The Well Groomed Horse

Circling still...

2012-02-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have decided that since my mare is making excellent progress and the driving is taking over my life- I am leaving her there another month. She is doing well, Kat and I had our first ADT on Saturday and things are about to get more hectic next month.

If anyone wants me to complain about the weather- it's probably going to be crappy for the Scottsdale Arabian show, but since we have not heard anything from anyone there, we won't be going unless there is a last minute hyper emergency call to action. Even then- who knows? I'm just hoping the weather holds out for us and is beautiful in March for the CDE.

In a holding pattern

2012-01-20T07:51:00.001-07:00

I was going to post about pulling a mane and doing the button braids or rosettes as they are often called, but for the month of January, my mare is out at another facility. Without her here at home, it is not so easy to run out and do things, snap pictures of progress along the way and be able to post them. She is doing well and when she comes home, I will be back to normal blogging.

That is the hope anyways. I appreciate your patience and comments. If anyone would like to do a guest post, feel free to email it to me and I will put it up. Meanwhile, here's to good grooming and happy horses.

French braids or running braids

2011-12-19T17:18:00.001-07:00

For the mane there is another braiding style for hunters and there are a number of different names for this style of braid. Essentially it is a French braid that runs the length of the neck. If your horse has a thick or double mane, you may need to divide it down the middle and braid it on both sides.

There are also two ways to braid the mane, either adding the hair under the braid or from the top which translates to the left side of the braid or the right side of the braid.

Just as with hunter braids, you also have a few variations as to using yarn or thread, the full length of the braid or just at the end. I prefer to use it the full length of the braid as it helps to keep the braid tight as well as giving you something to work with through thin spots if the horse has been rubbing their mane or if it is just thin overall.

Exhibitors Labs has a nice step by step, with photos of the process, but their end result could be neater. Sometimes the 'ripple effect' is due to braiding too tight, then the horse puts their head down, pulls sections loose and when the head comes back up, the braid gets a bit wavy.

To keep the braid up near the crest of the neck, I like to pull each section snug once more before using one of the other sections to cross over or under it, securing the hair. I also like to use spray in conditioner which leaves the hair feeling a bit 'tacky' or sticky, which helps you maintain your grip on the hair as you braid it. I also use my thumb to section off the hair as I add it to my braid, starting on the under side and going up and over to the other side of the neck.

I use small sections as it keeps the mane tight enough to the crest, but still allows the horse to raise and lower their head without pulling the hair too much. If you can braid the horse with their head down about where it would be while riding, you can still get the braid tight enough to stay close to the crest of the neck without it being too loose and rippling when the horse puts their head down. Another thing you can do to help keep the hair and braid tight while allowing for their neck to stretch is to pull the hair towards the back of the horse and down as you braid.

When you get to the end of the neck you can finish the braid, tie it off and then either tuck it back up on itself at the end, or tuck it back up along the neck and tie it off. Either way is generally acceptable in the hunter ring.

I tried braiding my big mares mane for the pictures here. Unfortunately between the rain over the weekend, the skies being cloudy and not offering enough light, the flash not going off because it wasn't dark enough for it in the cameras opinion... my pictures didn't turn out too well. Add in her dark color and a lot of the detail was lost. There was enough there for me to see that I personally, don't think the french braid or running braid is a flattering look for her. At least not right now. Maybe if her neck were more developed through work- the results would be different. Do you agree or disagree?

What do you guys think? Is this braid a good look for her or not?

I used the tan string I normally use on Kat so it would show up, if in case the pictures had been clear enough to use them as a tutorial. Her mane is still pretty long, so I can pull it and maybe do a post on that, then one for the rosettes or button braids, which seem to be more popular in the dressage arena.

Since the French or running braid can pull the hairs when your horse puts their head down, you may need to remove the braid between classes and re-braid. You will definitely want to remove the braid overnight. Your horse can rub a giant bald spot in the middle of their neck where they used to have mane overnight.

Hunter braids

2011-12-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

My braiding needs work. I need to practice. Although sometimes I manage to get it right and pull it off, sometimes I don't. I can admit it. My braiding needs work. But I don't often get time to practice braiding just because. Which is one of the reasons Why I braid for schooling shows. Why not? It is practice for everything else- why not include braiding?

I braided Kat on Friday night for the Pleasure Driving show on Saturday. In driving, braiding is pretty much necessary for presentation. Neatness counts and appearances are everything. It took me 2 hours to do (which didn't seem like it) and looked pretty good considering. It was still not perfect as I have seen others do and have pulled off a few times myself. Consistency is everything. Even braids and a straight bottom line to all of the braids makes an impact in the judges eye and their first impression.

Lucky Braids- Ruthann has got it down to an art and a science. Her braids are consistent and gorgeous. Sign up for the newsletter, buy the disc, attend a clinic or ??? but she has nailed it when it comes to braiding.

For those of us who haven't gone that route but still want to learn to braid- there are a number of forums, websites and blogs with 'how to' instructions. I had found one a while back that was excellent and now I can't seem to track it down again. I hate it when that happens. Usually I try to email myself a link for future reference... Woulda, coulda, shoulda.... and wouldn't you know it, the one time I don't- Poof!

LUCKY for all of us- I found it again at- Hunt Seat Horses

Along with another excellent post at the Horse Grooming Supplies Forum

Both of these articles have a number of photos to show you how to achieve the desired end result. They also contain numerous tips and notes as to why they do something or don't do it. And now that I have linked to them- I have them here on the blog in my 'notes' for later use.

Braiding 101

2011-10-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Kat and I made it to the schooling show on Saturday and I did braid him for it. Although it was not one of my better braiding jobs, I did manage to get a few pictures of the work in progress but none of the finished results.

Starting out with a mohawk and brushed out mane.

Clipped up, starting to braid and go for neatness. I shut the flash off for this pic since it was bleaching everything out otherwise, hence the blue-ish coloring.

I was a bit rushed and he can be a bit of a prick about things at times. For one, when braiding his forelock, when you reach the end of the braid and have a few hairs in each section to work with- he will jerk his head away to look at something. The whole time your braid is unraveling... When working on the braids near his poll, he will keep turning his head around towards you, trying to grab your sleeve if possible, etc. A well placed elbow usually works well for that but he still tries. Again this is usually by the time you reach the bottom of the braids and don't have a lot to hold onto.

Cross ties would put a stop to a lot of this, but we don't have them. Part of your job requirements as a good groom, you must learn to work with what you have and how to deal with each horses issues, while still doing a good job to make the horse look their best. Not everything goes as planned and this is not a perfect world.

Under the ADS rules, braiding the horses mane is optional. However many people agree when it comes to your turnout- it makes for a much neater appearance and becomes almost rather mandatory. Similar to the Sport Horse ring, tails are not braided. There are a number of different braiding techniques and I will try to address each of them as we go, making this a series of sorts. I will also address braiding tails.

For Kat's forelock, to maintain its length, I French braid it, then turn it under and pull it out through the top using the crochet hook. I then bring it back down , laying it on top of the French braided part, turn it under again, then bring the strings around both sides, tying it off on top. Depending on the length of the forelock, it can be turned under and tied off or turned up, then run under the French braid and tied off. It is all about working with what you have and learning how to achieve results when there is little to work with.

The mane can be braided into the small hunter braids,

rosettes or button braids,

french braids or running braids

and even 'woven', or what some people call a continental or diamond braids.

Some of the different types of braids go pretty quickly, but the small hunter braids, you you might be there for a while. Once you get a rhythm down and have done it enough, some people are able to braid a mane in hunter braids in about 30 minutes, some people manage to do it in 45 minutes while the rest of us might be looking at 2 hours to get it right... I didn't time myself, but it was around 11pm before I got back into the house.

And just as you may do a good job braiding the horse, not all types of braids work for all types of horses.

To me, this horse with this style of braids, it is just not as flattering as it could be. The horses neck development shows through a lot here. Notice the 'hollow' spot where the top of the neck and shoulder meet? Maybe a running braid, tight along the crest or even coming down a bit could cover that and make it less noticeable, changing the appearance and bringing different results.

If you are braiding for other people, you probably need to do the style of braids as they choose. If you can appeal to their better senses and do a different braid, you can change the appearance of their horse for them in a way they might not have imagined.

The main thing though is to practice. When ever you have a bit of spare time and just want to practice, do it. There is also a product available called the Braidpal. You can pretty much practice any time, anywhere and no horses will suffer.

This photo is someones first attempt at button braids, so while it doesn't look show ring ready- they are making an effort to improve and get it right. I cannot knock them for that. We all started somewhere and our first attempts rarely look great. I know mine didn't.

I will post more on braiding and move towards the 'how to' in future posts. Any style in particular I should start with?

Is it just me????

2011-10-05T11:28:00.001-07:00

Here is the scenario for today's game of how many things can you find wrong? This is part one. Sometimes it isn't a matter of learning what to do, but instead- what NOT to do! Keep your eyes and your mind open...

The school recently hosted Oktoberfest as a way for the different school clubs to raise money for their activities. Good idea and plenty of activities, food, etc. all in one spot.

My daughter is taking an Equine Science class in High School. The ES teacher had brought a trailer in with several bales of hay to set up a hay maze, along with 4 horses for 'pony rides' and a few other smaller animals for the petting zoo. The class was to set up the hay maze on Friday. Some of the kids were wearing shorts, skirts, sandals, flip flops, etc. because their classes aren't exactly 'hands on' and the weather has still been pretty darn HOT!

The horses arrived sometime that Saturday morning, before 9am when I dropped my daughter off to help set up the booth for one of her other class/clubs fundraising. The horses were tied to the wrought iron fence in the shade, but later I learned there was an issue with no hoses available to provide water... The event didn't start until around 4pm.

When the event was over at 10 pm and I picked up my daughter and her friends to come home, driving through the parking lot, we went past the horses tied to the fence in the same spot. One of them caught my eye because it's ribs were showing and it looked a bit underweight. "OMG! That horse is thin and should not be here." The words came out of my mouth without even thinking... "Mom, should I tell my teacher that on Monday?"

Of course she did! Because that's my girl... To which the teacher responded with, "That horse has ulcers and that's why it is underweight. Your mother shouldn't make assumptions like that without knowing the truth behind the the matters."

Talk about opening up Pandora's box. *sigh* Wasn't it on the Fugly blog where it was often said, "When you claim to be a professional, you are automatically held to a higher standard." I do believe it was.

Shall I add more salt to the wound of information? This teacher is married to a farrier. I have heard his name, it sounds familiar but that's all. She also claims to have several other horses at home, somewhere around 25-30 head from what I understand.

**I have a show coming up this weekend and may be able to get pictures. Definitely be posting about braiding, so stay tuned... Schooling show, two classes, not a big deal.**

Should I go?

2011-09-12T16:01:00.001-07:00

Almost a month and no new pictures or even a post over here? I am bad at keeping this one updated, I admit. I do need to post about braiding. We skipped the ADT up north and we also skipped the schooling show. I still need a few things before either one will happen.

One being gloves- since mine mysteriously went missing sometime after the last show about a year ago. Another thing I need is a driving apron. I have the material, just need to sit down and sew it. I also need to decide on which hat, which outfit, etc.

I could have taken Kat to the schooling show, but I like to have other horses to compete against. I could have taken him and just entered to school him, but if there is no other horses there, why spend the money and waste the judges time? Is it just me or do others think like this too? What drives you to go to a show or helps you decide when to skip it and just stay home?

Pictures are up

2011-08-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post here, that the pictures from the Darby are up on Show In Style. We had a great time and Kat did really well for his first time out in harness. There were a lot of 'firsts' for him. First long road trip, first time overnighting, first time seeing other ponies pulling carts, first time really working anywhere but home or the horsepark, first time doing obstacles... He handled everything really well and I am proud of him.

I didn't get a chance to braid him but I will soon and post the pics of the process here. There is an ADT next month at the same place, part of it is dressage and based on turnout. Another show the same weekend is a pleasure show where again, turnout counts. Either way, braiding needs to be done. I guess I need to get after it!

Hmmmmm....

2011-08-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

At some point there comes a time when we have to weigh all the options and consider what it best for our horse. Sometimes this decision is about shoeing or leaving them barefoot. What to do, what to do???

There is a driving event up north, next weekend. Kat is due for a trim. He has good feet, hard enough not to chip or crack all that easily, but soft enough to leave him a little 'gimpy' and tender for a few days to a week or two after a trim. When he gets a little long- he overreaches really, really, really, really bad. Click, click, click, click with every stride at the trot. Even with standing him up in the back and squaring the toe- when he gets long and is due- you know about it because you hear about it.

I have been putting it off trimming him, while considering whether or not to have him shod. Talking to the farrier he asked where up north we were going? Flagstaff in some areas has a lot of cinders in the ground. Think Lava soap. The green stuff with the pumice in it... If he is gimpy after a trim, the cinders could wear his hooves down even more and leave him incredibly sore. Not something I want to do to my pony. So we planned a day, I figured for at least front shoes and this morning he got them on.

He has been barefoot all his life so when the farrier went to hammering and shaping the shoe, Kat was a bit on edge.  When he had to cut off the heels to make the shoes small enough to fit him and the sparks flew- it really got his attention! Kat's feet are a little too big for pony size shoes, but a tad too small for triple otts (sp?) or 000 size. He is in between. He has been difficult to fit with everything else- why should shoes be any different? *hands in the air and massive eye rolling*

He was a champ though and although he flinched several times and gave the farrier some wild eyed looks as he hammered away on the shoes to shape them, Kat stood there and didn't move.  Damn I love this pony!

The farrier also asked if he has any kind of movement? I showed him a few of the photos from this blog and the other one, where he was working in long lines. Wow! was his response.

If that's what he looked like before- now that he is shod up front and correct all the way around, I can hardly wait to see what this little guy has got! I admit I have been trimming him for quite a while and I don't always get it right every time. Knowing when to step back and let someone else do it can be tough for some people. I have no problem with it at all. And of course I had my phone handy to show the pictures to the farrier, but did I think long enough to take a few while he was working on Kat or the end results? Oh come on now... Are there any posted here?  Yay me! *snork*

Did it again....

2011-07-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I did not get any braiding pictures again. Big surprise? Yeah, not hardly. We were busy going to look at and then going back to pick up new additions to the herd.

I bring you Buzz

and Betsy

Betsy has brands on both hips. Big ugly suckers and if she will let me catch her, I am going to slather them up with ointment. Instead she slips out under the bottom rail and goes for a sightseeing jog around the property and gets the horses all stirred up. The other night she slipped into the stall with Kat. He looked at her kind of surprised to see something smaller than he is.

Betsy is a Hereford cross and Buzz is a good guess, but looks like he could be a Jersey. He is still a bull for now and needs to have his horns dealt with, but he is friendly and loves being scratched and schmoozed... His eye was all watery for the second picture, but had cleared up by that afternoon.

The girls love the cows. Anything with spots, including the neighbors horses, are called Holly Moo. That's how it is in their world. Maybe now that we have a couple of brown cows it will change? Who knows.

Breathing new life

2011-07-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

I finally kicked the blog over to the other account as you may notice by the picture in the avatar. Pal is moving the other direction now. I still have the old account and if I can EVER ditch the extra gmail account, I may put it back on here. I don't hold out much hope for that happening though.... Google help, really isn't and they seem to not really give a crap about their users.

There is still plenty of grooming tips and things to discuss so why not resurrect the dead and breathe some new life back into this thing? Kind of funny since I just read today that Cathy Atkinson is offering up for sale her blog Fugly Horse of the Day and that is where many of us first met online.

Since I have begun driving Kat and gotten the cart and a harness to use in getting Pal & Mommy Mare started in harness- braiding will be on course for posting about since it seems to be a requirement for the proper turnout in competition. It neatens the appearance of the overall picture and shows you put forth your best effort in making sure you are ready to go in the ring. Of course there are a few different types of braids to cover and they why's and how to for each one.

Driving horses never have their tails braided, but hunters do so I will go over that as well. This weekend will be a busy one for me, getting pictures to put up on both blogs covering both braiding and their training in progress.

New blog

2011-01-25T14:13:00.002-07:00

Here is a link to the new blog Show In Style I will be shifting everything over to there and deleting this one eventually.

It is only in the beginning stages and may undergo some changes, but for now- it is up and running. See you in the ring!

Suggestion box

2011-01-10T10:13:00.003-07:00

Since I will be scrapping the blog, wiping it out and starting all over from scratch- I am taking suggestions for a new name. It's a New Year, why not make a fresh new start? Any ideas?

Reflections

2010-11-18T12:46:00.007-07:00

I has been a while since I have posted. I know that. A few quick things first though. I may have to take the two blogs down and delete them entirely. It seems my dear husband had created a Gmail account and somehow it has been linked to the blog. He swears he has no idea how it happened and has tried to get it resolved by removing it. It's still there even though I have tried to contact Google, gone to their useless "Help" section and gotten no response or assistance in deleting the damned email account.

I did read one way of doing it was to create yet another new Gmail account, (which I do not want or need and have no intentions of doing) sign that on as another author, then delete my original account... blah, blah, jump through hoops, we're too lazy to help you or just don't care, blah. It's just not working for me.

So I may be deleting the entire thing. My blogger account, the NPD blog, this blog and all of the pictures and links on either one. There it is. If there was any information here that anyone wants to save as a future reference, fair warning, look it up now because soon it will be gone.

I don't expect anyone to freak out over the loss. I also don't expect or wish to create any headaches for anyone by giving a short deadline. I will leave the blog up and "as is" for now. If anyone would like to suggest a deadline or date to delete it, I'm game. Otherwise I'm thinking the end of the year would be as good a time as ever.

Once deleted- I will start over again. I always do, because that is just, what I do. New and fresh and a beginning to go with the the New Year. Until then, I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween, has a Happy Thanksgiving, with much to give thanks for and finally a Merry Christmas.

To all of you who have supported this blog by signing on as followers or posting in the comments- my sincerest and heartfelt thanks goes to each of you. I really have appreciated it! I can be reached via email at cutnjump1@yahoo.com

Progress in progress

2010-10-17T13:53:00.016-07:00

We all have our moments...

Although this is not exactly one of those photos many would consider a 'great shot', I like this one. Kat learned forward is the only direction he is supposed to really go!

Which he did.

We actually put him to the cart last weekend. Sorry no photos as there was nobody else around to take any. That is one of the drawbacks and such is life. He handled it all really well though. Stood like a rock as the shafts were lowered on his sides, through the tugs... the shafts bumped his sides and moved up and down in the tugs- everything they would be doing once he was moving. He handled it all really well. Nothing phased him, bothered or upset him.

So why is there someone else at the end of the lines and not me? Um yeah... I had one of those moments when it all goes according to a plan different than mine. I was jogging along behind him as he trotted around the arena. We jogged & trotted, then went back to a walk, stopped, walked, jog/trotted and then for some reason he startled at hearing me jogging behind him and rushed forward.

Not a big deal but he started to run and I could neither stop him or keep up, so I let go of the lines. He ran down to the fence where the mares were on the other side of it. He was talking a big game but they couldn't be bothered.

So back to work he went and since hubby was at the end of the lines and my cell phone was in my back pocket- we have pictures!

And there were a couple that I really, really liked.

Especially these two...

Can you imagine if he was 16 hands?

At a bit of a standstill

2010-10-06T12:35:00.002-07:00

Ok so maybe things have temporarily come to an all out stop. It has rained here the past couple of days. When I say it rained, it should read more like- It. Downright. POURED!

Last night as I left work, I was a bit excited. The power had gone out for an hour in the afternoon. Then it came back on and went out just before time to close up and go home. We actually got to leave 20 minutes early... Hooray!

It had poured on us a couple times throughout the day. Rain, pour, stop, pour, pour, pour, stop, rain, sprinkle, pour... It was nice, I am not complaining, but sheesh. It was actually in the low 70's and I had worn a sweatshirt in the morning. I don't like being cold, can anyone tell?

The weather channel and online weather service websites spoke of heavy thunder storms and mentioned tornado warnings. How is that for comparison to some other areas of the planet? As I loaded my stuff in the truck to leave I looked up to see a mass of gray/green clouds blowing in from the southeast. All day it had been dark skies out to the west... But as I drove away and reached the end of the street, the skies unleashed on us again.

It had started to hail! Pretty good sized chunks of ice hit the street and smashed to bits. It also pelted the truck so hard I could not hear the person on the other end of the cell phone, even with my hands free ear buds in... The rain, hail and wind was so bad I could barely see past the end of the hood of the truck. I had turned right into the storm and had to either sit and wait it out or trudge forward and go home.

Not only was the rain and golf ball sized hail pelting and beating the truck and windshield, there were pieces of tree branches flying past- good sized branches mind you, debris from the road and nearby houses in the neighborhood... I just hoped the windshield and windows in the truck held up. The windows on the building next door at work- they didn't! Every one of them is broken or has several holes in them.

It took me several minutes to drive the two short blocks to the railroad tracks. I stopped for a minute there. The power was out at work when I left. I couldn't see if a train was coming or not and wondered if one did, would the warning lights go on, arms come down and anyone know? I decided to go for it and hit the gas pedal. Not too hard- don't want to loose traction and not get over the tracks quickly...

Once on the other side, as I came up to the traffic light, it seemed everyone was sitting on the side of the road waiting it out. At least the road was clear and I was able to get through. Getting on the freeway was another interesting feat. Some of the traffic had pulled off to the side- both on the right and left sides... At least nobody was blocking the ramp. There were several drivers pushing on and going forward so I joined them. All of the semi's had their hazard lights on as they plowed through the water on the freeway in front of me.

About 4 miles down the road I had made it out of the storm. The wind was still blowing, but the hail had stopped, the rain was a slight drizzle and I could actually see where I was going again. I still had to stop and get hay, feed when I got home, unload the truck and go inside to cook dinner for the girls. Although I had left early, I still got home late. Not sure how that works, but hey. At least I made it home.

While eating dinner the weather kicked it up again. This time though at least I wasn't outside in it. The wind blew our one wind chime to a horizontal position and the rain all the way up under the porch to the point the front windows were wet half way up.

We might live in the desert, might not get rain that often, but when we do... Mother Nature sure throws a hell of a party!

Redirecting towards grooming again!

2010-09-23T09:47:00.005-07:00

Lately it seems I have gotten a bit off track. This is a grooming blog after all, yet I have posted about the cow, getting the WB mare Aruba going under saddle, getting the pony stallion going in harness and a bunch of other stuff. Lately even all of that has sort of come to a stand still.

For Sale Fridays have gone by the wayside although a few people still have the tack they would like to see go to a new home and get some use... Myself included- 2 bridles, a girth, a few bits, the two carts, etc. still hanging around... I believe there are a few saddles owned by the people commenting that are still available, one western show type saddle, one all purpose English saddle. One person emailed asking if I would feature their dressage saddle and when I said yes, please send photos and the info- nothing.

We have talked about getting great deals on tack and accessories, where to find great deals on tack and accessories and what we all like and dislike about things we have or have used. I have gone over blanket repairs and some points of saddle fit, which western pads I like and why, etc.

There is still a lot to cover though. Braiding, banding, mane pulling, clipping, body clipping and surely there are things going on in breeds of which I have not shown or handled- which I have no idea what you guys do or why? If there is anything in particular someone needs to go over for an upcoming show, now is the time to put in your request. If you show draft breeds or have experience with a particular breed in which I do not- feel free to write a guest post and I will gladly put it up.

I did not get decent enough photos of Kat before the show with his mohawk, let alone the battery on my phone died in the process of trying to take some... I also did not get any photos of him since with his ears clipped out and neatened up. I will try and get a couple of those over the weekend and put them up. It is also about the time that some of our horses are getting a bit of a winter coat and some of the people showing will be contacting me about clipping their horses. I may do one or two of ours for grins too, Kat does have the driving show in November...

So now is the time to go through the box with the clippers in it. Pull out all the blades, send them out to be sharpened, maybe even take the clippers in for a once over to have everything checked and anything needing to be fixed, replaced or repaired- done. There's nothing worse than getting half way through clipping a horse, than to have your clippers fall apart or break on you. When you are clipping a horse for someone else- its even worse! Having an extra set of clippers on hand for just that, can save you. I am eyeing this pair since having sold my Osters.

If you have clippers and need them sharpened, but don't know where to take them- ask a local dog grooming place or barber shop. They would very likely have a place they send theirs or someone who comes in to do them. If someone comes in to do theirs, ask what day and time and if you could bring yours in to have them done too. If you are unable to find anywhere nearby to take things, Ryan's Pet Supplies here in Phoenix offers repairs as well as replacement clippers, blades and dryers. They have a wide selection of brands and are the most reasonably priced I have found yet.

Reflection of Perception

2010-09-17T09:18:00.003-07:00

So we have all seen how Kat and I did at the show last weekend... Or maybe not yet, but the pictures and the video are in the last post for anyone who hasn't seen them yet. He was a bit excited about being at a show, around other horses and back in the ring.

For the most part- he did good. He walked, he jogged readily when asked, he stood, he was alert & interested in everything, he looked the part and behaved pretty damn well overall. He did bump into me repeatedly when jogging and he did creep on me when standing up for the judge, but this gives us a baseline of things we need to work on for next time. There is always room for improvements and since even the riders on the Olympic level have coaches- yeah, I don't feel so bad. It is always good to have another pair of eyes and insight from others as to what needs to be fixed and what to leave alone.

"If you want to continue with showing him as a sport horse, you need to get him to elevate the front end and drive from behind more. When he has the impulsion from behind he will be able to lift his shoulders. His stride will improve and it will show."

Any guesses as to where I heard that from? One hint- it wasn't the judge. Nope, the judge offered no tips, hints, recommendations or even facial expressions as to what he liked, didn't like or wanted to see. For a schooling show- that's what I do WANT to hear. That's kind of what we are all paying for, isn't it? An objective opinion and tips for improvement... HellooOOoo! Duh!

It was also mentioned in the comments about showing one level below what you are training for. In jumpers if you are schooling 4' at home, showing 3'9" or even 3'6" is perfectly reasonable. That 3" is a big deal and can mean a lot if you have jumped. Dressage riders may be schooling 1st or 2nd level, yet showing in training level or 1st level. When you have mastered the movements and scored well enough to move up- you do. Same with cutters moving up from Green Horse classes to the $500 limit class, and so on.

Shows can also be selected based on the type of show, if they are rated or not, the type of competition there, etc. For anyone who has shown, we all know there are Horse Shows, then there are horse shows. Some being priority and others considered 'bottom of the barrel'.

What I find interesting though is the competitors at the shows. You have some that treat the 'A' rated shows as if they were nothing speyshul and people who treat the schooling shows as if they were the Olympics. Another interesting thing I have noticed, those who frequent the rated shows, may treat the schooling shows as a chance to compete, yet they don't really take them seriously. You are paying to be in the ring, practice your skills and asking for the judges opinion. If it isn't of any importance, why did you come?

