Update, finally.....
I'm still working at my new job--indoors in the air conditioning. Oh, I'm so glad for that--not having to clean 17 or so stalls and then run around all day in 90 degree temps bringing horses in and out. I am stuck on the phone all day answering tech support calls. More on that later maybe. Had the last two days off. Today gave both my horses much needed baths and of course they loved it. Hand grazed them afterwards and put them back in their nice cool stalls all clean and fresh. They are happy.
Time to drive back home---no internet up north where the new house is. Here in town at the old house to check in. After July 1st, won't be here at all as the house has been sold.
Jun 7, 2005
May 12, 2005
Jan 22, 2005
What the Storm Blew In...
Big Fancy Barn (as I will refer to it herein and to distinguish it from Lady and Wyatt's more humble facility) is convieniently located near the on/off ramp of a big interstate. Wouldn't you know one unseasonably warm rainy day we get a visit from this guy who was en route with his cute dog and horses in tow from New York to warmer pastures. Apparently north of us was a major snow storm and he needed a short layover so everyone could settle a bit. Don't know the details of how he found us, but those of us affiliated with Big Fancy Barn are nice people for the most part so of course he was welcome to regroup and do what he needed to get back on the road.
Anyway, this guy was Gregg Miron of Throwing Stones Farm. He's a clinician and trainer who has developed his own program: Redefining Horsemanship (I don't know how to do the registered symbol, just pretend it's there.) His program does not wholly embrace one particular brand of training such as NH, but, to quote his literature he "applies the science of interpreting your horses body language to predict their emotions while applying individualized training techniques to accomplish the desired outcome." Well, it sounds kinda sexy and since I am interested in equine behavior and psychology myself and have recieved training in natural horsemanship methods and use them successfully, I'm happy to include a link to his site. I'm also happy to promote anything that improves the horse/human relationship thereby making life better for owners and their horses. I do remind you that being a lowly farm laboror at Big Fancy Barn without a lot of time for in depth conversations let alone chit chat, I can't say if I completely endorse his program, but he was a nice person, treated his horses well and his dog was nice.
Big Fancy Barn (as I will refer to it herein and to distinguish it from Lady and Wyatt's more humble facility) is convieniently located near the on/off ramp of a big interstate. Wouldn't you know one unseasonably warm rainy day we get a visit from this guy who was en route with his cute dog and horses in tow from New York to warmer pastures. Apparently north of us was a major snow storm and he needed a short layover so everyone could settle a bit. Don't know the details of how he found us, but those of us affiliated with Big Fancy Barn are nice people for the most part so of course he was welcome to regroup and do what he needed to get back on the road.
Anyway, this guy was Gregg Miron of Throwing Stones Farm. He's a clinician and trainer who has developed his own program: Redefining Horsemanship (I don't know how to do the registered symbol, just pretend it's there.) His program does not wholly embrace one particular brand of training such as NH, but, to quote his literature he "applies the science of interpreting your horses body language to predict their emotions while applying individualized training techniques to accomplish the desired outcome." Well, it sounds kinda sexy and since I am interested in equine behavior and psychology myself and have recieved training in natural horsemanship methods and use them successfully, I'm happy to include a link to his site. I'm also happy to promote anything that improves the horse/human relationship thereby making life better for owners and their horses. I do remind you that being a lowly farm laboror at Big Fancy Barn without a lot of time for in depth conversations let alone chit chat, I can't say if I completely endorse his program, but he was a nice person, treated his horses well and his dog was nice.
Great Tack and Supplies
I've been meaning to update--really I have!
Formerly located in Michigan, Equus Now! has relocated its store and warehouse to the Central Ohio area.Lucky for us! It's a place I often stop to get a quick fix for my horse habit when I can't get out to ride. While they say they carry the higher end brands and cater to the more discriminating horsey set, don't make the mistake of thinking they are just a bunch of snooty english people! Everyone there is really nice (try not to mess up their floor with your dirty barn boots, though) and I find their prices reasonable--lots of sale merchandise too. You can also register for contests--our barn placed and won spiffy personalized ball caps--and you can receive an informative monthly newsletter which simplifies those life conundrums such as "Hm, what's with all those blankets, sheets, and junk and when should my horse wear them?"
The store is located near Polaris, just off Polaris Parkway (look for a bunch of wharehouses past old state):
Equus Now!
9042 Cotter St.
Lewis Center, OH 43035
Store: 740 549-4959 Fax: 740-549-4960
If you're not fortunate enough to live near the warehouse and shop in the flesh, you can shop online by clicking the link in the text or in the links section.
I've been meaning to update--really I have!
Formerly located in Michigan, Equus Now! has relocated its store and warehouse to the Central Ohio area.Lucky for us! It's a place I often stop to get a quick fix for my horse habit when I can't get out to ride. While they say they carry the higher end brands and cater to the more discriminating horsey set, don't make the mistake of thinking they are just a bunch of snooty english people! Everyone there is really nice (try not to mess up their floor with your dirty barn boots, though) and I find their prices reasonable--lots of sale merchandise too. You can also register for contests--our barn placed and won spiffy personalized ball caps--and you can receive an informative monthly newsletter which simplifies those life conundrums such as "Hm, what's with all those blankets, sheets, and junk and when should my horse wear them?"
The store is located near Polaris, just off Polaris Parkway (look for a bunch of wharehouses past old state):
Equus Now!
9042 Cotter St.
Lewis Center, OH 43035
Store: 740 549-4959 Fax: 740-549-4960
If you're not fortunate enough to live near the warehouse and shop in the flesh, you can shop online by clicking the link in the text or in the links section.
Meanwhile Back at the Ranch...
Here it is January already. I wish I could say that Spring is just around the corner. Actually, I don't like spring all that much what with the rain and mushy ground, inaccessable trails and bridle paths, yet most of our winter in Central Ohio and surrounding areas has been just that. We had a big Snow/Ice storm in December, just before Christmas, and soon after incredible rains and flooding. The ice storm brought huge branches crashing down all over the house starting at 3am and by morning it seemed a war zone on my front porch and all around the perimiter of my house. The whole neighborhood was really a mess. I didn't make it to work--a level 3 snow emergency--but did feel guilty. The next day was Christmas eve so we only had half a day of work, but the snow and cold temperatures made it a challenge. The horses could not go out even in the paddocks, but many of the boarders and clients came out to ride. Many people lost electricity, and our barn veternarian went without power for more than five days. She keeps horses as well, so I was surprised to see as much of her as we did, and that she was just as cheerful and full of her wry and leathery sense of humor as usual.
After Christmas we had the brief thaw. Most people would have done well to build arks during the holidays. I didn't see much of my horses as working in the contant pouring rain caring for the horses at the big barn had me wet and muddy through and through by the end of the day. What is sad is that at the "Big Fancy Barn" there isn't very much mud to contend with, but the stalls flooded and made the heavier work heavier still. When I was able to find some shred of energy I stopped by to check on Wyatt and Lady, even though I had to drive out of my way as the road was flooded at the little train overpass on the main road. In this though, I did get to see what was beyond skinner road and bowtown to get back to the main highway. This is an area where I could ride if I was feeling ambitious and Wyatt was sound--and if it wasn't pouring rain. The weather has turned cold again, with a new dusting of snow and more on the horizon. Stopped to see the horses yesterday. I had a hard time opening the sliding door--frozen, but the sun was shining and would have been perfect for the horses to be out munching hay. Got the door open, let my two out and considered letting the others out with some hay, but the heater has been removed from the pasture trough and no water. I didn't want to turn them out with hay but no water all afternoon and no one on the property. I threw everyone a flake of hay--I suspect most of my horses weight is from grain and not hay--which really makes me irritated, let alone my horses gut! After Lady and Wyatt frolicked a little and kicked up there heels they figured out no one else was coming out to play so they made their way back near the gate. When they heard everyone getting hay they reluctantly came back into the barn and went in their stalls. I gave them some horse snacks in there feed tub and shut up the barn, turned out the lights and said "Goodbye". Well, this is really the last thing I want my horses to put up with. At least they are eating better than last year, but they have spent the majority of their time this season shut up in a dark barn with no hay all afternoon. While it's pleasant enough for a horse to spend the afternoon outside where they belong, there is no one to put them out. The new owner spends very little time on the property due to his schedule and will hire no one on a regular basis to care for the horses as stated on the boarding agreement, hence, the horses stand around all day in an open pasture often exposed to cold rain with windy conditions (Ohio) and no shelter and no one coming for hours to bring them in, unless one of us, the boarders happens by or they stand in their stalls all day long with no hay in between the early morning and late night feed. This is a card carrying professional horse trainer. I'm sure he believes that he's taking great care of our horses, other than leaving them out in bad conditions, they are cared for about the same as some of the horses he's stalled for private clients--stand around in a dark stall, no hay, no real socialization with the other horses. Well, what does that say? Hm, what to do.
So, not only do I not see my horses enough, nor are they cared for as well as I would like, the last two months have me with extremely sore muscles--I'm waking up in the night with horrible muscle spasms--much attributed to the awful bedding we've been using at Fancy Barn since October-- you may as well be bedding the horses with limestone. No one there seems to get it--I'd never have this bedding in my barn if I ran one--and that's what has been ordered on purpose because it's "not as dusty" The stalls at this facility are bedded heavily so this bedding requires twice as much to prevent hock sores. This is the bedding none of the other barns want so it really is crap and it's much easier for the horses to get cast with it if it's not kept in the right place. We've had a lot of that going on too, horses getting cast with this bedding. Well, I warned them the problems this stuff would cause and now has, but everyone seems to look the other way, including the owner. You have to wonder--just because someone doesn't want to admit being wrong. Well, the bedding does have some benefits--you really cant fluff it up or use the dry bedding from the corners to make it last. It just gets wet and turns black in a hurry so you have to strip the stalls almost every day. Certain people in charge of the bedding and things like that at the barn like this because it takes more time to clean the stalls than we are supposed to be taking, and if we work faster than this person and our stalls look crummy, they can prove their point that it should take all day to clean the stalls to clean them right--or, that we suck at cleaning stalls but this person doesn't. I really love working closely with people who have an inferiority complex. It makes your job ever so much more enjoyable than if you worked with rational people.
Ok, there were some good things--Gwen and Brenda both called me on my birthday while I was at work getting irritated by J. and they were welcome and thoughtful calls--a reminder that I'm not really shut up all day devoid of reasonable people. Brenda invited me for birthday dinner with her family (gwen invite too but not able to make it) at her home complete with cake. I went and felt ever the "birthday girl" as her 5 year old son referred to me. Thank you Brenda, Dave and Ben--it was delicious and belive it or not, no one has ever done that for me before. The Birthday Girl is very happy! Alright--ending on a happy note :-)
Here it is January already. I wish I could say that Spring is just around the corner. Actually, I don't like spring all that much what with the rain and mushy ground, inaccessable trails and bridle paths, yet most of our winter in Central Ohio and surrounding areas has been just that. We had a big Snow/Ice storm in December, just before Christmas, and soon after incredible rains and flooding. The ice storm brought huge branches crashing down all over the house starting at 3am and by morning it seemed a war zone on my front porch and all around the perimiter of my house. The whole neighborhood was really a mess. I didn't make it to work--a level 3 snow emergency--but did feel guilty. The next day was Christmas eve so we only had half a day of work, but the snow and cold temperatures made it a challenge. The horses could not go out even in the paddocks, but many of the boarders and clients came out to ride. Many people lost electricity, and our barn veternarian went without power for more than five days. She keeps horses as well, so I was surprised to see as much of her as we did, and that she was just as cheerful and full of her wry and leathery sense of humor as usual.
