Hi,

Thought I would post an intro.

I was excited to find this site with a discussion forum, what better way to spend time on the 'net than talking horses- beats working! ha ha

I am 30 years old and have ridden since I was young. I did the usual pony club thing and also worked in the horse industry from ages 20-25(Yard Manager in charge of 220 schoolies) while I studied for my first degree.
I am now studying a nursing degree by correspondence and have a young family. I work in a voluntary role from home for the National Maternity Coalition as well.

I was living in suburbia up until recently so there were no paddocks left to keep any horses but we have since made a tree change and live on 500 acres of gorgeous,lush pasture land. It is time to ride again- yipppppeeeeeeeeee!!!!
I have the room for a horse, now to find the right horsey friend.

I was looking at horse deals with the view to getting a QH as I owned a QH for 6 years and liked that he was a good do-er and generally pretty easy going but then I saw the SPPHA ad and thought- why not a standy?!
I really liked the standy's we had at my old work, most of them were pretty agreeable characters. I am just after a pleasure horse so thought it would be great to be able to help out a standardbred as well as gain a new furry family member.

I think the forums will be really handy when I find a horse as the saddle education we did at work once the horses came through from the sales was basic to say the least as there were just so many horses to work. I think I will get a kick out of doing things the right way with my own horse.

So that's me Looking forward to getting to know everyone.

Hiya

Sorry it took so long for a reply to happen! Im very pleased to meet you And im quite pleased to hear you decided to get a standy im a recent convert i was all about thoroughbreds until i had a couple of standies palmed off on to me Now i cant get enough of them they are so easy going

Any way im Heather and i have a standy mare called 7s I look forward to getting better acquianted

I know this is an old thread but wanted to reply anyway. I hope you have found your standie, they make excellent riding horses, they were once the worlds best kept sectret but no longer. I saddle break my own standies which is very easy to do. Expreience with them has found that if you get them from the trak you have to go quietly with them. I let my standies have a rest day inbetween training sessions to let them think about what they have learnt, and always give them time to understand the lessons. Small idea's for them at the start till they understand then gradually build up with the lessons. In saying that it only takes @ 4 sessions to break to saddle, and that is sessions of 25mins. This gives them time to take the new concept of a person on their back rather that in a sulky behind them. I havny had any issues breaking them to saddle, and once done they are quiet and great to ride. I also check the mouth for hardness and lateral flexion, and if required re mouth them be fore i ride them. I have at prestent a newly broken to saddle standie who i took out on a trail ride with only 5 rides at home, being broken to saddle. He was fantastic, no problems with him at all, but i must say he is dam near boom proof, other horses "played up" so to speak, but he remain extremely calm.