When I look out at the muddy paddocks and mud-covered horses and slog around in that nasty, sucking mud to feed and break ice in troughs (my outdoor electrical hookup is on the fritz, grrrr), I wonder why the hell I continue to put myself through this every winter.
When nearly every other person in the world (sane, non-horse people) wakes up in the morning, they get ready for work, maybe have time for a hot cup of coffee and a quick read of the morning paper then off they go. I get up, make my horses their warm breakfast and go out into the cold and the mud and the ice and snow to take care of them before the sun even comes up. I get dressed twice in the morning: Once in my nasty barn clothes to feed, then again in my clean work clothes. Sometimes, I am jealous of those who board their horses, or those who don't have them at all. Especially on those extra cold, icy, windy, nasty mornings when I long for just another half an hour snuggled warm in my bed.
For three long cold months I'm lucky if I get to ride once a week. And that's only if the planets align and my world isn't a sucking bog of muddy nastiness. The cold I can dress for and ride in, the mud and ice are unforgiving. For three long, dark, cold months I worry about the hay. Will I run out? Do I have enough? Where can I get more? Will my checking account bear the burden of yet another load of hay? This year that stress is extra high because there is a hay shortage in our area. Everyone seems to have shipped their hay out of state to ranchers in states hit by drought. I look at my shrinking pile of hay and wonder why I continue to do this to myself every year. I look at my feed bill that grows every year and even more this year because I'm having to supplement hay with other sources of fiber (beet pulp and hay cubes). That stuff's not cheap, but it keeps my horses healthy and happy.
I wonder why I continue to do this when I have to go spend money I really don't have to repair a run-in shed so they'll have a warm, dry place to hide during the winter or buy a new water tank heater because the old one finally bit it.
It's usually at the times when I feel that I have gone completely over the edge into insanity for continuing to do this for a bunch of dumb animals that they somehow remind me why I do it. They remind me why I sacrifice for them, why we sometimes have to eat Ramen noodles and spaghetti or sandwiches so I can pay the farrier or buy the wormer or put another load of hay into the shed.
And they do it by just being who they are. Gabe does it when he nickers at me when I open the door spots me coming to the pasture. He does it when he follows me around just to keep tabs on what I'm doing and offer his sage advice when he doesn't think I'm fixing fence or repairing the run-in quite right. When Chief curls his neck up, flags his tail and pulls those knees high to prance around the pasture for no apparent reason, I am reminded. When I bury my nose in Gabe's neck and just breath him in or lean against Calypso to listen to her slurp up her breakfast while I think about the things weighing on me, I am reminded.
When I can spend an hour sitting outside to watch them graze quietly on a summer day or laugh at their early spring antics as they rip-snort and race around the fields, I am reminded.
Sure, life would be easier and my checking account significantly fatter if I didn't have them around. I might even be able to get away for an occasional weekend vacation if I didn't have to worry about finding someone (that I trust!) to take care of them.
But I know, even if things would be easier, I wouldn't be happier. There would be something integral and healing and necessary, missing in my life if I didn't have horses. They make my life so much better in so many big, and little, ways, and for that, I am beyond grateful.
Yeah, I'm a crazy horse lady.
And I'm okay with that.
Showing posts with label all the pretty ponies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label all the pretty ponies. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Tell tails
The kids are fuzzy, furry and quite full of themselves lately.
Fall has definitely rolled into our little corner of the world. Vividly changing leaves, browning pastures, a chill wind and horses acting like they are all hopped up on a wee bit too much espresso.
I love it. Fall is my most favorite time of year to ride: No bugs, no excessive sweat, wiggly, energized horses and the smell of fall just can't be matched.
My daughter asked me the other day if horses use their tails like dogs to express how they are feeling.
I had to think about it for a minute or so...do they? Can you tell if a horse is happy, sad, angry, excited or scared by the way they hold their tails? You can certainly tell if they are being bothered by bugs or cold, but other emotions?
My answer was a definite yes! Just that morning I'd paused for a while to watch my three goof balls tear around the pasture like a herd of wild beasts, tails flying. Gabe's tail is the most expressive of the three. When he's excited that tailed is held straight up high and curling over his rump, much like an Arab's. Calypso tends to lift hers a bit, but not anywhere near as exuberantly as Gabe lets his fly. And Chief's tail generally doesn't do a whole lot when he's galloping around, it just kind of follows him, but when he sees something or feels the need to snort at something "threatening," he arches his neck and that tail lifts pretty high.
When Gabe is mad at me - and yes, he does get mad at me - he expresses that through his eyes, his ears and his tail. I've never been a big fan of assigning human characteristics to my animals, but he definitely pouts when he thinks he's been done wrong or not treated the way his highness thinks he should have been treated - his tail just hangs there, all rejected and dejected looking. When he's being chased off by one of the other horses, that tail is tucked up pretty snugly against his butt.
So yeah, I would say that while they don't use their tails to express themselves quite as frequently as dogs so, horses do use them, too. All you have to do is watch. And what better way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon than watching your horses express themselves so delightfully?
Fall has definitely rolled into our little corner of the world. Vividly changing leaves, browning pastures, a chill wind and horses acting like they are all hopped up on a wee bit too much espresso.
I love it. Fall is my most favorite time of year to ride: No bugs, no excessive sweat, wiggly, energized horses and the smell of fall just can't be matched.
My daughter asked me the other day if horses use their tails like dogs to express how they are feeling.
I had to think about it for a minute or so...do they? Can you tell if a horse is happy, sad, angry, excited or scared by the way they hold their tails? You can certainly tell if they are being bothered by bugs or cold, but other emotions?
My answer was a definite yes! Just that morning I'd paused for a while to watch my three goof balls tear around the pasture like a herd of wild beasts, tails flying. Gabe's tail is the most expressive of the three. When he's excited that tailed is held straight up high and curling over his rump, much like an Arab's. Calypso tends to lift hers a bit, but not anywhere near as exuberantly as Gabe lets his fly. And Chief's tail generally doesn't do a whole lot when he's galloping around, it just kind of follows him, but when he sees something or feels the need to snort at something "threatening," he arches his neck and that tail lifts pretty high.
When Gabe is mad at me - and yes, he does get mad at me - he expresses that through his eyes, his ears and his tail. I've never been a big fan of assigning human characteristics to my animals, but he definitely pouts when he thinks he's been done wrong or not treated the way his highness thinks he should have been treated - his tail just hangs there, all rejected and dejected looking. When he's being chased off by one of the other horses, that tail is tucked up pretty snugly against his butt.
So yeah, I would say that while they don't use their tails to express themselves quite as frequently as dogs so, horses do use them, too. All you have to do is watch. And what better way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon than watching your horses express themselves so delightfully?
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sometimes...
I have to remind myself that although the sweltering, icky, yucky, horrible hot SUCKS....
The alternative is worse:
Because while hot is hot is hot, cold is just MISERABLE and a whole lot more work to deal with. Cold toes, cold nose, frozen horses, frozen mud holes, ice, more ice, snow...brrrrr....
Nope. I'm not ready for winter yet. I know I should be getting ready and get that hay shed filled, but it's an admission that winter, yes, it's coming.
And it can take its own sweet time for all I care. Fall, on the other hand, I am ready for fall!
The alternative is worse:
Because while hot is hot is hot, cold is just MISERABLE and a whole lot more work to deal with. Cold toes, cold nose, frozen horses, frozen mud holes, ice, more ice, snow...brrrrr....
Nope. I'm not ready for winter yet. I know I should be getting ready and get that hay shed filled, but it's an admission that winter, yes, it's coming.
And it can take its own sweet time for all I care. Fall, on the other hand, I am ready for fall!
Friday, August 12, 2011
The boys are nuts
I'm loving this cooler weather. LOVE IT! A whole lot unusual for early August 'round these parts, but I will NOT complain! When I wake up in the morning there's a slight chill to the air and I've had the AC off since early this week (my electric bill will thank me, I'm sure).
The horses seem to be perking back up with the chillier evenings and cool mornings. They were drag-ass exhausted and just absolutely beat during that month of 100+ temps. I've never seen three horses drag their hooves as much as my three did when the temps soared. Poor beasts.
I jumped on Calypso for a little "work the fat off your butt" exercise and she was spunkier than she has been all summer. We started out with her pulling on the bridle and READY TO GO! But she settled quickly into the work and even let me know a few times she wasn't terribly enthusiastic about an actual nose-to-the-grindstone workout. Trot? No thanks. I don't think I want to trot. I'll just walk a little faster. I didn't work her too hard, 15 total minutes of trotting and circles to work on her neck reining sensitivity and reaction time, then 20 minutes of walking the arena, halting, backing, lateral work and a cool-off walk down the driveway and along the corn field at dusk.
I forgot to shut the gate to the pasture to lock the boys in the paddock when I took her down the driveway and of course, as they usually do when I fail to contain them properly, the boys came rip-roaring screaming into the pasture after her, raising a ruckus, hauling ass around the pasture and acting like their tails were on fire. You'd think I was taking away their girlfriend or something. Oh. Wait. I was! HA!
Goof balls.
