Here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Monday, December 10, 2018
Spider repellents
Recently I had a day off work since my new man was having a medical procedure and would not be able to drive afterward. I took a couple of my dressage magazines to read because there is rarely good reading material in waiting rooms. One of the articles mentioned making small repellent jars to help get rid of and keep spiders away. Since these sounded super simple to make, I figured why not give it a shot?
The article suggested using glass jars, but 1) plastic just seems like a safer option around horses and 2) easier/ cheaper to get. So on my next trip to the $1 store, I got a small bag of Moth Balls and two of the 4 packs of small Betty Crocker containers.
I opened one package of the containers and got to work. The article said to use a nail to make 3 or 4 holes in the top of the jar. I'm sure we can all get creative about where we place the holes, but I just went with simple, even, quartered spacing.
I had used a screw to make the holes and grabbed one of my S hooks to see if I could put it thru the holes to hang it up. Sure enough, it works!
Armed with my little containers, I opened the bag of moth balls. The article said to place 2 or 3 moth balls in each jar, screw on the cap and set them out in places where you have seen the most spiders. I wedged one in the bridle rack just because, one is hanging up by my girths and saddles, another one near all my bags of polo wraps and the 4th one is wedged in the pallet by the door to repel the barn cats. There were plenty of moth balls to complete the second set of containers which I haven't yet punched holes in the top of. For a total of $4 my tackroom should be free of spiders and all the other bugs they eat.
For anyone concerned about the smell- the few holes are supposed to keep it contained for the most part, but let enough thru to ward off the spiders. To me, they smell like the little things they hang in the toilet in a gas station restroom, similar to a urinal cake. Every now and then there's a light whiff of that smell, but even then it is mild enough not to be annoying, let alone strong enough to make anyone gag. So far they seem to be working, so the occasional smell is worth not dealing with the webs or worse- getting bitten.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
$1 store, barn edition
Oh the $1 store, how I love thee.
Let me count the ways......
Tote bags-> The $1 store has these in different sizes and in different colors and prints. You might have to wait to find the one you like or even dig thru the pile but they're worth it. They're great for polo wraps, pillows wraps, standing wraps, all the wraps. I had even found one years ago that is perfect for brushes. It holds 3 full size brushes, a grooming mitt, with pockets on the front for a hoof pick and mane and tail comb or brush.
The one woman at the barn has the hanging shoe bag in her tack room. It holds all of her spray bottles- fly spray, detangler, shampoo & conditioner, ointments, gels, etc. each in their own pocket. This could also work for splint boots. Hers has the clear pockets so tossing small stuff in one of them doesn't mean it is lost forever.
Wire S hooks-> great for hanging up a lot of things. These come in a 6 pack.
7 hook rack-> great for hanging up and organizing girths, bits, reins, snaps, extra leads, lunge lines and long lines... The hooks on these are rather small and close together, so it kind of limits what and how much you can put on it, but they still help kp things neat and organized. The S hooks above^^^ yeah, you need these for that.
4 or 6 hook rack-> great for hanging all of the tote bags on. This could also be used for halters and leads. I have one just for my lunge lines and long lines.
Small dry erase board with marker and eraser- for keeping track of feeds, supplements- who gets what and how much. This is handy if you're not doing something like SmartPak and have someone else feeding for you.These can also be used to note any number of things.
Over the door single and double hooks-> portable and easy to hang up everything in the barn aisle near the cross ties- tote bags with brushes, polo's, bridles, lunge lines, etc. I also have one for my car keys and jacket or sweatshirt while at the barn.
Small tote bin-> Since I don't yet have a shoe bag, mine holds the bottles of peroxide, alcohol, shampoo, conditioner, Epsom salt, baby powder, baby oil, petroleum jelly, shoe polish, spray bottles (fly spray, antiseptic and mane & tail conditioner) and a large sponge for bathing- all of which come from the $1 stores. There's also a few bottles of other things from the tack or feed stores.
In the medical department of my drawer unit-> latex gloves- because, 100 count pack of plastic gloves, a pack of band aids for me, wound ointment, a 100 count pack of cotton squares- for wiping alcohol when giving shots, a small set of drawers for different size needles, a pencil box for syringes, a package of panty liners, maxi pads and children's diapers for wrapping an abscessed hoof or wounds with a few rolls of 'sport tape' similar to Vetwrap. Plastic wrap for sweating a leg, a few 'cold wraps' and a couple jars of Arctic Ice for icing a leg. A roll of paper towels and probably more that I can't think of off the top of my head.
In the tool drawer-> duct tape in fun colors, utility knife, a pair of pliers, a small set of screwdrivers, a tape measure, assorted clamps, a roll of electrical tape, zip ties, and a small flashlight. Again there is probably more that I can't think of at the moment.
For general grooming-> Hair brushes for manes and tails, shampoo and conditioner, large and small sponges, a 2 pack of wash cloths for wiping eyes and noses. A black dish towel for cleaning gender bits. Another towel for wiping fly spray on their face- a car wash mitt works for this too. A pack of the small bands for braiding or banding manes- they have these now too.
Tack care-> dish towels for wiping down tack after use, wash cloths for wiping down bits- cheap enough each horse can have their own. Wash cloths for applying leather conditioner or neatsfoot oil, 3 pack of paint brushes for neatsfoot oil. The clear plastic gloves (see medical drawer above) keeps this all off your hands if needed. Small container with lid to keep cloths and brushes in between use.
General cleaning-> A strainer works great for getting hay and feed sediment out of water tubs along with a small scrub brush when you just need to dump and scrub the water or feed tubs. Small bottle of dish soap for getting it all clean or washing my hands after applying meds, ointments or ??? Some $1 stores also have bleach if you really need to disinfect things. Disinfectant wipes-does this need further explanation? Broom and dustpan, small doormat for the tack room floor doorway. You can get trash bags, but I just use empty feed bags. Quart and gallon size zip top bags to line fly trap bottles- because I am NOT cleaning those things out to re-use it. Zip it closed and toss it in the trash. Done!
There's probably more stuff at the $1 store that would be useful around the barn or different uses for things I have listed here. Of course there are always going to be some things you just can't find or get at the $1 store. And even still, some things you just don' buy at the $1 store but spend the money and buy the brand name stuff. All of the things listed here, I bought at either Dollar Tree or 99 cent.
Let me count the ways......
Tote bags-> The $1 store has these in different sizes and in different colors and prints. You might have to wait to find the one you like or even dig thru the pile but they're worth it. They're great for polo wraps, pillows wraps, standing wraps, all the wraps. I had even found one years ago that is perfect for brushes. It holds 3 full size brushes, a grooming mitt, with pockets on the front for a hoof pick and mane and tail comb or brush.
The one woman at the barn has the hanging shoe bag in her tack room. It holds all of her spray bottles- fly spray, detangler, shampoo & conditioner, ointments, gels, etc. each in their own pocket. This could also work for splint boots. Hers has the clear pockets so tossing small stuff in one of them doesn't mean it is lost forever.
Wire S hooks-> great for hanging up a lot of things. These come in a 6 pack.
7 hook rack-> great for hanging up and organizing girths, bits, reins, snaps, extra leads, lunge lines and long lines... The hooks on these are rather small and close together, so it kind of limits what and how much you can put on it, but they still help kp things neat and organized. The S hooks above^^^ yeah, you need these for that.
4 or 6 hook rack-> great for hanging all of the tote bags on. This could also be used for halters and leads. I have one just for my lunge lines and long lines.
Small dry erase board with marker and eraser- for keeping track of feeds, supplements- who gets what and how much. This is handy if you're not doing something like SmartPak and have someone else feeding for you.These can also be used to note any number of things.
Over the door single and double hooks-> portable and easy to hang up everything in the barn aisle near the cross ties- tote bags with brushes, polo's, bridles, lunge lines, etc. I also have one for my car keys and jacket or sweatshirt while at the barn.
Small tote bin-> Since I don't yet have a shoe bag, mine holds the bottles of peroxide, alcohol, shampoo, conditioner, Epsom salt, baby powder, baby oil, petroleum jelly, shoe polish, spray bottles (fly spray, antiseptic and mane & tail conditioner) and a large sponge for bathing- all of which come from the $1 stores. There's also a few bottles of other things from the tack or feed stores.
In the medical department of my drawer unit-> latex gloves- because, 100 count pack of plastic gloves, a pack of band aids for me, wound ointment, a 100 count pack of cotton squares- for wiping alcohol when giving shots, a small set of drawers for different size needles, a pencil box for syringes, a package of panty liners, maxi pads and children's diapers for wrapping an abscessed hoof or wounds with a few rolls of 'sport tape' similar to Vetwrap. Plastic wrap for sweating a leg, a few 'cold wraps' and a couple jars of Arctic Ice for icing a leg. A roll of paper towels and probably more that I can't think of off the top of my head.
In the tool drawer-> duct tape in fun colors, utility knife, a pair of pliers, a small set of screwdrivers, a tape measure, assorted clamps, a roll of electrical tape, zip ties, and a small flashlight. Again there is probably more that I can't think of at the moment.
For general grooming-> Hair brushes for manes and tails, shampoo and conditioner, large and small sponges, a 2 pack of wash cloths for wiping eyes and noses. A black dish towel for cleaning gender bits. Another towel for wiping fly spray on their face- a car wash mitt works for this too. A pack of the small bands for braiding or banding manes- they have these now too.
Tack care-> dish towels for wiping down tack after use, wash cloths for wiping down bits- cheap enough each horse can have their own. Wash cloths for applying leather conditioner or neatsfoot oil, 3 pack of paint brushes for neatsfoot oil. The clear plastic gloves (see medical drawer above) keeps this all off your hands if needed. Small container with lid to keep cloths and brushes in between use.
General cleaning-> A strainer works great for getting hay and feed sediment out of water tubs along with a small scrub brush when you just need to dump and scrub the water or feed tubs. Small bottle of dish soap for getting it all clean or washing my hands after applying meds, ointments or ??? Some $1 stores also have bleach if you really need to disinfect things. Disinfectant wipes-does this need further explanation? Broom and dustpan, small doormat for the tack room floor doorway. You can get trash bags, but I just use empty feed bags. Quart and gallon size zip top bags to line fly trap bottles- because I am NOT cleaning those things out to re-use it. Zip it closed and toss it in the trash. Done!
