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Another new horse

erykah1310
November 13th, 2009, 11:20 AM
I have been anxiously awaiting his arrival for a week now, and still have 2 more days to wait:wall: But it will all be worth it;
his name is name is Calvin and he is a 16.1hh hanoverian.
He is a retired school horse who has taught many people to ride and jump. He wont be jumping with me thats for sure but he will be my trail/ pleasure horse.
Here are some pics that were sent to me from his current owner.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd301/z28gurl_2007/Horses/fallinhousehorseshow010.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd301/z28gurl_2007/Horses/edit2cal.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd301/z28gurl_2007/Horses/edit.jpg

pbpatti
November 13th, 2009, 11:22 AM
He is STUNNING :thumbs up, looks like you will have many happy trails with him.

erykah1310
November 13th, 2009, 11:24 AM
He's bombproof and has truely been there and done that, from Dressage competitions, jumping, hunter, english and western pleasure competitions and hacking out.
I cant wait to meet my new giant, I have him on a 2 week trial period where if it doesnt work out i can return him for full refund but i honestly doubt that will happen

Melinda
November 13th, 2009, 11:37 AM
he is a beauty! How old is he?

erykah1310
November 13th, 2009, 11:52 AM
He's 16 yrs old

Winston
November 13th, 2009, 12:13 PM
Hey there! Calvin is stunning! Can you tell me a few things about horses? I know zero! Like do they age like cats and dogs? I mean you know the 7 yr thing for 1 yr human time?

Can you explain some of those things he has done? like the riding and what not?

Is 16 yrs old for a horse? This probably sounds silly but how much does a horse eat in a day? Do horses tend to get along with each other? do they need intros like cats and dogs? What will beautiful Fay (i think thats her name!) think of Calvin??

Okay enough of my 20 questions but I am honestly not knowledgeable at all when it comes to horses...all I do know is Calvin is one handsome dude!

Cindy

ancientgirl
November 13th, 2009, 12:15 PM
OMG I love horses. He's so handsome!

Dog Dancer
November 13th, 2009, 02:41 PM
Well Calvin is gorgeous to say the least, and I'm sure you'll love him to death. But here's my question. Do people feel that horses don't bond with their owners and that's why they sell them? Like Calvin is 16 is it not hard on him to pick up and move to a new home?? I could never think to part with my dog, why would I part with my horse. Am I the only one who feels like that, could you picture yourself selling Fay off so that you could replace her with a different horse you liked better? Not trying to offend, it's just an honest question, I'd love a horse as much as my dog I think and yet it seems people sell them quite regularly. Made me wonder.

rainbow
November 13th, 2009, 03:03 PM
That is a good question DD ....I don't think I could ever sell any animal of mine either.

Calvin is absolutely gorgeous. :lovestruck:

erykah1310
November 13th, 2009, 03:06 PM
Hey there! Calvin is stunning! Can you tell me a few things about horses? I know zero! Like do they age like cats and dogs? I mean you know the 7 yr thing for 1 yr human time?
Not really, Horses have much longer life expectancies than dogs and cats, I'm not sure of the year to year ratio though
Can you explain some of those things he has done? like the riding and what not?
Theyre all hard to explain...
http://www.efanational.com/?Page=369&MenuID=Sports%2F11757%2F0%2CDressage%2F11732%2F0
Jumping is quite self explanitory
english and western pleasure is basically going through all the paces, walking, trot, canter, lope, ect with your horse being judged in either english or western (different requirements for the rider in each discipline but along the same lines regardless)
Hacking, just hitting the trails either alone or with other horses.

Is 16 yrs old for a horse?
No, well it does depend on what has been done with them but generally speaking, its a perfect age, they're experienced and mature. there are horses at the barn I board at right now, one is 32 and the other is 30 (granted they are near the end now)

This probably sounds silly but how much does a horse eat in a day?
Again varies from breed to breed as well as what they do in a day.
Draft horses (work horse) eat lots, if they work alot they need more understandably, but if just in the pasture, they will graze all day long on hay or grasses.