I was a bit worried that they'd get her all worked up and I'd have more than just a nice cool-down walk on my hands. But no, the mare was perfect. Head down, loose rein, walking nicely forward without even flicking her ears at the nincompoops in the pasture next to her. So pleased with her! Such a good girl.
Her feet were ouchy and gimpy on the driveway, but fine on the grass. That mare has the thinnest soles on the planet...damned QH inbreeding issues. Guess I need to pick up some Durasole and really work on toughening her soles up before winter rolls around again. I don't like to keep shoes on unless I absolutely have to, and as long as she's not on gravel/rock, she's fine. But the frozen ground hurts her feet too, and it's a double-edged sword. If I put shoes on her to protect her soles from the frozen ground she ends up spending the winter skating around her frozen paddock (there's usually a nice layer of ice over everything) on a pair of steel skates. So, Durasole it is. What a pain.
The horses seem to be perking back up with the chillier evenings and cool mornings. They were drag-ass exhausted and just absolutely beat during that month of 100+ temps. I've never seen three horses drag their hooves as much as my three did when the temps soared. Poor beasts.
I jumped on Calypso for a little "work the fat off your butt" exercise and she was spunkier than she has been all summer. We started out with her pulling on the bridle and READY TO GO! But she settled quickly into the work and even let me know a few times she wasn't terribly enthusiastic about an actual nose-to-the-grindstone workout. Trot? No thanks. I don't think I want to trot. I'll just walk a little faster. I didn't work her too hard, 15 total minutes of trotting and circles to work on her neck reining sensitivity and reaction time, then 20 minutes of walking the arena, halting, backing, lateral work and a cool-off walk down the driveway and along the corn field at dusk.
I forgot to shut the gate to the pasture to lock the boys in the paddock when I took her down the driveway and of course, as they usually do when I fail to contain them properly, the boys came rip-roaring screaming into the pasture after her, raising a ruckus, hauling ass around the pasture and acting like their tails were on fire. You'd think I was taking away their girlfriend or something. Oh. Wait. I was! HA!
Goof balls.
I was a bit worried that they'd get her all worked up and I'd have more than just a nice cool-down walk on my hands. But no, the mare was perfect. Head down, loose rein, walking nicely forward without even flicking her ears at the nincompoops in the pasture next to her. So pleased with her! Such a good girl.
Her feet were ouchy and gimpy on the driveway, but fine on the grass. That mare has the thinnest soles on the planet...damned QH inbreeding issues. Guess I need to pick up some Durasole and really work on toughening her soles up before winter rolls around again. I don't like to keep shoes on unless I absolutely have to, and as long as she's not on gravel/rock, she's fine. But the frozen ground hurts her feet too, and it's a double-edged sword. If I put shoes on her to protect her soles from the frozen ground she ends up spending the winter skating around her frozen paddock (there's usually a nice layer of ice over everything) on a pair of steel skates. So, Durasole it is. What a pain.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Farm work....it never ends (but I love it!)
How did you spend your weekend?
My plan was to ride both Gabe and Calypso each Saturday and Sunday. But, best laid plans...blah blah blah.
Neither got ridden but I am still sore and exhausted.
Instead, I spent the weekend putting up fence around the last big pasture. It hasn't been mowed since mid-summer so the grass is tall, thick and absolutely gorgeous. There is enough grass there that I'm going to get at least another full month of solid grazing in before I have to start feeding those poop machines any hay at all.
Of course, putting up fence is never simple for me. Putting up fence IS simple, but for me, there's always something that makes it not so simple. I had to clear a pretty good path through the woods for the fence, then, ended up spending well over an hour untangling at least a 1/2 mile of electric rope that I made the mistake of letting my kiddo carry out to the pasture. Oh. Joy. That'll learn me. Next time, she can carry the spool, I'll carry the "loose" fencing.
Once I got all the posts set and the insulators on, it is a breeze putting up the rope, that took a little over and hour. And when I turned the horses out on it you would have thought they'd gone to heaven! Running and bucking and farting and checking out the new digs and looking like a small herd of babies just being SILLY! I love it when they behave like that. I could spend all day just watching them be horses. It makes my heart laugh.
Fence posts along the backside of the woods. They eventually head into the woods....this was tricky as I had to figure out how to best, and most safely, navigate the fence up and down a pretty good sized ravine.
The easier line to set...nice and straight, flat and even.
Oooh...where does this go? OMG! We've never seen this part before! RUN!!!! BUCK!!! SQUEAL LIKE GIRLS!
Keep in mind...Gabe is 16.2hh. That's some grass. I kept waiting to find a small village of people living in there somewhere.
And just in case any rabid squirrels attempted to carry me off to their evil little squirrel villages, I brought along my own personal protector.
My plan was to ride both Gabe and Calypso each Saturday and Sunday. But, best laid plans...blah blah blah.
Neither got ridden but I am still sore and exhausted.
Instead, I spent the weekend putting up fence around the last big pasture. It hasn't been mowed since mid-summer so the grass is tall, thick and absolutely gorgeous. There is enough grass there that I'm going to get at least another full month of solid grazing in before I have to start feeding those poop machines any hay at all.
Of course, putting up fence is never simple for me. Putting up fence IS simple, but for me, there's always something that makes it not so simple. I had to clear a pretty good path through the woods for the fence, then, ended up spending well over an hour untangling at least a 1/2 mile of electric rope that I made the mistake of letting my kiddo carry out to the pasture. Oh. Joy. That'll learn me. Next time, she can carry the spool, I'll carry the "loose" fencing.
Once I got all the posts set and the insulators on, it is a breeze putting up the rope, that took a little over and hour. And when I turned the horses out on it you would have thought they'd gone to heaven! Running and bucking and farting and checking out the new digs and looking like a small herd of babies just being SILLY! I love it when they behave like that. I could spend all day just watching them be horses. It makes my heart laugh.
Fence posts along the backside of the woods. They eventually head into the woods....this was tricky as I had to figure out how to best, and most safely, navigate the fence up and down a pretty good sized ravine. 
The easier line to set...nice and straight, flat and even.
Oooh...where does this go? OMG! We've never seen this part before! RUN!!!! BUCK!!! SQUEAL LIKE GIRLS! 
Keep in mind...Gabe is 16.2hh. That's some grass. I kept waiting to find a small village of people living in there somewhere.
And just in case any rabid squirrels attempted to carry me off to their evil little squirrel villages, I brought along my own personal protector.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
On the trails
A friend came over to ride with me Monday and we ended up logging at least 10 miles on the ponies before 10 a.m.
All three of the beasties got to participate in the trail trek: Me on Gabe, Kayleigh on Chief and my friend Jacquie tooled around on Calypso. I loved having someone to ride with, someone I didn't have to constantly remind to shorten up her reins or pay attention to her surroundings or put her heels down. Love riding with my kid, don't get me wrong, but sometimes it sure is nice to ride with an experienced rider I don't have to worry about.
So, out we went, the horses seemed pleased to be going out together and were quite happy to travel along three abreast. We headed down the road and into the bottoms which is all farmland with roads running between the fields.
Gabe was a little looky loo at ditches and rocks and stumps, oh my! But he was good. He tried to pull his "I'm gonna back up because I don't wanna go forward where YOU want me to go forward" crap a few times and he got a couple of good, smart smacks with the whip and it set him straight.
Chief was excellent, as usual. Just plodded along, head down, ears flopping to the side, lip loose and relaxed. I swear I saw him fall asleep a few times.
Calypso...whoo. That little mare needs a few more miles under her belt. She was a handful for Jacquie, spooking at everything, going with her head high and her strides short and choppy. Guess I need to get my butt in gear and put those miles on her before I try to sell her.
We took advantage of some of the long, flat stretches of dirt road and did some extended trotting and a bit of cantering. Gabe loved it so much he had to toss a few good twisty bucks in there! What fun! I laughed at him in his silliness, got him straightened out and gave him a good wither rub for being such a good, albeit silly, boy.
We crossed two wide, quickly flowing creeks. Gabe had no problem at all getting his feet wet. In fact, he stood in the second one and pawed and pawed and pawed, which I let him do, until I felt those knees starting to buckle. OH NO YOU DON'T! I had a pony who used to drop and roll in every puddle and creek we crossed...I wasn't about to let my big Thoroughbred do the same! Nudge to go forward. No reaction. Nudge, Nudge. Nope. He kept pawing and snorting and sticking his nose in the water to blow bubbles. Ugh.
I had to break out the whip again to get that booger OUT of the water. I mean, seriously, how often does that happen? Usually I'm breaking out the whip to get them to move forward into the water!
At least I know water crossings are not an item on his phobia list. Whew!
By the time we got back home we were all pleasantly tired and sweaty. The horses were excellent, the company fantastic. I'm so ready to do it again soon and it definitely made me realize how very much I miss riding with adults.
All three of the beasties got to participate in the trail trek: Me on Gabe, Kayleigh on Chief and my friend Jacquie tooled around on Calypso. I loved having someone to ride with, someone I didn't have to constantly remind to shorten up her reins or pay attention to her surroundings or put her heels down. Love riding with my kid, don't get me wrong, but sometimes it sure is nice to ride with an experienced rider I don't have to worry about.
