Saturday

[Minouri]

Weatherman says rain, but he is never right.

Abbie, Kim, Terri and other local friends.....would you still like to come by and try him out on the 28th?

[xpasocortox]

I'd like to come, if someone wants to pick me up...^^; Otherwise, don't worry about it.

I haven't ridden in three weeks. I'm going CRAZY! Haha.

Amanda :D

ETA: You're totally right, Ruth -- it was supposed to rain all day today, and it's bright and sunny out!!!

[Minouri]

Amanda,

We might be able to swing by and pick you up.

[xpasocortox]

Blackstone, MA. Off of Bellingham RD, which is off of Elm St.

[Minouri]

I just looked at your profile after I asked..lol You're not far at all. If the weather is nice we could probably pick you up

[xpasocortox]

Haha XD Mkay, sounds good to me. Just let me know!

[JennLM]

They have promised us rain for 2 weeks.. and maybe this week we will get some.

[lisa l aka marci]

Blackstone, MA. Off of Bellingham RD, which is off of Elm St.

Too bad you aren't closer to me - I have a horse that is ~begging~ to be ridden!!!!

[xpasocortox]

And I'd take you up on that in a heartbeat. I am seriously ready to saddle up my mother's Golden Retriever. I've been riding almost daily for the past two and a half years, and to suddenly go cold turkey is NOT working out for me! GAH!!!!

[Minouri]

Amanda,

You could always come help me excercise mine! Do you have transportation normally?

[xpasocortox]

If you're not super far, definitely. I know you're in RI, but where at? I was traveling to Sunset Stables for a couple of days while I worked there (before quitting because people suck =D), and that was about twenty minutes out, so...

Amanda :D

[Minouri]

I'm closer to you than Sunset stables. Depends how you get here. I'm not sure Mapquest is showing the fastest way...but here it is.

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.adp?do=nw&go=1&r=f&aoh=&aot=&aof=&1a=%5b1%2d10%5d%20BELLINGHAM%20RD&1c=BLACKSTONE&1s=MA&1z=01504&1n=WORCESTER%20COUNTY&1y=US&1l=%2bU%2bypx5Gxs4A8iFu2NIseA%3d%3d&1g=Qs1lbXw%2bLFFEReXDHO%2fWJQ%3d%3d&1v=STREET&2a=476%20Greenville%20Road&2c=North%20Smithfield&2s=RI&2z=&2y=US&2l=&2g=&2pn=&2pl=&2v=&2ffi=&2ex=&2n=

[Minouri]

I'd love help getting my boys in shape this summer.

[xpasocortox]

And I would LOVE to help you! And, yeah, you're basically right there.

How many days a week are we looking at? And what type of riding?

Actually, instead of totally pulling this post ENTIRELY off-topic, ROFL, just shoot me an e-mail at creative_muse@hotmail.com

[Minouri]

I ride almost every day...especially during the summer. My goal is to get Cosmo more comfortable being saddled up and to get him out on the trails. Right now he seems OK but I want him super calm for Tony if I can. Plus I'd like to work on his gait now t hat his feet are done and I'd like to get him toned up. He's a bit pacey, but my MFT friend rode him today and said it could have to do with his lack of muscle tone and the angles of his feet.

What level of rider are you? Do you like the trails? The more miles we get on Cosmo the calmer he'll be.

Scooter's my baby. I don't let too many people ride him, but Snowy is so calm and Cosmo needs time under saddle.

[ErinC]

awwwwwwwww I see a friendship bonding!!!
Ruth you are so good!
I love ya!
:hug

[Minouri]

Erin,

Shucks, thank you.

The one thing I've learned about horses is the more you get them out and about...(as long as you're careful about who you let on them) the better they are for everyone.

Amanda could be the best thing for Cosmo. Then SNOWY and COSMO would have girlfriends....lol

I'm dying to get my friend to board in the barn behind so I'll have someone to ride with every night. It's so much for fun when you've got a riding buddy.

