Manes and Tales

As you can see...

2011-07-08T10:04:00.001-07:00

...I haven't been updating this blog. Right now, I really don't have time for a blog that has basically one follower and isn't getting any comments. I might revive it in the future, but for now it's on indefinite hiatus.

Sorry, it's the most honest thing to do at this point.

People accuse...

2011-05-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

...dressage riders of being stuffy.

Guess who yelled 'WE HAVE COLLECTION' across the arena this week ;). G is coming on in leaps and bounds...and I'm almost wishing I could just keep him. He's an awesome horse.

Effective leg...

2011-04-14T11:22:00.001-07:00

Hey. It worked. Walking backwards really did make my riding legs stronger. Try it. Heel first...

It has to work...it hurts. A lot...

G is for...

2011-04-07T13:20:00.001-07:00

Glutton. The little so and so had so much hay in his mouth there was no room for the bit...

People who don't watch bad movies...

2011-03-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-scientists-drill-earth-mantle.html

I'm a science fiction writer, and even *I* question whether this is a good idea. They could make a new volcano this way...

The 'get it' moment.

2011-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

G had one. He finally got coming onto the bit...you could see it going through his head. 'Oh, hey, this frame thing isn't so bad after all'.

Now if we could just find where he's hidden his left canter lead...

Evil lower legs...

2011-03-18T07:31:00.001-07:00

Mine are so not talking to me lately after my trainer told me she thought they were weak. I got lucky...so far she hasn't decided to just ban me from even thinking of stirrups for weeks.

Good exercises I've had recommended to me. Walking backwards...heel first. Walking up and down hills (Hillwork! Good for both of us!). Balancing on a step, toe up, heel down (supposed to help keep your heels down, too).

Does anyone have any more?

What are they trying to tell you?

2011-02-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

If a mare doesn't want to let you on, overreacts to your legs, seems distracted and is stiff behind the saddle...

...she's probably about to come into raging heat. Sigh.

He's so pretty...

2011-02-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

a friend's horse, that is.

I don't have pics, but imagine about 14.2-3, a shade of bay that reminds the world bay is not a boring color, Quarter Horse crossed with we-think-Morgan.

Nose? That's in somebody's pocket, given a quarter of a chance. Oh, and he's nicely trained, willing, forward without being crazy. I can only imagine one reason why his previous owner parted with him.

Any bets it was because he can't quite get a pony card?

Happy Solstice

2010-12-24T10:38:00.001-08:00

Or whatever you celebrate.

Good news is...Billie is out of the hospital as of yesterday afternoon and going to be completely fine.

Yay for helmets.

Wear a helmet...

2010-12-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

and avoid being the person spending this Christmas in the ER. Or the morgue.

Sometimes even wearing a helmet isn't enough. One of my friends is in the hospital after falling on her head while cantering a young horse.

So. Be careful this holiday season.

Toby...

2010-12-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

I don't think we should use him tonight. We're using music.

Apparently he 'likes' it.

Music is turned on.

The huge ears swivel like radar dishes. He lifted his head and peered at the stereo. Then the next thing I knew, the danged horse was arching his back and neck, growing another two inches (it's high enough up already!) and prancing along in PERFECT time to Winter Wonderland.

Yeah.

The big, dumb, klutzy horse can DANCE. I almost fell off laughing.

Ever been...

2010-11-18T09:35:00.000-08:00

really glad nobody around had a camera.

I was *trying* to bridle the super-sized horse (at LEAST 16.2 and at LEAST 1400 pounds) and he was being distinctly uncooperative. I had both of my hands around his nose and he threw his head up so violently...

You got it. Me danging from horse nose by my hands. I yelped so loudly my trainer came running. (She thought he'd stepped on my foot).

I need to work out a better bridling technique here...

Playday pictures!

2010-11-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

Links not embedded, because I like people with slow connections to be able to read the blog.

http://shadowreine.imagination-evolution.net/Cinderella1.JPG

Ella! Being got used to the crowds and such. Can you believe that was a BCS of a high 1 with a crappy coat and barb wire cuts on her as recently as Labor Day? Still needs another hundred pounds and a lot of muscle, but look at those ears!

http://shadowreine.imagination-evolution.net/Hydi1.JPG

http://shadowreine.imagination-evolution.net/Hydi3.JPG

Excuse my equitation. I don't normally have Donald Duck toes...not sure what I was thinking there. But look at Hydi's cute little red face.

http://shadowreine.imagination-evolution.net/Hydi5.JPG

http://shadowreine.imagination-evolution.net/Hydi7.JPG

Zoom!

Word to the wise...

2010-11-04T10:18:00.001-07:00

Don't ever tell somebody a horse is absolutely fantastic, never puts a hoof wrong, etc...BEFORE riding that horse.

They WILL decide to prove you wrong that day. Thank you, Cinderella...

Word to the wise.

2010-10-28T08:24:00.001-07:00

Don't change your boots while petting a ninety pound dog...

TB cross Draft = Warmblood

2010-10-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes.

Or you might get something like the horse I rode the other day.

All the elegance, grace, agility and turning circle of a Mack truck.
All the brains of a cheerleader.

Yeah. Not a good combination. Nice, sweet horse, but should probably never have been bred.

Owowow.

2010-10-15T14:45:00.001-07:00

My abs hurt.

My abs still hurt.

I think I need to do some more core strength exercises. Yeah, guess who was riding the semi-crazy, incredibly green and horribly strong horse.

Two days ago.

My abs hurt.

Whine. Sorry.

Sigh...

2010-10-07T11:45:00.001-07:00

Some of the horses have conjunctivitis. What a pain. I just hope none of the humans get it.

Ugh.

Joy and anger

2010-09-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to tell this story.

The BO rescued two horses this month. From a hoarder. One of them was the most sad looking mare you could imagine (the other is one of the cutest ponies on the planet). BCS 1. Barb wire injuries. No muscle tone. Standing in the corner of her stall, her back to the aisle, windsucking.

Now she's almost BCS 3, still vacuuming up hay like there's no tomorrow. Her various cuts have mostly healed. Begging everyone who comes past for treats. And I rode her.