So, out we went, the horses seemed pleased to be going out together and were quite happy to travel along three abreast. We headed down the road and into the bottoms which is all farmland with roads running between the fields.
Gabe was a little looky loo at ditches and rocks and stumps, oh my! But he was good. He tried to pull his "I'm gonna back up because I don't wanna go forward where YOU want me to go forward" crap a few times and he got a couple of good, smart smacks with the whip and it set him straight.
Chief was excellent, as usual. Just plodded along, head down, ears flopping to the side, lip loose and relaxed. I swear I saw him fall asleep a few times.
Calypso...whoo. That little mare needs a few more miles under her belt. She was a handful for Jacquie, spooking at everything, going with her head high and her strides short and choppy. Guess I need to get my butt in gear and put those miles on her before I try to sell her.
We took advantage of some of the long, flat stretches of dirt road and did some extended trotting and a bit of cantering. Gabe loved it so much he had to toss a few good twisty bucks in there! What fun! I laughed at him in his silliness, got him straightened out and gave him a good wither rub for being such a good, albeit silly, boy.
We crossed two wide, quickly flowing creeks. Gabe had no problem at all getting his feet wet. In fact, he stood in the second one and pawed and pawed and pawed, which I let him do, until I felt those knees starting to buckle. OH NO YOU DON'T! I had a pony who used to drop and roll in every puddle and creek we crossed...I wasn't about to let my big Thoroughbred do the same! Nudge to go forward. No reaction. Nudge, Nudge. Nope. He kept pawing and snorting and sticking his nose in the water to blow bubbles. Ugh.
I had to break out the whip again to get that booger OUT of the water. I mean, seriously, how often does that happen? Usually I'm breaking out the whip to get them to move forward into the water!
At least I know water crossings are not an item on his phobia list. Whew!
By the time we got back home we were all pleasantly tired and sweaty. The horses were excellent, the company fantastic. I'm so ready to do it again soon and it definitely made me realize how very much I miss riding with adults.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
As the sun rises
The weather here has been absolutely phenomenal for the last couple of days: Down into the 60s at night and a tad bit chilly in the morning. Perfect riding weather!
Wednesday morning the kiddo and I set out bright and early on Chief and Calypso for a nice little trail ride before I had to leave for work. The world is so amazing and fresh and beautiful at 5 a.m. when the sun is just starting to peek up over the horizon and the birds are waking.
Of course, the ride always begins with grooming! She has some trouble reaching his back, but he's patient.
Saddle? We don't need no stinking saddle!
I love the trails we have to ride on. Lovely, especially in the morning. Look! Calypso is listening to me! She was a good girl. Fat and out of shape, but good. Please forgive the mud "beads" in her forelock. She wouldn't let me get them out yet insists on rolling in the biggest mud puddle she can find each and every time. Little pig.
Oooohhh...someone was NOT very happy with me for leaving him behind. If a horse could be jealous, I'm pretty sure he was.
Wednesday morning the kiddo and I set out bright and early on Chief and Calypso for a nice little trail ride before I had to leave for work. The world is so amazing and fresh and beautiful at 5 a.m. when the sun is just starting to peek up over the horizon and the birds are waking.
Of course, the ride always begins with grooming! She has some trouble reaching his back, but he's patient.
Saddle? We don't need no stinking saddle! 
I love the trails we have to ride on. Lovely, especially in the morning. Look! Calypso is listening to me! She was a good girl. Fat and out of shape, but good. Please forgive the mud "beads" in her forelock. She wouldn't let me get them out yet insists on rolling in the biggest mud puddle she can find each and every time. Little pig.
Oooohhh...someone was NOT very happy with me for leaving him behind. If a horse could be jealous, I'm pretty sure he was.
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Barbie dream horse
There is something to be said about riding different horses whenever the opportunity presents itself. Sure, I LOVE to ride Gabe, he's my number one guy, but sometimes, a girl's got to shake it up a little bit to keep things spicy.
But today I got to ride the cutest little Palomino mare whose prior life was as a gaming horse. She looks like Dallas, the Barbie horse that every little girl drooled over and dreamed about having: Long, luxurious blond mane and tail and gleaming coat that shone like a brand new golden coin.
She's a sweet, kind little mare who is always trying to please. A pleasant change from a gelding who is more apt to ask "Why the heck should I?" instead of just replying with "Ok! Here we go! More? Less? Good?"
Chipper belongs to a friend of mine and we went for a trail ride early Monday morning. The weather was wonderful, a slight breeze. But the bugs, ugh. The bugs. Poor ponies were absolutely miserable with biting flies and deer flies when we got down near the woods in the bottoms.
This was the first time I've ridden Chipper and it was so much fun being on a gaming pony again. A touch of the rein on her neck and she was OVER there. A shift back in the saddle and she was stopping, an ear tipped back questioningly...Stop? Slow? What do you want? I'll give! A slight tap with my leg and she was ready to go as fast and as far as I wanted her to. She definitely made me aware of how much I use my leg...apparently, too much for her sensitive sides.
She was almost looking for barrels to run and if I'd had some, I'd have let her run 'em as much as she wanted! All I had to do was ask.
Sometimes I miss running barrels and poles with my old quarter pony Blaze or my little quarter mare, Sunny. Such a rush!
I'm definitely looking forward to riding her again. Maybe next time, we'll find a barrel or two and give her a good run for her money. Yeehaw!
But today I got to ride the cutest little Palomino mare whose prior life was as a gaming horse. She looks like Dallas, the Barbie horse that every little girl drooled over and dreamed about having: Long, luxurious blond mane and tail and gleaming coat that shone like a brand new golden coin.
She's a sweet, kind little mare who is always trying to please. A pleasant change from a gelding who is more apt to ask "Why the heck should I?" instead of just replying with "Ok! Here we go! More? Less? Good?"
Chipper belongs to a friend of mine and we went for a trail ride early Monday morning. The weather was wonderful, a slight breeze. But the bugs, ugh. The bugs. Poor ponies were absolutely miserable with biting flies and deer flies when we got down near the woods in the bottoms.
This was the first time I've ridden Chipper and it was so much fun being on a gaming pony again. A touch of the rein on her neck and she was OVER there. A shift back in the saddle and she was stopping, an ear tipped back questioningly...Stop? Slow? What do you want? I'll give! A slight tap with my leg and she was ready to go as fast and as far as I wanted her to. She definitely made me aware of how much I use my leg...apparently, too much for her sensitive sides.
She was almost looking for barrels to run and if I'd had some, I'd have let her run 'em as much as she wanted! All I had to do was ask.
Sometimes I miss running barrels and poles with my old quarter pony Blaze or my little quarter mare, Sunny. Such a rush!
I'm definitely looking forward to riding her again. Maybe next time, we'll find a barrel or two and give her a good run for her money. Yeehaw!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Run, run, run!
What happens when you toss a herd of horses out into the big pasture for the first time in the spring?
They go a little CRAZY! Are these happy horses or what?
I love this photo, and I'm a little bit surprised Gabe allowed himself to be sandwiched between the other two. He's not big on being crowded.
They ran and bucked and farted and chased each other for a good 10 minutes before finally settling down to rip up as much green grass as they could in the hour I allowed them out.
Look ma! No feet!
Can't you almost hear him blowing and snorting? Cause he was. With that tail flagging high the entire time.
They go a little CRAZY! Are these happy horses or what?
I love this photo, and I'm a little bit surprised Gabe allowed himself to be sandwiched between the other two. He's not big on being crowded.
They ran and bucked and farted and chased each other for a good 10 minutes before finally settling down to rip up as much green grass as they could in the hour I allowed them out.
Look ma! No feet!
Can't you almost hear him blowing and snorting? Cause he was. With that tail flagging high the entire time.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Rip-roaring good times
I know spring is very close. Shhh...don't scare her away! I think missus spring is a wee bit shy as she just starts peeking her pretty little head out over the brown, tortured wasteland of winter. Give her time, she'll be fully present before we know it!
With spring comes shedding. And my three are shedding like mad. Piles and piles of gray hair from Gabe, white hair from Chief, dark brown from Calypso. Odd that Chief's spots always shed first, before the rest of his body does and even after shedding, those spots seem to be a thicker, coarser hair than the sorrel ones.
And I know spring is near because we have a mare and she is in full-blown hussy mode. Hooo boy! She is teasing those poor boys mercilessly, and making a mess of the run-in and her tail while she's at it. She's like a hormone-enraged high school girl: "Come here, big boy!" *cuddle cuddle* "NO! Go away!" *SQUEAL! KICK!* "Wait! I didn't mean it! Come back! Please!" *low, soft nicker* "HA! KIDDING! GO AWAY!" *SQUEAL! KICK!*
I was watching their antics a couple of days ago and had to chuckle when she backed up to the fence between her paddock and Gabe's. He was nipping her butt and Chief was making ugly faces at him (she's HIS girl and he makes no secret about it.) Then...that big gray snot grabbed Calypso's tail with his teeth, close to the dock and refused to let go! Calypso seemed quite shocked that she couldn't move forward when she'd decided she'd had enough of his nuzzling and affections. She contorted her plump little body around and nipped his face and took off running when he freed her tail. Who knew that stout little Quarter horse was so flexible? I never would have imagined she could twist her body around quite so effectively.