After Christmas we had the brief thaw. Most people would have done well to build arks during the holidays. I didn't see much of my horses as working in the contant pouring rain caring for the horses at the big barn had me wet and muddy through and through by the end of the day. What is sad is that at the "Big Fancy Barn" there isn't very much mud to contend with, but the stalls flooded and made the heavier work heavier still. When I was able to find some shred of energy I stopped by to check on Wyatt and Lady, even though I had to drive out of my way as the road was flooded at the little train overpass on the main road. In this though, I did get to see what was beyond skinner road and bowtown to get back to the main highway. This is an area where I could ride if I was feeling ambitious and Wyatt was sound--and if it wasn't pouring rain. The weather has turned cold again, with a new dusting of snow and more on the horizon. Stopped to see the horses yesterday. I had a hard time opening the sliding door--frozen, but the sun was shining and would have been perfect for the horses to be out munching hay. Got the door open, let my two out and considered letting the others out with some hay, but the heater has been removed from the pasture trough and no water. I didn't want to turn them out with hay but no water all afternoon and no one on the property. I threw everyone a flake of hay--I suspect most of my horses weight is from grain and not hay--which really makes me irritated, let alone my horses gut! After Lady and Wyatt frolicked a little and kicked up there heels they figured out no one else was coming out to play so they made their way back near the gate. When they heard everyone getting hay they reluctantly came back into the barn and went in their stalls. I gave them some horse snacks in there feed tub and shut up the barn, turned out the lights and said "Goodbye". Well, this is really the last thing I want my horses to put up with. At least they are eating better than last year, but they have spent the majority of their time this season shut up in a dark barn with no hay all afternoon. While it's pleasant enough for a horse to spend the afternoon outside where they belong, there is no one to put them out. The new owner spends very little time on the property due to his schedule and will hire no one on a regular basis to care for the horses as stated on the boarding agreement, hence, the horses stand around all day in an open pasture often exposed to cold rain with windy conditions (Ohio) and no shelter and no one coming for hours to bring them in, unless one of us, the boarders happens by or they stand in their stalls all day long with no hay in between the early morning and late night feed. This is a card carrying professional horse trainer. I'm sure he believes that he's taking great care of our horses, other than leaving them out in bad conditions, they are cared for about the same as some of the horses he's stalled for private clients--stand around in a dark stall, no hay, no real socialization with the other horses. Well, what does that say? Hm, what to do.
So, not only do I not see my horses enough, nor are they cared for as well as I would like, the last two months have me with extremely sore muscles--I'm waking up in the night with horrible muscle spasms--much attributed to the awful bedding we've been using at Fancy Barn since October-- you may as well be bedding the horses with limestone. No one there seems to get it--I'd never have this bedding in my barn if I ran one--and that's what has been ordered on purpose because it's "not as dusty" The stalls at this facility are bedded heavily so this bedding requires twice as much to prevent hock sores. This is the bedding none of the other barns want so it really is crap and it's much easier for the horses to get cast with it if it's not kept in the right place. We've had a lot of that going on too, horses getting cast with this bedding. Well, I warned them the problems this stuff would cause and now has, but everyone seems to look the other way, including the owner. You have to wonder--just because someone doesn't want to admit being wrong. Well, the bedding does have some benefits--you really cant fluff it up or use the dry bedding from the corners to make it last. It just gets wet and turns black in a hurry so you have to strip the stalls almost every day. Certain people in charge of the bedding and things like that at the barn like this because it takes more time to clean the stalls than we are supposed to be taking, and if we work faster than this person and our stalls look crummy, they can prove their point that it should take all day to clean the stalls to clean them right--or, that we suck at cleaning stalls but this person doesn't. I really love working closely with people who have an inferiority complex. It makes your job ever so much more enjoyable than if you worked with rational people.
Ok, there were some good things--Gwen and Brenda both called me on my birthday while I was at work getting irritated by J. and they were welcome and thoughtful calls--a reminder that I'm not really shut up all day devoid of reasonable people. Brenda invited me for birthday dinner with her family (gwen invite too but not able to make it) at her home complete with cake. I went and felt ever the "birthday girl" as her 5 year old son referred to me. Thank you Brenda, Dave and Ben--it was delicious and belive it or not, no one has ever done that for me before. The Birthday Girl is very happy! Alright--ending on a happy note :-)
Nov 13, 2004
Home on the range
Don't think because I never post to this blog that I have no life! Well, really I don't but I'm very busy at not having one. Still working at Hunter/Jumpers-R-US. Some days are great, some not so much, other days--lets just leave it at that. Though I've been riding a lot more this summer and fall on my own horses I am beginning to feel landlocked. Attempted to ride to the trails at Alum Creek with my reluctant riding buddies in tow (they have no faith in me). Alum Creek has a reputation for being very challenging and very muddy--not for the faint at heart--which us gals are.
Here's one way to get to the Alum trails and the story of our adventure:
After encouraging our horses that yes, (even though we're lying) it's really ok to cross the highway which borders the front of the barn where the traffic averages 50 to 65 mph. we hurry across the slippery pavement and ride along the grassy berm of the road with corn rows flanking our right, speeding traffic to our left. We then turn right and ride between the same cornfield which is now adjacent to someone's very nice yard where they always have a little brush pile smoldering and this day is no exeception. My horse Wyatt and I ride by this all the time but typical for Wyatt, he tries to capitalize on the FIRE! hazard and glues his back hooves into the ground so he can hopefully surprise me while he whips around in a type of rollback manuever, which will allow him to head back to the barn at full speed. Of course, this same manuever he finds he's incapable of doing when you ask him. It doesn't help that Lady, my arab, can see us from the pasture, though it's quite far in the distance, and we can hear her calling and calling for us to "come back, come back oh, please come back!" I'm always prepared for this scenerio to come up so Wyatt's ploy is foiled yet again as I remind him that ok, we'll either go round and round in tight, uncomfortable circles until we proceed ahead or if we do go back you'll work your horsey BEhind off.
Anyway, we ride along until we get to the treeline where we turn and try find some break in the corn rows to get to a meadow, while at the same time hoping we can avoid that very deep hole that we can't see but know the estimated location of (could that be a fox den, or maybe something bigger?). We manage to locate a possible break and away we go crashing through the corn stalks which our horses have now learned to grab and carry as a souveniers everytime we ride here. Ok, so that now we're in the meadow with our horses still carrying two to three foot long corn stalks in their mouths, we mosey along the wide grassy paths cut through wide groups of trees and brush and eventually arrive along the property owner's drive. Here we take a small feeder road which will then take us briefly to the southern edge of Kilbourne on SR 24. We make it to the entrance off Old State and step about three feet onto the woodsy trail which is pretty, but abruptly descends down into a ravine. Never Mind! Although my horse was rather excited about being in the woods again as he is supposed to be a trail horse, I try to contain his excitement while we all have to manuever in a very small space and pick around in the undergrowth just to get ourselves turned around again, which is an adventure in itself considering my claustraphobia and agoraphobia thrown into the mix. Wyatt is rather disappointed about the human whimp factor. Treasure and Dancer--well they just seem a little perplexed but obediently await the next command from their mounts--which is of course, mission aborted, c'mon, lets go.
So, back we go the way we came and as we arrive at the driveway that we will follow back to the meadow, the property owner has saddled up and is just getting on her pretty red quarter horse to go for her ride. My friends and their horses want to stop and chat, but Wyatt has no time for that. From his perspective he didn't expend any energy picking his way along a trail so he may as well use it to get home faster. None of this nonsense of walking along pleasantly and gawking at all the nice scenery because he's seen it before. While my friends are shooting the breeze with their unsoured and perfectly behaved horses, mine is prancing, pawing, and jumping up on his front feet trying to torque around so that maybe he will lose me. Wyatt and I end up just turning round and round in tight little circles once again while my friends finish their unhurried conversation. Eventually Wyatt decides it's too much bother to fight and is ok on the way back home, but I ride him a little bit longer when we get to the paddock at our barn, just to add my 2 cents.
Now if my friends and I could get it together, we could get someone to trailer us to the better parts of the creek, but our schedules hardly ever mesh. Oftentimes we just miss each other when we've come to the barn to ride. We are so busy with the demands of the non-equestrian world. Trying to fit our horses into our schedules more often than not is a stolen moment from family, jobs and other responsibilites. There are people involved in our lives who are also competing for our time and attention. Often will come a reminder, sometime subtle sometimes not, that they think we are being selfish, that they are not as worthy of our time, we maybe prefer our expensive, high maintanence "pets" over them. The guilt factor adds its influence to the not-enough-time-as-it-is factor, always worming its way into our conscience and warrented or not, imposing a sense of urgency to our equine activity which is supposed to be our way to relax and slow down in a hyper-drive society.
In closing, what could be viewed as a disappointing ride since we had to abort our plans, was not disappointing at all I remind myself: I spent time with my horse and my horse friends and took in some beautiful scenery, found yet another way to get to the trails which opens up new possibilities, found out what my limits and Wyatt's are and am encouraged to find a way to minimize them. I had to be creative, take chances and be brave. These are are valuable pursuits and allow for not just wasting time riding around and having fun and ignoring responsibilities, but avenues towards self-examination and improvement. I am still feeling landlocked, but rather than giving up and accepting it, I vow to continue to find new ways to pick my way around the barriers and perhaps new paths will open up. I have my horses and my horsey freinds to thank for this.
Don't think because I never post to this blog that I have no life! Well, really I don't but I'm very busy at not having one. Still working at Hunter/Jumpers-R-US. Some days are great, some not so much, other days--lets just leave it at that. Though I've been riding a lot more this summer and fall on my own horses I am beginning to feel landlocked. Attempted to ride to the trails at Alum Creek with my reluctant riding buddies in tow (they have no faith in me). Alum Creek has a reputation for being very challenging and very muddy--not for the faint at heart--which us gals are.
Here's one way to get to the Alum trails and the story of our adventure:
After encouraging our horses that yes, (even though we're lying) it's really ok to cross the highway which borders the front of the barn where the traffic averages 50 to 65 mph. we hurry across the slippery pavement and ride along the grassy berm of the road with corn rows flanking our right, speeding traffic to our left. We then turn right and ride between the same cornfield which is now adjacent to someone's very nice yard where they always have a little brush pile smoldering and this day is no exeception. My horse Wyatt and I ride by this all the time but typical for Wyatt, he tries to capitalize on the FIRE! hazard and glues his back hooves into the ground so he can hopefully surprise me while he whips around in a type of rollback manuever, which will allow him to head back to the barn at full speed. Of course, this same manuever he finds he's incapable of doing when you ask him. It doesn't help that Lady, my arab, can see us from the pasture, though it's quite far in the distance, and we can hear her calling and calling for us to "come back, come back oh, please come back!" I'm always prepared for this scenerio to come up so Wyatt's ploy is foiled yet again as I remind him that ok, we'll either go round and round in tight, uncomfortable circles until we proceed ahead or if we do go back you'll work your horsey BEhind off.
Anyway, we ride along until we get to the treeline where we turn and try find some break in the corn rows to get to a meadow, while at the same time hoping we can avoid that very deep hole that we can't see but know the estimated location of (could that be a fox den, or maybe something bigger?). We manage to locate a possible break and away we go crashing through the corn stalks which our horses have now learned to grab and carry as a souveniers everytime we ride here. Ok, so that now we're in the meadow with our horses still carrying two to three foot long corn stalks in their mouths, we mosey along the wide grassy paths cut through wide groups of trees and brush and eventually arrive along the property owner's drive. Here we take a small feeder road which will then take us briefly to the southern edge of Kilbourne on SR 24. We make it to the entrance off Old State and step about three feet onto the woodsy trail which is pretty, but abruptly descends down into a ravine. Never Mind! Although my horse was rather excited about being in the woods again as he is supposed to be a trail horse, I try to contain his excitement while we all have to manuever in a very small space and pick around in the undergrowth just to get ourselves turned around again, which is an adventure in itself considering my claustraphobia and agoraphobia thrown into the mix. Wyatt is rather disappointed about the human whimp factor. Treasure and Dancer--well they just seem a little perplexed but obediently await the next command from their mounts--which is of course, mission aborted, c'mon, lets go.
