I'm just heading out this Sunday late morning for a dressage lesson on Beau--finally it stopped raining and this glorious weekend is indeed the first of Spring!!!
Oldest daughter picked up a brand new pair of jodhs that fit PERFECTLY and hubby helped change my changeable gullet to a wider one--the black one--for Beau--and he's waiting in the roundpen for me to get him. Wish me luck!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
I'm Back...
.... in spite of the crappy weather (but really glad because the grass is growing!) and am determined to do what I can--which is the treadmill and making sure my truck's brakes get fixed. My hat is set for------Wild West Pioneer! Stay tuned.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Barefoot Success is 10% Trimming--the Other 90%:
Well into January now and a plan emerges. At daughter's insistence, I practiced for my dressage lesson on the former race horse she's been riding for the last 2 years--we'll call him "Beauregard," or "Beau" for short. And, again at her insistence, used him for the lesson. Boy, I'm finally getting some value out of all that $ spent on daughter's training. When I followed her directions, it worked! She even had me going over a cross bar.
The lesson was delightful, I found that I could canter circles without feeling as though I was on a carnival ride and going to be thrown out of the circle by centrifugal force. So, we've agreed that she will focus on riding the horse that I just spent $1150 on (boarding and training) and I will ride Beau and Hope. I do plan on having Hope at the trainer in the spring for 30 days--that should help us.
Now, for the greatest insight this year---- For barefoot horse success, trimming is 10%, nutrition and environment is the other 90%.
Recommended by a barefoot friend, "Hooves First" is a great book on the 90%. Reading it got me motivated and I went out with hubby's help and cleaned all hooves but pony and baby, and examined white lines.
(Explanation: I had some spray made with copper sulfate that my farrier recommended several years ago when I got my 27 year old former race and brood mare. Her white line showed quite severe detachment. I didn't use it on her much, but did keep her feet trimmed. The first time she was trimmed she went very lame. Soon, I bred her and 7 months ago she foaled. From the first I had her on a supplement I found out about at the Ag Expo in Tulare--Equipride (also, Equilix in block form). Her age and value, and the foal I wanted, were the motivating factors. This stuff is not cheap, but it only takes a cup a day and so lasts a long time.
Cut to present time: Of all the horses only my 3 year old had a really strong attachment without room to stick a pick in to the white line. We went over to the pasture where my old mare is. I guess I hadn't really looked at her feet for a long time because BOY was I surprised! Her feet looked just like the 3-year olds' feet!!!!!! Tight, tight white line, healthy live sole. So, where am I going after work today?? To the closest dealer, 30 minutes from work, but 2 hours from home, to pick up 2 Equilix blocks for the pastures, to get the horses "pre loaded," and a 50 # bag of Equipride.
It seems true that bad feet doom horses more than any other single thing. I'm going to do more interval trimming myself, to save a few dollars, and invest in the nutrition. The horses are on pasture, and 6 months of the year it's mostly alfalfa hay and sparse grass. It's a very natural diet for the most part. The hard keeper and the mama (baby was weaned at Christmas but she's still catching up) get 4# of LFM and 2# of beet pulp, with 2 cups of oil (all this in 2 feedings) per day, along with Equipride! When I'm preparing for a ride, I began supplementing my horse with beet pulp and oil. Now everyone is going to get Equipride too!
By the way, the environment part of the book is very interesting and worth trying to institute! I highly recommend this book. Are you listening Melinda?????
The lesson was delightful, I found that I could canter circles without feeling as though I was on a carnival ride and going to be thrown out of the circle by centrifugal force. So, we've agreed that she will focus on riding the horse that I just spent $1150 on (boarding and training) and I will ride Beau and Hope. I do plan on having Hope at the trainer in the spring for 30 days--that should help us.
Now, for the greatest insight this year---- For barefoot horse success, trimming is 10%, nutrition and environment is the other 90%.
Recommended by a barefoot friend, "Hooves First" is a great book on the 90%. Reading it got me motivated and I went out with hubby's help and cleaned all hooves but pony and baby, and examined white lines.
