning him in circles. Sitting back in the saddle only works at the walk, any faster and he ignores it.

That's another thing. He's got a bit of an attitude, and I'm having some trouble getting him to respect me, which is part of the bigger problem. He likes me, he's just a brat.

Congratulations on getting your new horse! I can't say I have any experience with gaited horses (I've ridden Icelandics and a Paso Fino, and I'd love to have a gaited, but they don't really happen in the UK!), but he does sound very much to me like a young horse with a new owner. As in he's full of himself, and he's testing you to see what he can get away with. All new horses do it - heck my loan horse did it, and he was 20 at the time! Coupled with you don't entirely understand the commands that work, and he doesn't entirely understand what you are asking... probably.

If he's been a trail horse I suspect that he may be a bit frustrated with not going out, especially if he's quite fit. If you have somewhere long and straightish and with good footing I would be tempted to take him out and let him run (away from home, not towards!). Keep going until he wants to stop, and then make him go on some more til he's really had enough and then ask him to stop... amazing what that can do for communication. It will take some nerve on your part, first time I did this with Ollie was when he took off with me, I'd never been to fast on a horse before and I was scared witless. I wouldn't let him get out of a trot for a fortnight afterwards, but he learned that he wasn't going to get away with being that stupid with me, and I learned that I could stop him, eventually.

Once you've had your good long run, turn round, walk back, and then turn back again and make him cover some of the same ground again at a slower pace of your choosing, in a civilised manner. He should be tired enough to listen and do what you want. Then you walk home slowly and make sure he gets a good grooming, a big hug and a rest the next day as he's likely to be stiff...

If you haven't already it might be worth getting a saddler out to check that his saddle fits properly and isn't hurting him. We cured Ollie of bucking going into canter just by getting his saddle re-stuffed, it had obviously not been checked in years and really didn't fit him. Now we get the saddler out every 6 months or so.

Anyway, good luck, let us know how you get on, whatever you do

Incidentally, and completely OT, I've been meaning to ask you for ages, is that a BJD in your avatar, and if so which one? My partner (Okarnill on here) has some and would probably love to know more.

Brynmala wrote:
Incidentally, and completely OT, I've been meaning to ask you for ages, is that a BJD in your avatar, and if so which one? My partner (Okarnill on here) has some and would probably love to know more.

Yay! Yes that's a BJD, she's my Soom Cuprit. I customized her to fit a wild elf character I have played in D&D for years, and her name is Storm in the Hills. I have others, but we should take this to pm's so we don't hijack the thread