I've been taking care of a friend's 4 horses for the last few days.

There is something deeply gratifying about being greeted by their soft nickering at 7:00 am when they are hungry and it is 10 degrees and snowing.

Kind of makes you think that God intended for horses to be kept by men.

Even mucking is kind of humbling and therapeutic IMO.

BH63

Yes sir, they are Gods gift to people that know them, and it keeps one young and off your duff to feed, water, muck and care for the greatest animal on earth...you will live a lot longer if you really care for them and understand how to act and react around them.

Long, long ago, I read in a horseman mag just how much manure a grown horse puts out in a year. I can't remember the number but it was impressive. I immediately went home and kissed my 4 wheeler.

quote:

Long, long ago, I read in a horseman mag just how much manure a grown horse puts out in a year. I can't remember the number but it was impressive. I immediately went home and kissed my 4 wheeler.

LOL
I kinda understand your thinking.
BUT, my 4 wheelers show no emotion towards me nor are anywhere near as therapeutic as my horses.
I like my wheelers, but I LOVE my horses & there is nothing I do for them that I consider work!

quote:

Originally posted by BuffHunter63:
I've been taking care of a friend's 4 horses for the last few days.

There is something deeply gratifying about being greeted by their soft nickering at 7:00 am when they are hungry and it is 10 degrees and snowing.

Kind of makes you think that God intended for horses to be kept by men.

Even mucking is kind of humbling and therapeutic IMO.

BH63

Try being raised on a horse farm with 120 instead of 4. Also 4 days work is a lot different than 22 years. I hate horses!

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:

quote:

Long, long ago, I read in a horseman mag just how much manure a grown horse puts out in a year. I can't remember the number but it was impressive. I immediately went home and kissed my 4 wheeler.

LOL
I kinda understand your thinking.
BUT, my 4 wheelers show no emotion towards me nor are anywhere near as therapeutic as my horses.
I like my wheelers, but I LOVE my horses & there is nothing I do for them that I consider work!

No the four wheeler doesn't show any emotion. I've never had one bite me, nor kick me, nor decide, miles and miles from home, to pull the picket pin and go home, nor decide, for no reason, it was time to rodeo, etc. They are therapeutic in that they will drive you crazy.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
Long, long ago, I read in a horseman mag just how much manure a grown horse puts out in a year. I can't remember the number but it was impressive. I immediately went home and kissed my 4 wheeler.

According to one of my books, a 1000 lb horse can generate 40 lbs of road apples per day. Multiply that by 365 and that is one heck of a lot of horseshit.

To be honest, I would not want to work as a stable hand (even with front loaders,etc) mucking would get old pretty quick. LOL

Still building a bond with 3 or 4 horses, does seem to set well with my spirit.

I have owned an ATV since 1995. I've rolled it twice, and it does come in handy, but I never seemed to bond with it for some reason. LOL


BH63

There is more manure on this thread than a horse can dump in a lifetime..More folks killed and injured on 4 wheelers than by horse so cut the shit!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
There is more manure on this thread than a horse can dump in a lifetime..More folks killed and injured on 4 wheelers than by horse so cut the shit!

When I got my first 3 wheeler, the salesman told my son and I , if you get hurt on one of these, it's because you're doing something stupid. He was rght. I've seen some folks do some pretty stupid things on ATVs. However, you don't have to be doing anything stupid to get hurt on or around a horse.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
There is more manure on this thread than a horse can dump in a lifetime..More folks killed and injured on 4 wheelers than by horse so cut the shit!

When I got my first 3 wheeler, the salesman told my son and I , if you get hurt on one of these, it's because you're doing something stupid. He was rght. I've seen some folks do some pretty stupid things on ATVs. However, you don't have to be doing anything stupid to get hurt on or around a horse.

3-wheeled ATVs are inherently unsafe by design, so the salesman was just doing what salesmen do, trying to sell you an ATV!

One of the easiest (and most natural) ways to get hurt on an ATV (4 wheeler) is to put your foot down when it leans over during a traverse or when crawling over a big rock. It is a perfectly natural reaction, yet if those big grabby tires get your foot, you will get a broken leg. This IMO is not necessarily being stupid, just not being able to control your natural instincts.

Most people who get seriously hurt by a horse are doing something stupid (like not paying attention to a 1000 lb animal or worse).

A friend of mine, who has spent his life working and training horses has personally witnessed 4 people get killed by horses. He states emphatically that in every case it was the person's fault.

