Thank you for the videos. They were very helpful. One thing I would like to add. Anyone who has a horse with arthritis; time to stop riding the horse. Manageable without someone on it's back should be the only way. Most people are not aware that a normal horse with someone on it's back for any length of time has discomfort so arthritis would be even more discomfort. Because horses are prey animals they hide their discomfort until it becomes overwhelming. In nature, any sign of weakness/pain would invite prey so it is innate in them to hide it.
So many things to think of before buying a horse. And then there is me… buying a young horse, that haven‘t even been ridden before, and was really sick when i bought her. And me, who isn‘t a professional rider at all. Now we both have to learn. Thankfully, she is gorgeous, and I really love her. She will be an amazing trail horse. She loves beeing out. No problems with all kind of vehicles/people. Just animals are a problem sometimes. But she isn‘t the type of horse that runs. She‘s more like, some little steps and staring, and that‘s it. 🤷🏻♀️🙈
You are so funny! And so inspiring... We are going to make a video (someday) about what makes a good vaulting horse. Lots of similar things, and some BIG differences... like, most vaulting horses have to be okay with kids and different vaulters taking turns moving around on them, and okay with tons of arena/lunge line work.... We take our horses out on the trail too. It keeps them from getting grumpy... They get spooked by birds sometimes and deer. And sometimes we don't even see what spooked them... Thanks for another awesome video... Oh, how do you make your thumbnails? They are so bright and playful. Ours are boring.
I would love to see that video!!! Again, I'm totally in awe of vaulting. You guys and the horses are such incredible athletes. That totally makes sense about what makes a good vaulting horse being different. I love that the trail helps them enjoy the arena work too. Don't you just love when the invisible ghosts come out and scare your horse?! 😂 I'm always like, seriously? what the...? I use Photoshop for my thumbnails. I like to up the brightness and contrast a tad, sometimes the saturation/vibrance too. It's a beast of a program - way more than I need - I think Photoshop Elements could do the same stuff but I had Photoshop already. Thanks for your comment! Enjoy chatting with you.
Hi Stephanie! One thing...you spoke about the differences between mares and geldings. While you mentioned the fact that stallions aren't to be considered (as they're unaltered breeding animals), I would like you to remember that mares are also unaltered breeding animals. Newbies ought to seek out geldings as first mounts, just to eliminate one layer of possible problems..thanks!
This is so interesting to me, i’ve always gone for rougher horses as long as they were sound. Granted i have been riding my whole life but my favorite part of owning a horse is training and seeing how far they can come with someone they trust on their back. I guess not everyone is willing to be bucked off as much as i am lol. Great video!
This is what I love about horses - so many unique experiences and preferences. You definitely sound like a bold rider to me, props to you! I can see where that evolution would be amazing to experience. Thanks for your comment 🤠
an interesting thing about mares... people tend to lump them and geldings together, and then consider stallions another story altogether. but mares are intact just like a stallion is. thus their hormones and cycles should be a factor the same way a stallion’s should, although they behave differently.
Can anyone please recommend any other channels like Stephanie's? I really love this channel but it hasn't got very many videos just yet, so soon I will have seen them all. I love this type of horsey content. And I'm not asking for recommendations with any of these specifics I'm about to go on about. Just any good horsey channel recommendations please! But I especially love watching stuff like this of down to earth horsey people, especially strong women out there living the dream, trucking and riding and caring for their own horse and sharing it all with us. I love watching ALL of it, every aspect of horse ownership. My dream is to do what Stephanie does basically. Be a horse owner again one day. But would have to use stable facilities like her and truck to riding destinations and would have to do alot of the work all on my own. Being the only horse person in my family. So seeing just every day people not necessarily people with multi million dollar stables and horses and high level competing and all that, (which is alot of what I get when just searching horsey content on here) honestly standards unattainable for the average horse loving girl who sees what Stephanie is doing as her more realistic dream for the future, so love seeing every day people who own like one horse and are actually out there living and doing my dream, showing how it is doable, strong women showing all aspects to non billionaire horse ownership and good kind riding in the modern world of right now, my true dream of horse ownership. Please any recommendations of inspirational chanels like this for me to watch while I work towards this dream life goal.
