Here's the link to Apache's webpage: click here.
I hope you enjoy the photos of her. They're all old--I haven't taken new ones yet.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Amazing Life Changes
Hello all. I know, it's been quite a while since I last posted. I've had some amazing life changes happen that I want to share.
I spoke in my very first post on this blog about Apache, the mare I once owned. Through a practical decision and what I believe is also a miracle, Apache is back home.
We sold Apache to Brian's best friend, and he had sold her to a friend at their church. in the spring of 2009, I found Apache for sale by those folks. I contacted them and asked to come see her. At the time, we didn't have the money to buy her, but it felt really good to see her and know where she was.
In October 2009, I realized that things aren't going in the path that I thought they would. I had thought that by this time, we would be in a position so I could get my show horse and be showing. But financially, we just aren't there. It doesn't seem logical to me to buy a show TWH if I can't afford to show it. I figure when it comes to a show TWH, then when we can afford for me to show again then we will also be able to afford the show horse of my dreams.
Since I'm just going crazy without a horse, I started looking at other options. Brian and I discussed getting another horse. Honestly we can afford one at this point as long as it doesn't have a lot of medical needs. So, I asked what he thought about offering a feed lease on Apache. Scott thought it was a good idea, and then we could eventually buy her from them. When I asked them in an email about this, they agreed to let her come home permamently. We brought her home on October 26.
When we went to pick her up, Apache came straight to the fence to sniff us both all over and get loves and scratches--she even turned her butt to us so we could scratch it, a typical Apache trait. After getting her home and her being settled, I emailed them to let them know how she is doing. They told me that they had discussed us coming to get her, and they said they always thought Apache wasn't a friendly horse and wouldn't come to you unless you had food in your hand. In seeing us with her and how she reacted to us, she said it was like reuniting lost family members. They were very happy to send her home with us.
I truly did not realize how much I missed Apache until she came home. I immediately felt what I can only describe as my heart being whole again. Apache was my horse soulmate, and I realized that she really still is. She has been hanging out with me and remembers everything we've ever done. I've had to treat an abcess in her foot (Apache is notorious for stone bruises that turn into abcesses) and she's been the real trooper she always used to be and letting us work with it without complaint. When she came home, Red Hawk and Sweetheart, my mother-in-law's retired horse who lives here, remembered her immediately. There was no fighting or posturing. In fact, she and Red Hawk sniffed noses and then started grooming each other. Apache has remembered how to be led properly and to respect my space.
Since Apache hasn't been ridden in a really long time due to her former owner's pregnancy, I'm going to start over with her training. I cannot believe I've been given a second chance. No more double twisted wire trammel for Apache--we're going to start with a snaffle bit and hopefully end with a bitless bridle. But what's the most important is that I know Apache inside and out. I know our bond will resurface as it's already started. It's going to be so wonderful to be ride a horse I know so well on the trails again.
To see pictures, check out Apache's brand new page on our website. (Coming soon). I cannot thank Apache's former owners enough for letting me have her back. And I thank God, the Great Spirit, and all the angels for bringing her back into my life. Sometimes life is about stability, and I know I have that in my strong relationship with Apache.
I spoke in my very first post on this blog about Apache, the mare I once owned. Through a practical decision and what I believe is also a miracle, Apache is back home.
We sold Apache to Brian's best friend, and he had sold her to a friend at their church. in the spring of 2009, I found Apache for sale by those folks. I contacted them and asked to come see her. At the time, we didn't have the money to buy her, but it felt really good to see her and know where she was.
In October 2009, I realized that things aren't going in the path that I thought they would. I had thought that by this time, we would be in a position so I could get my show horse and be showing. But financially, we just aren't there. It doesn't seem logical to me to buy a show TWH if I can't afford to show it. I figure when it comes to a show TWH, then when we can afford for me to show again then we will also be able to afford the show horse of my dreams.