There's probably more stuff at the $1 store that would be useful around the barn or different uses for things I have listed here. Of course there are always going to be some things you just can't find or get at the $1 store. And even still, some things you just don' buy at the $1 store but spend the money and buy the brand name stuff. All of the things listed here, I bought at either Dollar Tree or 99 cent.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!
May we all be surrounded with good friends and people we love.
May we all be surrounded with good friends and people we love.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Staying oganized
After my friend sent me that Instagram pic in the last post, and me trying to come up with something like it for my own tack room, I got to thinking. Scary I know. But seriously, now I was wondering how other bloggers stayed organized at the barn?
These are the things I use-
Tractor supply has 3 tier saddle racks. I have one and if they ever go on sale again, I will pick up another. They're awesome. While I don't care much for the wire rack underneath for pads, because it is pretty much useless for anything, the saddle racks are sturdy and durable.
The $1 store had these 7 hook racks. One of them is for my assortment of girths.
They also have a 6 piece package of wire S hooks- to hang the 10 hook rack, the 7 hook rack, the 4 prong hook I've had for ever and the manure fork by their stalls.
These are the things I use-
Tractor supply has 3 tier saddle racks. I have one and if they ever go on sale again, I will pick up another. They're awesome. While I don't care much for the wire rack underneath for pads, because it is pretty much useless for anything, the saddle racks are sturdy and durable.
The 10 hook tack rack from Schneiders. I got this from the Schneiders tent at the Scottsdale All Arabian show, (back when I lived there and used to go every year). It has been awesome and again-when they go on sale.....
The $1 store had these 7 hook racks. One of them is for my assortment of girths.
They also have a 6 piece package of wire S hooks- to hang the 10 hook rack, the 7 hook rack, the 4 prong hook I've had for ever and the manure fork by their stalls. 
There's also another $1 store find- the 4 hook rack that holds the various tote bags with my different sets of rolled up polo's. More bags with standing wraps and no bow wraps... and a few of these bags also came from the $1 store.
I also got one of these footlockers in gray for Kat's harness several years ago when it was new. While it has held up well for quite a while, it did finally start having issues with the handle on the front pulling out when trying to carry it. I bought one to replace it in Teal. It was around $30 at Wally World. The gray one is now a good place for their blankets in the off season. My assortment of Navajo pads fit in the footlocker, so I have another one just for those.
Sterilite makes these awesome drawer sets that are actually stackable. I have the 2930 model and the 2895 in wide, both in black and stacked up. It didn't take long before the drawers were all filled. A drawer of its own for just about everything.
So what do you use to keep things organized?
Monday, November 12, 2018
Enabler status?
A friend of mine sends me this as a screenshot pic off Instagram. I almost hate her for doing it. Seriously, I do.
Why?
Because now I want something like this to organize all my pads and shit at the barn.
Why?Because now I want something like this to organize all my pads and shit at the barn.
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
What's your style?
While watching the WEG, one of the commentators had mentioned "This persons 'Style' of riding is very fast. That person's Style of riding is very careful." While yet a few others she described as elegant, effective, classical..." and so on. Not to long ago a friend of mine made a comment about a judge not liking her 'style' of riding. That got me thinking- What is MY style of riding?
While we all hope for our riding to be described as careful, elegant, effective, classical, quiet, etc. we often describe what we feel what we're doing up there as being None of those things. Our seat is off balance- sitting heavier or deeper on one side then the other. Stiff shoulders, leaning into our turns, sloppy lower legs and then there's Grabby McGrabby Hands with a death grip on the reins.... It's so easy for each of us to find fault with the way we ride and most of us can tick off the things we need to work on and either Do More or Stop Doing.
While there have been things I have worked on to overcome- my hands are a big one for me. Whether it's keeping them on the horses withers or where I hold them when driving, and having one person telling us to do it this way and another telling us the opposite- It gets frustrating. We try hard to please everyone and try to guess what the judge likes to see and 'Do That', but it doesn't always work.
I have thought long and hard about it over the past few months, about what My style is. My new man told me a while back that at the last driving show, he felt bad for me and my Ponyman, that we didn't win any of the ring type classes on the first day. But then on the second day, when it came to the Games classes and we turned on the heat to Bring It, opening up a giant can of Whoop Ass!? He was super proud of us flying around the courses the way we do. He could understand why Kat and I enjoyed it so much. We were a force to be reckoned with and people around him were excitedly asking questions about us.
Things that different people have said over the years have stuck in my mind. People whose opinions I respect in the different sports I have competed in, have helped shape me in how I ride or compete. But that still leaves the question to be asked- What is my 'Style' of riding?
I have decided that it is a combination of things. With the driving- Our forte is not elegance. I know this and have for some time. We get things done and can hold our own in pleasure classes, but Kat and I are not the stand out type to watch on the rail. Our Dressage tests were hardly flawless, but our scores were always decent enough to get us by on. While I'm okay with that, maybe it's something to focus on and take a bit more seriously. If we were competing and traveling a lot to do so- it would be beneficial. At this point, it's just something to be considered. When it comes to the games classes, cones and hazards- we are fast and what some might consider almost reckless, but things are still under control, so it's all good. We are definitely fun to watch. Kat and I don't have to think, we just DO. He's quick and loves it and I enjoy letting him go for it.
My riding is much the same. Rail classes I can take it or leave it and score decent marks to get by on. I'm not sure I'm an elegant rider, since I don't often have anyone around to take pictures, let alone video, that I can share and dissect over and over to improve upon. I ride both English (hunt seat and dressage) and western and one of the girls at the barn asked me about it the other night. She had started out at a dressage barn but hasn't sat in an English saddle in years. She wondered which one I'm more comfortable with? I shrugged it off as I told her that I've done both so much it's all interchangeable.
My style? Some days I still don't know. If there's one thing for sure, it's a work in progress.
While we all hope for our riding to be described as careful, elegant, effective, classical, quiet, etc. we often describe what we feel what we're doing up there as being None of those things. Our seat is off balance- sitting heavier or deeper on one side then the other. Stiff shoulders, leaning into our turns, sloppy lower legs and then there's Grabby McGrabby Hands with a death grip on the reins.... It's so easy for each of us to find fault with the way we ride and most of us can tick off the things we need to work on and either Do More or Stop Doing.
While there have been things I have worked on to overcome- my hands are a big one for me. Whether it's keeping them on the horses withers or where I hold them when driving, and having one person telling us to do it this way and another telling us the opposite- It gets frustrating. We try hard to please everyone and try to guess what the judge likes to see and 'Do That', but it doesn't always work.
I have thought long and hard about it over the past few months, about what My style is. My new man told me a while back that at the last driving show, he felt bad for me and my Ponyman, that we didn't win any of the ring type classes on the first day. But then on the second day, when it came to the Games classes and we turned on the heat to Bring It, opening up a giant can of Whoop Ass!? He was super proud of us flying around the courses the way we do. He could understand why Kat and I enjoyed it so much. We were a force to be reckoned with and people around him were excitedly asking questions about us.
Things that different people have said over the years have stuck in my mind. People whose opinions I respect in the different sports I have competed in, have helped shape me in how I ride or compete. But that still leaves the question to be asked- What is my 'Style' of riding?
I have decided that it is a combination of things. With the driving- Our forte is not elegance. I know this and have for some time. We get things done and can hold our own in pleasure classes, but Kat and I are not the stand out type to watch on the rail. Our Dressage tests were hardly flawless, but our scores were always decent enough to get us by on. While I'm okay with that, maybe it's something to focus on and take a bit more seriously. If we were competing and traveling a lot to do so- it would be beneficial. At this point, it's just something to be considered. When it comes to the games classes, cones and hazards- we are fast and what some might consider almost reckless, but things are still under control, so it's all good. We are definitely fun to watch. Kat and I don't have to think, we just DO. He's quick and loves it and I enjoy letting him go for it.
My riding is much the same. Rail classes I can take it or leave it and score decent marks to get by on. I'm not sure I'm an elegant rider, since I don't often have anyone around to take pictures, let alone video, that I can share and dissect over and over to improve upon. I ride both English (hunt seat and dressage) and western and one of the girls at the barn asked me about it the other night. She had started out at a dressage barn but hasn't sat in an English saddle in years. She wondered which one I'm more comfortable with? I shrugged it off as I told her that I've done both so much it's all interchangeable.
My style? Some days I still don't know. If there's one thing for sure, it's a work in progress.
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Move on already
At the last barn, there was a group of people who used the round pen to the point of overuse. They would lunge their horses in the round pen but their idea of lunging was to run the hell out of them, whipping at the horse and yelling constantly. Any time they had a problem with the horse- back to the round pen and run the hell out of them some more.
The funny thing was that they always watched me ride, had often asked me for help solving their problems and complimented me on my horses several times over. Not once were my horses in the round pen. I helped them a few times with some of the minor issues and solved them, working either out in the pasture or on the trail.
And yet when I made the comment about how the barn owner should tear down the round --pen, they got a bit butt hurt. Before anyone gets the idea that I'm all Anti Round Pen, I'm not. They are good to have for starting horses, for free lunging on occasion and for turnout when the horse may be on restricted movement due to injury. But life does not revolve aound the round pen. At some point, you need to move on.
Once you've taught your horse to lunge on a line and can do it outside the round pen, You have moved on. If you're riding at a walk, trot/jog and canter/lope in the arena or out on the trail, obviously you've moved on beyond the round pen too. All things these people and their horses could do, but still they reverted back to the round pen, where they would run the hell out of the horses and damage any bit of the bond they had between them.
On top of that- the footing in there was for shit. It was uneven, deep in some spots, thin and hardpacked in others and there was also the perpetual mud spot that never dried up. I'm not one of those people that's difficult to deal with or hard to please, but I try to give my horse a chance and I'd like to keep them sound. adding to things, the round pen was small, as in too small. That kind of stress on their legs and joints is asking for problems.
The funny thing was that they always watched me ride, had often asked me for help solving their problems and complimented me on my horses several times over. Not once were my horses in the round pen. I helped them a few times with some of the minor issues and solved them, working either out in the pasture or on the trail.
And yet when I made the comment about how the barn owner should tear down the round --pen, they got a bit butt hurt. Before anyone gets the idea that I'm all Anti Round Pen, I'm not. They are good to have for starting horses, for free lunging on occasion and for turnout when the horse may be on restricted movement due to injury. But life does not revolve aound the round pen. At some point, you need to move on.