Do horses tend to get along with each other?
Varies from horse to horse. Most horses do get along but there is a strict heirarchy with in a herd. the Boss mare is well... the boss in the herd, they all follow laterally in the list afterwards. Not usual for 2 horses to be of the same level in a herd, there really is no equals, you are either more dominant or less than the one next to you. If you see a horse eating at a bale and another walks over and the eating horse moves immediately, you know it is lower on the totem than the horse who walked up

do they need intros like cats and dogs?
Its best to do intros but they're not like you do with dogs and cats, basically after quarantine at a new barn the new horse is put out with a herd, you let them work it out. They figure out their places in a herd fast. Introductions are amazing to watch, one who was the boss previously can quickly be stripped of that title and not fight for it again
What will beautiful Fay (i think thats her name!) think of Calvin??
Fay is thankfully quite low on the totem poles in herds, she accepts new horses well, and is especially fond of geldings (fixed males like Calvin) I dont see a problem with them together. If there is though, they will work it out fast enough

Melinda
November 13th, 2009, 03:18 PM
16 would be a bit past middle age for a large horse, if I remember correctly. I received a sheltland colt for passing kindergarten, when my grams passed on and we had to find a home for our horses king was given to the neighbours daughter, I got to introduce my own children (5 and 6 yrs old at the time) to my childhood pony. King was then 26 yrs old and lived a life of luxury in a pasture with many others.

erykah1310
November 13th, 2009, 03:25 PM
Well Calvin is gorgeous to say the least, and I'm sure you'll love him to death. But here's my question. Do people feel that horses don't bond with their owners and that's why they sell them? Like Calvin is 16 is it not hard on him to pick up and move to a new home?? I could never think to part with my dog, why would I part with my horse. Am I the only one who feels like that, could you picture yourself selling Fay off so that you could replace her with a different horse you liked better? Not trying to offend, it's just an honest question, I'd love a horse as much as my dog I think and yet it seems people sell them quite regularly. Made me wonder.

I could never sell Fay as we have a great bond. However I did sell Beauty, not to replace her for someone I liked better, I loved Beauty and had a very hard time selling her. But we were not and never were going to be a good riding team. I could have kept her as a pasture pet yes, but horses are not like dogs and cats, they are FAR more expensive to keep. I want a good reliable riding horse for both me and my man, Fay has it, Beauty did not. Beauty did however excel in driving and as a riding horse for an extremely dominant rider (not me) She tests, and tests to always be the dominant one in the "relationship" if you dont constantly remind her that you are more dominant she will take you for a ride (not a good one)
Calvin is from a lesson barn, with his age and size there comes a time when they should not be ridden hard like they have been and the best thing for them is to let them go to a retirement home.
I need a confidence boosting horse, one who is gentle and sound both physically and mentally, an experienced horse is perfect for someone like me. Once i advance past what brings to the table, my man would benifit from him. As long as he is indeed everything that he has been described as he seems like the horse I should have bought in the first place.

As for it being hard on him, no it isnt like with dogs and cats, yes they do bond with their owners, but adapt well to new people and new horses. Even horses that remain with their owners their whole lives often get moved around a lot. Different surroundings and horses at different boarding barns ect.

And its not so much not liking your horse you sell them, sometimes they are better off with other owners. Like Beauty now, she is still at the barn and honestly has no interest in me anymore, her new owner is working her far more and they have created an amazing bond, like the one me and Fay have. Beauty no longer comes to the gate for me, she couldnt be bothered, I have fallen in her heirarchy where as Kim (new owner) goes near the gate and she is right there with her.
It was heart breaking at first, but seeing them together makes it all make sense.

Sometimes horses are sold frequently due to health or behavioral concerns, be aware of the "bargain horse", bombproof 16 year old for $500, odds are he is breaking down and the owners dont want to deal with the bills...
Or the 5 year old who has so much potential... but has had 5 or 6 owners... ill mannered or aggressive. Many people unsuspectingly buy them and within the first month the horse shows signs of aggression, to an experienced horse person, this can be easily fixed, for someone inexperienced who saw a "deal" well, this could mean life long crippling injuries or even death if they try to correct on their own.

there were a few things about horses that bothered me being that i am a dog cat person by means of experience... For one, "grade" horse breeding. Its basically mix breeding, not a big deal to many in the horse world. Draft mixes are starting to be seen more in dressage and jumping as their larger legs are more desirable and sustain the pressure from jumps over longer periods of time. No one really bats an eye to mixing of breeds, there are registries for anything...
BEHA (blue eyed horse association) for example, I can register Fay with them solely on her eye color, still a controversial registry, but APHA (american paint horse assoc.) is a registery for horses with Quarter horse in their pedigree with paint markings...
Pinto, registries register any horse with the same coloring, regardless of breed involved.

