Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible."
-Arthur C. Clarke
Friday, April 19, 2013
The Horse Eating Pitch Fork
Not much going on here. Too much rain to do anything of any significance. I did have one issue show its nasty head one day, that required some attention: Zoe met a pitch fork. OMG! A horse-eating monster! Or so she thought! My little guy was in the barn with me and the hubby playing with the hay. He picked up the pitch fork to move it and it was at that exact moment I was walking with Zoe out to the pasture. She lost it! She flew sideways and backwards with her eyes about popping out of her head. She wanted nothing to do with that awful pitch fork. Zoe is usually pretty good about coming back to me when she gets frightened and will investigate the object once she's calmed down. This was not one of those times. Every time I tried to get her close to the immobile pitch fork (little guy put it down on the ground) she about plowed me over trying to get away from it. She DID NOT want to investigate it. Hubby came over to see what was going on and helped me with the next step. If she wasn't going near it, we were bringing it to her. She's going to have to get used to seeing it without losing her mind. I held her and talked to her while hubby slowly brought it to her. She tried to get away but I didn't budge. Eventually she let it touch her legs, then up to her shoulder. She was still very upset about it but tolerated it so we ended it there. When I bring her hay to her on the fork, she doesn't mind it one bit but seeing it all by itself was apparently terrifying! We will have to work on more desensitizing...might be more work there than I thought!!!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible."
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible."
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Fuzzy Wuzzy
It's finally shedding season at our barn! The horses are itchy all over and would rather have scratches than their dinner - or at least Zoe did. She finished up her grain and I was taking the grain dish out when I gave her a quick scratch. She picked her head up out of her hay and just stood there. So I continued to scratch and pull hair out (I didn't have a brush with me). She didn't move a muscle! I bet I scratched her neck and chest for a solid 5 minutes before I stopped and let her eat. I was COVERED in blond hair. Yuck.
I picked up some Cowboy Magic for the girls. I will be ready for their first bath at the first opportunity, just waiting on the weather to warm up. They are so yucky and gross from the winter and mud! Last year Zoe rubbed part of her mane off so I am going to work on getting that grown in so her main will be nice and even. She has a really thick black mane and it's gorgeous! Her tail is really long and has waves in it too. I can't wait to get the detangler in and get to work on that tail!
When I went in Star's stall to get her grain dish, she tolerated me while I scratched her. She'd much rather eat at that point. She's very food oriented. For example, when I first started working with Star she could only be caught if I chased her into her stall or had a grain bucket with me. It was a long summer but at the end, she was coming to me to get caught. Just had to have treats in my pockets every time I visited her.
I was told when I bought Zoe back that she can be hard to catch at times (which was not the way she was when I sold her) but since she's been home, she waits for me at the gate and dives right into her halter. I wonder if she remembers me from when she was a young filly? She still has all of her scratchy spots that she did when she was a baby and follows me around like she did before I sold her. She's definitely more reactive than she was before but I'm guessing that's because of her lack of training/handling since I sold her. I'm just so happy I have her back. This is her forever home and she doesn't have to worry about the expectations of anyone else but mine - and I'm pretty easy to get along with. I digress....
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness."
I picked up some Cowboy Magic for the girls. I will be ready for their first bath at the first opportunity, just waiting on the weather to warm up. They are so yucky and gross from the winter and mud! Last year Zoe rubbed part of her mane off so I am going to work on getting that grown in so her main will be nice and even. She has a really thick black mane and it's gorgeous! Her tail is really long and has waves in it too. I can't wait to get the detangler in and get to work on that tail!
When I went in Star's stall to get her grain dish, she tolerated me while I scratched her. She'd much rather eat at that point. She's very food oriented. For example, when I first started working with Star she could only be caught if I chased her into her stall or had a grain bucket with me. It was a long summer but at the end, she was coming to me to get caught. Just had to have treats in my pockets every time I visited her.
I was told when I bought Zoe back that she can be hard to catch at times (which was not the way she was when I sold her) but since she's been home, she waits for me at the gate and dives right into her halter. I wonder if she remembers me from when she was a young filly? She still has all of her scratchy spots that she did when she was a baby and follows me around like she did before I sold her. She's definitely more reactive than she was before but I'm guessing that's because of her lack of training/handling since I sold her. I'm just so happy I have her back. This is her forever home and she doesn't have to worry about the expectations of anyone else but mine - and I'm pretty easy to get along with. I digress....
