Friday, November 30, 2018

"Warm Weather"

I took this picture with a new toy I'll be posting about soon.

I finally spent some time at the barn! It was warmer today, a whole 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Right now, that doesn't feel very warm, but I know once the January -30 wind chill days arrive I will miss days like today. In March when it finally warms back up to 30 degrees, all we country hicks will break out the short sleeves and leave our coats inside. It's interesting how our bodies adapt. Today, I wore three layers and kept hand warmers in my pockets.


Broke out the Banixx, we'll see if it improves the rain rot situation. While picking the packed snowballs out of Avalon's hooves, I noticed how different the soles of her white hooves look from her black hoof. Her hind right leg is a pretty marbled mix of both. Random, but I love those odd quirks in a horse's coloration. 





I've been taking a basic riding class from my university to regain my seat and relearn the aids. I was happy to discover that we would be talking about levels of training in class. During the classroom portion of the class we've talked about the pyramid of training, which has helped me form a plan for starting Avalon next spring. In the riding portion of the class, I have discovered a lot of things I didn't know. 

1) Leg at the girth alternates with the hind legs. I don't know how I lived through years of lessons and never figured this out! I always thought that the legs were supposed to give pressure at the same time. I also thought that they squeezed once to go and then remained passive. Nope, the legs are cuing with each step of the hind legs, each leg with the corresponding hind leg. Makes so much more sense.

2) Half halts at the trot are so so hard. You have to squeeze with the inside leg as you rise, squeeze with the outside leg as you fall (if posting on the correct diagonal), and gently squeeze the rein corresponding to the leg aid you are applying. 

3) After jumping for the first time in years, I really miss it. 

4) "Safety position". I think I was half-heartedly taught this position when I was in USPC, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Now that I am planning on starting a baby horse with a lot of energy and even more attitude, I am so thankful that there is such a thing as what my professor calls "safety position". Basically, you bridge the reins and press them (the extra loop, not the part directly connected to the bit) against the horse's neck while standing in two-point position. This allows extra stability during bucking, rearing, and twisting. 

I'm so excited for next spring. This is gonna be a long winter of waiting!

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Generosity

I wasn't the typical horse crazy kid. In fact, I made fun of the girls who liked horses up until I was eight or nine. For me, it was never a phase. I fell in love with equines and, while there are days that I don't want to go to the barn, I've loved horses for over a decade now. One of the ways I developed my never ending love for horses was by reading every horse book I could get my hands on. 

Justin Morgan Had a Horse, Misty of Chincoteague, and a series about Race Horses.
Maybe why I love Arabians so much?

Not sure where the cover of Black Beauty went!
I've read each of these books, and many others, more times than I can count. Before I had a horse, books were the closest thing. Heartland (while fictional and not super accurate) was one of my all time favorite horse series. I didn't like the show as much. But the book series formed much of my horsey dream, with the combined influence of two other books. 

  

I forget which book comes first and which is the sequel, but these two books are a collection of short stories from a real ranch in Oregon. Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch is a ranch based on the christian faith that rescues abused, neglected, and otherwise unwanted horses and rehabilitates them for therapy purpose. The stories of hope from both dying horses and humans suffering emotionally, physically, or mentally are so encouraging. For a long time I wanted to start my own ranch like CPYR. 

As I've gotten older, that dream has faded. Now I hope to someday own a farmhouse and pasture in the country where I can rescue and retrain horses, as well as open my home to people who need a place of comfort and security. It's a long ways away, but I'll see what happens in time. 

There are a lot of other places like this particular ranch. Spread across the U.S. and I'm sure other countries as well, they seek to offer hope and comfort to horses and humans who have been mistreated. It's "Giving Tuesday" today, but I would strongly urge all members of the equestrian community to find a worthy cause and give generously on a regular basis, not just once a year. Horses are incredible creatures. They do something for us emotionally that is difficult to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. If we understand that powerful connection, we ought to do what we can to spread it to people who need it. 

I also strongly recommend reading these books. They are for sale here and here, for $8.00 plus shipping. You could also get them off of Amazon, but the proceeds go straight to the ranch if you purchase them from the store on the CPYR website. 

**Disclaimer: I'm not being compensated or anything like that. This is a cause I have been passionate about for many years. (I'm actually a little nervous about copyright laws with the photos copied off the internet)**

Monday, November 26, 2018

Would You Know

I did a little research.

Would you know that winter coats actually create a very good environment for the bacteria that causes rain rot? I'm not sure why I've never had this problem with my former horse. Maybe Gambler had a thicker coat, or a thinner coat, or stayed out of the rain more often. Avalon has plenty of shelter in her pasture, but I don't know if I've ever seen her use it.

