steve1

I think this thread is taking a turn where many think I am horse stupid and really need a trainer bad. It isn't so much that I am a green horn with a horse, as that there is truly so much to learn when it comes to working with horses. I may already know a fair amount, but there is always plenty more to learn. As I mentioned earlier, I have been around tough horses all my life. Part of what I learned about wild horses was riding broncs in amateur and Pro rodeos. Many were orangatang horse my Dad bought at the horse sale. I've broken several other colts with good results...without any so called trainers. So, I'll throw in a few points that may be a bit controversial with what has been brought up so far. Finding someone who is a good horse trainer, may not be easy. I've met several who start colts who know less than I do. Many are young people who earn extra cash by getting on colts. There are many that I wouldn't trust with my horses. We've owned a ton of horses over the years that have been started wrong, and almost ruined by idiots. It's easy in hind sight to say that this colt wasn't ready. There's no way to say for sure what a colt will do. The more ground work the better, but there's no guarantee that a colt will not buck or try to run off, when you swing a leg over their back. If I'd had the proper corral the ending would have been different in this case. Most everyone I know around here starts their colts under saddle, when they are two....if they are big enough. I know the growth plates aren't fully developed yet. As long as they have enough size, and if you don't overwork them their shouldn't be any problems from this at all. My thinking on this is that the younger you can do things, usually the better off you are. I bought a five year old mare this past winter, really cheap. She's beautiful, has some Hancock breeding. I figured I'd use some of the techniques that I had learned watching videos and reading. I figured if they can do it on TV, I figured I could do it. I mean this horse was only a couple years beyond three. I should have known this wasn't going to be an easy trick. We had to run it into a chute just to get a halter on it. When I tried to load it, she struck at me with both front feet and hit me with her chest. This horse has a fairly calm dispostion, but has never been worked with. I'd like to see the horse trainer that can tame this horse down. I've used many of the techniques I've seen on TV. The thing is that almost none of them are working. Over the years I've come to the conclusion that some horses just aren't worth keeping around. Maybe there is a way to tame some of them down, but it would take so much time that it just wouldn't be worth it. I'm getting this mare bred, and hope to raise a colt or two out of her. This same horse would now be a good saddle horse if someone had started it early enough and spent some time with it rather than waiting. I think that goes even for starting them under saddle. So, I'm going to keep starting mine at two. I have a friend who has a three year old, that he hasn't got on yet. It's mostly because it is small framed, and he doesn't want to hurt it. He will start riding it later this summer.....Steve1

Thanks for all the great advice all. This is really a dandy colt I'm working with. I just skipped too many steps, and really need a good round corral that he can't jump through. I really enjoy watching all the trainers you mentioned on TV. I've also heard Ray Lyons has some really good stuff to read. Thanks again!...Steve1

Adam, Your Dad always represented the best of the Osprey Parachute Club to me. He always had a positive attitude, and was there to help you if you needed help. I remember a boogie in about 78 or so, at Stevensville. I had quit jumping for several years and had sold my gear. I figured I still wanted to jump with my old pals if I could just find some gear. So, Stinky #1 loaned me his main (para-commander) and belly reserve. Stinky borrowed someone else's gear to get on that load too. As things turned out your Dad had a malfunction on his borrowed gear, and cut away. He landed okay. I felt bad for borrowing his stuff. I'll bet there aren't many people who have never even heard of the Osprey Parachute Club (which originated in Kalispell). A ton of stories could be told of those early days. It's interesting how many of those jumpers now own a home at Lost Prairie, and are still close. I'm trying to remember some of the original Ospreys that still jump. There's Fred, T-bow Tom, Lonnie, Garfield. Who did I miss. I still see your Dad and Tousey every summer. Jock La Strap was another colorful character from that era. I'll have to jump with you, if you make it to Lost Prairie this summer....Steve1