7:53 - It doesn't beg the question, it raises the question. Begging the question is a logical fallacy where the speaker assumes a conclusion within a premise.
After having owned a number of mares, and geldings over the last 43 years that I have been riding, I have a strong preference for geldings personally. That said I do have a mare here still that was an awesome trail horse in her day and went on many many wilderness trips in to the Bob Marshal etc. but she was then and still is a lot of horse. Even at 23 I wouldn't put a kid or inexperienced rider on her as she is smart and will take advantage if she thinks she can get away with it. For a lot of cattle work you can't bring mares to things like brandings, gathers, drives etc. so if your trail horse is also your working horse you need to keep in mind what the rules are for the ranches and places you are working. Other than that my list looks a lot like yours.
That's super interesting about needing geldings for cattle work! I wasn't aware. That's neat to hear your preference after being in horses for so long. Really appreciate your comments, as always!
@@barbarawitt1049 They cause too many problems with the other horses. So many ranches won't let you bring a mare to anything where there are multiple riders working at once.
Personally, my favorite trail horses have all been some sort of Arabian cross. Good solid bones, suited to the heat of the day and rough terrain, great stamina. Plus, they're a little shorter so you wack your head less. XD Also, I don't think I've ever seen a horse spook at their own poop before. Fame is a special boy.
Hello, my gf and I are looking into getting two horses to start trail riding with and also arena riding if we can. She has experience and I have little. Starting lessons soon. I am looking at various horses, although nothing catches my attention other than a Percheron. It's a little intimidating with such a big horse, but everyone says how easy and great they are. Every horse is different, but in general do you think the draft horses ride well? I'm sure there are smaller horses that may do a little better, but a quarter horse can't compete with a draft in my book. The extra cost/work for a draft is absolutely worth it in my eyes. We are very excited and love watching your channel! Lastly, do you know of any specific sites that are great places to try and find a Percheron?
Studs need a level of consistent, alert, handling few of us are able to do. That said, I’ve met mares who were good for me, but when they met their person turned on a level of connection for that person and only for that person. Sold a mare years ago to a gal who only had a budget about a third of what I wanted for my mare because my mare took to her that special way. Heard reports from her human for twenty years how she was the most incredible horse she ever had. Geldings are usually less choosy. I really like geldings.
Great points. You’re not the first person that has mentioned this to me about mares and I find it really fascinating. It’s like being chosen and now I want to be chosen! 😂 it sounds like you made the perfect choice with that mare and that girl I’m glad they had a happy ending. ❤️
@@HappieronaHorse I know, right? But there is something so wonderfully consistent about a gelding. Intact animals have fluctuating traits that even out with training but are still there. Yesterday my girl would yield her hip but refused to lead. This morning she led like a dream. I’m still trying to figure out what in my body language put her off. At two, I can still put my shoulder into her and shove her over so we are working on yielding body parts at a gesture while I can still back it up. I think a gelding ignores our extraneous body language where a mare reads us constantly. Of course, there are mares who are so easy tempered that they are good as a gelding and wonderfully nervy and alert geldings who need constant attention to be handled “safely”. I love this channel name. That was me young. I don’t bounce, roll, or heal like I used to do so I’m happier in a cart...and chose small so I’d not be light enough to be tempted back into the saddle. I want to be ambulatory in my old age.😜
@@HappieronaHorse We gotta find our fulfilment in life 😆 I hope this is understandable..but I just commented on your community post about the live stream and said I would love to know how you got into horses and then when I read this reply I thought it was replying to that comment, so I thought you got your horse on ebay 😂
My experience is anecdotal, but I've acquired a theory that mares continuously pastured with a herd of geldings and other mares get schooled by the herd about mare-ish behaviors. My old boss gelding reacts to backing, crowding, tail swishing, feining a kick or any flirting behavior with pinned ears and a nip, and that seems to be the end of it. And maybe... Maybe?... this translates to a better mare under saddle if riding with a group and the mares cycle happens to coincide? 🤷♂️ Has anyone else observed a difference with group pastured mares vs. mares in stalls or isolated paddocks? For whatever reason, I've just never had an issue with my pastured mares being mareish. And an upside of mares... No sheath to clean! No picking out beans, ever! If you're new to horse ownership and leaning toward a gelding because you've heard of potential mare issues, consider this sheath cleaning thing. Seriously, having 'The Talk' with your gelding is so awkward. "Look, we're both adults here. This is just a basic medical maintenance thing, mmkay? No homo. This changes nothing between us. We're only doing this because it's on the calendar and I don't need your freakin' vet rolling his eyes at me because he ain't got time for that." 😉 Part 2, Another up vote, bookmarked and shared! 👍
HAHAHA omg your "talk" is hysterical. So true, sheath cleaning is an awkward subject. Point 1, mares! And that's a really interesting theory about the herd dynamic. I will definitely be paying more attention to this now. I'm glad to hear you don't have mare drama! Thanks for the like and share!