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness."
-Lusious Annaeus Seneca
Monday, April 8, 2013
A Good Weekend
This weekend was absolutely gorgeous! We had perfect weather for being outside all day so that's what we did.
After stalls were cleaned, I took the horses out for some much needed exercise in the round pen. I wanted to see what each of them remembered since we left off last fall. Ok, mostly Zoe. I wanted to see if Star was sound. We have issues every summer...I'm thinking it's got something to do with the rich grasses, but we'll see. I'm going to change the way we summer the horses this year to see if I can keep her sound all year.
Anyways, Zoe was a rock star! She behaved very nicely while being led around and when it came time to round pen, she knew exactly what to do. I didn't ask her to go any faster than a trot because there was a spot in the round pen footing where it was still a little wet but Zoe decided she wanted to go faster. As soon as she hit the bad spot she almost fell on her side. We took a quick break and assessed her. She was fine. Not even spooked at all.
We worked for about 5 minutes each direction and called it a day for each mare. I got some nice relaxed trot work from Star where she stretched out nicely. She also wanted to do some cantering but knew to avoid the bad spot. She looked great, by the way. Nice floating trot, head was level with her withers...poetry in motion. Canter looked very energetic and forward but I wouldn't call it relaxed or collected. We'll work on that.
I round penned both girls every day this weekend for about 10 minutes each. Not long, but they are both out of shape. I will continue at 10 minutes each until Friday where I will up it to 20 minutes. Once I have the 20 minutes of round pen work for a week, I will start with the saddle on Zoe and do a short ride on Star. That's the plan so far. Gotta take it slow with Zoe to see what all she remembers from last year. I DO NOT want to end up on the ground because I skipped some important steps with her. I made that mistake once last year and do not care to repeat that experience again.
In other news, I bought a rope halter for Zoe. I have found that she respects that halter more than the nylon one we were using. We only did a quick back step before she realized the new halter. After that, she was in tune to me. If I took a step, she did. If I stopped, she did. Never had to touch her face at all with pressure. She's like that in the saddle too. Very tuned in to her rider. If I lean back for a stop, without touching the reins, she stops. A very nice stop, I might add. If I turn my hips for a turn, she will turn. Don't even need reins on this mare! She might be a good candidate for bridleless riding if I can get her broke! I'm so happy with my decision to purchase her! She's exactly the horse I've been looking for!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Doubt whom you will, but never doubt yourself."
After stalls were cleaned, I took the horses out for some much needed exercise in the round pen. I wanted to see what each of them remembered since we left off last fall. Ok, mostly Zoe. I wanted to see if Star was sound. We have issues every summer...I'm thinking it's got something to do with the rich grasses, but we'll see. I'm going to change the way we summer the horses this year to see if I can keep her sound all year.
Anyways, Zoe was a rock star! She behaved very nicely while being led around and when it came time to round pen, she knew exactly what to do. I didn't ask her to go any faster than a trot because there was a spot in the round pen footing where it was still a little wet but Zoe decided she wanted to go faster. As soon as she hit the bad spot she almost fell on her side. We took a quick break and assessed her. She was fine. Not even spooked at all.
We worked for about 5 minutes each direction and called it a day for each mare. I got some nice relaxed trot work from Star where she stretched out nicely. She also wanted to do some cantering but knew to avoid the bad spot. She looked great, by the way. Nice floating trot, head was level with her withers...poetry in motion. Canter looked very energetic and forward but I wouldn't call it relaxed or collected. We'll work on that.
I round penned both girls every day this weekend for about 10 minutes each. Not long, but they are both out of shape. I will continue at 10 minutes each until Friday where I will up it to 20 minutes. Once I have the 20 minutes of round pen work for a week, I will start with the saddle on Zoe and do a short ride on Star. That's the plan so far. Gotta take it slow with Zoe to see what all she remembers from last year. I DO NOT want to end up on the ground because I skipped some important steps with her. I made that mistake once last year and do not care to repeat that experience again.