So, back we go the way we came and as we arrive at the driveway that we will follow back to the meadow, the property owner has saddled up and is just getting on her pretty red quarter horse to go for her ride. My friends and their horses want to stop and chat, but Wyatt has no time for that. From his perspective he didn't expend any energy picking his way along a trail so he may as well use it to get home faster. None of this nonsense of walking along pleasantly and gawking at all the nice scenery because he's seen it before. While my friends are shooting the breeze with their unsoured and perfectly behaved horses, mine is prancing, pawing, and jumping up on his front feet trying to torque around so that maybe he will lose me. Wyatt and I end up just turning round and round in tight little circles once again while my friends finish their unhurried conversation. Eventually Wyatt decides it's too much bother to fight and is ok on the way back home, but I ride him a little bit longer when we get to the paddock at our barn, just to add my 2 cents.
Now if my friends and I could get it together, we could get someone to trailer us to the better parts of the creek, but our schedules hardly ever mesh. Oftentimes we just miss each other when we've come to the barn to ride. We are so busy with the demands of the non-equestrian world. Trying to fit our horses into our schedules more often than not is a stolen moment from family, jobs and other responsibilites. There are people involved in our lives who are also competing for our time and attention. Often will come a reminder, sometime subtle sometimes not, that they think we are being selfish, that they are not as worthy of our time, we maybe prefer our expensive, high maintanence "pets" over them. The guilt factor adds its influence to the not-enough-time-as-it-is factor, always worming its way into our conscience and warrented or not, imposing a sense of urgency to our equine activity which is supposed to be our way to relax and slow down in a hyper-drive society.
In closing, what could be viewed as a disappointing ride since we had to abort our plans, was not disappointing at all I remind myself: I spent time with my horse and my horse friends and took in some beautiful scenery, found yet another way to get to the trails which opens up new possibilities, found out what my limits and Wyatt's are and am encouraged to find a way to minimize them. I had to be creative, take chances and be brave. These are are valuable pursuits and allow for not just wasting time riding around and having fun and ignoring responsibilities, but avenues towards self-examination and improvement. I am still feeling landlocked, but rather than giving up and accepting it, I vow to continue to find new ways to pick my way around the barriers and perhaps new paths will open up. I have my horses and my horsey freinds to thank for this.
Jul 18, 2004
Home on the Range
It's been over a month since the farm changed hands. The new owner is a quarter horse trainer. Things are better for now--more consistancy for the horses. Lady is dappling out--a good sign. Went on a short ride with two friends; the five mile loop through a meadow then onto bowtown road and around. We call it the five mile loop. Very scenic and very hot. When you ride alongside the corn rows you can feel the heat coming off the crops from all the oxygen produced.
Work is work. It's been ridiculously hot. Horses and their owners have been busy showing almost every weekend. Last weekend was the Robert Murphy show in Kentucky. That was a long one. They left Wednesday morning and came back late sunday night.
The grad is still unemployed but did help me at the barn one day. I think that was enough for him. Going to sign off as I want to get out to ride a few horses before the afternoon storms blow in.
It's been over a month since the farm changed hands. The new owner is a quarter horse trainer. Things are better for now--more consistancy for the horses. Lady is dappling out--a good sign. Went on a short ride with two friends; the five mile loop through a meadow then onto bowtown road and around. We call it the five mile loop. Very scenic and very hot. When you ride alongside the corn rows you can feel the heat coming off the crops from all the oxygen produced.
Work is work. It's been ridiculously hot. Horses and their owners have been busy showing almost every weekend. Last weekend was the Robert Murphy show in Kentucky. That was a long one. They left Wednesday morning and came back late sunday night.
The grad is still unemployed but did help me at the barn one day. I think that was enough for him. Going to sign off as I want to get out to ride a few horses before the afternoon storms blow in.
May 16, 2004
Meanwhile, back at the ranch....
Wow. I have been working full-time at a hunter jumper barn for over a month now. I've been putting in long hours due to my training and just the basic horse management challenges transitioning from dry-lot turnout to pasturing. We've had lots of rain in this area as we had last year so it has been a difficult spring again for anyone involved in agrarian pursuits.
My horses have put on weight since they have been on pasture and look much better. I have a lot of plans for the summer--formal riding lessons for me, some saddle training for Lady--especially in the canter department--which means I need to find a trainer who won't cost me an arm and a leg--and just overall conditioning for both horses. I don't know how much I will accomplish with my new job eating up lots of time and energy. I may have to forgo lessons for myself as the big priority is to get Lady further along under saddle so I can enjoy riding her instead of worrying that she'll go into a bucking fit--she hasn't done that to me yet, but just the thought makes me nervous, which of course affects her confidence with me on her back. Getting a competent rider will help get through the basics without a wreck setting us back. KST
Wow. I have been working full-time at a hunter jumper barn for over a month now. I've been putting in long hours due to my training and just the basic horse management challenges transitioning from dry-lot turnout to pasturing. We've had lots of rain in this area as we had last year so it has been a difficult spring again for anyone involved in agrarian pursuits.
My horses have put on weight since they have been on pasture and look much better. I have a lot of plans for the summer--formal riding lessons for me, some saddle training for Lady--especially in the canter department--which means I need to find a trainer who won't cost me an arm and a leg--and just overall conditioning for both horses. I don't know how much I will accomplish with my new job eating up lots of time and energy. I may have to forgo lessons for myself as the big priority is to get Lady further along under saddle so I can enjoy riding her instead of worrying that she'll go into a bucking fit--she hasn't done that to me yet, but just the thought makes me nervous, which of course affects her confidence with me on her back. Getting a competent rider will help get through the basics without a wreck setting us back. KST
Apr 4, 2004
Meanwhile back at the ranch....
Worked at the barn again, today, saturday. Not all that exciting for most folks, but horses are the postitive influence and motivation in my life. They are so happy when someone fulfils their basic needs and I am glad to do it. How would you like to live in a 12 by 12 box waiting around for someone to do something for you? When they see me, they know that I will take care of them. I give them plenty of hay, their favorite, a little grain and water, then they get to go outside weather permitting, or if they can`t go out together, i`ll walk them out individually and let them snack on some grass while I scratch all the itchy places they can`t get at. Some horses will get in the act of mutual grooming. Magic for instance--I mentioned her the other day in the audio blog. She is a very loving horse.
When I worked at a certain performance horse barn, I felt like a prison warden. At the barn where my horses are kept, I feel more like a school marm, say. While not all performance horse barns treat their horses bad, The lives that some performance horses lead are disturbingly cruel and even if not horribly cruel, not always in the best interest of their equine health and well being. These horses seldom get to be real horses or socialize in any meaningful way with those of their kind. They live in a kind of institutionalized system where everything is regemented and cooly objective-- like a horse factory, whose end product is a glossy show horse that at least by appearances riders/owners can just jump on while the horse happily and obediantly performs and entertains in whatever discipline it has been trained in. They are kept stalled unless working or lunging in an arena, or performing at a show, and when they are done they are put away, seldom with the opportunity to graze ( the almost constant grazing and foraging horses do is imparative to a healthy equine digestive system) in a pasture or even in their stall except for the twice a day feeding of grain and hay, which also includes the plethora of nutritional supplements and medications that would rival a football players diet. They are not allowed to expend any unnecessary engery running around in the pasture, why, they could get hurt that way!--lose money being on stall rest for an injury when they could be performing. Performance horses are kept in an objectively sterile environment and must learn the language of man, and only man, usually by force and all kinds of training devices and restraints. (well this is not only limited to performance horses per say, many horses are trained by using artificial aids and learning to avoid pain and all of it is not cruel per say) The advantage to keeping horses this way is that the horse, being a highly social animal-- its acceptance and participation within the herd imparative to survival-- will learn look to the human for both its physical and emotional needs and will crave human attention in any form, thereby more apt to do exactly what the human wants without question--to the point of jumping off a cliff if you asked it--and if it won't-- you get rid of it and cut your losses. My experience has been that when in a stall with these horses they are so deprived by the physical presence of any warm body, you become either a toy for them to play with, grabbing your clothes and trying to pull you around the stall, or they are trying to climb all over you to get you to love on them. Ha, sounds like some of my dates! Some are so desperate about this that it makes them dangerous and you have to set limits no matter how much you really do want to cuddle up or play with them. You have to shoo them away and then be stuck with that pitifully dejected look they give you. That part about that one particular job caused a lot of grief for me. It made me extremely sad because I was constantly reminded that these horses craved such companionship not because they had naturally affectionate personalities, but the way they were kept and handled forced them to be that way. I found it hard to be objective in the way I handled them, knowing every minute I was with them I was training them. I did not want to "train" them to do something that would get them later whipped for disobediance, because that is what people did to them there, almost in an arbitrary way. It really depended on the mood they were in, not that the horse misbehaved so much. I didn't stay at that job for long, but on leaving did shed some tears for the horses I got to know very quickly, but had no power or clout I could use to improve their circumstances. Goodbye and good luck, dear friends.
But the life of some horses and the way we view them has improved somewhat, the natrual horsemanship hype has educated owners that horses should be allowed to be horses; it may allow for a longer life span (not good if you want to keep your maintanence costs down) and a longer and more successful career as a performance horse. The clinicians have been able to demonstrate that you can enjoy your equine partner, and get the same results using training methods by using the body language of the horse and by teaching them to "yield to pressure" whether applied directly or psychologically, to get them to do what you want. (I can attest that it does work and actually it is quicker than some of the conditioned response methods--though CR is also is a basis for natural horsemanship, and any animal you want to train, including humans!) but there are many skeptics. Skeptics who actually use some variation of natural horsemanship without even knowing it. NH as a published method of horse handling and care has been around a long time--Xenophon, a greek general published a book on just that.
Anyway, I didn`t intend to write an essay on Natural Horsemanship--but I practice it myself in earnest, because I want my horses or any others I come in contact with to get as much joy out of our relationship and interaction as I do, while at the same time knowing how to be safe around horses--as much as you can anyway. The benefit is that I connect with them on their level, I am a part of their herd and they are a part of mine and I am important to them and them to me. Horses, in their natural environment are very reasonable and practical animals--much more so than humans and I think that`s why I like horses so much. They teach me to keep things simple, they help me prioritize what is important in life. To horses the most important thing in their lives is to be included. That takes care of everything else for them. to be excluded and forgotten means death. So, I have been included in their social heirarchy--and of course I am at the top because you must be to be safe around horses--but to me, that makes me feel important, and as long as I am around horses, it gives me a reason to keep going and not give up,
Worked at the barn again, today, saturday. Not all that exciting for most folks, but horses are the postitive influence and motivation in my life. They are so happy when someone fulfils their basic needs and I am glad to do it. How would you like to live in a 12 by 12 box waiting around for someone to do something for you? When they see me, they know that I will take care of them. I give them plenty of hay, their favorite, a little grain and water, then they get to go outside weather permitting, or if they can`t go out together, i`ll walk them out individually and let them snack on some grass while I scratch all the itchy places they can`t get at. Some horses will get in the act of mutual grooming. Magic for instance--I mentioned her the other day in the audio blog. She is a very loving horse.