Epona. This mare has NO muscle tone left (pretty soon she's going to be seeing a lot of our very pleasant, very HILLY trail through the woods ;)). She's still a little bit underweight. Yet, she is forward, straight, great rhythm in her gaits. Balance is iffy, but not nearly as much as I was expecting. Self carriage is simply impossible for her right now (and my abs know it!). But she knows how she's supposed to go. And her response to whatever she is asked is 'Okay. What next?' Her ground manners are almost perfect (she doesn't like you getting between her and food, but can one really blame her?)

That somebody could neglect any horse hurts. That somebody could neglect a horse this nice...makes it hurt even more, somehow.

But our gorgeous Cinderella is safe now...and I suppose that's all that matters.

Now if we could get animal control to do something about the 50+ horses and well over a hundred cats still in that hellhole...

Down hill.

2010-09-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

I've been involved in quite a few conversations about this, lately.

First of all. Young horses tend to be downhill. The croup *tends* to grow faster than the forehand. Such horses tend to have a croup higher than the withers.

However, some horses are just downhill. A lof ot the time, the withers are level with the croup or higher, but the set of the shoulders is wrong and the spine dips forward. With such a horse, it takes a bit of a knack to SEE that the animal is downhill...but you can sure as heck tell when you're riding.

Downhill is a major fault in a riding horse. A horse that is built downhill is fighting its own conformation constantly in order to engage the hindquarters and balance. Commonly, a downhill horse will go on the forehand and many will try and get their rider to hold their head up for them, using the reins for support.

Downhill is most common in the stock breeds, most likely a side effect from breeding for the large hindquarters that well support speed over very short distances.

How...

2010-08-19T12:42:00.001-07:00

does a sixteen two Paint manage to be cute?

Actually, my ride reminded me of something. Said sixteen two Paint is a very nice, talented horse. He has a bit of a screw loose, but as long as you keep him focus and don't let him daydream, he's great...he needs to be worked hard and given lots of variety to keep his focus.

We were working on canter leg yields. Not an easy exercise and one he only learned recently. I asked him to do a leg yield.

He did a flying change. He's JUST learning his changes and doesn't really have them down yet...so he changed, changed back, ended up cross firing with his legs all over the place...partly, no doubt, because I was not ready for him to do THAT.

A lot of people would have become angry with this horse. He didn't do what I wanted. He did something I didn't ask for.

Ook...hot!.

2010-08-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

FAR too hot at the barn last night. Not dangerously hot...or I wouldn't have ridden, but hot enough that I wasn't sure I wanted to.

I wanted electrolytes. Seriously. Heck, today its even worse...a three block walk left me drenched in sweat.

I want winter.

Always asking why

2010-08-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Last night, I had to deal with some extremely uncharacteristic behavior from Hydi Q. She was actually showing attitude!

(Believe it or not, this is a good thing...I'd rather have a bit of attitude than her normal extreme timidity).

Too many riders will really get angry with a horse that starts to show attitude. But its always best to ask why.

In this case, the why was obvious. It was extremely hot. We were alone in the arena, Every other horse in the barn was eating its supper. Do you really blame her for showing attitude?

A firm but gentle hand and a focus on getting her to concentrate, and she was fine.

But sometimes attitude can mean something more serious. If there is no obvious 'why' its time to start looking at the tack or even call the vet. It's amazing how many sudden cases of 'attitude' in a horse that wasn't showing it before turn out to be a vertebrae out of alignment...

Working through distractions

2010-07-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

I had such a ride last night.

First of all, a storm blew through on Sunday. A BAD storm. Fortunately, the barn was mostly undamaged...with the exception of the trees. The only thing that's been done in terms of storm cleanup has been clearing the outdoor and the driveway.

My horse spent the first five minutes convinced there was something at least the size of a wolf hiding in every pile of branches. That or he thought the Great Tree Breaking Monster was coming back.

Then there were these...people. They parked halfway up the barn driveway with their hazards on and started to wander in to the arena chute. With a lesson going on. Then they apparently thought better of it...but just as I thought 'Phew, they have some sense' they went down to the not busy, but definitely public, road that runs past the barn. Two of them sat down on the yellow line while a third photographed them. With flash. With flash pointed right at the arena.

After THEY finally left, somebody showed up with an extremely large dog that started barking at the top of its voice for, oh, no good reason other than it felt like barking.

Had a day like that? Yup. If your barn is by a road, the general public are likely to come wandering in to admire the pretty horses...sometimes bringing dogs. (And yes, you can ask them not to, but you can't always stop them). A lot of arenas are located right next to roads. Sometimes busy roads. People WILL insist on using flash around animals.

And then you get to shows and..,dogs everywhere, kids everywhere, photographers everywhere. Strange horses all over the place. Miniature horses can scare their full size relatives for some reason. A horse that has never before encountered a donkey or a mule might freak out. Stupid spectators get in the way. Heck, I was once at a horse show and two people were wandering around the spectator area with eagle owls. (Could I make that up?)

All of these things can spook and distract a horse. A lot of them can distract a rider...such as the other distraction, namely the small and very cute fox that was watching me ride at one point. Yeah. I stopped to say 'awww'. (Must have been one of this year's cubs). Well meaning friends cheering you on from the rail in a class can also be a distraction.

How do you deal with all of this stuff? Here are a few tips.

1. Breathing exercises. Deep breathing slows your heart rate. Horses can hear your heartrate. Not just when you're riding them, but at any time you're around them. Blind studies have proved that a horse WILL react to a fear reaction on the part of their handler. By deep breathing, you fake calm even if you are not calm.

2. Keep busy. If you have a ride when everything is conspiring to distract you, it's easy to back off and do only simple exercises. This is often the wrong thing to do. Schooling a higher exercise forces mental focus from both horse and rider.

3. Talk to your horse. Unless you're doing a dressage test at levels in which use of the voice is forbidden, quietly talking to your horse can go a long way to keeping its focus on YOU, not that horrible yappy dog that's threatening to run right into the arena.

4. Employ an older, quieter horse. If your horse really can't focus, a bit of follow my leader with a horse that is less distracted can go a long way to calming him down.

5. Learn to stay focused yourself. And if schooling and you really HAVE to admire the cute fox cub...stop, admire, then move on pretending its not there.

(Yes. It was a very cute fox cub).

Oh, come on...

2010-07-22T11:52:00.001-07:00

What IS it about this one mare in the herd? All the geldings go crazy for her. You'd think she had some magical ability to reattach certain things.