And all three started tearing around the paddocks like their tails were on fire...ripping around corners, bucking up the long side and sliding to a stop only to start all over again. They were all snorting and breathing hard and sweating by the time they wore the goofies out.
Silly, happy, frisky beasts.
Hello spring! Come on out...we're more than ready to welcome you back!
With spring comes shedding. And my three are shedding like mad. Piles and piles of gray hair from Gabe, white hair from Chief, dark brown from Calypso. Odd that Chief's spots always shed first, before the rest of his body does and even after shedding, those spots seem to be a thicker, coarser hair than the sorrel ones.
And I know spring is near because we have a mare and she is in full-blown hussy mode. Hooo boy! She is teasing those poor boys mercilessly, and making a mess of the run-in and her tail while she's at it. She's like a hormone-enraged high school girl: "Come here, big boy!" *cuddle cuddle* "NO! Go away!" *SQUEAL! KICK!* "Wait! I didn't mean it! Come back! Please!" *low, soft nicker* "HA! KIDDING! GO AWAY!" *SQUEAL! KICK!*
I was watching their antics a couple of days ago and had to chuckle when she backed up to the fence between her paddock and Gabe's. He was nipping her butt and Chief was making ugly faces at him (she's HIS girl and he makes no secret about it.) Then...that big gray snot grabbed Calypso's tail with his teeth, close to the dock and refused to let go! Calypso seemed quite shocked that she couldn't move forward when she'd decided she'd had enough of his nuzzling and affections. She contorted her plump little body around and nipped his face and took off running when he freed her tail. Who knew that stout little Quarter horse was so flexible? I never would have imagined she could twist her body around quite so effectively.
And all three started tearing around the paddocks like their tails were on fire...ripping around corners, bucking up the long side and sliding to a stop only to start all over again. They were all snorting and breathing hard and sweating by the time they wore the goofies out.
Silly, happy, frisky beasts.
Hello spring! Come on out...we're more than ready to welcome you back!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Winter blahs
Has it really been a month since I last posted? Oh, the doldrums of winter keep me away from the blog and outta the saddle. Sadness.
We just got through a cold spell that broke decades old records. And I'm pleased to report all three horses actually look like they gained weight rather than lost it! It helps when you toss as much hay at them as they can possibly eat and pair it with warm morning meals of beet pulp, oats and pellets.
None of them are blanketed, either. That was a hard decision for me to make this season. Last year, they all wore blankets during the coldest bit of winter. This year, I just bedded their run-ins with straw about two feet deep and they were just fine. I did have a weak moment when I thought about going out and tossing blankets on all of them during the negative degrees, days and evenings, but reconsidered. They all have such thick, long coats and I think I would have done them no favors by putting heavy blankets on them that would just smash down that fluffy hair and probably make them colder. Every day I checked on them...buried my fingers deep in their hair to discover toasty warm ponies under all that fluff. I believe I made the right decision not to blanket. Chief may need it in the future as he gets older, but as long as he's keeping weight on and growing a thick fluffy coat, the blankets will stay packed away.
Do these fuzzy ponies look at all chilled to you? Gabe grew an especially thick, fuzzy coat this year!
So, needless to say, I haven't ridden in well over a month. I don't really mind riding in the cold, but when that cold weather means the "arena" is frozen solid with huge divots in it (from the last time I longed Gabe and he was as high as a kite and tearing up the already muddy ground), riding just isn't the best idea. Sure, I could have tacked up and ridden up and down the driveway, but again, Gabe hasn't been ridden in a month and I'm pretty sure he would have left my hiney on the ground in his exuberance! Am I a little cautious about riding him without a good longe session first? You betcha! I might be a little crazy, but I'm not dumb. I don't bounce as well as I used to. But, I have ramped up the fitness regime since I haven't been in the saddle...I'm up to 3.5 miles a day on the elliptical with three days of weight training a week and yoga/pilates/aerobics in the morning before work. By the time riding time rolls around again, I'm gonna be good and fit and bounce a bit better!
And to add injury to insult, all of the snow and ice melted over the weekend and now we have MUD. Lots of mud. So much mud it's unbelievable. Before everything turned to ice we got five inches of rain in less than a week. A lot of it had nowhere to go because they ground was already saturated and the creeks already overflowing. So it sat and froze and got topped with an additional four inches of snow. Ick.
There is one thing about horse keeping that just drives me nuts and it's the mud. I can't turn them out into the big pastures or they'll tear them to shreds and I won't have any grass this summer. So, they live in the dry lots, which are now more aptly described as sucking mud lots. They spend a lot of time just hanging out in the run-in sheds just chilling out out of the mud. My long term plan is to have those dry lots scraped down to the clay and topped with geotextile fabric under a foot or two of stone dust. I'd have to make the dry lots smaller though. They are currently about an acre each...that's a lot of geotextile and stone dust!
Horses = they aren't just a hobby, they are a complete way of life and bank account drainers.
We just got through a cold spell that broke decades old records. And I'm pleased to report all three horses actually look like they gained weight rather than lost it! It helps when you toss as much hay at them as they can possibly eat and pair it with warm morning meals of beet pulp, oats and pellets.
None of them are blanketed, either. That was a hard decision for me to make this season. Last year, they all wore blankets during the coldest bit of winter. This year, I just bedded their run-ins with straw about two feet deep and they were just fine. I did have a weak moment when I thought about going out and tossing blankets on all of them during the negative degrees, days and evenings, but reconsidered. They all have such thick, long coats and I think I would have done them no favors by putting heavy blankets on them that would just smash down that fluffy hair and probably make them colder. Every day I checked on them...buried my fingers deep in their hair to discover toasty warm ponies under all that fluff. I believe I made the right decision not to blanket. Chief may need it in the future as he gets older, but as long as he's keeping weight on and growing a thick fluffy coat, the blankets will stay packed away.
Do these fuzzy ponies look at all chilled to you? Gabe grew an especially thick, fuzzy coat this year!
So, needless to say, I haven't ridden in well over a month. I don't really mind riding in the cold, but when that cold weather means the "arena" is frozen solid with huge divots in it (from the last time I longed Gabe and he was as high as a kite and tearing up the already muddy ground), riding just isn't the best idea. Sure, I could have tacked up and ridden up and down the driveway, but again, Gabe hasn't been ridden in a month and I'm pretty sure he would have left my hiney on the ground in his exuberance! Am I a little cautious about riding him without a good longe session first? You betcha! I might be a little crazy, but I'm not dumb. I don't bounce as well as I used to. But, I have ramped up the fitness regime since I haven't been in the saddle...I'm up to 3.5 miles a day on the elliptical with three days of weight training a week and yoga/pilates/aerobics in the morning before work. By the time riding time rolls around again, I'm gonna be good and fit and bounce a bit better!
And to add injury to insult, all of the snow and ice melted over the weekend and now we have MUD. Lots of mud. So much mud it's unbelievable. Before everything turned to ice we got five inches of rain in less than a week. A lot of it had nowhere to go because they ground was already saturated and the creeks already overflowing. So it sat and froze and got topped with an additional four inches of snow. Ick.
There is one thing about horse keeping that just drives me nuts and it's the mud. I can't turn them out into the big pastures or they'll tear them to shreds and I won't have any grass this summer. So, they live in the dry lots, which are now more aptly described as sucking mud lots. They spend a lot of time just hanging out in the run-in sheds just chilling out out of the mud. My long term plan is to have those dry lots scraped down to the clay and topped with geotextile fabric under a foot or two of stone dust. I'd have to make the dry lots smaller though. They are currently about an acre each...that's a lot of geotextile and stone dust!
Horses = they aren't just a hobby, they are a complete way of life and bank account drainers.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Three big piggies
I'm not much of a betting person.
Occasionally, I go to the track to watch the ponies run and I blow a few bucks on the filly in my favorite colored silks.
But today, I'm willing to bet my horses are dirtier than yours. It's a fine art, and they have it perfected. The week's worth of nonstop rain has certainly aided their quest for ultimate dirtiness.
I mean, really. Come on, Gabe. Is this NECESSARY? Seriously? It's CAKED on there, ground in and just all around nasty. Pssst...you missed a spot. I see some clean hair right there behind your elbow.
And you'd think, as a girl, Calypso would be a little bit more conscientious about the health and cleanliness of her hair. Not so. She gets just as dirty and nasty as the boys.
I'm willing to bet he considers it a challenge. Must. Be. Dirtier. Than the GIRL! MUST!
Face, eyelashes and mane? Check.
Butt? Tail? Back? Withers? Check. Check. Check.
Ha! I WIN! WHEE!!!
Hey horses? You and the mud win. I give up. You can officially be known as pigs from now on!
Occasionally, I go to the track to watch the ponies run and I blow a few bucks on the filly in my favorite colored silks.
But today, I'm willing to bet my horses are dirtier than yours. It's a fine art, and they have it perfected. The week's worth of nonstop rain has certainly aided their quest for ultimate dirtiness.