In other news, I bought a rope halter for Zoe. I have found that she respects that halter more than the nylon one we were using. We only did a quick back step before she realized the new halter. After that, she was in tune to me. If I took a step, she did. If I stopped, she did. Never had to touch her face at all with pressure. She's like that in the saddle too. Very tuned in to her rider. If I lean back for a stop, without touching the reins, she stops. A very nice stop, I might add. If I turn my hips for a turn, she will turn. Don't even need reins on this mare! She might be a good candidate for bridleless riding if I can get her broke! I'm so happy with my decision to purchase her! She's exactly the horse I've been looking for!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Doubt whom you will, but never doubt yourself."
-Christian Nestell Bovee
Friday, April 5, 2013
The Farm
It just occurred to me that I never gave any kind of background on our farm. As you may have guessed, I don't board my horses because I have them at home. We live on a small 10 acre hobby farm with my 2 horses, my hubby's several rodeo cows (I can't keep track of how many anymore) and a few bucking bulls.
You can't leave out our dog, Riggin. He's an Australian Shepherd and is the smartest dog I've ever had the privilege of owning. He's great with my 5 children and is protective of all his barn cats. When it comes to strangers, though, he's not a dog you want to mess with. If he doesn't know you, he won't let you out of your car or through our door. He's good like that.
Anyways, back to our farm. We recently bought a few egg laying chickens, which has been surprisingly fun! I have never been a lover of beaked animals so I wasn't thrilled with hubby and his idea of raising chickens. But they are generally low maintenance and we happened to get friendly chickens. I really enjoy having the convenience of the unending supply of eggs. We get about 7 eggs per day in the winter and 10 per day in the warmer months. Tractor Supply was selling chicks so hubby decided he wanted to try his hand at raising the chicks and used the excuse that the kids would learn responsibility. Needless to say, the kids did really good at taking care of them when the chicks were little but now the chicks are bigger (have their feathers now), the kids don't frequent the chicks anymore. Lesson learned.
Did you catch that word I used to describe our cattle? Rodeo? Yes, we have cattle that are bred to buck. They are their own "breed" now and have a separate registry. We have been raising these cattle for about 7 years now. My hubby is passionate about his cattle like I am about my horses. We own a retired PBR (Professional Bull Riders) bull, 590 Felix. He is our breeding bull right now and is a really cool looking bull.
Just to clear the air about the misconception on how rodeo bulls/cows are treated, we have never and will never mistreat our animals. The ability to buck is bred into them just like the ability to run is bred into a Thoroughbred. We don't abuse them to make them mean, it's their natural instinct to protect themselves. In fact, we probably take better care of our athletic bovines than the beef and dairy industry does of their cattle. We need our cattle in the best health possible so they will perform to the best of their ability. They get wormed and vaccinated on a regular schedule, as do the horses. If we notice one is being pushed off her feed, we separate her so she can get her fill. We love all of God's creatures and treat them all with love and respect. Oh, and we DO NOT tie up the bull's testicles to make them perform. It's simply a rope wrapped around their flank to annoy them...that's all. Most bulls will buck without that rope being there. If you have any questions regarding our cattle operation and the way they are treated please ask. We have nothing to hide and welcome visitors and their questions at any time.
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Happiness often sneaks through a door you didn't know you left open."
You can't leave out our dog, Riggin. He's an Australian Shepherd and is the smartest dog I've ever had the privilege of owning. He's great with my 5 children and is protective of all his barn cats. When it comes to strangers, though, he's not a dog you want to mess with. If he doesn't know you, he won't let you out of your car or through our door. He's good like that.
Anyways, back to our farm. We recently bought a few egg laying chickens, which has been surprisingly fun! I have never been a lover of beaked animals so I wasn't thrilled with hubby and his idea of raising chickens. But they are generally low maintenance and we happened to get friendly chickens. I really enjoy having the convenience of the unending supply of eggs. We get about 7 eggs per day in the winter and 10 per day in the warmer months. Tractor Supply was selling chicks so hubby decided he wanted to try his hand at raising the chicks and used the excuse that the kids would learn responsibility. Needless to say, the kids did really good at taking care of them when the chicks were little but now the chicks are bigger (have their feathers now), the kids don't frequent the chicks anymore. Lesson learned.
Did you catch that word I used to describe our cattle? Rodeo? Yes, we have cattle that are bred to buck. They are their own "breed" now and have a separate registry. We have been raising these cattle for about 7 years now. My hubby is passionate about his cattle like I am about my horses. We own a retired PBR (Professional Bull Riders) bull, 590 Felix. He is our breeding bull right now and is a really cool looking bull.