She's a fugly, paddling Quarter Horse with no mane. I don't get it.

RIP, Big Guy

2010-07-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Was that storm you running hell for leather across the Rainbow Bridge, as you sometimes forgot old bones and creaking joints no longer could? We're going to miss you, big guy, even if it was your time. Are you waiting on the bridge now for the old man who bred you thirty-five years ago, right here at the same barn?

Or are you catching up with herd mates who have gone before you? Are you hanging out, somewhere amongst the stars, with Bonnie and Mickey Mouse and Chunky?

I think that storm was you, yes, the sparks from your hooves flying across the spirit world.

RIP Firecracker.

You taught so much to so many.

Look what I did!

2010-07-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

And is that not about the cutest horse ever? Look at the mane-hawk!

And yes, I am holding the reins. I know it's hard to see from that angle. Driving is hard! It's really hard to judge the amount of contact you need without being able to feel the horse by anything other than the reins.

Because I know people want to see.

2010-07-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

A couple of pretty pictures from Canterbury Downs.

An unscientific experiment

2010-07-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

Last week I was in Minnesota. I went to Canterbury Downs...which for those who don't know is the Minneapolis race track and the home of the Claiming Crown.

Which should tell you that this is hardly Kentucky. It's a two bit track, set on land with barely enough space for the purpose, but clean and well appointed. Unfortunately, the day before we went there was a massive wreck...a collision between three horses, one of which had to be destroyed.

The only incident on the day, though, was a horse that had heat exhaustion and did have to be removed in the ambulance. He was tying up mildly. I don't know the outcome, but he didn't look on his last legs to me.

In any case...here's my unscientific experiment. I decided to try and predict the winner by the unorthodox method of ignoring the form, the jockey's experience, all the other things that go into handicapping and just...looking at the dang horse. To be precise, I chose the horse that looked to be the happiest. The most genuinely enthusiastic about his or her job. The one with the shiny coat, greeting the bugler with pricked ears and a slight dance, but not trying to spook away or balk in the tunnel.

Result:

Only one of the horses selected by this means finished worse than fourth. Quite a few finished better than their form would indicate. I would probably have broken even if I hadn't second-guessed the method and started looking at the form. Mutter.

I wouldn't say it proves anything, but it's one more piece of evidence that a happy, relaxed horse that enjoys its job...does that job better.

Tonka...

2010-07-01T13:09:00.001-07:00

He's almost sound enough to be ridden again by a light rider! Woot!

I'm back...

2010-06-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

well, actually, I was back yesterday, but too busy recovering from the trip from hell to post.

I won't go into details, just that at one point somebody asked my husband 'Do you want to give blood?' His answer? 'Not mine'.

I'm not...

2010-06-22T12:41:00.001-07:00

neglecting the blog. I have little new material and I'm about to head out of town and do very non-horsey stuff for a few days.

I think I might have some posts when I get back, though.

An art most forget

2010-06-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Bitting.

Wait. You're calling bitting an art? Well, bitting as practiced by too many so-called horsemen is not an art at all. Many barns have their favorite bits. And then there are the show ring rules...you know, you MUST have a curb bit to show in this class, whether your horse needs one or not.

I've known many English people who own two kinds of bit: Jointed eggbutt snaffle and kimberwick. If the horse doesn't go well in the snaffle, out comes the kimberwick. Well, news. Not every horse goes well in a jointed bit.

Why do these people think that manufacturers can make and sell hundreds of different kinds of bits? The truth is, every horse's mouth is different. Between mouth conformation and temperament, finding the right bit should be a lengthy progress, informed by knowledge and understanding and a willingness to experiment.

And a piece of wisdom. A stronger bit is almost never the answer to a horse that runs off. I have seen far more 'bolters' cured by a *milder* bit than a stronger one.

Sigh...

2010-06-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

The AQHA drives me nuts. They just seem to want to promote overbreeding in order to get as many registration fees as possible.

I doubt I'll ever get a Quarter Horse anyway...I much prefer Paints. Not a color thing, a type thing. But still...we don't need lots and lots of fugly halter bred beef steer...or maybe we do. I mean, there's a market for horse meat, right?

Such a nice day...

2010-06-14T12:08:00.001-07:00

and guess who's stuck working without animals. I'm feeling a bit down right now and don't have a great idea to post.

One of my neighbors...

2010-06-11T13:59:00.001-07:00

has a puppy.

It's gorgeous. It's cute.

It has so much energy it makes me tired to WATCH the thing.

I...want one ;)

The elements of 'Strange-horse-itis'

2010-06-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

It's happened to all of us. Your friend asks to switch horses for a few minutes. Or you find yourself under an old school equitation judge who has everyone switch. Or your trainer offers you a lesson on her amazing schoolmaster.

The horse looks fine. Heck, it looks push button. Then you get on it...and it might have buttons, but you sure as heck can't find them. Nothing goes right. You *know* this is a perfectly sane, well trained animal, but...

I call it 'Strange-horse-itis'. Nothing works. Nothing goes right. What causes it? A few thoughts on the matter:

1. Training. No two people train the same way. No two people ride the same way. I have a riding buddy who rides under the same instructor...totally differently. Even if you're in the same discipline, even if you're riding at the same barn...you don't ride the same as the person who normally rides the horse. They might use slightly different aids for canter. They might be one of those hunt seat riders who cues upward transitions by lifting the reins (Yes, this is common in some parts of the hunter fraternity and very common in England). And in the case of the fantastic schoolmaster...sometimes the horse knowing more than you do can lead to a big oops.

2. Balance. The horse is a different shape. You are a different shape. And in most cases strange horse means strange saddle, which doesn't help. It can even mean strange *kind* of saddle. It's harder to balance on a strange horse and its harder for the horse to balance under a strange rider. A horse that's off balance is likely to compensate...usually by slowing down. This is probably the number one reason for a strange horse refusing to canter...you aren't balanced.

3. Anxiety. Even an experienced rider can get nervous when they get on a strange horse. Especially one they haven't really seen being ridden. And horses are nervous animals at the best of times, for the most part. If you're anxious, they will become anxious. Even if not, then they might be worried you don't know what you're doing, worried you're going to hurt them, thinking 'who is this person?' I've seen a strange horse rider combination go into a total anxiety meltdown caused by nothing more sinister than somebody moving a hose outside the arena.