Since I'm just going crazy without a horse, I started looking at other options. Brian and I discussed getting another horse. Honestly we can afford one at this point as long as it doesn't have a lot of medical needs. So, I asked what he thought about offering a feed lease on Apache. Scott thought it was a good idea, and then we could eventually buy her from them. When I asked them in an email about this, they agreed to let her come home permamently. We brought her home on October 26.
When we went to pick her up, Apache came straight to the fence to sniff us both all over and get loves and scratches--she even turned her butt to us so we could scratch it, a typical Apache trait. After getting her home and her being settled, I emailed them to let them know how she is doing. They told me that they had discussed us coming to get her, and they said they always thought Apache wasn't a friendly horse and wouldn't come to you unless you had food in your hand. In seeing us with her and how she reacted to us, she said it was like reuniting lost family members. They were very happy to send her home with us.
I truly did not realize how much I missed Apache until she came home. I immediately felt what I can only describe as my heart being whole again. Apache was my horse soulmate, and I realized that she really still is. She has been hanging out with me and remembers everything we've ever done. I've had to treat an abcess in her foot (Apache is notorious for stone bruises that turn into abcesses) and she's been the real trooper she always used to be and letting us work with it without complaint. When she came home, Red Hawk and Sweetheart, my mother-in-law's retired horse who lives here, remembered her immediately. There was no fighting or posturing. In fact, she and Red Hawk sniffed noses and then started grooming each other. Apache has remembered how to be led properly and to respect my space.
Since Apache hasn't been ridden in a really long time due to her former owner's pregnancy, I'm going to start over with her training. I cannot believe I've been given a second chance. No more double twisted wire trammel for Apache--we're going to start with a snaffle bit and hopefully end with a bitless bridle. But what's the most important is that I know Apache inside and out. I know our bond will resurface as it's already started. It's going to be so wonderful to be ride a horse I know so well on the trails again.
To see pictures, check out Apache's brand new page on our website. (Coming soon). I cannot thank Apache's former owners enough for letting me have her back. And I thank God, the Great Spirit, and all the angels for bringing her back into my life. Sometimes life is about stability, and I know I have that in my strong relationship with Apache.
Friday, September 18, 2009
SECOND ULTRASOUND!
Okay, so I tried posting this the other day and got promptly bumped off the computer by some strange quirk the Internet or my computer or both had (I swear, they get together and scheme, just to spite me). So I'm trying this again!
Sophie had her second ultrasound on Oct 16. I wasn't able to be there during work, but Amee was. The baby is doing great! Amee said she could see the ribs, a leg, the neck and the actual heartbeat! She said the little thing was moving around like crazy in there. All is well with Sophie--she is showing no signs of any problems. So we will just keep going as it is. She gets her vaccs at five months.
Wow, it's really sinking in that there will be a baby horse in my life in April. I am amazed. I catch myself thinking about it and giggling. It's really happening!
Edited: Um, yeah. I meant Sept 16. Sorry about that....
Sophie had her second ultrasound on Oct 16. I wasn't able to be there during work, but Amee was. The baby is doing great! Amee said she could see the ribs, a leg, the neck and the actual heartbeat! She said the little thing was moving around like crazy in there. All is well with Sophie--she is showing no signs of any problems. So we will just keep going as it is. She gets her vaccs at five months.
Wow, it's really sinking in that there will be a baby horse in my life in April. I am amazed. I catch myself thinking about it and giggling. It's really happening!
Edited: Um, yeah. I meant Sept 16. Sorry about that....
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Incredible News About Jedi!
Well, like all of us, my friend Amee needs to cut back again. She understands that she really couldn't hang onto a pony that isn't trained--she needs to stick with the ones that are trained.
So, she traded Jedi to a family with two young girls that specialize in training and riding ponies! They renamed him to Magic. They had no issues with his spookiness, and he is going to be trained for riding. They have already put a saddle on him, and they think he's never worn one before. He has pushed their buttons and been stubborn, but they don't care--they know they can change his mind. They were even able to have the farrier trim his feet with NO DRUGS! Well, the woman said that they were feeding him carrots the whole time, so in a way they did use persuasion, just the non-evasive and healthy kind!