Once you've taught your horse to lunge on a line and can do it outside the round pen, You have moved on. If you're riding at a walk, trot/jog and canter/lope in the arena or out on the trail, obviously you've moved on beyond the round pen too. All things these people and their horses could do, but still they reverted back to the round pen, where they would run the hell out of the horses and damage any bit of the bond they had between them.
On top of that- the footing in there was for shit. It was uneven, deep in some spots, thin and hardpacked in others and there was also the perpetual mud spot that never dried up. I'm not one of those people that's difficult to deal with or hard to please, but I try to give my horse a chance and I'd like to keep them sound. adding to things, the round pen was small, as in too small. That kind of stress on their legs and joints is asking for problems.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Louder than words
The new barn has been interesting and fun so far. Although I was assured there is "NO DRAMA" before moving, at the end of the first week there was a near Knock down, drag out in the aisle way. Two of the women got into it and were going at it at the other end of the barn. They nearly came to throwing blows. One of the women involved? You guessed it. The one who had assured me there is no drama.... the drama queen herself.
Fast forward 2-3 weeks. There's another woman at the barn- G - who has 1 horse and thinks she owns the place. She is hardly ever there, thankfully, but of the two times I have seen her, she runs her mouth and throws a temper tantrum. Apparently she has gone after just about everyone there and after seeing her the first time, I knew it was a matter of time until she took a shot at me.
One of the other women at the barn moved her horse to the stall next to G's horse, and subsequently the DQ moved G's feed box over more in front of her stall. There was a lot of ranting on the part of DQ about how she moved the box and didn't care if G liked it or not... Of course when G got there and threw a hissy fit, DQ said nothing. When G's tantrum was almost over, DQ approached her and said nothing about being the one to move her box. Clearly DQ is your friend as long as things benefit her. Duly noted.
Fast forward another week aaaaaaaand then G took her shot. I put my TB mare in the cross ties between her stall and mine. Oh. My. Gawd. You would think the world was about to end. She started squawking and bitching that I had to move my mare- it was upsetting her horse. I called bullshit. Her horse was standing there and hadn't moved. Mine was standing there not moving either. I told her they were both fine, I've been tying her there for the past month and I was tacking her up.
More squawking.... and she calls the BO. (I swear she has the poor man on speed dial. LOL I've seen her do this before and it's nice to know she always has to run away and nark on people) I pay board here just like everyone else and have just as much right to use the facility as she does. More squawking and she tells me if I don't move my horse, she will do it FOR me. Yeah, We all know That went over well... Hahahahaha I quickly put her in her place and told her that would be a very Bad idea on her part and she made a hasty retreat. As Dena said once -> Well that went surprisingly well.... *snork*
One of the guys at the barn said he missed the whole thing and that would be better than any reality TV. I apologized, Sorry to disappoint. G may reconsider her position before taking another shot at me again but I won't be surprised if she does. I guess it's a matter of when? Insert massive eyeroll.
Fast forward 2-3 weeks. There's another woman at the barn- G - who has 1 horse and thinks she owns the place. She is hardly ever there, thankfully, but of the two times I have seen her, she runs her mouth and throws a temper tantrum. Apparently she has gone after just about everyone there and after seeing her the first time, I knew it was a matter of time until she took a shot at me.
One of the other women at the barn moved her horse to the stall next to G's horse, and subsequently the DQ moved G's feed box over more in front of her stall. There was a lot of ranting on the part of DQ about how she moved the box and didn't care if G liked it or not... Of course when G got there and threw a hissy fit, DQ said nothing. When G's tantrum was almost over, DQ approached her and said nothing about being the one to move her box. Clearly DQ is your friend as long as things benefit her. Duly noted.
Fast forward another week aaaaaaaand then G took her shot. I put my TB mare in the cross ties between her stall and mine. Oh. My. Gawd. You would think the world was about to end. She started squawking and bitching that I had to move my mare- it was upsetting her horse. I called bullshit. Her horse was standing there and hadn't moved. Mine was standing there not moving either. I told her they were both fine, I've been tying her there for the past month and I was tacking her up.
More squawking.... and she calls the BO. (I swear she has the poor man on speed dial. LOL I've seen her do this before and it's nice to know she always has to run away and nark on people) I pay board here just like everyone else and have just as much right to use the facility as she does. More squawking and she tells me if I don't move my horse, she will do it FOR me. Yeah, We all know That went over well... Hahahahaha I quickly put her in her place and told her that would be a very Bad idea on her part and she made a hasty retreat. As Dena said once -> Well that went surprisingly well.... *snork*
One of the guys at the barn said he missed the whole thing and that would be better than any reality TV. I apologized, Sorry to disappoint. G may reconsider her position before taking another shot at me again but I won't be surprised if she does. I guess it's a matter of when? Insert massive eyeroll.
Saturday, September 22, 2018
WEG Tryon 2018
Although I would love to go, whether to watch or one day maybe compete (we can all dream) my new man found the Cross Country competition going on and recorded it for me. YAY! When I got to sit down and watch it, they were talking about all the different events going on so I fired up the remote, flipped thru the listings and recorded-
Vaulting- team compulsory rounds
Para Dressage- different rounds, finals are tonight and an hour
Jumping- team & individual competition 3.5 hours, 4 more hours of team and individual competition and then another 4 hours of team gold competition.
And this morning? DRIVING!
Marathon is 3.5 hours and tomorrow morning is
Cones for 2 hours
I had seen the Driving Dressage and thought I had it set to record, but apparently somehow it slipped thru the cracks and *POOF* gone. I will look it up to see if I can find it because Dressage sets the tone for the standings. It's not often you can have a mediocre round in dressage and expect to move up enough in the standings with your scores from the marathon and cones.
I'm looking forward to watching it!
Vaulting- team compulsory rounds
Para Dressage- different rounds, finals are tonight and an hour
Jumping- team & individual competition 3.5 hours, 4 more hours of team and individual competition and then another 4 hours of team gold competition.
And this morning? DRIVING!
Marathon is 3.5 hours and tomorrow morning is
Cones for 2 hours
I had seen the Driving Dressage and thought I had it set to record, but apparently somehow it slipped thru the cracks and *POOF* gone. I will look it up to see if I can find it because Dressage sets the tone for the standings. It's not often you can have a mediocre round in dressage and expect to move up enough in the standings with your scores from the marathon and cones.
I'm looking forward to watching it!
Monday, September 3, 2018
Turn the page
I recently moved barns. The last one there was a LOT of drama an bullshit going on and as much as the barn owner said he doesn't tolerate drama, he was at the root of it.
There were a lot of colic's there and after my friend lost her pony, he never said a word to her about it. When I thought my mare was either foundered or navicular, he ran around telling everyone she fell in the pasture and got stuck in a small ditch that ran thru it. I was not supposed to tell people what I thought was going on and supposedly everyone was talking smack about my horse anyways. Really?
Then he sent out multiple text messages asking everyone for their email addresses. Nope. I did not respond. If he couldn't respect my privacy enough NOT to share my number and info with everyone at the barn and blow up my phone during the day while I was at work- he wasn't getting it. My phone was going off over and over with everyones emails coming back. The following day there was quite the buzz in the barn.
Supposedly the email "only applies to the New People", but he had no problem applying everything to everyone.
- If I were to sell one of my horses. help someone with training or bring someone in for lessons, he wanted 10%.
- If I were to bring in a horse as a 'flip project', he wanted 20%
- If I had the farier out, someone out for ddental care, massage therapy, Magnawave, etc. He wanted 10% of that too.
There was a lot more, but these were the main things on his list. Did I comply with any of this? Would you seriously expect me to?
There were other issues going on where he was making racial slurs and asking things that are none of his business. He never asked me anything about the other boarders because he knows I would tell him to go ask them ot its probably none of his business anyways. Of course when it was my turn to be the target of this bullshit, he asked everyone but me about these things, because he's just that way. Then last few weeks he has been telling his 'groupies' my mare needs a bullet in her head. Again it's none of his business what I do with my horse and what difference is it to him? If I want to put money into keeping her going or put her down- Its MY horse and MY decision.
Knowing my horses- my mare has been quite anxious and wound up lately at that barn. She didn't drink much in her stall, but as soon as she went out- straight to the water trough. When she went in the stall- first thing she did was piss it up. She no longer laid down to roll in her stall and she also started chasing all other horses away from my pony.
The new barn- they put a tractor bucket load of sand in the one stall to level it out before I got there. No more auto waterers- mosquito breeding grounds- so with new tubs my mare is drinking in her stall again. She can also put her head over the half wall between them and is right next to my little man. Instead of getting a wheel barrow of shavings and manure out of each stall- It doesn't even fill up half.
The stalls are light and airy, they are both relaxed and calm and my mare promptly laid down to roll when I put her in the stall. It's a good feeling knowing my horses are comfortable in their new surroundings. The tack room situation leaves a bit to be desired, but I can manage.
There were a lot of colic's there and after my friend lost her pony, he never said a word to her about it. When I thought my mare was either foundered or navicular, he ran around telling everyone she fell in the pasture and got stuck in a small ditch that ran thru it. I was not supposed to tell people what I thought was going on and supposedly everyone was talking smack about my horse anyways. Really?
Then he sent out multiple text messages asking everyone for their email addresses. Nope. I did not respond. If he couldn't respect my privacy enough NOT to share my number and info with everyone at the barn and blow up my phone during the day while I was at work- he wasn't getting it. My phone was going off over and over with everyones emails coming back. The following day there was quite the buzz in the barn.
Supposedly the email "only applies to the New People", but he had no problem applying everything to everyone.
- If I were to sell one of my horses. help someone with training or bring someone in for lessons, he wanted 10%.
- If I were to bring in a horse as a 'flip project', he wanted 20%
- If I had the farier out, someone out for ddental care, massage therapy, Magnawave, etc. He wanted 10% of that too.
There was a lot more, but these were the main things on his list. Did I comply with any of this? Would you seriously expect me to?
There were other issues going on where he was making racial slurs and asking things that are none of his business. He never asked me anything about the other boarders because he knows I would tell him to go ask them ot its probably none of his business anyways. Of course when it was my turn to be the target of this bullshit, he asked everyone but me about these things, because he's just that way. Then last few weeks he has been telling his 'groupies' my mare needs a bullet in her head. Again it's none of his business what I do with my horse and what difference is it to him? If I want to put money into keeping her going or put her down- Its MY horse and MY decision.