The scabby, hairless patches could be nothing, but I'll treat them like rain rot for a couple days and see if it helps. Getting out to the barn on a regular basis to clean her coat should help regardless. A frozen muddy coat isn't going to keep moisture out like a fluffy, dry coat will.

I guess we'll have to see!

Check out the cute grey baby face!

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Always Something

It seems like horses are always ill or injured in some way. It's one of those "horse things." Of course, that is an exaggeration - there are plenty of days when horses are healthy and happy. We are just more prone to notice the strange injuries that show up out of the blue.

A few weeks ago I noticed a large patch of hair missing from Avalon's coat near her hip. It looked like a bite, but a bit larger. I figured it was just a bite or a scrape and it would grow back so I left it alone and checked it every so often. After spending five days visiting family for the holidays, I returned to the barn to find one extremely muddy filly. 



So much mud! I don't know what kind of weather we've had in this area while I've been gone, but my guess is warm and wet. I brought Ava out to the "hitching post" and armed myself with a shedding blade. After attempting to clear the mud, I discovered that not only was the mysterious bald spot still there, it has been joined by a few smaller bald spots. 

The large bald spot is right above her flank area. 

Close up

The hair in the area is stiff and doesn't feel quite right.

Another, smaller, bald spot.

A third small spot.

Has anyone ever heard of horses getting rain rot in the winter? If whatever it is spreading, it's spreading slowly and she seems comfortable and a good weight so far. Still, I've never seen anything like this before!

Saturday, November 24, 2018

November Goals



I wish I had more recent pictures of miss Ava, but cold weather and holiday travel have kept me away since Tuesday.

November Goals:

It's never to late to set goals!!

Groundwork:
1) work on polite leading on both sides
          Avalon sometimes leans in with her shoulder and she doesn't like me leading from the right side.
2) explore
          Ava doesn't like being led away from the pasture and other horses, so I want to make it part of our daily routine.
3) yielding forequarters and hindquarters individually
          Sometimes, Ava still responds to a hindquarter yield by swinging her shoulders toward me, or to a shoulder yield by walking forward.

Under-Saddle Related Things:
1) evaluate the saddles
          I checked the saddle fits back in June, but I need to check them again and see what I'm going to use in the spring
2) bareback pad
          Until I get the saddle situation figured out, use the bareback pad to get Ava used to the routine of having something on her back, girthed up, on a regular basis. She doesn't have an issue with saddles/bareback pads, but I want it to be second nature.

These goals are probably going to overflow into December, since there are only six days left of the month. I was going to post the saddle photos I took back in June, but I can't find them at the moment. I will probably post them after I try the saddles out a second time.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

On Groundwork

I am always caught off guard when I encounter equestrians who do not know or utilize groundwork. I've spent more time on the ground with my horses than I have riding! In fact, I enjoy a good groundwork session more than some rides. 

Try not to look at the tiny, muscle-less baby butt :P

I was first introduced to groundwork through Parelli Natural Horsemanship. However, as I researched and studied to learn how to train Gambler, I discovered that training horses from the ground, using certain methods, is not specific to any trainer or discipline. It is horse sense and a few basic exercises used to communicate with a horse. The exercises are the same; the execution is determined by the quality of the trainer. 

People who are not familiar with training exercises on the ground sometimes have a few misconceptions. 

Myth 1: Groundwork = trick training. Trick training can be fun and educational, but groundwork is not just for show. It builds trust, respect, and communication. That said, it's hard not to use liberty circles to show off your horse skills. I can't wait for Avalon and I to get to that point!


Myth 2: Groundwork is for trainers. While I would recommend getting a trainer to teach you groundwork exercises, you should be the one training your horse on a regular basis. The exercises exist to build trust, respect, and communication. What good does it do for your horse to trust, respect, and communicate with a trainer that it will only see for a few weeks or once a week for lessons? 


If you can't afford or find a trainer to teach you, you can still learn to train your horse from the ground. You can probably find other equestrians willing to help you. Otherwise you can take the route I chose - the internet! Aside from the obvious dangers of the "world wide web" (ie. anyone who doesn't know anything can post things claiming they know everything) it is a wonderful resource. As long as you check your different sources against each other and take every piece of advice with a grain of salt, you can learn a lot. 

Some people claim that a horse can't be a good riding horse if it doesn't have good ground manners. This isn't true. I've seen good riding horses that were extremely disrespectful on the ground. I've also seen sweet, willing horses who just never learned to communicate without a saddle and rider. However, in my personal experience, good groundwork makes solving issues in the saddle so much easier!