When I worked at a certain performance horse barn, I felt like a prison warden. At the barn where my horses are kept, I feel more like a school marm, say. While not all performance horse barns treat their horses bad, The lives that some performance horses lead are disturbingly cruel and even if not horribly cruel, not always in the best interest of their equine health and well being. These horses seldom get to be real horses or socialize in any meaningful way with those of their kind. They live in a kind of institutionalized system where everything is regemented and cooly objective-- like a horse factory, whose end product is a glossy show horse that at least by appearances riders/owners can just jump on while the horse happily and obediantly performs and entertains in whatever discipline it has been trained in. They are kept stalled unless working or lunging in an arena, or performing at a show, and when they are done they are put away, seldom with the opportunity to graze ( the almost constant grazing and foraging horses do is imparative to a healthy equine digestive system) in a pasture or even in their stall except for the twice a day feeding of grain and hay, which also includes the plethora of nutritional supplements and medications that would rival a football players diet. They are not allowed to expend any unnecessary engery running around in the pasture, why, they could get hurt that way!--lose money being on stall rest for an injury when they could be performing. Performance horses are kept in an objectively sterile environment and must learn the language of man, and only man, usually by force and all kinds of training devices and restraints. (well this is not only limited to performance horses per say, many horses are trained by using artificial aids and learning to avoid pain and all of it is not cruel per say) The advantage to keeping horses this way is that the horse, being a highly social animal-- its acceptance and participation within the herd imparative to survival-- will learn look to the human for both its physical and emotional needs and will crave human attention in any form, thereby more apt to do exactly what the human wants without question--to the point of jumping off a cliff if you asked it--and if it won't-- you get rid of it and cut your losses. My experience has been that when in a stall with these horses they are so deprived by the physical presence of any warm body, you become either a toy for them to play with, grabbing your clothes and trying to pull you around the stall, or they are trying to climb all over you to get you to love on them. Ha, sounds like some of my dates! Some are so desperate about this that it makes them dangerous and you have to set limits no matter how much you really do want to cuddle up or play with them. You have to shoo them away and then be stuck with that pitifully dejected look they give you. That part about that one particular job caused a lot of grief for me. It made me extremely sad because I was constantly reminded that these horses craved such companionship not because they had naturally affectionate personalities, but the way they were kept and handled forced them to be that way. I found it hard to be objective in the way I handled them, knowing every minute I was with them I was training them. I did not want to "train" them to do something that would get them later whipped for disobediance, because that is what people did to them there, almost in an arbitrary way. It really depended on the mood they were in, not that the horse misbehaved so much. I didn't stay at that job for long, but on leaving did shed some tears for the horses I got to know very quickly, but had no power or clout I could use to improve their circumstances. Goodbye and good luck, dear friends.
But the life of some horses and the way we view them has improved somewhat, the natrual horsemanship hype has educated owners that horses should be allowed to be horses; it may allow for a longer life span (not good if you want to keep your maintanence costs down) and a longer and more successful career as a performance horse. The clinicians have been able to demonstrate that you can enjoy your equine partner, and get the same results using training methods by using the body language of the horse and by teaching them to "yield to pressure" whether applied directly or psychologically, to get them to do what you want. (I can attest that it does work and actually it is quicker than some of the conditioned response methods--though CR is also is a basis for natural horsemanship, and any animal you want to train, including humans!) but there are many skeptics. Skeptics who actually use some variation of natural horsemanship without even knowing it. NH as a published method of horse handling and care has been around a long time--Xenophon, a greek general published a book on just that.
Anyway, I didn`t intend to write an essay on Natural Horsemanship--but I practice it myself in earnest, because I want my horses or any others I come in contact with to get as much joy out of our relationship and interaction as I do, while at the same time knowing how to be safe around horses--as much as you can anyway. The benefit is that I connect with them on their level, I am a part of their herd and they are a part of mine and I am important to them and them to me. Horses, in their natural environment are very reasonable and practical animals--much more so than humans and I think that`s why I like horses so much. They teach me to keep things simple, they help me prioritize what is important in life. To horses the most important thing in their lives is to be included. That takes care of everything else for them. to be excluded and forgotten means death. So, I have been included in their social heirarchy--and of course I am at the top because you must be to be safe around horses--but to me, that makes me feel important, and as long as I am around horses, it gives me a reason to keep going and not give up,
Apr 2, 2004
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
Just got back from the barn. The vet was there to give everyone shots and health check. I asked Dr. Morrison about Lady, who has had an upward fixation of the patella, which started last year after getting off a trailer when I moved her in June. This is also known as a Stringhalt, a term often confused with a condition from eating the stringhalt plant I believe. What lady does is paddle outward on the left hind when the ligament gets caught and locks on a boney prominence of the patella. Anyway the ligaments that attatch to the hind patella are limp, which can be caused by poor muscle tone & confirmation issues, Lady is, an arab with refined bone structure and long straight legs, popular look for the halter horses but not good if you want more than a pasture ornament!--so she can be predisposed to this. It was explained to me by the doc, that it can be common in two-year olds since their muscles have not caught up with bone development. Lady is seven but has not worked on a reg basis to build up those muscles and being an arab, they take longer to mature--although by seven she is pretty much done with the growing. In her case the trailer incident was enough to fire this up. There is also the weight issue which I have mentioned before--she and the other horses are underweight and that really makes a difference to me. So, what is the plan besides an expensive operation that may not work as a permanent soulution?
Here's the plan: work on the hind muscle groups--building up the muscle mass will cause the proper tension in the ligament so that it can do its job. I can do a lot of hillwork, although, going up is beneficial, while going down can aggravate. So, we'll work on trotting over cavelletti --about 5 or 6 poles in a line and we can also set some up arc like fashion. 20minute about 3 to 5 times a week. Long trail rides are also good to work inbetween. Of course she's underweight, so my first priority is to get that hay into her somehow. I do not feel right working her at all right now as she is. When she's in better shape nutritionally, We'll begin the work on the caveletti and see how she progresses. The doc says later we can think about blistering. Not as bad as it sounds--but you use an agent that causes swelling--I think you inject DMSO maybe? someone told me I could apply this topically-- on the day you may have a long trail ride--they will be stiff at first, but keeping them moving will free them up and they will actually feel really good and flexible--it basically lets them to use that hind the correct way because the swelling causes tension on the offending ligament so they won't be protecting it undermining all the muscle conditioning you are trying to do. If you want to learn more about this, you can go the The Horseonline.
Now, the other problem this could be is EPM, but since the trailer incident caused this acute presentaton, as she did not have any gait problems before she got on the trailer, there's no reason to worry about that yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Just got back from the barn. The vet was there to give everyone shots and health check. I asked Dr. Morrison about Lady, who has had an upward fixation of the patella, which started last year after getting off a trailer when I moved her in June. This is also known as a Stringhalt, a term often confused with a condition from eating the stringhalt plant I believe. What lady does is paddle outward on the left hind when the ligament gets caught and locks on a boney prominence of the patella. Anyway the ligaments that attatch to the hind patella are limp, which can be caused by poor muscle tone & confirmation issues, Lady is, an arab with refined bone structure and long straight legs, popular look for the halter horses but not good if you want more than a pasture ornament!--so she can be predisposed to this. It was explained to me by the doc, that it can be common in two-year olds since their muscles have not caught up with bone development. Lady is seven but has not worked on a reg basis to build up those muscles and being an arab, they take longer to mature--although by seven she is pretty much done with the growing. In her case the trailer incident was enough to fire this up. There is also the weight issue which I have mentioned before--she and the other horses are underweight and that really makes a difference to me. So, what is the plan besides an expensive operation that may not work as a permanent soulution?
Here's the plan: work on the hind muscle groups--building up the muscle mass will cause the proper tension in the ligament so that it can do its job. I can do a lot of hillwork, although, going up is beneficial, while going down can aggravate. So, we'll work on trotting over cavelletti --about 5 or 6 poles in a line and we can also set some up arc like fashion. 20minute about 3 to 5 times a week. Long trail rides are also good to work inbetween. Of course she's underweight, so my first priority is to get that hay into her somehow. I do not feel right working her at all right now as she is. When she's in better shape nutritionally, We'll begin the work on the caveletti and see how she progresses. The doc says later we can think about blistering. Not as bad as it sounds--but you use an agent that causes swelling--I think you inject DMSO maybe? someone told me I could apply this topically-- on the day you may have a long trail ride--they will be stiff at first, but keeping them moving will free them up and they will actually feel really good and flexible--it basically lets them to use that hind the correct way because the swelling causes tension on the offending ligament so they won't be protecting it undermining all the muscle conditioning you are trying to do. If you want to learn more about this, you can go the The Horseonline.
Now, the other problem this could be is EPM, but since the trailer incident caused this acute presentaton, as she did not have any gait problems before she got on the trailer, there's no reason to worry about that yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Meanwhile back at the Ranch...
Yesterday I worked at the barn for Scott--I sent an audio post hoping to get the horses in the background. They usually chime in and neigh, "hello! hello! hello! when I first walk in. The phone picks up my voice loud and clear but being in the aisleway of the barn, it's hard for the phone to pick up the sounds. Well I'll keep trying. You can hear the horses towards the end, and scott and bill talking in the background. They had no idea what I was doing, i'm sure they thought another person was on the other end.
Scott told me he called his friend the manager at Tractor Supply to get me in there, as I had left an applicaton. Today I talked to the barn manager at a Hunter Jumper barn for full-time groom position. It's very close to where my horses are. It looks like a nice place to work. Jack, the manager would have hired me then and there as I have all the qualifications, but he has to run it by the head trainer there first. He wants to get someone in there before the 16th and I'm the first person who's responded. I think it would be great if my employment status could change very soon--like, now! It's getting pretty rough. The guy at tractor supply is on vacation so I can't talk to him til Monday, but I know which job I want. Call me crazy, but I'd rather clean stalls all day then stand at a cash register selling tractor supplies.
After that, went to see my horses and their friends: Shaka, Galano,Magic, Treasure,Bud, Sierra, Tai. I hope I didn't forget anybody. We used to have 12 horses but many have left. I picked out stalls, fed and hay, groomed Lady top to bottom. They were all happy and content when I left.
Yesterday I worked at the barn for Scott--I sent an audio post hoping to get the horses in the background. They usually chime in and neigh, "hello! hello! hello! when I first walk in. The phone picks up my voice loud and clear but being in the aisleway of the barn, it's hard for the phone to pick up the sounds. Well I'll keep trying. You can hear the horses towards the end, and scott and bill talking in the background. They had no idea what I was doing, i'm sure they thought another person was on the other end.
Scott told me he called his friend the manager at Tractor Supply to get me in there, as I had left an applicaton. Today I talked to the barn manager at a Hunter Jumper barn for full-time groom position. It's very close to where my horses are. It looks like a nice place to work. Jack, the manager would have hired me then and there as I have all the qualifications, but he has to run it by the head trainer there first. He wants to get someone in there before the 16th and I'm the first person who's responded. I think it would be great if my employment status could change very soon--like, now! It's getting pretty rough. The guy at tractor supply is on vacation so I can't talk to him til Monday, but I know which job I want. Call me crazy, but I'd rather clean stalls all day then stand at a cash register selling tractor supplies.
After that, went to see my horses and their friends: Shaka, Galano,Magic, Treasure,Bud, Sierra, Tai. I hope I didn't forget anybody. We used to have 12 horses but many have left. I picked out stalls, fed and hay, groomed Lady top to bottom. They were all happy and content when I left.