the horse world is very different from the dog/cat world.

erykah1310
November 13th, 2009, 03:34 PM
Younger horses also get sold quite a bit because they are not developing into what the rider has in mind for them.
A western gamer (barrel racing ect) buys a young Quarter horse bred for gaming, but horse is far more suited as an english pleasure quarter horse... is better off with someone looking to do that with them.
Just another reason I have found for people selling

chico2
November 13th, 2009, 05:16 PM
Awww Erykah,Calvin is just gorgeous,you are sooo lucky able to keep horses.
It was interesting to read your replies to all the questions,I know zilch about horses,other than they are very ,very beautiful:lovestruck:

Rottielover
November 13th, 2009, 07:00 PM
OMG I am in love, I can not wait to see the whole gang again next year :) And ride :)

Tundra_Queen
November 14th, 2009, 12:26 AM
Oh, he is a beauty! I hope his prersonality is as beautiful as he is!

Debbie

growler~GateKeeper
November 14th, 2009, 02:05 AM
Handsome guy :lovestruck:

He wont be jumping with me thats for sure

Don't be too sure about that ;) jumper horses who truly love it, will do it out on the trail/pasture if the opportunity arises ie log/bush etc :D

erykah1310
November 14th, 2009, 08:23 AM
Tis true Growler... however we will not be getting into competitive jumping thats for sure.
I dont see myself liking that discipline much lol

erykah1310
November 14th, 2009, 08:29 AM
I just got the text message from my hauler (owner of the barn I board at) She is hitching up and heading out to pick him up.

Dog Dancer
November 14th, 2009, 08:07 PM
Erykah, thanks for the reply. I guess I can understand people parting with a horse if they've bought it for a work or competition thing and it's not working out, and with you and Beauty never bonding. I understand it's not the same as keeping a dog that didn't turn champion. I just don't know if I could do it myself. I have a friend who breeds champion shelties and sometimes she'll keep one from a litter for showing and breeding and such, but it will go oversize and she'll sell it down the road. Lucky person who buys it because she's a professional obedience trainer and judge as well. But I don't know how she can keep a dog for seven months then go - nah sorry you're two inches too big. Horses I guess are a whole different story. But I didn't think you'd ever part with Fay - at least not willingly.

We had friends back East in Hudson who had horses for their teenage daughters. When the girls got older and stopped riding and moved out they ended up keeping the horses (they borded them at a local barn) because they just couldn't bring themselves to sell them. Too many memories.

Can't wait for pics when Calvin gets home.

My Lodi Girl
November 14th, 2009, 11:06 PM
Very handsome guy!

erykah1310
November 15th, 2009, 12:18 AM
thank you;
I am still in such shock that I am now the owner of a Hanoverian lol...
Its so weird to be so in love with something you have never met. I will meet him tomorrow in the early afternoon.
I cant wait... I doubt sleep will be possible tonight

mona_b
November 15th, 2009, 09:24 PM
WOW...He is STUNNING...........:cloud9:

I love horses and love riding them.

erykah1310, I was at the Royal on Sat. There were 2- 5 month old (a day apart) Hanoverians in a stall with the owner..And at 5 months they were stunning.:lovestruck:

Frenchy
November 15th, 2009, 09:48 PM
wow Erykah , that's a beautiful horse ! :cloud9: congratulations ! :thumbs up

Ryan48
November 15th, 2009, 09:53 PM
WOW, he's beautiful.

Rm

erykah1310
November 16th, 2009, 07:40 PM
WOW
Pictures do him no justice, shocking since he is gorgeous in the pics. His personality FAR outweighs his looks, such a gentle giant. He was a bit pushy coming off the trailer but thats to be expected after a 6 hour trip.
Once he was off, he was so curious as to where he was that he had no idea i was there. All it took for his attention was a deep growly "Calvin, enough" and BAM he stood and looked around with respect for where i was.
I dont have any pics yet , i was totally preoccupied with him lol

Planning on riding him this weekend

chico2
November 17th, 2009, 09:05 AM
Calvin sounds as wonderful as he is beautiful,but having been a"school-horse"he must be used to different people,now he can retire with you and have a wonderful rest of his life:lovestruck:
Get the camera working,ok;)