She can tell this is a family that will always keep in touch with her about him. I cannot wait to see pictures and learn how he does. I feel really good about this--we have rescued a horse and found him the kind of home he needs. I hope we can do it more often!
So, she traded Jedi to a family with two young girls that specialize in training and riding ponies! They renamed him to Magic. They had no issues with his spookiness, and he is going to be trained for riding. They have already put a saddle on him, and they think he's never worn one before. He has pushed their buttons and been stubborn, but they don't care--they know they can change his mind. They were even able to have the farrier trim his feet with NO DRUGS! Well, the woman said that they were feeding him carrots the whole time, so in a way they did use persuasion, just the non-evasive and healthy kind!
She can tell this is a family that will always keep in touch with her about him. I cannot wait to see pictures and learn how he does. I feel really good about this--we have rescued a horse and found him the kind of home he needs. I hope we can do it more often!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Worst Riders in the World
It seems in the gaited horse world that poor riding abounds. Not like it doesn't in other disciplines--I have to say the majority of barrel racers look like idiots, flopping around in the saddle and holding their hand up by their chest. It just seems that for some reason, when it's a smooth ride, then correct riding goes right out the window. I remember reading an article recently about MFTs, where the person promoting the MFTs said that you never have to learn how to ride if you ride a gaited horse. This was supposed to be a positive trait, but it made me LIVID. GREAT. Let's just make the rest of the riding world think we're absolute idiots and have no horsemanship whatsoever, shall we?
So why should I care? Well, as a lessons instructor and show coach, I know the importance of proper equitation. The thing is that equitation isn't only important in the show ring; it's also important on the trail. I learned very, very quickly when I first started riding horses again that the reason why my instructors screamed at me to keep my heels down was for balance. The reason to keep my hands down was for my balance, to stay out of the horse's mouth, and to help the horse carry himself correctly. The reason to keep my seat bones in the saddle was to keep my balance, help the horse move correctly and to his best ability, and be ready if the horse makes a sudden movement. Hunching up while riding a horse only puts you in a position to be seriously injured and hinders the horse from his true movement and keeping his body in shape and free from injuries.
Here's a great article by Lee Ziegler that talks about equitation for gaited horse riders. So since she has already addressed these issues, how about some nasty comments about some riders?
First are the men. When men ride TWHs in the show ring, this is what they usually look like.
And it doesn't change much when they ride Racking Horses and Saddlebreds in the show ring.
Let'sgo over the checklist, shall we?
1. Hands too high? CHECK!
2. Elbows almost behind his back? CHECK!
3. Hunched back? CHECK!
4. Toes down? CHECK!
5. Stirrups too long? CHECK!
6. Sitting straight on your ass with your legs spread wide? CHECK!
Now the argument is that you need to hunch over like this to help the horse go forward. If you hold your hands nice and tight, he'll balance on the bit, and if you hold them high then you will raise his headset. And keep your legs off of him unless you want him to go fast. My argument is bullshit! It's been proven that proper equitation actually encourages a horse to move with better forward movement and a more relaxed frame and way of going. The way these people are riding actually discourages the horse's natural movement. And honestly, you look stupid. Especially to the rest of the equestrian world.
But luckily, we have the much more refined look from the women TWH and Racking Horse riders.
Ah, the ladies. What a picture of...something. Checklist:
1. Hands too high? CHECK!
2. Sitting up in their crotch? CHECK!
3. Chair seat? CHECK!
4. Elbows sticking out? CHECK!
5. Legs sticking out? CHECK!
Blech. These ladies look like they're holding on with their hands and have no balance whatsoever. Now, the girl on the gray horse isn't too bad--her hands aren't too high, but her chair seat with legs sticking out is ridiculous. It's even worse with the women in the Saddlebred world:
You know, when I watch these ladies ride for real, I get the image that if the horse started going faster and faster, and started to hit like mach speeds, then the ladies would have such a tight grip that they would be able to hang on with their hands while the rest of their body left the saddle and they flapped behind the horse like a flag on a flagpole.