Mar 29, 2004
Parelli Clinics in Ohio
Parelli Natural Horsemanship Clinics
with Three Star Endorsed PNH Instructor Sharon Lindy
May 7th - 9th, 2004
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Hunting Valley Stables
18400 Fox Road
Hiram, Ohio
(30 miles Southeast of Cleveland)
May 7th -- Advanced Level One Partnership Clinic (With included Assessment)
$200 per horse/rider
May 8th & 9th -- Level Two Harmony/Fluidity Clinic $350 per horse/rider
Only Ten Riders Accepted for Each Clinic
Auditor Fee in Advance: $25/1 day -- $40/2 days -- $60/3 days
or $30 at the door
For more information on these or other
Parelli Natural Horsemanship Clinics
check out our website at:
www.huntingvalleystables.com
Or contact:
440-834-1900
info@huntingvalleystables.com
Jennifer Sibits and Candy Lawrence
Team Parelli Events
Hunting Valley Stables
18400 Fox Road
Hiram, Ohio
44234
440-834-1900
www.huntingvalleystables.com
Parelli Natural Horsemanship Clinics
with Three Star Endorsed PNH Instructor Sharon Lindy
May 7th - 9th, 2004
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Hunting Valley Stables
18400 Fox Road
Hiram, Ohio
(30 miles Southeast of Cleveland)
May 7th -- Advanced Level One Partnership Clinic (With included Assessment)
$200 per horse/rider
May 8th & 9th -- Level Two Harmony/Fluidity Clinic $350 per horse/rider
Only Ten Riders Accepted for Each Clinic
Auditor Fee in Advance: $25/1 day -- $40/2 days -- $60/3 days
or $30 at the door
For more information on these or other
Parelli Natural Horsemanship Clinics
check out our website at:
www.huntingvalleystables.com
Or contact:
440-834-1900
info@huntingvalleystables.com
Jennifer Sibits and Candy Lawrence
Team Parelli Events
Hunting Valley Stables
18400 Fox Road
Hiram, Ohio
44234
440-834-1900
www.huntingvalleystables.com
Mar 24, 2004
Two good sites to check out:
Equus.net
From the website:
Equus.net presents JP Giacomini's Essential Horsemanship training method as an approach to horse education based on increasing the relaxation of the horse and the authority of the rider, building an ideal horse-human relationship.
Equus.net also presents the Lusitano breeding stallions of the Baroque Collection, as well as other Baroque breeds, such as the Marwari, the war horse of ancient India.
The Show Planner
Lots of informative/authoritative articles with great links and resources for the professional or amature.
Equus.net
From the website:
Equus.net presents JP Giacomini's Essential Horsemanship training method as an approach to horse education based on increasing the relaxation of the horse and the authority of the rider, building an ideal horse-human relationship.
Equus.net also presents the Lusitano breeding stallions of the Baroque Collection, as well as other Baroque breeds, such as the Marwari, the war horse of ancient India.
The Show Planner
Lots of informative/authoritative articles with great links and resources for the professional or amature.
Mar 23, 2004
Designing Women & Dirty Nails
I'm always interested in biographical essays and articles featuring women as seminal figures in the stock horse industry, especially when it comes to ranching and breeding. What has not changed is that the industry is still a male dominated field where the big money is to be made, but more and more ranch women today have opportuinities to participate and exel in not just the non-traditional roles of cowboys and ranch hands but also to be recognized as major influences in the breeding, training, and promotional aspects in the horse world. This is due in part to the cowgirl "pioneers" of the 60's era, women who in their youth garnered success in stock horse exhibitions, like Carol Rose, famed quarter horse breeder, arabian breeder Sheila Varian, and horse guru and trainer Linda Tellington Jones--who some may not know was a young contender in the stock horse shows before she marketed her TTeam methods for sport and pleasure horses of various breeds. While the womens movement of the sixties and seventies also contributed to the influx of women able to participate in male dominated careers, these women have inspiring life stories nontheless, to help motiviate and encourage many a hopeful cowgirl young and old alike. They certainly inspire me to "quit my cry'n" when things get rough, to keep my mind on even the humble goals I want to achieve regardless of what stands in my way.
One thing that appealed to me about Carol Rose is not only her Martha Stewart like pluck, but what is said of Carol's "true-grit" character, also from the website:
You can expect to see more on this subject from time to time. The good thing is you'll never know whether or not I'm typing in entries with dirty fingernails or horse slobber in my hair.
The years prior to the eighties featured only a handful of women who were actual forces in the professional horse world. What did it take for a woman to make it in that predominantly male arena? Someone supremely confident in her own capability and knowledge, and literally fearless when she knows she is right. Carol is a pioneer who blazed a trail in an industry that now welcomes and appreciates its female members, from trainers to editors to association executives. She has unquestionably earned her place at the top.~ from an article written by Patti Colbert and Robin Glenn at the Carol Rose website. ~also be sure and check out the vintage cowgirl photo's.
I'm always interested in biographical essays and articles featuring women as seminal figures in the stock horse industry, especially when it comes to ranching and breeding. What has not changed is that the industry is still a male dominated field where the big money is to be made, but more and more ranch women today have opportuinities to participate and exel in not just the non-traditional roles of cowboys and ranch hands but also to be recognized as major influences in the breeding, training, and promotional aspects in the horse world. This is due in part to the cowgirl "pioneers" of the 60's era, women who in their youth garnered success in stock horse exhibitions, like Carol Rose, famed quarter horse breeder, arabian breeder Sheila Varian, and horse guru and trainer Linda Tellington Jones--who some may not know was a young contender in the stock horse shows before she marketed her TTeam methods for sport and pleasure horses of various breeds. While the womens movement of the sixties and seventies also contributed to the influx of women able to participate in male dominated careers, these women have inspiring life stories nontheless, to help motiviate and encourage many a hopeful cowgirl young and old alike. They certainly inspire me to "quit my cry'n" when things get rough, to keep my mind on even the humble goals I want to achieve regardless of what stands in my way.
One thing that appealed to me about Carol Rose is not only her Martha Stewart like pluck, but what is said of Carol's "true-grit" character, also from the website:
She's a get-to-business, bluntly honest person--perspectives she extends to herself. She races around her ranch each day accompanied by her trio of devoted Corgis, personally overseeing her business, from selecting a promising prospect for an ambitious buyer, to helping an employee coax a colt into the round pen. At sundown Carol's fingernails are just as dirty and her body just as tired,
You can expect to see more on this subject from time to time. The good thing is you'll never know whether or not I'm typing in entries with dirty fingernails or horse slobber in my hair.
On Performance Horses and Burnout:
“A horse is like a bank account; you can only take out as much as you put into it.”~Charlie Hutton
~as told to his step-daughter Jessicah Keller--NRHA non-pro world champion
See the article at Performance Horse Magazine online
“A horse is like a bank account; you can only take out as much as you put into it.”~Charlie Hutton
~as told to his step-daughter Jessicah Keller--NRHA non-pro world champion
See the article at Performance Horse Magazine online
Mar 21, 2004
It's that time again to start worring about the West Nile Virus. We've been dealing with it in Ohio for a while, and word has it it's making its way around the states. Here's some articles to read atThe Horse Online
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The current year's West Nile virus articles are listed below. For archived articles
(1999-2003), maps, and state/national government agency links, please click here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Combination Vaccines Include WNV Protection Feb 2004
This year your veterinarian's truck might be stocked with a new combination
vaccine--protection against West Nile virus (WNV) has been folded into routinely used
three-way and four-way vaccines.
WNV: Prevention is Key 3/18/04
"West Nile virus (WNV) is the number one diagnosed neurologic disease in horses, or close
to it," said William Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of The Ohio State University, at a
March 10 Fort Dodge Animal Health educational seminar for veterinarians held in
Lexington, Ky.
WNV: An Evolving Epizootic 3/12/04
"West Nile virus (WNV) is coming to a state near you if it hasn't already arrived," said
Eileen Ostlund, DVM, PhD, head of the equine and ovine viruses section at the Diagnostic
Virology Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, during the
Western Veterinary Conference held February 15-19 in Las Vegas, Nev.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The current year's West Nile virus articles are listed below. For archived articles
(1999-2003), maps, and state/national government agency links, please click here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Combination Vaccines Include WNV Protection Feb 2004
This year your veterinarian's truck might be stocked with a new combination
vaccine--protection against West Nile virus (WNV) has been folded into routinely used
three-way and four-way vaccines.
WNV: Prevention is Key 3/18/04
"West Nile virus (WNV) is the number one diagnosed neurologic disease in horses, or close
to it," said William Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of The Ohio State University, at a
March 10 Fort Dodge Animal Health educational seminar for veterinarians held in
Lexington, Ky.
WNV: An Evolving Epizootic 3/12/04
"West Nile virus (WNV) is coming to a state near you if it hasn't already arrived," said
Eileen Ostlund, DVM, PhD, head of the equine and ovine viruses section at the Diagnostic
Virology Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, during the
Western Veterinary Conference held February 15-19 in Las Vegas, Nev.
From The Paper Diary:
About this time last year I started keeping a regular diary/scrapbook of horse activities. I'm going to post them on here for continuity, and since I had not been writing entries for a particular audience, I think they might offer a certain freshness that comes from recording thoughts as they spilled directly onto the paper. Fresh or not I may edit some things for clarity, but others even I don't know what the heck I was thinking so I may choose to leave words or sentences alone.
March 5, 2003
Jesse James and I are going to Mount Hope. Amish land, Dutchland, Swiss. The land of Sugarcreek if you turn at the intersection, right instead of left. Sugarcreek, where the fate of horses is decided with the "sold to!" cry of the auctioneer. Goodbye to what was once a little friend. Goodbye to the horse that knows no other life but to suffer.
We turn left, for the tack auction. Drive up and down hills with the landscape on both sides like a tonal plaid. The snow is giving into the harrowed fields where summers planting leaves maize colored zig zags like rick-rack on a brown dress. Everywhere you look is the dark horse like a shadow or cutout, alone in a field, the backyard, napping near the shelter of the barn wall that radiates enough warmth that only a horse, or a cat would notice.
Everything immaculate and sensible, and in between, the English invasion capitalizing on the quaint way of life: "Genuine Amish Furniture, Amish Craft, Home of Amish Style." "Looking up and down the hills go the carts. If you are behind, all you see is a black rectangle and four animated hooves in a rhythmic paddling march. As you pass, you may glimpse the white of an eye, "Oh please be careful." it seems to plead. I wonder how many times in a working day that goes on?
A conversation From Cormac Mc Carthy, Cities of the Plain:
Is he supposed to be some sort of specialist in spoiled horses?
Let's go, Billy said. He's liable to walk that son of a bitch all afternoon.
They went toward the house.
Ask Joaquin yonder, Billy said.
Ask me what?
If the cowboy knows horses.
The cowboy says he doesn't know nothin.
I know it.
He claims he just likes it and works hard at it.
What you think, said Billy.
Joaquin shook his head.
Joaquin thinks his method is unorthodox.
So does Mac.
Joaquin didn't answer till they reached the gate. Then he stopped and looked back at the corral.
Finally he said that it didn't make much difference it you liked horses or not if they didn't like you.
He said the best trainers he ever knew, horses couldn't stay away from them. He said horses would follow Billy Sanchez to the outhouse and stand there and wait for him. ~~
March 15th, 2003--isn't this the Ides of March?
Today was about 60-65 F. Heat wave after a cold winter. Brought Wyatt in from the pasture, He didn't care too much to shlep through the mud. After ignoring him after riding Lady for 5 minutes on Thursday--I got too cold--he ate up the attention. He even let me cut off his long winter wiskers, liked getting brushed between, inside, around his little ornately formed ears. His forelock, his forhead. The curry was uncomfortable at first, but oh it felt so good after a while. I poked and prodded delicate places and he put up with it.
Went for a short ride across the street with Cathy and Beau. Both horses dubious about the mushy terrain, about leaving the perimeter of the stables after the long weeks of staying close to home. They wanted to enjoy the change of scenery but they'd rather be home. Especially when things they can't see make sudden noises in the brush. The trails too mud sodden, do do anything but go in a small circle and this requires a change in plans.
Cathy and I fight for control on the way home. No runaway horses finding the ubiquitous ground hog tunnel now a hidden trap in the soggy turf..
March 16, 2003
Rode with Cathy and Omar at Deer Creek State Park. Only 2 other people there. This was my first trail ride with Wyatt away from home. We rode for about 2 hours. Wyatt was tired but after the ride and before we trailered up he looked around and then at me as if to ask? Can't we just stay here? This is nice. I also happened to notice Wyatt attemting to read the trail markers; apparently he is more familiar with the system than I.