(Explanation: I had some spray made with copper sulfate that my farrier recommended several years ago when I got my 27 year old former race and brood mare. Her white line showed quite severe detachment. I didn't use it on her much, but did keep her feet trimmed. The first time she was trimmed she went very lame. Soon, I bred her and 7 months ago she foaled. From the first I had her on a supplement I found out about at the Ag Expo in Tulare--Equipride (also, Equilix in block form). Her age and value, and the foal I wanted, were the motivating factors. This stuff is not cheap, but it only takes a cup a day and so lasts a long time.
Cut to present time: Of all the horses only my 3 year old had a really strong attachment without room to stick a pick in to the white line. We went over to the pasture where my old mare is. I guess I hadn't really looked at her feet for a long time because BOY was I surprised! Her feet looked just like the 3-year olds' feet!!!!!! Tight, tight white line, healthy live sole. So, where am I going after work today?? To the closest dealer, 30 minutes from work, but 2 hours from home, to pick up 2 Equilix blocks for the pastures, to get the horses "pre loaded," and a 50 # bag of Equipride.
It seems true that bad feet doom horses more than any other single thing. I'm going to do more interval trimming myself, to save a few dollars, and invest in the nutrition. The horses are on pasture, and 6 months of the year it's mostly alfalfa hay and sparse grass. It's a very natural diet for the most part. The hard keeper and the mama (baby was weaned at Christmas but she's still catching up) get 4# of LFM and 2# of beet pulp, with 2 cups of oil (all this in 2 feedings) per day, along with Equipride! When I'm preparing for a ride, I began supplementing my horse with beet pulp and oil. Now everyone is going to get Equipride too!
By the way, the environment part of the book is very interesting and worth trying to institute! I highly recommend this book. Are you listening Melinda?????
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
At last the New Year approaches and a chance to begin again--nunc pro tunc. I installed the green gullet in the Isabell. Yes, it's true things are not moving along right now. I'm going to try the Gloves on when my boy's toes grow out a bit. By measurement, his foot is too short for the width, but ordinarily it isn't, so I guess my farrier is getting his toes really mustangy.
Plan to ride New Year's Eve and Day with my special niece--what a way to start the New Year!!!! Get ready for photos--I'm using Adobe LightRoom 2!!!!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The Isabell came, nice, but I've had to order the medium narrow (green) gullet--with the regular black one, it slides up over his shoulders too much. I'm working to get him to stand still while I mount on rocks, logs, etc. Next will be to get him to stop as soon as I get (or fall) off.
Things are moving pretty slowly on the endurance front--I plan a big push on the first (of course!)
I do have most of my Christmas shopping done, though!
Things are moving pretty slowly on the endurance front--I plan a big push on the first (of course!)
I do have most of my Christmas shopping done, though!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Plodding on. . . .
Went for a nice ride with number 1 son. I used the chance to ride with a novice to do the steep mine road and down the back side. It was a nice 4 hour 12 mile ride that we all enjoyed. I'm varying quick fast rides with daughter with slow long steep rides with hubby and son. This time I used the Easy Boot Bares. They obviously were adjusted too large but it's such a pain in the a** to adjust them on the horse--and I can't adjust them to fit before I install them. I figured, correctly, they'd stay in place for walking.
I'm looking forward to the next dressage lesson with Aniah. I've not felt 100% comfortable about the fit of the Thorowgood dressage saddle and was looking for a used Thorowgood T4 Dressage (since they're new, fat chance) or a used (same price or more than the Thorowgood T4) Wintec Isabell with CAIR panels. Finally got one on e-bay and hoping it gets here before Friday. I can't find out what gullet it has installed, so may have to order another.
I'm looking forward to the next dressage lesson with Aniah. I've not felt 100% comfortable about the fit of the Thorowgood dressage saddle and was looking for a used Thorowgood T4 Dressage (since they're new, fat chance) or a used (same price or more than the Thorowgood T4) Wintec Isabell with CAIR panels. Finally got one on e-bay and hoping it gets here before Friday. I can't find out what gullet it has installed, so may have to order another.
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