There is one competition I have been told I shouldn't take a horse to as our 'first time out' because it is a Big Show... Has anyone told the horses that? If they are ready and behave well enough at home and away- the size of the show is of no matter to them. The horses don't know or care what we spent on entries. If they did, why is their hoof in the checkbook anyways?

I also find that I enjoy having competition. I am not thrilled about a blue ribbon when I am the only horse in the class. I like having other people and horses in the ring, pushing me in a way, to do my best and not accept anything less (from me or my horse), even if it is a schooling show. When there are several horses in the ring, I may be excited about placing second or third even. If it is one of the horses first few times in the ring, you bet.

No matter the level of show you attend though, there will always be classes where you felt the horse did really well and the judge doesn't pin you at all. No ribbons for any classes and your horse was a total gem. What the...? There will also be classes where your horse is a complete twit, acts like an idiot and somehow you manage to be in the judges eye for the few strides it all comes together and nothing else. You will win or place well and wonder why on earth? because you blew your lead, missed your diagonals, your circles were egg shaped, transitions were terrible or whatever else you find wrong with what you did.

That's the nature of the beast though. It's all part of being an exhibitor and competitor. Some days you do well and others, well, we won't talk about them if you don't want to. It happens. Just chalk it all up as a horse show experience and work towards improving before the next one.

How did it go?

2010-09-13T11:29:00.001-07:00

Funny you should ask...

Before I tell about the show, I have to say one thing. People who board are lucky in one respect. On the day of a horse show or competition, they take their horse, a flake or two of hay, tack, clothes, etc. and off they go. They don't have to worry about feeding the rest of the horses at the farm or facility, making sure everyone is in or out, have water or anything else. You are ready, you get your horse loaded and you leave.

People who own their own place are lucky in another. When you own your own place, at the end of the day you can pull in the driveway, park the truck, unload the horse and go inside. Unloading tack, clothes and anything else can wait. Which is what my stuff is still doing out back. My hunt coat is still hanging in the truck outside, here at work.

The show has moved to a new facility. Clean, spacious, level, ample parking, nice bathrooms, covered arena, bleachers, warm up arena within range to hear classes being called, barns... Nobody would likely guess it has been built on top of what used to be the landfill. Two minor drawbacks- no shade in the trailer areas which is a bit of a distance from the arena. This makes it tough to hear classes being called. Two minor things compared to so many beneficial things? I think it is a pretty nice place overall. They do need to scrape the driveway again though, there were a few potholes.

The last facility the shows were held at, there was plenty of parking, new bathrooms, trees here and there- everything was near the arena, but it was not covered and there was one small set of bleachers right out in the sun... Decent enough place, but it could use some work as far as improvements go.

We arrived at the grounds around 9:30 am. I had fed the horses and the cow, lunged and bathed my little guy at home, gotten everything together, hubby hitched up the trailer for me and so the day started. My friend who has been staying with us for the past couple months used my phone and was my paparazzi at the horse trailer. There are of course a few not so favorable pics and a few nice enough pics, included below. Once in the arena, hubby was able to take pics and video. Yay!

Getting the bridle on and adjusted at the trailer...

A few times practicing standing him up and trotting off before going over to the ring.

We were the only stallion in the halter class, 4 yrs and up. Judged schooling rounds or exhibition classes as some call them. Unless your horse is a total jerk, you pretty much can't help but win. I don't care much for these small victories... As it was, this was more of a schooling round. My little guy was not behaving as well as he should. At the trailer he was whinnying and squealing. This didn't stop until we left the showgrounds and were on our way home.

He went into the ring at a jog and was playfully throwing his front feet out ahead of him and tossing his head back and forth. He wanted to show off and he was. *eyeroll*. He did stand nicely on the rail, but up in front of the judge- he kept creeping on me. A step here, step there, inch by inch, getting closer... He didn't stand still like he is supposed to and knows how to do.

As the judge came around behind him on his left, something in the stands made a loud noise and he spooked a bit. That's what you hear (if you have the sound on) and why he jumped. The reason my hand was back and forth and all around his muzzle- he keeps trying to grab the reins in his mouth. One of my biggest pet peeves. Stand still and pay attention, would ya.

In the Championship class, we didn't do so well. Again we were up against horses you can ride later on in life... To some people I guess size does matter.

Sport Horse Stallions and Geldings- Again we were the only entry. If I can get the video to load, you can see him bumping into me and not behaving as he should. It has been a while since he has been to a show. All in all, he wasn't misbehaving horribly, but he also wasn't behaving as well as he should.

The judge was a trainer who I recently found online. He trained for some time with the dressage barn next door and I guess he recently spent some time overseas competing. Not having seen some of his students in action, the jury is still out on that one.

Blogger Kellimare was also at the show, but I really didn't get to stick around and see how her students did. Maybe at the next show we will take a horse or two to ride and will be able to stick around longer...

Down to the wire

2010-09-09T10:31:00.002-07:00

The other night I brought Kat out to trim his feet. I was able to get him done and was petting him afterwards when I realized- he needs to be clipped. His bridle path consists of a short mohawk. Yeah it has been a while.

Looking at the photos from the last show, a lot of the horses there had their ears done as well. Thankfully if I do go that route, he enjoys it and there is no sedation necessary. The only way he makes it tough to do- he likes it so much he leans into the clippers and puts his head down. He is a pony so for him to put his head down, well, it makes it hard to see inside the ear and what you are doing. Sorta like a tall horse sticking their head up in the air like a giraffe.

Thankfully I can get him done tonight or tomorrow night. A quick buzz over his head, muzzle, bridle path, eye whiskers, ears and he will be good to go. I will try to get pic's and put them up of at least the before and after. Hopefully I can get some of him 'in the process'. He may be willing to go that route since the little clown does like the attention.

I have worked on horses who were difficult when it comes to having their ears clipped. Sedation in many cases is all it takes, but some of them still fight it for all they are worth. Standing on a bucket trying to reach and clip the ears of an uncooperative, sedated horse can be quite the experience. You learn to work fast and rely on feeling for when the horse has about had enough. You learn how to 'read' the horse without looking at them. A good ground person is a blessing. Having an unspoken, all knowing connection with them- priceless. For those who have been there, you know what I mean.

I also need to get our entry forms filled out. The online file wasn't working for me, but I did print them out. I like to have the forms filled out so that when I get there, I can head up to the window, hand them everything, write the check and walk away. It speeds everything up, allowing me more time to get the horse unloaded, get him lunged to take the edge off, change clothes if needed, pin my number on and be waiting at the gate when the class is called.

Since we are only showing in hand this time, I haven't had to do much with my pony as far as schooling him for it. He has been to shows before and knows the routine, which is kind of nice and makes things easy on me. For anyone who is just getting into the swing of things though, working with your horse is the only way you will get there. Don't expect your horse to just know it and don't expect them to learn it in one lesson.

Holly Cow!

2010-09-07T08:54:00.012-07:00

That's right, Holly is a Cow. Holly for Holly the Holstein, not like Holy Cow, but the other morning when I said "Say hi to Holly cow." I figured it out and started to snicker.

She is incredibly sweet though and has settled in enough to stop charging the fence at people. Maybe it's because they bring food and treats. Like apples, carrots and handfuls of grass.

The other night as I walked away she had her head through the fence and was Mooing at me. "Come back and bring more goodies, Okay?"

She had let out one single Moo when they dropped her off. The guy said that was the first and only time he had ever heard her do that. She does it a lot here and talks to us at feeding time every morning and night.

Her suitor next door is an Angus. The neighbors have a few steers, the bull and a couple of heifers. She will stand out since she will be the only one with spots. One of their heifers is a Jersey or Guernsey cow, the brown ones for those not familiar with cattle breeds. I wanted a Jersey or Guernsey, but for now I have a Holstein and she's perfect. Things don't always work out like you plan and sometimes it is for the best.

Links with more information from Holstein Association USA and Oklahoma State University

What have we become?

2010-09-03T10:55:00.001-07:00

I am proud to say our herd has recently grown again. Wednesday night we received in our newest member. She is young and beautiful with a bright and productive future ahead of her. We plan to go the route of the Krazy Kolor breeders with this one! Ran and jumped off the cliff head first if you will.

I found an ad on Craigslist, went and had a look and bought her on the spot for the most part. The price was right and this is one that sure won't be headed down the wrong road on the ill fated truck. Her owners had been thinking to take her to the auction, just never got around to it. A bit too soft hearted to follow through on that idea. Momma is expecting so what more reason is there? At least for some people... but her owners are just not those kind of people. The ad actually wasn't even about her. Some of her younger herd mates actually. A bunch that had recently been weaned.

I was the one that went to look at her and although I couldn't get very close to the girl or get a good look at her conformation, I could tell she is nicely built and has some promise. Her byoootiful, loud, black and white tobiano markings must have been what did it. She may not have papers, but one look told me she comes from a long line of black and white tobianos, so she's sure to produce more... Researching her breed a little, they originated in Europe and major development of the breed came from an area which has become the Netherlands. More specifically the two areas of North Holland and Friesland. She should mature to around 15.1 in height.

We have already found her a nice, solid black stud to breed her too. He is, quite literally- 'the boy next door'. We are sure to get a nice cross from these two.

She loaded up just fine. Hopped right in the trailer. Surprisingly for being such a 'wild one'. Traveled nice and quiet for her second trailer ride ever. Unloading was a bit of an interesting thing though. She had traveled loose and there were straps across the top of the back of the two horse trailer (where the storm doors would go) to keep her from jumping out. Which she tried to do when the trailer was backed up to the stall gate. Did I mention she was a bit wild? Not exactly 'halter broke', this one.

She was SCRAMBLING! around inside as the trailer backed up and when it stopped- she really went berserk in there. She tried to literally climb over the back doors to get out. Almost made it a couple of times too. Had the front half of her body under the straps and over the door. She was determined to get out! The right side door was opened and she got herself back inside the trailer. When she figured out the door was open, she came charging out of there! Shot into the stall and tried a few times to go through the bars. Once she figured out she couldn't do that, she looked at us and charged the fence where we were standing. Yeah, that was fun... Not! Everyone took a step or two back and we all decided if she wanted to ram the 3" schedule 40 steel fence- that was her idea and she probably wouldn't do that too many times.

The seller said he had never seen her try to pull anything like that before. Almost sorry he agreed to have sold us such a wild two year old. I assured him it was no problem and if we felt we couldn't have handled it, we wouldn't have bought her to begin with. We got to talking about things and it turns out, we know a lot of the same people in town. It truly is a small world.

As we talked she settled in and started to relax. The rest of our horses were a bit excited to see the new face and soon they settled down and went back to eating too. A fresh tub of water, a nice pile of hay for dinner and she was good to go. Still leery of being touched, but no longer panicked and frantic. She even laid down to sleep last night. Poor girl was tuckered out.

I did manage to get a couple of pics of her though... and I will get more to post since my cell phone and the computer don't seem to be cooperating. Seems they don't want to speak to each other in the same language. Gotta love technology.

Start with a list

2010-08-31T09:45:00.003-07:00

The whole mix up on my part in the show dates kind of threw me a curve. I admit, it got me thinking, but it is also a good reason to double check, well enough in advance of when, where and what time you are supposed to be there. Planning is good and helps make everything run smoothly.

Knowing the show is about two weeks away, where do I start? I make a list of things I will need and things that would be nice to have, but aren't totally necessary. The type of show you are attending is a factor when considering this. This is a schooling show. They are fun, a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere, but we all want to look like we not only belong there, but like we hope to do well. Besides, this is a starting point of bigger and better things to come later on.

My pony has been getting worked and is coming into shape nicely. He is due for a trim so he will be getting one before the end of the week. Check the schedule of when your horse was trimmed or shod last and plan to have this done before the last minute. I like to have a week or more of 'flex time' before the show in case anything comes up and needs to be addressed.

Since we are only going for the in hand classes, I will be cleaning and oiling his bridle as well. Checking it for any thin spots, cracking, the stitching, the buckles, wear points, the bit for smoothness, etc. Not all that tough but maybe a little time consuming. While I have the oil and leather cleaner out... I may as well clean and oil my dress boots, on the chance that I end up showing in breeches and all.

I will need to go through the trailer and check for hoof polish and other supplies as needed. It is a good time to fold up, put away and clear out things I won't need or be using at the show. Horse trailer tack compartments can easily become a 'catch all'. It happens to a lot of them and ours is not immune.

Cleaning it out give me a place to change clothes, room for a cooler with drinks and snacks and makes everything easy to find. The way it looks right now? Well let's just say I'm sure ours isn't the only one and it's a good thing there is no competition or judging on the tack compartments of exhibitors horse trailers.

Back on track

2010-08-30T12:26:00.003-07:00

A good friend of mine has been showing recently. For her area it seems they are winding things down and wrapping it all up for winter. She has hit a few small shows and done pretty well. She is happy with where things have gone, seen room for improvement and welcomed suggestions on ways to improve in hopes of doing better in the spring. Lucky for her, our show season is just getting started. She can relax and take notes so when spring time comes, she can come out guns a blazing and knock 'em dead.

I am planning to take my little guy to the schooling show next month. Funny that it will be here in what- two days? I had it in my mind that their September show was on the 19th. Good thing I just checked- it's not! It's on the 11th. Fast forward everything a bit there. I also downloaded a class list as well as filling out and printing the entry form. I like the kind you can fill out before you print. It saves a lot of trouble in misspellings and/or mispronounced names. No guessing if that is a 3, 5, 6 or an 8...

I like to print out 2 copies of the class list. One to keep in the trailer when you get there and one to keep with any ribbons you may win. I also like to make notes on the back- how many were in the class, any comments the judges may have had and of course, paired with the ribbon as a reminder of how we did. I also like to note on there- what kind of horses won. It's all good to look back on and see what you can fix and what to ignore.

Since the upcoming show date is right around the corner, I have to get after it and get everything in line. Starting with the trailer- the wasps have vacated the nest and I knocked it down the other night with the hose. I have to locate the little mans' bridle tonight and give it a good cleaning and a once over to check the buckles, keepers holes, straps and that everything is in place, in order, etc. I can't really show him in his driving bridle with the blinkers and all.

I also have to dig out my show clothes. Since we will be going into a halter class and a SHIH (Sport Horse In Hand) class, I have a few slight options. Almost two different dress codes in a way, but right now I have to try it all on and see what fits. That may be the one thing that dictates what I decide to wear. I haven't been in the ring since before the girls were born. This should be interesting. Better bust out the refreshments and lawn chairs...

Mindless Musings

2010-08-26T15:06:00.002-07:00

So the pony Kat has been getting a break. I have't done a lot with him. I pulled him out last week, dusted him off, tacked him up with the harness and drove him around like we have been doing it all along.

Last night I pulled him out to let him graze a little before turning him out. He's such a pudgy little booger, but he stood quietly snarfin up all he could as fast as he could, thinking I would take him aways from it. When I leaned over his back and started talking to him, he slowed down in his persuit of inhaling the grass. After a while I took him up to the front pasture and cut him loose.

Find a pile of poop, roll in it, jump up, do a few acrobatic moves, take off at light speed and do several laps. He is such a clown. I had dumped the water tub so when he realized I was still within the fence with him, he came over and nudged me. Bumped me with his shoulder to insist I scratch his itchy spots. So I did, then stopped and stepped away. When he realized I had stopped, he looked at me like "WHAT? You STOPPED?" He stepped closer and nudged me again. It's a game we play.

Me- Scratch, stop, step back, stand, and wait.
Him- Look, step closer, nudge, wait for the scratches...

While I scratch him he arches his neck and bites the air. To the point you hear, Chomp, Snap, Chomp, Chomp, Chomp, Snap, Chomp. He makes faces too, but mostly he bites the air.

Aruba has gotten some time off too. I was waiting for the farrier to come, then it has become a pile of getting after other things that haven't been getting done. Life gets in the way sometimes. It happens to a lot of us. Playing a game of "catch up" makes you think how much you dislike doing ___________ so that's probably why you haven't for a while. But now it is twice the work and you dislike it even more. Talk about a vicious cycle...

I had her going in the long lines and then the last time, just as we were about to quit for the day anyhow, one of the rings came off. I have had the surcingle for about 20 years. It was about due anyways. Now we just switch over to using the saddle and keep at it. But she's been off for a while, so she will get turned out before we go back to work. Maybe a few days of just lunging.

There is a show coming up next month. I will be taking the little man, if only for halter and the sporthorse in hand classes. It will be nice getting back into the ring with him. He's a lot of fun to show and isn't FUN what it's all about?

Discriminating or demented?

2010-08-19T11:18:00.004-07:00

Often in life I have said "Horses are not a hobby they are a way of life." For some of us they are. We live, breathe and think of everything for the horse. We often overlook things for ourselves in order to provide the best we can afford for our horses. It's craziness I tell ya. Pure craziness. But where does it stop?

A few years ago at the Scottsdale Arabian show I was introduced to the magic of orthotics. The $250 price was a bit steep for something that was off the shelf and not custom made so I passed. I found a store brand for a much cheaper price $10 and gave them a shot. They made a huge difference in a lot of things for me. My knees, hips and lower back no longer ached and I could stand for long periods of time again. It really gave me a good sense of insight into how a horse feels and moves when they are trimmed right and all the hoof angles are correct.

Lately I have been looking online for a new pair of boots. My current pair are seriously on their way out. I was looking at a few of the different websites and I happened to notice something. A lot of the boots are not 'balanced' looking. The toe sticks up a bit, the inside of the boot where the ball of the foot sits, is up or down and visa-versa on the outside... leaving the impression that the foot bed is twisted. Some of the boots it was really obvious, others more subtle, but it was still there.

My main question here is this. Knowing how much information is out there, how much has gone into studying the effects of how a horse is trimmed and/or shod and how it affects their soundness... Do the boot companies seriously NOT think we would apply the same balance issues to our own footwear?

I really like the looks of this boot

in roughout leather and if it weren't for the fact that mine would only look this nice for a short time, I may be so inclined to buy a pair. But this is a great example of what I am talking about. On the left hand side of the screen, (in the link) there is alternate views of these boots, scroll over them to view. The 3rd one down shows the boots from the front.

Look at the foot bed and notice how it seems to sit higher on the inside and lower on the outside? Go to the 5th one down, a view of the back of the boot. Look at the foot bed and how it sits in comparison to the shaft & heel of the boot.

Put a ruler up to the computer screen if you need to or scroll down and use the bottom of the screen as your straight line for a guide. Notice anything else? Like the narrow width of the heel area and how the shaft seems to widen out more...

Even the Ariat's in the $50-$100 price range seem to do this. The outside of the foot bed seems to sag and the inside tilts up.

At least this pair is straight through the heel area and the shaft of the boot.

The Durango's at $100, also had the same twisted problem and the outside of the boot seems to 'blow out' and lack some support.

There was one pair I liked until I looked closely at the heel of the boot. It was wedged towards the toe. Kind of like putting a wedge pad on a horse who doesn't seem to grow enough heel. In the horses' case you do it to balance things out and raise their comfort level. In the case of the boots, I'm not sure I have heard of anyone yet who can't grow enough heel to stand correctly balanced. ???

click on the picture for the whole thing.

I also like this pair of Justin's for $120, but from the front- same thing.

Then there's these boots for $170- same thing.

They are kinda fun and funky looking. With the right outfit... whatever that may be?

Nice thing about Sheplers, you can shop by price range. I looked through the boots listed in the $200-$300 and Over $300 price ranges. I can honestly say there were quite a few boots that caught my eye and made me think Wow! and a few other things too. But not so much in a good way or because I liked them.

Now I realise, these are only photos of one boot. I also realize camera angles may either play up or down the intensity of the amount of 'twist' in the actual boot photographed. The pair you try on and buy, may not be 'tweaked' like the boot in the photos. But unless you look at them closely in the store when you try them on- maybe they are all like that. To the boot makers- if this is the best you have- why take photos like this of your work? Not a good way of representing your company, is it? Are the footwear companies making their boots & shoes this way to help other businesses along? My ________ aches so I will seek comfort through chiropractors, pain meds, etc..... Do they hope we buy unbalanced for our own feet, yet we expect balanced feet for our horses?

Where our own comfort and 'soundness' comes into play, our shoes make a huge difference in how we stand, how our weight is distributed and how long before we sit down complaining of soreness, achy joints and "Oh my aching feet!" Equine events are usually known for long hours of standing around, miles of walking to the trailer, concession stands, entry booth, bathrooms, the in gate, stand on the rail during the class, run up to the judges stand, back and forth, back and forth and it never fails, whenever you need to get to one- it is at the other end of the showgrounds from where you are. The right pair of shoes will either make or break you day. Keep that in mind the next time your farrier comes out to trim or shoe your horse.

Roll the DICE

2010-08-12T10:22:00.004-07:00

The other day when I was going out to work my horse, (or was it the pony?) I thought of a simple thing to make sense of the way I try to make everything I do, COUNT!

None of us have unlimited time during the day to get everything done that we'd like to. None of us have countless hours to do as we please and hope someone else will take care of the ___________ for us. But there is something we can do to make quick work of what may seem like an endless, loathsome chore. Getting something done that will leave us time for more enjoyable things- things we actually WANT to do...

Stop for a second. Remember to take a deep breath and 'Roll the DICE'.

At horse shows this works for riders, grooms and trainers alike. Anyone who has been to a show to compete or assist a friend, knows without a doubt, a horse show can be a grand display of organized chaos at it's best. Hurry up and wait. Everyone is doing things at a fast pace, trying to squeeze it all in, stuff it, pack it, cram it all together and do as much as they can to be ready for their class... Get the horse into the ring, the gate closes and now the pressure is all on the rider/handler/driver.

Once the class is over you can go back to the barn and feel the sense of 'let down'. Everything has slowed down, everyone is relaxed, you can breathe again, maybe laugh a little. The pressure is off now so you joke around some. It's sure a lot different feeling, isn't it?

One way you can change how things go throughout the day is to take a deep breath and Roll the DICE. Make every move you make, count!

Deliberate,
Intentional,
Calculated-Confident and
Efficient.

DICE for short if you will.

Be Deliberate in what you do. Pay attention and make 1 stroke of the brush instead of three to clean the same area. Dip your applicator into the hoof polish and swipe it around the coronet band letting the polish run down the hoof covering as much as it can in one pass instead of smearing it up and down, around and around leaving streaks...

Make Intentional movements and strokes. Do things to attain a desired affect not willy-nilly and hap hazard. Did you mean to put this on there that way or did it just end up like that?

Calculated movements made with Confidence provide better results. They just do and not by accident.

When you start being Deliberate, Intent, make Calculated moves with Confidence, your work becomes incredibly streamlined and Efficient. You accomplish a lot more, a lot faster, with greater ease and ability. You gain a new level of pride in your work, the endless daunting tasks, seem to get done in no time at all and you are free to go do fun stuff sooner.

Rolling the DICE works for riding too. Take a deep breath, Roll the DICE and apply it in the saddle. Make clear, Deliberate, Intentional, Calculated & Confident, Efficient cues to your horse. You might be amazed how they respond. Enjoy it. You will notice you're smiling because you can't help it.

People around you may wonder what's going on. Tell them you gamble a lot, take a deep breath and Roll the DICE.

Bargain hunters paradise!

2010-07-19T09:58:00.004-07:00

I recently found a bit for my horse. It is on it's way as we speak and I am excited about it. I am having the neighbor make a bridle for me and need to get the measurements over to him, show him what I want and get a price, but for the most part I just haven't gotten there yet...

Another poster on another blog I frequent was asking where I found it? She is looking for a similar bit, but a different size for her horse. Tack Trader is a treasure trove for horse people. All sorts of stuff, giant place to find anything and everything under the sun in just about every size, shape, brand and price you can think of.

I love looking for bargains. I love finding one and scoring a great deal on one even more. If someone else needs something and I can point them in the right direction of where to find it- just as good! So I posted in the comments for her to contact me, let me know what she's after and I would see what I could find and send her some links.

A lot of horse people already know about every tack store in their area within a reasonable distance- say a 40 mile range. They know which stores carry the stuff that is cheaply priced, because it is cheaply made, the stores with high prices on big brand names, low prices on big brands and so on. Horse people can be a fickle, less than loyal bunch too. We will shop where we get the best deal and lowest price on what we want. If we want something, we are on a constant lookout to find it.

For any newcomers or those unfamiliar with where to find things for your horse I figured today's post would be a good way for the rest of us to share. Almost like a recipe exchange or tack exchange if you will. A place to list some of the smaller businesses and shops where you find stuff, that's off the beaten path. Places others may not know of to look. Feel free to post a clicky link or the web address and a brief line or six about what they have that you like.

Besides Tack Trader, there is a whole host of other online places to shop. Some people prefer eBay, but I just have not found the time to find stuff there, let alone watch the bidding or remain on the lookout for similar items... I know there is a way to auto bid, up to a set price and all that, but I just can't get into it.

Craigslist is another place to find bargains, but you have to be on almost a daily alert, searching through a ton of ads and look through the assortment of all kinds of things to find what you really want. There is an abundance of good, bad and otherwise on there, just like everywhere else.

Many of us know about all of the "Biggies",
Schneider's, (sstack dot com)
Smart Pak Equine,
State Line Tack,
Libertyville Saddle Shop,
Jeffers Vet Supply,
Valley Vet,
Farm Tek,
Horse.com which used to be Country Supply
Chicks Saddlery

and then when you get into discipline specific there is a whole bunch more to be found.
Dressage Extensions and Dover Saddlery for English riders comes to mind for me...

But there are a whole bunch more out there to be found. Just Bridles, thanks to Cattypex posting that in the comments. EQ Tack is one I just found and will have to go back for another closer look at some things...

Horse Tack Co. has a number of products and items in their closeout section and regularly on sale. Equestrian International is another good one. I found breeches there for schooling for around $20 and a helmet for around $30. Note to Candy's Girl- I forgot about these two the other day in the email.)

Then there is Greenhawk Harness & Equestrian out of Canada- they have just about Everything- Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing tack, western, English, etc. They had leather field boots with the full zippers up the back once for around $65. Of course I was broke at the time!

Smith Brothers,
Teskey's and
South Texas Tack come to mind for the western crowd...

So pick your link and click away all you want, just don't run your bank account into complete, dismal oblivion if you can't restrain yourself... I have gotten to the phase where I know what I have, who it fits and where to find replacements if I should need them... See what you guys can come up with to fill in the blanks. Please leave the credit cards out of it...

It's always something...

2010-07-15T08:59:00.012-07:00

So last weekend I am out lunging my big WB mare, Aruba. Got out there at about 6am on a day I could have been sleeping in. (What is wrong with horse people? Why do we do that?) I did manage to get some nice photos of her during her workout. She is really coming along quite nicely, I think. Just wish I could say the same for my own progress... *sigh*

While I would still like to see her gain some more weight she is also building some muscle and toning up what she's got. I'm loving that.