March 23, 2003
Met Kellie G. We rode from her house on Clear Creek Rd, Michigan, to the Waterloo trails. I rode her 24 yo mare Jamie--an arabian. she is cute as a button. Kellie rode her mare MSU sordid Affair--green--and the other Kelly, rode dreamer, her youn appy/arab mare while ponying her new horse Keme. The girls were wilder than the horses. It was a wonderful place to ride. Lots of groups on the trails and quite a few fox-trotters. Spent the night with Kellie and her husband Bobby. Talked until 2am, drove home -12:30. Crossed the Ohio border and had to pull into rest stop to take a long nap. The spontaneous trip took a lot out of me. I believe Lynn Palm rode by us and wished us well at Waterloo. I swear it was her!
[this was inserted, don't know when I wrote it]
That week, tried out a job in mich on the border. arabians--104 head. Lots of weanlings & yearlings that hadn't been handled enough. Crazy people, fun in a way, but the prospect of being stuck up there after I moved my horses started to look really bad. I stayed in a camper with no heat. It was just too much to deal with. Not enough money to make it for two weeks. I packed up and drove home.
April 4, 2003
New job at Heartland Stables-a resort type B&B with a string of trail horses as well as boarding for overnights. First day rode Winnie, and old sorrel mare, & rode Blazer, a cute black gelding with a white blaze and a nice jog. Gave an arena ride with Micah on Misty, another ride with mother daughter. Gave a riding lesson, rode Eagle, a sorrel appy gelding with a snow flake pattern blanket.
Today rode drag on two trail rides, the first on who is soon becoming my favorite: Blazer. On him saw vultures in tree while a few swooped down. Saw a little nuthatch. Second ride, gave demonstration on Suzie, a paint mare with blue eyes. (pretty) [dorinne's horse, the owner/operator of the B&B] and rode Cloud, appy mare like Wyatt. On her saw deer up close, vultures again. The scenery is beautiful as everything is fresh and spring green. Not enough foliage to block the sky in the woods or to camoflage wildlife. Need to get/identify local flora, carpets of violets and little white flowers.
Sunday, April, 2003
Lady's orientation to Trail at DS. I took her on foot and we were gone for over an hour. Covered all kinds of terrain, wood's fields, development. Lots of obstacles and junk around construction sites. Ginett, Jessica, Derick on CC, Gunner, Toby. Lady was very good once we got away from stables. She relied on me and I had her attention. She seemed to really enjoy the new experience. The critical times were crossing the road from the drive. It really freaked her out, but at development site, she was fine on the pavement. My legs are killing me
[notes] Blazer can only be ridden by guides. Chief will buck with heavy weight people. What are Lisa's horses names? Jane
Cedarcroft Notes: Sometime in May
East side: Splash, Maggie McGee, Michael, Calypso,Oscar. West side: Uptown Manhattan, Toby,Sunny,Rainbow, Spot (Wheel of Fortune)
Duties: Clean stalls, horses groomed and tacked, exercise training, lunch, feed dogs, pick out stalls again,feed, hay, water, leave 2 bales for evening. Blow aisles, sanitize, put away tools, close back door, lights off west side, chain across aisle, clean feed bins, washer dryer.
Grooming; Curry hairy, dirty spots, brush, towel,clean feet, clean dock, wraps, boots. Take water out of stall if still hot.
I lasted a month at Cedarcroft. Scott says that is typical. Dave did the same thing to the last girl who worked there.
Lady and Wyatt have been moved to Legend Stables after kelly's place,( recommended by dave--should have known it was a bad idea) turned out to be a nightmare for them and me, not to mention the other horses and animals there. One horse I feel really bad for is Shady, a little gray gelding (arab) that I liked. I wish I could afford to buy him and bring him around. I think he'd be a good endurance prospect. He's small but sturdy looking. Heartland is selling to cash buyer who is not going to run the place as an Equestrian B&B. Shame. I wonder what will happen to the trail string and sweet horses like Rooster and Blazer? Tony may stay on to train the people's horses. I still have stuff there I need to pick up. Hope no one has been picking through it.
About Buckeye [from a story I have been planning to finish]
He did not mind being in a pasture of his own kind. It was much better than being bossed around by irritable mares. Here, in the gelding pasture he could make something of himself.
10/08/03
It's about 6:30 pm. I'm driving in Delaware--rt 521/ All summer I've watched the flat fields change color, texture. Soybeans, wheat, corn. It seemed the corn went buff overnight. The brief frost? Driving, it is the second or third day of indian summer. I note the places where the corn's already been harvested. Sheaves strewn like casualties on the overgrown berm. Massive field that borders Legend stables, the big red combine cutting a wide swath and I feel saddend by it. A peculiar saddness that lingers, saddness for the corn. For me it was another lost summer. a summer of hurry and care and disappointments. A summer that doesn't wait for me to catch up with it. The corn went buff overnight and soon the fields will be bare and the crisp October sky overhead will go cold; the aluminum stare of November.
Prairie Spring --I think I got this from a collection of Willa Cather? I will have to check
Evening and the flat land,
Rich and sombre and always silent;
The miles of fresh-plowed soil,
Heavy and black, full of strength and harshness;
The growing wheat, the growig weeds,
The toiling horses, the tired men;
The long empty roads,
Sullen fires of sunset, fading
The eternal, unresponsive sky.
Against all this, Youth, flaming like wild roses,
Singing like the larks over the plowed fields,
Flashing like a star out of the twilight,
Youth with its insuppportable sweetness,
Its fierce necessity,
Its sharp desire,
Singing and singing,
Out of the lips of silence,
Out of the earthy dusk.
10/11/03
In a herd society, Lady is very talented. She is the sentinel. She sees things that go on far beyond the perimiter of the pasture. The other members take her, and other things for granted. They think they've seen it all. The unusual things are what she hones in on. Things that upset the pattern of the landscape. Not in a frightened way though, she hones on things with a definite interest the way of a a naturalist. She studies. She watches; she tries to make out whether it is of any note. She tries to solve a puzzle. What does it mean to "us," is it a threat, is it benign? Does it mind its own business or is it after "us"? As I watch her take in the information, danger or not, she seems completely interestd in the object and what impact it plays in her life and in the life of the herd dynamic. What intrigues me is the rather objective study that comes from being a horse These things are pure to her. They come without the comment of history. There is an innocence about her experience. Today is was a hot air balloon, miles and miles away in the sky. [about the size of an ant] It seemed she looked at it with more wonder and interest. Too far away to pose an immediate a threat, she looked and observed with the same wonder and interest as I look at the stars and objects in the night sky with a sense of awe. The sense that it is just too big for you to comprehend it all. I can imagine her thinking, 'I'm enjoying looking at this'
I admire Lady's power of observation and study. We share the same enthusiasm for what we learn through our powers of observation. Yet, take Lady out of the herd situation, the comfort zone, and she is overcome by her senses--she becomes worked up over little things. Her whole body is charged with the defense mechanisim, where she percieves everything as a threat. She has come a long way in trusting and listening to me, but her instincts still prevail and sometimes take charge. It reminds me of the mechanisim that creates panic attacks in humans--but to a horse, the mechanisim can mean life or death.
Then there's Galano--joy on four feet, joy for just being him.
About this time last year I started keeping a regular diary/scrapbook of horse activities. I'm going to post them on here for continuity, and since I had not been writing entries for a particular audience, I think they might offer a certain freshness that comes from recording thoughts as they spilled directly onto the paper. Fresh or not I may edit some things for clarity, but others even I don't know what the heck I was thinking so I may choose to leave words or sentences alone.
March 5, 2003
Jesse James and I are going to Mount Hope. Amish land, Dutchland, Swiss. The land of Sugarcreek if you turn at the intersection, right instead of left. Sugarcreek, where the fate of horses is decided with the "sold to!" cry of the auctioneer. Goodbye to what was once a little friend. Goodbye to the horse that knows no other life but to suffer.
We turn left, for the tack auction. Drive up and down hills with the landscape on both sides like a tonal plaid. The snow is giving into the harrowed fields where summers planting leaves maize colored zig zags like rick-rack on a brown dress. Everywhere you look is the dark horse like a shadow or cutout, alone in a field, the backyard, napping near the shelter of the barn wall that radiates enough warmth that only a horse, or a cat would notice.
Everything immaculate and sensible, and in between, the English invasion capitalizing on the quaint way of life: "Genuine Amish Furniture, Amish Craft, Home of Amish Style." "Looking up and down the hills go the carts. If you are behind, all you see is a black rectangle and four animated hooves in a rhythmic paddling march. As you pass, you may glimpse the white of an eye, "Oh please be careful." it seems to plead. I wonder how many times in a working day that goes on?
A conversation From Cormac Mc Carthy, Cities of the Plain:
Is he supposed to be some sort of specialist in spoiled horses?
Let's go, Billy said. He's liable to walk that son of a bitch all afternoon.
They went toward the house.
Ask Joaquin yonder, Billy said.
Ask me what?
If the cowboy knows horses.
The cowboy says he doesn't know nothin.
I know it.
He claims he just likes it and works hard at it.
What you think, said Billy.
Joaquin shook his head.
Joaquin thinks his method is unorthodox.
So does Mac.
Joaquin didn't answer till they reached the gate. Then he stopped and looked back at the corral.
Finally he said that it didn't make much difference it you liked horses or not if they didn't like you.
He said the best trainers he ever knew, horses couldn't stay away from them. He said horses would follow Billy Sanchez to the outhouse and stand there and wait for him. ~~
March 15th, 2003--isn't this the Ides of March?
Today was about 60-65 F. Heat wave after a cold winter. Brought Wyatt in from the pasture, He didn't care too much to shlep through the mud. After ignoring him after riding Lady for 5 minutes on Thursday--I got too cold--he ate up the attention. He even let me cut off his long winter wiskers, liked getting brushed between, inside, around his little ornately formed ears. His forelock, his forhead. The curry was uncomfortable at first, but oh it felt so good after a while. I poked and prodded delicate places and he put up with it.
Went for a short ride across the street with Cathy and Beau. Both horses dubious about the mushy terrain, about leaving the perimeter of the stables after the long weeks of staying close to home. They wanted to enjoy the change of scenery but they'd rather be home. Especially when things they can't see make sudden noises in the brush. The trails too mud sodden, do do anything but go in a small circle and this requires a change in plans.
Cathy and I fight for control on the way home. No runaway horses finding the ubiquitous ground hog tunnel now a hidden trap in the soggy turf..
March 16, 2003
Rode with Cathy and Omar at Deer Creek State Park. Only 2 other people there. This was my first trail ride with Wyatt away from home. We rode for about 2 hours. Wyatt was tired but after the ride and before we trailered up he looked around and then at me as if to ask? Can't we just stay here? This is nice. I also happened to notice Wyatt attemting to read the trail markers; apparently he is more familiar with the system than I.
March 23, 2003
Met Kellie G. We rode from her house on Clear Creek Rd, Michigan, to the Waterloo trails. I rode her 24 yo mare Jamie--an arabian. she is cute as a button. Kellie rode her mare MSU sordid Affair--green--and the other Kelly, rode dreamer, her youn appy/arab mare while ponying her new horse Keme. The girls were wilder than the horses. It was a wonderful place to ride. Lots of groups on the trails and quite a few fox-trotters. Spent the night with Kellie and her husband Bobby. Talked until 2am, drove home -12:30. Crossed the Ohio border and had to pull into rest stop to take a long nap. The spontaneous trip took a lot out of me. I believe Lynn Palm rode by us and wished us well at Waterloo. I swear it was her!
[this was inserted, don't know when I wrote it]
That week, tried out a job in mich on the border. arabians--104 head. Lots of weanlings & yearlings that hadn't been handled enough. Crazy people, fun in a way, but the prospect of being stuck up there after I moved my horses started to look really bad. I stayed in a camper with no heat. It was just too much to deal with. Not enough money to make it for two weeks. I packed up and drove home.