[xpasocortox]

I would consider myself an intermediate rider - AKA I don't need help tacking up/mounting/steering/can walk/trot (gait)/canter comfortably and have control at all gaits. I generally ride western, but am willing to ride in any saddle with a deep seat, and can both direct and neck rein (prefer direct reining, more control and aids can be softer, depending on the horse).

I prefer to trail ride over anything else - and, honestly, I'm in my element there. I am an effiecent rider - not a perfect one. My seat is pretty secure and I've been told that I have light hands. I've ridden through numerous bucks, bolts, and spins (and a couple of rears, but not many, thank god...) and don't put up with that bullcrap. Especially bucking. God, I hate bucking...anyway, I can walk/trot (gait)/canter on trails comfortably, and am pretty comfortable going over/under/through anything. I'm always willing to work with the horse I'm riding and learn his/her specific way of going, and go from there. I will gladly do ringwork as well, as long as my behind is on a horse! I'm pretty much game for anything, and I like to move (read: go fast, LOL) with respect to the horse. AND I LIKE TO HAVE FUN! :D

What is Cosmo like, generally? I've seen some pictures and the video you posted, and he does look like some muscle tone could be a lot of his problem. CAN you get him to gait? I've never actually ridden a pace (HAVE ridden a MFT before!), so I have no idea what that feels like - is it less or more bouncy than the trot? Have you cantered him yet? And what is his saddling issue? If I do start riding with you (VERY VERY VERY VERY INTERESTED!!!!!) I'd obviously want you to feel comfortable with me, so I'd probably start out on Snowy, if he's your calmest and most obediant boy, just to let you know where I stand riding ('cause, for all you know, I could be all talk and ride like a fool! Haha!!), and then if you think I'm qualified, I would kill to ride Cosmo (and maybe sneak a ride on Scooter...? -puppy face- Haha!). Plus, I think Snowy already has a close buddy in Nancy, and I'd hate to end up taking that away from her.

Eep! Excited now! Haha!

Erin - I'm a cute kid who likes horses and can ride well enough to stay in the saddle and still have fun. 'COURSE there's gonna be a friendship! HAHA! Plus, I'll do free barnwork if need be. And anything else asked of me. I'm a loyal little puppy, rofl!

Amanda :D

ETA: LOL Ruthie you must've posted right before I did...ah, yes, I can totally be Cosmo's girlfriend...the only male anything I'll ever call my boyfriend, ROFL!!

ETA 2: I forgot, I am NOT teeny tiny. How tall is Cosmo? I'm not tall, but -cough- I am not light, to say the least. I don't want to be skooshing anyone!! 'Course, the little Paso Finos put up with me fine, but, hey, can never be too careful...

[pnalley]

I'm a cute kid who likes horses and can ride well enough to stay in the saddle and still have fun. 'COURSE there's gonna be a friendship! HAHA! Plus, I'll do free barnwork if need be. And anything else asked of me. I'm a loyal little puppy, rofl!

Dang, if you can toss hay I want one just like you here in central Georgia :lol:

No kidding, anyone out there that is horse crazy and wants to ride in exchange for barn help?? I have 8 that need riding :D

[xpasocortox]

I'd do it in a heartbeat, with or without riding. I like to help ^^

If I was closer, anyway o.o

[Minouri]

Here is the rundown of my boys.

Snowy. Solid. Linebacker. Once he trusts you will do anything for you. Big puppy. Trips a little on unfamiliar trails...but nothing bad. You just can't trott on the trails with him. Otherwise he will go over, under, through or around anything for you. Saddled, bareback...doesn't matter. Trotts beautifully on our "racetrack".