Just to clear the air about the misconception on how rodeo bulls/cows are treated, we have never and will never mistreat our animals. The ability to buck is bred into them just like the ability to run is bred into a Thoroughbred. We don't abuse them to make them mean, it's their natural instinct to protect themselves. In fact, we probably take better care of our athletic bovines than the beef and dairy industry does of their cattle. We need our cattle in the best health possible so they will perform to the best of their ability. They get wormed and vaccinated on a regular schedule, as do the horses. If we notice one is being pushed off her feed, we separate her so she can get her fill. We love all of God's creatures and treat them all with love and respect. Oh, and we DO NOT tie up the bull's testicles to make them perform. It's simply a rope wrapped around their flank to annoy them...that's all. Most bulls will buck without that rope being there. If you have any questions regarding our cattle operation and the way they are treated please ask. We have nothing to hide and welcome visitors and their questions at any time.
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Happiness often sneaks through a door you didn't know you left open."
-John Barrymore
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Lessons
I mentioned before how my hubby and I were looking into 4H for our middle daughter. Our decision? She needs to have some formal lessons first to decide which aspect of horseback riding she wants to pursue. Right now she rides around the yard very well but doesn't have a clue about the different types of riding out there. She's heard us talk about jumping, barrel racing and reining but there is so much more out there for her to learn. She really has a knack for riding and is very good at it. A natural - much better than I was at her age!
I started my search online (gotta love Facebook and Craigslist!) for a local trainer for her to learn from and have a few to pick from. I've managed to narrow it down to two top ladies...Sarah Johnson and Becky Botsford. Sarah trains not too far from our house at a local APHA breeder's barn and Becky trains in a small farm community about 20 - 30 minutes away at a BEAUTIFUL barn. Both ladies train in the same disciplines and seem to know what they are doing. My next step is to contact them. I want to know what their methods are for teaching/training and of course, the cost.
It would be great to have middle start with one of the trainers soon so that next year she will be ready for 4H or maybe some open shows. If I like them and it works out, I might take some lessons too. It's been a long time since I had any formal lessons and I know I would definitely benefit from them. Like I said in my About Us page, I want to do reining and I think Zoe will be a great mount for that, if I can get her broke!
If anyone who is reading this knows anything about these two trainers, please comment. I would love to get the scoop on them from someone other than themselves. I want to know how they treat their horses and students; how they train their horses and students (methods); are they easy to get along with or are they pushy? You know, that kind of stuff.
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell."
I started my search online (gotta love Facebook and Craigslist!) for a local trainer for her to learn from and have a few to pick from. I've managed to narrow it down to two top ladies...Sarah Johnson and Becky Botsford. Sarah trains not too far from our house at a local APHA breeder's barn and Becky trains in a small farm community about 20 - 30 minutes away at a BEAUTIFUL barn. Both ladies train in the same disciplines and seem to know what they are doing. My next step is to contact them. I want to know what their methods are for teaching/training and of course, the cost.
It would be great to have middle start with one of the trainers soon so that next year she will be ready for 4H or maybe some open shows. If I like them and it works out, I might take some lessons too. It's been a long time since I had any formal lessons and I know I would definitely benefit from them. Like I said in my About Us page, I want to do reining and I think Zoe will be a great mount for that, if I can get her broke!
If anyone who is reading this knows anything about these two trainers, please comment. I would love to get the scoop on them from someone other than themselves. I want to know how they treat their horses and students; how they train their horses and students (methods); are they easy to get along with or are they pushy? You know, that kind of stuff.
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell."
-Harry S. Truman
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Out of the Norm
We (I) tend to do the same routine day in and day out when it comes time for feeding and turnout for the horses. It helps me remember to do everything like I should. A typical turmout will start with Zoe being led out to the pasture first (they are all done with their breakfast by this time) and Star patiently waits for her turn. When it comes time for the girls to come in, Zoe goes first again. She positions herself so that all I have to do is open the gate and hold the halter out and she dives right in. Star patiently waits in the background.