I shopped online - Dreamhorse, equine now, craigslist, draftsforsale. If you know a good trainer in the area they might have some recommendations or horses.
@@HappieronaHorse thank you! another question i have is: Am i too fat to ride? I’m a 150 lb 5’3 teen, who has stopped growing. I am aware i’m overweight and have been working on it, and i’ve recently gotten into a financial and living situation where I am able to have a horse. I was reading up on weight requirements and found that i’m too fat to ride, based on a 200 lb limit, i’m not sure if it would be fair to a horse to have a (assuming i get a 30 lb saddle) 180 weight on the horse. While it’s in the weight requirement, i’m becoming very worried that i’m too fat to ride. Should i consider getting a draft horse?
150 lbs is not an issue, you can definitely ride! My husband is probably 250lbs with tack and he could ride Fame. You can seek out a draft cross if you prefer or maybe a stout foundation bred quarter horse. A common rule of thumb is rider + tack = 20% of the horse’s weight or less. There are some variations to this due to fitness, conformation and breed (long backed horses are thought to be more vulnerable for example) but it will give you a start. Good luck! I hope you go for it!
@Brick just brick I agree with @Happier on a horse. I had a beautiful 3/4 Quarter Horse 1/4 Arab mare that I rode as an 11-17 year-old. I grew to be a lanky 5'11.5" (I never round up to 6'0" cause I hated being a tall female.) I weighed approximately 165-170 lbs. I really was never concerned with my weight. My horse seemed to carry me with ease. In fact, she loved to run :)
That intro! 10/10 😂
So glad you liked it, thanks! 😂
I'm like two seconds in and I already love it 😂
Aww thanks so much!! 😍
AH HAHA... I HAVE TO STOP AND SAY IT TOO... LOL.... *SHE NAILED IT!!!*
Thank you for the videos. They were very helpful. One thing I would like to add. Anyone who has a horse with arthritis; time to stop riding the horse. Manageable without someone on it's back should be the only way. Most people are not aware that a normal horse with someone on it's back for any length of time has discomfort so arthritis would be even more discomfort. Because horses are prey animals they hide their discomfort until it becomes overwhelming. In nature, any sign of weakness/pain would invite prey so it is innate in them to hide it.
Arthritis can definitely be a bummer!
So many things to think of before buying a horse. And then there is me… buying a young horse, that haven‘t even been ridden before, and was really sick when i bought her. And me, who isn‘t a professional rider at all. Now we both have to learn. Thankfully, she is gorgeous, and I really love her. She will be an amazing trail horse. She loves beeing out. No problems with all kind of vehicles/people. Just animals are a problem sometimes. But she isn‘t the type of horse that runs. She‘s more like, some little steps and staring, and that‘s it. 🤷🏻♀️🙈
She sounds like a lovely horse and she is lucky to have such a caring person! I’m excited for you guys!! 🤠
You are so funny! And so inspiring... We are going to make a video (someday) about what makes a good vaulting horse.