Sure, you will get nipped occasionally, but using good, common "horse sense" should keep you out of trouble most of the time. You have to develop a "feel" the horse and monitor it in real time.

Riding horses are like riding ATVs, in that occasionally you will have accidents where the horse looses his footing and goes down, or the horse steps in a hole and goes down. That is just part of living IMO.

And just like riding an ATV, the more aggressive you are, the more the chances of accident increase.

I generally ride my ATV on trails where you wouldn't want to take a jeep, so I have had my share of bumps. LOL

BH63

LIfe isn't always a bed or roses, folks get killed in gun fights too ya know!

You can train and teach a horse not to do bad things, ya can't teach a 4 wheeler nothing..

You can't teach a mule nothing cuz his brain is the size of a hummingbirds brain...

quote:

You can't teach a mule nothing cuz his brain is the size of a hummingbirds brain...

I can't let this one pass.

There are good horses and good mules.

The problem is that the majority of horses and mules are stupid and not to be trusted.

But I'll trust my mules over any horse that ever lived.

The only difference between a horse and an ATV is the horse has a mind of its own and the ATV doesn't.

Ray, I was waiting for some come back on that mule remark. It seemed pretty far fetched to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

You can't teach a mule nothing cuz his brain is the size of a hummingbirds brain...

I can't let this one pass.

There are good horses and good mules.

The problem is that the majority of horses and mules are stupid and not to be trusted.

But I'll trust my mules over any horse that ever lived.

There is a reason horses are more popular than mules.

cowboys don't like riding something that's smarter than they are.

Mules have a mind of their own and are much harder to accept someone as the "alpha" IMO. Still they have their good qualities.

Saturday was the last day for me to take care of my friend's horses. During the morning feed, the mustang chomped down on my ring finger as I was putting the hay flakes in her pen. I yelled and she let go, but I could have easily lost a finger.

They do keep you on their toes, for sure.

Still it is so relaxing to watch them dig into their grain and/or hay after you finished feeding them. They are (for the most part) grateful for your care.

BH63

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
cowboys don't like riding something that's smarter than they are.

You talking about the wife

All in good fun my man, Ive owned many a good mule, broke them for my dad all thu greade school and highschool..I do prefer a horse for cowboying and competing, but when I go hunting I'll sometimes grab a good mule..

I recall one time I got pissed and was whipping my horse, My dad rode up and gave me that looked that scared the crap out of me and for good reason and said, "Son, all that poney asks of you is a bucket of oats and your respect, and in return he gives you his all, he didn't deserve the whipping, you did" and rode off, I hung up my quirt up in the barn before it got used on me..All it ever did was set my training back another 60 days anyway..

Mule hides make excellent leather.

I enjoy the fact that my horses recognize me. They come to the fence when I come out, they follow me all around. I often let the extra horses run loose when I'm riding and the herd mentality kicks in and they stay with me all day.

I've put a lot of hours into my horses and they behave pretty well. We have gotten in some bad situations and they have waited for me to fix the problems.


https://youtu.be/mJRyMNX9ppk

https://youtu.be/xeI-UwRi1ko

quote:

Originally posted by Painted Horse:
I enjoy the fact that my horses recognize me. They come to the fence when I come out, they follow me all around. I often let the extra horses run loose when I'm riding and the herd mentality kicks in and they stay with me all day.

I've put a lot of hours into my horses and they behave pretty well. We have gotten in some bad situations and they have waited for me to fix the problems.

Treat a horse right and they will take up with you. Mistreat them and they will remember it for a long time.

BH63

quote:

More folks killed and injured on 4 wheelers than by horse so cut the shit!

When horses were the most common means of transportation and work animals a lot of people were killed by them.

you can't get lost at night in the mountains and have yer four wheeler guide you to your tent...

quote:

Originally posted by DTala:
you can't get lost at night in the mountains and have yer four wheeler guide you to your tent...

That is a fact, but a horse will take you back on his own.

A good gps will do the same thing with a lot less horse shit. And feed for that matter.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
A good gps will do the same thing with a lot less horse shit. And feed for that matter.

The horse has a built in gps that doesn’t need batteries, nor the need to carry a gps. The horse doesn’t disturb game like a 4 wheeler, plus the fact the horse can go places the 4 wheeler can’t.

I really like my 4 wheelers, but I LOVE my horses.

I like a good mule, I like a good horse, but most of all I like to stick a spur in my good friend Will from time to time!!