Last night my hubby helped with bringing in the horses and grabbed Star fist. I came a couple minutes later to grab Zoe and she was so upset with the change in the schedule! Star was out of sight in the barn so Zoe was calling to her, pacing back and forth at the gate with her head held high. I showed her the halter and she dove in and tried so hard to stand patiently while I buckled the throat latch. Once through the gate she held her head high but never tried to push her way past me like she had done the night before. I did do a couple backing exercises to help her come back to me. I don't like it when she holds her head that high while leading. It tells me that she's really not with me and I need her to stay with me while I am handling her.
Despite her head being high, I was very happy with how she listened.
This weekend is supposed to warm up and if it stays dry I'm planning on doing some work in the round pen with both girls.
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship."
Last night my hubby helped with bringing in the horses and grabbed Star fist. I came a couple minutes later to grab Zoe and she was so upset with the change in the schedule! Star was out of sight in the barn so Zoe was calling to her, pacing back and forth at the gate with her head held high. I showed her the halter and she dove in and tried so hard to stand patiently while I buckled the throat latch. Once through the gate she held her head high but never tried to push her way past me like she had done the night before. I did do a couple backing exercises to help her come back to me. I don't like it when she holds her head that high while leading. It tells me that she's really not with me and I need her to stay with me while I am handling her.
Despite her head being high, I was very happy with how she listened.
This weekend is supposed to warm up and if it stays dry I'm planning on doing some work in the round pen with both girls.
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship."
-Louisa May Alcott
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
If At First You Don't Succeed
try, try again. Zoe was back to being pushy last night when it was time to come in for her grain. It didn't help that as soon as I led her out of the pasture our dog, Riggin, jumped behind her and scared her. She immediately let out a huge kick in his direction and almost got him. Probably would've killed him if she had connected that kick to his head like she planned! Anyways, that got her all juiced and more pushy than before. I also wonder if the new grain I put her on is giving her some fire. I know Star has double the energy she had before so it's probably giving Zoe a little extra too. I decided to change grain because the girls had lost weight through the winter and I wanted something with more fat and protein than what I was feeding.
So we worked on our in-hand stuff again. Forwards, backwards, turning and standing. Over and over again. And then again and again. Are you getting the picture? She wasn't getting it this time. I had to make sure she understood that her behavior was unacceptable. There are times that middle daughter will lead Zoe in to her stall for me and I don't want Zoe to push my daughter around. That mare needed to be reminded of her manners. I don't hit my horses - ever. Not my style at all. I show my horses that they are being bad by my actions and my voice. When she invades my space or gets pushy with me I will get big with my actions and my voice. She is a sensitive horse and that's all it takes - usually. Yesterday she still wasn't responding. I admit, I gave her a pop with the halter and lead to get her attention back to me. That surprised her and she *finally* started listening to me.
Once we got to her stall she tried to rush past me so we had to repeat all of it again. Didn't take as long that time. At last we made it into her stall and she patiently waited for me to remove her halter before diving into her food.
Star behaved very well - as always. Her only fault on leading is when we approach her stall she has the tendency to rush into her stall. But a quick stop right before going in is all we need and she backs down again. Only have to do that every once in a while, as a reminder, because most of the time shes' a good girl.
That's about all the horsey news I have for now.
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"The things we know best are the things we haven't been taught."
So we worked on our in-hand stuff again. Forwards, backwards, turning and standing. Over and over again. And then again and again. Are you getting the picture? She wasn't getting it this time. I had to make sure she understood that her behavior was unacceptable. There are times that middle daughter will lead Zoe in to her stall for me and I don't want Zoe to push my daughter around. That mare needed to be reminded of her manners. I don't hit my horses - ever. Not my style at all. I show my horses that they are being bad by my actions and my voice. When she invades my space or gets pushy with me I will get big with my actions and my voice. She is a sensitive horse and that's all it takes - usually. Yesterday she still wasn't responding. I admit, I gave her a pop with the halter and lead to get her attention back to me. That surprised her and she *finally* started listening to me.
Once we got to her stall she tried to rush past me so we had to repeat all of it again. Didn't take as long that time. At last we made it into her stall and she patiently waited for me to remove her halter before diving into her food.
Star behaved very well - as always. Her only fault on leading is when we approach her stall she has the tendency to rush into her stall. But a quick stop right before going in is all we need and she backs down again. Only have to do that every once in a while, as a reminder, because most of the time shes' a good girl.
That's about all the horsey news I have for now.
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"The things we know best are the things we haven't been taught."
-Luc de Clapiers
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