Knowing my horses- my mare has been quite anxious and wound up lately at that barn. She didn't drink much in her stall, but as soon as she went out- straight to the water trough. When she went in the stall- first thing she did was piss it up. She no longer laid down to roll in her stall and she also started chasing all other horses away from my pony.
The new barn- they put a tractor bucket load of sand in the one stall to level it out before I got there. No more auto waterers- mosquito breeding grounds- so with new tubs my mare is drinking in her stall again. She can also put her head over the half wall between them and is right next to my little man. Instead of getting a wheel barrow of shavings and manure out of each stall- It doesn't even fill up half.
The stalls are light and airy, they are both relaxed and calm and my mare promptly laid down to roll when I put her in the stall. It's a good feeling knowing my horses are comfortable in their new surroundings. The tack room situation leaves a bit to be desired, but I can manage.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Overlooked
If you've been reading my blog for any real length of time, you'll know that I have an OTTB mare. I know I've mentioned her before, and lately only now and then. I posted some pics of her here on the blog, waaaaayyyyy back when.... but mostly the pics are of my little man Kat and he has his own blog focused on driving, while she just hangs out in the background and flies under the radar.
Now that I've realized this, I have been tying to get some pic's to post.... She's a nice mare and deserves not only the attention but the recognition.
Everything starts and ends with the walk. Cowboys walked the first mile out and last mile back to warm them up and cool them out. I start my horses out at a walk on the lunge line and also when I get on them.
This is so much nicer than having them bolt to the end of the line and damn near rip your arms out of their sockets like a lot of people let them do.
Obviously pic's from two different days if you look at her wraps and boots
I swear nobody was holding her tail lol, it's mid swing.
I love her plain TB head and she has one of the softest, kindest eyes I've ever seen on a horse.
Now that I've realized this, I have been tying to get some pic's to post.... She's a nice mare and deserves not only the attention but the recognition.
Lunging the other night. Of course she's licking and chewing and I caught her mid-lick... It seems I have a gift for getting pic's of horses with their tongue sticking out.
Everything starts and ends with the walk. Cowboys walked the first mile out and last mile back to warm them up and cool them out. I start my horses out at a walk on the lunge line and also when I get on them. This is so much nicer than having them bolt to the end of the line and damn near rip your arms out of their sockets like a lot of people let them do. 
Obviously pic's from two different days if you look at her wraps and boots
Still walking....
I swear nobody was holding her tail lol, it's mid swing.I love her plain TB head and she has one of the softest, kindest eyes I've ever seen on a horse.Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Who's to say?
** I would like to preface this post with a short note that I was reluctant to publish this post, due to the fact that one of my friends at the barn recently lost her young, 4 year old filly to colic. She was using quality feed and seemed to be doing everything right and then this happened. Everyone at the barn is deeply saddened and many of us are still shaking our heads in complete disbelief over her loss. **
What do you feed? This is a fairly common question in the industry. We all have our own ideas of what works and what don't and sometimes we are limited by either our budget, what's available in our area or a combination of both. At the end of the day, we will all agree that we want what's best for our hose(s) at a reasonable cost.
What do you feed? This is a fairly common question in the industry. We all have our own ideas of what works and what don't and sometimes we are limited by either our budget, what's available in our area or a combination of both. At the end of the day, we will all agree that we want what's best for our hose(s) at a reasonable cost.
There was a woman at the barn that when she first came in, was getting her coastal hay from a guy for a decent price that included delivery and stacking. Sadly though, the quality of the hay was quite lacking. To make up for it, she was feeding supplements. A Lot of supplements, from weight builders, corn oil, hoof supplements, electrolytes and a combination of powders, pellets and liquids.
There was a grain that was sworn to be 'a great value' at $20 for 100# and yes that is a pound sign not a hash tag. While I have seen the "Value Feed", I really haven't gotten a good look at the tag on it to see what it's made up of. It has a lot of corn, whole oats and molasses in it, but I honestly couldn't tell you what else.
Since being on Senior feed, my horses coats have gotten super soft and they are beyond shiny. Katman has dapples galore, as does my tb mare and although she may lose her mind and drop weight over who knows what, it has helped keep her weight a bit more manageable. She might walk away from her alfalfa pellets and leave them for later, but she will snarf down every bit of her senior feed.
What struck me as funny but also sad at the same time, was the fact that this woman was more than happy to hand out advice to anyone and everyone about what they should be feeding their horses. All fine and good, but what everyone chose to ignore was the fact that in less than a year, all but one of her horses had coliced- some more than once. One of them coliced because a friend had fed for her without giving the horses their concoction of supplements.
The friend of mine who lost her filly, was also feeding alfalfa pellets, senior feed and a slow feed net full of coastal hay. Her filly had really blossomed in the time she had her, going from not much to look at, to something quite special that turned heads. Her filly was shiny to the point of having dapples, silky soft coat like my mare, nicely filled out and muscled up with great feet that were easy to trim but tough enough to go without needing shoes. She looked great and didn't need all the supplements to get there. Nobody really knows what caused her to colic. RIP little girl.
So who's to say which feeding program is the better one? I'll just stick to feeding mine the alfalfa pellets they're used to, the senior feed they snarf down like crazy and hay nets stuffed with coastal grass. It's been working for them this long, why change now?
There was a grain that was sworn to be 'a great value' at $20 for 100# and yes that is a pound sign not a hash tag. While I have seen the "Value Feed", I really haven't gotten a good look at the tag on it to see what it's made up of. It has a lot of corn, whole oats and molasses in it, but I honestly couldn't tell you what else.
In comparison, I am feeding my two a senior feed in addition to their alfalfa pellets. The senior feed is $10.70 a bag for 50#. So while there's really not much difference in price, there is a rather large gap in the quality. The senior feed is a more complete feed and was designed to give the older horse all the nutrients they require to keep them healthy. In the event your horse can no longer chew their hay or regular feed, you can still give them the senior feed so they get everything they need.
Since being on Senior feed, my horses coats have gotten super soft and they are beyond shiny. Katman has dapples galore, as does my tb mare and although she may lose her mind and drop weight over who knows what, it has helped keep her weight a bit more manageable. She might walk away from her alfalfa pellets and leave them for later, but she will snarf down every bit of her senior feed.
What struck me as funny but also sad at the same time, was the fact that this woman was more than happy to hand out advice to anyone and everyone about what they should be feeding their horses. All fine and good, but what everyone chose to ignore was the fact that in less than a year, all but one of her horses had coliced- some more than once. One of them coliced because a friend had fed for her without giving the horses their concoction of supplements.
The friend of mine who lost her filly, was also feeding alfalfa pellets, senior feed and a slow feed net full of coastal hay. Her filly had really blossomed in the time she had her, going from not much to look at, to something quite special that turned heads. Her filly was shiny to the point of having dapples, silky soft coat like my mare, nicely filled out and muscled up with great feet that were easy to trim but tough enough to go without needing shoes. She looked great and didn't need all the supplements to get there. Nobody really knows what caused her to colic. RIP little girl.
So who's to say which feeding program is the better one? I'll just stick to feeding mine the alfalfa pellets they're used to, the senior feed they snarf down like crazy and hay nets stuffed with coastal grass. It's been working for them this long, why change now?
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Really?
Long ago and far away, I developed this crazy idea..... that my hands needed to be on or really close to the withers at all times. I'm not sure where or when this started or really the reason why. It might have been from showing and always seeing riders with their hands close to the withers and somehow thinking that this is where mine belonged too.
Then someone had gotten video of me riding the WB mare Aruba and I sent a link to a friend of mine, asking her to watch it and tell me what I need to fix to improve. One of the things she told me was that I needed to widen my hands and give the horse some room to work. I tried it the next time I rode and wouldn't you know? My mare worked about 1,000% better. It took me a while to make this the new "normal" and some days, it's still a work in progress.
So imagine having someone else now telling me, that I need to ride with my hands close to the neck/withers. All I could think was- "Do you know how long it took me to break that damned habit?" Yeah. That's where I'm at. So what would you do?
Now both of these people giving me advice, definitely have their 'creds'. Person A has shown at upper level shows, both nationally and internationally and Person B has judged a lot at upper level shows like Regionals & World for breed shows. They both know a lot of big names in their resective sport- B is more western, A has done both but is more English discipline focused now.
As for my hands, I have finally found that the 'Sweet Spot' is for them to be as wide as my feet. That way the horse has the area the width of their body, to move between them. What I was being told was- whatever the width of your hands, that's how wide the lateral movement of the horses head will be. If they are close to the neck/withers, the horse can only turn their head that much back and forth, but if your hands are wide apart, they have more 'wiggle room' and it's easier to evade the bit and avoid or refuse obstacles.
My thoughts on that are that if the horse is not sure of something and is not confident enough in you or themselves, they don't give a shit where your hands are at- they are Not going over or thru what's in front of them. More realistically, the horse probably doesn't care if we stay on them and some of them might prefer we come off so we can't 'push them' anymore to tackle the obstacle.
So has anyone else been in this position before or am I the only one?
Then someone had gotten video of me riding the WB mare Aruba and I sent a link to a friend of mine, asking her to watch it and tell me what I need to fix to improve. One of the things she told me was that I needed to widen my hands and give the horse some room to work. I tried it the next time I rode and wouldn't you know? My mare worked about 1,000% better. It took me a while to make this the new "normal" and some days, it's still a work in progress.
So imagine having someone else now telling me, that I need to ride with my hands close to the neck/withers. All I could think was- "Do you know how long it took me to break that damned habit?" Yeah. That's where I'm at. So what would you do?
Now both of these people giving me advice, definitely have their 'creds'. Person A has shown at upper level shows, both nationally and internationally and Person B has judged a lot at upper level shows like Regionals & World for breed shows. They both know a lot of big names in their resective sport- B is more western, A has done both but is more English discipline focused now.
As for my hands, I have finally found that the 'Sweet Spot' is for them to be as wide as my feet. That way the horse has the area the width of their body, to move between them. What I was being told was- whatever the width of your hands, that's how wide the lateral movement of the horses head will be. If they are close to the neck/withers, the horse can only turn their head that much back and forth, but if your hands are wide apart, they have more 'wiggle room' and it's easier to evade the bit and avoid or refuse obstacles.
