# Do You Own Horses/Donkeys/Mules?



## HomesteaderWife (Oct 13, 2015)

I have noticed that this area of the forums does not receive much activity, so I wanted to open up a conversation and ask if any of you owned horses, mules, or donkeys. Please let us know what breeds you own, maybe how old they are and even include a photo? Do you ride them, work with them, or show them? I would love to hear more from BYH friends here!

My husband and I currently do not have anything other than dogs, bunnies, and some feathered friends. But I grew up at my Grandmother's farm around 9 horses- 1 Quarab, 1 Appaloosa, 4 Quarter Horses, 2 Spotted Saddle Horses, and 1 Spotted Saddle/Quarter Horse. I used to ride frequently, and was involved in some training while I was young. Soon, by the end of 2016, we hope to purchase a young mule and start training them for work around the farm. 

Thank you to anyone who stops by and helps this section of the forums get some life back to it! I really appreciate any stories and info about your equine friends!


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## Poka_Doodle (Oct 13, 2015)

We have 2 horses, I will post photos later


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## Bunnylady (Oct 13, 2015)

We own a total of 5 equines. The biggest is Latte, my 11-year-old, roughly 15 hh palomino QH mare. Her best friend/favorite punching bag is Sunny, my daughter's 13-year-old 14 hh chestnut QH (yeah, Latte is a very bossy "boss mare."). Next is "Syd, the Man-Eating Mini" - at 10 hands, she's too big for registration, though both of her parents were registered Miniature Horses. Syd is 9 years old, a black Tobiano pinto, and walking brattitude (well, not so much now, though she does have her moments). Blondie is a 35" palomino mini, 7 years old, and puppy-dog sweet. She was bought for my daughter as a weanling. Smallest but most definitely NOT least is Besty, my 33" mini mule. Though Betsy is the lowest animal in the mini paddock, she is absolutely crammed with personality. I say she was "first in my herd, and first in my heart," if I had to get rid of all but one, she'd have to be the one. Learning to see the world through the wise eyes of a mule has been an experience I wouldn't have missed for anything.


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## goatgurl (Oct 13, 2015)

have had horses for the last 53 years until this last summer when i found a new home for my Arabian gelding.  was mostly either quarter horses, paints or arabs.  the quarter horses were the most level headed for the most part but the arabs were the most fun to ride in the mountains.  will try to post pictures


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## goatgurl (Oct 13, 2015)

first pic of the grey horse is prince tahar better known as tarball.  one of the fastest horses i have ever ridden (and as a teenager i use to ride QH's and thoroughbreds just off the track for a guy)  and a true sweet heart.  all the Arabian heart you would ever want or need.  his grand sire was the black stallion who was filmed in the black stallion movie and the apple or hoofs didn't fall from the tree.  that boy would bring tears to your eyes when you let him have free rein and then would calm back down again like we hadn't just been going 100 miles an hour.  2nd, the dun horse is legendary cool, barn name cool.  as sweet a pocket pony as you'd ever want to meet.  smart as a whip and steady under saddle.  3rd is ruby, aka ruby red horse.  is a great gal and a wonderful trail horse.  she went to a home with 3 young girls who love her to death and spoil her rotten.  and the 4th picture is of cool following my granddaughter down the road to where she caught the school bus.  he would go down to the gate and stay with her till she got on the bus then he would go graze until it was time then he would be there when she got off the bus and walk her back to the house.  i sure miss that horse smell.


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## secuono (Oct 13, 2015)

Two mini mares, 3yrs and other is going to be 2 next year. Hoping to find a good cart trainer to send them to when they are mature enough. Right now, they just eat up time, money and love. 
Then I have a gelding, working on dropping weight and becoming a riding horse. Meeting a trainer in November and hopefully sending him for training for 2-3mo. I've taught him to walk, but he needs pro training. 
Hope to make local horse friends and one day go trail riding with the gelding.


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## Baymule (Oct 13, 2015)

4 holes in my pocket that I dump money in.  The love of my life is Joe, a pure white, blue eyed cremello QH. he is 25 years old and has two speeds. Slow and Stop. He's the worth his weight in gold, gentle sweetie that everybody always wants, but seldom finds.

Sparkles, TW dark bay 27 year old mare. We've had her 17 years and she still doesn't truly trust anyone. Whatever happened to her before we got her must have been terrible to make her so distant.

Rocki, big red mare that is an unpainted Paint. She is like a 1200 pound dog, follows me around just to get petted.

And then we have a mule, the daughter of Sparkles. We had a tri-colored spotted jack that threw color, some really pretty mules. We bred Sparkles to him and got a dark bay mule. Every horse in Sparkles blood line is black with the exception of a very few bays. Just couldn't bust that black gene.


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## HomesteaderWife (Oct 23, 2015)

@secuono Oh my goodness, your last photo brings up such fond memories of my times laid back in a horse field! I absolutely love the story and photos you shared, but the one of you in the grass with all your ponies surrounding you is just wonderful.


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## HomesteaderWife (Oct 23, 2015)

@Baymule I would love to see photos of your hoofed crew, especially your cremello, Joe. I am curious to know what the temperament of your mule is like. We have been debating whether to start back with horses, or to try our hand and get a young mule. As for your mare, Sparkles, I can relate to the distrust issue. My first horse, the Quarab, was purchased as a yearling for a very _cheap _price. It was suspicious...When we went to work her, she broke my mom's nose, and my aunt's leg. She was flighty, scared, distrusting, and never rode. Later we found out why this behavior came about- the previous owners admitted that their kid used to tie her up and beat her with lead ropes, among other things. She had a broken spirit, but we loved her dearly.