I mean, really. Come on, Gabe. Is this NECESSARY? Seriously? It's CAKED on there, ground in and just all around nasty. Pssst...you missed a spot. I see some clean hair right there behind your elbow.
And you'd think, as a girl, Calypso would be a little bit more conscientious about the health and cleanliness of her hair. Not so. She gets just as dirty and nasty as the boys.
I'm willing to bet he considers it a challenge. Must. Be. Dirtier. Than the GIRL! MUST! 
Face, eyelashes and mane? Check.
Butt? Tail? Back? Withers? Check. Check. Check.
Ha! I WIN! WHEE!!!
Hey horses? You and the mud win. I give up. You can officially be known as pigs from now on!
Monday, November 2, 2009
And now, the other two
Gabe and his silly little boy antics have been hogging up this blog and I thought I'd spend a moment to shine the spotlight on the other two nags who share our lives.
I wish I had pictures of the other two, but alas, my camera finally, permanently bit the big one Saturday night. Yes, every single Halloween photo I thought I had of my youngest are all kaput. Blur central. And once I turned it off, it refused to turn back on, even with brand-new batteries. So, it now resides in the Dumpster. Hopefully I'll be buying a new, better camera sooner rather than later!
Onward...
Chief is my daughter's buddy. He's a 25-year-old (or so) Appy who would hang the moon for her if it were possible. I don't know a lot about his history but I do know this: He spent most of his life on one of those rent-by-the-hour trail riding stables. I imagine he had to put up with a LOT of crap and bad riding and cowboying around in those days. From there, he was bought by the owner of the last barn I boarded at as a potential dressage horse. Nevermind this old guy was already 22 years old and had most likely NEVER seen a dressage arena in his life, that was his new lot.
And he failed miserably. He did not like to go in circles, he found it pointless. He did not, would not, lengthen or shorten his strides, he found it useless. He was completely befuddled by requests for any kind of lateral movement. He wanted to trail ride and just bop around without expending too terribly much extra energy. So, he came to us. He's one of those one-in-a-million freebies who are worth far more than their weight in gold. He and Kayleigh clicked and it's obvious he prefers her over anyone else. That kid can do anything with him and he never says NO to anything she asks of him. She rides him bareback in a halter, she pops him over little jumps and ditches, stands on him and lays on him with her head on his wide, spotted butt. She rides him up and down hills and dresses him up as an Indian pony. There are days when he absolutely refuses to be caught by me. He doesn't run, he stays JUUUSST out of reach, which is far more frustrating than those who run! But if Kayleigh walks out there, he's practically in her pocket and following her around like a giant happy puppy.
He can be quite grumpy and has earned the nickname Grumpy Old Man. He has earned his right to be grumpy, in my opinion, and as long as he's not nasty and mean grumpy, he can be as grumpy as he wants to be. He is definitely top dog in our little herd and no one gets away with crap while he's at the helm.
The old man will be with us until the day he dies. He's earned it and he definitely deserves it. He takes good care of Kayleigh and I think he enjoys his life of leisure and his job as babysitter. He's our go-to guy that anyone can ride. Quiet enough for beginners but he definitely knows when there's an experienced rider on board! He has been known to test and challenge the experienced riders just to see how much he can get away with. He's getting a little bit arthritic in his fetlock joints and his body creaks and pops regularly, but he's not lame. He's in good shape for an old guy and hopefully, he'll stay that way for many more years. But I keep a close eye on him to make sure he stays comfortable. Because as soon as he is no longer comfortable doing his work, he'll be retired.
Calypso is my husband's little quarter horse mare. She's 9 now and has definitely matured in the few years we've had her. When we brought her home she was fast and a bit hot and very, very green. She liked to go fast with her head in the air and her stop sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. The woman we bought her from sold her because she was scared of her and I'll admit, she could be scary to a timid rider.
I spent about six months retraining her and teaching her how to be quiet and responsive and how to spook "responsibly" if she felt the need to spook. She was a turn tail and run spooker, now, she stands and stares. She still has the occasional "OH MY GOD!" moment, but those are far, far fewer than they were two years ago. When she spooks she has the tendency to completely disappear from beneath the rider. I swear she comes from strong cutting horse stock....her whole body drops about a foot when she spooks and she can whip that front end around like no one's business! At least she doesn't run away from the scary stuff any more, she just drops and stares. She's still not as bombproof as I'd like her to be, but she is definitely better than what she started out as.
She now neck reins very nicely and I put a little bit of lateral work on her, mostly for Robert's amusement. He gets a kick out of being able to make her go sideways or do a slow spin on her. Her trot is the absolute WORST trot I've ever been on. Worst. Far worse than any bouncy little pony I've ever ridden! It's a whole lot like riding a jackhammer and incredibly uncomfortable to try to sit. She is built like a tank on peg legs...very straight shoulder, very straight pasterns and a bit butt high on a huge, solid body. When she does her nice western pleasure trot it's a bit easier to sit, but definitely not anything you'd want to ride for any kind of extended time.
Calypso is Robert's pocket pony and really adores it when he goes out there to love on her. She rests her head on his shoulder and stands right next to him practically begging for scratches and attention. She is fat. Too fat despite my efforts to slim her down. She gets barely any grain and only grass hay. What she REALLY needs is more consistent riding and plenty of wet saddle pads. Unfortunately, Robert is a mostly a weekend trail rider, which is what he enjoys doing, but it's doing nothing for the fat nag he rides!
Calypso is the only horse on our farm that requires shoes. She has very thin soles and is practically dead lame on any rocky or hard surface if she's barefoot.
And you all know Gabe! I need to start thinking up a "show name" for him for next show season. I'd prefer to keep Gabriel in the name somewhere, so all suggestions are welcome. And for those who are curious, his Jockey Club registered name is "Stick N Rudder." *Gag* His breeder was a WWII pilot. Explains the name, doesn't it?
I wish I had pictures of the other two, but alas, my camera finally, permanently bit the big one Saturday night. Yes, every single Halloween photo I thought I had of my youngest are all kaput. Blur central. And once I turned it off, it refused to turn back on, even with brand-new batteries. So, it now resides in the Dumpster. Hopefully I'll be buying a new, better camera sooner rather than later!
Onward...
Chief is my daughter's buddy. He's a 25-year-old (or so) Appy who would hang the moon for her if it were possible. I don't know a lot about his history but I do know this: He spent most of his life on one of those rent-by-the-hour trail riding stables. I imagine he had to put up with a LOT of crap and bad riding and cowboying around in those days. From there, he was bought by the owner of the last barn I boarded at as a potential dressage horse. Nevermind this old guy was already 22 years old and had most likely NEVER seen a dressage arena in his life, that was his new lot.
And he failed miserably. He did not like to go in circles, he found it pointless. He did not, would not, lengthen or shorten his strides, he found it useless. He was completely befuddled by requests for any kind of lateral movement. He wanted to trail ride and just bop around without expending too terribly much extra energy. So, he came to us. He's one of those one-in-a-million freebies who are worth far more than their weight in gold. He and Kayleigh clicked and it's obvious he prefers her over anyone else. That kid can do anything with him and he never says NO to anything she asks of him. She rides him bareback in a halter, she pops him over little jumps and ditches, stands on him and lays on him with her head on his wide, spotted butt. She rides him up and down hills and dresses him up as an Indian pony. There are days when he absolutely refuses to be caught by me. He doesn't run, he stays JUUUSST out of reach, which is far more frustrating than those who run! But if Kayleigh walks out there, he's practically in her pocket and following her around like a giant happy puppy.
He can be quite grumpy and has earned the nickname Grumpy Old Man. He has earned his right to be grumpy, in my opinion, and as long as he's not nasty and mean grumpy, he can be as grumpy as he wants to be. He is definitely top dog in our little herd and no one gets away with crap while he's at the helm.
The old man will be with us until the day he dies. He's earned it and he definitely deserves it. He takes good care of Kayleigh and I think he enjoys his life of leisure and his job as babysitter. He's our go-to guy that anyone can ride. Quiet enough for beginners but he definitely knows when there's an experienced rider on board! He has been known to test and challenge the experienced riders just to see how much he can get away with. He's getting a little bit arthritic in his fetlock joints and his body creaks and pops regularly, but he's not lame. He's in good shape for an old guy and hopefully, he'll stay that way for many more years. But I keep a close eye on him to make sure he stays comfortable. Because as soon as he is no longer comfortable doing his work, he'll be retired.
Calypso is my husband's little quarter horse mare. She's 9 now and has definitely matured in the few years we've had her. When we brought her home she was fast and a bit hot and very, very green. She liked to go fast with her head in the air and her stop sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. The woman we bought her from sold her because she was scared of her and I'll admit, she could be scary to a timid rider.
I spent about six months retraining her and teaching her how to be quiet and responsive and how to spook "responsibly" if she felt the need to spook. She was a turn tail and run spooker, now, she stands and stares. She still has the occasional "OH MY GOD!" moment, but those are far, far fewer than they were two years ago. When she spooks she has the tendency to completely disappear from beneath the rider. I swear she comes from strong cutting horse stock....her whole body drops about a foot when she spooks and she can whip that front end around like no one's business! At least she doesn't run away from the scary stuff any more, she just drops and stares. She's still not as bombproof as I'd like her to be, but she is definitely better than what she started out as.