My thoughts on that are that if the horse is not sure of something and is not confident enough in you or themselves, they don't give a shit where your hands are at- they are Not going over or thru what's in front of them. More realistically, the horse probably doesn't care if we stay on them and some of them might prefer we come off so we can't 'push them' anymore to tackle the obstacle.
So has anyone else been in this position before or am I the only one?
Saturday, June 30, 2018
I Guarantee it!
Lately I have been meeting some really interesting people in life. Not so much that they're interesting in a good way, like they do things I'm genuinely curious about or interested in, but interesting in a sense that just when you think you've heard it all.... Which of course always makes for good blog fodder, so that's a plus. Lol
There was a couple at the barn who bouht a 3 year old stud colt. The horse was cute enough, but the back story didn't make much sense. Also the fact that these people are newbies to the horse world, means they were and are prime targets to be taken advantage of, which we all know happens far too much.
Speaking to them one night about their horse, (which they did geld upon getting him home so Kudos for that!) I was given the hostory on the horse. He was saved from the kill pen. Okay I get it, he was a rescue. But obviously the auction house doesn't care who buys the horses they run thru, just that they are paid for, preferably before the end of the night. But that's when the details went a bit sideways. They traveled almost to San Antonio (about 3 hours away) to pick up the horse. They chased him around for nearly 3-4 hours because he was turned out on 160 acres. Whaaaaat???? Personally I have never heard of a kill pen facility that turns horses out on that much acreage.
Then there was the matter of having the horse trained. They had one of the guys at the barn saddle the gelding up one night and he really went to bucking as he ran around the round pen. I don't know if anyone got on him afterwards, but if they did, it was most likely they ran the hell out of him and wore him out before they got on. Then the guy said he had found a trainer up near Bryan, Texas that charged $XXX the first month, then a bit less the next month and a bit less from there on out, but after 3 months or so, he would have the horse not only doing the barrel pattern, but also kid safe- gauranteed!
I'm not sure how he took it when I said, "People like that scare me. There are NO guarantees in training horses. They each learn at their own pace and just because You want to do something with them, barrels, jumping, dressage, cutting.... doesn't mean the Horse wants to do that too. The only one thing that I can say IS guaranteed- You Will spend a lot of money."
They have since changed barns, so I don't know what happened with the horse or if they will send him off to the trainer with the guarantee or not. I can only imagine the first month costs the most since the horse would need work to get him into condition for riding besides correcting a few other issues he has. I wish them luck with the horse.
There was a couple at the barn who bouht a 3 year old stud colt. The horse was cute enough, but the back story didn't make much sense. Also the fact that these people are newbies to the horse world, means they were and are prime targets to be taken advantage of, which we all know happens far too much.
Speaking to them one night about their horse, (which they did geld upon getting him home so Kudos for that!) I was given the hostory on the horse. He was saved from the kill pen. Okay I get it, he was a rescue. But obviously the auction house doesn't care who buys the horses they run thru, just that they are paid for, preferably before the end of the night. But that's when the details went a bit sideways. They traveled almost to San Antonio (about 3 hours away) to pick up the horse. They chased him around for nearly 3-4 hours because he was turned out on 160 acres. Whaaaaat???? Personally I have never heard of a kill pen facility that turns horses out on that much acreage.
Then there was the matter of having the horse trained. They had one of the guys at the barn saddle the gelding up one night and he really went to bucking as he ran around the round pen. I don't know if anyone got on him afterwards, but if they did, it was most likely they ran the hell out of him and wore him out before they got on. Then the guy said he had found a trainer up near Bryan, Texas that charged $XXX the first month, then a bit less the next month and a bit less from there on out, but after 3 months or so, he would have the horse not only doing the barrel pattern, but also kid safe- gauranteed!
I'm not sure how he took it when I said, "People like that scare me. There are NO guarantees in training horses. They each learn at their own pace and just because You want to do something with them, barrels, jumping, dressage, cutting.... doesn't mean the Horse wants to do that too. The only one thing that I can say IS guaranteed- You Will spend a lot of money."
They have since changed barns, so I don't know what happened with the horse or if they will send him off to the trainer with the guarantee or not. I can only imagine the first month costs the most since the horse would need work to get him into condition for riding besides correcting a few other issues he has. I wish them luck with the horse.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Do we laugh or cry?
Over all the years I have been with horses, I have to say that while the animals themselves do things that amaze me, it's the people around them that don't often thrill me. Some of them scare me, some puzzle me, I find myself shocked, amazed, appalled, disappointed, disgusted and sometimes I just shake my head because there are no words.
The other night I was on CL and found an ad for horse training. The photos showed a horse in work and all looked well enough that I clicked on it. What I found in the ad, well I'm not even sure what the hell it means.
The person claims to train "using mainly negative reinforcement." Then goes on to say they also use positive reinforcement, but also positive punishment and negative punishment.
Is that confusing enough? What the merry fluck? I can't imagine how the horses learn anything. Positive punishment? Is that when the horse is positively going to be punished?
Most people use positive reinforcement or rewarding good behaviour. When the horse does what we wanted them to- we praise them, pat them, tell them how good they are and let them know that This is what we wanted. This is how they learn what to do to please us.
Trying to figure out what the ad poster meant by negative reinforcement and negative punishement, I can only imagine the ways they make the horses life unpleasant for the moment. In doing this, do they feel proud of themselves?
The other night I was on CL and found an ad for horse training. The photos showed a horse in work and all looked well enough that I clicked on it. What I found in the ad, well I'm not even sure what the hell it means.
The person claims to train "using mainly negative reinforcement." Then goes on to say they also use positive reinforcement, but also positive punishment and negative punishment.
Is that confusing enough? What the merry fluck? I can't imagine how the horses learn anything. Positive punishment? Is that when the horse is positively going to be punished?
Most people use positive reinforcement or rewarding good behaviour. When the horse does what we wanted them to- we praise them, pat them, tell them how good they are and let them know that This is what we wanted. This is how they learn what to do to please us.
Trying to figure out what the ad poster meant by negative reinforcement and negative punishement, I can only imagine the ways they make the horses life unpleasant for the moment. In doing this, do they feel proud of themselves?
Sunday, May 27, 2018
How I got here...
In the last post I mentioned that I have been riding a filly at the barn. She's a cute little now 4 y/o, red pinto with 4 stockings and minimal white markings otherwise. She's a flashy little thing for what she is, but some of you may be wondering how this came to be? And that's a good question.
One of the girls at the barn had a cute little palomino filly. Classy was about 14.3 and pretty green, so her owner was going to train her and eventually run barrels on her. At some point the filly scared the girl and that was that. I think what it was, was letting her boyfriend ride Classy and he got into her a lope and the filly bucked.
One time while she was riding Classy and having issues, I asked for her phone. I had her put it on video so I could give her a clear idea of what was going on and why things were going wrong. She was hanging onto the reins almost like her life depended on it. There was no release and very little give to her hands. Although she felt like her hands were soft and following, they weren't. I had told her several times before to drop her hands, let her go, give her some release.... to no avail. When I had it on video to show her, there was no denying it.
She tried to self correct. She tried to let go of the reins and trust her horse, but the damage had been done. Classy had never made a bad move with her, but after seeing her buck with her boyfriend, she knew Classy was capable of doing it at any time. Just the idea of her horse going all NFR on her had her unsettled. She was beat before she got started.
Classy was up for sale thru no fault of her own and within a short time there was a buyer on the line, cash in hand and ready to close the deal. Problem was, he wanted to see her work under saddle. Who wouldn't? Her owner admitted she was scared to get on her.
I had gotten to the barn that night as she had saddled Classy and had her working in the round pen. "Hey Linda, ya wanna jump on her for me?" Well sure. I had her walking and trotting both directions on a fairly loose rein, and stopping with a shift of weight and a calm, soothing "whoa". As I got on Classy, there was a number of people that started coming to the round pen and gathering on the rail to watch.
The buyer asked if I could get her to back up and when I first tried to, she was a bit resistant. I worked Classy a little more as her owner and the buyer talked and soon I asked for he back again and got it. Classy dropped her head and stepped back as I moved each rein and signaled with my legs. I asked if he wanted to see her lope, but he had already made his decision. Horse was sold and her owner could move on to another horse.
There have been a number of horses come and go since Classy, but this one, she decided to let me start and work on. Funny thing is, I have asked her to get on this filly several different times and she has yet to do it. This filly has never made a bad step, and yet she won't get on her.
I told her the other day that one of these days she's going to get on this filly and that will be it. I won't be able to get her Off and she'll be hounding the Hell out of me to ride her again....
One of the girls at the barn had a cute little palomino filly. Classy was about 14.3 and pretty green, so her owner was going to train her and eventually run barrels on her. At some point the filly scared the girl and that was that. I think what it was, was letting her boyfriend ride Classy and he got into her a lope and the filly bucked.
One time while she was riding Classy and having issues, I asked for her phone. I had her put it on video so I could give her a clear idea of what was going on and why things were going wrong. She was hanging onto the reins almost like her life depended on it. There was no release and very little give to her hands. Although she felt like her hands were soft and following, they weren't. I had told her several times before to drop her hands, let her go, give her some release.... to no avail. When I had it on video to show her, there was no denying it.
She tried to self correct. She tried to let go of the reins and trust her horse, but the damage had been done. Classy had never made a bad move with her, but after seeing her buck with her boyfriend, she knew Classy was capable of doing it at any time. Just the idea of her horse going all NFR on her had her unsettled. She was beat before she got started.
Classy was up for sale thru no fault of her own and within a short time there was a buyer on the line, cash in hand and ready to close the deal. Problem was, he wanted to see her work under saddle. Who wouldn't? Her owner admitted she was scared to get on her.
I had gotten to the barn that night as she had saddled Classy and had her working in the round pen. "Hey Linda, ya wanna jump on her for me?" Well sure. I had her walking and trotting both directions on a fairly loose rein, and stopping with a shift of weight and a calm, soothing "whoa". As I got on Classy, there was a number of people that started coming to the round pen and gathering on the rail to watch.
The buyer asked if I could get her to back up and when I first tried to, she was a bit resistant. I worked Classy a little more as her owner and the buyer talked and soon I asked for he back again and got it. Classy dropped her head and stepped back as I moved each rein and signaled with my legs. I asked if he wanted to see her lope, but he had already made his decision. Horse was sold and her owner could move on to another horse.
There have been a number of horses come and go since Classy, but this one, she decided to let me start and work on. Funny thing is, I have asked her to get on this filly several different times and she has yet to do it. This filly has never made a bad step, and yet she won't get on her.