I could use some advice on starting a new 2 year old colt. As I write this, I am in a lot of pain. Two days ago I was thrown over a fence that he hit head on. Then I got back on him in a corral, and he went through the wire gate and fell on my leg hard, bruising some ribs and shoulder in the process. I guess I was lucky he didn't roll clear over me. I was hurting too bad by then to try getting back on. I'm 57 and getting too old for this kind of action. Looking back I can see several things I did wrong. First off, I need a better corral that will hold a colt in. I plan on building a good round corral but don't have one now. I started to drive him in a corral, but have never had much success with this. I may do some more of it before I get back on him again. I usually snub a colt off on another gentle horse, but skipped this step this time. My daughter usually helps me with this, but she is in Wyoming now. The first time he ran off, I just let him run rather than pull his head around with one rein. I know you are supposed to pull one rein to stop a horse, but isn't that also a good way to cause a horse to fall when he's in a dead run? If I had this happen again, I'd pull his head around prior to letting him get all that speed up. I've done quite a bit of ground work with this colt. He is dead gentle to saddle, bridle, and get on, but he freaks out when he starts moving and realizes a predator is on his back. He doesn't buck, but runs like hell right into fences. All the more reason for a good round corral. Is yanking on one rein, a good way to stop a running horse? I know all the horse training videos recommend this, but I really don't want to have another horse fall on me. If I was smart, I'd hire someone else to start my colts. I've always kind of enjoyed doing this myself, but maybe this isn't smart when you are an old fart. To tell you the truth my knowlege base in this area may be limited. I've been around horses all my life, but still have plenty to learn. So, I'd appreciate your advice....Steve1

................................. I'm no expert on this, but I've been told that anti-depressents are sometimes mis-prescribed to treat the depression in bipolar illness. A Dr. needs to be very careful that mania is not also present. An anti- depressent like Zoloft can cause serious problems then. I've heard that mood stabilizers are most often prescribed rather than anti-depressants for this reason. I wonder too, if Bipolar illness isn't being overdiagnosed these days. I'm sure that ADHD is. It's too bad that mental illness isn't easier to diagnose....Steve1

On second thought maybe I'm talking to Stinky's son....Oh, hell I don't know who I'm talking to!....Steve1

Hey Stinky, I know you have a whole lot more than 15 jumps! I remember they day when you had almost as many as Fred and the Tousy brothers. Back in the days when Men were Men and the sheep were scared in Montana...I'm glad there are still some of the original Osprey's posting on here.....Steve1

I'd want a pair of boots that have a low wide heel. I know smoke-jumpers who jump in White boots with a high narrow heel, and I have to wonder how they keep from twisting their ankles. A light pair of leather boots with low heel might be a good choice. Pick some without snag pts. (or use duck tape). Lace them tight. (This will make a big difference in terms of ankle support). I know of some people who wrap their ankles under their boots when they need extra ankle support. I wouldn't go overboard on picking boots that are too heavy duty. They may be too stiff for running out a landing. Boots with canvas sides may not offer much ankle support. We always had to use leather boots when jumping in the army. They wouldn't allow jungle boots. Some jumps, I still miss my old French jump boots from the old days. They were great for absorbing a lot of shock on your feet and ankles. I suspect they wouldn't be good for running out a landing though. I plan to use them this summer for jumping a para-commander. For a few years they made a style model of French jump boot. The sole was a lot thinner though than the regular model, and again they are probably heavier duty than you need....Steve1

This is what happens when I jump into the tail end of a thread without reading the prior posts. I've talked with Jo and I misunderstood her words about the slander part. So, I apologize for that. Sometimes I get real grumpy and am about half paranoid. I wonder if that is another thing that comes with old age. I really enjoy the people on these forums, and I hate turning into such a negative old bastard. I also feel bad about stirring the pot over allegations toward Ted Mayfield. He's probably suffered enough over the years. Maybe it would be good just to let all this rest....Steve1

I don't know all there is to know on this. I only know what I saw on TV and read in the newspapers, when his drop zone was shut down. One person accused me of slandering his name for stating a few facts. I'd like to think that Ted is innocent of all those charges, but I truly have my doubts. So, my question is, what really happened back then? Does anyone feel he was falsely accused? .....Steve1

The guys who perpetrated this fraud and slander should in my opinion be prosecuted. I myself got caught up in the hype for a couple of days and for that I apologize to ALL including Mr. Mayfield. .......................................................... What part of this are you calling fraud and hype? I've jumped at his D.Z. and know for a fact that a lot of people burned in there, that shouldn't have. He was told by the F.A.A. that he could never operate another Drop Zone anywhere. Would they have done this if he hadn't done several things wrong? In the Oregonian Newspaper he was accused of having a stolen aircraft on his Drop Zone, while authorities investigated his part in several drop zone deaths. I'm sure Ted has explanations for all of this, but the bottom line is that he was a scary individual to have running a Drop zone. There are plenty more Ted Mayfield stories out there, and they're not all based on slander and hype. Personally, I liked the guy, but that doesn't erase some of the things he's done over the years.....Steve1