She now neck reins very nicely and I put a little bit of lateral work on her, mostly for Robert's amusement. He gets a kick out of being able to make her go sideways or do a slow spin on her. Her trot is the absolute WORST trot I've ever been on. Worst. Far worse than any bouncy little pony I've ever ridden! It's a whole lot like riding a jackhammer and incredibly uncomfortable to try to sit. She is built like a tank on peg legs...very straight shoulder, very straight pasterns and a bit butt high on a huge, solid body. When she does her nice western pleasure trot it's a bit easier to sit, but definitely not anything you'd want to ride for any kind of extended time.
Calypso is Robert's pocket pony and really adores it when he goes out there to love on her. She rests her head on his shoulder and stands right next to him practically begging for scratches and attention. She is fat. Too fat despite my efforts to slim her down. She gets barely any grain and only grass hay. What she REALLY needs is more consistent riding and plenty of wet saddle pads. Unfortunately, Robert is a mostly a weekend trail rider, which is what he enjoys doing, but it's doing nothing for the fat nag he rides!
Calypso is the only horse on our farm that requires shoes. She has very thin soles and is practically dead lame on any rocky or hard surface if she's barefoot.
And you all know Gabe! I need to start thinking up a "show name" for him for next show season. I'd prefer to keep Gabriel in the name somewhere, so all suggestions are welcome. And for those who are curious, his Jockey Club registered name is "Stick N Rudder." *Gag* His breeder was a WWII pilot. Explains the name, doesn't it?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Jump judging
Robert, Kayleigh and I spent the day Saturday out at Queeny Park in Manchester, Mo. jump judging the cross-country course for the QPEE Horse Trials. We were assigned to the water complex, always an entertaining series of jumps to judge because they involve water and a small pond with a variety of jumps in and out of the complex.
I love jump judging. It's a fun day, you meet tons of great horse people and you get to watch all levels of horse and rider pairs navigate the course.
There are four types of horse/rider combos that come through the water complex. I've noticed this at several events I've jump judged.
1. Water? What water?: This is the experienced pair. The horse has been through water more than a few times and the rider has no question about whether or not the horse will balk at the water. They hit that water at a gallop without a pause, trust not a question in either mind. They are a satisfying pair to watch because you know they are working very well together. They are probably reading each others' minds at this point.
2. Well....okay, if you say so!: This pair is usually an experienced rider on an inexperienced horse. The horse's ears and head come up at the sight of the water and the strides shorten as they approach. The horse is thinking: "Yes? No? Go? Stop?" But the rider feels the balk begin and gives the horse the confidence it needs to hit the water. The horse trusts the rider's command and surges forward into the wet obstacle, often leaping the first 10 feet of water and hitting the deep end with a splash. The horse lifts it's legs high as it goes through, trusting the rider but still a bit unsure about the footing.
3. Come on. Buck up. This easy.: The inexperienced rider on a packer. The horse sights the water, the ears come up. He has done this a few times and knows the drill. He is ready to go. Water is no problem for him. The rider tenses as the complex comes into view, sits up, sits back a bit, not trusting herself or the horse enough to hit the water running. The horse doesn't balk but tries to respond to the rider's conflicting signals: "Go! No wait, I'm nervous. Wait. Go!" He KNOWS what he's supposed to do but the rider is confusing him. They hit the water at a trot, not because the horse is worried, but because the rider is worried and the rider's worry transfers to her mount. Most of these riders go to the crop unnecessarily because they are worried. They get through, slowly, and you can almost always see the rider relax and heave a sigh of relief when the reach the other side and take off at a gallop again. You can almost sense the horse thinking: "Trust me, okay? I know what I'm doing."
4. OH MY GOD! NO! HORSE-EATING MONSTER AHEAD!: Ahh...green on green. The most entertaining of the group to watch. Many of these result in a refusal or an unintended dismount. We had two unintended dismounts at the complex Saturday. Not a bad percentage considering the number of green on green that came through. No one was hurt, thankfully. Horse and rider approach the water. Horse slows...slows...slows....STOPS! at the edge, and says "NO NO NO!" the rider says "Ummm...go?" The horse crabs back and forth at the edge, thinking, thinking, thinking, and the rider is still asking "GO?" There is very little trust between the two. The horse doesn't trust the rider won't put him into a dangerous situation...the rider doesn't trust the horse to get her through. Eventually, the horse puts a toe in, tests the water, then LEAPS into it and either walks through, weaving back and forth, not trusting, or trots through very, very fast to get out of the horse eating monster as quickly as possible. Worse case scenario the horse says "NO! puts on the brakes and the rider goes into the water alone. Green on green = black and blue.
I love jump judging. It's a fun day, you meet tons of great horse people and you get to watch all levels of horse and rider pairs navigate the course.
There are four types of horse/rider combos that come through the water complex. I've noticed this at several events I've jump judged.
1. Water? What water?: This is the experienced pair. The horse has been through water more than a few times and the rider has no question about whether or not the horse will balk at the water. They hit that water at a gallop without a pause, trust not a question in either mind. They are a satisfying pair to watch because you know they are working very well together. They are probably reading each others' minds at this point.
2. Well....okay, if you say so!: This pair is usually an experienced rider on an inexperienced horse. The horse's ears and head come up at the sight of the water and the strides shorten as they approach. The horse is thinking: "Yes? No? Go? Stop?" But the rider feels the balk begin and gives the horse the confidence it needs to hit the water. The horse trusts the rider's command and surges forward into the wet obstacle, often leaping the first 10 feet of water and hitting the deep end with a splash. The horse lifts it's legs high as it goes through, trusting the rider but still a bit unsure about the footing.
3. Come on. Buck up. This easy.: The inexperienced rider on a packer. The horse sights the water, the ears come up. He has done this a few times and knows the drill. He is ready to go. Water is no problem for him. The rider tenses as the complex comes into view, sits up, sits back a bit, not trusting herself or the horse enough to hit the water running. The horse doesn't balk but tries to respond to the rider's conflicting signals: "Go! No wait, I'm nervous. Wait. Go!" He KNOWS what he's supposed to do but the rider is confusing him. They hit the water at a trot, not because the horse is worried, but because the rider is worried and the rider's worry transfers to her mount. Most of these riders go to the crop unnecessarily because they are worried. They get through, slowly, and you can almost always see the rider relax and heave a sigh of relief when the reach the other side and take off at a gallop again. You can almost sense the horse thinking: "Trust me, okay? I know what I'm doing."
4. OH MY GOD! NO! HORSE-EATING MONSTER AHEAD!: Ahh...green on green. The most entertaining of the group to watch. Many of these result in a refusal or an unintended dismount. We had two unintended dismounts at the complex Saturday. Not a bad percentage considering the number of green on green that came through. No one was hurt, thankfully. Horse and rider approach the water. Horse slows...slows...slows....STOPS! at the edge, and says "NO NO NO!" the rider says "Ummm...go?" The horse crabs back and forth at the edge, thinking, thinking, thinking, and the rider is still asking "GO?" There is very little trust between the two. The horse doesn't trust the rider won't put him into a dangerous situation...the rider doesn't trust the horse to get her through. Eventually, the horse puts a toe in, tests the water, then LEAPS into it and either walks through, weaving back and forth, not trusting, or trots through very, very fast to get out of the horse eating monster as quickly as possible. Worse case scenario the horse says "NO! puts on the brakes and the rider goes into the water alone. Green on green = black and blue.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Yes, my owner is a little girl, got a problem with that?
Today we have flowers, not feathers.
I'm a GELDING...not a girl, why am I being forced to frolic in a flower necklace? Oh, the things I put up with from the girl child. It's a good thing she comes with treats and lots of good pats.
What? I can eat it? It's made from clover? Life is, indeed, good.
I'm a GELDING...not a girl, why am I being forced to frolic in a flower necklace? Oh, the things I put up with from the girl child. It's a good thing she comes with treats and lots of good pats.
What? I can eat it? It's made from clover? Life is, indeed, good.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Lazy days
Gabe has a new nickname: Mr. Lazy Pants.
Lounging around in the pasture and filling up on grass and clover and alfalfa all day must be hard work because when they come in for their night meal, he's seriously draggin' butt. It could be the weather, too: Hot and HUMID. The humidity is such an energy sapper for every one.
But I really think his Highness is feeling a bit worn out by the work it takes to be at the bottom of a herd, and his insatiable need to be a pest. This is the third week I've been able to turn all three out together as a herd and Gabe can be a bit overreactive. If Calypso turns her butt towards him, just turns, no threatening or warning, he's running to the other side of the pasture. If Chief lays his ears back at him, just a warning to back off a bit, not going after him, he's running to the other side of the pasture, flinging his head around and throwing a few bucks and squeals in there for good measure. I can't tell if he does it because he really is worried about getting kicked or if he's just using it as an excuse to run. He does like to run...when he's not being Mr. Lazy Pants.