Then we have the position of the speed racking riders.
Are you people riding a horse, or a couch?
You know, when it comes to speed, the racing horse world has really done some serious studying on it. In order to be fast and aerodynamic, you sit like this:
Not like this:
I would LOVE to see what happens to the riders in these photos if their horses stumbled. UGH. It's no wonder gaited horses get such a bad rap.
Thumbs up on your crappy riding, chickie! You go girl!
So why should I care? Well, as a lessons instructor and show coach, I know the importance of proper equitation. The thing is that equitation isn't only important in the show ring; it's also important on the trail. I learned very, very quickly when I first started riding horses again that the reason why my instructors screamed at me to keep my heels down was for balance. The reason to keep my hands down was for my balance, to stay out of the horse's mouth, and to help the horse carry himself correctly. The reason to keep my seat bones in the saddle was to keep my balance, help the horse move correctly and to his best ability, and be ready if the horse makes a sudden movement. Hunching up while riding a horse only puts you in a position to be seriously injured and hinders the horse from his true movement and keeping his body in shape and free from injuries.
Here's a great article by Lee Ziegler that talks about equitation for gaited horse riders. So since she has already addressed these issues, how about some nasty comments about some riders?
First are the men. When men ride TWHs in the show ring, this is what they usually look like.
And it doesn't change much when they ride Racking Horses and Saddlebreds in the show ring.
Let'sgo over the checklist, shall we?
1. Hands too high? CHECK!
2. Elbows almost behind his back? CHECK!
3. Hunched back? CHECK!
4. Toes down? CHECK!
5. Stirrups too long? CHECK!
6. Sitting straight on your ass with your legs spread wide? CHECK!
Now the argument is that you need to hunch over like this to help the horse go forward. If you hold your hands nice and tight, he'll balance on the bit, and if you hold them high then you will raise his headset. And keep your legs off of him unless you want him to go fast. My argument is bullshit! It's been proven that proper equitation actually encourages a horse to move with better forward movement and a more relaxed frame and way of going. The way these people are riding actually discourages the horse's natural movement. And honestly, you look stupid. Especially to the rest of the equestrian world.
But luckily, we have the much more refined look from the women TWH and Racking Horse riders.
Ah, the ladies. What a picture of...something. Checklist:
1. Hands too high? CHECK!
2. Sitting up in their crotch? CHECK!
3. Chair seat? CHECK!
4. Elbows sticking out? CHECK!
5. Legs sticking out? CHECK!
Blech. These ladies look like they're holding on with their hands and have no balance whatsoever. Now, the girl on the gray horse isn't too bad--her hands aren't too high, but her chair seat with legs sticking out is ridiculous. It's even worse with the women in the Saddlebred world:
You know, when I watch these ladies ride for real, I get the image that if the horse started going faster and faster, and started to hit like mach speeds, then the ladies would have such a tight grip that they would be able to hang on with their hands while the rest of their body left the saddle and they flapped behind the horse like a flag on a flagpole.
Then we have the position of the speed racking riders.
Are you people riding a horse, or a couch?
You know, when it comes to speed, the racing horse world has really done some serious studying on it. In order to be fast and aerodynamic, you sit like this:
Not like this:
I would LOVE to see what happens to the riders in these photos if their horses stumbled. UGH. It's no wonder gaited horses get such a bad rap.
Thumbs up on your crappy riding, chickie! You go girl!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Plan
Okay, here I shall detail THE PLAN that we are now at. I believe this is THE FINAL PLAN and it will stay as such until our dying days.
