[cpttango30]

Just get a dam harley. Horses are good for two things DOG FOOD and French food.

Horses are ok I guess I never much cared for them. they are not all that smart. Don't even argue that point. You can run a horse till it dies that is not smart at all. I have ridden bareback with nothing but the mane to hold on to and all saddled up as well. I have rode quite a bit when I was younger. Never met a horse that was smarter than a dirt clod.

DON'T buy one unless you have the land at home to have it. Yes they are money pits. vet visits are 10 times that of a dog or cat. then you have to have a ferrier for shoes and hoof care. They need their teeth floated (Where you take a big file and grind their teeth flat. Shots and food you think $40 for 50# of dog food is a lot. Buy hay, straw (for bedding), alfalfa, pellets ect..... Then your going to need a truck and trainer to haul the dam thing around in. your going to need a tack room to store all the tack and other crap you need for a horse. Then if you have a stable you have to clean it every day and replace bedding and get the crap out wash it down every so often to get the nasty stank urine out. If you think your dog pisses a lot wait till you see a horse piss.

If you just must ride go to a dude ranch and at least get some hunting or fishing and nice views out of the deal of sore back, legs, ass, and starfish. http://www.duderanch.org/ranches.cfm?

[Jo da Plumbr]

Originally Posted by Benning Boy

Yeah, gotta do it, if only once, but backing out isn't optional.

How do I know, doing the eye thing, that I'm not engaging in a pi$$ing contest before I get on? If I determine that the horse is gonna give me problems, will I know before I get on, or will he be devious and wait till I'm committed to act up?

At the stables here they ask your experience level and put you on a horse that you can handle. When I tell them I have ridden a fair amount (for a guy in LA) I think the stable hands give me a real bad ass just to see if the horse comes back without me.

Tell them you’re a new rider, you'll be fine. They may even have group rides you can go on where the stable hands come along to help.

[Troy Michalik]

Originally Posted by Benning Boy

How do I know, doing the eye thing, that I'm not engaging in a pi$$ing contest before I get on? If I determine that the horse is gonna give me problems, will I know before I get on, or will he be devious and wait till I'm committed to act up?

ears forward = good
ears back (pinned) = bad

[Benning Boy]

Originally Posted by Troy Michalik

ears forward = good
ears back (pinned) = bad

Ahhhhhh....see, I knew there was a trick.

[russ]

Horses, like many animals that are familiar with people, can be more devious than people realize. They will pick up on your inexperience and if they sense that you are nervous and unsure of yourself, they may test your response to some mild acts of mischief. Any stable that rents should not have an animal that will try to purposely hurt you, but may try to do as it pleases instead of as you please. Moral of the story is, be confident and direct. The animal will pick up on this and is less likely to give you trouble.