4. Dominance. If the horse isn't thinking 'who is this person and can I trust them?' he's likely thinking 'who is this person...and how much can I get away with?' I find that this reaction is very common in beginner horses, who often approach a ride with 'Okay, is this person a beginner, and can I get away with doing as little work as possible?'. Horses commonly 'test' new riders.

Sadly, the only cure for strange-horse-itis I know of is a few more rides.

So...

2010-06-09T09:34:00.001-07:00

beautifully sunny. Until barn day *eyes the grey skies and threat of rain*. Thank you, storm gods.

Sigh.

Not rocket science...

2010-06-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

If your horse goes better bareback than in the saddle, maybe the saddle doesn't fit.
If your horse tosses its head in a bridle but not in a halter, maybe its teeth need floating. Or maybe it hates the bit you're using.

Oh yes, and if your horse is lame, the heck get OFF.

Out of steam...

2010-06-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

I wrote a massive post on my other blog...and apparently all my energy went into it, because I have no ideas again.

Sigh.

I suck.

Spent all day...

2010-06-04T13:12:00.001-07:00

...working on my writing site.

Unfortunately, the new domain name is still not working, and my hosting person had to go to her day job. Hopefully I'll be able to post the link on Monday.

I'm going to start calling her Scooby...

2010-06-03T10:45:00.001-07:00

I love this little mare, but I swear, she wants to jump into your arms just like Scooby and Shaggy.

Last night she spooked at:

A fox yipping - aieee! Protect me from the horse eating predator!

A puddle of water

A tree. The same tree. Multiple times.

My trainer...I guess it was the hot pink shirt or something.

Cars on the road that runs past the outdoor...I'll give her this one, the headlights got in her eyes.

Another horse cantering towards her.

A flickering light bulb in the indoor

And, multiple times, her own shadow.

Am I going to have to get her horsey valium?

Lavender Foal Syndrome

2010-06-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know much about this one, which apparently affects predominantly Arabians. (I'd imagine it could show up in breeds that have a lot of Arabian in them, including Thoroughbreds).

http://www.destinyarabians.com/lfs.htm

There is a lot of research going on...and if anyone can help Cornell, they should...tracking the gene so as to avoid breeding carrier to carrier is the only 'cure' for this one.

Well...

2010-06-01T11:15:00.001-07:00

...utterly uninspired. And I think I hear thunder...and the bikers all left town.

Still, I have some things to look forward to this summer. For once ;).

Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-28T11:15:00.001-07:00

Don't get stuck in too much traffic and don't forget to say thank you to any veterans or active servicemen and women you happen to know.

We caught it!

2010-05-27T11:30:00.001-07:00

The dog, that is. The stray white GSD that was hanging around the barn is now in a foster home found by the local breed rescue. Being fed.

Hopefully, she can be rehabilitated and adopted...she's a gorgeous, gorgeous dog and I do wonder how she got into that situation. Dumped, maybe...

Can't versus won't.

2010-05-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

I do like to bring this up every so often.

People will often say 'Well, my horse won't.'

It's amazing how often the true answer is 'Your horse can't'. For example, a 12 year old Paint mare who would not canter under saddle...turned out she pretty much never had been asked to do so. She didn't really know how to balance herself and she was out of shape. Of course she didn't want to do it.

Or a horse that 'wouldn't' bend right and turned out, on examination, to have not one, not two, but *three* vertebrae out of alignment. So, maybe your unusually one-sided horse actually needs a quick visit from the chiropractor.

Another horse I know 'wouldn't' come down onto the bit. She had several fused vertebrae in her neck. She also wouldn't tie...so I think I know how she ended up with those fused vertebrae. Poor girl literally couldn't arch her neck. (Retired due to an unrelated soundness issue two months ago at the age of 30).

When a horse 'refuses' to do something, its best to check the physical first.

Forward...

2010-05-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

Got into another discussion. Horses should always go forward. The halt is a forward movement...something a lot of people forget.

Of course, it's hard to ride a forward halt if you're on some slightly crazy beast that only has one thing on its mind, but here's something to remember. Correct use of the inside leg into the outside hand does *not* speed a horse up. Quite the opposite, in fact. You should always use a little bit of leg into downward transitions to keep a horse from running through them. In the halt, a touch of inside leg is essential to create a 'square' halt where the horse is balanced and looks ready to go again.

Woot!

2010-05-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Making vacation arrangements. We're going to Canterbury Downs to watch the ponies (and maybe bet a little, ahem).

Then we're going to the North Shore. And while researching, I found a place that offers *driving lessons*. I've been wanting to take one for years, but there aren't that many places around here you can do it safely. (And yes, there will be a full report. With photos. And I'll admit to exactly how bad I am ;))

Ponies...

2010-05-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

Love them, hate them, you gotta say they're cute.

Yeah. It's kinda...to steal something from another blogger...f-it Friday. My watch broke. Not the strap. The case. Getting a suitable watch cost me TWO HOURS.

Two hours. Just to find something under $50, digital. I don't think I'm that picky. I can't wear a men's watch...I'm not exactly the largest woman out there. In the end I got a sports watch, which I probably should have anyway...of course, I still can't find one with military time.

What? I'm from Europe, darnit. I *think* in military time.

No real news...

2010-05-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

I did, however, give Tonka a very big hug. Silly thing was searching my pockets.

No treats for you, bud, you're on a diet.

My trainer apparently got bitten by the hardass bug...taking away stirrups, taking away reins. Five counted stride transitions between working walk and free walk. I came home *exhausted*, but thinking we need to do that more often.

Well, huh...

2010-05-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

(And the weather is STILL miserable. Summer is supposed to come back tomorrow).

There is also a vibrating hum going through this building from construction work that seems to be at a frequency that precludes rational thought.

But I'm doing my best. I realize I haven't been much use lately...I'm struggling to get any of my work done.

I also realized that I forgot to mention that Tonka is now off stall rest and making good progress. His feet look awful, but are regrowing well.

When...

2010-05-18T09:12:00.001-07:00

...is this weather going to clear up? I know, I should have more important things to write about, but really.

They said the volcano wouldn't affect us here, but something sure is for it to be 56 and gloomy in the middle of May. This is March weather.

Sigh.

I want a pony to hug.