Her butt is coming along quite nicely and depending on how she is standing and where here back feet are, if they are under her like the left one in this photo- the top of her hip is only slightly noticeable. YAY!!! Otherwise she has those bones sticking up on top and it drives me nuts. I would like to see it round out some more, but with work and time, we will get there. I just have to be patient.

One of the big things I really like about this horse, is how when we go out and start working, she walks. That's it. She walks around, loosens up and then starts to move. No explosion into a bucking fit, no racing around like a maniac, not her, she just walks...

At first she didn't exactly lunge well, going to the left. She liked to jump, buck and dive into the canter, usually accompanied with a strong yank on the lunge line and me at the end of it. We worked through it though. When she came home, she wouldn't pick up or hold her left lead at the canter. Last Saturday however, she just rolled right into the nicest canter transition and made several laps- all while on the correct lead.

In this picture she may look like she is off to the races, but she is really not. She just has this stride that is like everything else about her- HUGE! As you can see, I had the surcingle on her. The poor thing hasn't seen any use in who knows how long, so it too was getting a workout! I text a few pictures to my friend, who replies and asks why there is no bridle? Um, I don't have one that fits her yet and I don't have a bit for her either... No worries though, I have found a bit and our neighbor does leather work. Done. I am ordering the bit tonight or tomorrow and I have the measurements for the bridle. We will get there in due time.

For now, here's a few more photos of her moving and making progress.

Through all of these I kept hoping she would drop her head some and drive more from behind... Go into a more 'hunter' frame if you will... I keep hearing- "She's not built that way though. Besides, you are just lunging her. Let it go and quit expecting so much." Yeah, I do need to work on that a bit. The whole "Have Patience!" thing. I do get caught up every now and then.

Of course I saved the best for last. She's really reaching out here and her head has come down some. (At least I like to think so.)

And by 9 am it was in the high 90's we had 40% humidity and I was borderline being overheated. I had rinsed my head and neck twice with the hose already and the water felt COLD! I was wearing my visor and sunglasses, but I still got a light toasting on my cheeks and needed to get inside. I was just not made to last in this climate. I don't think anyone is.

DIY project #1

2010-07-12T13:36:00.003-07:00

My friend sent me a link to a blog post from 2008. Seems like a good idea to me. Bethany Caskey had posted about building your own fly traps on her blog Caskey Studios. You may notice the picture above is the same one from her post... Yep, I used it from hers and credit goes to the person who created it. I'm pretty sure nobody could take a photo of the particular happenings.

I haven't gotten a chance to try it out, since things have blown up in a bad way for my friend that sent the link and I am being as supportive of her as I possibly can. We have been through a lot in the 20 or so years we have known each other. Few people know the details since it is a personal matter and I am trying to find ideas of ways she can handle things. Time is always of the essence in matters such as this and I hate the fact she has to even go through it. When it is all resolved (Hopefully soon and with a favorable outcome!) I may post about it on the NPD blog. Or I may not, in hopes of putting it all behind us and moving on in a positive light. Out with the bad!

At the same time another friend of mine is dealing with a full plate of bad things in her Northeastern neck of the woods, another friend has her hands full dealing with her family and another friend is going through a load of crap surrounding legal issues. I swear that some days it just feels like Groundhog Day and we are stuck on the crappiest Monday to be found. I am not going to ask if it could possibly get any worse, but rather I want to know when it all ends? Where is that light at the end of the tunnel? Please tell me it is NOT a damned train!

On a happy note, I did get a few pics of the bay mare during her workout. Had I not forgotten a power cord and my phone wasn't dying- I could post them. For now, you will just have to wait.

Yikes!

2010-07-06T15:50:00.007-07:00

Any guesses as to what that is? Click on the pic and blow it up if you'd like. Here's a hint, the nest will have to be destroyed before we load any horses in the trailer. For that matter- I wouldn't even go inside to close the roof vents. But I did close all of the windows hoping to bake the little boogers in the heat!

Sunday night as I was getting Aruba ready to work, and afterwards as I was grooming her and getting her finished up to put away, I noticed a wasp or hornet, buzzing around the back door of our horse trailer. I rolled my eyes and groaned about it being the last thing we needed at the moment...

Monday morning I went out to work her and a few others. Figured I would take a peek and see what was up. There were about 30 wasps on the nest which is about the size of a grapefruit right inside the back door, up on the ceiling in the horse compartment of the trailer. I snapped the one pic, shut the door and closed all the windows up. I worked my mare and got the two babies out for their workouts, but I am steering clear of the back of the trailer.

Although her workout went well, she is giving me the "hung dog" look and declaring she hates Monday's.

She's coming along nicely in the front end. Starting to build up some muscle, launched into a nice canter a few times with little encouragement from me.

Here she is showing off her recently clipped bridle path, shortened mane and fancy look. She needs to muscle up through the butt a bit, but I also put my saddle on her and Hooray! Hooray! It looks like it is going to fit. Of course as she gets more and more fit, develops, progresses and comes along- that may still change. Time will tell.

It's official folks...

2010-07-02T10:22:00.004-07:00

I live in Hell! A friend of mine used to say it's hotter than that here, so maybe it's true then? When friends from out of state fly in, they usually call me from the airport and say "I have arrived in Hell!" They never do sound happy about it. :/

The projected high is 118 today. Good thing I have an indoor job now. For most people in the horse industry though, you are up and outside, feeding, getting horses worked and done by 10 or 11 am at the latest. Four thirty and five am are not odd hours and the sun is already coming up, so you better get out and get after it. The fact that some of the fast food places don't serve 'lunch' or maybe even open until 10 or 10:30, is annoying. If I want a burger or a deli sandwhich at 8:30 or 9am, it's because it's lunch time already!

By 9 am it was already 97 degrees outside and it's supposed to be partly cloudy today. My 'office window' does not show any clouds in the sky. Not one. At least my window is in the shade. Hooray for that!

Yes, it is a dry heat. Imagine sticking your head in the oven. You get the idea... As Matthew Broderick's character in the movie "Biloxie Blues" said- "It's Africa Hot."

I have been to Alaska twice now and would loooove to go back. I have several friends up there in different parts of the state. Mostly in the Wasilla, Palmer, and Anchorage area, but a couple out on the Aleutian Islands. Their high is in the 60's this time of year (62 today and cloudy, 50's-60's and rainy the next 3 days) and they swear they are just 'dying' in the heat. Both times I went, when coming home and the plane reached the gate, attached the ramp in the chute and they opened the door- the heat made me want them to turn it all around and go back. Turn the bird around guys! We are in the wrong place.

Another blogger from the midwest, Wisconsin I believe, had asked me once before if we had covered or indoor arenas out here. She was thinking to come down in the winter time. I had to laugh. Mostly because we do have covered arenas, but it is because of the intensity of the sun in the summertime. Not because of the snow or rain in the winter. Winter is prime riding season around here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a safe holiday. Try to stay cool too. That includes drinking a lot of water and maybe playing in it! Just not from the same source I hope...

The ball is rolling

2010-06-28T09:15:00.006-07:00

I am happy to say that Rubes has finally come back home. Not in as good of condition as she could have been but not any worse off than when she left either. A few of the readers know she has been gone for a month, at the neighbors place, getting in shape as payment for my jumps. I forgot my iPhone cord or I would be able to post a few photos of her since her return. I will get them up, I promise...

The heat over the weekend has been bad. She came home on Saturday so I went out to give her a bath and a 'once over' to check her progress. Of course I was wearing a tank top and my shoulders now are still a nice shade of pink. :( I sprayed her off and kept trying to get back in the shade. Do something, get back in the shade. Do something else, get back in the shade. At least she got a bath, sprayed with conditioner, mane and tail brushed out, fly sprayed and then turned out to ROLL! She may have, but by then she was dry and nothing seems to have stuck. Hooray for small victories!

Sunday morning I set to work. Went out about 7am and picked her feet, brushed her off, wrapped her legs and went out to lunge her. She worked for a short time at a slow and leisurely pace and stopped when she thought she was done. Um, no. Sorry sweetie, that's not how it goes. You will never get into any kind of shape without putting out some effort. So I got after her a little, using my voice, body language and the end of the lunge line and made the impression that yeah, she needed to Move It! So she did.

Since she has not been in tip top shape for working for some time, I didn't expect her to work for long, but long enough... She started to sweat at least. She broke into a canter three times, for a few strides each time, then back down into a trot. The first two times, she jumped and dove into the transition. Not what I wanted, but at least she was moving! I'll take it, and just hope that never carries over when she's under saddle... By 8:30 she was finished, rinsed, fly sprayed and put away, everyone was fed and I went inside. It was already in the upper 90's. Blech! High of 107 expected for the day. Bigger Blech! The heat is not my friend.

The course of action has been set. We got up early this morning and headed out to start working everyone. I admit, I loafed a bit and we had a slower start then we wanted, but we did get the two babies worked, rinsed and fly sprayed before I had to head in and get ready for work. (I didn't have any pockets on my sweats or I would have pictures of them too.) Hubby got Johnie out and lunged her too. Tonight Rubes and the Kat man are on the list for their workouts. And I am going to spray the ant hill right under the water faucet where we rinse the horses. Nasty little critters bit me and hubby. Bad move on their part. They need to go somewhere else!

Even for having a slow start though, with efficiency, we did get quite a bit accomplished in an hour and a half. As a groom, you learn to make every step, every move, every trip from here to there count. Shortcuts may save you a few minutes here and there, but from experience, you end up having to go back and do it over again later. Did you really save anything taking the shortcut?

You also learn to prioritize. Those who need the most work, go first. Those who are just starting out under saddle, may be the only horse getting worked that day, so plan for it. They get your full attention. Clipping and full out baths- one horse in the rotation per day gets them or they are all done on the weekend. Planning, having a routine or schedule can really provide results. You would be surprised how much you can get done. And if anything comes up in the middle of the schedule- see to it, then get back on track. It's nothing more than a hiccup. It happens.

It all started with a frog...

2010-06-21T20:12:00.003-07:00

The first thing I ever put on a fly mask was a frog on a tan mask with green trim. It was for hubby's mare Chica. She is a palomino mare who likes to get down and dirty on a cow.

Then came a whole bunch more... Guitars, checkered flags, Gothic crosses, dinosaurs, flowers, the sun, moon & stars, lizards, firetrucks, tanks and military designs. I made one for a mini named Lil Bit, for the group at the Back In The Saddle Project or BITS.

Then there was a Tigger mask for Dena, and another dinosaur for Micah, a couple for Fern Valley which are under way and will soon be on their way... Just looking for one more patch that fits the horses personality.

But the latest batch to leave will be headed to California. A Fairy, whose dress and wings are shiny and glittery. She also has a row of sequins on her skirt.

A skull with a pink bow, for a mare who thinks she is just the princess of everything in her world. And who is to tell her she's not?

A rocket for Sonic and crossed pistols for none other than Pistol, of course!

To me it is not only fun making these, but the thing I like the best about them, is hearing the reactions when people get them. Hopefully the person expecting this package either has a Google blogger account or will be signing up for one. She is also interested in a few other things I will be making. Of course I will post pics and ask her for some with the horses wearing everything...

Just like the horses

2010-06-18T09:07:00.011-07:00

Sometimes you get what you were hoping for. Everything turns out just as promised.

There may be a few small 'glitches' in the order, but for the most part, what you see is what you get. You look at the horse and size them up. You keep an open mind and try to stay objective and not be partial or barn blind. You consider their breeding and pedigree, sire & dams conformation and temperaments, performance records, all of the pertinent info... and hope for the best.

Then there's the unexpected things. Sometimes good, sometimes not quite so good. You learn to roll with it and take things as they come.

Sometimes they come nothing at all like what you expected. You may have hoped for one thing and gotten something far better instead. Is anyone going to complain about that?

When our farrier was out yesterday morning, he remarked about how nice Mondo is. He has grown since the photo shoot for the forum and is coming along quite nicely. No complaints from here! The farrier liked how quiet he is too. As we all age, we come to appreciate quiet horses. I know I do. My body just can't take the beating like it used to.

These flowers are supposed to be purple & white. Remember?

But they are beautiful just the same- even in pink & white.

And for those who doubted, questioned the methods and may have thought it couldn't be done...

Yep, those are potato's. May not be big, but they are there. These are not quite the size of a golf ball each, but it's a start.

There were 3 in the first 'harvest', 3 more in the house on the counter and these are still working on their size. The first ones were each pretty good sizes, not like you would see int he store, but still substantial enough. There's 4 plants in that post and another 4 in a different pot with a sweet potato in the center... We'll just have to wait and see how they turn out.

The tomatoes are doing well too, only lost 2 when we replanted them. Seven out of nine are going to make it form the looks of things. Hooray! The lemon tree is about 2 feet tall now too. The blackberry and blueberry bushes are doing well and the carrots seem to have faded out. The lettuce never made an appearance and I still have to get my pumpkin seeds in the ground so that when they bloom this year, HOPEFULLY! the bees are still around to pollenate them and we get at least ONE pumpkin out of the deal. Last years 5 plants and numerous blooms were a total bust. In that case, it was all for naught. Sometimes that how it goes with the horses too. You can't win them all.

**Edited to ad, I hope everyone out there has a Happy Fathers Day! To all the Dads! Those still with us and those who have passed, I toast you all.**

Patience may be a virtue, but...

2010-06-16T11:05:00.008-07:00

sometimes you have to stop and smell the flowers. These are my gladiolas. I planted them about 3-4 months ago. The packages said blooms in about 60 days. Sure they do. But it's the same with horses. Some of them come into themselves at an early age, while others seem to wait it out and take forever.

But they get there. They all get there eventually, you just have to give them some time, nurture them along and wait it out. There were 18 bulbs in the three packets. Six each in yellow, a salmon/peach color & purple & white. I am happy to say they all came up. Eventually... the last two took their sweet time, but they did finally appear.

And like the horses, its not always a complete joy ride. We have had some serious winds, which has blown them over to the point of them all leaning. As I watered them, the dirt would soften and I would try to put them back into position, returning them to upright. Then last weekend I bought a few of the tomato plant cages and worked them into the rings, trying to straighten them up and give them some support. I can't be there 24/7 for them, just like the horses.

But they are coming along. With time and care, they should all be blooming at some point. Time will tell for each of them, just like the horses, they will get there when they get there. No need to rush, good things come to those who wait, you know.

Maintain your integrity

2010-06-10T10:15:00.002-07:00

Lately it seems like a lot of people are experiencing difficutly dealing with people and having a short fuse. Customers and clients are expecting the sun, moon and stars, but want it all at a lowball price. This seems to hold true across the board in a number of different industries, not just where horses are concerned. Ask them and they will tell you just how much they know about each and every, sometimes any subject.

As a consumer, I expect to pay a fair price for things, but in return- I expect fair customer service as well. I expect things to hold up or last for a reasonable amount of time and figure the price of some things in relation to the quality of materials and manufacturing that went into them. Is that asking too much?

On the end of the manufacturer, I expect them to look for quality materials and hardware, well skilled craftsmen to assemble things and I don't mind paying a little more for a well made- anything... be it a washing machine, truck or a toaster!

If it should break or stop working under reasonable use and conditions, within a short period of time after its acquisition, I also expect to be treated fairly when the item is either returned for replacement or repairs. I don't "go off" on the customer service rep, because in all actuality- they didn't design or make the product that broke of failed, they just answer the phone.

I have worked in several customer service positions and having been on both sides of the fence so to speak, you get a lot further if you don't scream at anyone. State your case and be realistic. If things are not worked out to your satisfaction, ask for a supervisor and get the names of the people you speak to. Ask for the phone number or a direct line where they can be reached if any further issues are to follow.

Having worked in manufacturing positions, don't try to pull a fast one and ask for replacements or repairs on somethign you intentionally or even accidently broke because you didn't use it correctly, had it adjusted wrong or set it where it got in the way or didn't belong.

There have been times in the horse industry, my husband or I have told people to get lost, go pound sand or forget it. You can tell they are 'full of it' and expect you to drop everything, cater only to them and give them a special deal, meaning reduced rates on everything. Customers like that are bad for business. They end up costing you money in dealing with them and possibly running off potential clients in the long run. When you kick them to the curb it can be quite liberating!

So how do others deal with people like this? I have found a few ways of doing it, but it's always good to share thoughts on ways of handling difficult customers/clients. Sometimes the best way to deal with them is to be quiet. Others require honesty, tact and common sense. Occasionally there is humor to be found in dealing with them. What has worked for you?

Yay or Neigh, Neighbor?

2010-06-07T13:08:00.003-07:00

So the whole topic of incorporation has been a HOT ONE in our neighborhood lately. Some of our neighbors are strongly opposed, while others are all for it. One neighbor proposed an online petition to move the boundary back, so our neighborhood isn't divided right down the middle. Yeah, that's what the 'planning committee' decided on.

But there is a lot of things out there that haven't been discussed. There are reasons it may be a good thing and other reasons it's definately NOT! The papers are all reporting that the local cities and towns are in favor. Maybe they are? But there are things the neighbors, newspapers and a lot of people are not addressing.

Everyone is up in arms thinking our property taxes will automaticly jump. We have been told that property tax increases would have to be voted on. I doubt there would be much favor for an increase, but who knows. Reality is- we already pay taxes. Income tax, sales tax, property tax, you name it- "there's a tax for that". Double taxation is illegal, but apparently Multiple Taxation is just fine...

One thing I did learn at the meeting, there is a secondary tax included in our property taxes, that is supposed to go towards public libraries. The closest public libraries are in neighboring towns & cities. The closest one to us happens to be in another county. I think there is a low fee involved to use that library, which means it is not free. Also our county has no intentions of building a library in our area. So where is that money going and what is it being used for? If not being spent on worthy causes- I want ours back!

If we become a 'county island' we pay our city sales taxes on all purchases, but we won't be entitled to vote at city meetings or be granted city services. Like a fire department, city police protection or street maintenance. The county doesn't keep the roads in the greatest shape as it is, think that will change on a county island? I honestly doubt it. Speaking of roads, ADOT has yet to decide and won't until 2016, WHERE they are putting the freeway in.

As far as the zoning and regulations regarding livestock- as it stands, we have to travel down to Florence, a reasonable distance, to argue for or against zoning changes. If we are to incorporate, it would be localized and the horse owners may be able to have a greater voice in it all. If we are a county island- it's still up to the county to do as they see fit. How is it working out for you so far?

Funny thing is, it seems to be working out that I am the one taking charge of organizing things in our neighborhood. Then again, I am known for being pretty outspoken. One neighbor came forth and posted about the online petition. Instead of knocking her for it, I asked her if she would like to help organize these meetings. I am still on the fence with this one. I want more information before I make my decision. I want what is best for our community and our neighborhood.

Going on an impulse

2010-06-04T10:37:00.002-07:00

Sometimes you get things handed to you and you feel the need to respond. Time is of the essence in some cases. You end up having to drop everything and just go. That's what happened yesterday. I received an email in the afternoon, stating there was a meeting at one of the sorta local high schools at 6:30 pm. It seems someone got it in their heads to incorporate our area into a new 'City or Town'.

I was on the fence about going and hubby was too, but we went and I'm glad we did. This meeting was much more organized than the brawl that was the 'meeting' about the DOT plans for a freeway going right smack through our neighborhood... But once again horse owners and livestock were NOT considered where any of their plans were concerned.

There were two of our other neighbors at the meeting and they too had questions about how all of this would affect our subdivision. Seeing as how there were a few cards in the pile with questions about livestock and zoning changes, the organizers and panel addressed the issue. (Maybe they knew from the looks of our little group, they had damned well better!) As usual they glossed over the issue in their answer. We were told that we would not be affected by any new zoning regulations or changes. We are to be 'grandfathered in' as it is, but should we decide to sell, the new owners would be required to comply with the new regulations.

Fine, but what affect does that have on our property value? As it is, we can have as much livestock as we can reasonably fit. If we want to run a huge herd on a small parcel, as long as everyone is fed and cared for, the neighbors don't complain- life is good and do as you please.

We fought with the county not too long ago about proposed zoning changes. They wanted to limit livestock to 2 large animals per acre. Large animals being horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, sheep or goats. (I'm sure I missed something in there, but they wouldn't...)

Then that same year there was the whole fiasco and fighting over DOT plans to build a freeway through our neighborhood. Everyone had to scramble to put their 2 cents in by the short deadline, but DOT won't be deciding until 2016... That meeting was an experience and 'heated' doesn't even come close to describing it accurately enough.

DOT hadn't even planned to show up for it. Nice of them, huh? The represenatives they sent? You'll love this- they live on the other side of town! They are in no way affected by any of this. Isn't that sweet of them?

Recently the county has stirred the pot again. This time over arena lighting. Who would complain about arena lights? Most of our neighbors would ask to use the arena if they couldn't afford to put up lights on their own. We also know where to go to practice roping or barrel racing at night when the weather cools down. Since the sun doesn't set in the summer until around 8:30-9pm, the lights aren't on all that long anyways. In the wintertime it's not much of an issue either- people think its too cold to ride at night.

So now city incorporation is on the table. I hope it doesn't get too ugly from here, but they are using boundaries that divide neighborhoods in half. I have already contacted another blogger (Katphoti) who has recently moved into another neighborhood to be divided by county on one side of the street- city on the other.

Once again, horse people are getting shafted. Problem is we are armed with plenty of manure, manure forks and people to use as targets.

A level of importance

2010-06-02T08:43:00.006-07:00

In the last post, I was going to bring up a few different things to discuss. Instead I decided that those who have, are or are going to serve their country deserved their own time and space and the appreciation in honor of their decision to offer their time and in some cases their lives. In writing this post, I was going to bring the other topics up for discussion. Problem is, I can't remember them now. Which shows how really unimportant some things can be or how we place priority on certain things and lose sight of the other stuff.

So am I turning into a crazy broad as I age and my mind is starting to fail? Is that it? Or have I learned to place a higher level of importance and priority on some things and just let the rest go?

With horses there are also levels of importance and priority, whether it is in relation to grooming, training or both. We have our goals, we know what we want, but we can derail our own efforts at times by micro-managing, nit picking and sweating the small stuff. So your horse took a bad step, what about the three other hooves? Were they all wrong too? Which is more important the one bad step or the other three good ones?

Its easy to fall into a routine with your horse, but routines can lead to ruts if you don't pay attention. Pay attention and watch out for the ruts! Routines can be good, keeping you on track and everything in order, but when you let your mind slip into autopilot as you go through your 'routine' things can go wrong. You might miss the small signals from the horse that something isn't right. You can overlook the slightest warning signs that there's about to be an epic meltdown.

When you begin working the horse, you notice the small things and decide if they are to be addressed or ignored. That's when the questions start. Do I make an issue out of this or just stop and ask again? If I keep getting the same incorrect response, is it my fault or is it the horse? Are my cues clear and consistant? Does the horse understand what I want? Are they that far along in their training? Do they know this or are they just misbehaving? Is the misbehaving a single episode or is it happening more often? Is there pain involved that is the cause of it all? Have I checked?

We all have our routines we go through and mental checklists we go over as we prepare to ride and once we are in the saddle. We go through things step by step to stay on track. At least we hope it works out that way. So how do you decide which things are important and where they land on your checklist? When do you decide to overlook things or take notice? What do you consider the 'ruts' and how do you stay out of them?

Salute to our soldiers!

2010-05-28T11:27:00.006-07:00

With the Memorial Day holiday upon us, I would like to take a quick moment to say Thank You! to all of the men and women in the various branches of the armed forces, serving around the world. I would also like to extend that Thank You! to their families. Having had a friend from high school join the Navy, I got a first hand experience of someone you know well and are close to, being away for months at a time. Then trying to squeeze everything in during a short week or two week visit. It is tough! For those with family who won't be returning home, family buried in Arlington or any of the other military cemeteries across the country, my heart goes out to you.

In keeping it with the Memorial Day sentiments I will post a photo of one of the masks I made for the new tack shop choosing to be a distributor.

The military theme masks seem to be big sellers. The photo doesn't show it too well, but the fleece trim is a dark hunter green. I have also used camouflage fleece trim on these and the chevrons with camo fleece as well as the hunter green. People love them and I am trying to find other military type designs for the embellishments.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and don't forget to take a moment or two to thank, honor and remember those who have died for us and our country.

Swiss Cheese

2010-05-24T09:23:00.002-07:00

I like Swiss cheese, the flavor, the texture, the aroma when it's melted on things... Mmmmmm. But where do the holes come from in the cheese? Wouldn't it be more worthwhile for the manufacturers to make it solid? Would it cost us more if it was?

My weekend was similar to a block of Swiss cheese. Errands to run, appointments to keep, things to pick up, places to go, things to do, stuff to make... There were things I wanted to do, things I needed to do, places I had to go, a few things to work into the mixture and a few more piled on top of it all. Two days and I made quite the sandwich out of it.

I have a person interested in the Meadowbrook cart. She was coming from California to see it, but her plans were shot full of holes too and things got shifted to next weekend. Which worked out for me too, by freeing up a little time. Time that was shifted over to working on a couple of fly masks so I could run in to a new store in town and see if they would be interested in carrying them... (Note to Fern Valley, one of them I had planned on sending you. I haven't forgot.)

So we run to one appointment, back across town to the tack store, the co-owner wasn't in, but the one that was, Loved them! I left the masks and my number so she could take them home and show them over the weekend. I like their store and will be posting a link soon. Funny thing is, I can't remember exactly how I found it.

By then it was around noonish, we were hungry and headed into a Chinese buffet close by. It was rather new so we gave it a try. When we sat down with our food, Hubby says the place could be classified as "Fast, Cheap & Kreepy!" Sad thing is, he's right. It was.

Then it was off to get a few supplies for masks on order, a couple of them are shipping to California. Home to get the truck so we could go get hay... As we pull in to get the hay, my cell phone rings. The co-owner of the tack store dropped in, loves the masks, want to order more and will be putting them in the store as well as online. They will just keep the two I dropped off and add them to the total. So home again to drop off the truck and hay, get in the van and head out to pick up a couple more things- like stuff for dinner, before heading home again to feed and tend to more things... Yeah, because the day is almost over already! What happened?

While we did get a few things accomplished, there were a few more I wanted to do but couldn't quite seem to work them in. Like going to watch a workout for Aruba, the WB mare... She should be shaping up nicely and I haven't been to watch one workout yet or even to see her. I may have them put the first few rides on her if things keep going this way. The thought has crossed my mind and has been discussed.

Sunday wasn't much different. Running errands, getting a few things done, then home again to work on masks, play with the girls and somewhere in the middle, eat something... I had wanted to make another batch of pasta. The girls love it mixed with tomatoes, basil, garlic & oregano. I do too and I could have brought it for lunch.

