[Mukluk]

I love my horse. She is beautiful, smart, athletic, and fun. I can lead her around the ranch with no halter. When I call her, she stops what she is doing and looks for me. And..... when we are on a trail ride and I get off to er...use the powder room... she goes wee wee too!!! I think this means we have a very special bond

[wylde sage]

Lol, I'm chuckling over that last bit, but I think it's great you have your heart horse. I have always bonded better with mares for whatever reason. Current one is a redhead so it's been an interesting time but she is def tuned into me.

[Mukluk]

She happens to be a Chestnut OTTB Mare. She was the first horse I looked at (by mistake, I was not horse shopping) and I bought her within the week. We do schooling shows (all the english classes plus trail), team sorting, drill team, parades, and she is also an amazing trail horse too. And of course on trail rides, she goes when I go

[Lisa Preston]

Gang peeing, nice. Mine only blows when I wee on the trail.
It is super cool to have the tuned-in, whatcha doin', pay attention pony.

[Kellyaw]

I love my horse. She is beautiful, smart, athletic, and fun. I can lead her around the ranch with no halter. When I call her, she stops what she is doing and looks for me. And..... when we are on a trail ride and I get off to er...use the powder room... she goes wee wee too!!! I think this means we have a very special bond

Thanks for the laugh! Reminded me of the FT. Schelbourne Pony Express XP several years ago. My friend and I were riding in the 50 and jumped off to pee, inspiring both our geldings to join in, when suddenly a group of riders came around the corner and found all 4 of us watering the bushes. Golden memories!

[JollyBadger]

It's so wonderful to have a good bond with your horse, to the point where you just "know" and trust each other.

I love the thing about peeing. While my boy and I don't "share the experience," he's great about signaling when he needs to go and will actually step off to the side of the path rather than pee right in the middle of the trail. Such a gentleman.

I've come back from trail rides just beaming because I'm so proud of how well he handled a rough or scary situation. Someone could offer me ten times what I paid for that horse and I'd refuse it.

It doesn't mean he can't be a pissant from time to time. . .but he's my pissant. I love the fact that he still thinks about things. He's not just plodding mindlessly along the trail. He pays attention to the surroundings, but not in the sense of being in a constant state of "what's out there that I can spook at?"

Yep, he's a keeper.

[CherishIt]

That's hilarious.

I have a very special girl too, and I don't know what I'd do without her. The guy who sold her to me didn't want her - she didn't even have a name, not even "Brown horse".

We've begun to ride everywhere together. I've hopped on her without a bridle on, just for fun, and she still listens to me just as well. I rarely have to use my reins when I'm riding, and when I open my window blinds in the morning her head shoots up, no matter where she is in the pasture, and she walks toward the gate. She's always waiting for me when I get to her, and sticks her head in the halter. When I'm out riding with her, I'm not just riding a horse, I'm riding a special friend and she's so aware that I'm there. She asks me questions all the time, and shares the same love for exploration that I do...

I'm so glad you have your heart horse too.

[Huntertwo]

It's so wonderful to have a good bond with your horse, to the point where you just "know" and trust each other.

I've come back from trail rides just beaming because I'm so proud of how well he handled a rough or scary situation. Someone could offer me ten times what I paid for that horse and I'd refuse it.

Jolly,
You couldn't have said it any better.. And totally agree with you.

It's a special bond when you can go out alone for hours, yet you both feel you're safe in each other's hands. (Or hooves)

Just yesterday I came back totally "beaming" as you described.

Twinkie and I went out in the State Forest for 3 hours and we ran into several mountain bikers and she just stood while we chatted for a bit. At first they didn't see us as the trails winded and came toward us quite fast and she just stopped and looked.

Not more than 15 minutes later "we" heard a bunch of dogs barking ahead, but continued on.

Two woman with at least 10 dogs. I swear I couldn't count them all. Only two on leashes and the rest loose. No other leashes for the others.
Every size and breeds imaginable. Labs, Saint Bernards, mixed breeds... You name it they had it. It was like a kennel...lol

Of course they came running and barking at us, owner's running behind, screaming at dogs.

I felt like the Wagon Train surrounded by Indians...lol They were in front of us, behind and on both sides barking like mad.

Mind you Twink is blind in her right eye and simply stood still, very relaxed like a little trouper, while the Indians barked away. Not once did she tense up or did I feel like she would bolt.

Can't tell you how intensely proud I was of her.... Beamed and smiled all the way back to the barn.

Great feeling, isn't it, when I know so many other horses would have bolted and ran for the hills...lol

[AlfalfaGirl]

love the dual tinkle on the trail story!!!!

I have bonded pretty darn tight these days with The Biscuit. When I got him 15 months ago he was stand offish because of harsh treatment...stand offish is mild really. I was also not wanting to get attached in case he didn't work out for me.

Now, me and my boy are tight. He sticks his head in his halter, rubs his face on me occasionally (gently and only with encouragement) and comes from the middle of the pasture when he sees my Rav coming down the ranch road. He takes good care of me on the trail and couldn't be sweeter.

I told him yesterday to not tell my former horse (whom I loved DEEPLY) that I love him more and I like riding him better!!! I wouldn't take 5 times more than I paid for him today....he is worth his weight in gold to me.

[dreamswept]

It's alllll about my girl. She's my sweetheart. Not quite my heart horse because I was spoiled early on, and got my heart horse first ... been 5 years since I lost him and I think about him all the time. But he paved the way for me and my next two horses.