Hrm...

2010-05-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Still uninspired. I blame the weather. Its grey and miserable and for once I'm glad I don't have horses to exercise in this. Even in an indoor it would be kinda unpleasant.

Sigh...

2010-05-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

...for the utterly uninspired.

That's me.

About the only thing that's perked me up all day was somebody with a standard Yorkie. I love Yorkies. Especially ones that don't fit in purses.

What's his...

2010-05-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

...malfunction?

Lovely Quarter Horse gelding. Hates being ridden.

Does he have a sore back? (WILL be checked, I'll nag until its done). Hate his bit? Would he be happier ridden western? I don't know, but this horse...is going to drive me crazy until I work out what his malfunction is.

He checks out in the middle of rides...totally checks out, stands there, ears pinned, refusing to respond to his rider at all. He randomly stops and starts bucking. He charges at full speed to wind up behind any other horse that might be working (We're trying to address that by making him circle twice every time he does it, hopefully he'll realize it's more work).

He freaked out and checked out when I moved my leg back to see if he'd move his hindquarters away. Serious 'Ohmygodwhatisshegoingtodotomenow' behavior.

Was he abused? I don't know. I do know that I want to fix this one. Heck, I want to take him home almost as much as I want to take Clay home. He has such beautiful action, he's a lovely size, he's SO comfortable when he's not trying to buck me off.

Sigh.

Writer's block...

2010-05-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

...sucks.

I did see a picture of a great mule yesterday, but I can't find it now. I have a weakness for the long ears, I have to admit.

Talking about dog problems...

2010-05-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

...why can't people control their dogs? Horses and dogs are often seen as a natural combination, but I have seen and heard of...and yes, been involved in...a number of accidents and wrecks directly caused by dogs.

Barn dogs need to be trained not to chase horses. (Hint: Border collies and other herding types generally do not make good barn dogs and if you do have one, obedience class is a must. They WILL chase horses if they are not trained).

Consider banning visiting dogs from your property. At the very least, have a leash policy. Only dogs that are used and trained to be around horses should ever be loose around a barn. Small dogs are often worse than larger ones, both in terms of danger to horse and rider and danger to the dog. And, of course, you don't want them annoying the barn cats. Having a leash policy can also help if liability issues come up if, heaven forbid, a dog bites a person.

Mostly, its just common sense.

No long post...

2010-05-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

...today. Had to spend half the day shopping. Sigh.

Our little dog problem.

2010-05-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

The barn has a dog problem.

Literally, a dog problem. There is a white German Shepherd bitch hanging around the barn. This animal is underweight and in overall poor condition (looks wormy to me). It will *not* let itself be caught.

We've tried luring it into the indoor arena...no dice. We've tried live traps. We've tried a dogcatchers' pole. The damn thing is just too smart. We've tried luring it into a horse trailer. We've used both food bait and a dog of the opposite sex. Oh yes, we even tried drugging it...but apparently the dosage we used was too light and obviously we don't want to kill it.

Short of a tranq dart, does anyone have ANY ideas on how to catch this blasted animal before it gets hit by a car or spooks the horses and causes a wreck? (And yes, we have a shelter willing to take it if we can get it restrained).

In the right hands...

2010-05-06T09:23:00.001-07:00

Okay.

At the barn I ride at there is this horse named 'Simon'. He used to be a show horse.

He is a very gorgeous horse registered as a Solid Paint Bred, but with some very minimal white probably indicative of frame over. He's a true hunter type...attractive head, but not of the 'baby doll' type. That's what he was, a show hunter.

Within a very short period of time it was established that this horse would simply run right through any kind of snaffle. He'd be gone. He is not so much a true bolter as just a very, very forward going horse who simply wants to go fast...regardless of what his rider might say about it.

His owners resorted to a kimberwick. Which did at least give the rider enough control to be...mostly safe. He'd still take off, just not as much. However, he would lean on the bit, tricking the rider into holding his front end up for him. Riding him was like sitting on an Equine Unexploded Bomb. Rarely was he calm and mellow. Most of the time, you were going 'Don't take off with me. Please don't take off with me'. He never bucked or tried to get you off. He'd just GO. Every single ride, when I got off, my hands hurt from fighting with him. On a bad day, my shoulders hurt too. He could nail any exercise you wanted, once you got him behaving, but it was always a battle.

Yesterday, I was riding a different horse when I realized she wasn't moving right. Grah. As she'd already been off for three weeks this year with a mild soft tissue injury, I got off and switched to Simon. The barn manager handed me her bridle to put on him. 'You're riding him in my bridle. Don't ask. Make sure the noseband is tight.'

So, I dutifully didn't ask and went to put the bridle on the horse...at which point I realized it had not just a flash noseband but a crank.

I hate crank nosebands. I hate them. They've become a fad in dressage as a quick way to get the head down. In my mind, they're rather linked to rollkur. I was amazed that this person had one...but I believe it came with the horse and I know she wasn't using it as a crank on HER horse. But she wanted me to crank it on Simon. And do the flash. I felt horribly mean, strapping that poor horse's jaw together.

Then I got on.

He didn't pull. He didn't lean. He felt relaxed, calm and forward. I wasn't wishing for extra thick gloves to protect my hands from the reins. I could actually use the contact and get him engaged behind and starting to carry *himself* instead of making me do it for him. I couldn't believe it.

Do I think crank nosebands are wrong? Not any more. I do, however, hold that they are over-used. But in this situation, with a horse on which a whole bunch of things had been tried...the crank noseband may well save him from ending up with a completely dead mouth. He was certainly heading that way.

Oh yes. And the bit was an extremely mild french link snaffle.

Tired...

2010-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

I have GOT to stop staying up chatting with people until all hours. Hopefully I can find the energy to drag myself to the barn.

Answer me this...

2010-05-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Why are torture device bits more common in the gaited community? I know almost nothing about gaited horses. What are they trying to achieve that makes extreme hardware a bad short cut?

Confusions of terminology

2010-05-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

A lot of the time horse people will use two different words to refer to the same thing. For example, getting the sharp points off a horse's teeth is 'floating' in some English speaking areas and 'rasping' in others.

What can be even more confusing is when the same word is used to refer to two (or more) things.

Let's take the term 'collection'. A lot of people, sadly, believe a 'collected trot' is simply a slow one...particularly common in the hunter fraternity.