I told her the other day that one of these days she's going to get on this filly and that will be it. I won't be able to get her Off and she'll be hounding the Hell out of me to ride her again....
Monday, May 21, 2018
Good Reads
Since I've been riding a filly at the barn and she would make a really nice looking Hackamore horse, I felt the need to read up on the subject. I put together a hackamore for her, piece by piece for a total of around $50. Much less than buying one all put together. Lol
Using the hackamore, I felt it could use a fiadore to help balance the bosal, so I went in search of one and found a book instead on eBay.
My book was $18 and change and going back to get the picture and a link, I see they're up to $19 and change. Still not a bad deal. Reading into this, I soon learned I don't actually need a fiador. It is used sometimes but not when training. The fiador is actually only there to keep the hackamore on the horse when it is being led or tied. Okay? So scratch that idea....The book is co-authored by Al Dunning and while my ex liked to talk smack about him, by not having any personal dealings with Mr. Dunning, I reserved judgement. In reading this book and seeing the proof in the photos, it sounds just like my ex- a case of jealousy and blaming others even though he very well could've done a lot more with his life. Remember people- Talking smack doesn't bring them Down to your level, just like it doesn't Elevate you to theirs either. Apparently there was a lot I needed to learn about bosals, hackamore horses and the training that goes into them. Also some of the things that were used long ago, while they might be perceived as tacky and unnecessary, they had a place and a purpose for their use. There is a lightness in the bridle that can be reached without even putting a bit in the horses mouth. Achieving this also teaches the horse self carriage, both of which we desire.The hackamores were also used to preserve the softness of the horses mouth as the teeth were erupting, baby teeth were lost and the bite changing. All of that going on in the horses mouth can already leave it sore, besides adding a bit, contact and the various pulling and tugging on it trying to get our point across.So what do I think about the book? I'm glad I bought it. There's definitely a lot in there for me to learn and having it in my collection- I can always go back and read it to refresh my memory and change what I'm doing to Fix things, making it better for the horse. Blessed are the horses whose rider is always willing to learn and improve.
Using the hackamore, I felt it could use a fiadore to help balance the bosal, so I went in search of one and found a book instead on eBay.
My book was $18 and change and going back to get the picture and a link, I see they're up to $19 and change. Still not a bad deal. Reading into this, I soon learned I don't actually need a fiador. It is used sometimes but not when training. The fiador is actually only there to keep the hackamore on the horse when it is being led or tied. Okay? So scratch that idea....The book is co-authored by Al Dunning and while my ex liked to talk smack about him, by not having any personal dealings with Mr. Dunning, I reserved judgement. In reading this book and seeing the proof in the photos, it sounds just like my ex- a case of jealousy and blaming others even though he very well could've done a lot more with his life. Remember people- Talking smack doesn't bring them Down to your level, just like it doesn't Elevate you to theirs either. Apparently there was a lot I needed to learn about bosals, hackamore horses and the training that goes into them. Also some of the things that were used long ago, while they might be perceived as tacky and unnecessary, they had a place and a purpose for their use. There is a lightness in the bridle that can be reached without even putting a bit in the horses mouth. Achieving this also teaches the horse self carriage, both of which we desire.The hackamores were also used to preserve the softness of the horses mouth as the teeth were erupting, baby teeth were lost and the bite changing. All of that going on in the horses mouth can already leave it sore, besides adding a bit, contact and the various pulling and tugging on it trying to get our point across.So what do I think about the book? I'm glad I bought it. There's definitely a lot in there for me to learn and having it in my collection- I can always go back and read it to refresh my memory and change what I'm doing to Fix things, making it better for the horse. Blessed are the horses whose rider is always willing to learn and improve.Sunday, May 6, 2018
Reactive
This post has been kicking around in my head for a while and sitting here in the drafts. There have been things happening that have made me think about it and how it pertains to training and riding in general.
Horses are reactive animals, meaning they simply react. They don't think about things and plot out a way to respond, they just react. Sometimes they resist and sometimes they give us exactly what we ask for, but it's the simple truth of every action warrants a reaction.
There are a million and one little things we can do in the saddle that changes the way of going in our horse and those little things may be what wins us a class. When we put a leg on their side, they either bend a little more, move over a little, reach up under themselves more or maybe change gaits, depending on how the cue is applied, the timing of it and what other cues are given with it. When we sit up a little straighter improving our own posture, it changes the way the horse moves as they shift their own bodies to change the way they balance us on their back. Even the little things like looking where you want the horse to go makes a difference.
Bringing your shoulder back can stop us twisting our upper body and straighten the horses line of travel. If your lower leg seems to be loose or out of position, standing up in your stirrups and sinking into your heel can help put it back where it belongs. Bringing your inside leg back slightly can shift the rear end over, again helping to straighten the horses line of travel.
If the horse is fresh and we come down a little hard on them, they may react a bit explosively. Our intensity in using the cues is comprable the amount of reaction we get from the horse. If we are light and subtle in asking, the horse should ease into the movement we asked for. If we kick them hard and spur them forward, they will likely take off faster than hoped for or maybe even buck.
One of the boarders at the barn, seems to yell at his horse contantly. Combine that with him giving the horse a lot of cues at once- all mixed messages of course- and it's not often they get anything accomplished, let alone done well. The horse I have learned, is pretty well trained so it's clear where the issues lie. This is the same guy that seems to be trying to impress everyone. He's making an impression all right....
Horses are reactive animals, meaning they simply react. They don't think about things and plot out a way to respond, they just react. Sometimes they resist and sometimes they give us exactly what we ask for, but it's the simple truth of every action warrants a reaction.
There are a million and one little things we can do in the saddle that changes the way of going in our horse and those little things may be what wins us a class. When we put a leg on their side, they either bend a little more, move over a little, reach up under themselves more or maybe change gaits, depending on how the cue is applied, the timing of it and what other cues are given with it. When we sit up a little straighter improving our own posture, it changes the way the horse moves as they shift their own bodies to change the way they balance us on their back. Even the little things like looking where you want the horse to go makes a difference.
Bringing your shoulder back can stop us twisting our upper body and straighten the horses line of travel. If your lower leg seems to be loose or out of position, standing up in your stirrups and sinking into your heel can help put it back where it belongs. Bringing your inside leg back slightly can shift the rear end over, again helping to straighten the horses line of travel.
If the horse is fresh and we come down a little hard on them, they may react a bit explosively. Our intensity in using the cues is comprable the amount of reaction we get from the horse. If we are light and subtle in asking, the horse should ease into the movement we asked for. If we kick them hard and spur them forward, they will likely take off faster than hoped for or maybe even buck.
One of the boarders at the barn, seems to yell at his horse contantly. Combine that with him giving the horse a lot of cues at once- all mixed messages of course- and it's not often they get anything accomplished, let alone done well. The horse I have learned, is pretty well trained so it's clear where the issues lie. This is the same guy that seems to be trying to impress everyone. He's making an impression all right....
Saturday, April 28, 2018
People talk....
We ALLLLLLL know how much people in the horse world just LOVE to talk. When the story is good and juicy? Boy how they love to talk.... Lately I find myself at the middle of a lot of things at the barn. Before everyone thinks people are talking smack about me, they're not. As it turns out, it's the opposite.
Although my mare's weight is up and down and right now she's sore, she still looks good and has a silky, soft, shiny coat. I am proud of her, even if I can only hand graze her at the moment. My little man- people are amazed at him being 19 years old and the one kid keeps asking if I'm going to work him, because he loves watching him go. Part of it is that the kid is amazed I can make him work like that without being on his back.
There has been a few times the barn owner has, in ways, admitted he doesn't know many of the things I do. He has made statements of "Do what Linda did" when talking about treating a horses wound or even told me that the horse I was working at the moment looked really good. Just last night he asked if I would clip his mules.
The other night at the barn, one of the horses coliced. Everyone had their ideas of how to get the horse to feel better. The one guy was literally chasing the poor thing around the round pen (at a full gallop, cracking the whip repeatedly) and had been for a while. I had the meds and know how to use them so after the owner said "Yes, Please!!!!" I gave the horse some chemical relief. He was able to relax and instead of them running the hell out of him to keep him from rolling, they were able to walk him around. He did go to the vet and was there for almost a week and I'm hapry to report- he pulled thru.
I have been riding and training the one pony at the barn. A couple weeks ago, speaking to one of the ladies in the group gathered under the trees, apparently they had been watching the workout. She told me they love watching the horses workouts and that I ride like the Boss. (Well That was totally different from before- you know, hearing that my ex had been telling everyone he trained my horses for me. Insert massive eye rolling! HAHAHAHA!)
Part of the new group at the barn has been a few younger kids. One of them has a younger filly and admittedly he is having some issues with her. Last night he was saying he could not get her into the wash rack. at. all. She wasn't going in, no way, no how. I always like a challenge so I bet him I could get her in. I clipped my lunge line on her and he said something about how his filly was probably going to break it. I walked her up to the wash rack and let her stop for a second. When I asked her to step forward and walk in, she did. No issue and I never even uncoiled my rope. He stood there staring in disbelief and said, "You're shitting me, right?" I put her in the wash rack and took her out a few times and then had him do it. He could not believe the change.
So people don't think I'm feeling all high and mighty over these things, I just always think to myself- there is a better way. There is always a better way to do things. Helping the horse not to suffer thru a human issue is worth it. That's payment to me. And still when people thank me, I have to remind myself not to self depreciate, but to just shut it and accept the compliment. Ffs- thank them too!
Although my mare's weight is up and down and right now she's sore, she still looks good and has a silky, soft, shiny coat. I am proud of her, even if I can only hand graze her at the moment. My little man- people are amazed at him being 19 years old and the one kid keeps asking if I'm going to work him, because he loves watching him go. Part of it is that the kid is amazed I can make him work like that without being on his back.
There has been a few times the barn owner has, in ways, admitted he doesn't know many of the things I do. He has made statements of "Do what Linda did" when talking about treating a horses wound or even told me that the horse I was working at the moment looked really good. Just last night he asked if I would clip his mules.
The other night at the barn, one of the horses coliced. Everyone had their ideas of how to get the horse to feel better. The one guy was literally chasing the poor thing around the round pen (at a full gallop, cracking the whip repeatedly) and had been for a while. I had the meds and know how to use them so after the owner said "Yes, Please!!!!" I gave the horse some chemical relief. He was able to relax and instead of them running the hell out of him to keep him from rolling, they were able to walk him around. He did go to the vet and was there for almost a week and I'm hapry to report- he pulled thru.