Lots of similar things, and some BIG differences... like, most vaulting horses have to be okay with kids and different vaulters
taking turns moving around on them, and okay with tons of arena/lunge line work.... We take our horses out on the trail too.
It keeps them from getting grumpy... They get spooked by birds sometimes and deer. And sometimes we don't even see what spooked them... Thanks for another awesome video... Oh, how do you make your thumbnails? They are so bright and playful. Ours are boring.
I would love to see that video!!! Again, I'm totally in awe of vaulting. You guys and the horses are such incredible athletes. That totally makes sense about what makes a good vaulting horse being different. I love that the trail helps them enjoy the arena work too. Don't you just love when the invisible ghosts come out and scare your horse?! 😂 I'm always like, seriously? what the...?
I use Photoshop for my thumbnails. I like to up the brightness and contrast a tad, sometimes the saturation/vibrance too. It's a beast of a program - way more than I need - I think Photoshop Elements could do the same stuff but I had Photoshop already. Thanks for your comment! Enjoy chatting with you.
Good to see different types of horse people connecting! Vaulting looks like a lot of work.
@@HappieronaHorse Thank you! We don't have photoshop, but we will find something!
@@kendalbateman8702 Thank you! It is hard work but fun.
Hi Stephanie! One thing...you spoke about the differences between mares and geldings. While you mentioned the fact that stallions aren't to be considered (as they're unaltered breeding animals), I would like you to remember that mares are also unaltered breeding animals. Newbies ought to seek out geldings as first mounts, just to eliminate one layer of possible problems..thanks!
OH, THIS IS SO DARLING AND YOU ARE SO DARLING....AND THE MUSIC ACCOMPANIMENT/UNDERLAY...TOO CUTE.
I always like before I watch, because I know you always have great content!
You're the best, thanks Jocelyn! ❤️
This is so interesting to me, i’ve always gone for rougher horses as long as they were sound. Granted i have been riding my whole life but my favorite part of owning a horse is training and seeing how far they can come with someone they trust on their back. I guess not everyone is willing to be bucked off as much as i am lol. Great video!
This is what I love about horses - so many unique experiences and preferences. You definitely sound like a bold rider to me, props to you! I can see where that evolution would be amazing to experience. Thanks for your comment 🤠
YAH. YOU ARE *VERY* ENGAGING AND YOU SHOULD DO MANY VIDEOS...YOU HAVE IT DOWN PAT. VERY INFORMATIVE AND VERY ENJOYABLE. BRAVA!
Thank you so much! 🤠
an interesting thing about mares... people tend to lump them and geldings together, and then consider stallions another story altogether. but mares are intact just like a stallion is. thus their hormones and cycles should be a factor the same way a stallion’s should, although they behave differently.
Great point! 👍🏼
You really need more subscribers
You're super kind, thank you!
Can anyone please recommend any other channels like Stephanie's? I really love this channel but it hasn't got very many videos just yet, so soon I will have seen them all. I love this type of horsey content. And I'm not asking for recommendations with any of these specifics I'm about to go on about. Just any good horsey channel recommendations please!
But I especially love watching stuff like this of down to earth horsey people, especially strong women out there living the dream, trucking and riding and caring for their own horse and sharing it all with us. I love watching ALL of it, every aspect of horse ownership.
My dream is to do what Stephanie does basically. Be a horse owner again one day. But would have to use stable facilities like her and truck to riding destinations and would have to do alot of the work all on my own. Being the only horse person in my family.
So seeing just every day people not necessarily people with multi million dollar stables and horses and high level competing and all that, (which is alot of what I get when just searching horsey content on here) honestly standards unattainable for the average horse loving girl who sees what Stephanie is doing as her more realistic dream for the future, so love seeing every day people who own like one horse and are actually out there living and doing my dream, showing how it is doable, strong women showing all aspects to non billionaire horse ownership and good kind riding in the modern world of right now, my true dream of horse ownership.
Please any recommendations of inspirational chanels like this for me to watch while I work towards this dream life goal.
the poop spook! Silly Fame 🤣❤️
IKR 😂😂
7:53 - It doesn't beg the question, it raises the question.