He always runs back to his starting point, almost like he's saying "Ha! Ha! You can't catch me!" And they can't. Even though he's a track failure, he's MUCH faster than the other two butterballs and escapes teeth and feet every time. He hasn't a single mark on him, they just can't catch up to lay a tooth or a hoof on him. He has some amazing sliding stops and spins for a TB, that's for sure! My pastures aren't liking those sliding stops so much.
But he's a brat. Seriously, he's a giant, pestering brat and I really can't say I blame the other two for not putting up with his crap and giving him the stink eye when he comes near. I watched them this weekend and Gabe would creep up on one of the other two, slowly grazing his way towards them, watchful and wary, acting like la-tee-da, nothing going on over here, don't look at me, I'm just eating. Then, when he got close enough and the other horse was ignoring him and contentedly munching away, he'd reach out, nip the other on the butt, spin and take off running and bucking like a mad man while the other one whirled to find him already gone. He did it several times. He's like the bratty kid down the road who rings your doorbell then runs away.
I know he just wants them to play with him, but they aren't having any of it. I almost feel kind of bad for him because he's so playful and the other two, well, they just aren't. Chief is a Grumpy Old Man, and Calypso, she's just fat and not terribly athletic. It's easier to bury her head in the grass that *gasp!* trot or canter! But, I imagine he's having fun just pestering them or he wouldn't keep doing it.
Either that, or he's one of those horses who belongs on the short bus and takes a LONG time to figure things out. I really hope he's just having some fun!
Lounging around in the pasture and filling up on grass and clover and alfalfa all day must be hard work because when they come in for their night meal, he's seriously draggin' butt. It could be the weather, too: Hot and HUMID. The humidity is such an energy sapper for every one.
But I really think his Highness is feeling a bit worn out by the work it takes to be at the bottom of a herd, and his insatiable need to be a pest. This is the third week I've been able to turn all three out together as a herd and Gabe can be a bit overreactive. If Calypso turns her butt towards him, just turns, no threatening or warning, he's running to the other side of the pasture. If Chief lays his ears back at him, just a warning to back off a bit, not going after him, he's running to the other side of the pasture, flinging his head around and throwing a few bucks and squeals in there for good measure. I can't tell if he does it because he really is worried about getting kicked or if he's just using it as an excuse to run. He does like to run...when he's not being Mr. Lazy Pants.
He always runs back to his starting point, almost like he's saying "Ha! Ha! You can't catch me!" And they can't. Even though he's a track failure, he's MUCH faster than the other two butterballs and escapes teeth and feet every time. He hasn't a single mark on him, they just can't catch up to lay a tooth or a hoof on him. He has some amazing sliding stops and spins for a TB, that's for sure! My pastures aren't liking those sliding stops so much.
But he's a brat. Seriously, he's a giant, pestering brat and I really can't say I blame the other two for not putting up with his crap and giving him the stink eye when he comes near. I watched them this weekend and Gabe would creep up on one of the other two, slowly grazing his way towards them, watchful and wary, acting like la-tee-da, nothing going on over here, don't look at me, I'm just eating. Then, when he got close enough and the other horse was ignoring him and contentedly munching away, he'd reach out, nip the other on the butt, spin and take off running and bucking like a mad man while the other one whirled to find him already gone. He did it several times. He's like the bratty kid down the road who rings your doorbell then runs away.
I know he just wants them to play with him, but they aren't having any of it. I almost feel kind of bad for him because he's so playful and the other two, well, they just aren't. Chief is a Grumpy Old Man, and Calypso, she's just fat and not terribly athletic. It's easier to bury her head in the grass that *gasp!* trot or canter! But, I imagine he's having fun just pestering them or he wouldn't keep doing it.
Either that, or he's one of those horses who belongs on the short bus and takes a LONG time to figure things out. I really hope he's just having some fun!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Green, green everywhere
It always amazes me how very busy life becomes when the days get longer and the plants spring to life. I've already mowed our pastures TWICE and two need another mowing this weekend. The grasses are up to the horse's bellies and going to seed, so they need to be knocked back down. I like the keep the grasses between 8 inches and 10 inches high, any taller than that and they start going woody and losing nutritional value. Plus, regular mowing keeps any weeds in check and gives the grasses and legumes a leg up to overcome and overtake any pesky weeds. Pasture maintenance is such a labor-intensive venture! The horses are definitely happy in their green paradise.
Last weekend I got a wild hair and decided to try putting all three out to pasture together again. Last year it was a disaster. Chief tried to run Gabe through the fences and just kept after him All. Day. Long. He was overly aggressive and the risk of injury far outweighed my desire to have a happy little herd of three instead of separating them.
I put Gabe out to the pasture first, then turned Calypso out with him. The two usually go out together so I knew there wouldn't be an issue. Once those two got their bucks out I turned Chief out with them. He trotted up to Gabe and Gabe up to him, necks arched, tails held high. The sniffed noses and Chief squealed and struck out with a front leg. Then the two changed position and inspected each other's boy bits, squealed a bit more, sniffed noses again and dropped their heads to graze. That's IT. No running, no kicking, no biting, nothing. I guess Chief really just needed a year of getting used to Gabe over the fence before he was okay with welcoming him into his little herd of two.
Gabe is definitely on the bottom of the totem pole, where he belongs. He is very, very responsive to pinned ears and swishing tails and sometimes looks a bit dejected as Chief and Calypso graze side-by-side while he follows them at a safe distance. I think that will change after awhile, they all just need a chance to get used to the new herd dynamics. Gabe really, really wants to play though, he's such a baby still. He often goes running around the pasture, tail high, snorting like a crazy horse, and swings in to make playful bucks and nips towards Chief and Calypso, inviting them to play. They tolerate him, but haven't ventured to participate in his little games yet.
Not much riding lately. The tilling and planting and mowing and repairing has kept me obscenely busy. Not to mention my husband has been working TONS of overtime, meaning he doesn't get home until the sun is setting, and I won't ride Gabe without another adult home, just in case something happens. I'd hate for something bad to happen to me with just Kayleigh home! I so hate having to depend on someone else's schedule to get my riding time in. Hate. It.
Last weekend I got a wild hair and decided to try putting all three out to pasture together again. Last year it was a disaster. Chief tried to run Gabe through the fences and just kept after him All. Day. Long. He was overly aggressive and the risk of injury far outweighed my desire to have a happy little herd of three instead of separating them.
I put Gabe out to the pasture first, then turned Calypso out with him. The two usually go out together so I knew there wouldn't be an issue. Once those two got their bucks out I turned Chief out with them. He trotted up to Gabe and Gabe up to him, necks arched, tails held high. The sniffed noses and Chief squealed and struck out with a front leg. Then the two changed position and inspected each other's boy bits, squealed a bit more, sniffed noses again and dropped their heads to graze. That's IT. No running, no kicking, no biting, nothing. I guess Chief really just needed a year of getting used to Gabe over the fence before he was okay with welcoming him into his little herd of two.
Gabe is definitely on the bottom of the totem pole, where he belongs. He is very, very responsive to pinned ears and swishing tails and sometimes looks a bit dejected as Chief and Calypso graze side-by-side while he follows them at a safe distance. I think that will change after awhile, they all just need a chance to get used to the new herd dynamics. Gabe really, really wants to play though, he's such a baby still. He often goes running around the pasture, tail high, snorting like a crazy horse, and swings in to make playful bucks and nips towards Chief and Calypso, inviting them to play. They tolerate him, but haven't ventured to participate in his little games yet.
Not much riding lately. The tilling and planting and mowing and repairing has kept me obscenely busy. Not to mention my husband has been working TONS of overtime, meaning he doesn't get home until the sun is setting, and I won't ride Gabe without another adult home, just in case something happens. I'd hate for something bad to happen to me with just Kayleigh home! I so hate having to depend on someone else's schedule to get my riding time in. Hate. It.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
My horsey life
50 Fun Questions
1. How old were you when you first started riding? Before kindergarten.
2. First horse ridden: My mom's horse Dusty. I don't really know that sitting on him with her counts as "riding," but he's the first I was on.
3. First horse trotted on: Probably Sonny.
4. First horse cantered on: Blaze. Definitely. I don't know that that pony did much BUT canter!
5. First horse fallen off of: Blaze. Many, many times.
6. Most recent horse fallen off of: Calypso, two weeks ago. Who knew she could teleport sideways while spinning to run the other way from a relaxed walk?
7. Most terrifying fall: The one off Blaze when I broke my arm. I never imagined that Army guys popping out of the top of a tank could be so scary to a pony!
8. First horse jumped with: Blaze.
9. First horse who ran away with you: Blaze. (I'm sensing a trend here!)
10. First horse that scared the crap out of you: The mustang I broke for a friend. He was a true prey animal and reacted much differently than domestic horses to things. I think he would have taken my head off more than once if I wasn't fast enough to get out of his way.
11. First horse shown: Blaze, I think. I might have ridden Sonny in a walk/trot class, but I don't recall.
12. First horse to win a class with: Blaze. We beat out all the experienced riders on well-broke horses in an advanced trail class. We were the BOMB!
13. Do you/have you taken lessons: Yes, and I'll keep taking them for as long as I can get on a horse.
14. First horse you ever rode bareback: Blaze. We didn't have a saddle for her right away so I spent most of my time bareback. Even after my mom picked up a kid's western saddle, I still chose bareback over saddle.