There's another hole in the list of things I was able to do. Kind of like the cheese. The things you don't get to, are the holes. But somewhere in the cheese, you have to have holes. Otherwise how would you breathe?

Small victories

2010-05-19T21:09:00.008-07:00

Well it finally happened. Kat has been put to a cart. Sort of. I still have the Meadowbrook for sale and I have gotten a few requests for pictures, measurements and information about it. So tonight I brought the little guy up and into the back yard so we could get photos of him standing in the shafts or at least near them, to show the length of the shafts and how they fit him.

Or rather don't...

Anyone see the problem here? Look closely.

Notice where the tie backs are supposed to attach to the cart? They should be up near his flank, not behind his butt.

So we got a few more pic's...

He expressed his boredom with the project...

We called it good and he was rewarded.

A few minutes of grazing while the cart was put back up on all of the stands.

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom...

The small victory in all of this is that he was between the shafts, no muss, no fuss, just stood there like his well behaved self and posed. He may not have been wearing a harness, but still. He was there between the shafts!

I will be calling a guy tomorrow that is pretty much known in the valley as 'the cart & driving Guru'. If he doesn't have pony sized shafts- he will know where to get them. Or the shafts can stay on it and it will get horse sized wheels. He may also be able to sell the cart for me on consignment. I may just take both carts to his place. It would be nice clearing out even more space... At least there are a couple of workable options.

Express yourself

2010-05-17T12:06:00.005-07:00

So the horse show was yesterday... We didn't go. Did the sky fall or did the world end? Hahahaha, not hardly. Am I upset about missing it? Not really.

I worked my little guy on Saturday. I harnessed him up and we were thinking to put him to the cart after lunging him and a bit of ground driving. He had other plans. On the way out to the work area, he leaped up into the air and let loose with an amazing capriole. He felt that good. I stopped and gave him the look of "What the??? Where did THAT come from?" He looked a bit sheepish as if saying he couldn't help himself. It's spring you know.

So he has the harness on minus the bridle. Everything is fastened and buckled up out of the way so he can work and get his own bugs out. I have him on the lunge line in a halter, let him out and KABOOM! He. goes. off. I didn't get any pictures except the ones in my mind.

He was bouncing around, playing and having a great time. He leaped and bucked, he galloped and whinnied to everyone about his antics. As he ran, he would at times, put his head down and go into full bronc mode. His front feet no longer reaching out one at a time- nope. They came down together, he leaped, bucked and dived landing in those awful four point landings that could jar loose every joint you own. I made noises to encourage him keep moving forward. Clucking, kissing, Move it, Get up there... (Thankfully he is not quite big enough to ride!)

After several laps he slowed down to a trot. I figured he had gotten the most of it out of his system. He settled in and started to work nicely. He didn't look tired at all, just cruised around effortlessly and slowed into a nice steady pace.

Hubby Johnie Rotten came over to watch him work. I stopped Kat, asked him to reverse and KABOOM! Off the little guy went again. This time he was showing off. He ran, he bucked, he leaped in the air, he snorted and blew, dived at the ground and ran some more. He made quite a few laps on the end of the line and a few more after JR left before realizing, his audience was gone. When he figured that out- Kat settled into a trot for about four strides and stopped. He faced me and looked perplexed. "Where did he go? Wasn't he impressed?"

While he was racing around, JR and I sorta discussed the fact that, the idea of putting him to a cart was not a good one right now and it wasn't happening today. Neither of us were feeling any good would or could come from that.

Training horses can be a tactical exercise. Pick your battles and choose wisely. This means you will all live to see another day. We are shooting for next weekend. I just hope the little guy is NOT out to impress hubby again. He's a real clown that way.

*The photo is actually available as a hooded sweatshirt through EquiXotics.

What do you call it?

2010-05-13T09:58:00.003-07:00

In the last post, I talked about the winds of change. Things come and go in our lives. Things happen or don't, we adjust and move on or we wallow in our own self induced pity and wish for greater things.

But what do we call it? Did you shift your focus or change your course? Did your goals change or did you rethink a few of your ideas and make better decisions? Are you letting go of some things or did you delegate some of your chores? Everyone has their own ideas and depending on the situation a different name for what is happening.

I for one can admit I like to do things myself. I always find it easier to grab things, jump in and get after it. I know it is being done, how it is being done and that it is done when I'm done with it. It may be right, it may be mostly right, but it is done. Problem is- who learns from that? I might, but if I am trying to teach someone something, they may not pick up on much.

Not many of us learn by 'not doing' something. A lot of us learn more in a hands on situation than by watching once and being set loose. Even still, once you are set loose- you are now doing things hands on and may or may not, still make mistakes.

Priorities are another big issue. Problem is, these change too. Which horse is a priority? Which one takes more work? Do I start with the easy ones or the horse that will be more time consuming? The easy horse will make more progress in a shorter amount of time and I can go do stuff with them, while the slower learner is going to take longer to bring along, but once they figure things out- it's set for life.

Sometimes we get overloaded and find ourselves asking, "Where do I even start?" Some of us just give up, say forget it and turn to something else. Or a bigger priority comes along and we toss things to the back burner and let it go for now. "It can wait." Which is what has happened with Kat for so long.

I still enjoy riding but I also enjoy driving. So with the big mare out to get in shape, I can refocus on him again and get him going. The one cart needs a few small adjustments and he will be put to, before we know it. When she comes home, he should be far enough along that he will just need miles. It's nice reaching that point with a horse. That's when you get to settle into the saddle (or seat) and just ride (drive) just to ride. I'm looking forward to that. That's when it is fun again and not so much considered work.

The winds of change

2010-05-11T09:21:00.007-07:00

Lately the weather around our place has been nothing helpful about being productive outside. Unless of course you count the neighborhood recycling going on... It has been windy. Not a gentle breezy kind of wind, but just windy. They are forecasting 55 mph winds and heavy gusts. Working out in it can be just downright miserable for us and the horses. The neighborhood recycling, you ask? Oh, that's where the trash blows from yard to yard. Mixed with the weed seedlings of course. So that next year when the rains come- you have unplanned hedges- everywhere!

So the wind just continues to blow. The dust flies, feeding = hay in your clothes and it is just a steady thing to deal with. At least it is sorta consistent. The horses are either bouncing around or they just turn their backs to the wind and relent. Working them is interesting since you never know when something is going to come blowing on by and startle them. (Remember the neighborhood recycling program?) The older horses are over it, but the youngsters need to learn to deal, pay attention to the rider and listen for the cues. And so it goes...

With the winds of change have come a few realizations lately. Like a sailboat reliant on the wind, we may change our direction or focus. While the wind may blow a lot of dust around, clouding our vision, at the same time it can be a good thing as it clears our minds.

After losing Tess, I no longer have a jumper to ride. Not one to call my own anyways. So I put my jump standards up for grabs on Craigslist. I found a pattern for standards online and I still have a small stash of jump cups, so if and when the time comes- I can always make more. I received two responses on them. The second one from a young person with students who are getting ready to jump, but she lacks ground poles, lacks jumps and lacks money to buy it all. So she offered up her services to help out in any way she can in an effort to work off the amount I am asking for the jumps. Weed whacking, stall cleaning, lessons, training- whatever she can do. I emailed her back with my number and told her to call me. I'm sure we can figure something out. I had already thought of something too.

Since bringing home the WB mare Patience, (aka Aruba), it has literally been hit or miss on getting her going and in shape to start under saddle. At first, it rained- A LOT! We put horses out, only to have to bring them all back in, to wait, and wait, and wait some more until things dried up, the ground wasn't so slick and we could put a few more out. Which seemed to trigger another storm and more rain. Bring them in, let things dry, put another bunch out and bring on the rain. ARGH!

So now that the weather has finally cleared, everything has dried up and the footing is safe to work in again, the weeds have taken over. To the point of killing our lawnmower and taking out the metal blades on the head on the gas weed eater and trying their best to kill the electric weed eater too! Burning the weeds is not working for some reason either. They are dry but won't ignite. Can you believe that?

So while JR has his hands full continuing to try getting the weeds brought under control, I have opted to take the girl up on her offer of helping out in any way she can, to pay for the jump standards, poles and ground rails. Aruba is leaving to go to her place tomorrow. She lives 2 miles away and will be taking her for a month or two to get her back into shape. She will be lunging her to build up the muscles and get her ready to go to work.

The wind has cleared my mind and helped me focus more clearly. She will be off our feed bill for a while, she will be close enough I can go check on her often and she will be fit and ready to go into long lines when she comes home. She is going for conditioning work only, so no worries about anything major to fix, no worries about harsh bits, bad hands or big spurs... When she comes home the work will begin. For now I have shifted my course and changed direction. Time to let the wind take control of things for a while. It's really nice being able to let go.

Savvy Shoppers & Screaming Deals

2010-05-06T15:08:00.005-07:00

In the last post, I talked about taking care of your tack. How that helps it hold it's value and when it comes time to sell it, you may even be able to ask more than what you paid for it.

We all find a bargain here and there and one of the websites I found in an odd way now has a Crosby online for sale for $100. They had a Passier online for $150 when I found them. A small tear in the leather near the edge of the seat- nothing noticable when you were mounted and the price for this model new- $3500-$3800. Sadly I did not get to it quick enough and someone else got a hell of a deal on it. I just hope they realize the deal they got!

If I go back a number of years, when my daughter was still riding and I had recently acquired my Arab mare- a friend at the time called me to offer me first crack at a few saddles that were going to be put up for sale. He said there was a youth saddle in the mix and it would be good for my daughter. I went and looked at it and took it home to try it out. It wasn't anything fancy, but rather covered in dust and could stand to be cleaned. Smooth leather seat, fenders and jockeys, there was no off side billet, cinch or latigo and the stirrups were these hideous wood things with a band of aluminum on the outside. Was I impressed? Not hardly.

So I put it on my mare and lunged her a little bit. Pulled it off and checked for dry spots underneath- nothing, so we were good to go on fit for her. I checked the stirrup length and climbed on to check the fit for me. Settling into the saddle was like being back in my realm. It was just comfy and fit like a glove. No pitching you forward, no feeling of being left behind or off balance, it was just. right. there.

After deciding to buy the saddle, I took it home to clean and oil it up. Going over it, I found the small tab under the cantle where the skirts come together stamped SIMCO with a number beneath it. The asking price? $150. I offered $125 since I needed the billet, cinch and latigo and the seller agreed. Another $65 for new stirrups and its all good. I have used it all along and its still in good shape considering. To this day, I have no idea how old it is or what it is really worth. Do I care? Not at the moment because I am hanging on to it.

A few years later, while talking to the parents along the rail at a horseshow, one of the mothers mentions she has a dressage saddle for sale... She bought it because she liked the way it looked. It came with leathers and irons and she would take $350 for it. I picked it up a few days later to take home and try on my horse.

I gave it a once over- looking for any flaws or hidden issues- nothing. But there under the flap over the stirrup bars was a small tag stating Tony Slater Saddlery, Made in England. It peaked my curiosity so I went online to find... NOTHING. Eventually I found one saddle shop on the east coast that carried them, but didn't have any in stock at the moment and didn't know when they would...

So I called the local 'higher end' English tack shop in town and asked them about it. I explained to the girl on the phone it's condition, what was included and the price. I told her I wanted to know if it was a good deal or not before committing to it. She said they started at $1200 new, less the fittings. She then went on to tell me to buy it, regardless of whether or not it fit me or my horse. If it fit us both, great. If it didn't- I was to call her and she would buy it for $500. She hadn't even seen it! Sadly for her- it fit us both. Now however, it may not fit the new WB mare. If it doesn't, I will need to sell it and hopefully it will fund a new saddle that does fit her.

Then about 5 years ago, I found my Crosby close contact saddle. We have a wonderful shop here in town called Tack Solutions by Leslie. She has cornered the market and found her niche in offering new and gently used tack at reasonable prices in one location. No more digging through the grungy corner of the local store in their consignment bin- nope. This whole store is a bargain hunters paradise! We went looking for something else I believe, but we looked at a few saddles while we were there too.

I kept coming back to this one though.

It was buttery soft and broken in without being beat up. It still looked brand new and was a managers special with $100 knocked off the price. My new Crosby Sovereign close contact jumping saddle was a whopping $550. I checked them out online and called around to a few tack shops and got the same reaction- that's a steal and scoop it up. So I did. I have found them for $1100-$1300 new on Horsemall (and it looks like this may be the link to Millers saddlery that Cattypex was thinking about), so not a bad deal on this one either.

I will try to get photos up over the weekend of the saddles. You might be surprised. So let's hear your stories. What kind of amazing deals have you found on great tack and remarkable prices? Go ahead and brag all you'd like.

In case I forget- Happy Mothers Day!

*I added the photos. Does anyone recognize them from Go Lightlys blog with the stick figure riding? The photos of the SImco- for whatever reason the horse was blurry or the saddle was. I don't know why so I chose this one because at least the blur is minimized. It also appears to need cleaning again. Guess I know one thing I will be doing this weekend...*

The price of care

2010-05-04T09:55:00.006-07:00

Ok so everyone knows I have gone through the tack room and opened the door for selling a lot of what is there. I have sorted through it all, sorted through my mind on what is staying and what can go. I have made my list, checked it twice, gone back to bein' naughty and gave up on playing nice. Sorta...

I checked through catalogs and websites for each item, found the price of a new one, looked objectively at what I am offering, considered it's condition and set a fair price for each one. Some of the stuff has never been used, some has been used only once- to try on for fit and some has seen it's fair share of use. But I have always cleaned and taken care of everything. I think in some cases this is what seems to set people off.

I also have this bad habit of looking at things and deciding what I would expect to pay for it if I were the buyer. If it is good quality, in good shape, has been taken care of and is slightly below the cost of buying new- no problem. If it is faded, worn out, dried out, torn up, frayed, smashed, bent out of shape, beaten to a pulp and long since given up the ghost of life- don't expect a sale from me.

I may not have always spent a great deal of money on something to acquire it, but in taking great care of it, it has lasted me for years. Like the Fox-something-or-other brand leather hunt bridle I purchased back in the late 80's for my first horse Tai, from a tack store (Horsin' Around) that closed long ago, for the whopping sum of $25. I still have it, it is still useable and I am hanging on to it!

It was the one I could afford at the time, but even then I knew one thing. Taking care of it would make it last. At least until I could save up more money and buy something newer, nicer, better, fancier, stronger... whatever. And even for it being at the bottom of the price range of everything on the wall in the store- it was still well made, still decent quality leather and worth a bit more then low price being asked. If I were to ever offer it up now, I could only reasonably ask $10-$15 tops. Even still someone would think that is too much or maybe not enough.

When buying tack, there is quality to be found in every price range. There is always going to be the stuff that is cheap because it is cheap. Cheap price for cheap materials and cheap workmanship that went into making it. There is also going to be decent quality items that with good care, will hold up for some time.

Good care may even be no more than wiping it down after use, keeping it inside- the house, tack room or tack compartment on the horse trailer. Putting it away for next time, rinsing off the splint boots, hanging up the polo's allowing them to dry instead of rolling them up. Hosing off both sides of the western saddle pads once a week if in heavy use or once a month for the recreational riders crowd. Storing the saddle pad upside down to air out in between rides. Soaking all of the brushes in a bucket of soapy water- once a week or once a month, depending on use. Rinsing the bit off after each ride. Washing the english pads and polos as needed...

Suprisingly enough, taking these few small steps, giving everything a glance before use and again before putting it away, ensures your safety, your horses comfort and will generally secure the value of things, should you decide to or ever need to sell something. Some things actually increase in value as inflation has upped the asking price for new and your item is still in excellent condition. It happens...

Learning curves

2010-04-27T13:56:00.007-07:00

I am trying to figure out how to upload video of my pony from his workout last night. For some reason it is just not working. Annoying, yes. Frustrating, yes. Time consuming? Yes. So I keep trying, giving up and coming back to it later...

When it finally works, I will gladly share. I know some of the bloggers and commenter's were interested to see his movement. Thing is, this isn't even it. He is not giving it his best or throwing out the BIG Action that he has. When he does- it blows your mind and will give you chills.

Another thing I haven't quite managed yet is adding reader pics to the Photo Gallery on the BBB's blog. I am trying to get to that and get those up as well. Bear with me on this.

*** Edited to add the links to YouTube ***

Kat Trot This one seems almost like he's moving in slow motion... Weird! He isn't, he wasn't and I doubt that is even an option on my iPhone. If it is- I don't know how I enabled it to work.

Kat's workout This is from the beginning of the workout and he is running around a little bit excitedly. He does this weird thing where he tucks his tail and butt under him and elevates in the front before getting a bit 'broncy'. If you stop it at the 12 second mark, he is quite round and in full bronc mode for him, meaning he is about to leap forward as seen at 13 sec. He is also doing it at 4 & 5 seconds in.

Kat on the lunge line This one shows him cantering and then trotting some. It is also the one where it really looks like his legs are going backwards, but he is moving forward. In pausing it and moving the little button frame by frame, it skips a second here, a couple seconds there, but playing it all the way through- it is continuous. I don't know if this is what makes his legs look funky or not.

True Professionals

2010-04-22T10:24:00.003-07:00

Hectic and crazy? Yeah, that would be my life! A minor car accident last week, a break in at the house this week and who the hell knows what next week will bring, but I am not even going to ask! Everyone is fine, nothing was stolen and the car has already been fixed. I picked it up this morning actually.

With a show for my pony less than a month away I have been wondering about taking him, just showing him in hand for now and going for the gusto in the fall or just waiting until the fall and going all out then? I am still on the fence with that one... *sigh*

We all know I skipped taking Tess to a show simply because her butt was bald. We also know that hair loss does not in any way, affect movement, behavior or the amount of training a horse has. But it just does not reflect well on you for your horse management skills. Whether or not you are doing everything you possibly can to fix the problem, resolve the issue, cure the- hair loss, worms, fungus, weight problems, lameness or whatever ???, you just don't take the horse to a show until things are right again. You will only put yourself out there for judgement poorly and people will talk about you for some time to come. They WILL talk, and NOT in a GOOD way.

Dena and I were recently discussing horses and competition on the phone. BEC and I discussed the 'horses only have so many jumps in them' theory before. I think it was on Shame in the Horse Show Ring. Horses don't ask to compete- we ask it of them. Some of them may enjoy it, but would they if they had never done it? Would they if they were handled poorly and abusively? Are they reacting to our level of excitement when they win or place well?

Professionals manage their horses career be it at home or on the road. They may school over a few large scale jumps at home one day a week or so, but for the most part, they save it for competition and when it truly counts. Same with reiners, same with cutters, same with race horses, same with true professionals in every horse sport. If the horse is schooling for an advanced level at home, they may or may not be withdrawn from competition until they are solid and ready to move up. That is up to the trainer and owners, but all things considered- let's hope they do what is best for the horses long term career. Sometimes people view things as- we have won at that level, why continue competing there? Why not let someone else have the spotlight for a while? We are moving up anyways...

True Professionals also do not enter classes in which the horse is not actually ready to compete in. If the horse is comfortable going over fences at 3' to 3'6", they do not enter a class for Grand Prix. "Well he shouldn't have a problem. He can jump!" And the refusals and downed rails follow... They also don't take the horse to a show before the horse is steady and rock solid in their training. You can't train them in a day and a 30 day wonder is usually not ready either.

TP's are not there to win the warm up and impress a bunch of bystanders or spectators. They are there to impress the judge(s). They do what they do best and as best as they can on that day. Hopefully it all works out for them- if not, they know what they need to work on before the next competition. Even if they win- they may still have something to go home and tweak before next time. No horse is perfect all of the time and even 'finished' horses need fine tuning.

TP's may also give things a 'dry run', long before hooking up the trailer. Warm up and work over a full course a week or so before the big day, Maybe work on cattle as if you were in the class, practice a reining pattern- just so they know if there is anything needing to be fixed (on them or the horse!) and still some time to evaluate it. That's when you decide-

a) let it go for now, but you are aware of it and will keep it in mind, but fix it after the show...
or
b) it is a easy fix and can be resolved now or tomorrow in one easy session.

TP's may also choose to focus on the elements of their ride or pattern separately instead of over patterning their horse to death. This also applies to showmanship classes. When you repeat a pattern over and over, the horse may start to anticipate what is next and go into drone mode. They aren't listening to you, they are just doing their pattern... you know, like you practiced soooo many times at home. They also get bored with it and may start to rebel in creative ways. Boy they can be creative!

Another thing to consider doing is attending a show or competition to scope out the competition. See who is showing, (which trainers, which barns, which riders, which horses?) check the results & standings and choose where to go from there. Race horse trainers check the daily workout results of their horses & those horses they will race against and plan accordingly. Why can't you?

We all want to win- there's no doubt about that. But if you consider everything wisely, use a bit of common sense and are prepared before you get there- the rest will come easily. Then it is up to the judge or the clock as to how things work out from there. Let's just hope there is a dash of luck in there to go along with it on the days we could use it the most!

Hair, hair, everywhere

2010-04-15T13:51:00.002-07:00

Springtime has arrived. At least it has at the Rotten house. All of our horses are shedding. Shedding like crazy! Pat one and the hair flies. Brush one and it comes out in globs. They roll and leave half their coat on the ground...

This is a good thing for a lot of us. The weather is finally warm enough, we don't worry about frozen water pipes. The water coming out of the hose no longer feels like it came from the Arctic and we can FINALLY rinse or bathe the horses after a workout. It is so nice having them dry in a short time in comparison to a few hours at best. (I know, not everyone is there yet, in all areas, but it won't be long before you are.)

Some people prefer a shedding blade to do the deed, others a metal curry. To me a metal curry would be much like using a Scotch Brite pad in the shower to exfoliate. If your horse can tolerate it and actually enjoys it, so be it. But a lot of them can't. Some horses have sensitive skin and this would be pure misery. Tess couldn't even tolerate a stiff brush, so for her this would not work.

If the hair is just not coming off, there's always the option of body clipping. Which makes short work of shedding for one thing, but all of ours have pretty much shed out completely already. I may have to scalp the COB mare though. Her legs are just woolly, even still. And she would look funny with bald legs and a semi fuzzy body, so it would all come off...

For the most part though, I use the rubber curry combs. Grab them by the side and use straight strokes with the hair. It will get a lot of the hair off the horse and leave an incredible shine as the skin is massaged and the oils come to the surface. Ours have always enjoyed this and lean into the strokes. A few of them make their funny faces and Kat will stand there biting the air as he is 'grooming' an invisible horse. Pal sticks his nose straight up in the air and the mares just all seem to relish in what is referred to as SPA DAY.

When rinsing them with the hose and a strong stream, it is amazing how much more hair seems to come off... And when you finally think you got all of it, well, it's about the time they start growing the fuzzy's back for next winter. Never ending process I tell ya. *shakes head & mumbles about hair* Now off to find the dogs and get them shed out...

What gives?

2010-04-12T14:21:00.004-07:00

Wow! A whole week and no new posts. How bad is that?

That's bad. I admit. I have been one of those that likes new posts every day. Every few days at the least, to read something new and interesting. And here I go and commit the biggest blogger faux pas of all. Not posting. Bad. Bad me, bad. I will try to keep up with this one. There is still a lot of information to cover.

I have been online, but looking up business information and other things needed to get mine going and off the ground. My business partner has agreed to let me have somewhat 'free rein' over everything and run with it. So I am. Which translates into me being responsible for everything. The funding, the logo, the literature, the manufacturing, the packaging, the marketing- the whole she-bang! Sweet? Yes, but in a way, not so much. Anyone care to guess how time consuming this can be?

Luckily I have a lot of contacts. Good contacts that can help me. I just have to find a way to release some amount of control to them. Delegation is not my strong point. I try to tackle everything head on, do it myself and know it was done to my liking.

Then I had to go and throw down the gauntlet and challenge a friend of mine to get off our asses, get our horses worked and into competition. A new blog was born, the challenge was opened up to anyone wishing to join in and now it's "Game ON!"

A new blog was born (Bitchin' Barn Babes!) to keep tabs of things and create an amount of accountability for us both. Lose the weight, train the horses and go do something.

My pony sat for a couple of days. Not getting worked because I just didn't or couldn't get to him. I did manage to get him out last night. I ground drove him around and around and around, with the practice shafts on and attached. We even trotted some- to read, I had to jog with him. He wanted to stop and walk. I did too in a short time. When did I ever get so out of shape? I also offer up my apologies to the neighbors. Nobody should have to witness a sight such as that...

Next time I will try to wait until you have gone indoors. Otherwise I will move over to the other pasture. I guess we are even though. Your one steer (or was it the bull?) charged the fence as we went by. Not cool. But I have to say- my little guy was unflappable. It did not phase him. He just kept on walking.

Friday Fun

2010-04-02T11:03:00.003-07:00

I have pretty much run out of things to post on For Sale Fridays, so for the most part, I am going to suspend that until I dig out more of our own or I am suddenly flooded with emails from posters or followers wishing to clear stuff out.

For now I will go back to Fun stuff on Fridays. Which leads to the new blog in the just for fun blogs- Workforced

I received an email in my inbox about 5am from Don Joe the author of Workforced, inviting me to go have a peek. So I responded and said I would when I got in to work. I mean, what better place to waste some time than another blog, right? And this one is talking about stuff in the workplace.

Pretty much everyone has a job of some sort. If you are an at home parent- You have the most unappreciated, underpaid job in the world! Any of us that commute- we travel to jobs we either love or hate. Work from home? There may be very few 'paid vacations' or official sick days, but you get to set your own hours and work in your pajamas, so there is some kind of a trade off.

I am in the process of reading through the posts and catching up. I'm sure we can all relate to something there. Maybe even add a few stories of our own. I know I have a lot to share...

I hope everyone has a great weekend and a Happy Easter. Here's to finding colored eggs all over the lawn instead of nibbled bushes and bunny pellets. Even still though, the pellets may break down into good fertilizer, so it's not a total loss.

Something special this way comes

2010-03-31T08:57:00.001-07:00

Look into my eyes... look deep into my eyes....

No! Stop! Don't do it. Don't listen to him. He is trying to draw you in and gain control over you. lol

This is my pony stallion Lightly Frosted. He goes by Kat, the little man and sometimes even Bear, because he is so incredibly lovable.

When I went to look at him I almost walked away. I was not impressed. He was in a small pen with another rank pony stud and wore a halter and lead 24/7, because he was difficult to catch. His owner led him out, tried to lead him off so I could see him walk and evaluate his line of travel. He was just all over the place. Wobbly is one way to describe it. At one point he was almost being dragged along as he refused to move. He was put back in the stall, we went to look at the woman's other horses, she was called inside for a phone call and that's when it happened.