Begging the question is a logical fallacy where the speaker assumes a conclusion within a premise.
Love this! Advice was great and, as always, Fame was a gorgeous good boy 💕
Thank you!! Appreciate your comment!
After having owned a number of mares, and geldings over the last 43 years that I have been riding, I have a strong preference for geldings personally. That said I do have a mare here still that was an awesome trail horse in her day and went on many many wilderness trips in to the Bob Marshal etc. but she was then and still is a lot of horse. Even at 23 I wouldn't put a kid or inexperienced rider on her as she is smart and will take advantage if she thinks she can get away with it. For a lot of cattle work you can't bring mares to things like brandings, gathers, drives etc. so if your trail horse is also your working horse you need to keep in mind what the rules are for the ranches and places you are working. Other than that my list looks a lot like yours.
That's super interesting about needing geldings for cattle work! I wasn't aware. That's neat to hear your preference after being in horses for so long. Really appreciate your comments, as always!
Why not work a good mare on cattle?
@@barbarawitt1049 They cause too many problems with the other horses. So many ranches won't let you bring a mare to anything where there are multiple riders working at once.
Geldings are the safe bet
Riding a horse is a humble experience thanks for the good info
You're welcome!
Awesome video! You deserve so many more viewers!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed!
Personally, my favorite trail horses have all been some sort of Arabian cross. Good solid bones, suited to the heat of the day and rough terrain, great stamina. Plus, they're a little shorter so you wack your head less. XD Also, I don't think I've ever seen a horse spook at their own poop before. Fame is a special boy.
LOVE your videos! I'd like to get back into trail riding when my situation allows, and your videos keep my motivation up :)
Thank you so much! Woot woot! Rooting for you to get back on trail when the time is right!
Hello, my gf and I are looking into getting two horses to start trail riding with and also arena riding if we can. She has experience and I have little. Starting lessons soon. I am looking at various horses, although nothing catches my attention other than a Percheron. It's a little intimidating with such a big horse, but everyone says how easy and great they are. Every horse is different, but in general do you think the draft horses ride well? I'm sure there are smaller horses that may do a little better, but a quarter horse can't compete with a draft in my book. The extra cost/work for a draft is absolutely worth it in my eyes. We are very excited and love watching your channel! Lastly, do you know of any specific sites that are great places to try and find a Percheron?
Studs need a level of consistent, alert, handling few of us are able to do. That said, I’ve met mares who were good for me, but when they met their person turned on a level of connection for that person and only for that person. Sold a mare years ago to a gal who only had a budget about a third of what I wanted for my mare because my mare took to her that special way. Heard reports from her human for twenty years how she was the most incredible horse she ever had. Geldings are usually less choosy. I really like geldings.
Great points. You’re not the first person that has mentioned this to me about mares and I find it really fascinating. It’s like being chosen and now I want to be chosen! 😂 it sounds like you made the perfect choice with that mare and that girl I’m glad they had a happy ending. ❤️
@@HappieronaHorse I know, right? But there is something so wonderfully consistent about a gelding. Intact animals have fluctuating traits that even out with training but are still there. Yesterday my girl would yield her hip but refused to lead. This morning she led like a dream. I’m still trying to figure out what in my body language put her off. At two, I can still put my shoulder into her and shove her over so we are working on yielding body parts at a gesture while I can still back it up. I think a gelding ignores our extraneous body language where a mare reads us constantly. Of course, there are mares who are so easy tempered that they are good as a gelding and wonderfully nervy and alert geldings who need constant attention to be handled “safely”. I love this channel name. That was me young. I don’t bounce, roll, or heal like I used to do so I’m happier in a cart...and chose small so I’d not be light enough to be tempted back into the saddle. I want to be ambulatory in my old age.😜
i love these videos as i said in the last video these help me see what i need to work. on to get my project mare a “trail horse”
Thank you so much! I'm so excited you're finding them helpful in working with your mare...stoked for you guys to start enjoying the trails!!
Happier on a Horse thank u!!i am too way more work then i originally thought as we r working on not running back to her stall😅😅
@@easprotsandthots1693 I can totally relate to things being more work than you thought lol. Cheering you on!