First, as you all know, I was going to go to KY to get me a walkin' Walking Horse. Well, that plan is still in place. As I won't have a riding horse for at least another 5 years (baby being born, won't be able to be regularly ridden until at least 4 years old, etc.), Brian said it's no problem to him for me to still get my show horse. I really want to show, and honestly, I would like to have a good TWH that I can use as an ambassador horse if you will--the example of a true flat walk that people can ride to learn more about it, things like that. This horse will be a keeper as well.
Then there will be Illusion, who will be my eventual dressage horse. This is going to take a lot of time, and I won't be able to do showing in the meantime if I don't have another horse. Plus, we both really like draft horses, but we don't want to trot, so this way we'll have our gaited draft horse.
So, instead of the two horses I was always focusing on, we will have three, because of course, Red Hawk will never go anywhere. That's good--we'll always have an extra horse to ride or for someone else to ride, and we will have different horses for different uses. OMG, the possibilities are endless!
First, as you all know, I was going to go to KY to get me a walkin' Walking Horse. Well, that plan is still in place. As I won't have a riding horse for at least another 5 years (baby being born, won't be able to be regularly ridden until at least 4 years old, etc.), Brian said it's no problem to him for me to still get my show horse. I really want to show, and honestly, I would like to have a good TWH that I can use as an ambassador horse if you will--the example of a true flat walk that people can ride to learn more about it, things like that. This horse will be a keeper as well.
Then there will be Illusion, who will be my eventual dressage horse. This is going to take a lot of time, and I won't be able to do showing in the meantime if I don't have another horse. Plus, we both really like draft horses, but we don't want to trot, so this way we'll have our gaited draft horse.
So, instead of the two horses I was always focusing on, we will have three, because of course, Red Hawk will never go anywhere. That's good--we'll always have an extra horse to ride or for someone else to ride, and we will have different horses for different uses. OMG, the possibilities are endless!
Friday, July 24, 2009
OH MY GOD!!!
SOPHIE IS PREGNANT! I just can't believe it. Honestly, I'm in shock!
Amee did an ultrasound today just to see what's going on. There it was--a 60-day old fetus. We could clearly see the spine and a leg. We think it might have had it's butt pointing at us. It was squirming around like a little maniac. AMAZING.
Sophie does have more than a usual amount of fluid in her uterus. Since we didn't do a culture, we have no idea if it's infection or not. However, the vet says everything looks fine otherwise--she has good tone and a strong placental sac. She said there's no reason to abort the fetus as far as she can see, and she wants to recheck her in 30 days. It is possible that she is just a horse that carries more fluid than normal.
So, we will have a baby come this time next year! WOW. It's taking some time to sink in. I'm just really in shock--I was so sure she wasn't pregnant! But I think this is really a bright spark during a hard time in our world.
The last day she was bred was May 23, so she conceived May 21 or 22. That means we're looking at about April 26 for a due date.
Oh boy, this is so exciting yet daunting. I was just so sure she was not pregnant. But hey, now I'm getting my draft cross that I was planning to get anyway. So amazing!
Amee did an ultrasound today just to see what's going on. There it was--a 60-day old fetus. We could clearly see the spine and a leg. We think it might have had it's butt pointing at us. It was squirming around like a little maniac. AMAZING.
Sophie does have more than a usual amount of fluid in her uterus. Since we didn't do a culture, we have no idea if it's infection or not. However, the vet says everything looks fine otherwise--she has good tone and a strong placental sac. She said there's no reason to abort the fetus as far as she can see, and she wants to recheck her in 30 days. It is possible that she is just a horse that carries more fluid than normal.
So, we will have a baby come this time next year! WOW. It's taking some time to sink in. I'm just really in shock--I was so sure she wasn't pregnant! But I think this is really a bright spark during a hard time in our world.
The last day she was bred was May 23, so she conceived May 21 or 22. That means we're looking at about April 26 for a due date.
Oh boy, this is so exciting yet daunting. I was just so sure she was not pregnant. But hey, now I'm getting my draft cross that I was planning to get anyway. So amazing!
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