I looked over at the pen to see him, his head barely above the back of the other pony. About what you see in the picture above... He shot me a look and I was doomed. My friend asked what I was doing? Was I crazy? "He can't be caught, he doesn't lead, I doubt he loads and you are out of your mind!" All of that from a teenager. Yeah, sigh.

I paid for him, we led him out, got him in the trailer and headed home. He tried to climb out the side of the two horse trailer when we stopped at a red light. We pulled into a gas station I tied him up differently and off we went again. Moving he was fine, stops he got antsy. We tried to hit as many green lights as we could and got back on the freeway.

At his new home, he quickly settled in, stood like a champ the next day for a full body clipping and soon turned into everybody's favorite. Except for the barn owner. If he was turned out, I had better be showing up. Otherwise he wouldn't come in, wouldn't let anyone catch him and was just a little brat that way. Treats didn't work, wearing him out didn't either. I would walk out to the gate, he would stroll over I would put his halter on and bring him in. They could be heard grumbling about it the whole time.

(Yay cell phone cameras!)

He was supposed to be the pony that was the next 'step up' for my daughter. He was supposed to grow up and be bigger than her current pony. He did get taller. A whopping 2 inches taller... It became clear that he was not her pony. Not at all.

Over the years he has always been a keeper and his place with me is as solid as it gets. His first time in long lines, he was hooked up and pulling a drag around in no time at all. He pulled it past the mares and never even acknowledged they were there.

Sunday night I dragged his old harness out and put it on him. He hasn't worn it in years. Clearly a few things have changed- like where the britchin' strap lays... and how I needed to re-adjust the crupper. But he seems happy to be going back to work. We did a bit of ground driving. Circles, serpentine's, all the way around the rail, stop, wait, back a couple of steps and walk on. He never got excited, never tried to speed up, just put his head down and walked on. Even when the horse in the next pasture over, snorted and rushed the fence every time we went by. The biggest reaction he got from the little man was, he stopped, stood there and waited for the next command of what to do.

So last night we took it up a notch. We 'drove' down the street. The neighbors dogs rushed the fence barking, a car came up from behind us, I told him to "Walk on" and he never missed a step. The easy ones are great and we tend to forget, they don't all learn so fast and they aren't all so easy.

Where do we go from here?

2010-03-29T13:26:00.004-07:00

At some point in our life with horses, we each face a point where we ask ourselves just what have I been doing? Where do I want to go and how am I ever going to get there? I have been having a lot of those thoughts lately.

Where JR is concerned, he has hit that point all ready and only wants to cut. That's it. He has no real interest in anything else. The Quarter Horses are his and I'm fine with that. Where I enjoy pretty much all things horse related, I have run into a few crossroads lately.

After losing Tess, I really have no jumper in the barn anymore. I have the horses, the ways and means to create more, but it would take a few years to get there if I did. Around 5-6 years or so. A year for the foal to 'arrive', 3 more years before we start under saddle work and another year or more before we start over fences. That's if I breed the horses this year, which the season is getting near the end already. So I am considering selling my jumps. Three sets of standards, several cups and the rails or poles to go with them. I can always buy or build more later on...

Then there is the pony stallion. He wins at halter every time we go to a show. He takes to everything quickly and once he figures out what you want, has the attitude of "Sit back and watch THIS!" giving you everything, exceeding the limits of what you asked for or expected.

In being so disenchanted with a lot of local horse people lately, their wishy-washy ways, noncommittal thoughts and changing their minds on a whim, I have not offered him as a breeding prospect for a few reasons. One of them being, I have no say over where the foals end up and he has one really nice filly out there at the moment that is unaccounted for.

Then this morning I found an ad from a person seeking a pony with his coloring, his talent and temperament, as an addition to their breeding operation. I hadn't thought of selling him and I hadn't thought of offering him to the public either, but there it is. The ad has been up for quite a while and was renewed just last Wednesday. I contacted them and was blunt and brutally honest about it. I have not entertained the thought of selling him, but it is not out of the question either and I am open to negotiations. (I may even throw in the meadowbrook to sweeten the deal.)

There is a lot going on with all of this and should the pony be leaving I will retain a few breeding's, but I would also like to see him go on to bigger and better things. I like driving and I love my pony, but which way it all goes from here is something to seriously consider.

Then there is the other question of another horse on the horizon. It's a gelding, by a stallion I want to breed my TB mare to, a breed I love and he's awaiting a new home in a good place... But he too has a small issue that would keep him from jumping. If the pony sells, I can breed my mare and get a future jumper. Then the wait begins and I am grounded for a while. Or at least back to doing only flat work.

So how many of us have come to the point of crunch time, serious thoughts and decision making? Which horses stay, which ones do we let go of, which direction do we want to go and how do we go about getting there? I know a couple of other people who each have a number of horses and no clear focus on what they wish to do in the industry. A few of them have been advised to sell off the majority of their herds and buy a select few really nice horses, bred and trained to take them to the top and enjoy the ride.

When you narrow down your focus and zoom in on what you truly want, it becomes a lot easier to find and get what you need to get there. There are always sacrifices to be made and it seems like I may have a bit of deep thought processing to do for a little while. Of course I will let everyone know how things turn out. Sheesh. Did anyone think I wouldn't?

Leather color trends

2010-03-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

With the show ring in mind- things go in and out of 'style' based on trends. One year it is all about the light oil tack, next year it is dark oil. Tack is expensive. Not all of us can afford to drop a few thousand dollars on a saddle we may ride in a couple of times a month, only to buy another one, just to fit in next year.

Lucky enough, in the English disciplines, there is not so much going on when considering trends. A neat appearance, pretty streamlined in the look and minimal 'bling' at best. A fancy browband, maybe a few stones on the stirrups, I have seen engraved stirrups, earrings, a stock pin and that's about it. Leather color is usually medium oil or havana, dark oil or black. Sometimes you will see a lighter oil or chestnut color, but that's about as light as it gets.

In the western discipline though you often get four choices- light oil, medium, dark and black. I reccomend medium oil since it fits in with the trend of light oil or dark oil and can be used with whatever the latest trend is at the moment. I understand not everyone can change saddles on a whim.

Tooling can be everything from basket weave, floral patterns, acorns, barbed wire trim and a number of other combinations. My personal preferrances here is minimal tooling. Dust and dirt stick everywhere and cleaning saddles with a toothbrush gets old fast and is time consuming. If you have someone else to do it for you or you enjoy it- more power to you.

The seat may be padded or hard, suede, roughout or smooth leather and either flat, slightly angled or one that puts you in one spot and holds you there no matter what. I prefer a little bit of padding, no matter what the intended use for the saddle. Maybe it's just me, but no matter how much extra padding we have on our bodies- it is Never in the right spot. Suede and roughout seats bring a bit of 'grip' to the equation. If you have suede chaps on and you are sitting in a roughout cutting saddle- it is like being glued in place. This can be good if you are in the position you want and need to be in- bad if you aren't. Sometimes a little bit of 'slip' is good, other times a bit of 'grip' is good.

When shopping for a show saddle for the western disciplines, the first place you start is which discipline do you plan on showing in? Western Pleasure, Reining, Cutting, Working Cowhorse, Ranch Versatility, Trail and I'm pretty sure I may have forgotten a few more, but focus on what you want to do and where you intend to go with it. When you get into roping, barrel racing, penning and sorting as well and the many other gymkhana or speed event's- tooling and color no longer matter and neither does how much bling it carries, just that it fits your horse is comfortable to ride in, puts you in or allows you to move into the proper position and holds up for the job or intended purpose.

The next major thing to consider is how the saddle fits your horse. Is the tree wide enough, narrow enough or is it treeless? Is the tree in good shape- not warped, cracked or broken? Sometimes this one can be obvious to the naked eye, other times the minor issues can go undetected and slip past even knowledgeable people.

What is the tree made of- hardwood wrapped in rawhide, hardwood wrapped in fiberglass, just plain fiberglass, flexible composite materials??? Everyone has their preferences here too, but the bottom line is this. The saddle tree (with or without) is pretty much the skeleton or foundation of the saddle. That's where the saddlemaker starts when building their saddle. Where it goes from there is up to them and how they put all of the pieces together, determines what the final product will look like and how useful it will be.

I wonder who reads this...

2010-03-22T11:58:00.002-07:00

In my inbox today, I found a survey from the AHA, Arabian Horse Association. They sent this out to others like myself, who have let their membership lapse.

In a few places it would have been helpful, had they allowed multiple choices to be selected, since none of us really fit into a single box. Pigeon holing anyone? Please don't do this AHA. Nobody benefits from that.

I love the breed. They are beautiful horses, extremely intelligent and can be wonderful mounts for a variety of sports and competitions. They are not overly sensitive as many people think they are, they are usually just out thinking their handlers. That's when the problems start. There are a number of horses that fall into the same category but of different breeds.

As everyone knows, I was pregnant with the twins for most of 2008. I quit riding along about month 3 of that. I just did NOT feel comfortable on a horse, any horse, in any saddle, even at a walk, so I gave it up for the remainder of the days. My mares got a year off, I was no longer giving lessons and all of my memberships had lapsed.

Guess what? I am now eligible for Amateur status! At least under the guidelines of USEF. It has now been officially two years of me being 'off' from the horses- showing, training, teaching and coaching. I just need to apply, go through all the proper channels (to read paperwork and a few forms) and waa laa- Done!

So in getting back to the survey, they were wondering if I am going to be renewing my membership. I am likely going to renew, but based solely on the grounds of a few things happening. One of them would be that I get our Arab stallion going under saddle again. He's feeling quite spunky though lately, so it may be time to get going with that.

*He's the one in my avatar. I snapped the pic on a Saturday morning as he came blasting across the turnout towards the fence and me with my camera phone. I had turned him out, he was playing and having an absolute BLAST! I love seeing that.*

I will renew IF a friend or former client wants their horse shown, IF we end up with another Arab that has the potential to do well in the ring or IF another client comes along wanting their horse shown and I am the one chosen to do it. If it is our horse- Ammy. A friends or clients horse- open. I just can't and don't see doing it any other way. At least not if I wish to play fairly. How others go about it- that's up to them in the Karma Lottery.

At the end of the survey, there is a box where you can fill in the AHA with any comments you may have. I filled them in on a lot of things on my mind. I just wonder who reads this stuff and if anything I have said will actually do any good. One can hope, right?

FSF- Driving Like Crazy

2010-03-18T21:22:00.015-07:00

Soooooo, any guesses about the topic today?

Driving can be a lot of fun and something else to do with your horse. There are a number of events hosted by driving clubs across the country (and world) as well as chuck wagon races (fun to watch, but some level of insanity required to compete), chariot racing and there is even a club for endurance driving...

One of the clubs in the pacific northwest has plowing competitions, pulling competitions can be seen at state and county fairs and then there is also the Combined Driving Events. I highly recommend attending any of these as they are educational as well as incredibly fun. The American Driving Society is a great place to start, and their calendar has events and shows in many areas. Carriage Driving. Net has a host of information, events, articles and resources for those wishing to learn more about this sport.

And now for the carts and harnesses I am offering up for sale.

Nylon harness-

I have a nylon pony harness, black with white felt padding. It has been used but always kept clean and stored inside. This harness is missing the breastcollar and traces, but replacements can be acquired. It fits my Welsh cross pony stallion, but would fit a larger pony a bit better. I am open to offers as is, or with the replacements. Great starter harness as it retains it's softness and requires little care.

Leather harness-

Leather pony harness. Fits a smaller pony- shetland, hackney, Welsh section A or B, etc. Harness comes complete and is undergoing cleaning and oiling this weekend. It may soon be seen with the one cart below if it doesn't find a new home soon. Asking $100

Metal training cart-

Needs cosmetic work- paint, padding and vinyl on the seat and undercarriage, but is otherwise strong, sturdy and ready to go to work.

There are three adjustment positions for the seat to balance the cart for your pony's comfort and a number of springs underneath the seat for yours.

The basket underneath for your feet is diamond mesh steel covered with vinyl to keep the road dust from coming through on the driver. This cart would likely fit a loarger pony- POA, Haflinger, Welsh section C, Quarter Pony- etc. Asking $400 as is, price is negotiable.

Meadowbrook cart-

Then there is my beautiful Meadowbrook cart. Made by the Eden Mill and Carriage Shop in Eden New York, Craig A. Vogel, as listed on the brass plate on the spares box under the seat.

This is a beautiful cart that is made to fit smaller ponies, Shetland, Hackney, Welsh Section A or B, etc. Black vinyl seats and vinyl under the basket to keep out any dust from the road.

Here you can see the left side seat flips up for easy driver entry. The spares box is under the drivers seat...

and the backrests fold forward for shipping and storage. This cart has been well cared for and maintained, kept under cover, up on jacks to prevent the rubber on the tires from developing flat spots and oiled to prevent the wood from drying out. Asking $1000.00

As always, contact me for more information and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. The Trading Post is always open and Fern Valley Appaloosas is as usual posting her For Sale Fridays too.

Enjoy your horses and your weekend. The weather has finally turned nice around here. Time to go out and get to work...

Public Service Announcement #1

2010-03-17T10:10:00.005-07:00

In the comments on the last post, I posted about a horse named BitterCreek Bill and the tragic accident that took the life of his owner. The horse flipped over and landed on his owner/rider in an irrigation ditch half way across the field, across the street from the barn. While a helmet may not have saved her, it very well may have. Who's to say really?

In my email inbox, I recently received another story about a top level rider, who was caught in a bad situation. In light of the fatal skiing accident of the actress Natasha Richardson, I'm not sure how much a helmet would have helped in this situation, but it's always a good idea to wear one and be better safe than sorry.

Admittedly, I don't always wear one. I do if I plan on doing ANY jumping. I do if I am getting on a young horse and I do sometimes, just because. With the girls- it will now become a mandatory issue. Lead by example Mom. When our teenage daughter started riding, she always wore a helmet. Always! Helmet hair isn't pretty, but life support and brain injuries are considerably far less attractive.

This is a picture of Courtney King-Dye, an accomplished rider on the horse Idocus in the USEF HP Grand Prix. Below is the email that accompanied the picture and explains what had happened on a Wednesday, back at the beginning of March. More information can be found on her website- Courtney King Dressage which was last updated yesterday.

Hi Everyone.... so, as usual, I knew I could count on my little group to jump to the prayers.... the response has been amazing and the response, nationwide, has been something that I know Court will be completely overwhelmed by....

I just got home from the hospital.... she is very heavily sedated
and they asked for everyone to leave for the night.... but, she is
holding strong...

SO, I know there are SOOOO many questions, but here is the
story....

She was on her last horse of the day at her farm, a young one....
without a helmet on.... he was not being bad, she was cantering and did a half halt and pushed his haunches out, as he was falling in... he got his legs all tangled up and tripped and fell down.... there was no scramble or anything weird, he simply fell and she literally rode him to the ground.... she stayed on him all the way down and as she went down, her head smacked the ground.... someone was videoing her and said that her head actually bounced it hit so hard....

she was unconscious and life flighted to StMary's Trauma center in Palm Beach... they did not fly her because she was too unstable to be driven, but because of the time situation.... they call the first hour "the golden hour" (so I have learned) after the trauma happens.... the more they can do in that first hour, the better
the chances of a good outcome....

so, what happened.... when her head hit, her brain separated from the lining and shifted a bit..... that caused some bleeding in various spots.... they did a procedure and placed a monitor between the lining and the skull to monitor the pressure in her head.... normal pressure is between 5-7, hers is 9.... the point
that becomes critical that they have to take measures to reduce the pressure is 20, so they are happy about that.... she also has a fracture in her skull, but that is actually the least of their worries.....

she is still what they consider to be medically "unresponsive".... to be responsive, she has to be able to do a few very black and white tasks, when they say, squeeze this hand, she must do it.... when they say, open your eyes, she must do it.... and she is unable to do that right now.... however, the people that came with her were holding her hands and talking to her and when they mentioned Jason to her (her husband) they could feel her respond and try to move and then again with other words.... when they mentioned Viva, her dog :-) so, she IS a little responsive.. ..
they now have her heavily sedated because they want her brain to rest... they want it to have NO stimulation. .. Jason and her dad were able to go in with her for a second, but they asked them to leave as well... they said the next 3-5 days are the most critical.... it could go anywhere from steady improvement to
catastrophic. ...

The waiting room had a solemn tone, but everyone is being optimistic.. .. and of course, there were a few moments where laughter was required.... . it got a little quieter when Jason got there.... (he just HAPPENED to be flying in tonight anyway, got the phone call 30min before his plane left) he came over and sat down by me and after the original conversations there was quite a while when we all sat quietly, then he looked over at me and said, "you girls and your horses" with a cute smile on his face.... I think right now he HATES horses, but he knows how we all feel
about them, his wife included....

Now, I know in this email group are doctors, nurses, daughters of neuro surgeons, etc.... Im telling you NOW that there is probably something that is not exactly correct in the way I said it, but overall, this is the general gist of whats going on.... the bottom line is A) PRAYERS, PRAYERS and more PRAYERS for Court.... and B)
WEAR A HELMET!!!! I know, I am more guilty than anyone on this list of NOT wearing one, but that changes today.... I have already ordered my new one and I can promise you, it will always be on my head.... I have talked to several other professionals down here whose mind changed today..... will keep everyone as posted as
possible....

xoxo,
JK
Jodie Kelly

What's next?

2010-03-15T09:14:00.004-07:00

Over the weekend we had a bit of interesting news in the Valley of the Sun. A group of four riders went out and during their ride they ran into a problem. A rather large problem. They left their common sense behind.

We have had quite a bit of rain over the past couple of months. 13" so far this year is what has been reported. We live in a desert and sometimes the storms are referred to as a "gully washer", because the washes, gullies and otherwise small streams fill up washing everything away. The Salt River is flowing and the current can be strong in places.

So these people set out and at some point in their ride thought crossing the water was a good idea. Now I am all for a horse crossing water and quietly going where you ask them to go. But for the horses sake- use your head! They underestimated the current, one of the horses is now still 'stuck on the island' and one of the horses broke a leg and had to be shot on site by an officer.

It's a sad story that could have been prevented all the way around, had these people made a simple decision and chosen a different route. Really not a tough thing to do.

In Arizona we also have what is called the "Stupid Motorist Law" which in affect, leaves the motorist to pay for their rescue should they decide to try crossing the water in a gulch, gully, wash or roadway otherwise covered with water. If the roadway is blocked with a pylon or barrier- you are plain busted. You pay for any and all resources involved in pulling you out. You pay the wages of any officers, firefighters, EMT's or specialty rescue crews involved- however many hours it takes to get everyone out. You pay for the trucks, boats, heavy equipment, a helicopter and pilot if necessary... It can add up fast.

Another aspect of this is that your insurance company can deny the claim, drop your policy and you are SOL ($h!t out of luck) to pay for not only the rescue operation, but a vehicle that is now a total loss with a 'salvage' title and off to the wrecking yard due to water damage. If you haven't paid it off- you still owe the bank. If you have kids in the car, you face charges of child endangerment on top of it all.

The one local news station abc15 has been covering the story and in this article they are asking if the riders should be charged for paying for their rescue. It was at Yes- 73.2% / No- 26.8% when I voted. I am wondering if they also face animal cruelty charges on top of it as well? The horses didn't choose the trail.

The owners are also now desperately wanting to get hay out to the horse. In the last photo of the slide show you will see about a half bale of alfalfa sitting on the ground, ready to go out to the horse. They have tried taking it out by boat. To me this translates into putting more people at risk and possibly another rescue mission in the making...

The horse has been there since Friday. Dumping a half bale out there he will likely dive into and consume it all and could resultingly colic. Are they going to get a vet to the island if he does? Could the current turn that into another rescue mission too?

I want what is best for the horse. I understand it is one they raised from birth, but had they cared so much about it- this whole situation never would have come up in the first place. The people? They all got out with no injuries. Maybe I am being a bit harsh. I can handle that. But where does their accountability and responsibility lay?

Our horses are not in that situation. They won't be, either. Not if I can help it. don't know if they asked for any of the media attention, but they don't seem to be turning it away either. I don't need my 15 minutes of fame that badly. I will go without if it ever meant the life of one of my horses and possibly another.

*Just to add to the story a bit- more on the story or maybe it should be MORON in the story- "My wife lost everything she owned... her boots her sunglasses..."

So much for sympathy about losing the HORSE!

For Sale Friday: Wanted

2010-03-12T08:44:00.005-07:00

Fern Valley has her post on Fridays featuring horses, as well as Johnie Rotten's Trading Post which is always up and open for business.

Todays post will be about the things we would all Like to have. The things we WANT. It is okay to want nice things. It is also okay to like certain brands. Brands that deliver quality, not necessarily quantity. And it is okay to like brands that others do not. We each have our own tastes and our own reasons for liking or disliking the things we do. Quality tack holds up over time and the quality delivers, on the price you spend buying it. More than that though, with care- quality tack retains its value. If you ever need to sell it, you can usually get a quick sale at a reasonable price.

Admittedly I used to shop based mainly on price alone. I started with the clearance and "Sale" items. ALWAYS. Things have changed, for me anyways, but that is a tough habit to break. A lot of times I found I was buying and replacing stuff a number of times. Had I bought quality the first time around and paid the price to begin with- I would not have spent as much time and usually more money too, replacing things over and over.

Get out your wish lists, and get out your lists of online sources and tack companies. If one of us knows where someone else can find something on their list- please post the company name or make a 'clicky link' for them to help them find it. Horsemom was seeking boots in the first FSF post. I'm curious to know if she was able to get any, but when she does, she now has a couple places to start with when looking.

Clicky link 101- replace the parenthesis with < and >
(a href="web address goes here")clicky link words go here(/a)

Be honest with what you want, but more so, be reasonable with your budget. Yes there are some extremely great deals to be had out there. Those are the deals just way too good to pass up. Many times they come through word of mouth. Sometimes we stumble across them and don't even realize how great it is until afterwards. That's when we either start crying or doing the Happy Dance. Here's hoping we are all doing the Happy Dance!

Tenting the saddle pad

2010-03-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

Go Lightly has been speaking of tenting in saddle pads a bit lately. I have to thank her for something concerning that. I will explain why a bit later...

For now though, you can all thank her for bringing it up. Since we are discussing saddle fit, it will help to explain the 'tenting' by starting back at the beginning. Like the saddle tree. The saddle tree really determines whether or not the saddle will fit the horse. The tree will also vary to some degree, depending on the use it is designed for.

This image from Sugar River Saddlery and Tack in Wisconsin, shows a number of different trees, ready to be made into saddles. They will actually ship you the tree to fit on your horse, before they start to make your saddle. Of course there is a deposit and forms and stuff, but honestly, I have not heard of many if any saddlery shops that will do this. In most cases, saddles either fit your horse or they don't.

I found the website by looking for examples of the western saddle trees. Pictures to help us 'visually guided' folks...

This is their solid oak tree with bronze horn. It shows the way a saddle tree fits on the horses back. Obviously this tree is a bit wide for the 'horse' it is on since the pommel is a bit low and would be making for a sore back, but it is shaped a lot like the english saddle trees, with a nice wide space for the spine.

They also offer trees comprised of a few different components. Polymer Tree, Wood Tree Option for Covering, Fiberglass Wrapped, Bull Hide Wrapped (Rawhide), Flex Tree & ProTech.

A lot of the saddles on the market come in the standard- bullhide/rawhide wrapped wood tree, fiberglass tree, fiberglass wrapped tree and with technology advancements more options offering lighter weight, greater strength and longer saddle life, there is much to choose from and something for everyone. Then there are other companies offering treeless saddles.

Some of the saddle trees offer more of an actual seat on them. When you look at them as a bare nekkid skeleton, they look more like this one-

It looks like this picture is from a forum from the horse channel. Anyone care to say what they like or dislike about this type of tree? There are two things I find right off, that makes me think about continuing my search if I were shopping for a saddle.

The underside of a finished saddle here-

For those who don't already know, this is the correct way to set down a western saddle if you do not have a stand or rack for it. The horn and front of the saddle go down. Depending on the horn length and size, it may keep the saddle from falling over onto the seat and cantle, if not, you may need to lean it agains something to help it stay upright.

With this one, keep in mind, the riders position in the seat, would be right between the two rear cinch straps. Right about the back of the channel between the saddle bars, towards the top of the saddle as pictured. The rear of the saddle shows the skirts stitched or laced together. Many saddles on the market are constructed like this. The lacing of the skirts is another thing preventing the saddle pad from being tented the length of the horses spine, allowing for airflow. Add in the thickness of the pads and it makes it a bit harder to do. Not all saddle though, have the fleece lining the channel of the saddle. Some are left a bit more open.

Everyone can do their best to tent the pads, but as the horse moves, the pad may slip down and rest on the back. This can in some cases cause problems. Some pads offer built in channels to allow air flow along the spine. Sometimes you just have to make exceptions and work with what you have.

Hopefully this will explain a few things for her and help others understand their saddles from the inside out.

For Sale Friday- Saddles

2010-03-05T10:28:00.004-07:00

I am going to start labeling things and giving them categories. I really am, as soon as I get a chance to. Hopefully this will help when someone wants to go back and look for something. Easy look up.

Fern Valley is also posting For Sale Fridays on her blog. Fern Valley Appaloosas listing horses she has, knows about or otherwise, that are looking for a new home and new owner. Maybe between us we can get everyone out there tacked up, harnessed up, mounted up, in their cart, carriage, sleigh or behind their plow and enjoying their horses.

Johnie Rotten also has a Trading Post for classified ads on his website. He needs to put a lot more stuff up there and everyone is welcome to send in their ad and pictures. For $10 he will list it there until sold as well.

I feel both saddles are certainly worth what they are being offered at.

First up will be Cattypex's saddle:

I have a mid-1980s vintage Silver Royal for sale...
15" seat, fits most average Quarter Horses and larger Arabs.
Used very few times. Mint condition, SOLID, sturdy, just enough silver.
Beautiful deep chestnut color - tooled in an oak leaf & acorn design.
Freshly cleaned & oiled. Very little wear on the seat.
Made back when Silver Royal was a much more respected name in the industry.
Perfect "starter" show saddle.

Included is a classic one-eared headstall with flashy silver buckles, silver bit hangers. Flatters many head shapes. Not sure of the brand, but the leather is quite nice. Includes decent reins and fairly generic bit. All it needs is a curb strap, and you're ready for the first show of the year!

Asking $500 for the set.

(CNJ back in) In the original post, she had put in parenthesis (OBO to you guys.) Let me just say, a good saddle like this, certainly holds it's value over time. Accepting any less would be a shame. Offering any less? I know I wouldn't do it!

For the English riders we have a saddle being offered by Crazy 3 Dayer:

I paid $300 for it and that's all I'll ask..extremely comfortable! It really is an all purpose..longer flaps for flat/Dressage and nice knee rolls (removable) for Jumping/Eventing.