I have been riding and training the one pony at the barn. A couple weeks ago, speaking to one of the ladies in the group gathered under the trees, apparently they had been watching the workout. She told me they love watching the horses workouts and that I ride like the Boss. (Well That was totally different from before- you know, hearing that my ex had been telling everyone he trained my horses for me. Insert massive eye rolling! HAHAHAHA!)
Part of the new group at the barn has been a few younger kids. One of them has a younger filly and admittedly he is having some issues with her. Last night he was saying he could not get her into the wash rack. at. all. She wasn't going in, no way, no how. I always like a challenge so I bet him I could get her in. I clipped my lunge line on her and he said something about how his filly was probably going to break it. I walked her up to the wash rack and let her stop for a second. When I asked her to step forward and walk in, she did. No issue and I never even uncoiled my rope. He stood there staring in disbelief and said, "You're shitting me, right?" I put her in the wash rack and took her out a few times and then had him do it. He could not believe the change.
So people don't think I'm feeling all high and mighty over these things, I just always think to myself- there is a better way. There is always a better way to do things. Helping the horse not to suffer thru a human issue is worth it. That's payment to me. And still when people thank me, I have to remind myself not to self depreciate, but to just shut it and accept the compliment. Ffs- thank them too!
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Good with the bad
About three weeks ago I rode my TB mare and while she did well enough in the round pen, we have hd issues getting just a walk down the driveway. Since she's barefoot and there's some decently size rocks, she had a step or two that hurt. I figured she may have gotten a stone bruise and when we got back to the barn I hosed her legs off, gave her some bute and put her away. Nothing major, right?
Spoiler- Things haven't gotten any better. Totally sucks! But unlike my ex, when my horse is lame and hurting, I do what I can and when I can do no more, I take them to a vet.
So after soaking her foot and digging around in the sole with a hoof knife and hoping it was just another damned abscess, having her trimmed and hoping the farrier might find something and open it up.... and she's still lame, I made another appointment for her. I swear she is becoming one of those vet Dream Horses. The tech that came out today asked "Oh is this the one with the knee again?" Yes. Yes it is. Thanks! Argh
I was getting xrays of her left front hoof. Seemed like it would or could be either founder or the beginning of navicular. At this point I was feeling like if it were either one, the most humane thing would be to put her down. I was at that point not too long ago when she came in from turnout with her 'good' knee swollen to the size of her bad one. That time too, I had decided going in- if her good knee was going to be like her 'bad knee', there was no point in putting things off and letting her suffer.
I'm also beginning to think this mare likes being at the vet clinic for some strange reason. The three times we've been there, she just stands quietly and looks around, twitches an ear this direction and that. Sometimes she even looks like she's about to doze off. While at home and when hauling to different arenas to ride- she can often get so worked up about being in new place that it's obnoxious and annoying.
After hearing the rundown of everything that has happened and hoping it was an abscess or could be a stone bruise, figure it could be this or that and hoping it's neither one.... he put the hoof testers on her. Nadda. No reaction whatsoever. He agreed that rads would be the only way to find out what's going on inside.
Five pics later... No rotation of the coffin bone- not foundered, no degeneration- not navicular, no real issues to speak of until he got to the last one. Of course she's complicated. She couldn't be a one shot and done, there's your answer now go home, kind of horse. Nope, not her. So while it wasn't either of the two I figured (Yes, thankfully I was wrong!) she still has issues going on with that leg.
This was the pic that explains it. On the top of the short pastern bone towards the back there's what looks like a chip and up towards the middle of the large pastern bone there's a darker spot that is of interest too. I have sought out a second opinion and I will gladly let everyone know when I get the results of that one.
For now she is on stall rest and maintanence levels of pain meds. Oh happy joy. She is not thrilled. Not at all.
Spoiler- Things haven't gotten any better. Totally sucks! But unlike my ex, when my horse is lame and hurting, I do what I can and when I can do no more, I take them to a vet.
So after soaking her foot and digging around in the sole with a hoof knife and hoping it was just another damned abscess, having her trimmed and hoping the farrier might find something and open it up.... and she's still lame, I made another appointment for her. I swear she is becoming one of those vet Dream Horses. The tech that came out today asked "Oh is this the one with the knee again?" Yes. Yes it is. Thanks! Argh
I was getting xrays of her left front hoof. Seemed like it would or could be either founder or the beginning of navicular. At this point I was feeling like if it were either one, the most humane thing would be to put her down. I was at that point not too long ago when she came in from turnout with her 'good' knee swollen to the size of her bad one. That time too, I had decided going in- if her good knee was going to be like her 'bad knee', there was no point in putting things off and letting her suffer.
I'm also beginning to think this mare likes being at the vet clinic for some strange reason. The three times we've been there, she just stands quietly and looks around, twitches an ear this direction and that. Sometimes she even looks like she's about to doze off. While at home and when hauling to different arenas to ride- she can often get so worked up about being in new place that it's obnoxious and annoying.
After hearing the rundown of everything that has happened and hoping it was an abscess or could be a stone bruise, figure it could be this or that and hoping it's neither one.... he put the hoof testers on her. Nadda. No reaction whatsoever. He agreed that rads would be the only way to find out what's going on inside.
Five pics later... No rotation of the coffin bone- not foundered, no degeneration- not navicular, no real issues to speak of until he got to the last one. Of course she's complicated. She couldn't be a one shot and done, there's your answer now go home, kind of horse. Nope, not her. So while it wasn't either of the two I figured (Yes, thankfully I was wrong!) she still has issues going on with that leg.
No rotation here, latral view,
No signs of navicular but her bones in the fetlock joint aren't exactly straight but he said that was likely from when she was growing up or maybe even born that way. Who knows?!?!?!?!
For now she is on stall rest and maintanence levels of pain meds. Oh happy joy. She is not thrilled. Not at all.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Fix the issue
One of the girls at the barn was having issues with her gelding. She said he was and has, "pushed thru the bit" as she called it. I didn't see what was going on and of course there's no video because we can't be on both sides of the lens, but she asked me to work him in the long lines and see what he's doing and what I suggest to do to fix it.
First off I put him back in a snaffle. I had worked him once before in it and he did well then, so why shouldn't he now? She wants to do barrels on him at some point and had been using a bit that worked for her with her other horse.... A we all know, when it comes to horses and training- What works for some, don't work for one and what works for one, doesn't always work for some.
Another thing I did was to drop the bit one hole on both sides of the headstall. No wonder he puts his head up freakishly high when bridling... Also this give the horse the release when you release the reins or lines. Sometimes she loans her bridle out or uses it on other horses and forgets to adjust it to the horse it is on.
When he started off in the lines, he would give to the bit and turn his neck, but his body didn't follow. This was the problem she was having when she tried to long line him in the round pen. I used my inside line to pop him in the rear end and push it to the outside. This causes the front end to come into the turn the direction you want the horse to go. When I popped him with the line, he reacted a bit and went forward into the trot. She reacted too, saying that she seen he obviously needed that, but admitted she was hesitant to do it, almost afraid he would do something she wasn't ready for and then not sure how to fix that either. As he went into the trot, he was allowed to keep it as long as he was moving in balance.
I would tug on the inside rein and keep him on the circle and release when he responded. He stayed on the circle and was tracking up in frame, balanced and looking great. I slowed him back down to a walk and turned him around. A slight tug on the outside rein and he changed directions with ease. When it came to the stops the first few took a little bit to get, but once he figured out that I would give him cues to set him up for the stop before asking him to actually stop, he started to really dial in the part about listening to me and what I was asking of him.
With my own horses, I have started to give them cues of what is to come next. It helps us both to prepare for it, before it comes. I make a softer, higher pitched whuuup a few times then a lower toned whoa. The whuuups let the horse know the whoa is coming and be prepared to stop. With my ponyman, he hears the whuups and starts to shut it down, no matter the gait. With her horse, once he figured it out, he started to slow things down for the stop. We quit on a good stop without any use of the reins.
What followed was an exchange between us and another boarder. This is what inspired the previous post abut opinions. The thing is, this person talks a lot about training, but only about half of what they say makes any sense at all. After they had added their two cents to the conversation, my friend expressed her opinion about how the other boarder doesn't have a clue. She doesn't take their advice because from everything she has seen of their horse- It's not all that.
Monday, April 16, 2018
A time of loss
One of the girls that used to be at the barn with me, lost her horse yesterday. He was her heart horse, her Unicorn and now he's gone. He had become impacted and coliced. The vet was treating him and sadly, things just didn't work out.
RIP Redman
RIP Redman
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Opinions
We have all heard the phrase about how opinions are like assholes- everybody has one.... Sometimes the opinions of others are helpful and sometimes they aren't. So who do you not only accept opinions from, but seek one out? And whose opinions do you politely thank the person for and think to yourself- They don't have a clue!
There are several people whose opinions I respect. Many of them are from diverse backgrounds and have ridden a number of horses at various levels. This means they have been in the trenches, doing the work and seen for themselves- the results.... They know first hand what works and what doesn't and can usually explain why.
Some of these people stick to breed shows and some of them compete in the open field in their discipline of choice. There's backgrounds of all kinds and sometimes i tend to roll with those that align with my own pursuits.
I respect the opinions of other bloggers. I won't be naming names as I don't want to leave anyone out. There are several I have met in real life, several that we have discussed things via email or text message and several There are several of you that if we were to gather in a group somewhere- there would be more than plenty of All Things Horse to discuss.
So how do you decide who has an opinion worth listening to? Blogger MiKael from Rising Rainbow Arabians said it best once and I'm going to paraphrase here- People may know the right words to use to make themselves sound like they know what they're doing, but if you want to find out if they know what they're talking about- watch their horses work. If you like what you see? Great, this is someone worth listening to. If you're not all that impressed? You know to keep looking.
There are several people whose opinions I respect. Many of them are from diverse backgrounds and have ridden a number of horses at various levels. This means they have been in the trenches, doing the work and seen for themselves- the results.... They know first hand what works and what doesn't and can usually explain why.
Some of these people stick to breed shows and some of them compete in the open field in their discipline of choice. There's backgrounds of all kinds and sometimes i tend to roll with those that align with my own pursuits.