However, the real confusion comes between dressage and pleasure. I have seen and heard a lot of pleasure people refer to the pleasure jog as 'collected'.

A pleasure horse, a correctly trained one (setting aside the pathetic stuff some people, these days, call pleasure training) that is built correctly for the discipline moves in a slow, swinging gait. At the walk and trot, the horse's back should move as little as possible. The correct pleasure canter is often referred to as a 'rocking chair lope'. The point is that a pleasure horse should be as comfortable as possible to ride. It should be like sitting in an arm chair. A horse that naturally goes in a pleasure frame will drop its neck level with its back and *glide* when asked to engage. Pleasure people call this 'collection'.

Dressage people use 'collection' in a very different way. The ultimate expression of collection in a dressage horse is the piaffe...wherein the horse literally trots without actually moving forward. When a dressage horse is collected, the stride shortens, but the amount of impulsion and energy does not decrease. In the true collected trot, the energy being generated in the hindquarters and restrained by the reins (it is, of course, not correct to simply force the horse's head into place with the reins) is the *same* as in the extended trot. That energy has to go somewhere...and it goes upwards. Watch a horse moving from trot to piaffe and back again, and you will see an arching of the back upwards into the rider's seat. From up top, even a good collected trot can feel as if the horse just grew a hand on you.

Both are called 'collection' and both are perfectly correct in their context...but they are very, very different things.

Stargazing

2010-04-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

I was reading another blog and there was a photo of a horse 'stargazing'.

Stargazing is when the horse throws its head right up so that the head itself is horizontal when under saddle. Naturally, it is accompanied by a hollowing of the back. It is extremely unpleasant when a horse does it, and I've personally witnessed a horse actually *breaking its rider's nose* when stargazing.

In most cases, stargazing is caused by over bitting, harsh hands or, most often of all, a combination of the two.

The cure, thus, starts with going to a milder bit. If the stargazer is in a curb, go to a snaffle. If in a snaffle, consider a rubber mouth. In some cases, a bitless bridle might be the best route to go, but be aware that some English hackamores are actually *harsher* than a snaffle.

A horse who is stargazing is not going forward. So, reschooling has to focus on this basic point...the horse needs to be convinced to go forward again. Most stargazers are trying to avoid contact with the bit. The best route, therefore, is not to expect contact to start with. (I once rode a stargazer on a loose rein for four months. Four months with NO contact and barely any use of the rein to steer or stop). Ride the horse forward on a loose rein. As some stargazers will follow it up by bolting, this may seem counter-intuitive or even dangerous, but I have never known such a horse to bolt on a loose rein. They only bolt when a strong contact is taken...leading to the vicious circle of the horse going faster and the rider pulling harder.

Using a lot of inside leg also helps, it encourages the back up, which makes it physically harder for the horse to stargaze.

Some horses will stargaze only at certain times, such as when turning towards a jump or (most common, in my experience), an upward transition into canter. This requires that the rider stay calm...tension is a common cause of this behavior. If *you* are worried about the jump, the horse will be worried about it as well.

Of course, the absolute best cure for stargazing...is not to over-bit in the first place.

This is...

2010-04-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

...really weird.

My entire life, I have never ridden in any footwear other than Loveson jodphur boots (it's an English brand). I even bought my last set while on vacation in England.

Of course. I can't find them. The Tuff Riders I bought are good, they're comfortable...but they seem to weigh twice as much and make the stirrup feel different and...bleah.

Bleah.

Mea culpa

2010-04-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Oops.

The person was *rescuing* the horses. Get all the facts before jumping to conclusions.

Oh yes, and if your thin horse isn't gaining weight, here's a tip. Don't just have their teeth floated, check for abscesses. I once saw a pony melt off weight from fat to thin...and recover very quickly once a rotten tooth was pulled.

Had...

2010-04-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

..a long weekend. With, sadly, no horses involved.

I wonder about the person I bumped into online who's breeding, who lost 'several' horses over the winter due to a 'hay shortage' and doesn't know what to call a palomino paint. Color wise, that is.

I'm trying to work out how to approach this person and get her to realize that hay shortages might mean 'stop breeding'. She doesn't even seem too upset that her mare and foal died...she posts pictures of them and they're significantly underweight.

Sigh.

One small thought...

2010-04-23T14:15:00.001-07:00

Minor life explosion is restricting posting time (and free time, and sleep time, and threatening to prevent me from making it to the barn at all for a while).

So, I'm just going to share one thought.

It is better that a horse serves us out of love than out of fear. We have subsumed utterly their natural instinct to throw that predator off their back. We owe them for their willingness to work with us.

We owe them our respect.

Grrr....

2010-04-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

...I need new riding boots. Which means a massive trek to the tack store. And money I don't have. Ah well.

Tonka is doing okay.

Gonna...

2010-04-21T09:38:00.001-07:00

...head to the barn soon.

There WILL be a Tonka update either late tonight or tomorrow.

Grrr...

2010-04-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

...I had such a bad day I'm now trying to calm down by looking at pictures of cute donkeys.

So sue me, I have a weakness for long ears.

Okay...

2010-04-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

...recovered from the weekend.

Thinking a bit about laminitis. Its caused, we now know, by too high a level of carbohydrates in the bloodstream. Therefore, it can be caused by obesity, insulin resistance, Cushing's disease and hypothyroidism.

A secondary kind of laminitis, 'road founder' is caused by excessive work on hard ground.

Regardless of the cause, laminitis is an inflammation of the laminae, the soft tissue that holds the hoof to the foot. This results in a weakening of the hoof wall and on occasion a complete detachment (that is to say, the hoof might literally fall off, partially or completely). In some cases the small bones within the foot, most notably the coffin bone, can rotate out of position. With extreme rotation, the coffin bone can end up protruding through the sole, and at this point the prognosis is poor.

The majority of horses who founder are able to return to active work. However, a horse that has foundered once is likely to founder again.

Long term management requires treatment of the underlying cause. The horse's weight needs to be kept down to healthy levels. A horse that has Cushing's disease or hypothyroidism requires medication for those conditions. A post-founder horse is very likely to require special attention from the farrier, with careful trimming and often special shoes needed to compensate for any rotation and return correct angle to the feet.