But Jet. We're tight. Like glue. I started leasing her after my old man (the aforementioned heart horse) died because I was floundering and lost and desperately in need of grounding. And there was this little black mare at our barn who'd basically been "abandoned" although her out of town owners still paid the bills on her, she was in a pasture by herself with some nasty dermatitis that had taken all the hair off her underbelly. And she cribbed.

You could say we were two lost souls who got swept together by the power of the almighty dollar. I fixed her tummy, she fixed my sanity and helped me start on my way to a mended heart. We did lots of things together, trail riding together ... we even got stung by yellow jackets together. And then that pesky dollar (or rather 2,900 of them) stuck its nose in again when her owner tried to pressure me into buying her by insulting me and saying it took "sacrifice and a willingness to go the extra yard to buy a horse and take care of it." (anyone remember that, I posted about it waaaaaaay back in 2007) and I got the Pony of my Dreams instead, namely the Golden Boy Haflinger Butterbutt who is the bestest lil golden boy this side of the Sierra Nevadas.

And then I got her back. No lie. Last year, I even found Jet on Craigslist, and just had to get her back even though I was plenty happy with my Mitch. And she's been with me a whole year now and it's been great. She's my girl, we stuck back together in our bond like nobody's business. She saw me, walked right up to me and knew she was going home. I ride her bitless, and she's really happy about it. She has her moments, being a mare, but we're a pair. I just have to remember not to stand behind her when I put the (horrors!) dreaded pink blanket on.

But I can't forget Mitch. He's my boy too. I love them both. And he loves her, but she doesn't dig short blonde guys although she throws a huge protest fit if I take him out to ride. Me thinks the mare doth protest too much.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ch-and-jet.jpg

My favorite shot. My two besties in the whole world.

[PRS]

HAHAHA! That last part had me remembering one of the few trail rides I convinced my husband to join me on. He had to stop and use the "facilities" and while he was doing his "business" the gelding he was riding decided to take the opportunity to stretch out and attend to some "business" of his own. I almost fell off my horse laughing when I heard what my husband was muttering to the horse...something about "Show off, you just had to show off, didn't you?"

[Huntertwo]

LOL... Didn't Sigmund Freud have a term for that????

[lv4running]

This is such a cool thread. I really enjoy reading about the wonderful bond between horses and owners.

[Mukluk]

HAHAHA! That last part had me remembering one of the few trail rides I convinced my husband to join me on. He had to stop and use the "facilities" and while he was doing his "business" the gelding he was riding decided to take the opportunity to stretch out and attend to some "business" of his own. I almost fell off my horse laughing when I heard what my husband was muttering to the horse...something about "Show off, you just had to show off, didn't you?"

That is too funny!!! Your husband has a great sense of humor!

[Huntertwo]

This is such a cool thread. I really enjoy reading about the wonderful bond between horses and owners.

This is my favorite Forum to visit....

[katyb]

My girl is also Jet. We've been together for seven years, and she is truly my heart horse. We ride everywhere together, happily bitless. We do trail challenges, work cows, and mostly just explore the gorgeous trails of east TN. She is such a joy.

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...itejet-1-2.jpg

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...me/jetbike.jpg

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0998.jpg

Jet was bred when I bought her, and it has been so cool to watch her baby and my baby together. They are quite the pair these days.

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...IMG_3097-1.jpg

This is my son, Chris, on Jess (Jet's baby), and his girlfriend on our 3rd mare, Jula, yesterday riding around the lake. Watching the kids develop a partnership with the horse they ride is the coolest.

[Huntertwo]

Katyb,
I love the third picture!!!! What beautiful scenery!!!! Must be a beautiful place to ride.

[AlfalfaGirl]

Just came back from the barn from bonding with The Biscuit. I trimmed and mustang rolled his hooves with a treat after doing each foot...well, 4 treats per foot...one after cleaning them, one after using the round knife, one after nipping them and one after rasping them. He had the mud brushed off of him, his mane and tail combed, the yuck from Furazon baby wiped off of his face, more treats, a handful of alfalfa and lots of hugs.

Yeah...we are bonded!!!

Here is a picture of my boy looks pretty clean after being brushed today.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cakesso...in/photostream

[katyb]

Katyb,
I love the third picture!!!! What beautiful scenery!!!! Must be a beautiful place to ride.

It is gorgeous there - it is actually a private farm where we had done a sorting earlier in the day. They have about ten miles of trails and sponsor a St. Jude benefit ride every year. It's a great place, very close to me, and they are kind enough to invite anyone and everyone to come out and ride any time. Pretty cool, huh?

[Mukluk]

Just came back from the barn from bonding with The Biscuit. I trimmed and mustang rolled his hooves with a treat after doing each foot...well, 4 treats per foot...one after cleaning them, one after using the round knife, one after nipping them and one after rasping them. He had the mud brushed off of him, his mane and tail combed, the yuck from Furazon baby wiped off of his face, more treats, a handful of alfalfa and lots of hugs.

Yeah...we are bonded!!!

Here is a picture of my boy looks pretty clean after being brushed today.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cakesso...in/photostream

He sure is cute!!! I have been training Angel to stand still while I walk off and do things. I use treats for standing which she receives every so often- If she moves I make an icky sound, put her back where she was, and she gets no treat. She really really tries to be a good girl!!!