I respect the opinions of other bloggers. I won't be naming names as I don't want to leave anyone out. There are several I have met in real life, several that we have discussed things via email or text message and several There are several of you that if we were to gather in a group somewhere- there would be more than plenty of All Things Horse to discuss.
So how do you decide who has an opinion worth listening to? Blogger MiKael from Rising Rainbow Arabians said it best once and I'm going to paraphrase here- People may know the right words to use to make themselves sound like they know what they're doing, but if you want to find out if they know what they're talking about- watch their horses work. If you like what you see? Great, this is someone worth listening to. If you're not all that impressed? You know to keep looking.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Hay nets
I have always heard a lot of negative things about using hay nets. People complain about almost everything about them. They are hard to fill, a pain to hang and on and on and on. I use the slow feed hay nets ($8 slow feed nets) and love, Love, LOVE them. My horses can have hay in front of them 24/7 and something to pick at to keep them full, occupied and satisfy their grazing needs.
I agree that filling them can be a royal pain in the ass, unless you have help. Someone back in the days on the FHotD blog had mentioned using a laundy basket. I found a Lamper at Target for $10 not long after moving to Houston.
Simply drape the net over the Lamper like a garbage bag. This will hold bout 3 flakes of hay. which will last my guys sometimes for 2 days. 
If you pull it over the sides where the bottom of the net is about half way down, as you drop the hay in it will pretty much fill itself as the weight of the hay will push the net to the bottom and pull the sides up. Then just pull the string to close it and also to get the net out of the "lamper". You have a full net in a matter of about 30 seconds or less. Hahaha 
Next net in and full.
Another thing I use is snaps on my nets. I like this kind of snap because there is nothing for the horse to grab to help them undo it. They are also relatively cheap and they last. No more trying to tie the nets up, tying them up and having the horses pull them loose or any of that crap. It's also much quicker to hang them and also take them down to fill.
Wrap the string over something high enough to keep the net up where it belongs and put about 3 or 4 sections of string thru the snap. Done! Keeping the net up where the horse can't paw at it, reduces the chance of them getting a hoof or shoe caught in it. This also keeps the hay from getting wet or dusty from being on the ground. This also works in the trailer for hauling.
One of the girls at the barn that feeds for me had recently bought new nets. Since they don't come with snaps she told me the other night that now that she has to tie them, it's a total pain in the ass! She was going to buy snaps in the morning....
Saturday, February 10, 2018
What's your angle?
The angle of the person at the barn that rides around as if trying to impress people? Yeah, he makes an impression all right, but probably not the way he intends to. He's also gotten a bit of an eye opener recently to how things can be done differently than his 'methods'.
He's very loud. As in yelling "HO!" repatedly. So much so that now his horses ignore him. So he yells it more. You can hear him from all over. There have also been times when he rides over near where I'm at and then tries to get the horse to do things, like stop, or spin and although I try not to look like I'm watching, I see what's going on and just cringe inside for the horse. He gives the horse a whole lot of mixed signals, which leads to confusion on both parts.
Since he's moved his horses into the barn, I haven't been riding my mare so he has no idea what I know or don't know. I haven't been riding because my mares right hind is all blown up for whatever reason. It started out with the swelling going all the way up her leg from her pastern to her stifle. Believe me, I've done everything I can think of to do and taking her to the vet- he told me to sweat it, (done that already) and gave her a shot of antibiotics (done that too!) and had no idea what the root of the cause is. So it's just puffy or not and sometimes bald or has fuzz as the hair grows back... It's an ongoing thing.
The other night when I worked my pony in the round pen, the guy at the barn got to see how I do things with my horses. On the advice of a good friend a while back, I started to give my horses signals as to what will come next. Stop is preceeded with a series of Whup, whup, whup's and then a quiet whooooaaaa. Turns come with cues as to whether they will be tighter turns or big sweeping turns. It's a matter of opening up the channels of communication between us.
The guy had walked up with his horse, waiting to use the round pen and stood there watching for a litle bit. My pony was rockin it (as usual) and really working well. Katman was bent, soft, driving engaged, light and just awesome as usual as his little bad ass self is. There was no loud yelling on my part, my pony didn't ignore me and there was no running him around to wear him down. He worked like he knows how, we did some working trot, slow trot, extended trot, walking, stops, tuns and a bit of backing up. No muss, no fuss and we called it a day.
What I later found out, this guy is loud to get people to notice him so they will talk to him. That's how he meets people. He was also asking my friend if I train horses, since he realizes that what he's doing obviously isn't working. At least it sounds like he is open to new ideas.
He's very loud. As in yelling "HO!" repatedly. So much so that now his horses ignore him. So he yells it more. You can hear him from all over. There have also been times when he rides over near where I'm at and then tries to get the horse to do things, like stop, or spin and although I try not to look like I'm watching, I see what's going on and just cringe inside for the horse. He gives the horse a whole lot of mixed signals, which leads to confusion on both parts.
Since he's moved his horses into the barn, I haven't been riding my mare so he has no idea what I know or don't know. I haven't been riding because my mares right hind is all blown up for whatever reason. It started out with the swelling going all the way up her leg from her pastern to her stifle. Believe me, I've done everything I can think of to do and taking her to the vet- he told me to sweat it, (done that already) and gave her a shot of antibiotics (done that too!) and had no idea what the root of the cause is. So it's just puffy or not and sometimes bald or has fuzz as the hair grows back... It's an ongoing thing.
The other night when I worked my pony in the round pen, the guy at the barn got to see how I do things with my horses. On the advice of a good friend a while back, I started to give my horses signals as to what will come next. Stop is preceeded with a series of Whup, whup, whup's and then a quiet whooooaaaa. Turns come with cues as to whether they will be tighter turns or big sweeping turns. It's a matter of opening up the channels of communication between us.
The guy had walked up with his horse, waiting to use the round pen and stood there watching for a litle bit. My pony was rockin it (as usual) and really working well. Katman was bent, soft, driving engaged, light and just awesome as usual as his little bad ass self is. There was no loud yelling on my part, my pony didn't ignore me and there was no running him around to wear him down. He worked like he knows how, we did some working trot, slow trot, extended trot, walking, stops, tuns and a bit of backing up. No muss, no fuss and we called it a day.
What I later found out, this guy is loud to get people to notice him so they will talk to him. That's how he meets people. He was also asking my friend if I train horses, since he realizes that what he's doing obviously isn't working. At least it sounds like he is open to new ideas.
Friday, January 19, 2018
People are weird
We all know people are weird and horse people can be twice as much. Seeing as how I am boarding my horses again, I see this a lot more on an almost daily basis. Sometimes it is laughable at best and other times it can get a bit scary. I try not to say anything and reserve judgement. I also roll my eyes as I remind myself that it is not my job to police things. I just go about my business and take care of my horses, mostly just sticking to myself.
Having my very diverse backgound with horses, riding both English and western, spending time in both training & show barns and being around people who only trail ride and have no desire to compete in anything, really "Ups the ante" on how weird things can get. Over the years- I have seen a Lot! I won't say I've seen it all, because when I do? Someone will come along with a new brand of crazy that takes it all to a whole new level....
The reason for this post is because there's a person that I can't quite figure out. I've seen them riding around like they're trying to show off, but I'm not sure if they're trying to impress somebody or if they just come off that way. I haven't figured out the angle yet.
Having my very diverse backgound with horses, riding both English and western, spending time in both training & show barns and being around people who only trail ride and have no desire to compete in anything, really "Ups the ante" on how weird things can get. Over the years- I have seen a Lot! I won't say I've seen it all, because when I do? Someone will come along with a new brand of crazy that takes it all to a whole new level....
The reason for this post is because there's a person that I can't quite figure out. I've seen them riding around like they're trying to show off, but I'm not sure if they're trying to impress somebody or if they just come off that way. I haven't figured out the angle yet.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Money well spent
My riding boots are in need of repairs yet again and it got me to thinking about a topic for a blog post.
What One item have you purchased long ago, that has lasted well past it's shelf life or expiration date, yet it still seems to just keep hanging in there, fighting the good fight, not quite ready to give up the ghost and die already? Would you say you got your money's worth out of it?
For me it is my dress boots. I bought them probably 17 years ago, after going on vacation and packing on some extra pounds, then trying to put on my previous pair and not being able to get them up over my calf. I had to go with Wide calf boots and wasn't exactly thrilled at the time.
I probably paid a little over $100 for them, had the soles restitched on them about 5 or 6 years ago for somwhere in the ballpark of $20-$25 and even though they need it again, once fixed they still look nice enough to show in.
For those thinking they probably haven't seen much use? Just one look at them says otherwise. For a while I was using them to ride at least 3 days a week, sometimes more. But I also typically take care of my things since I don't like having to replace stuff often. Yes my boots are a bit dirty at the moment, but they will be cleaned before I take them in for repairs.
Although the soles are coming off again in the same place- on the inside of the right foot from the ball of my foot back to the arch and the left one is likely to go there too, finding somewhere to have them repaired yet again is certainly in the budget and I seriously doubt it will break the bank. I found another pair so no rush on the repairs.
For those wondering what brand they are?
Devon-Aire.
Yep, no lie.
What One item have you purchased long ago, that has lasted well past it's shelf life or expiration date, yet it still seems to just keep hanging in there, fighting the good fight, not quite ready to give up the ghost and die already? Would you say you got your money's worth out of it?
For me it is my dress boots. I bought them probably 17 years ago, after going on vacation and packing on some extra pounds, then trying to put on my previous pair and not being able to get them up over my calf. I had to go with Wide calf boots and wasn't exactly thrilled at the time.
I probably paid a little over $100 for them, had the soles restitched on them about 5 or 6 years ago for somwhere in the ballpark of $20-$25 and even though they need it again, once fixed they still look nice enough to show in.
For those thinking they probably haven't seen much use? Just one look at them says otherwise. For a while I was using them to ride at least 3 days a week, sometimes more. But I also typically take care of my things since I don't like having to replace stuff often. Yes my boots are a bit dirty at the moment, but they will be cleaned before I take them in for repairs.
Although the soles are coming off again in the same place- on the inside of the right foot from the ball of my foot back to the arch and the left one is likely to go there too, finding somewhere to have them repaired yet again is certainly in the budget and I seriously doubt it will break the bank. I found another pair so no rush on the repairs.
For those wondering what brand they are?
Devon-Aire.
Yep, no lie.
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