.......................................................... I'm going to get off on a tangent here. If I was more scientific I'd do some experimenting with this. But this might also be a good way to get shot. We had a screw ball kid throw a 22 round, in shool this year, and the projectile put a hole in the wall. Most rifle bullets will blow up the case without shooting the bullet. I've heard that you can place a big game round on a hot plate, cover it with a cardboard box. When it cooks off nothing should penetrate the cardboard box, because the brass blows up with little affect. With a 22 things are different.. A 22 bullet will actually fire from the case if the primer is hit. I'm not sure if this would happen every time, but sometimes it will. I've often wondered about shotgun and pistol ammo. Would they actually fire a projectile if not enclosed in chamber. Anyone out there ever experimented with this? I've heard that the enemy in Vietnam, made a booby trap from a shotgun round. They'd put it in a piece of bamboo with a thumb tack under the primer. When someone stepped on it, it woiuld go off, blowing much of their foot off. Anyone else heard this story? I wonder if it's true. The one and only time, I was shot involved shooting some steel plates. I was way too close, and had them all set up facing me. I yanked out my trust 9MM auto and was doing my best Dirty Harry imitation, when wham, I was hit in the forehead by a piece of lead. This was a hard way to learn to angle the steel plates, so there would be no chance of a ricochet. And yes, I've done some really stupid stuff, in the name of entertainment! And none of it was boring....Steve1

Last I heard Ted was still living at Sheridan, Oregon. You might check to see if his phone number is listed. I don't think he served any time in jail. I'm not sure how he avoided prison, with the seriousness of his crimes. I think he even had a stolen aircraft on his dropzone when he was busted. There are others on these forums that know his situation much better than I. I'll bet he'd enjoy talking to you about D.B. Cooper....Steve1

Why not just buy an air pistol? If it's not for personal defense why bother? ...................................................... An air pistol with a decent trigger probably isn't going to be cheap either. Why not get a 22. They're more fun to shoot than an air gun. If you get tired of shooting targets you can always hunt small game with 22 pistol. I've shot a lot of grouse, rabbits, and gophers with a 22 pistol. I usually carried one when I ran a trap line for dispatching bigger critters. A 22 may be small and admittedly there are better self defense weapons, but you could use even a 22 for self defense. It's big enough, if the bullets are placed in the right place. I once shot a deer between the eyes at about 30 ft with a 22 rifle. It dropped like a ton of bricks, and was stone dead when I walked up on it. I know people who shoot steers that weigh hundreds of lbs.with a 22, (when it's time to butcher). So maybe even a lowly 22 could be used for self defense. So, if you get tired of shooting targets there are other uses for a 22....Steve1

We have an over-abuncance of coyotes in Eastern Montana. The fur prices are way down and very few are trapped any more. A few people hunt them, but not enough to have any real affect on their population. Many of the coyotes that I have seen have mange really bad. This is usually a sign of overpopulation. Mange causes a coyote to itch like crazy. They actually rub huge patches of fur off, down to bare skin. Every coyote I've ever harvested has also been covered with hundreds if not thousands of fleas. I called in, and shot one coyote that looked a lot like a greyhound. It had mange. Most of the hair was missing from it's tail, on one side, and on it's face. During the winter a coyote like this will often freeze to death, because it doesn't have enough fur to keep it warm. I feel like I put this coyote out of it's misery. I have several rancher friends who would love to have more hunters come over and thin down the coyotes in their area. They often eat new born calves and sheep. Coyotes also like to kill cats and dogs. Many a ranchers dog has been lured away from the house by coyotes and then chewed up bad. So most coyote hunters are welcome on their land. I don't hunt or trap coyotes any more. For me it just isn't as much fun as it once was. But I certainly wouldn't stop other hunters from collecting a few nice coyote pelts during the Fall or Winter. This would have virtually no affect on their numbers in my area. As I mentioned earlier the Fish and Game is using a helicopter in some areas to thin their numbers. A few Government trappers are also trapping them on ranches where they are killing livestock. I'd rather see hunters doing this, (rather than a government employee). There just aren't many people shooting or trapping them these days....Steve1