There is no brand name on it and it does not come with leathers or irons. 19" seat with a Med-wide tree. It has fit a few different horses comfortably. Irish Draughts, QH, Grade, etc. It's currently in TX, buyer pays shipping.

(CNJ in again) Another nice looking saddle that again, holds it's value over time.

For anyone interested, if Cattypex or C3D would like to post their contact info in the comments, that works or email me and I will pass your info along to them. Either way, I will help put everyone in touch.

Anyone else have any saddles they would like to see go to a new home? I know BEC was looking for one:

I am looking for a specific saddle...

A used Billy Cook All-Around saddle-15", FQH bars with a minimum gullet of 7-1/2", but prefer 7-3/4". Good condition, but doesn't have to look like "new".

In the absence of such a find, I am looking for;

A similar quality barrel type saddle-15", same criteria for the bars and gullet(FQH-7-3/4" gullet), square skirt, with back cinch latigos(I don't mind replacing the back cinch though).

I am not particular about tooling/silver(or absence of)...the most important part to me is the FQH bars and 7-3/4" gullet.

If anyone knows of something along those lines, you can email me *edited* through the blogs. Thanks

*If anyone needs the email addy, I know she posted it in the comments on the last FSF post, or again- email me and I will put you in touch.

More on Saddle Fitting

2010-03-03T13:47:00.004-07:00

I found another interesting link on saddle fitting when looking for a Silver Royal saddle, like the one Cattypex had mentioned. This one offers a couple of different ways to look at and check for good saddle fit.

Four Winds Saddle Tack Store in Fort Collins Colorado has a page online listed as Withers Tracing and another one of Saddle Fitting. I realize a lot of the information is based on or shows english saddles- all purpose, close contact and a lot of dressage saddles. I haven't found one yet showing anything more for western, so I will either have to keep digging or get some pictures taken of the boys out back.

One of the main things that I find interesting in the links here for wither tracing is the flexible curve available at the office supply store. I may be a bit brain dead on this one, but what would an office use those for? At least they are useful in helping you establish a drawing of how your horses back is shaped, but like Kitt had posted the pictures on the saddle fitting blog, with time and exercise or time off, the shape will change and saddle fitting requirements will too. Muscles change as the horse is brought back into shape, change more as you continue to train and develop different things and deteriorate when the horse has had an extended lay up following an illness or injury.

Saddles are an investment like a lot of other things. But spending money on a nice saddle and finding out it doesn't fit you, your horse or both is a bit disheartening to say the least. But if it doesn't fit, you can always resell it and recover some of the money to put towards one that does.

How things fit

2010-03-01T11:27:00.005-07:00

Part of saddle fit is the saddle fitting the rider. If the seat is too small or in some cases too large, you can't get into position where you need to. If the stirrups are too long or too short, your overall position can easily go right out the window as you try to keep you feet in the stirrups at all costs. Sometimes it is easier and better to just drop them and ride without. Your muscles may tell you otherwise later on, but other muscles will rant and ache from trying to keep them. The choice is yours.

When I was getting started in team roping, I rode without stirrups. Why? The horse I was riding belonged to a guy with long legs. The first time he let me ride he asked me how high to put them? I told him without even checking first, "All the way up." So we raised them as high as they would go and they were still too long. My first few runs, just hazing the cows- I was trying like hell to keep the stirrups and not paying attention to much else.

If I was going to even try throwing a rope, I had to find my balance and forget about the stirrups. Which I did and I soon began swinging the rope at least. I felt bad for Ron for having raised the stirrups and me not use them. A few nights we raised them and dropped them when swapping out on the horse and before long when he would hand over the horse to me, we just left them where they were.

As a lot of people know, team roping seems to be a guys sport. Believe me, there were plenty of guys around and soon they all started hassling poor Ron for not raising the stirrups. They gave him a lot of what for and were poking fun, but questioned him being a gentleman and not at least trying... When I proved not to need the stirrups, they left him alone.

I had ridden quite a bit at that point. Every and any horse I could throw a leg over, saddled or not, in fact. I had found my balance through bareback riding and stirrups or not, I could stay on. And coming out of the box is a hell of a rush! Doesn't matter which end of the cow you are on. Just like diving into the turns around barrels and shooting up out of the pocket as you leave them.

I eventually did start throwing the rope. I had hazed cattle out of the headers and heelers box. My first throw- I caught the cow. Wasn't pretty, wasn't fancy and certainly wouldn't have put me in the money if there was any that night, but I had caught him. In doing so, it pissed off one of the other guys who rode Ron's other horse. See this guy had been coming out 3 times a week to rope. He had grown up in feed lot ranching, he just hadn't ever thrown a rope. He kept trying to head a cow and for about four months had tried to catch one with no luck. Me, first time I throw the rope I caught the steer. Not exactly talent, sure wasn't skill- more like dumb luck really, but he was ticked.

He didn't like me much and told Ron not to let me ride his horses anymore... Thankfully Ron didn't listen. I got to ride his horses, was able to catch several more cows, roped myself a couple times, hazed the slow pokes, tried heeling and had a great time all the way around. All without stirrups.

I also learned that a saddle too big for you can sometimes be a blessing. You can move forward more, back a bit and position yourself where you are out of the horses way and make things easier for them. One of the best things about riding in someone else's saddle? You find out what you like and don't before you spend the money.

**Edited to add photo's. Yes that is me riding hubby's mare Johnie. The stirrups are a bit too long and my leg has come out of position in my efforts to jam my foot in the stirrup and keep them from banging her sides. We may have only been walking around, cooling her out after a workout, but still. You can see what a difference only a few holes up or down makes in your leg position. Worrying about the stirrups can distract you from a lot of other things you may need to be fixing instead. Not only are my lower legs too far forward, they are also sticking out- another bad habit of mine, left over from the Arabian horse world days.**

Below are two pictures of me on Psyndi in her first few rides. From back in March of 2007. Notice the difference inmy leg position in my saddle as compared to hubbys.

And how is breeches and ropers for the fashion statement? lol

For Sale Friday

2010-02-26T09:11:00.005-07:00

Let me start by saying, I am open to posting things here on Fridays for others. Send me a photo, a description- size, color, condition- asking price and how you would prefer to be contacted, I will put it up and the rest is up to you guys. All I ask is that things are clearly, truthfully represented and reasonably priced.

I would be glad to do monthly categories too- pads, sheets/blankets & coolers, grooming supplies, show tack, halters & leads, whatever comes in, I will put it up and basically out there. Let's clear all the stuff out of the tack room that isn't being used and make way for stuff that will or can be.

I have an assortment of things that need new homes. Topping the list would be bridles. I have three English bridles I am offering up, they are each pictured with bits. The bits are available separately, since I know we all prefer different things. I am selling these in hopes of funding a new one for the new mare Boo Boo. Sometimes the problem with getting a new horse is you also have to buy more tack to fit them. I have also found, that tack has a way of multiplying behind your back.

First up is a plain hunter bridle, raised caveson and noseband, brand new and only been on a horse once to adjust the fit. Cob/Arab size- we bought it to show Psyndi and ended up selling her. Things sure have a strange way of working out. The bridle has been kept inside, recently oiled and is ready to use. I checked at the show and they sold for $70 new, I am asking $55. Laced reins are included.

Pictured with the bridle is a Korsteel brand, loose ring, French link Snaffle. Mouthpiece is 4 3/4 inches in width. It has been used only once, with the above bridle to check fit. It has since been cleaned, disinfected and is ready to use. Make offer.

Next up is a dark oil, hunter bridle with braided accents on the caveson and browband. It too has been on a horse one time to check the fit and be adjusted. In the photo one of the keepers has come loose on one end. It has been repaired, the bridle has been oiled, kept inside and is ready to use. Laced reins included. $45 or best offer. This fit my OTTB mare.

The pelham bit pictured on the bridle above has also seen very little use. It was purchased for a show back in 2000. After the show, the rider quit, the horse was retired and the bit has been a decorative item since... It has been recently cleaned, checked over, disinfected and is ready for use. The mouthpiece is 4 3/4 inches with 4 inch shanks. Make offer.

Last up I have another hunter bridle, dark brown leather, laced reins included. Kept inside, recently oiled and ready to use.

Pictured on this bridle is a mullen mouth pelham bit. 5 inch mouth, 4 inch shanks, lightly used but recently cleaned, checked, disinfected and ready to use. Make offer.

I also have a Korsteel eggbutt snaffle, 4 3/4 inch mouthpeice. Checked, cleaned and disinfected, make offer. Pictured on the trailer fender.

I would be more than happy to ship a bridle complete with bit of your choosing. I ship USPS flat rate priority mail. Contact me through email and yes- Pay Pal is accepted.

I also have a pair of Oster A5 Turbo 2 speed clippers, a contoured leather hunter girth 44" (new! & still on plastic hanger tag),
two pony sized carts (Meadowbrook and a metal training cart), a nylon harness (pony), a leather harness (pony, nothing fancy), a Weathabeeta turnout sheet (size 63), a leather harness (horse, rough shape = low price) and several pairs of SMB splint boots. Let me know what you are interested in and I will gladly give you the details on it and pictures.

Rain Delay!

2010-02-22T09:32:00.005-07:00

Since there is a lot to cover in saddle fitting, and I really wanted to get a few photo's to put up and it has been raining so much lately... I'm going to have to improvise for a while. Honestly our horses are not quite looking presentable at the moment. There are a number of questions you may ask- Why? How could that be? You are so knowledgeable about grooming, why do they not look presentable? What happened?
You may also be thinking-> CNJ, you really droppped the ball. I thought your horses ALWAYS looked perfect! I mean, come on... what gives?

Well it has been raining. A LOT! And it's raining today. Right now as I type, matter of fact. Since we are set up for flood irrigation, the pastures are not designed to just run off and drain. No they hold the water to some degree so it will soak in and stuff will grow. Like grass! We may want grass, but at the moment we are more likely to get weeds. Believe me they are coming up everywhere. I have been pulling them up by the roots in hopes of them NOT coming back, which is quite the workout, but definately worth it.

We have had a few horses out over the past few days and since we haven't been showing, nobody is being blanketed this year, nobody has been clipped and I'm kind of liking the more natural or 'wild' look a few of them are acquiring. Bridle path? They are supposed to have a bridle path? Pass. Skip. Move on please... Besides, being at the show over the weekend, I have seen enough bridle paths, that extend halfway down the neck to just be... well let's just leave it at that, shall we?

Whiskers? Check.
'Beards'? Check.
Feathering? Check.
Yep! They all have pretty much everything listed. Add in a nice coating of mud and we have ourselves a herd of piggy looking ponies. The one palomino mare is half yellow, half green and brown. Does she look disgusting all coated and caked from rolling when she's out? You bet! Does she look for the soggiest, funkiest, nastiest spot in the turnout to roll in? Better believe it! She may be blonde, but she is definately NO Barbie.

But is she happy? Certainly. And with the weather being what it is, I could always go out and hose her off, (cold water of course) clean her up, throw a cooler on her, wait for her to dry, snap a few photo's, blanket her and try to make her stay clean, but would she conform? I doubt it... I really, Really, REALLY doubt it. Would she still be as happy, being all blanketed and clean? Probably not or she may not care either way as long as there is plenty of feed and water.

But she is happy at the moment being filthy. A few of the other mares are just as filthy. The mares I wanted to use for the pictures in fact. The only clean horses out back would be the boys- Mondo, Pal and Kat. Figures as much, doesn't it?

So maybe I have been looking at the wrong horses to take pictures of. Maybe the girls don't care for their few minutes of fame and I will have to just start pulling the boys in under the lights and get the camera out. And maybe, just maybe, Mondo will be seen wearing a close contact saddle long enough to get his picture taken. And a dressage saddle too. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, when that happens... I will be told, "Don't go getting ANY ideas!"

Saddle fitting 101

2010-02-18T14:33:00.002-07:00

Cattypex was asking for a post on saddle fitting advice. While I have had some experience in this department, usually in the manner of a horse misbehaving out of pain or catching it before it causes serious issues, the downfall about blogging is you often skim the top of the subject, grazing over the important factors and leaving out the gory details. It's in the details where you find the true roots of the issues and begin to really solve the problems.

In catching up on some of the blogs I read I found a link to another one. And yes I will be adding this to the sidelines to keep the learning going for all of us! Saddle Fitting - The Inside Journey I would like to offer a huge Thank You! to the writer of this blog, Kitt Hazelton for offering her knowledge to the rest of us, so that we may learn and our horses not suffer...

We all have knowledge of different things in the horse world. We each have different interests and levels of expertise. Where I may know a thing or two about saddles and how they *should fit*, admittedly it is probably enough to get me by in life and there is plenty more to learn. I have no issue with turning to others who specialize in different areas.

So for now, to get things started, have a peek at the blog in the link and I will get busy snapping photo's of our own horses, likely not to happen until Sunday because of the horse show, but I will get it done and will try to post things in a way to keep it interesting and fun as well as educational.

Scottsdale Show & That Horse

2010-02-15T08:54:00.006-07:00

I wanted to take a quick moment to offer a shout out to a few exhibitors at the 55th Annual Scottsdale All Arabian Horse Show. And even though it is called the All Arabian, they also feature Half Arabian classes....

On the home page in the link, there is a "click here", to watch the show online through iEquine. You must sign up for an account, but it is free to do so. There is also a "click here" link below it to check the results so far.

*If anyone is watching on Saturday night for the first class of the evening *Gamblers Choice*, be sure to look for JR and I on the jump crew! If I know where the cameras are, I will be sure to wave. lol! When the class is over, I am the one driving our truck around the ring. He is on the trailer loading and stacking standards and flower boxes.

We have the great pleasure of working with Jack Adams again. He is another one of the few true horseman with much to teach for those who are willing to learn. If there is any of the jumping classes on the live feed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, JR will be there, but I can't due to work and other restrictions. Stop by and say Hi! We would like to meet you. We also wish to thank the show organizers for having us back. It is always fun and we enjoy being able to help!*

Congratulations! goes out to Megan Manning and her horse Fortunes Fate on winning their class Dressage Training Level, Test 2! Sweet!!! This pair also placed 3rd in the Dressage Training Level, Test 2 JTR Stakes Class.

Good Luck goes out to Heather Martin and her horse Fortune First. They are showing today. And another Good Luck goes out to blogger Kellimare, their trainer, who has helped these two young ladies and their horses to get there.

Another Congratulations goes out to Michelle McQueen and Star of Nefereset for their 3rd place ride in Dressage Training Level, Test 1 JTR. Although I did not clip this mare for the show, I did work on her in the past for the McQueens for another show.

Way to Rock it everyone!

Congratulations also goes out to every horse and rider that has won their classes or even placed at the show. As it was said about a great woman I knew, who always sat in their farm's box seats ringside and cheered the horse that won, be it one of theirs or a horse belonging to someone else.

Lou Adams cheered equally as loud for the horse that won, because on that day, in that class, That Horse was the one that won. She was a true horsewoman and I am fortunate to have known her as well as having worked for her. She is one person I never minded being considered 2nd favorite to.

Daily humor

2010-02-12T11:19:00.003-07:00

Not just the weekend stuff. We all need humor in our lives at some point. A few of you may have noticed I added two blogs in the sidelines under Funny Blogs. Sexy People and Sleep Talking Man. Both have come from other readers/posters.

Sexy People has been around since 2007 and is a very clean site. No worries about seeing anything provocative there, except for maybe a few of the Glamour Grandma's posts. Renzo posts pictures that people send to him from 1998 and older. The comments are often hilarious. Pictures of families, graduation photo's, glamour shots and pretty much everything from the past we look at and think we are glad the fashion trends have changed.

Sleep Talkin Man is posted by a couple Karen & Adam. Adam talks in his sleep and says some incredibly funny and comical things. He does tend to swear and today's post contains the F-bomb for those of you who may be offended. All sorts of stuff from trading his ponies in for a zebra (pronounced zebrah with the short e sound, like the name Deborah) because if it's stripey coat, to telling people to piss off because they aren't a superstar donkey jockey. Some of it is horse related- other stuff? Who knows where he comes up with it! But is sure is funny and is sure to make you laugh. Thank you Sherry for sending me the link! It cracks me up!

A few other blogs I follow have started posting things for sale on Fridays. For Sale Fridays. Is anyone interested in doing the same here? Post your thoughts and if anything else, I can start posting tack, grooming supplies or whatever else. Maybe bridles and bits one week, pads another week, polo's and splint boots another time... Maybe we can organize it by weekly category? Let me know. I have a few things listed elsewhere and would love to see it all GO!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Blue Mondays and Kopertox green

2010-02-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

First off, let me start by saying I was hoping to get this finished and posted yesterday. Can you tell by the title? We all see how well that went!

New Horse Mommy was asking about thrush recently. Since we did get a bit of rain over the weekend and our one small arena is still a mess of squishy sludge from the last downpour, this is as good a time as any to talk about it. Cattypex, I am going to do a post on saddle fit and use pictures of our own horses. It may have to wait until this weekend though... I have Not forgotten about it. Another poster just had a clinic here locally last weekend about that very thing.

With things like thrush, the best way to deal with it is to prevent it if you can. While this is not always easy to do and Mother Nature doesn't always help, we all do what we can and hope for the best. Even still it does occur in a lot of barns, so don't feel like a loser or incompetent if your horse gets it. It's not a death sentence, just another thing to learn about and deal with on your journey down the path of learning...

The simplest of things to do is cleaning your horses hooves out daily and having them trimmed regularly as needed. Cleaning the hooves helps to get all the gunk (dirt, manure, small rocks) out of the cleft of the hoof and lets the air in to help dry it out. It gives you a chance to see if there are any rocks in there causing bruising, remove foreign objects such as nails or glass and check on the hoof to see how it is doing. Regular hoof care is a way for a farrier or hoof trimming specialist (whichever you use) to remove the excess, rebalance the hoof and help you find things such as thrush.

This can be a great time of learning for everyone involved. An owner interested in doing more for their horse can step up and ask questions and the farrier can offer advice and information. Or you may both learn things about the other person, like- the farrier doesn't want to be bothered to teach you or the owner may be a person who throws money at things and expects others to fix it all. All four kinds of people exist in the horse industry. Those who want to learn, those who are willing to teach, those who harbor their knowledge and those who can't be bothered.

Just like everything else horse related, there is a number of products on the market, home made remedies and everything in between. Things people hold to as tried and true, works every time on every horse and another list of home made concoctions that others swear by the light of day will ward off anything and everything evil.

The basic findings are that thrush is either a fungus or bacteria, it hasn't been determined yet which. It thrives in conditions of constant moisture and little air circulation. It can be found in the barns of the best bred horses as well as the back yards of low end breeders. Thrush does not care who owns the horse it affects, it just gets in there are whoOoa the smell! ICK!

While not all mud is considered bad, for some horses it can bring on a bout of thrush and get things rolling downhill. This is where Mother Nature doesn't always cooperate. A steady pounding of rain and stall flooding on top of the thrush being present, doesn't make for happy horse owners. Mud with a lot of manure in it as well as under ponds of urine will certainly be a breeding ground of sorts for a lot of issues. If possible trench everything to allow for drainage as best you can. Move the horse to a stall or pen where they are out of the mud or have a dry place to stand. This is why the planning stages way back when, were so important when deciding where to put the barn.

But horses can also develop thrush in a stall or smaller pen too. If the manure piles up, the horse has nowhere to go to get out of it. Some horses urinate a lot and soak the bedding in their stall. This again leaves them nowhere to go to get out of it. Daily hoof cleaning is important, giving those hooves a chance to breathe and getting the horse out to exercise also allows the hoof to breathe as well as moving over the dry (or at least drier) footing of an arena or work area.

Soaking a hoof in apple cider vinegar is recommended by a lot of people as a way of drawing out and sanitizing abscessed hooves, but it also works wonders on the thrush because it gets into those places you just can't. Other folks may recommend using a bleach solution, Listerine, hydrogen peroxide and a number of other disinfectants, antibacterials or anti fungal remedies. This is to reduce the presence of the fungus or bacteria causing the thrush. Keep the hairline and coronet band in mind when soaking the hoof as some horses have sensitive skin. The last thing you want to do is cause another issue while trying to resolve the first one.

A squirt of Kopertox, made by Fort Dodge can do wonders, but the stuff stains whatever it comes into contact with and in my opinion smells just about as bad as the thrush does. In reading the label it states not to get it on the horses leg as it can cause hair loss, avoid breathing the fumes, it is combustible and I found this part a bit unappealing-
"NOTE: KOPERTOX is easily removed from hands, clothing and surfaces with light grade fuel oil or any type of lighter fluid."

Both Kopertox and Thrush-XX from Farnam contain the same amount of Copper naphthenate - 37.5% as their main ingredient. Absorbine offers Hooflex Thrush Remedy which is stated not to stain, sting or dry out the hoof. I could not find a listing of the ingredients or I would gladly put them up.

There are a number of gels, ointments, salves, hoof packing materials, boots and ways of treating thrush as you can dare to think of or care to look up online. When it comes down to it though, the hoof has to be cleaned out and the fungus or bacteria removed. Soaking, packing, booting and moving the horse to a dry pen or higher ground are all things the average owner can do to ward it off. If you are having no luck and the thrush persists, then it is time to get the vet, farrier or both involved and let them do what needs to be done or try something else.

NHM, I hope this helped. Where every situation is different though, it is tough to address the issues and surrounding particulars for each specific horse.

Friday Fun

2010-02-05T09:42:00.003-07:00

I was talking to a friend of mine last night and during our conversation I had a rather strange and unusual thought. There is a large group of us bloggers and she has planned on us all getting together, may be happening around the spring of 2011 if we can all pull it off...

Anyways we were talking about a person who is continually playing a submissive and passive role in everything in life. This person had turned to the group for support of some kind, not sure exactly what yet myself, but support. And that's when it struck me.

For the most part this group is comprised of women. Strong willed, hard headed women. We don't take crap off our horses who out weigh and by far out muscle us, some are even taller than we are. (I know Tess was and now Boo Boo is in this category.) If we compared ourselves to the herd it would be a herd of alpha mares. Alpha mares don't often get along, let alone let anyone else slip by in life on anything that holds their interest.

So I was thinking, what other traits do we each have, as compared to our horses? I know I am not exactly conformationally correct or a halter prospect, being offset at the knees and having an undershot jaw... I am also not exactly speedy as far as running so I would NEVER make it at the track and my knees ached this morning so I may be in need of injections. Better call the vet!

But I am an easy keeper, low maintenance and like to work. My nails, or rather hooves are pretty strong, don't often chip too easily, don't require sanding or polishing and I lack feathering. lol! With the twins having red hair and our older daughter being a bit darker haired, if I were breeding for color- what are my odds? Would my 'owner' need Regumate to deal with mood swings? Am I mare-ish?

Let's hear it. This could be fun. If you were a horse for sale, how might the ad read?

Students of the Horse

2010-02-03T00:05:00.001-07:00

I learned to clip from a halter trainer who's girlfriend was a groom at Lasma back in the high dollar days of the Arabian horse world. Back when Paradise Park was home to the Scottsdale show and Westworld was only a thought. Karho stood proudly next door with all of it's white pillars and magnificent beauty. Farms of all kinds lined both sides of Bell Road with pastures, fountains and long glorious driveways.

Jerry taught me to clip at the farm we worked out of, on a big grey gelding, because of the simple fact- Jerry hated clipping. He absolutely hated it. Thanks to him I not only learned a useful skill, but the horses didn't have to suffer through someone clipping on them while hating every minute of it. I have seen horses ruined by clip jobs like that. I have also seen lousy clip jobs coming from situations like those. Nobody wins there.

With everything in life, if you don't enjoy it, don't bother doing it. It's a waste of not only your time and money, but also a waste of time for your teacher or coach. They could be teaching someone else during the time you are wasting, while you are going through the motions. Just doing something to make someone else happy is not a way to do a good job or learn anything. On the contrary, your attitude may end up discouraging others while you are breaking things including tools and equipment, ruining it all for everyone else in the process. You get out of it what you put into it. Crappy attitudes bring half assed poor results.

When the interest is there, it makes teaching a little easier sometimes. Sometimes. Only because the talent does not always come with the interest. There are things I would like to learn how to do, but it doesn't come easy for me. I have to work a bit harder at perfecting it and it still doesn't happen as nicely as I would like or think it should. And just when I think I have it down pat, something else goes wrong, comes up, falls off, unwinds, unravels, hangs up or the wheels fall off. You get the picture. Then some days it all falls into place and works perfectly or smoothly. The next day its a completely frustrating and utter disaster! What gives???

We are our own worst critics. We want everything the way we want it and how we pictured it in our minds. While we may think we are clipping a horse to turn out flawless, there ends up being clipper lines galore. Everywhere. Making the horse look like they got into a fight with a lawnmower and lost. Aaaack!

Someone else comes along and wisks the hair away effortlessly, without any lines or mistakes to be seen. But ask them about the job they just did and their list of errors and mistakes are endless... They go back over areas you see nothing and more hair comes off. How did they see that? More importantly you ask yourself, how did I miss that?

It's the same thing with riding. The horse may be willing and giving me everything they can, but as the rider, I am still blocking their movement, restricting them in some way and not exactly helping them out. Everything may look good, but it can still look so much better.

Then someone else climbs on and Holy Smokes! Did anyone else know the horse could buck like that? Just kidding. They could get a whole new level of softness and movement from the horse making my jaw drop. Damn them! Why doesn't she move like that for me? What am I doing wrong? Or not doing at all? I couldn't see them doing anything different. What's the deal here?

And that's where the questions begin. That's where our choices come in. Do we teach them and help them or shut others down and shut them out? That's where the learning starts. That's where the horses show us when, where and how to improve. It's a process of developing an eye for these things and a way to correct them when they happen. The process never ends and sometimes you never know when or where you find the answers, let alone who's holding the keys.

The learning process

2010-02-01T10:49:00.004-07:00

As many of you know I do offer my services for body clipping horses before shows. Back at the end of the year I clipped a horse for another local trainer and last week I did him again since they will be going to Scottsdale for the Arab show.

While I was working on him last time, as we finished him up and clipped his ears, his adult owner learned about two important rules. One being how you don't stand in front of a horse and two, everyone on the same side. She did not get hurt and quick explanation of why, kept her out of harms way and has hopefully left an impression that will continue on with her through her life with horses. These are simple safety measures everyone can keep in mind.

When dealing with a horse who may be difficult to handle in sticky situations, the rule of 'Everyone on the same side' gives the horse an escape route of sorts. If he blows up, he will try to get away. In trying to get away he has to go somewhere. If everyone is on the left, he will go right, everyone at their head, they will go backwards, if there is a wall or door behind them they will come forwards so be prepared...