Sunday, November 18, 2018

A Girl and Her Pony

Now technically, I have never owned a "pony." While Gambler was 13.3hh and Avalon was 14.2 when I bought her, they are both Arabian crosses which, I have been told, makes them horses regardless of size. But that is beside the point.

The point is that we're all that girl. That horse-crazed tween with the awkward hair and braces. The girl with horse posters on her wall (or horse pictures cut out of calendars if you're me). The girl who watched all the cringy horse movies and read all the cringy horse books. The girl who begged for a pony. The girl who would muck stalls for free lessons.

Even if you never never went through that phase as kid. Even if you discovered a love for horses in adulthood. Even if you always grew up with horses around you. We are all that little girl. We are grown up. Some women (Or men! Wow, important side note here: sexism is not okay and the cliche that horses are a girl sport is dumb because little boys can love ponies too! Did anyone else read about Billy and Blaze?) have families and careers and other huge adult responsibilities in their lives. But the moment that we step into the barn and smell that horsey smell. Or wrap our arms around their necks. Or win that ribbon. Or ride that green horse for the first time. Or buy a new horse. Or watch our precious friend breath their last . . .

We are just that little girl and her pony.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Conformation Pics

Here are some pictures of Avalon's conformation. There haven't been many changes, other than gaining some weight. Next year we will begin to build a topline. For now, I love to watch the progression of her coat. Grey's fascinate me because their coats are always changing (at least until they turn white). 

The second time I visited Avalon before purchasing her. The angle is so bad.

Ava's first day at the new barn.
Sometime in June or July

August
August
November 14, 2018
November 14, 2018

 And we have dapples! I love the dappled grey color so much. She has also grown a little in the last few months. Right now she measures 14.3 at the whither and 15 at the highest point of her hindquarters. For me, this is the most exciting aspect of having a three year old. Gambler was six when I lost him, and he was pretty much done growing. I love having a little one with adult teeth just growing in and the awkward butt-high stages. If you as me, she looks fabulous.

Happy Six Months


On May 15th, 2018 I brought home my second horse. In some ways, she feels like my first horse. I bought Gambler in high school, so my mom still made some of the decisions and paid some of the expenses. Avalon is 100% mine. I searched for her and made the decision to buy her (although it would be more accurate to say that she found me than the other way around). I found a place to board her. I pay all of her expenses. My heart still aches for Gamby, he has a special place in my life that no other horse will ever fill, but Avalon will takes me places that Gambler never could have. 

Yesterday the weather was finally warm enough to visit the barn. Sidenote: it is time to invest in hand-warmers again, warm days like these are running out. I am purposefully choosing not to ask much of Ava during the winter. The hard work will start in the spring; for now we are just getting a feel for each other. That doesn't mean that I'm not training her. As my riding professor says, "Every time we interact with a horse we are either increasing or decreasing their worth. A horse that is worth more will have a better life." So yesterday we practiced yielding to pressure and standing calmly while the girth/cinch is being tightened. 

I love that adorable face. <3

Can't wait to put some muscle on that neck!

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Well

The ground is sealed in white. The air wraps it's cold fingers around my neck.
 The seven page rough draft due tomorrow is calling my name.
All I want is for spring, so I can get back to our colt starting journey!

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Thankfulness

November is as good a time as any for this post.

A year ago I was a mess. Honestly, it was months and months before I felt any concept of time. I spent every day trying to keep the crying under control so I could go to school and get through my shift at work. I am blessed that Gambler is the greatest loss that I have experienced. Many people have lost so much more. But losing Gambler was still the greatest loss of my life so far. 


Gamby was the dream come true I never believed was possible. God used that little unwanted horse to teach me so many things. No only how to own and teach a horse, but how to be brave and chase after my goals in life. For much of my life I was a passive person. Waiting for someone else to make my choices for me, I allowed so many opportunities to pass. 

But not this one!


Losing a Gambler has made me appreciate horses so much more. I spent eight months without a horse. I never wish to experience that again. When I was sad, there was no neck to cry on. When I was bored, there was no horse to sit with. When I was excited for the future, there was no horse to train. My closet and car and garage were filled with supplies and tack - but no horse. 

Yesterday, I almost drove straight home without stopping at the barn. It was cold and windy. I didn't have more than a couple minutes. I was exhausted. But I had a horse. I had to wade through mud in my sneakers to reach her, but it didn't matter. 

There are many things in life I take for granted, but Avalon is not one of them. I am full of the same wonder and amazement that I experienced when I first bought Gamby. 

(I have my very own horse!!!)