Horses prone to laminitis require restriction of grazing. In extreme cases, a horse may have to be dry lotted permanently and never permitted to graze. Low carb feed is often also beneficial, as is the avoidance of artificial treats that often contain large amounts of sugar (especially human candy). Grazing at night is often preferable, when the grass has a lower nutritional value. A horse that has foundered should not be turned out during the first flush of spring grass, or during the period immediately after drought or severe winter weather (which can mess up the carbohydrate content of the grass).

Finally, a horse that has foundered can benefit from correct riding. As the problem is most commonly in the front feet, it is even more important than with other horses to engage the hindquarters and bring the shoulder upwards...a horse that has foundered should not be allowed to mosey around on its forehand. Because of this, basic dressage training can be very helpful.

No post today...

2010-04-16T20:33:00.001-07:00

...too busy. Not with bad stuff. Going to be busy all weekend, but its all good.

Whips and 'pissy' horses.

2010-04-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Enter Harvey. Supposed to be a Quarter Horse, but we all think there's something else in there...maybe Morgan. A bit of a frankenhorse, but cute. Beautifully smooth gaits, all three of them.

When he arrived, he seemed very quiet and lazy, but this turned out to be nervousness. He was also afraid to be saddled. Not bridled, just saddled...perhaps a previous owner had a habit of throwing the saddle on and yanking the girth tight.

Now, he's decided he's going to turn into a teenager. His attitude has become that of a teenaged boy asked to clean his room. Sure. He'll do it. But you're going to know how unhappy he is about it. He turns his back on people when they enter his stall with the bridle, a clear indicator that he simply does not want to be ridden. His ears are going back, and he's showing a reluctance to go forward, an unwillingness to accept contact and even the occasional substantial buck.

He behaves much better if the rider carries a whip.

So, is that the answer? No. Carrying a whip on a horse that is telling you 'I'm not enjoying this, so I'm going to make sure you don't either' is a reinforcement of the negative aspects of being ridden. You're telling him 'Behave or I'll pop you one'.

The message this horse needs right now is not a 'behave or' message, it's a 'behave and' message. Behave and I'll get you a treat. Behave and I will be your friend, and in the long term, you want to be my friend. And I'm going to show you why you want to be my friend.

It takes longer than just grabbing a whip and punishing the horse for being surly, but ultimately, who wants a surly horse? Nobody.

Things we think are 'normal'.

2010-04-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

I grew up very much in the old school English Hunt scene. One of the things I remember was that pretty much every single horse in the barn had marks in the saddle area.

'Oh, saddle sores are normal'.

Also 'normal' in that crowd: Beating horses, not wearing helmets, deliberately overhorsing students, overhorsing yourself (because it made you look like a better rider), slapping a flash or drop noseband on, or a harsh bit, instead of actually training the horse, using draw reins to set the head... Yeah. A lot of things I was taught were normal.

Most of them I realized on my own might have been 'normal', but were by no means 'needed'. I was forced to beat horses (forced by the fact that if I didn't do it, I would have been thrown out of the barn and had nowhere else to go). I always DID wear a helmet. And yes, my trainer overhorsed me, resulting, in the end, in a bad wreck.

Now I know that all of those things are not normal...outside that crowd. On the other hand, also normal...horses being turned out unless needed for work, a rational approach to shoeing, not putting a rider on a horse that wasn't at least three, no serious work or jumping before at least four.

Now I see American barns where none of the horses have saddle sore marks, for which I now know there is no excuse. Where helmets are required...here on the east coast, anyway. Where a trainer would pull a rider off their horse for beating it.

...but horses broken at two, shod when they don't need to be, not shod when they do. Horses spending 23 hours of the day in stalls.

And, of course, all the other abuses exist in America too, just in different places.

So, here's a challenge.

What is 'normal' where you ride that should not be? And is there anything you can do to work towards changing it? Whether it's setting a good example by wearing a helmet, arguing for more turnout, or shaming people for riding their two year olds...there might well be *something* you can do.

And at the very least, do the best you can by your own horse or pony. Or donkey or mule, if that's what floats your boat.

Ridiculous statements

2010-04-13T13:09:00.001-07:00

Okay, so this is anecdotal, but...

Somebody was told by a trainer you could not teach a horse to neck rein in a snaffle. That a curb bit was required.

Ahem! I taught a horse to neck rein in two weeks when I was fifteen and knew nothing. It's one of the easiest things to teach a horse...what's with these people?

Striped hooves are...

2010-04-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

...stronger than plain ones. Nope, they just mean the horse has the Lp gene.

Blue eyes are blind. Nope, but they do have poorer night vision than dark eyed horses.

What other myths are out there?

Explain this...

2010-04-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

Why is it that breeders and trainers who plaster their web sites with Bible verses seem to be bad breeders and trainers?

Where the heck are the good Christians who are good horsemen? Or is it that the good ones don't feel the need to tell everyone how amazingly Christian they are?

Eh.

Sigh...

2010-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Tonka is not doing so well. We need all the prayers and good thoughts...it would be very bad to have to retire (or worse, euth) an eleven year old horse.

He's just...not recovering the way we were hoping he would.

Too hot...

2010-04-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

...too fast. I think I need to attack some horses with a shedder...

Handsome is...

2010-04-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

...as handsome does.

I was reminded of this guy today.

A colored cob who went through a livestock auction with the unlikely handle of 'Sabu' attached.

I love colored cobs. At their best...and as they're not a true breed, they can vary...they are stocky, attractive animals with refined heads and more mane and tail than one can dream of.

Sabu...was not the best example of the type. His butt and hooves seemed to come from a draft horse, the rest of him from a pony, and I swear, he somehow got in the foundation Appaloosa queue when they were giving out heads. And the Friesian queue for coats. I don't mean the Friesian *horse*.

He was fugly. He was unashamedly, unabashedly, one of the ugliest equines ever to walk this green Earth.

And for three years I won every trail class I entered. Nobody else wanted to be seen in public riding that monstrosity.

He was the second most bombproof horse I ever met, after the one that literally didn't jump when somebody threw a firecracker at him. His ground manners were absolutely perfect. He never bit anyone or anything, never kicked. He was never sick, never lame, never had to wear shoes.

But, of course, nobody wanted him because he was ugly.

Hot, hot, hot!

2010-04-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

It's eighty outside. I think its more like ninety inside.