We were working on his ears and were both on the left, she was standing on the right. Had he blown up, he would have plowed her down. At another time she moved around to directly in front of him. Again, not a good place to be so I quickly explained why. Nobody wants to be in the way of a horse trying to escape- whatever their 'demons' may be.

This horse is a bit apprehensive about his ears and even under sedation can be a bit touchy and responsive. Not many horses like having their ears clipped and when you consider it tickles, the clippers are often noisy (even the quiet ones) and their hearing is a bit better than ours, it's easy to see why.

This time around he was much, much better about the whole process. He was sedated, the barn doors were closed, the world was quiet and everything went incredibly smoothly. When a horse is behaving like this it all goes so easy, fast and a better job is attained. I am proud of him and proud of his owners and trainer for the progress he has made.

His young owner has also expressed the interest in learning to body clip horses. So what did I do? I offered to teach her how. We can either use her horse or one of ours and I will be glad to show her how to get the tough spots with little to no fuss. Am I putting myself out of a job? In a way, yes! If she ever needs help or has questions, I am there to help her through it.

The way I see it, if she has the interest, why not help her expand on her knowledge. Not all of us were born knowing everything we do about riding and even those of us with talent, still need to sharpen our skills, improve our timing and learn how to recognize the desired responses we ask for.

Besides, when I am no longer clipping horses I will know of at least one person to call, that can do the job and do it right. I will rest assured while she buzzes the hair away, that she knows what she is doing. After all, she will have learned it from me.

Collecting thoughts & Friday fun

2010-01-29T10:59:00.005-07:00

Cattypex was asking at the end of the last post about saddle fitting as a topic, which leads me to this-

If anyone wants more information on a topic or subject- post it in the comments or email me about it. Cutnjump1@yahoo.com If I don't know the answer, well now is a good time to learn it and share my findings. I would be happy to do so.

I am also going to be trying to get the posts all sorta filed by subject- tails, hoofcare, clippers/clipping, etc. That way it may be a quicker way for everyone to look up previously posted info. Everyones input is always welcome. And since it is Friday I think a fun post for the weekend is in order so thanks to Crazy 3 Dayer, here ya go-

A Horse's View of the World

Do you ever wonder what your horse is actually thinking? How often have you ever wondered if you are on the same page or even talking the same language? Take a look at some of the definitions from the horse’s dictionary and compare them to yours.

Arena: Place where humans can take the fun out of forward motion.

Bit: Means by which a rider's every motion is transmitted to the sensitive tissues of the mouth.

Bucking: counter-irritant.

Crossties: Gymnastic apparatus.

Dressage: Process by which some riders can eventually be taught to respect the bit.

Fence: Barrier that protects good grazing.

Grain: Sole virtue of domestication.

Hitching rail: Means by which to test one's strength.

Horse trailer: Mobile cave bear den.

Hotwalker: The lesser of two evils.

Jump: An opportunity for self-expression.

Latch: Type of puzzle.

Longeing: Procedure for keeping a prospective rider at bay.

Owner: Human assigned responsibility for one's feeding.

Rider: Owner overstepping its bounds.

Farrier: Disposable surrogate owner; useful for acting out aggression without compromising food supply.

Trainer: Owner with mob connections.

Veterinarian: Flightless albino vulture

Only Horse People…

- believe in an 11th commandment: inside leg to outside rein...

- know that all topical medications come in either indelible blue or neon yellow.

- think nothing of eating a sandwich while mucking out a stall.

- know why a thermometer has a yard of yarn attached to the end of it.

- are banned from Laundromats.

- fail to associate whips, chains and leather with sexual deviancy.

- can magically lower their voices five octaves to bellow at a pawing horse.

- will end relationships over their hobby.

- cluck to their cars to help them up hills.

- insure their horses for more than their cars.

- know (and care) more about their horse’s nutrition than their own.

- have no problem speaking of semen, abscesses and colic surgery at the dinner table.

- have a smaller wardrobe than their horse..

- engage in a hobby that is more work than their day job.

- know that a good ride is better than Zoloft any day.

CNJ back in here-
How many did you find you incorporate into your daily life?

If you notice on the right, I just added a spot for funny blogs. Some of the comments on these are hilarious. Clean humor, so don't be afraid to take a look.

Wet weather ahead

2010-01-26T13:57:00.004-07:00

As many may know it has been pretty wet around here lately. Raining most of last week, a hell of a storm on Thursday- our street signs are all leaning in the 'hood, cloudy this week, rainy again tomorrow, or at least they are calling for it. The horses are all tucked in their stalls, pastures are under water since we are set up for irrigation- so what do you do?

Now is a great time to clean your tack and inspect it for wear. See what needs to be fixed, what can and cannot be fixed, sell the old and look for something new.

I hear all about it for bringing tack in the house, setting it up for cleaning, and doing it all in the middle of the living room floor. Not exactly one of my more brilliant moves either, I have to admit! But it is warm, I can sit on the couch, watch TV, have a drink or a snack and get it all done. There's plenty of room to spread things out, rags handy to wipe stuff off, water for rinsing if needed and of course carpet to soak up any of the oils, leather treatments, soaps and everything else that spills.

So take it from me, take it outside, clean it in the tack room. Wipe it all down, spray it off or do what needs to be done- somewhere that you won't hear about it later. Now is a good time to take care of your tack, if the weather isn't cooperating and you aren't riding much anyways. It's a great way to feed your inner horsey addict. Clean the saddle even if it may be a while before you sit in it again.

Before you go there

2010-01-20T08:40:00.006-07:00

With our show season in full swing and all the bigger shows coming up because the weather is nice, sorta, its been cloudy and a bit rainy here this week..., horses are being body clipped by the dozens. Most of them are sporting a sleek new look of being nearly bald. There are a few advantages to this, but the main concern should be the horse and their warmth. If you are considering shaving them down, have a plan. Have adequate feed, blankets and shelter for them before you even think about picking up those clippers!

Everyone might be wondering why I say that, because I live in Arizona for heaven sakes. It gets hot in the desert! But it also get cold too. We hit temperatures in the mid to high 20's at night, waterlines freeze and break and yes, horses get cold when you shave them bald this time of year. Why else would they have a thick winter coat? You know, the one you are about to clip off...

So you have a blanket on hand, maybe even a slinky, sleazy, jammies or whatever you wish to call them- a stretchy Lycra hoodie and maybe even a full body sheet. You may have a stall with walls or not, but at least try to have something with a roof to protect them from rain and or snow. Figure also to have plenty of hay for the horse to munch on and produce his own inner warmth.

But there is still much to do before you even get started... Who knew there was so much planning involved?

There are a number of different types of clippers out there, just like there are a number of clipping styles to be found. Each brand has plenty of different models and each model has plenty of different features. It can get confusing if you let it.

Of the brands of clippers out there, the four that come to mind are Andis, Laube, Oster and Wahl. Each has a number of models, for everyone from the home haircut do it yourselfer to the professional grooms handling horses, dogs, sheep and even cattle get their "do's" done before hitting the show ring. You will find an assortment of wall mount, hand held, corded, cordless, rechargeable, adjustable blades, removable blades, big, small... and a wide price range for each to match. They grace the pages of catalogs and websites as well as shelves in feed and tack stores.

For the most basic of clipping, there is no need to go all out. Nothing fancy needed, single speed are just fine, detachable blades or adjustable, many of them come with a size 10, most clippers come standard with a 12-14 foot long cord and you can reach a lot depending on where your electrical outlet is located.

I have yet to find the cheapy set (usually around $25-$50, with the plastic hair length adjustments) to hold up long outside, nor do they seem to have the Ooomph! to get through the thick strands of hair that make up manes. A lot of times they come in a plastic package and have a picture of a fluffy dog on them. That's because they seem to have no issues going through the finer strands of hair.

With all of the detachable blade clippers out there I have found the Laube blades do not fit the Osters or the Andis. Blades between the Andis and Osters are interchangeable- Yay! for the checkbook there.

If you are just clipping your horse for the sole purpose of neatening their appearance, a 10 blade and a 30 blade should do the job just fine. I use the 10's in the winter on the bridle path as they don't make it look ridiculous beyond everything and the 30's in the summer. If you have the adjustable blade clippers, this translates into the lever being all the way back- bottom blade all the way forward for the longer cut and lever all the way forward or up, bottom blade back for a shorter cut. If you are going to be clipping for shows- I recommend getting a couple pairs of 10 blades as well as a 40 blade. I will explain that in the body clipping post soon to come.

At some point your blades will go dull. They can be sharpened and used over and over for quite a while. Your clippers may also need a once over to keep them in top shape. But where do you take them? Call your local dog groomer and ask them for a referral. Where do they take their blades? Call a barber shop. Where do they take theirs? This will give you an idea of where to take your clippers and blades as well as a place to find replacements.

I recommend you take the clippers in once a year or before a heavy season of use and consider it insurance towards catching anything that may break BEFORE you get half way through the horse and leave them really looking strange. Also get the blades sharpened before you start on a horse. Dull blades pull the hair as they rake through it. Trust me. Your horse will NOT enjoy that.

Pre Show Pep Talk

2010-01-15T11:00:00.005-07:00

Since the breed shows in our area are off to a bold start, I figured now was a great time to talk about all of this. With the Scottsdale show looming, the Arab industry is abuzz. Paint-O-Rama held in Tuscon had the Paint horse folks busy and the upcoming Sun Circuit Show has the Quarter Horse folks hopping' and bopping' at the moment. Grooms are making their lists and checking them twice to make sure they have everything needed to get their horses ready for what is, in their world another career defining moment. A few weeks before the show is the time to buy what you will need and make sure it is all packed.

They are also scheduling days for body clipping and planning the horses workouts around them. Clippers are hitting the shop for a 'once over', cans of coolants, lubricants and blade wash are flying off the shelves and the blades have all been sharpened... Farriers scheduled for one last shoeing, hooves are being sanded, tails blocked, joints injected, saddles cleaned, silver polished, new outfits ordered- it's chaos I tell ya!

But slow down a minute there. For the people showing on a budget, without the bottomless checkbooks, Big Name Trainers and entourage to do it all- what do you do? We aren't all made of money, and the funny thing about it- it really doesn't cost that much to do it yourself. It is also not that difficult to do it right. The resulting sense of accomplishment can be a gratifying 'high' itself.

Less is more...

If the horse is that great to begin with, there really isn't much you can, let alone need to do, to accentuate or improve on perfection. Your job is only adding the highlights.

If the breeder has done their job of producing a quality horse with good conformation, built to do the job and hardy enough to stand up to the daily work involved known as training, you're already well on your way.

With the basic diet of quality feed, the horses will have a 'glow' about them and their coat will naturally shine reflecting their good health. Proper diet will also help their hoof growth and a good farrier or trim specialist will again, only enhance that which is already there.

Even the horses promoted as Champions that you may see in the ring have their flaws. No horse out there is perfect. They may have their titles, but keep in mind, they were the horse that the judge(s) felt, was the best horse in the ring on that particular day, at that particular show. The judges job is not always an easy one either.

Story time

2010-01-09T20:24:00.011-07:00

This is the tale of the bald butted horse. These are the pictures of Tess' bald butt. Or at least some of them. And yes it is still tough not having that big, goofy girl around anymore. I miss her and still have my moments. This one is at eye level for me, so it may give you some idea of her height.

The picture above is from the end of last summer. I was bringing her back into shape and trying to get both of us ready for an upcoming schooling show the middle of September. This was to be our first time back in the ring since the pregnancy. The girls were closing in on their first birthday and it was time.

Not so much to criticize there. She had rubbed her tail and entire butt bald and raw to the point of having spots under her dock that bled, after she rubbed for all she was worth on the fence. This is why the top of her tail is all pretty short. I had trimmed it to even it all out as far as the rubbed spots went- almost all the way down to the end of her dock. Everything was coming back and the hair was filling in. No more raw spots and it was looking pretty good considering.

Until the weekend of Labor Day...

We went to Tucson to visit family over the long weekend. We get back and I go out to see the horses and find this->

Beautiful! The show was in two weeks. The thought of me taking her looking like this? Toast. While the hair loss does not affect her movement, it just looks sooooo incredibly unprofessional to take a horse to a show with a literally Bald Butt! Whooosh! Down the drain went that idea. ARRRRGH!

So back to square one again, trying to find the cause of her bald butt. Besides the rubbing... I know that's what took the hair off and left the raw spots. But WHY was she rubbing? I know rubbing and scratching dry skin is one way of sorta relieving the itchiness, but what's the cause of it? She was wormed- rotational on the wormers and up to date. WTH!

At least this time she hadn't rubbed it out as badly. And trust me, this time around was pretty mild. There was just no hair and a lot of dry skin. So I was currying her before and after each ride to stimulate the oils in her skin. I was rinsing her and washing with baby shampoo- not like there's a shortage around here or anything- since it's known for being gentle on sensitive skin. Afterwards I followed it with either aloe vera or baby lotion. I gotta say I am not a fan of the Huggies brand Shea Butter scented, so that all ended up outside and was put to use.

.
You can see what her tail was beginning to look like again. Ruling out worming, using the lotion and currying to ease the itchy dry skin- she loved having lotion slathered on the underside of her tail- and trying to figure out how to ease this condition was interesting to say the least.

With mares, it is sometimes an issue of the gunk that gets up in between their legs and teats. Sweat + dust = grimy black stinky gunk that around here we call "boob cheese". Stallions and geldings can not only develop the beans in their sheath, but also the caked on grime between the sheath and their legs. This can be the beginnings of their tail gone wrong.

But she was clean all along and only after the hair was gone did I find one night, what felt like grains of sand all over the inside of her legs and around her teats. This was after she had been rinsed. Another WTH! moment. I had found it rubbing her belly- one of her favorite things in life. Back to the wash rack and whipped out the shampoo to scrub it all off...

No sign of any weird fungus, no sign of any stings or bug bites, no high or unruly amounts of 'boob cheese', up to date on the worming schedule- so what was going on??? Inquiring minds want to know! Now!!!

Believe it or not, while treating her one night I noticed something a little strange. It seemed to be sorta small and not anything that would be extremely noticeable, but there it was. And let me just say, oh the things we do for our horses... She had what looked like the leftovers of a small pin-worm that had gotten stuck on it's dead way out. So picture what you will in your mind, but the next day there was a trip to the feed store and a 'Power Pack' was purchased.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip

2010-01-03T18:26:00.010-07:00

How many times have we all heard that? Look in the stall or out in the field and see our horse standing there in the freshly shredded remnants of their blanket, sheet or both. I have known horses who it seemed like they lived to shred and destroy blankets. I have also seen blankets so shredded, you question how many times they can be repaired before the owner just gives up and either buys another blanket or says Enough! and forgets about even trying any more.

This is my TB mare MAM's blanket. Not a home made version of my design, but this is a 1200 denier turnout blanket I got from Petsmart when they removed the State Line Tack/equine departments from their stores. I picked this up for an unbeatable price of $25. Some things you can't or rather just Don't pass up. She ripped it last year, towards the end of the cold season and although it was cleaned and put away for this year, I didn't bother to fix it. And this time procrastination has paid off in the blogs favor...

For anyone willing to fire up the sewing machine and give it a shot repairing their own, hopefully this can make it all easy for you. The blankets are not tough to work on, just bulky and seemingly obnoxious at times, but in the end it's not anything tough to do.

If you are already familiar with sewing, you know to use matching thread, run it through here there and the eye of the needle. Pull the thread from the bobbin up and you're ready to get started.

I start by laying the blanket out flat- like in the middle of the living room floor, because we all know the horses are in charge, even inside the house... Lay all the pieces where they are supposed to go or were originally attached and see that the edges all line up. This is if you were able to find all the pieces and recover them from where the horse is at- stall, pasture, round pen.

If you were not able to recover all the pieces lay the replacement fabric under the blanket to size it up and see that there is enough for the giant 'patch' you are about to create. I start by pinning everything together. If the edge of the fabric runs left to right, the pins go up and down. This is so that as you sew, when using just a plain straight stitch, you can sew right over the pins and keep on going.

Occasionally the needle will come down and hit the pin. One of them will either bend or break. I usually find I break at least one or more needles on every project. It's me. That's an issue I have with sewing. It makes my sewing perfectionist mother absolutely nuts. There are a few other things about my sewing that has that effect on her, but we won't go into that now.

If this is a blanket with a shell, insulation and lining, I start with pinning just the shell material first. Fix the outside and work your way in, sewing one layer at a time. After the pieces are all pinned together, wrong sides of the fabric facing out, if you prefer to baste them together by hand, now's your chance. I just pin it.

Hand basting to me is a waste of time and thread, since you machine stitch it then go back and take all the hand basting out. My Home-Ec teacher in school wasn't to fond of this, since it was not in the pattern instructions for any of the sewing projects. She also didn't like that I thumb pressed the seams and told her "That's how my Mom does it and nothing she makes looks 'home-made'..." Anyone care to guess my grades in the class? Yeah, not so good...

Once the blanket is pinned together or hand basted, it's time to take it over to the machine. Start at one edge of the torn pieces and put them under the presser-foot a few stitch lengths in. I start by reverse stitching back to the edge, then just stitching across the tear. This helps secure the ends of your threads so it doesn't all just come undone and need to be restitched later on.

If your machine is in a cabinet or a place where it is always out, then this shouldn't be an issue of the blanket being on a particular surface like the kitchen table. If the machine is being dragged out for blanket repairs and the kitchen table is a concern- the dollar store is your new friend. A cheap huge table cloth will protect it all or at the very least, keep it clean when used like a drop cloth.

I stitch along the tear one end to the other, reverse stitch the end and snip the threads. When working on the outside shell of the blanket, I then fold the excess of the material down and stitch it along the edge, reinforcing the new seam.

This picture is a little blurry, but not so much you can't get the idea. This blanket has insulation and lining, of which the tear only affected the shell and lining materials. Since the tear is far enough down the side of the blanket that the insulation was not affected, the lining is not an issue.

In a case like this the lining can be trimmed off and stitched to the shell fabric, which is what I did with this one. The shell fabric had torn along the web trim, so I removed the stitching on the web trim along the shell fabric, pinned it accordingly and stitched it all together again.

This shows where the trim was ripped off the shell fabric. After sewing the trim back to the blanket shell, I moved it all back to the middle of the living room floor. Lay the blanket out again and pin down the ends of any straps that have been torn off. Go back to the machine, stitch them on, reverse stitching as needed for added strength. Watch for any D rings or snaps, help the machine through any really thick spots and you are now done.

Congratulations on a job well done!

Blanket Care

2009-12-30T13:53:00.005-07:00

Back a post or two ago, NCCatnip asked about blanket care and storage. I have to say that is a Great topic to cover! We buy them to keep the horses warm, but what do we do to take care of them? Taking care of your horses blanket keeps you from having to buy a new one every year. Considering the prices some are commanding- that can get pretty expensive.

As far as washing them goes, I know plenty of people who used to go to the local laundromat and hog the huge machines in the back. Packing the blankets in garbage bags to hide what they are, enter through the back door- hoping not to be noticed and sorta went under cover to have a clean horse blanket.

One farm I was at had a washer and dryer set up in a spare tack room. This was for blankets, polo's, English pads, coolers, shipping boots, wraps of all kinds, sheets and even the heavy stable blankets as needed. It was a Heavy Duty machine and it certainly did the trick! Anything that fit, in it went.

One thing I have found, is that Craigslist is a great place to find washers and dryers. Washers being more useful than the dryers, often cheap- $50-$100 for one that works, sometimes even freebies can be found. People are always moving and dumping appliances or selling the old ones when they buy new ones. Finding one for a price you are willing to pay and you are on your way to not worrying about sending the blankets out again.

Once you find your washer and bring it home, you will need a place to put it. Somewhere within a reasonable distance to power and water, drainage being another consideration. In the garden area of the local hardware store and you will find a Y shaped fitting for around $10. Ace Hardware has them online in a few different styles and you can have one shipped right to your door. Connect the garden hose to the Y, both of the washer hoses to the Y and your set up is almost complete.

For another $30, a swimming pool hose can be purchased for attaching the drain hose to. Slip the drain hose inside and clamp them together. Be sure to keep the hose going up as if it were going into the drain in your laundry room. Otherwise it will let all of the water out during the wash or soak part of the cycle. If you are using Eco friendly soap, you can then run the pool hose out to nearby plants and water the landscaping while getting clean horse blankets and pads... Yay! You are now multitasking at it's best!

When you plug the machine in, be sure the power cord has what is called a 'drip loop'. Basically it is a part of the cord being lower than the plug. If the water lines spring a leak and the cord gets wet, the water will run down the cord and drip off instead of going into the outlet. This can prevent a hellacious shock as well as electrocution or at the very least blown circuit breakers and tripped GFI outlets.

If this is just not an option where you are, I have found throwing the blankets over a hitching rail or fence and spraying them with the hose and a nozzle can work just as well. Wetting both sides evenly keeps the blanket from slipping off while you are working on it. When the top is clean, grab the wither area and pull straight back along the fence line to 'flip' it over.

It takes a bit more effort on your part, but the what about horses has ever been known to be easy? If the dirt or manure is a bit stubborn, get out your body brushes squirt some shampoo on it and get to work scrubbing. After rinsing it all clean and making sure the soap has been removed- you can leave it on the fence to dry, If you are in a warm enough climate to do so.

In the spring this may not be so much of a problem, but if you need the blanket that night you can wring as much water out as you can by rolling, twisting and squeezing it as best you can. I try to lay it over the fence, lining side out and front on one side of the fence, back on the other. This way the water runs down and if anything is left wet- it's the very front and back edges of the blanket.

Once the blanket is clean, if you wish to store it for the summer, I have found that the plastic bags your own bedding comes in- comforters for larger blankets- works really well. I can usually fold a few blankets and fit them nicely inside for storage.

This is actually two blankets and there is still plenty of room for a couple more. The black one is the blanket in need of repairs as can be seen by the piece of the lining hanging out there. I have pictures of this process and I will be featuring it soon for those who are willing to give it a shot. The green one is a yearling size Weatherbeeta turnout sheet.

I lay them out on their side fold the straps all up inside. Fold the front third of the blanket towards the back. It should reach to about the flank area. Fold the back third into the middle- back of the blanket reaching the girth area. Now fold the top down, folding it all in half and put it into the bag. Zip it shut and it's ready to be stored wherever it will be handy but out of the way until it is needed again.

You may choose to put a cedar block inside the bag, scented air freshener packets or even mothballs, but as long as you put the bags where there is no bug problems, it should be ready for use when you pull it out of the bag in the spring.

Strange how we are discussing putting the blankets away, when we are more likely to be pulling them out for use. Maybe a recap in the spring? It could happen.

The truly blessed

2009-12-24T22:52:00.004-07:00

Just wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

I hope we each find special gifts awaiting us under the Christmas tree.

For those who receive the gift of animals, remember this, they are the lucky ones. You may get a new horse or pet, but they get a family. For that they are blessed. Cherish each day you have with them, as you never know how many lay before you.

Blankets 101

2009-12-21T12:43:00.004-07:00

Okay, so a few things happened over the weekend that kept me from getting some things accomplished. One of them being getting pictures of our horses and the blanketing process... But I did manage to get a couple of other projects going instead, so I found some sense of a level of accomplishment.

In light of the fact that many have stated they do not normally blanket, there is still the need to look at blankets in general, as some people do not know much about them other than the go on the horse to help keep them warm. We may not blanket regularly- meaning every horse, every year, but having blankets on hand when needed is a comforting thought considering the opposite- scrambling to find one that fits in an emergency.

What I find in many situations is people buying a blanket and not knowing what they are looking for or at. Buying it, then figuring out it isn't even worth half the money they spent on it. Nothing sends people over the edge faster, than paying for something that just doesn't work.

Just like with horses, the type of blanket you are buying depends on what you are using it for. If the horse is going to be kept in a stall, inside a barn, then it may not necessarily need to be waterproof. If you are planning to turn the horse out while wearing their blanket and you live anywhere on planet earth where rains or snows- waterproof qualities are pretty high on your list of requirements.

A lot of blankets now use Denier to relay the information of the outer lay of material known as the shell. But what does Denier mean? What are those numbers anyways? From the words of wise geek-

"Denier is a measurement that is used to identify the fiber thickness of individual threads or filaments used in the creation of cloth, carpeting drapery material, and similar products. Originally, the concept of denier was applied mainly to natural fibers, such as silk and cotton. Over time, the unit of thickness for synthetic fibers such as rayon and nylon also came to be identified as denier.

Along with being a measure of the thickness of the individual fibers of yarn or thread, denier also acts as a unit of weight. The standard for computing the weight is to weigh nine thousand meters of the material that will be used to create a product. That weight per nine thousand meters is registered in grams. The higher the numbers of grams per nine thousand meters of material, the higher the denier count."

So the short form of this would be- the higher the number (600, 800, 1200...) the more threads or filaments you will find in the designated measurable area of the material. Many times the higher thread count fabrics are stronger, more durable and more weather resistant.

Breathability is another important quality to consider. In speaking with a friend in a colder climate state, they have had horses freeze up, under their blankets because the blanket does not breath, the horse sweats and the sweat turns to ice. Not a good situation for the horse, not good for the owner who thought they were doing the right thing and not good for the blanket company because their customers will soon look for something else.

The amount of fill or insulation in a blanket is another important factor to consider. Warmth trapped in pockets of air between layers can be great insulation. Many of the older style blankets used foam padding as insulation. While it may work in some areas, it doesn't work in all areas. A lot of what is seen in blankets now is a material such as fiberfill or batting, which is commonly used in quilts and other such blankets that you may find on your own bed. Information on horse blankets lists the ounces of insulation material used to describe the thickness and insulating properties. The higher the number, the greater the insulation properties and the more likely the build up of heat if the blanket lacks breathability.

Another consideration is the lining of the blanket. Ripstop nylons and even taffeta are used to prevent hair loss due to rubbing. Some blankets and sheets are lined with fleece and some with a thick wool felt. My issue with fleece is it seems to hold and gather static electricity, in turn zapping either you, your horse or both when it comes time to apply, shift or remove the blanket. There's a real confidence builder for a youngster or an otherwise already skittish horse...

So what the blankets are made up of is pretty important when you are considering spending your hard earned money on one. You want something that will work, that will provide warmth and that will be comfortable for you horse. Fit issues will be the next post. Because it doesn't matter how great the blanket is, the workmanship that goes into it, the materials it is made from or how much it costs if it just doesn't fit right. Just ask you horse.

Different in winter

2009-12-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

In the past five months we have sure covered a lot. Found a horse, lost a horse, brought in a new horse, dug up some dirt on a rider and discussed which show records are worthy of bragging rights. We have gotten off track, then back on track but still haven't actually been to the track. Save up your $$$ we will go there, I promise... And trust me those grooms do things to make the horses look great because they hope they will soon be in the winners circle.