15. First horse trail ridden with: Blaze.
16. Current Barn Name: Well, my farm's name is Bramblewood Acres. Since my horses are at home, I guess that's my barn name, too!
17. Do you ride English or Western: Both.
18. First horse to place at a show with: Blaze
19. Ever been to horse camp: Nope. I've helped run a horse camp, but was never a participant.
20. Ever been to a riding clinic: Yup, both as an auditor and a participant. I love clinics.
21. Ridden sidesaddle: Nope. No desire to, either.
22. First horse leased: Never leased, always owned. Well, I did a part-board lease on a TB named Royal Conclusion. I part-boarded him for a summer.
23. Last horse leased: Royal Conclusion.
24. Highest ribbon in a show: Grand Champion in a halter class.
25. Ever been to an “A” rated show?: Yes
26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races: Yes.
27. Ever fallen off at a show: Yes.
28. Do you ride Hunters/Jumpers: Yes. But I've gravitated away from hunters towards jumpers and eventers. They have more fun.
29. Have you ever barrel raced: Yup!
30. Have you ever done pole bending: Yup!
31. Favorite gait: Galloping!
32. Ever cantered bareback: Many, many times.
33. Have you ever done dressage: Yes. I love dressage. The most incredible experience I ever had was on a schoolmaster named Early Morning. Holy mackerel. That's the dressage I strive for.
34. Have you ever evented: Yes. Very low level. Like, green bean level.
35. Have you ever mucked a stall: A billion and one times.
36. Ever been bucked off: Bucked off? Nope. Spooked off? Yup.
37. Ever been on a horse that reared: Yes. I made my mom SO angry when I taught her hunter, Mike, how to rear on command. I was young and dumb.
38. Horses or ponies: Thoroughbreds!
39. Do you wear a helmet: I have been lately, especially when I ride Gabe. I grew up only having to wear a helmet at shows, but I've gotten better. My daughter reminds me to put it on every time I ride now...and when you have kids to stay alive and kicking for, you tend to be a bit safer.
40. What’s the highest you’ve jumped: 3'6"
41. Have you ever ridden at night: Oh yes! Midnight trail rides under a full moon are amazing!
42. Do you watch horsey television shows: Yes, RFD-Tv shows and that new series "Jockeys."
43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall: Yes. A few times.
44. Most falls in one lesson: I've never fallen off during a lesson.
45. Do you ride in an arena/ring: Kind of. I have a flat pasture area we ride in, but its grass, not sand, and it's not enclosed. But I have the corners and sides marked with cones.
46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse: No. Stomped on, kicked, bit, dragged and bloodied, but never trampled.
47. Have you ever been bitten: Oh yes. One horse I worked around, Sam, went out of his way to bite. You couldn't enter his stall without a crop in hand.
48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse: I've had my toes bloodied and broken by horse hooves. My favorite was the jumper, Smoke and Mirrors, who used to aim for my foot when he had the studs in his shoes. FUN!
49. Favorite riding moment: There are so many. My most recent favorite moment was trail riding in the Sierras with my mom, daughter and sister. Oh, what wonderful memories!
50. Most fun horse you’ve ridden: Definitely Star. She was such a character and could be quite flaky, but she always gave her all when It's too early to tell, but I think Gabe may turn out to be pretty danged fun, too.
1. How old were you when you first started riding? Before kindergarten.
2. First horse ridden: My mom's horse Dusty. I don't really know that sitting on him with her counts as "riding," but he's the first I was on.
3. First horse trotted on: Probably Sonny.
4. First horse cantered on: Blaze. Definitely. I don't know that that pony did much BUT canter!
5. First horse fallen off of: Blaze. Many, many times.
6. Most recent horse fallen off of: Calypso, two weeks ago. Who knew she could teleport sideways while spinning to run the other way from a relaxed walk?
7. Most terrifying fall: The one off Blaze when I broke my arm. I never imagined that Army guys popping out of the top of a tank could be so scary to a pony!
8. First horse jumped with: Blaze.
9. First horse who ran away with you: Blaze. (I'm sensing a trend here!)
10. First horse that scared the crap out of you: The mustang I broke for a friend. He was a true prey animal and reacted much differently than domestic horses to things. I think he would have taken my head off more than once if I wasn't fast enough to get out of his way.
11. First horse shown: Blaze, I think. I might have ridden Sonny in a walk/trot class, but I don't recall.
12. First horse to win a class with: Blaze. We beat out all the experienced riders on well-broke horses in an advanced trail class. We were the BOMB!
13. Do you/have you taken lessons: Yes, and I'll keep taking them for as long as I can get on a horse.
14. First horse you ever rode bareback: Blaze. We didn't have a saddle for her right away so I spent most of my time bareback. Even after my mom picked up a kid's western saddle, I still chose bareback over saddle.
15. First horse trail ridden with: Blaze.
16. Current Barn Name: Well, my farm's name is Bramblewood Acres. Since my horses are at home, I guess that's my barn name, too!
17. Do you ride English or Western: Both.
18. First horse to place at a show with: Blaze
19. Ever been to horse camp: Nope. I've helped run a horse camp, but was never a participant.
20. Ever been to a riding clinic: Yup, both as an auditor and a participant. I love clinics.
21. Ridden sidesaddle: Nope. No desire to, either.
22. First horse leased: Never leased, always owned. Well, I did a part-board lease on a TB named Royal Conclusion. I part-boarded him for a summer.
23. Last horse leased: Royal Conclusion.
24. Highest ribbon in a show: Grand Champion in a halter class.
25. Ever been to an “A” rated show?: Yes
26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races: Yes.
27. Ever fallen off at a show: Yes.
28. Do you ride Hunters/Jumpers: Yes. But I've gravitated away from hunters towards jumpers and eventers. They have more fun.
29. Have you ever barrel raced: Yup!
30. Have you ever done pole bending: Yup!
31. Favorite gait: Galloping!
32. Ever cantered bareback: Many, many times.
33. Have you ever done dressage: Yes. I love dressage. The most incredible experience I ever had was on a schoolmaster named Early Morning. Holy mackerel. That's the dressage I strive for.
34. Have you ever evented: Yes. Very low level. Like, green bean level.
35. Have you ever mucked a stall: A billion and one times.
36. Ever been bucked off: Bucked off? Nope. Spooked off? Yup.
37. Ever been on a horse that reared: Yes. I made my mom SO angry when I taught her hunter, Mike, how to rear on command. I was young and dumb.
38. Horses or ponies: Thoroughbreds!
39. Do you wear a helmet: I have been lately, especially when I ride Gabe. I grew up only having to wear a helmet at shows, but I've gotten better. My daughter reminds me to put it on every time I ride now...and when you have kids to stay alive and kicking for, you tend to be a bit safer.
40. What’s the highest you’ve jumped: 3'6"
41. Have you ever ridden at night: Oh yes! Midnight trail rides under a full moon are amazing!
42. Do you watch horsey television shows: Yes, RFD-Tv shows and that new series "Jockeys."
43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall: Yes. A few times.
44. Most falls in one lesson: I've never fallen off during a lesson.
45. Do you ride in an arena/ring: Kind of. I have a flat pasture area we ride in, but its grass, not sand, and it's not enclosed. But I have the corners and sides marked with cones.
46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse: No. Stomped on, kicked, bit, dragged and bloodied, but never trampled.
47. Have you ever been bitten: Oh yes. One horse I worked around, Sam, went out of his way to bite. You couldn't enter his stall without a crop in hand.
48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse: I've had my toes bloodied and broken by horse hooves. My favorite was the jumper, Smoke and Mirrors, who used to aim for my foot when he had the studs in his shoes. FUN!
49. Favorite riding moment: There are so many. My most recent favorite moment was trail riding in the Sierras with my mom, daughter and sister. Oh, what wonderful memories!
50. Most fun horse you’ve ridden: Definitely Star. She was such a character and could be quite flaky, but she always gave her all when It's too early to tell, but I think Gabe may turn out to be pretty danged fun, too.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunshine dreamin'
YAWN. Chief and Calypso nappin' in the sun. 
HEY! Stop watching me! I'm outta here.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Horses in the snow
Some vids of my horses livin' it up in the snow. I so need a new camera. And Gabe really needs to better learn the definition of my "personal space!"
The first one is almost two minutes. The tiny human you hear is my daughter, Kayleigh. If you listen closely you can hear the horses snorting and blowing at each other. Yes, you heard right. Kayleigh said Chief sounds like a Velociraptor when he blows. He kinda does!
The second one is a bit shorter. Yee haw! I wouldn't want to ride THOSE bucks! Do ya think my kid loves horses as much as I do? hehe!
The first one is almost two minutes. The tiny human you hear is my daughter, Kayleigh. If you listen closely you can hear the horses snorting and blowing at each other. Yes, you heard right. Kayleigh said Chief sounds like a Velociraptor when he blows. He kinda does!
The second one is a bit shorter. Yee haw! I wouldn't want to ride THOSE bucks! Do ya think my kid loves horses as much as I do? hehe!
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