April 4, 2003
New job at Heartland Stables-a resort type B&B with a string of trail horses as well as boarding for overnights. First day rode Winnie, and old sorrel mare, & rode Blazer, a cute black gelding with a white blaze and a nice jog. Gave an arena ride with Micah on Misty, another ride with mother daughter. Gave a riding lesson, rode Eagle, a sorrel appy gelding with a snow flake pattern blanket.
Today rode drag on two trail rides, the first on who is soon becoming my favorite: Blazer. On him saw vultures in tree while a few swooped down. Saw a little nuthatch. Second ride, gave demonstration on Suzie, a paint mare with blue eyes. (pretty) [dorinne's horse, the owner/operator of the B&B] and rode Cloud, appy mare like Wyatt. On her saw deer up close, vultures again. The scenery is beautiful as everything is fresh and spring green. Not enough foliage to block the sky in the woods or to camoflage wildlife. Need to get/identify local flora, carpets of violets and little white flowers.
Sunday, April, 2003
Lady's orientation to Trail at DS. I took her on foot and we were gone for over an hour. Covered all kinds of terrain, wood's fields, development. Lots of obstacles and junk around construction sites. Ginett, Jessica, Derick on CC, Gunner, Toby. Lady was very good once we got away from stables. She relied on me and I had her attention. She seemed to really enjoy the new experience. The critical times were crossing the road from the drive. It really freaked her out, but at development site, she was fine on the pavement. My legs are killing me
[notes] Blazer can only be ridden by guides. Chief will buck with heavy weight people. What are Lisa's horses names? Jane
Cedarcroft Notes: Sometime in May
East side: Splash, Maggie McGee, Michael, Calypso,Oscar. West side: Uptown Manhattan, Toby,Sunny,Rainbow, Spot (Wheel of Fortune)
Duties: Clean stalls, horses groomed and tacked, exercise training, lunch, feed dogs, pick out stalls again,feed, hay, water, leave 2 bales for evening. Blow aisles, sanitize, put away tools, close back door, lights off west side, chain across aisle, clean feed bins, washer dryer.
Grooming; Curry hairy, dirty spots, brush, towel,clean feet, clean dock, wraps, boots. Take water out of stall if still hot.
I lasted a month at Cedarcroft. Scott says that is typical. Dave did the same thing to the last girl who worked there.
Lady and Wyatt have been moved to Legend Stables after kelly's place,( recommended by dave--should have known it was a bad idea) turned out to be a nightmare for them and me, not to mention the other horses and animals there. One horse I feel really bad for is Shady, a little gray gelding (arab) that I liked. I wish I could afford to buy him and bring him around. I think he'd be a good endurance prospect. He's small but sturdy looking. Heartland is selling to cash buyer who is not going to run the place as an Equestrian B&B. Shame. I wonder what will happen to the trail string and sweet horses like Rooster and Blazer? Tony may stay on to train the people's horses. I still have stuff there I need to pick up. Hope no one has been picking through it.
About Buckeye [from a story I have been planning to finish]
He did not mind being in a pasture of his own kind. It was much better than being bossed around by irritable mares. Here, in the gelding pasture he could make something of himself.
10/08/03
It's about 6:30 pm. I'm driving in Delaware--rt 521/ All summer I've watched the flat fields change color, texture. Soybeans, wheat, corn. It seemed the corn went buff overnight. The brief frost? Driving, it is the second or third day of indian summer. I note the places where the corn's already been harvested. Sheaves strewn like casualties on the overgrown berm. Massive field that borders Legend stables, the big red combine cutting a wide swath and I feel saddend by it. A peculiar saddness that lingers, saddness for the corn. For me it was another lost summer. a summer of hurry and care and disappointments. A summer that doesn't wait for me to catch up with it. The corn went buff overnight and soon the fields will be bare and the crisp October sky overhead will go cold; the aluminum stare of November.
Prairie Spring --I think I got this from a collection of Willa Cather? I will have to check
Evening and the flat land,
Rich and sombre and always silent;
The miles of fresh-plowed soil,
Heavy and black, full of strength and harshness;
The growing wheat, the growig weeds,
The toiling horses, the tired men;
The long empty roads,
Sullen fires of sunset, fading
The eternal, unresponsive sky.
Against all this, Youth, flaming like wild roses,
Singing like the larks over the plowed fields,
Flashing like a star out of the twilight,
Youth with its insuppportable sweetness,
Its fierce necessity,
Its sharp desire,
Singing and singing,
Out of the lips of silence,
Out of the earthy dusk.
10/11/03
In a herd society, Lady is very talented. She is the sentinel. She sees things that go on far beyond the perimiter of the pasture. The other members take her, and other things for granted. They think they've seen it all. The unusual things are what she hones in on. Things that upset the pattern of the landscape. Not in a frightened way though, she hones on things with a definite interest the way of a a naturalist. She studies. She watches; she tries to make out whether it is of any note. She tries to solve a puzzle. What does it mean to "us," is it a threat, is it benign? Does it mind its own business or is it after "us"? As I watch her take in the information, danger or not, she seems completely interestd in the object and what impact it plays in her life and in the life of the herd dynamic. What intrigues me is the rather objective study that comes from being a horse These things are pure to her. They come without the comment of history. There is an innocence about her experience. Today is was a hot air balloon, miles and miles away in the sky. [about the size of an ant] It seemed she looked at it with more wonder and interest. Too far away to pose an immediate a threat, she looked and observed with the same wonder and interest as I look at the stars and objects in the night sky with a sense of awe. The sense that it is just too big for you to comprehend it all. I can imagine her thinking, 'I'm enjoying looking at this'
I admire Lady's power of observation and study. We share the same enthusiasm for what we learn through our powers of observation. Yet, take Lady out of the herd situation, the comfort zone, and she is overcome by her senses--she becomes worked up over little things. Her whole body is charged with the defense mechanisim, where she percieves everything as a threat. She has come a long way in trusting and listening to me, but her instincts still prevail and sometimes take charge. It reminds me of the mechanisim that creates panic attacks in humans--but to a horse, the mechanisim can mean life or death.
Then there's Galano--joy on four feet, joy for just being him.
Mar 20, 2004
Meanwhile back at the ranch.....
I made it to the barn today--I sent an audio post while I was with Wyatt and normally he has a lot to say. Wouldn't you know he doesn't want to say anything on cue. The horses looked good today--the sun was shinning and they all had a big pile of hay. Happy campers. Got Wyatt and Lady & I took the shedding blade and raked off the mud. They are just now starting to noticably shed. When is it...April? isn't April the moon when the ponies shed? Saddled Wyatt and put the rope halter on Lady and we spent about an hour ponying around the property. Wyatt and I spent a few quiet moments by the van so I could get my phone to experiment with post by phone. As soon as I was done everybody decided to trumpet and yell for each other. Better luck next time. Dropped everyone's grain, gave Lady & Wyatt their evening hay, worked on lady's mane and tail, helped scott bring the rest of the horses in and we talked for a while about horses and people and horses--I can never get enough and their is always something to be learned or an interesting story. Took the long drive home feeling much better, but that was today. kst
I made it to the barn today--I sent an audio post while I was with Wyatt and normally he has a lot to say. Wouldn't you know he doesn't want to say anything on cue. The horses looked good today--the sun was shinning and they all had a big pile of hay. Happy campers. Got Wyatt and Lady & I took the shedding blade and raked off the mud. They are just now starting to noticably shed. When is it...April? isn't April the moon when the ponies shed? Saddled Wyatt and put the rope halter on Lady and we spent about an hour ponying around the property. Wyatt and I spent a few quiet moments by the van so I could get my phone to experiment with post by phone. As soon as I was done everybody decided to trumpet and yell for each other. Better luck next time. Dropped everyone's grain, gave Lady & Wyatt their evening hay, worked on lady's mane and tail, helped scott bring the rest of the horses in and we talked for a while about horses and people and horses--I can never get enough and their is always something to be learned or an interesting story. Took the long drive home feeling much better, but that was today. kst
Mar 16, 2004
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
I managed to make it to the barn on Sunday having invited a guest to stop by. The day before was beautiful, mild and the sun was shining, but could I get out there? No. Sunday is overcast and windy which is the norm at the barn. This part of Delaware is extremely flat and delivers many days an arctic chill but come summer it is a welcome breeze. I introduce all the horses in the barn to my guest and then we spend some time grooming Lady and Wyatt while they munch on their hay. When the brushing's done I get the western saddle, look at my horses and their backs and hips which are no longer the same healthy landscape of gradual curving dips and swells, but have taken on a harder and more angular terrain that speaks of a harsher environment. Unhappy that their now less than perfect life has begun to show in their conformation, I make a quick decision to use the english saddle instead, even though it means lugging the western all the way back to my tack locker. I return with the lighter and very cheap english saddle and proceed to tack Wyatt up in it. He is antsy and impatient, pawing and curling his head around towards me and making a snapping sound with his teeth as I begin to tighten the girth. When he's feeling good or satified with life he doesn't do this. There was a time we worked on this habit he'd had before I became his owner and this reaching and snapping had ceased altogether with time and better care. Now, I'm getting unhappier by the minute because I know the source of his behavior and unless I'm at the barn 24/7, there's nothing I can do quickly to remedy the current situation that has brought this about.
The horses have not been happy nor content themselves of late and I'll not state the specific reasons here for the time being, but generally, horses pick up on the human factor and the mood that prevails around the barn on any given day. There's no strange magic to this; horses read us through our actions and demeanor anytime wer're around them. When the people who are responsible for the overall care for horses on a daily basis are tense, or in a difficult personal situation, it can effect the continuity of care the horses are used to. A change in routine due to a human element such as this effects the horses general well-being and is interpreted in their behavior very quickly. I suppose at some deeper level they can read our minds due to the heightened insight and awareness of lower animals (don't forget, we are part of the animal kingdom too). But without going into a long scientific discussion of same, lets just say that things are not good all around for my horses and their friends and they have their way of telling me through their behavior and general body language. Now it's more than that, it is becoming a nutritional issue that shouldn't even play a role in a place where people know better. Knowing this, and putting a saddle on Wyatt's back when he's been upset makes me feel like shit. As a consolation, I decide I won't use a bridle and bit today, we don't need to work on refinement, we''ll just work on some things for his benefit using the rope halter and lead combo--I can give him that much. I send Lady out to the larger paddock to hang out and pick along the ground for tidbits of grass while we finish with Wyatt--which I know adds to Wyatt's irritation--why does Lady get all the breaks? Of course Lady is younger and clueless. She only knows to live for the moment. Anything that's past is over and done with. I think Wyatt hates that about her--being that carefree.
I had my guest lead Wyatt out and then we let him meander over to the growing winter manure pile where he proceeds to climb up in his goat like fashion and look for a stash of leftover hay. I now have my fancy carrot stick with the plastic bag on the end and Lady in the rope halter and we review some groundwork-- a few "parelli games" while I explain what I'm doing and why. Most of the time I have Lady's attention, but considering what's been going on in their environment, she has been less attentive when I work with her. Regardless, we work through the inattention. I would have saddled her up and we would have worked on some things while I'm mounted, but I just couldn't bring myself to make her wear the big heavy western saddle either after all the weight she's lost. Some people involved with horses wouldn't consider this a big issue, the horse is a beast of burden and must do what we tell them regardless of the circumstances--not meaning people who think this way don't take good care of their horses, but I believe if I expect quality results, then my horses care should be of the best quality and their basic needs met before I place demands on them or blame for poor performance. You reap what you sow is my motto. As a boarder, this has been briefly out of my control so I am not the original instigator of this and I am trying to hold back my anger over this situation, because a this point it could only make things worse--of course to let this happen on an ongoing basis does stick me with being culpable to some extent. Getting back to the saddle/riding issue anyway, why in the world would I want to teach my horse that riding is an uncomfortable task best to avoid? I want a responsive horse with a willing attitude and for us to experience the mutual benefits riding can bring. This is not just the sentiment of the recreational horse world and gimmicky natural horsemanship guru's of today, but written about much much earlier in the interest of good horsemanship by the greek generalXenophon of 360 B.C.E.
