Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Okay, here I am again. The rain has cancelled out everything except the stuff that costs--feeding, trimming, etc. Daughter has 2 horses that need feed all year round! In spite of a multitude of great pasture on which the other 10 get nice and plump. Well, it does give me some leverage.....
So, she and I are headed for the Wild West Ride! My wonderful niece has provided motivation by telling me what a great time it is. If I can just get some riding in before hand . . . I really, really miss the rides--It's been two years, I think, since a completion.
So, she and I are headed for the Wild West Ride! My wonderful niece has provided motivation by telling me what a great time it is. If I can just get some riding in before hand . . . I really, really miss the rides--It's been two years, I think, since a completion.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Going, going, going---Gone!
That's what it felt like Sunday just before I landed face-first in the arena dirt. I should have known better--Beau was just looking for an excuse to run. I hadn't ridden him in a good 6 weeks--and the lovely spring weather--he was just too full of himself and forgot that he was supposed to "respect" me. All was well relatively speaking, except that my shin came down on one of those lovely concrete blocks that folks use to hold up the PVC pipes when they make dressage rings. I hung on around his neck until I saw a clear spot for my face. (ha ha). My instructor leaped on and he wouldn't give her the respect she deserved so they had a friendly roundpen discussion and my Beau had a very nice attitude adjustment. I just have to stay on top of it--mentally I know all this, and if I'd just treat my horses with the same attitude as my kids, it would be okay. Until next Friday......
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Back in the Saddle!
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!
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!
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?????
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