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## Baymule (Oct 24, 2015)

@HomesteaderWife here ya' go





This tiny shot is our neighbor's 89 year old father on Joe.






This is Joe and my husband.


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## HomesteaderWife (Oct 26, 2015)

@Baymule - those are some beautiful horses you have there, and Joe is absolutely stunning! Have you ever bred him? I would be curious to see what colored foals he would throw. Thank you for sharing these photos!


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## Baymule (Oct 26, 2015)

HomesteaderWife said:


> @Baymule - those are some beautiful horses you have there, and Joe is absolutely stunning! Have you ever bred him? I would be curious to see what colored foals he would throw. Thank you for sharing these photos!



Joe is a gelding. He is a cremello, which is a double dilute palomino. A cremello can throw a palomino, buckskin or another cremello. His dam and sire were both palominos.


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## Ferguson K (Apr 7, 2016)

I just found this thread thanks to the scrolling pictures.

Here's my girls:

Ma'am  (pronounced Mom.... sort of) American Mustang mare whose about as wild as a Californian fire. She's absolutely batty, but, after almost 13 years I can't stop lovingher. We've traveled the country together... mostly in saddle. She's the love of my life. Her color is few spot appaloosa. She's genetically black, and has black eyes.




 

 

 

 

Then there's my bombproof, life proof, Saint Mayas Girl aka Maya. She's my go to horse.  Or she was, until her knees buckeled two years ago. Now she's mainly a pasture pony.



 



 



 

Then there's "C" an OTTB who is in her 30s. She's a great horse, who was knocking on death door when we found her. 

And Java, another formerly starved OTTB.


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## Ferguson K (Apr 7, 2016)

"C"



 

 

"Java" 18 hands of forever lame and only rideable on a full moon. He eats a LOT to not have a job... but that's okay. Every horse deserves a retirement.



 


 

He's a BIG horse.


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## Poka_Doodle (Apr 7, 2016)

Wow. I'm just getting into 4h horses. I'll post pictures later


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## Baymule (Apr 8, 2016)

Me and our grand daughter on Joe.




Joe saying Hi to the baby


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## raeleigh26 (Apr 11, 2016)

I've got 4, one isn't mine.
Annabelle Lee is a thoroughbred-spotted saddle horse -percheron cross,  mouthful I know. ..she's 6 this year, my husband's horse, we've had her 3 years.
Sam is an auction purchase,  he's supposedly quarter horse, but looks like a mule in back and a draft in front. ..Idk. .but he moves pretty,  we think he's about 13 but who knows,  we've had him 6 years.
Maxx is quarter,  doc bar little Lena bred,  but I couldn't prove it cuz I didn't pay the extra 800 for his papers, but I bought him as a weanling and he'll be 16 this year.
I don't ride much anymore,  no one to ride with, nowhere to go,  and after my accident in 07, I don't ride alone...
But once upon a time I rode daily and even made a decent living training, rode the playdays into my 20s, just can't seem to make myself go out and saddle up to plod around the pasture. ...
Only have a pic of Maxx on my phone. ..sorry


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## TAH (Apr 12, 2016)

You all have such beautiful horses. I wish we still had ours. I miss her a lot.


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## Kusanar (Jun 13, 2016)

I have 6 horses, just had to put one down recently and lost one a few years ago...

The 2 I have lost were:
Doodle - lost him a few years ago, he was a 20 something Standardbred gelding, about half broke both to saddle and to harness, only ever saw him canter under saddle one time.
Thunder - 30+ guessing mid 30's Appy gelding, he was a dream to ride, nearly perfectly trained, could jump over 3 foot, could ride him with a rope around his neck... He had a ton of spunk if someone knew how to ride, but if someone was nervous, he would walk on eggshells to make sure they didn't fall off.

The ones I have now are:
Wings - 25 year old grey Arabian gelding, used to show him Dressage until he decided he would rather be retired.

Lolli - 16-17 year old bey Arabian gelding, he's a special sort of green, he's what I would say is green, and you need an experienced rider on him, but he is safe (if you know how to ride) and will go for hours.

Pippin - 32" silver dapple Mini gelding. He's a "mini draft horse", he's not one of the refined arab looking minis, he looks like a tiny percheron and has the pulling power to match. We have had over 350 pounds in his cart and he didn't have any trouble with flat ground or up hill, but the cart made him slide some on the downhills since it weighed more than he did.

Splash - 15-16 year old arab x paint gelding. I lease him to a friend so he has a human of his own and she has a horse to love on.

Stud - 7 year old Sabino White TWHx stallion. This boy is 16 hands, solid muscle, and a doll to work with and be around, a toddler ran into his stall one day and he just gave it a strange look and backed away. I also just had a guy at work (older) ask if he could bring his GF to the barn to ride for her 59th birthday, and Stud is the one I put her one, just gave her a pony ride around at a walk, but he stood like a rock while she mounted and dismounted.

Papi - 8 year old Bay tobiano TWH gelding. This one is a trip, he's spooky, unrideable (due to freaking out and unloading his rider constantly), but if he lays down in his stall, you can walk in and sit on him like a couch and love on him and he will wait until you are off of him and all of the way out of the stall before getting up to make sure you're out of the way. He's Stud's best friend and they live in a paddock complex together. They are so good with each other that you can even shut them in a stall together with no issues.


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