reply] The person that made this statement is a complete idiot or doesnt know Mayfield very well. Mayfield endangered more people than can be imagined just by owning a dropzone and his bodycount over the history of that same dropzone is evidence. ....................................................... This is no doubt very true. A lot of trusting people died there that shouldn't have. I didn't know Ted that well, but you couldn't help but like the guy. I have no doubt he was wild and crazy enough to do something like hi-jack a plane. My first thought though was that he didn't look anything like D.B. Cooper during that time period. Sounds like the F.B.I. was grasping at straws. I still think D.B. Cooper is laying in the bottom of the Columbia River....Steve1

I was invited on all the big ways that our club did back in the 70's. One guy I helped train back then was Blaine Wright. Then I quit jumping for 25 years. When I started back, about five years ago, it was hard just finding someone to jump with. Boogies were no fun at all because all the sky gods wanted only to jump with their own click. It's an awful feeling being shunned because of your lack of experience. I'm sure this chases a ton of people away from doing RW. But that was never the case with Blaine. He's been on about every RW world record, over the last 20 years, yet he always takes time to jump with a green horn or two. He even invites me on many of the loads that he organizes now, so I appreciate his faith and encouragement. It's easy to turn into a jumper who thinks his poo poo doesn't stink. Maybe more of us need to remember what it is like to be the new guy....Steve1

........................................................... Very well said!

It's not easy pretending to be a SwashBuckler any more. I doubt if I am fooling anyone these days. A new jumper came up to me the other day and asked if I was the pilot. I quickly snapped back with, "hell no, I'm a jumper." A while back I saw a couple of other old farts gearing up. I kept thinking those two, shouldn't be jumping, they're just too old. Upon talking to them I found out that both of them were two years younger than I am. Did I already tell that story? I forget!......Steve1

.................................................................. Windy, You must have been in really good condition, and had a level head, back in the day. I remember the early 70's as being particularly hard on women jumpers...In fact our club had very few gals that jumped. I can recall only about five women who jumped regularly. Two of them were very seriously injured on landing. Both quit jumping because of those injuries. As you mentioned landings were particularly hard on new jumpers. Maybe it was because there wasn't enough PLF practice. Wind jumps were the worst. I still have nightmares from some of them.....Steve1

Great pictures Howard. I recall another old picture of jumpers hanging all over a twin beech (at least I think it was a beech). One of my old friends, (Hod Sanders), is holding up a beer. Do you recall seeing that one? I think it was taken in California, in the late 70's....Steve1

I would want the best weapon for the conditions I was working in. I like accurate weapons. Much of Iraq is open country where long shots would often be taken. I don't think that all your shooting would be from the inside of a building. So, in that scenario, my choice would probably be an M-16. In Vietnam many special forces soldiers carried an AK-47's. They liked them because they would jam less often, when dirty, and had a 30 caliber bullet that had far more stopping power than an M-16. Full-metal jacketed bullets in 22 caliber are not very good man stoppers. Many liked the M-16 for the fact that soldiers could carry 100's of rounds of ammo without weighing themselves down. When you're humping, through the boonies, with everything on your back, weight matters. So, to tell you the truth, I'm not really too sure which I'd pick. Probably the M-16. I can't stand using an inaccurate weapon....Steve1

Sprained my ankle on my first jump. Bruised both heels under a 28 ft. round. Sprained both ankles under a wildly oscillating 24 ft. reserve. Severely sprained my left ankle and bruised my right heel after a low turn a couple years ago. So far nothing broken. I think I may have contracted an STD from the same gal that Artwardo mentioned earlier.....Steve1

Sky diving in the old days was a lot like bull riding. It wasn't if you would get hurt...but when, and how bad. The possibility of death was always there. I suspect the sport hasn't changed all that much. Many things are safer today, but there's still a very real possibility that something awful can happen. We had four skydivers and a pilot killed, here in Montana, just last week....Steve1

If it weren't for all this cool new gear, us old farts wouldn't still be jumping. So, I'm grateful for that. I often hang out with those who are 30 years younger. I sometimes have trouble keeping up, but it keeps me young in trying. There aren't many activities where an old guy can pretend to be a young SwashBuckler again. So, I'm just really glad that I returned to this great sport.....Steve1