>          I am too old to be intimidated by oldies, Meg, or
 > be called "new blood,"  -  52 this past spring. I was
    Hehehehe  ..... MY kind of person .    Even though I only 
claim to be 29 and holding I am just a "smight bit" older than you are 
........
 >         I started riding a little too late, and had more
    I rode when I was a youngster and well up into my teens - then didn't get 
on another horse until I was late 40's.  I figure you're NEVER too old to do 
what you really want to do 
 > than 10
 > years non-riding gap as well. This is my 4th year with
 > Shemmeek,
 > who is a spitting image of the Shagya Arabian photographs
 > in The
 > Ultimate Horse Book. 16hh, and full of curiosity, a people
    WOW!!!!!  Very nice!!
 > would make a great house horse, we say. He can heel off
 > lead
 > better than most dogs, and answers when I call him.
 > Sometimes
 > he's the one who speaks up first!
 >         Some of you may remember my queries in this
 > conference,
 > about McClellan saddles, cinches, and Orthoflex saddles.
    Had a McClellan saddle -- like my Circle Y saddle better.
 > Though
 > the McClellan fits him well, it is a bit too small for my
 > 210
 > lbs, so was relegated to shorter rides and a spare status.
 > I
 > spent moste of one Xmas holidays making a cavalry pattern
 > chabraque to go with it, but had no chance to show it off
 > in any
 > parades (yet?).
    Time's awastin'  ..... you really NEED to find some parades to "show 
off" in !!!
 >         Last year I was fortunate enough to be able to
 > visit
 > Nevada, MO, where they make the Orthoflex saddles. Got
 > their
 > Renegade, a nice, old-timey looking double cinch rig, with
 > the
 > high gullet I needed for Shemmeek. Also last summer, I
 > participated in a couple of Endurance and Competitive
 > rides. One
    Very good ..... how did you fare out??
 > of the folks was gracious enough to take me, or rather,
 > Shemmeek,
 > along in his 2-horse trailer to some rides this year - most
 > notably, the three-day Great Northern Connection, with
 > rides on
 > each day. I only went into the limited (25 miles) division
 > each
 > day, but Shemmeek acquitted himself very well, we finished
 > near
 > the middle of the pack every time. On the other rides he
    That's because Shemmeek is an Arabian !!   They are GREAT 
horses for endurance rides!!
 > managed one best-conditioned and one second place. Our
 > longest
 > ride so far was a 30-mile competitive.
 >         Though my wife cannot ride for the past two years
 > (hip
 > problems), she is the most able of pit crews, in spite of
 > having
 > to look after our 16-month old Great Dane at the same time
 > (of
 > course he comes along with us!). In fact, we liked the
    But of course he would!!!  My hubby also does not ride -- BUT he found 
that he enjoyed the carriages so he drives .... now we have TWO driving 
horses (the 6yr old Arabian we call Mr X and my new horse - a 7yr old 
Saddlebred mare).
 > much that we have actually bought a used 2-horse trailer
 > and a
 > 1983 GMC camper van to tow it with (we are still getting it
 > rigged up 'just right'). Almost too late for this season,
 > mind
 > you. September typically brings morning frosts to Manitoba.
 > Still, broke but happy, and wish us luck for next year!
 >         On the first occassion of loading Shemmeed by
 > myself, it
 > took two hours. After one lesson (teaching me, primarily)
 > with
 > the owner of the stables where we board, he now loads on
 > command,
    We all have to learn!!
 > I don't have to enter the trailer at all. Nothing wrong
 > with his
 > brains. Needless to say, I am very proud of him, and happy
 > to be
 > able to boast to you folks. Non-horsey audiences would not
 > understand, eh?
    We ALL understand here  ..... of COURSE you are proud of your 
horse ..... and, just go ahead a boast away -- we all do it here (that's why 
this echo exists and everyone stays here to "chat" ). There are 
LOTS of simply WONDERFUL people here for sure!!
 >         So - sorry for the long litany, but now you all
 > know, and
 > please be generous with advice, comments, or whatever.
    And we expect to see YOU giving advise, comments and whatever too ;-) 
........ So glad that you joined our little group!!!
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