I give Wyatt on the end of a lead rope to my guest, and we bring Lady and Wyatt into the indoor arena, basically a wood and aluminum structure on the ground with a base of limestone and dirt type footing added on top. Not meaning to say it is not nice, because it is, but in the Delaware winds it seems a little rickety and insubstantial. We work a little more despite the wind whistling through the doors and rattling the roof and whatnot. I let Lady loose to mosey around but after being pent up most of the day she just wants to play, which consists of an animated trot in and out of the arena, back again, then ending at the barn entrance which I had blocked with a wheel barrow. She doesn't like this at all, and she does her kooky arabian dance, frustrated that she's being prevented from delightfully ripping gobs of hay from the bale near the aisle, and, if she begins to lack confidence being out alone, she can't retreat to her stall for safety. While she's busy telling the wheel barrow off in her horse way, snorting at it and stomping, I tell my guest while the romping is fun for her, it's made the environment unsafe for any hapless boarders who may stop by. My guest offers to take her her back to her stall while I wait with Wyatt in the arena.
As things are getting settled down, I get on Wyatt having made a hackamore out of the rope halter and lead, and we work on small maneuvers in the paddock while I wait for my guest to return. We ride back into the area to do some trotting and loosening up as my guest follows to watch. Wyatt does not misbehave in any fashion while I am riding, but when I am done and back on the ground he feels the need to express his irritability--with his teeth! He actually nips my guests palm! [who had his hand on to near his mouth, for too long, but still!] Well no matter how Wyatt feels, that was inappropriate and I take him to task on that--I chastise him verbally, something along the lines of "Bad, bad, no hand held treats for you today!" as I back him up away from us and we stand there for a moment having our quiet think-about-what-you-did time. I could tell Wyatt was not really sorry about what he'd done as his demeanor didn't look all that contrite; his eye did not go completely soft, a little more on the squinty side, a kind of justified half-stare, saying, "I 'm glad I did it. You're not listening to how mad I am and I'm willing to accept the consequences of my actions just to get my point across." But, yes, I know he got the message of my displeasure, because he and I know each other that well.
After this, I proceed to coerce my guest to get on him and take a ride, having already apologized over and over for him like you would if your kid did something outrageous and uncharacteristic, telling him that it was unusual for Wyatt to do anything really mean, and if he'd wanted it too, it could have included blood and gore. In that, he got off easy. Anyway, my guest is mounted and a natural as riding goes, He's been around horses a lot more than your average person, has had a few lessons--good ones, and Wyatt is attentive to his cueing once I tell him he doesn't need the constant pressure of a tight rein to remain in control. The ride is brief, but Wyatt was able work some of the kinks out and in general, I believe he felt better after being ridden. We leave the arena, patting and loving on Wyatt to thank him, remove the saddle, then release him in the paddock so he can do his favorite thing while we put away the horse junk in the barn, hang out and graze freely in the open air, unencumbered momentarily by the demands of that confusing and downright pesky human species. From time to time like I always do, I take long glances at Wyatt being Wyatt through the view allowed from the half-closed panel door of the barn. I'm thinking there is nothing like watching a happy satisfied horse enjoying himself in such a simple way. I'm thankful he includes me as a member of his band, and in return I can give him the opportunity for his pleasure. Wyatt has been around enough to know the rules of the game--"Make the right way easy and the wrong way hard," [perhaps incorrectly attributed to Tom Curtain, by one of my friends very experienced in natural horsemanship, but more than likely, Ray Hunt or Tom Dorrance said it, I just can't remember at the moment] .--he may test this with me, but only to make sure I'm remembering my part of the bargain. kst
I managed to make it to the barn on Sunday having invited a guest to stop by. The day before was beautiful, mild and the sun was shining, but could I get out there? No. Sunday is overcast and windy which is the norm at the barn. This part of Delaware is extremely flat and delivers many days an arctic chill but come summer it is a welcome breeze. I introduce all the horses in the barn to my guest and then we spend some time grooming Lady and Wyatt while they munch on their hay. When the brushing's done I get the western saddle, look at my horses and their backs and hips which are no longer the same healthy landscape of gradual curving dips and swells, but have taken on a harder and more angular terrain that speaks of a harsher environment. Unhappy that their now less than perfect life has begun to show in their conformation, I make a quick decision to use the english saddle instead, even though it means lugging the western all the way back to my tack locker. I return with the lighter and very cheap english saddle and proceed to tack Wyatt up in it. He is antsy and impatient, pawing and curling his head around towards me and making a snapping sound with his teeth as I begin to tighten the girth. When he's feeling good or satified with life he doesn't do this. There was a time we worked on this habit he'd had before I became his owner and this reaching and snapping had ceased altogether with time and better care. Now, I'm getting unhappier by the minute because I know the source of his behavior and unless I'm at the barn 24/7, there's nothing I can do quickly to remedy the current situation that has brought this about.
The horses have not been happy nor content themselves of late and I'll not state the specific reasons here for the time being, but generally, horses pick up on the human factor and the mood that prevails around the barn on any given day. There's no strange magic to this; horses read us through our actions and demeanor anytime wer're around them. When the people who are responsible for the overall care for horses on a daily basis are tense, or in a difficult personal situation, it can effect the continuity of care the horses are used to. A change in routine due to a human element such as this effects the horses general well-being and is interpreted in their behavior very quickly. I suppose at some deeper level they can read our minds due to the heightened insight and awareness of lower animals (don't forget, we are part of the animal kingdom too). But without going into a long scientific discussion of same, lets just say that things are not good all around for my horses and their friends and they have their way of telling me through their behavior and general body language. Now it's more than that, it is becoming a nutritional issue that shouldn't even play a role in a place where people know better. Knowing this, and putting a saddle on Wyatt's back when he's been upset makes me feel like shit. As a consolation, I decide I won't use a bridle and bit today, we don't need to work on refinement, we''ll just work on some things for his benefit using the rope halter and lead combo--I can give him that much. I send Lady out to the larger paddock to hang out and pick along the ground for tidbits of grass while we finish with Wyatt--which I know adds to Wyatt's irritation--why does Lady get all the breaks? Of course Lady is younger and clueless. She only knows to live for the moment. Anything that's past is over and done with. I think Wyatt hates that about her--being that carefree.
I had my guest lead Wyatt out and then we let him meander over to the growing winter manure pile where he proceeds to climb up in his goat like fashion and look for a stash of leftover hay. I now have my fancy carrot stick with the plastic bag on the end and Lady in the rope halter and we review some groundwork-- a few "parelli games" while I explain what I'm doing and why. Most of the time I have Lady's attention, but considering what's been going on in their environment, she has been less attentive when I work with her. Regardless, we work through the inattention. I would have saddled her up and we would have worked on some things while I'm mounted, but I just couldn't bring myself to make her wear the big heavy western saddle either after all the weight she's lost. Some people involved with horses wouldn't consider this a big issue, the horse is a beast of burden and must do what we tell them regardless of the circumstances--not meaning people who think this way don't take good care of their horses, but I believe if I expect quality results, then my horses care should be of the best quality and their basic needs met before I place demands on them or blame for poor performance. You reap what you sow is my motto. As a boarder, this has been briefly out of my control so I am not the original instigator of this and I am trying to hold back my anger over this situation, because a this point it could only make things worse--of course to let this happen on an ongoing basis does stick me with being culpable to some extent. Getting back to the saddle/riding issue anyway, why in the world would I want to teach my horse that riding is an uncomfortable task best to avoid? I want a responsive horse with a willing attitude and for us to experience the mutual benefits riding can bring. This is not just the sentiment of the recreational horse world and gimmicky natural horsemanship guru's of today, but written about much much earlier in the interest of good horsemanship by the greek generalXenophon of 360 B.C.E.
I give Wyatt on the end of a lead rope to my guest, and we bring Lady and Wyatt into the indoor arena, basically a wood and aluminum structure on the ground with a base of limestone and dirt type footing added on top. Not meaning to say it is not nice, because it is, but in the Delaware winds it seems a little rickety and insubstantial. We work a little more despite the wind whistling through the doors and rattling the roof and whatnot. I let Lady loose to mosey around but after being pent up most of the day she just wants to play, which consists of an animated trot in and out of the arena, back again, then ending at the barn entrance which I had blocked with a wheel barrow. She doesn't like this at all, and she does her kooky arabian dance, frustrated that she's being prevented from delightfully ripping gobs of hay from the bale near the aisle, and, if she begins to lack confidence being out alone, she can't retreat to her stall for safety. While she's busy telling the wheel barrow off in her horse way, snorting at it and stomping, I tell my guest while the romping is fun for her, it's made the environment unsafe for any hapless boarders who may stop by. My guest offers to take her her back to her stall while I wait with Wyatt in the arena.
As things are getting settled down, I get on Wyatt having made a hackamore out of the rope halter and lead, and we work on small maneuvers in the paddock while I wait for my guest to return. We ride back into the area to do some trotting and loosening up as my guest follows to watch. Wyatt does not misbehave in any fashion while I am riding, but when I am done and back on the ground he feels the need to express his irritability--with his teeth! He actually nips my guests palm! [who had his hand on to near his mouth, for too long, but still!] Well no matter how Wyatt feels, that was inappropriate and I take him to task on that--I chastise him verbally, something along the lines of "Bad, bad, no hand held treats for you today!" as I back him up away from us and we stand there for a moment having our quiet think-about-what-you-did time. I could tell Wyatt was not really sorry about what he'd done as his demeanor didn't look all that contrite; his eye did not go completely soft, a little more on the squinty side, a kind of justified half-stare, saying, "I 'm glad I did it. You're not listening to how mad I am and I'm willing to accept the consequences of my actions just to get my point across." But, yes, I know he got the message of my displeasure, because he and I know each other that well.
After this, I proceed to coerce my guest to get on him and take a ride, having already apologized over and over for him like you would if your kid did something outrageous and uncharacteristic, telling him that it was unusual for Wyatt to do anything really mean, and if he'd wanted it too, it could have included blood and gore. In that, he got off easy. Anyway, my guest is mounted and a natural as riding goes, He's been around horses a lot more than your average person, has had a few lessons--good ones, and Wyatt is attentive to his cueing once I tell him he doesn't need the constant pressure of a tight rein to remain in control. The ride is brief, but Wyatt was able work some of the kinks out and in general, I believe he felt better after being ridden. We leave the arena, patting and loving on Wyatt to thank him, remove the saddle, then release him in the paddock so he can do his favorite thing while we put away the horse junk in the barn, hang out and graze freely in the open air, unencumbered momentarily by the demands of that confusing and downright pesky human species. From time to time like I always do, I take long glances at Wyatt being Wyatt through the view allowed from the half-closed panel door of the barn. I'm thinking there is nothing like watching a happy satisfied horse enjoying himself in such a simple way. I'm thankful he includes me as a member of his band, and in return I can give him the opportunity for his pleasure. Wyatt has been around enough to know the rules of the game--"Make the right way easy and the wrong way hard," [perhaps incorrectly attributed to Tom Curtain, by one of my friends very experienced in natural horsemanship, but more than likely, Ray Hunt or Tom Dorrance said it, I just can't remember at the moment] .--he may test this with me, but only to make sure I'm remembering my part of the bargain. kst
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Horses are Glamorous
T oday was a beautiful day in horseworld. The temps were in the high 70's, low humidity, bright blue skies and billowy, white clouds, no...
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T oday was a beautiful day in horseworld. The temps were in the high 70's, low humidity, bright blue skies and billowy, white clouds, no... -
I hear this oft used phrase many times throughout my day, often being issued from the lips of farmers, ranchers, trainers, co-workers, all ... -
Ok. We finally made the move in August. Much closer to home and nice places to ride around the property, which makes Wyatt and I both happy....