I have been thinking of a few things lately to post about. But being as it is going into winter, there are some things that will have to wait. Because things are different in winter for people on different parts of the planet.

A while back another person on fhotd posted asking about things in the southwest. I told her feel free to email, I would be happy to fill her in with whatever info I can. So she did. Asking about the price of hay, the cost of board, the number of covered arenas, distances to shows, if there even are shows(?), trail riding available, average temperatures, etc. She is in Wisconsin and interested in wintering somewhere warmer. Can anyone blame her?

Well the part about the covered arenas made me snicker just a bit. There are a few here, but not for the same reasons as you would find one in her area. Here they block the sun in the summer, there they keep the snow and ice off the ground in winter. Both good reasons to have one, but not something she had considered.

The show seasons- same thing. Here we are in full swing from about September through around April. There- it's picking up around April and shutting down in September. So in some areas you may be dragging out the show clothes while others are putting them away.

Trail riding is going strong here, put on a light jacket and hit the trails. Places where it is snowing and below 0 on the thermometer, the horses are getting time off, their shoes may have already been pulled and they are coasting until things have thawed- including their water tubs!

Pretty much everyone is dragging out their horses blankets though (if they haven't already) and checking for holes, making sure they still fit, letting go of the old ones and shopping for new ones. A blanket is a good thing to always have on hand just in case. Temperatures may plummet suddenly before their coats come in, there may be health issues deterring weight gain and if you are here- your horse had better be body clipped if you plan on hitting the ring.

I will be posting on the art of body clipping, but since none of ours will be showing this year- there is no need to shave them bald and blanket. That one will have to wait until spring.

Even blanketing though, there are considerations as to when and why. Increasing the amount of hay or roughage fed at night helps the horse produce their own heat and maintain a natural warmth. A lot of times if it is raining, just providing a waterproof sheet is enough. As long as they are dry, they can stay warm underneath. Same goes for windy days, a sheet to block the wind may be all it takes.

I will try to get pictures over the weekend of some of our blankets and the blanketing process. Some horses take to putting them on/taking them off, with no problems. Others, just don't even bother. It will kill them and they just know it. Nothing in the world will change their thoughts on the matter and trying to get a blanket on them can be dangerous. Staying safe is more important. That way you will be around to feed them in the morning. Which is more important in their world? Blankets or food. I bet we can come up with pretty close answers there!

HANDS OFF!!!

2009-12-13T23:34:00.002-07:00

I thought I was the only one who had some sort of mental issues when it comes to other people using my stuff. In speaking to a few people though, I find I'm not alone. Not at all and not even close. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Maybe, but keep your hands off my things.

Here's why.

For me there are a few things that send me over the edge and the inner bitch is set free. Those in her path, are quick to be needing all the help they can get once she is on the loose.

My #1 irritant is halters and leads. Each horse has their own. I buy a new one as needed and expect them to be either on the horses stall gate, or nearby, when I go to get them. You never know when an emergency can pop up and horses need to be moved. It's nice knowing there is a halter and lead rope handy that fits each horse in case they also need to be tied over there and kept out of the way.

Which leads to #2. You don't swap out lead ropes. If your horse breaks his, you borrow mine and break it too- there had better be a new one in it's place the next day. Each of our horses has their own lead rope, so I can move them or tie them if I need to.

#3 would be horses that chew on stuff and the owners or handlers who let them. If you know your horse is mouthy, don't leave stuff within their reach. When you do, you know it will get chewed. In the case of leather- show leads, reins, bridles, harness, etc. your safety and others, depends on the equipment being in good shape and Not breaking or failing. It always does the minute you need it the most. Never fails!

#4 would be borrowing brushes, blankets or fly masks. Especially when you have your own, but maybe the horse pulled their mask in the field and you are just too lazy to look for it. Brushes can transmit skin irritants, fungus's or who knows what, but now my horse has a problem, because you grabbed my brushes and helped pass it all around the barn. Thanks! *grumbles*

#5. Using my stuff and not putting it back. I need to use it, but find myself hunting everything down when I could be riding by now... ARGH! Major time waster and the longer I look, the angrier I get.

#6 supplements for MY horse. I bought it because s/he needs it. Why in the world is the whole barn is getting a handful or a scoop in their feeders. Does your horse need it? If so buy your own. Did you think I wouldn't figure out why a 50 or 80 pound bag only lasts a week, when s/he is supposed to be fed a scoop a day and only at night? And the bale of grass I bought for my pony is not there for free choice feeding to whichever horse happens to colic on the day ending in Y. It never gets replaced... *sigh*

I had one barn owner tell me one day, she would be taking MY trailer to the sale to haul horses home in. Didn't ask me, oh no, she told me. Um, No you're @#%$&+&%^$# NOT!!! I had just bought it for a cheap price, there was a partially rotted floor board and it needed some other minor wiring work. The real kicker in this? She had her own trailer- a 6 horse stock trailer. And I was leaving that afternoon for a vacation! So what do I do? I pulled the floorboard out and took home the license plate. Chocked the tires, locked the hitch and made sure the trailer would not be moved. Period. End of story.

I had a neighbor girl ask to borrow my saddle once. She wanted it to use on her horse who was uncontrollable at times. I didn't know where she lived- just down the street somewhere. She wanted to use it to 'work him lightly in it' and the horse was for sale for less than the saddle is worth. Yeah, let me grab the keys open the tack room and take what you want. I'll get right on that. Sure. So if I had let her use it and the saddle had been damaged- who's paying to replace it?

The underlying issue in all of this though, is... Who gets stuck with footing the bill to replace brushes that walk off, broken or missing lead ropes, chewed up bridles, grain siphoned into the black hole and trailers involved in an accident? ME! Don't these people think that if I could afford to buy a really nice _______ I would? And because I did, does that give them the right to use it at will? NOT A CHANCE. Buy your own. Don't have the money? Maybe you should have thought about that before and saved up.

Just so nobody thinks I am a half crazed loon who counts each bristle in the brush- I have been known to let people use or borrow my stuff. I have brushes and things that may be considered extras and if they walk off- well it's not a big deal. But when they do, when somebody else needs it, I don't have anything to loan them. So instead, I will just send them looking for you.

Weighing in

2009-12-11T14:14:00.003-07:00

To feed or not to feed?

That's not the question!

How much?

Now there's the real question...

(Photo credit- Seminole Feed)

So here you have it. A horse is put on the scale, much like a Weight Watchers meeting. The numbers come up on the wall. The horse hangs his head in shame. He gained a few pounds because he ate the amount of feed in his feeder, as provided by the barn help.

Next horse steps onto the scale. She has lost a few pounds. It took friends. Her ribs show and her frame is thin. Worming schedule is up to date, teeth are fine, things seem to be in order. Yet the numbers keep declining...

Next horse steps on the scale. The numbers come up, this horse has remained at the same weight for weeks. Everything must be on track. Life is good, the horse looks fine. No worries for the owner there. Whew!

But what's going on? What is so different? Why is one horse gaining, one losing and another maintaining their weight? They are all eating the same hay...

Anyone consider their size as a factor? The scheduled workload a horse has ahead of them? Where they came from? Age? Health conditions?

Every barn I have been in, measures their feed in some way. Some weigh the hay, some measure pellets by the bucket or 3lb coffee can, grain and bran are measured accordingly- 1 lb coffee cans work well, plastic or metal feed scoops, and now with the invention of SmartPak Equine, supplements are premeasured before they are even shipped.

Some folks still 'eyeball it' and feel for the weight of a flake of hay before putting it in front of the horse. Different bales and different hay, means different amounts when feeding the same horse. Time of the year of the cutting makes a difference too, in what you get.

When talking about alfalfa- it can be a heavy bale, thick flakes and high quality. May cost you a bit more per bale, but you will find you feed less and the horses are just fine. There are also bales which are light, full of stems, loaded with shake or leaves and you end up feeding the horse over half a bale just to make up for it's poor quality. You may have saved on the cost per bale, but when you figure how many bales you go through- it ends up costing you more.

Bermuda grass hay that we have here in the desert, can also come in heavy bales, breaks off in a nice flake, decent enough moisture content and high quality. Or it is dry, light weight bales, cut the string and *POOF* it goes everywhere! Add in a windy day and it really is everywhere.

It has been mentioned recently, that one barn is weighing their horses, under the 'advice' of the trainer. As a baseline for medications or worming, or for later use if suddenly the horse drops weight and begins to suffer health issues, that is understandable. But when you are basing your day to day feeding allowances off of the numbers on the wall, you may have to consider the knowledge of the person calling for this. Can you not look at a horse and tell by what you see- this horse needs more food or that one needs a little less?

I have also been in a couple of barns where a baseline was established for 'maintenance only' horses. They received a set amount of feed, no matter their size, weight or other considerable factors. Two things fall under this category. These were either 'board only' horses in a training barn or horses whose owners were behind on their payments. I have seen horses lose weight on these terms of how much to feed.

Another local farm feeds hay cubes out of a wheelbarrow using a scoop shovel. Several if not all of the horses there were overweight. The ones I seen had fat globules on certain spots of their body- near the withers, the dock of their tail, shoulder area and cresty necks. Issues in the making...

Another barn I was at, (actually a couple fall under this one) the owner flipped out if you fed more than 2 or 3 bales per feeding. There were around 60 head on the property at the time. Um, helloooo! The pony doesn't eat much and whatever he doesn't eat- the warmblood moose will. Psssst, SHE NEEDS IT TOO! It all balances out. But she didn't see it that way. Instead it was all based on numbers. The number of horses, the number of bales and the price per each. There was little to no getting through to her. Even when stating the case- the boarders are PAYING FOR IT! Any wonder why I didn't stick around?

Another barn switched the hay being fed to my horse. He didn't like it or eat it and instead chose to decorate his stall with it, sleep and poop on it. How to handle it? They approached me and told me he needed to be put on grain. Which cost $10-$20 extra per month, of course... How did ever you guess?

Going to look

2009-12-09T11:51:00.003-07:00

Some of us have had the fun of going to look at horses with clients. Sometimes we go by ourselves to see the horse, sometimes the clients come along. Either way, there are always things that some of us may not pay any attention to and other things that make us want to just keep on driving, not even slowing down to check the address.

For the people just getting into horses, what do they need to look for? What do they need to learn to look past? They navigate the same obstacles when horse shopping as the rest of us may find, but they are more often in the position of falling into the 'traps of deception' some of us have learned to avoid.

Many of these same things apply when looking into boarding facilities. The first thing you should look for and at is all of the horses on the property. Are they all up to weight? Are their feet in good shape? Do they look happy?

When going to a persons house to look at a horse, it is a little different than going to a boarding facility, professional or training barn. At the barns and boarding facility, the horses are generally owned by others. Their owners are paying for their care- quality feed and a clean stall are usually the bare minimums. If the horses are in training they are there to be worked and should be in good shape reflecting this. If the horse owner is keeping them at their home- they are ultimately responsible for the care and condition of all of the horses kept there.

One or two thin horses among a herd of 10 or more, may just mean those horses have weight issues, teeth issues, worms or may be new to the facility. If they are all thin and showing signs of needing better nutrition, take that as a warning sign. Same goes for a farm full of overweight horses. Check into how the facility addresses their feeding program. (Crazy 3 Dayer recently asked about a facility where one person is weighing the horses. This brings up another issue I will address in it's own post. There will be plenty of room for discussion there.)

If the horses all have nice looking, trimmed or shod hooves- their owner has made the appropriate calls, scheduled and paid for the farrier work and is seeing to it the horses feet are taken care of. Again, if you see one or two who don't fit in? They may either be new on the property or there for work with hoof handling issues.

A happy horse is easy to spot, just like an aggressive horse will grab your attention. If they come to the fence, gate or front of the stall to say "Hi!", ears up, inquisitive eyes and hoping you have a treat or a friendly pat- good sign. If all of them stand as far from humans as possible, back turned and a defeated "air" about them, there's a reason for that. But if they charge the fence gate or front of the stall, ears pinned, teeth bared and ready to eat you alive... I wouldn't waste anymore time there. One or two aggressive horses? At a training barn, depending on the trainer, they may be there for that reason. A barn full of horses like that? Something is causing those issues. Probably not something you wish to know about or be associated with.

If you make it to the point of handling the horse, were they easy to catch or did someone have to chase them down? Already caught and tied up when you arrived? The seller may not have wanted you to see how bad it can be. Some horses haven't been handled much or they can be a little leery of new people. If you seem to get along well enough over the pasture fence or stall door, maybe the the seller will let you go in to catch them, letting you both get to know each other.

If the horse is being purchased for riding or driving, make sure you see someone ride or drive the horse. Preferably the seller, their trainer or someone associated with the owner. There are horses out there who may be angels when you are on the ground, but climb on their back and Heaven help you because you are going to need it! Some horses can be ground driven, but not put to a cart. If you are looking at one of these horses, use your head and have some consideration when asking your trainer to handle or get on them.

If your trainer says "Forget it!", take them at their word and call it good. If they get hurt, they lose money- not only on medical bills, but income, since they won't be able to ride anything until they have healed. You most likely aren't paying the trainer until you buy a horse anyways, so don't ask them to do something dangerous for free, just to suit you. That is a quick way to get kicked out before you even get started.

If you wish to compete on the horse- watch them in action. Watch a lesson or go to see them at a competition. Just because Ole Rowdy comes from a long line of great cattle horses, doesn't mean he likes cows. Some barrel racing horses get worked up at the gate and ropers may not like being backed against the rails in the box. It won't be any fun if you buy a horse hoping to compete in the upcoming season, only to find out it is going to take at least one or two show seasons to get them straightened out enough to make them at the very least, only marginally competitive. Some horses are great at home, but take them anywhere else and they just lose it. These are things you will want to know before you decide to buy.

The bottom line about horse shopping is, when you are looking at a prospective new horse, there are honest folks on every level, just like there are those only out to separate you from your money. Once this is accomplished, they could care less about you or the horse. Lessons? Further training? Not going to see either one and if you do, it is going to cost you. But if they have already brushed you off, why would you want their help with anything else?

The horse can be in a high dollar barn, under a big name trainer and still have issues which can be hidden or disguised to even those of us who have been in the industry for a number of years. Find out as much as you can, take a day or so to think about it and don't let anyone rush or push you into making a decision you are not comfortable with.

Horse trader or used car salesman?

2009-12-06T14:11:00.003-07:00

You found a horse online who looks like a promising prospect. The training level, temperment, breeding and price fall under your criteria. You read and reread the ad and finally decide to call for more information. But what do you ask the seller and how do you know if you will get an honest answer?

Ads usually contain the basics, which can be considered the horses strengths- the horse leads, loads, clips, ties, stands for the farrier and vet. Easy to catch in a stall or turnout, gets along well with others, height, color, breeding and price. So what do you ask the seller about the horse? If the horse has been shown- the seller will more likely include all of this as a way to promote the horse as something great and justify their price.

Some sellers will include information which makes the buyers question the suitability though. One ad I found a short time ago stated the horse "needs a stronger rider". Stronger how? Do I have to really pull on the reins hard to get the horse to stop? Sometimes the strength needed, is in fact, the inner strength of trusting the horse and letting them go. Dropping the reins, closing your eyes sitting still and asking for a stop, instead of yanking and pulling on the horse while screaming repeatedly- HO!

Traders often get a bad rap because they are in it to win it. Flip and ship is the name of their game. A quick turnaround means less spent on feed, farrier and vet work, just get the horse sold and move on to the next one. I know of a few locals who are no more than horse traders. But they do get lucky and find a nice horse here and there. If you know what you are looking for and what you are looking at, you can score a great deal on a nice horse for a low price, simply because the trader doesn't know what they have. In their quick assessment and 'easy flip' they don't often have or take the time to get to know the horse.

A lot of times they pick up horses at the low end auctions. They give the horse a chance to find a new home, make a few hundred dollars and go back for a few more. If a horse is on their lot too long, they may take them back to the auction to dump them off and bring home another in their place. If the horse has serious issues, they go back to the auction the next chance they get.

When looking at ads online- check all adds for this seller. Quite a few of the ad websites offer this feature. I suggest you use it. A couple of horses, may not be so much of a trader. A long list of assorted breeds, temperments, accomplishments and each ad sounds the same? You are likely dealing with a trader. But even some breeders take on a shady character when it comes to selling horses. Some also prey on newby horse owners. They too can take in horses of other breeds as a 'payment' for something else and expect to flip & ship the horse for a profit.

As a buyer, keep in mind that every horse is for sale for a reason. Sometimes the reasons are good ones- job loss, sudden illness, death in the family, expensive car repairs... Sometimes the sellers are just thinning out or culling their herd, trimming the fat, downsizing, cutting costs or even getting out of horses altogether.

While everyone wants to have a nice horse, breeders and trainers fall under a little different category. We want to keep our best horses, but don't want to be known for selling a bunch of horses who are unsound, mindless, hard to handle or downright dangerous to be around. The way to build our reputation is for every buyer to be happy with their horse, feel safe while riding them and understand that they are horses and we cannot control every single thing they do. Some people get it. Others don't and some never will.

2009-12-03T11:22:00.003-07:00

So you decided what you want to do with your horse, chosen a breed, set a budget and started looking... and looking... and looking...

You have learned how to refine your search, and yet the list on the monitor is still long. Now what? You refine it a bit more and try again.

Your criteria may include the breed, the age, the price, discipline and even the color. But within each of these you will still find quite the assortment of horses who vary from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Breeds- Pick a breed. Any breed. You will find horses of just about every shape to choose from. Narrow based - built like a tank, short - tall, long - short coupled, great feet - lousy feet. Sometimes you find a registered horse, big names on the papers, but built like Frankenhorse. Then there are grade horses who are about as perfectly built as it gets.

Age- you will find young horses who are as calm and quiet as the day is long and others in the same age group, who think everything is out to get them. Young horses who act much wiser than their years and older horses who are full of spirit and life.

Price- You can set a limit and yet still find a freebie. We have taken in a few freebies over the years, passed on others and know of three more at the moment. Some of our horses have come with price tags of everywhere from $250 to several thousand dollars. Whatever you feel the horse is worth, are comfortable paying and can afford- Congratulations on your new horse!

When looking through horse ads though, what are the warning signs that stand out to some and get no reaction from others? Seeing these things, what do they tell you? In the lower end of the price range you will be more likely to find horses who fall under the 'rescue' status. They are in rough shape and their eyes just scream "HELP ME!" when you look into them.

One thing that stands out to a lot of people is the hay belly. But then you also notice their ribs are showing. Most likely this is worms. Curable? In a lot of cases, yes. Cost? You can go the route of buying a few tubes at the feed store or online, or you can have the vet out to tube worm them and have an evaluation done on the level of infestation and type of worms you are dealing with.

Once this is dealt with and ruled out, the horse may begin to flourish again and pack the weight on with ease. Or not. Then what? Look at their teeth. Are there hooks, points, ridges or sharp spots, ulcerated areas on the tongue and inside of the mouth? If so, this can be handled by having the horses teeth floated. Some horses need to be sedated for this, while others are fine on their own. Prices vary according to your location and the quality of the person doing the work.

If the horse is thin when you looked at them, ask what they are being fed and how much. Sometimes it is a matter of not enough feed, or the right feed. Is it a mare that has just been weaned? Some mares just can't maintain weight while the foal is at their side, where others have no problem doing so. If kept in a herd situation, are they separated at feeding time? If your horse is the lowest on the pecking order, they will not likely get much to eat and it will show. Throwing and extra flake of hay and spacing them out can help fix this, but may not work in every situation.

The hooves also require a close look. Are they long and overgrown? Does the horse toe in or out? Do the hooves have a nice 'bell' shape to them or are they small and straight? Are they in proportion to the size of the horse they are under? Is the seller making a big deal about the "New Shoes" the horse is wearing? Could be because there was an all out battle to get them nailed on... Can the horse go barefoot or do they require shoes? Can they get by with front shoes only? If you have a horse wearing shoes but standing on hard packed ground, day in, day out and buying the horse means they will be moving to a stall with bedding and well groomed arenas with nice footing- you may be able to remove the shoes without issue. Then again, you may not.

The overall condition of the horse can tell you a few things. If they are thin, have the 'wormy belly' and their feet are long, chipped or haven't been trimmed in how long(?), it should raise a few flags and eyebrows, that the horse has not had routine care. A few dollars for wormer, a few extra dollars per bale for good hay, having their teeth checked and seen to once a year or more as needed- costs you far less to maintain the horse, than it will if you ignore everything and wait for it to all fall apart.

And believe me, when it falls apart, it FALLS APART! No amount of grooming will cover these things up, and sometimes the damages cannot be fixed.

Initial assessments

2009-12-01T11:27:00.003-07:00

When shopping for a horse, there are a considerable amount of options to be considered. High on the checklist should be- What are you going to DO with the horse? Breed, show, trail ride? If you are interested in showing, are you heading for the jump course, dressage arena, driving course, roping chute, rodeo arena or cattle pens? What level do you intend to go to? How well do you ride? How much do you know and how much do you have to spend?

For each discipline and sport, there are a number of levels of competition. There are a number of schooling shows for beginners, green horses and as a 'brush up' before hitting the circuits and rated shows, practice events before hauling out to the rodeo grounds to strut your stuff and 'fun days' just to hang out, learn and make new friends. For each level of competition, there are horses in all price ranges and often a handful of different breeds. Stock breeds dominate in certain arenas where lighter breeds take over in others. There are also the occasional 'exception to the rules' to be seen.

Once you have decided what you want to do and where you want to compete, have come to grips with your own abilities and checkbook balance- It's time to go shopping for a horse. But where do you start? Are you working with a trainer? Will you be boarding? Is your property safe for a horse? Do you know of a farrier? Feed stores? Veterinarians? If boarding- what is included or handled by the barn staff? Once you have established a comfortable answer to the numerous 'pre-horse' questions, there are a few other things to be considered.

What are you comfortable with, as far as accepting 'issues' with the horse? There just are no perfect horses. Perfect for you and your abilities- yes. There may be a few who fall into that category actually. But just like people, horses come with 'quirks'. Some can only be handled from one side for certain things, fed certain things and not others, nervous in a particular situation, they may have allergies, skin issues and as they age, just like us, there are health problems to be considered.

Depending on the sport and discipline they have been competing in, there may be joint issues, stress points, muscle tension and even lameness to deal with. Sellers can be honest and truthful or slick and slimy in their dealings. How does a person new to the horse world navigate these waters? Carefully. Just like the rest of us!

If you are not familiar with horses and haven't been around them a long enough to develop and eye for some of these issues, the local auction is not the place to go. Your heart will likely run off with a horse who has issues that will bankrupt you. Either by funding the vet's new house or tropical vacation, or sending you to the emergency room for an extended stay. When considering an auction find as a lucky one, they are. There are plenty of them there to be found. But diamonds in the rough are all around us, just waiting to be discovered by the right person and land in the right situation.

Auctions are more or less, buy on the spot, bid what you can afford and choose from what is available that day. Scouring the online ads, you have a bit more time to consider all things about each horse and choose wisely. Horse shopping in general is like everything else- "caveat emptor" or buyer beware. Learning what to look for, keeping an open mind concerning your intended use for the horse and trusting your gut instincts is the start to making an informed decision about the horse you will soon be bringing home.

Like buying anything else, your best option is to make the most well informed decision whether to buy or keep looking.

Introductions

2009-11-28T12:30:00.010-07:00

This is Patience. I'll just let the photo's speak for themselves...

And that is me standing next to her this morning. Her towering over me. She is a gentle giant. It is windy as can be today- so yes a jacket, sweats and my muck boots. You would think we lived in the arctic or something. *eyeroll*

Looking to the future.

Not the best side view, but we are allowing her to settle in. Insert excuse to make everyone wait for another round of better photo's. Sure.

Yes she is a bit long, but when bred to a short coupled stallion, she has produced some really nice foals.

As I promised before, we will soon discuss things to look for and at, when considering a horse that could be your new acquisition.

Just took the last two this evening and put them up.

Enjoy!

Fields of Clover

2009-11-25T11:31:00.013-07:00

So this isn't exactly a field of clover, more like weeds, but still green, edible and non toxic for the horses sake... That is my pony stallion, Kat, from way back when at my friends place.

As a handful of people know, this week has been a rough one at the Rotten palace. My big, red mare, Tess was kicked in the shoulder sometime during the night Friday, and it is not looking good for her. In fact it is looking pretty damn grim. The vet will soon be out to help pass her on to someone in heaven, who is in need of a good jumper.

Last night after giving her her meds, I held her head in my arms and kissed her as I told her she would soon be in a better place. The vet would take her pain away and that she had no reason to be nervous or scared. She will be well cared for, looked after by some of the best horsemen ever(!), can sail over jumps as she pleases and we will surely meet again.

With the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, I thought about all of the horses I have handled, ridden, groomed and otherwise held or helped through a lot of issues or tough times in their lives. All things considered, there have been many, and yet, there will be many more to come. Of that I am sure.

One mare who made quite an impact in my life was a mare who I had several years ago. She was at one time a Nationals Top Ten Western Pleasure horse. A friend of mine got her from the BNF and held her for the neighbor, who was giving her to their daughter for Christmas. While she was at the barn I worked at, they told me to ride her one day, to keep her 'in tune' until she went to her new home.

Sitting on her back that day, I wished I could have a horse like her...

As luck would have it, several years later, I helped her and her owner, get her through a broken leg, the resulting compensatory founder and the endless good and bad days in her life. She was eventually sold and unfortunately, where she was, she was not receiving the best of care. So without any reasoning I could explain, I made an offer to buy her, which was declined.

Instead they just gave her to me. This is the Mighty Mo a short time after I got her hooves brought back to decent shape, weight back on her and she resembled the horse I had once known. She was in rough shape, but was quickly brought back around. There were even days I was able to ride her again.

But as we neared the end, her good days were becoming outnumbered by the bad. Knowing what this mare had been through, makes it somewhat easy for me now, to do what's best for the horse. Even if that means letting them go.

Mo's best friend was my daughters pony Pi.

This was from a show back in December of 2000. My daughter rode her in a walk trot class at Westworld. Fifth out of five horses in the class... ah well, I was and am still proud of them.

The pony that everyone thought was 'grey' at that show had a hell of a big trot in those short little legs!

And she could jump, while still being the solid, packing, gentle as you go babysitter as ever.

There have been a few other animals as well...

My boxer Punkin

JR's dog Sassie at my moms

and in the snow...

So this Thanksgiving, when everyone is gathered to give thanks for the good things in your lives, don't be saddened about those who have already passed. Let go of any regrets you may have about things you could not control.

Instead, be thankful they have been a part of your life. For they have helped you become the person you are today. By going through whatever you have together, you have learned something and can now pass those experiences and knowledge on to others. I hope everyone has a great weekend!