[Ag-eq] Resending

Tue Mar 16 04:33:23 UTC 2010

Ryan:

Do you have experience with horses and if so in what capacity ?

If you don't have a lot of experience I suggest taking lessons from someone. 
I personally don't like therapeutic riding centers, but that is just me.  I 
took a few lessons at one several years ago and found the staff to be over 
protective and patronizing.  I did learn some general equine handling 
skills, but not much about riding.  I decided if I was really going to 
progress I needed to find another instructor.

I looked in a local horse magazine and contacted some of the riding 
instructors that were listed.  I found most of them to be very receptive to 
working with me.  I met 3 of them to check out their facility and lesson 
horses.  I chose one with reasonable pricing that was in a convenient 
location.  She was a good instructor who pushed me.  Even when I came off 
she treated me as anyone else and made me get back on.  I worked with her 
for about a year and then my work schedule changed and I stopped lessons for 
a while.

Shortly after that a friend of a friend gave me an old Arabian mare.  Sugar 
was already in her twenties, but had done everything; I learned so much from 
her.  I rode her for about 2 years taking lessons as time and budget 
allowed.  Sugar started having some lameness issues and I had to retire her. 
I kept her for a year longer, but finally had to have her put down.  She was 
in pain and she didn't deserve to suffer.

After Sugar could no longer be ridden I started researching different horse 
breeds and became very interested in mules.  I looked at several mules 
before deciding to purchase Allie.  Allie was 17 and had hundreds of miles 
of trail experience.  She had only had 2 owners in her life, both of which 
were women.  She seems to prefer women and gets very bonded to her human.

Allie is now 21 years old and I've added to more mules to the heard.  I take 
lessons as often as possible and also attend clinics held in the area.  I 
joined a trail riding club and try to involve myself in as many horsy things 
as possible.  Over all I've found people to be very receptive and supportive 
of me.  I've only ever had one instructor tell me I couldn't be in her class 
because of liability.  I was upset, but after some research found out that 
she wasn't that good anyway!

I'm very lucky because one of my best friends, who is also my neighbor 
completely accepts me and always includes me in all horse related 
adventures.  My boyfriend is also into horses and we ride together a lot. 
We are currently training 2 of the mules to pack so we can go on a packing 
trip in a wilderness area.

When I first got interested in having my own horses I read everything I 
could get my hands on and watched training videos.  I didn't always 
understand everything on the videos, since I couldn't see them, but had a 
pretty good idea of what was happening.  I also talked to as many horse 
people as possible.  There is so much to learn and the more I learn the more 
questions I have!

Sorry I didn't mean to go on so, but I'm somewhat obsessed with horses and 
especially mules!  Feel free to ask any questions and good luck in your 
adventure.

Nella

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ryan Kwaak" <ryan.kwaak at gmail.com>
To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 10:17 AM
Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Resending

> Hi Jody And All Y'all,
> Thanks again for your rants; they serve to make all of us feel
> validated. The discussion on this list has gotten me more intrigued
> now than ever about joining up with a rodeo group and training horses
> for racing. Where are your groups based out of, and how can anyone get
> involved? A friend of church rides in a local rodeo in suburban
> Matteson (never even thought one existed near Chicrooko), and says
> she's not giving it up any time soon. It would be great to get back to
> nature and unwind in a better atmosphere, so if you have had better or
> worse experiences with certain groups, send your reviews to me if you
> so desire. About this clicker to train horses, who sells them, and are
> there specialized ones for dogs and horses, or are they one in the
> same? Thanks to all of you for being mavericks in your own right and
> shedding light into an urban tunnel.
>
> On 3/14/10, Jody W. Ianuzzi <jody at thewhitehats.com> wrote:
>> Hello Ryan and all,
>>
>> I sent this privately but it bounced so I am sending it to the list:
>>
>> Yes, it is so refreshing to talk with someone who had the same 
>> experiences.
>> One thing that was true when we were kids was that if we wanted to join 
>> the
>> scouts or go horseback riding we just joined the local group.
>> Now with so much political correctness there are special troops and 
>> special
>> programs for people with disabilities.  Blind kids are actually turned 
>> away
>> from mainstreamed clubs and told they can't deal with them in the
>> mainstreamed environment.
>>
>> What a joke,  Now with the ADA and other rights blind kids have a harder
>> time then they did when we were kids!
>>
>> I don't want a therapeudic riding center with a sidewalker and someone
>> leading the horse.  I want to barrel race for heavens sake.
>>
>> When doing the martial arts I am out there with everyone else.  I don't 
>> want
>> a segregated class with only blind players who actually wear a patch on
>> their shoulder with the level of their vision as B1, B2 etc.  I would 
>> rather
>> fight and loose then be coddled.
>>
>> I have always been a maverick, heck, when I was born three months early 
>> my
>> parents were told I wouldn't survive.  My reaction then was 'oh yeah, 
>> I'll
>> prove you wrong' and I have been saying that ever since.
>>
>> It is more difficult to be a maverick but I truly feel sorry for the 
>> passive
>> blind person who has never questioned their situation.
>>
>> As we said when I lived in New Hampshire "Live Free or Die".
>>
>> Happy trails,
>>
>> JODY
>>
>> Barrel racers know how to take turns.......
>>
>> Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
>>     - Roger Caras
>>
>> _____________________________________
>>
>> "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." Thomas Jefferson
>>
>> "When the people fear the
>> government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there 
>> is
>> liberty" ~ Thomas Jefferson
>>
>> "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be
>> the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than 
>> under
>> omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes
>> sleep,his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment 
>> us
>> for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the
>> approval of their own conscience."~  C. S. LEWIS
>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> Ryan Kwaak
> Audio Imaging Assistant
> Revolution in Christ
> http://www.revolutioninchrist.com
>
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