Maybe a Part 3? With how your hours matches?
I never Knew my little ponies had extendable tails!!! XD
I desperately wanted one as a kid so I bought myself one on eBay a couple years ago 🤣
@@HappieronaHorse We gotta find our fulfilment in life 😆 I hope this is understandable..but I just commented on your community post about the live stream and said I would love to know how you got into horses and then when I read this reply I thought it was replying to that comment, so I thought you got your horse on ebay 😂
My experience is anecdotal, but I've acquired a theory that mares continuously pastured with a herd of geldings and other mares get schooled by the herd about mare-ish behaviors. My old boss gelding reacts to backing, crowding, tail swishing, feining a kick or any flirting behavior with pinned ears and a nip, and that seems to be the end of it. And maybe... Maybe?... this translates to a better mare under saddle if riding with a group and the mares cycle happens to coincide? 🤷♂️ Has anyone else observed a difference with group pastured mares vs. mares in stalls or isolated paddocks? For whatever reason, I've just never had an issue with my pastured mares being mareish.
And an upside of mares... No sheath to clean! No picking out beans, ever! If you're new to horse ownership and leaning toward a gelding because you've heard of potential mare issues, consider this sheath cleaning thing. Seriously, having 'The Talk' with your gelding is so awkward. "Look, we're both adults here. This is just a basic medical maintenance thing, mmkay? No homo. This changes nothing between us. We're only doing this because it's on the calendar and I don't need your freakin' vet rolling his eyes at me because he ain't got time for that." 😉
Part 2, Another up vote, bookmarked and shared! 👍
HAHAHA omg your "talk" is hysterical. So true, sheath cleaning is an awkward subject. Point 1, mares! And that's a really interesting theory about the herd dynamic. I will definitely be paying more attention to this now. I'm glad to hear you don't have mare drama! Thanks for the like and share!
If my future trail horse doesn't have wings, then what's even the point? ;)
Right?! 😜I'm sure there's Fjords with wings somewhere.
Great video👍
Thanks 👍 Glad you enjoyed!
Is he just Gypsy Vanner cob horse? or a small Clydesdale?. Hey 👋
Fame is a Drum. He’s 1/3 Gypsy and 2/3 Shire 🤠
❤️❤️❤️
how much do u spend on shoeing your draft?
Fame is barefoot - hooray 😃
Where should people start looking for horses? (
I shopped online - Dreamhorse, equine now, craigslist, draftsforsale. If you know a good trainer in the area they might have some recommendations or horses.
@@HappieronaHorse thank you! another question i have is: Am i too fat to ride?
I’m a 150 lb 5’3 teen, who has stopped growing. I am aware i’m overweight and have been working on it, and i’ve recently gotten into a financial and living situation where I am able to have a horse. I was reading up on weight requirements and found that i’m too fat to ride, based on a 200 lb limit, i’m not sure if it would be fair to a horse to have a (assuming i get a 30 lb saddle) 180 weight on the horse. While it’s in the weight requirement, i’m becoming very worried that i’m too fat to ride. Should i consider getting a draft horse?
150 lbs is not an issue, you can definitely ride! My husband is probably 250lbs with tack and he could ride Fame. You can seek out a draft cross if you prefer or maybe a stout foundation bred quarter horse. A common rule of thumb is rider + tack = 20% of the horse’s weight or less. There are some variations to this due to fitness, conformation and breed (long backed horses are thought to be more vulnerable for example) but it will give you a start. Good luck! I hope you go for it!
@Brick just brick
I agree with @Happier on a horse. I had a beautiful 3/4 Quarter Horse 1/4 Arab mare that I rode as an 11-17 year-old. I grew to be a lanky 5'11.5" (I never round up to 6'0" cause I hated being a tall female.) I weighed approximately 165-170 lbs. I really was never concerned with my weight. My horse seemed to carry me with ease. In fact, she loved to run :)
@@sallykauth2115 tall females are great! you should embrace your height, it’s amazing (: