Why Kids Should Learn About Horses/ Animals

As I traipse around and around (and around and around) the yard, teaching Cub and Wrecking Crew about the pony they are mounted on and how to RIDE him, I can't help but reflect back on my very first pony. Who, incidentally, could have been Snicker's relative. Blossom was the same size, with the same thick lovely mane and tail, the same fantastic forelock, and the same beautiful silver dapple color. Blossom was awesome. I loved that pony with all my heart, and spent countless hours mounted on her sturdy back, exploring the woods around our home. That pony was my best friend and one of my fondest memories.




These days, it sure seems that my kids are pretty lucky to have a stand in like that. And it is more apparent everyday just how much ponies and horses have to offer kids of today. So many things have gone by the way side, and so many children live lives entirely differently than we did. But having a child around a good pony or horse? Wow what they can learn!

A good pony brings out confidence.
A good pony brings out physical strength and coordination.
A good pony brings out a sense of responsibility.
A good pony teaches the child about manners.
A good pony teaches balance- not just while mounted, but through the responsibilities that come with it.
A good pony teaches about Love.
A good pony shows kindness.
A good pony teaches patience.
A good pony teaches skills that will be needed later in life- compassion, empathy, and the value of "hard" work and it's rewards.

Why should children be around ponies? Because in the right hands, a pony or horse will give the child the world. They'll show the child how to be a leader through kindness, or what might happen if you get too big for your britches and decide to be a bully. They get the kids outside, in the fresh air, playing and moving around. Riding uses muscles, and balance, and helps keep our kids healthier and stronger. And we all know that time spent grooming a pony is soothing not only for the pony, but it does wonders for our souls as well. Many of us have been through troubled times. Many of us can reflect back and look at the warm, strong, silken hide covered shoulder we could lean on and draw strength from.

I wish... oh how I wish... every child could get to know a good horse or pony.

And I sure am Thankful, every single day, that my two Little Mens have that chance to ride and play with horses.

Sonny Bunz Update, and More!

A few of you have emailed lately, and asked how Sonny Bunz was doing. I am extremely happy to report that he is GREAT! Due for a trim, as usual, but other than that he is fantastic. We are getting in rides as often as we can, which admittedly is not that often, and he is progressing well. Today we snuck in about 5 minutes (literally) of a ride, before the winds picked up and pine cones came crashing down around us. Since the thought of getting concussed by a pine cone is not overly appealing, we quit while we were ahead. We did have time to spend on how to stand properly for mounting. Works for me!

Dat Fricken Wooster

Yesterday was an interesting and busy day. We were at a barn that has a rather... grumpy .... rooster, who decided that Wrecking Crew was a target. I don't know if in his tiny little rooster brain he was thinking Wrecker was a threat to his sole hen, or if he just woke up on the wrong side of the nest, but Wrecker walked by and he attacked. I told the barn owner it was a good thing I had locked the gun up in the truck, because otherwise we would be having us some rooster stew. Dat Fricken Wooster (as Wrecker calls him,) got himself a talking to though, and stayed shy of us the rest of the day.

Dat Fricken Wooster wound

The highlight of the day? Donkeys. Wonderful, beautiful, intelligent, gentle, loving, sweet, soft, cuddly, furry, kind donkeys.

It was time for Baby Jan Donkey to have her very first trim of her teeny tiny toes, and she was actually quite good for it. When it got to her hind feet though, she decided a protest was in order, and laid down on top of my feet, closed her beautiful eyes, flipped her lovely long ears askance, and just laid there. Oh the indignity of it all! Her Momma came over, and poked her pretty nose between my knees to check on her baby. It was hilarious- Momma Donkey had loads of room to go to my left, but nooo- she needed to get in between my knees to see. Wish I had my camera then, because seeing her nose from my view was hilarious. Big Sis Donkey had to keep an eye on the entire trim process as well, and stood very near by during the entire procedure, rubbing her nose on the baby and watching Dear Husband like a hawk, making sure all was well.

Big Sister Donkey, watching the trim process closely...

*sigh* someday.. Someday there will be room for a donkey... or three!

Wrecker was cute. He spent a good bit of time loving on Baby Jan Donkey, and declared that he wanted to ride her. Boy was he crushed when we explained that Baby Jan was only 3 months old and not near old enough to sit on...




Funder posted a bit ago about rasping her hand, and the below shot is for her. Funder, you are not alone! I manage to get my knuckles more often than I like. Don't worry- a bit of cleaning, triple antibiotic, and a good band aid, and in a few days it's all healed up good as new. (And if you do it often enough, scar tissue builds up and you won't even bleed as much!)

There is more moving along here, but this is all I have time for right this second. Storms are headed this way that have the potential to be pretty vicious, and we need to prepare out doors for them just in case they hit here. Nothing like high winds, heavy rains, and potential tornadoes to whip us into action securing things that might fly around!

Happy Hoofin' y'all... and I'll be back to answer questions on hoof growth rates soon!

PSA! PSA!! PSA!!!

Yes Folks, It Is Time.

Yet Another PSA! Has Arrived...

Today, we are going to talk scheduling. And WHY horses are set up for work on the following intervals:
- FOUR weeks for horses in rehab or transition periods. (Actually, some are seen weekly, then on a two to three week schedule for a limited time. The frequency in these cases is decided upon the severity of the pathology we are presented with.)

- SIX weeks for horses who are healthy, wearing their hooves well, and have no pathologies.

- EIGHT weeks for horses who are doing exceptionally well.

The reason for setting up the schedule like that is not so much to do with our wallets, although I will admit- knowing what you have lined up DOES provide some peace of mind- it has more to do with the health of the horses.

That's right- I said the health of the horses.

Remember that old saying that "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? It still holds true today folks. If you have a horse with problem feet, you can not expect them to get any better by putting the work off for a few weeks/ months. Just because you *think* they "look good" does NOT mean they ARE "good". One trim does NOT fix a pathology. One trim does NOT create the ideal healthy growth situation for hooves that have been severely overgrown.

Part Two of this scheduling debate:
Do NOT.
Under ANY circumstances.
Expect to get EXTRA WORK.
For the same (low) standard trim price.

Period.

What extra work, you ask? The extra work it takes to get the foot trimmed back to a reasonable balance. The extra work it takes to take two or three passes around the hoof with the nippers. The extra time that it takes to trim that horse to a comfortable level. If you keep your horse on a regular schedule- every six weeks is quite reasonable- the hooves don't present us with excessive overgrowth. (Surprise! Your HORSE will stay SOUND this way too. There's a SHOCKER.)

Not.
Gonna.
Happen.

Part THREE:

Do NOT also expect to call me, and cheerily say, "Oh, we had the horses out at the trainer's, and he said they were long. And since he does trimming too, we just had him trim them this time.... We'll see you for the next trim."

Uh- Exsqueeze Me?

Bouncing your horses back and forth between service providers Can Be A Very Bad Thing. Everyone has a different approach to "the ideal hoof", and it is not very often that you find two people who can work together to reach a common goal.

No, we don't claim "ownership" to the "right to trim" your horse. It's a free world, and you can make your own decisions as to their care. Just don't expect to call me in a few months time, and have me drop everything to come running to your aid to trim "just this once". That free choice? Works both ways.

For those of you who DO keep your horses on a routine schedule, I say THANK YOU. Our clients who keep a routine make our life easier. Their horses are good to work on, their feet are healthy, and they stay sound.

For those who have decided that horses only need hoof care when they are being worked, (read every six months whether they need it or not,) or *think* borderline pathological hooves "look good" from the top, I ask you to please- think about the health of your horse. Remember that saying of "No Hoof, No Horse." Learn what a HEALTHY hoof looks like. Think about the financial end of things: if you keep them on a routine schedule, you will SAVE in the long run.

There is more to this, but since I have not slept worth a tinker's damn in three nights, and feel pretty much like crap myself right now, I am going to quit here.

Just think about things folks. Be straight up with your hoof care provider. Take the time to surf the 'Net and LEARN something about hooves. Do your horses a favor. Do your trimmer's a favor. Keep them on a schedule.

And thus ends tonight's PSA.....

It's What Day Again?

Spring hits for real here, and things are insane. Please accept my apologies everyone, for not commenting as much as normal on your blogs. I am there reading though!! Hopefully, things will level out soon, and I can take the extra time to comment. Either that, or we will have to wait for the high humidity to set in- since that drives us inside for a while.

We have been hopping along here. The kids have been riding, Cub and his pony training are doing great, and even I have been able to get in on some horse action. Sonny Bunz has had a few works lately, and is doing fantastic working off my seat and legs more. We even have some lateral forward movement happening, some nice backing starting, and he is learning that his very lovely great big butt is more than a forward motor. He now has an idea that he can use it to turn off of too. I am so proud of him! In fact, he is ready to start trail rides.

Only problem is, I am not about to head out on the trails alone on a green horse, where things have been somewhat questionable lately. Ah well- more learning time here on the property is not a bad thing.

Ranchette asked a good question in a comment today. (Sounds like she has been as crazy busy as we have too!) She had been taught to hold the horse for front feet, on the opposite side as the trimmer. In theory, working on opposite sides would work. It's a matter of personal preference for me to have the handler on the same side that I am. Keeping the nose tipped ever so slightly towards the handler allows for quick action to be taken if need be. About the only time I ask someone to be opposite me is when I need to bring a foot forward, or if we have a young horse who just needs someone to stand on the opposite side to steady the horse.

Lately, I have been giving more thought to young stock and having hoof work done on them. You can handle a young horse, teach them to lift the feet, and have a nice set of manners on them before any real work begins. And all of that is FANTASTIC. But owners need to keep a thing or three in mind:
1) This is a growing horse, whose balance changes daily. Just like kids who are constantly growing and changing, young horses get worried about balance. The SECOND they feel insecure, or off balance, they are going to struggle some, which makes them less secure, and more off balance, making them struggle more... you see the pattern there.

2) The next thing is the tools themselves. The knife is not much of a problem usually, unless there is a pocket of thrush to clear out. The nippers might make them uncomfortable, but the rasp does a lot of them in. The vibrations from rasping travel up the leg, and are mighty darn strange for a young horse.

3) Young horses have the attention span the size of a gnat. We try to work as quickly and as smoothly as possible, but there are times when Sprout just has a brain fry moment. Often times, we'll have a young horse "take a walk" in between front and rear hooves, to refocus their tiny minds. (Again- move the feet, control the brain!) We'll do this also with older horses who may have arthritic changes and stiffness issues. Keeps them loosened up and more comfortable, and keeps us from having a cranky horse to deal with.

When you hold your horse for work, keep in mind balanced bodies, happy brains, and vibrations from rasping. Watch your horse's neck muscles to see if they tense, watch eyes and ears, and for swishing tails that show irritation. If you see a problem brewing, let your trimmer know, and redirect that equine mind!

Pink and Green Friday huh?

Saddle Mountain Rider and Pony Girl both did a Pink and Green Friday post, and SMR named me in her toast! (Thank you SMR!! I needed that today!)

So here is my green and pink- New baby sweet peas sprouting in the Victory Garden, and One Poppin' Pink Pony!! Happy Friday Y'all!

To Tie Or Not To Tie... And Why?

White Horse Pilgrim was kind enough to share these photos with me, and grant permission to use them in a post. They have been sitting in my inbox for far too long now, but seem to somewhat fit with the theme of today's post, and my previous one. If you look closely, WHP says, the person holding the horse's hooves in the horse OWNER. (And we wonder why horse's behave over there? Hmmm.... Not only do these animals WORK and work HARD for a living, the owners hold hooves for their farrier. I think I could like that idea....)


In the Safety First, Please post, I mentioned that working on a tied horse is not an option for me. While I gave one example of a problem I encountered, I want to relay a few other observations gathered from over the years.

The biggest one being that when a horse is tied to a tree, a wall, a post, or a solid object of any sort, and a problem arises, your escape routes are pretty limited and someone getting bloody is a pretty good bet. You've all seen it- fairly young horse, brought fresh from his stall/ pasture into the barn, hooked to the wall in the arena or on a set of crossties, and the farrier/ iron hanger grabs a leg, hoists it up in the air, and KA-POW! Dobbins eyes about bug out of his head, his entire body locks up, and you can count the seconds until he blows. When he blows, the iron hanger either gets beat up some, or he decides that roughing up the horse is a *good* thing.

What exactly did the horse learn from that?
A) Being tied is not so good
B) Having someone mess with your feet is REALLY not such a great idea.

What did the dude under the horse learn from it?
Hard to tell really, since they seem to keep repeating the pattern, over and over and over again. Not only repeat it, but it is passed along from one iron hanger to the next, year after year.

Now since I personally have a *thing* about confined spaces- and yes, being under a horse tied to a wall meets the "confined" standards in my book, I'd much rather take my chances with someone holding the horse, and teaching them what to look for and how to hold properly. I'd rather take a bit longer, teach the owner, and teach the horse, then to take a chance on winding up in an emergency room somewhere.
The other issue I have with the above mentioned action is this:

When you "work" with a horse, providing any type of service, it pays to bear in mind that you might be the one who provides this service for a long time. If you wish to make this an EASY task, teach a bit and keep things calm and quiet. And even if you are NOT going to be the service provider for an extended period of time, think about the people who will come behind you. Did you leave the animal better off, in better health, with better training, than when you first arrived? Or will the next guy get the sh*t kicked out of him, too?

Safety First, Please

I had hoped to be able to obtain and post pictures for this post, however.... we are all familiar with the phrase, "The best laid plans..."

One of the biggest things in this line of work that is potentially an issue is how horses are held while work is being done on them. It does not matter if this is a hoof care provider, or a vet- improper handling during any procedure is a good way to get someone hurt, and teach your horse some pretty nasty habits.

The simple rule is:
Always stay on the same side as the service provider.

Why?
Because the person handling the horse at the head can control the entire direction of the horse's body.

Now take note:
Standing on the same side does NOT NOT NOT mean stand directly in front of the front legs. Ever. In the case of hoof care providers, should a front foot break loose from our grasp, your knee cap (or *ahem* worse,) is directly in the line of fire. Ever been clonked in the knee by a fast moving cinder block? That is about how it feels when a horse yanks a foot away from a hoof care provider and swings it with force forward. Trust me- this can and DOES do some serious damage. (Had a gent once tell us about how a horse was being difficult, yanked the foot away from the trimmer and smashed him in a rather delicate area. He never stood in front of a horse again- ever. And he also never had kids.)

How does staying on the same side keep your service provider safer?
When the horse breaks free, acts up, dances about, etc, the handler has the ability to turn the horse's head INTO them, as they step back/ sideways towards the hip, and the service provider steps straight back, out of the line of fire.

This is a pretty serious job- not one, in my opinion at least- to be taken lightly. For instance: cell phones? Banned. No phones while we are working, please. All it takes is one second of inattention and someone can/ will get hurt. When working on front hooves, it is too easy for a horse to be tempted to take a chunk out of our backs, heads, arms, etc. Should your hoof care provider need to bring a front foot forward, it is OK to move to the opposite side, so that you can still control the head of the horse. THIS is when a lot of horses manage to find trouble- most are kind, and will not bite. Most like to sniff and see what the heck is going on. However, sniffing puts that delicate nose in a touchy place, and an accidental whap from an elbow or tool can happen. (Leaving a bad impression with the horse.) In those horses who tend to be a bit, shall we say *cranky*, this is a prime chance to get a bite and express their opinion on the matter. Preventing this is fairly easy- simply put a slight amount of pressure on the nose, away from the service provider. You will essentially be tipping the nose towards you, and away from temptation.

Biting = NEVER a good thing. EVER.

A lot of service providers will have the owner tie the horse, or they will tie the horse and do their jobs with no owner present. In our practice, we require either the owner to be there, OR a competent handler to be available. I can hear some of you now, rolling your eyes and whining about how inconvenient it is for you to have to be there, or how it will take time from work/ out of your day/ etc. The kicker is, we are willing to adjust OUR schedule around YOURS to some extent. With proper planning, we can work weekends, and we will even work towards evening hours if need be.

We Do Not -- NOT -- Work On Tied Horses. Period.

Every time we do, Something Goes Wrong.

The LAST time I worked on a tied horse was in 2000. I was alone, barn owner had to go to work, horse owner could not make it up the mountain that day due to some heavy snows. Since I lived at the top of the mountain, and had a nice big four wheel drive, it was no big deal for me to put it in gear and mosey on over to the barn. This was an "easy" horse- a calm older mare that I knew well and loved. Unfortunately, this day the winds were howling as yet another Nor'easter was headed our way, and the door to the indoor had wind swirl under and around it, and it literally ripped the door loose. (Fairly common occurrence at times up there in Tundra Country.) That happened when I was just moving out of the way, and the mare blew. She was tied- and couldn't go anywhere to escape except on top of me. My right foot to be exact. I wound up with some broken bones in my foot that laid me up for weeks. I couldn't drive, feed my horses, walk, or do ANYTHING. I still have trouble with that hoof of mine from time to time.

Since that incident, I have never gotten under another tied horse. There is not enough money in the world for me to attempt hoof care with out someone with me- be it my husband or a good handler. Life is too short, and there is too much that needs to be done on a day to day basis for one of us to be laid up.

Stay alert, know your horse, and be sure to open a line of conversation with your service providers about what works best to keep EVERYONE safe and happy. Ask questions if you don't know. Horses are a hard line of work, and not exactly the safest line at times either. Pay attention to your horse. If you have a horse you know has "issues" about things, school them some before your appointment. Don't work them into the ground- but reach out and engage their BRAINS. Remind them that YOU control their feet, and how much they can move, how fast they can go, and where they can go. Work with young stock in short increments, when you can. In this case, QUALITY of work counts for quite a bit over QUANTITY. Young stock and older horses probably need to move some between feet. This will remind them that they have a job to do in listening to you, and allow for stiffness to sort itself out. Just like you after sitting too long in your office chair, a good stretch does everyone some good.

Be safe out there folks. Think about what you are doing, watch and read your horses, and talk over a game plan with your service providers please.

Happy Hoofin' Y'all....

*Groan* .. Insert Eye Roll Here, Please

Scammers. They are EVERYWHERE, looking to make a "quick buck" off an unsuspecting soul. We hear about them all the time, with warnings everywhere to deal locally, deal in cash, meet the buyer, and get a bill of sale. We all know the ropes. You'd think that folks would be smart enough to spot a scammer when they come along, but... well apparently there must be a few takers out there, feeding the trolls.

In my inbox appears this interesting bit:

"Dear One,
How is business? I hope by God's grace business is moving on smoothly. First of all let me introduce my self to you, my name is Paul Watt from the US and my main reason for contacting you is that, i am in need of some horse feed to order
But before we proceed i would like you to get back to me with the types and prices of horse feed you have so that i can decide on the quantity and types to order. and also your mode of payment as well.
Thank you very much and hope to hear from you.
Regards,
Paul Watt"

Well Mr. Paul Watt from the US, you are hearing from me now.

Mr. Paul Watt;
Business is BANGIN' Dog!

You want horse feed? We got horse feed. Everything from stuff to feed the old horses, fortified with Metamucil, to stuff for young stock, fortified with Coca Pebbles to keep it tasty. Sales are in 50 pound bags, or buy it by the pallet load. Terms? Oh- TERMS! Yeah- we deal only in gold bars. Two bars per bag, handed over in person.

Looking forward to doing business with you Mr. Paul Watt of the US.

Sincerely,
Dear One

Y'all Gotta See This

Now tell me y'all, how flipping cute is this?? It's a tiny fly sheet-
IN PINK!!
Jazzy the Wonder Pony,
once again,
R-O-C-K-S the party scene here in the Southland.
She made little girls
Smile,
Squeal,
and Jump For Joy.

This mare y'all? Worth about 20x her weight in solid gold.

Can't Afford To Cut That Colt? Check THIS Out...

Now, if this is actually a legitamate deal here, this is something that a WHOLE LOT of people ought to take advantage of. For real, people. There are a slew of horses out there who are middling quality studs at best. If it is an "OK" stallion, he ought to make a fantastic gelding!

Check out the Stallion to Gelding Support group. (I don't know why the blasted link is not working- so here it is in long form.. sorry guys... http://www.stalliontogeldingsupport.org/)

And CUT THAT COLT.

How To Win Friends And Influence Horses

"Dude! WTF? That is MY PADDOCK!!"

Step One:
Pat Horse on neck.

Step Two:
Walk to end of Horse's paddock, and pace off area for new garden plot.

Step Three:
Shorten Horse's paddock space, to install above garden.

Step Four:
Promise Large Pissed Off Horse TWO whole rows of carrots, Just For Him.


Next Up:

How To Train Mommy

Ingredients:
1 Rock Star Pony
1 Set of Small Brushes
1 Halter and Lead
1 Rock Star Pony Saddle and Pad
2 Small Children to Adore Pony
and last but not least,
1 Pair of Good Sneakers.

Step One:
"Mommy, can we ride the Rock Star Pony?... Pllllleeeeeeeeezzzzzzzeeeeeee?"

Step Two:
Mommy stops what she is doing, to go catch and halter said pony.

Step Three:
Instruct small children how to groom said pony.

Step Four:
Help small children tack up said pony.

Step Five:
Take turns with small children on pony, walking endless laps around the yard, leading the Rock Star Pony with One Happy, HAPPY Child perched in the saddle.

Step Six:
About two hours later, untack pony and groom within an inch of his life.

Step Seven:
Place Pony back in Pony Paddock, and admire the smiles on two - no THREE, cause the blasted Pony is smiling too- faces, as Mommy picks up tack and puts brushes away.

Pictures to come tomorrow. Mommy is too blasted tired to load them all tonight!

Let's Talk Tools

One of the biggest questions we get from folks is about tools. There are a plethora of hoof care tools available in the equine market place, and people don't know which is best for the job they need to do.

Our advice? If you are going to work on your horse's hooves, USE GOOD TOOLS. Don't cheap out and get the least expensive item, thinking that "All knives are created equal", or that "A rasp is a rasp- what's the big deal?"

Today we are going to go over what tools we use, and why we like them. And if I remember, I'll even add links to where they can be purchased as well!

To Start:



Hoof picks. Might seem overly simple, but I for one prefer a longer handle on my hoof pick, and a stiff brush on the opposite side. I like to be able to have that hoof as clean as possible, so that I can see clearly what I need to do. (And in Sonny's case, what we need to treat.)

The selection of hoof picks is amazing. In this case, pick what YOU are comfortable with.



Hoof Knives:
Now I have mentioned several times on here that I *L-O-V-E* Anvil Brand, "The Knife". The Knife just rocks. It is high quality, holds an edge very well, the handle is extremely comfortable to hold and use, and the curvature of the blade prevents unintentional slicing into the sole or frog. That same curvature also allows us to use more leverage as needed, and decide how much force we need to use in any given situation.

A knife with a straight, flat blade can be hazardous. If your horse moves wrong, your hand tips wrong, or you push a bit too hard when you don't need to, and BAM- you could wind up with some serious trouble. They also don't generally come with a handle style anything like The Knife does, and for me at least tend to be very uncomfortable to hold.



Rasps:
For day in and day out grind, SavEdge holds up like no other. The teeth are sharp, tend to STAY sharp for a long while, and the rasp itself is comfortable for me to use. In heavy mud season, we like the Heller Legend rasp as well. It's teeth are a tad wider, which prevents the tool from gumming up in the mud as fast.

There are also a load of rasps available. Will some of the others work for you? Yes, they will. But they don't last as long. There have been a couple times when - out of sheer desperation- we picked up one Di@mond brand rasp to use for just 14 horses. I am not going to trash this brand, but I WILL say that you won't see any - ANY - of their tool line in my box. Ever.


Nippers:
GE Brand nippers are bar none the best. In fact, the very first present that Dear Husband ever got for me was a pair of 12" GE Nippers... (I can hear you all groaning out there- with the possible exception of Mikey...hehe) Dear Husband now has a pair of 14" GE Nippers, that I can use, but barely. I do however, like the added length. Lately, we have come across some hooves that need every bit of extra leverage we can get from that extra 2".

Also in The Box:
A pair of shoe pullers from Nordic Forge, a simple clinch cutter, and a small driving hammer, and a pair of crease nail pullers, whose brand escapes me at the moment. These items rarely see the light of day though. (Barefoot practice and all that jazz...)

Additional Helpers:
Hoof stands/ tool caddy's. There are a pretty wide selection of these as well. Mikey and Wade have Hoofjacks, and LOVE them (in fact Wade wore his out and had to get a new one recently, much to Mikey's delight.) These are durable, light weight, adjustable, and overall just a great tool to have on hand. Do I have one? No, not yet. For now I am still using my standard hoof stand with the tool caddy at the base of the pole.

A quick cautionary note here: Be Sure Your Hoof Stand Has A Solid Base, and N-O-T a tripod configuration. We have seen a few too many horses that have been spooked, had a hoof slide off the stand, and get tangled in the tripod, which spooks them more. If a hoof slides off the stand like we use, there is nothing for it to get trapped on or in. They are not adjustable, either, making it tough on some horses to place their leg up that high, resulting in more fussing and wiggling.

There is one other product that *I* am heartily interested in getting for myself as our practice grows, and that is a BackJack. Yeah, they look pretty blasted "odd" to say the least, but when it comes to being supportive, this thing RULES. I was able to use one a while ago, and while the seat is somewhat uncomfortable, the amount of support given to me (with my crappy back) was amazing. I think about the ONLY time I was not able to use it was on minis, since I simply sit down on the ground with them.

The spring loaded seat absorbs movement and shock, the straps are adjustable, and it is easy to get out of the way when you need to move quick. I've had a few horses look sideways at me initially, but once they feel the additional stability under there, they soon relax and stand still. (Providing a stable base for the horse is crucial whether or not you use a BackJack. The more YOU tremble, the more worried the horse gets.)

Only other things that we tend to carry are an extension cord and a strong fan for summer time work, q-tips, gauze pads, duct tape, and styrofoam for boot building. I don't generally stock thrush treatments, fly sprays, or any other "medications" simply because we aren't a rolling pharmacy.

As I look back through this post, I realize I left out a pretty important part. Not halters or leads, or lariats, or extra sneakers, shirts, or wet wipes. (Although we DO carry extra clothes and loads of wet wipes. Deodorant too. Trust me- this is a GOOD THING.) No, it is our chaps. Or Apron as some call it- I believe it depends on what part of the country you are from as to what term you will hear. Dear Husband wears heavy leather ones. Me, when I am not too lazy to put mine on, are heavy duty Cordura with leather patches on the knee/ thigh area. Why am I too lazy to put them on these days? Because the blasted things are HOT. I also do not hold like a traditional farrier either, so the risk to my legs is minimized. I never used to mind wearing my chaps in Tundra Country. It was just a part of the "uniform". Now? Dude- forget it. It's hotter than blazes down here. Last time I wore my chaps in the summertime, I peeled them off (literally) to reveal DRIPPING WET pants underneath. My plan for THIS summer? I don't have one... aside from working early in the morning and making sure that I work by the FAN!

(Oh- and if you want to see my chaps, look at the tool shots above. Those are my chaps in the background.)

We Have A WINNNNNNERRRRRRRR!

List of Entrants.......

All tucked into the bowl for drawing...

Mixing them up some....

Number One Cub Helper dipping in.....



Drum Roll Please!!!!!

Cub Drew.....

Laughing Orca Ranch!!
Miss Rapunzel, please zap me an email with your snail mail,
so that I can zap off your....
Mystery Prizeeeeee!

DeadLine!

That's right- today is the Deadline for our just for the heck of it contest! Be sure to enter by .... oh heck. Just enter today if you have not done so already. I'll draw tomorrow, and annouce the winner!!

The Insanity level here at Command Central has been at it's usual peak, with new clients and old clients needing attention. Yesterday though, we did get to see Graham Pony, and I got to watch him under saddle. I am pleased as punch to tell y'all that our Handsome Casanova is doing fantastic. He is quiet and calm, and not giving his students much of a hard time at all. He looks fantastic!!

When we brought him out of his stall for his trim, he nickered and promptly put his sweet muzzle up on my shoulder to get his special Graham Pony nose kisses. He stood like a rock for the kids to brush and brush and brush, his soft eyes half closed. Such a good pony!

Until later y'all- I am hoping to catch up on outside horse work today, which includes a ride on Sonny Bunz if I am really lucky!

Wordless Wednesday

Sonny says "Mom, you missed a spot. Let me get it."

Snickers, post-trim

Snickers, pre-trim

Snickers, The Rock Star

Gina At Hoofprints....

With all the talk in the equi-blogosphere about re-riding and nerves and issues with us crawling back up on our trusty (or not so trusty?) steeds, Gina at Hoofprints.com has The Best Timing.

Now, I think a lot of Gina. She is an inspiration, a strong woman, and a GOOD woman. I still need to order myself a pink hat from her too, and I think Mikey would look smashing in one as well. (We Sistas of the Hoof now, gotta stick together ya know?)

Take a look y'all at a bit of what landed in my inbox today.

Gina, I love you!

What's up with all the old ladies riding...

we are unstoppable! A little slow maybe, but once we get started...

...life is good. Some unsolicited advice from Gina: If you love horses and love to ride, don't stop. I know you're busy - Make time to go to the barn. Saddle up and ride around - even if it's just for a little while at a walk. We all have those days where we feel tired - and it's tempting to use that barn time to get caught up on other projects... All sorts of bad things happen if you let yourself get out of the habit of knowing what it feels like to be on the back of a horse. Your body AND your mind may betray you. Things get harder physically, and scarier mentally. I've heard over and over from women of all ages who've stopped riding for a myriad of reasons - and then struggled when they tried to go back to the way things were. And you're never to old... Here's a little inspiration:

Be sure to pay Gina a visit. She not only has fantastic farrier shirts, hats, and supplies, she also has some incredible information for horse owners. Her prices are great, and if you need something special, let her know. (Like me and the pink hats!) She will find it for you. With customer service being a dying art form in this world, I suggest everyone out there stop in and have a talk with Gina- she'll show you how to provide it, with style, class, and grace!

Oh- and Dear Santa, I have Gina's client education pack on my Christmas List already.

Daily Journal Note- Not Horse Related

For those of you who read the Journal to keep up with the Insanity, please send an email if you would like to keep doing so. For the time being, it has been closed to the public. I'd like to invite my followers to pop in.

Email: swequine@yahoo.com

Thank you!