So, I think it might be good to post a reminder. Do not overwork horses in hot weather. Make sure they *and* you get plenty to drink.

Gatorade is good for humans. A fifty fifty mix of gatorade and water is even better. And a bit of gatorade added to your horse's water is cheaper than expensive equine electrolytes and works just as well (As long as your horse is not insulin resistant, as it does have quite a lot of sugar in it).

It's...

2010-04-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

...far too nice a day here. No long post, just because I'd rather be outside and I don't own a laptop.

To shoe or not...

2010-04-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Mini rant.

I can't stand people who say 'all horses should be shod'. Or those who insist 'Any horse can go barefoot'.

Whatever happened to the simple, practical guideline of 'If it needs shoes, it wears them, if it doesn't, why spend the extra money?'

I don't get it. I most especially don't get barefoot messiahs who think unsoundness after a trim is normal. It's not. Maybe a leeetle bit of soreness for a couple of hours, but I've seen pictures of horses *bleeding* after being trimmed by some of these fanatics.

No long post...

2010-03-31T09:38:00.003-07:00

...today. Not much time and Blogger seems to be in a bit of a mood.

HYPP

2010-03-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

I honestly will say I had never heard of this disease before coming to the US. (I had also never heard of navicular, which is an entire other topic).

Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis. It's a muscle condition. It causes hideous seizures in affected horses, in which they can collapse to the ground for extended periods of time.

It's all the fault of Impressive. Impressive was the first of the modern halter type Quarter Horses and one of the strongest influences on the type. He was also a carrier of this nasty condition. Until people started linebreeding to him, they did not realize that the bulky muscles they were breeding for came with a time bomb.

Personally, I dislike the Impressive type overall. I seriously dislike the 'bull to market' halter Quarter Horse that seems to have only one purpose...if you're breeding them for meat, admit it!

But in this day and age, with a simple test available, there is no excuse for breeding together two HYPP carriers...except if you don't care. If you don't intend to ride them anyway...

All Quarter Horses, Paints and Appaloosas that carry Impressive anywhere in their pedigree should be tested. Even 'carriers' can have attacks, albeit milder ones. It is not safe to ride a HYPP positive horse...they can go down under you at any time.

Really, the AQHA should simply stop registering even the carriers. That might stop the halter breeders from perpetuating this to preserve a completely useless look.

Seriously.

End of rant.

I don't...

2010-03-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

...normally do this, but this is a severe abuse case and this guy needs to be prosecuted.

http://fuglyblog.com/?p=1722

I don't agree with everything Fugly says, far from it (She's just a wee bit too rescue crazy for me), but in this case...yeah.

It's...

2010-03-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

...another kinda dreary day, and another day of little inspiration. Perhaps these things are linked.

Just a reminder. Watch out for that spring grass! I don't want to hear about any more miserable ponies with sore feet.

Tonka...

2010-03-25T11:02:00.001-07:00

...is a bit better. He's got a long way to go, he's lying down a lot (sensible pony), but he's on fewer painkillers and the prognosis is looking pretty good.

Making plans...

2010-03-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

I have to go up to Minnesota for a family reunion this summer. We're thinking we might go spend a day at Canterbury Park (Downs...it seems to be Park now, when did that happen).

Should make sure I only take the money I can afford to *lose*. Ahem. I'm a crappy handicapper.

Pattern gene focus: Leopard Complex.

2010-03-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

I have been putting this one off.

Why? Because, honestly, I don't understand it. Neither does anyone else I know of.

The Leopard Complex is the correct technical term for what are generally called 'Appaloosa' markings. (Appaloosa, my friends, is not a color. It is a breed).

The base gene is the Lp gene, which is a simple dominant. However, on its own, the Lp gene simply creates striped hooves and mottled skin, especially around the eyes. Two copies give you white hooves and pale skin.

Lp needs to interact with other genes to create all of those wonderful wild patterns. One of these genes is Sabino 1, the dominant form of sabino. What are the others? We don't know yet. We do know that two copies of Lp create patterns that are more heavily white. That Lp and pinto on the same horse creates even more wonderful patterns.

But we don't really know what makes one horse dark with a white blanket and another white with red spots.

So. Yeah. Umm. Yeah. I'll leave this be now.

I hate laminitis

2010-03-22T15:27:00.001-07:00

...and Tonka has it.

His owner HAD him on a prevention diet. Maybe too many people were sneaking him treats. Or maybe it was the storm that did it.

He should be alright, but...grah. I hate it.

Busy today...

2010-03-19T13:52:00.001-07:00

...and blogger hates me.

I'll post when my posts aren't being eaten, I'm not being logged out in the middle of commenting on other people's blogs...and when I can think a little more straight.

Stubbornness

2010-03-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

I just had to employ a good old school training technique.

The technique of 'We are going to continue to try this exercise until one of us gives in'.

Fortunately it was the horse. After about ten minutes. Sheesh. All I wanted was canter.

It's a very effective technique, especially with lazy horses, to keep working until the horse finally decides she might as well just give in and do what you want. However, it's important that it is applied consistently...allowing extra time for schooling sessions if needed. It is even more important to *stop* as soon as the desired result is achieved. In the case of particularly recalcitrant animals, that can mean stopping altogether, getting off and putting them away. Doing something the animal enjoys can also be an appropriate reward.

But sometimes outwaiting them can get really exhausting.

Still sick..

2010-03-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Feeling a little better. About to haul self to the barn. Will try and do a better post tomorrow. I'm sorry about this.

Seems...

2010-03-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

...it wasn't entirely Daylight Savings.

I'm mildly sick. When I have a show to help run on Saturday. Which I kinda have to do no matter how I feel.

Well. I'll just have to soldier on as usual.

Meh.

2010-03-15T15:10:00.001-07:00

I hate Daylight Savings Time. I really do.

That aside, I wonder sometimes, if people think. Maybe most people are as tired as I am all the time?

Quite possible. I'm gonna go find a horse to hug. Or a dog, failing that. Meh. I want a dog :/

Again, I seem to have run...

2010-03-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

...out of time.

So just another brief reminder. Young children and loose horses do not mix. Young children and foals even MORE do not mix.

I haven't forgotten the idiot who went into Doc's stall and put his baby on the horse's back. It could so easily have been Lark he tried that with...