Cosmo...We just had his feet done yesterday and I don't think he has the right angles yet for a smooth ride. But from what we've seen whoever had him last taught him to stop and go and that's about it. (Dont' get me wrong, stopping is good.) He neck reins only and makes unpredictable decisions on his own at higher speeds (like taking a quick turn around a tree when you d idn't ask for that). But so far...no bucking, rearing, spinning or biting.

Saddling issues only come in when you tie him to something. We're going to work that issue out. He can be tied outside, but inside he flips out (actually sat down on the cross ties in the barn and tried to roll over). We haven't seen any of that behavior outside. I take it slow and easy.

We only took him out on the trails once so far (because his shoes were about to pop off) and that was without the other horses. I bet he'd do g reat following someone. The worst thing he did was spook and back once. Nothing crazy.

I've ridden smooth Foxtrotters before. Cosmo is going to require some work to smooth out - but he has a nice running walk. He offers up a weird hop/trott/pace when he gets excited (Looks like a ridiculous tangle of legs). I'm going to work with him at slower speeds first...and work it out there...then keep increasing the speed and work on both gait and responsiveness to the rider. Right now he either ignores your leg cues or over responds. But all of that is communication that will be build up over time.

Scooter is only as brave or as paitent as his rider. We've built a relationship and he trusts me. I take him everywhere and he's so good. But if his rider is nervous he will rear, sit and spin, in general step outside of sanity. If his rider is heavy handed he will buck like a rodeo star. He is as quiet as a lamb for children and my family....but I've seen him give some pretty nasty rides to people who said they could ride (and some trainers). More than one person has told me he needs a beating. But he doesn't have to be perfect for the world as long as he is perfect for me.

Nancy rides Scooter sometimes just in the ring, but not for long. He's too fast for her.

A few weeks from now I'm sure Cosmo is going to be a great little trail horse. I'm pretty sure that's all he has done since being in the ring seems to totally confuse him. Maybe he sat in someone's backyard for a while and someone hopped on him once in a while and let him pretty much do whatever he wanted as long as he stopped when they asked. I've seen plenty of riders like that.

He's not defiant....and that's why I think he'll be perfect before we know it.

[Minouri]

Cosmo is 15 hands I think.

[Minouri]

Amanda, How old are you?

[ErinC]

I believe she said she is 16 ;-)

[xpasocortox]

You've got me all excited by all of your pony kids! I'm pretty game to give anything a try once, and see what works best for me. Scooter's your special pony kid, so I'd just like to ride him occasionally for fun ('cause, you know, he's a Paso!), and Snowy seems kind of like a confidence builder type horse, so, like I said, he'd probably be the one YOU would evaluate me on, and I'd like to end up working with the Cosmo pony.

Fifteen hands is fine. Anything smaller than fifteen three is fine :roll: I hate getting on big horses from the ground. Messes with my already messed up back.

I am sixteen, seventeen in early November. I'll be a senior in high school this year ^.~

[Minouri]

The only difference age makes is who signs the release form. :lol: I told you the worst of what my horses do.....the best is that they follow you around like puppies and love attention.

[xpasocortox]

If that's the worst, then I'm in good shape!

HAHA good. I was like 'oh crap, what if she thinks I'm too young...?'

[TrueStepPaso]

Hi Ruthie...I am dying to ride Cosmo!!! For some reason, he's the first horse in a loooong time that has actually given me the itch to hop on a strange horse....
However, I don't think I can make it on Saturday....the past two weeks I have been so busy/tired, I haven't spent much time with my horses & it's starting to drive me freakin crazy. I feel some homicidal tendencies about to take over if I don't swing my leg over one of those horses (hopefully both...not at the same time though :lol: ) very soon! I plan to ride ALLLLLLLL weekend.

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4dC_UCkWbY&feature=dir

[xpasocortox]

ROFLMAO, but, uh, WTH?

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

actually, this was not the one, there is another one that she has about really having a good time!!!!!!!! and I wish you all a good time this weekend ooppssss!!!!

At least I am glad you liked this one!!!! still searching for the other one!!!!