When the Painted Horse Isn't

Growing and growing and growing...

2011-11-15T23:47:00.001-07:00

15.3 hands at 17 months. I can no longer see over his withers.

I took him on a walk today with my neighbor who has gotten a rescue Mustang from the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. She rode while I walked. Her horse, is very slow, but that's REALLY nice for me since Phoenix is also slow! I'm excited because I'll have someone to ride with when Phoenix is old enough! He was of course incredibly well behaved. Although a motorcycle did drive by and spooked everyone. He was driving behind a truck so we didn't hear him coming. First we heard the truck...vrrrrooooom...then the motorcycle...VRRRRROOOOM... And that made everyone jump! But he signaled to us to check if we were okay, we waved to him, let him know it was okay, and he waved back. He was kind enough not to blast past us, which is a major problem with crotch rocket riders out here. (he was riding a regular Honda, so he wasn't trying to show off.) I find that Harley and large bike riders are so helpful with horses. They slow down and don't rev their engines as they go past. In fact, one time I was riding a horse out alone and I was headed home. I had to cross over a two-lane highway, and there was a big accident at the intersection. A cop was there directing traffic with a tow truck, and there was a lot of noise and lights. Cars were backed up and weren't letting me through. Understandably, my horse didn't want to stand still and was dancing about. The cop looked right at me but did nothing to help me. A very large group of about 50 Harley riders rode up, and the leader could see I was having trouble. So he stopped his bike and gestured for me to cross. Of all the people, the Harley guys understood! I was very grateful for their concern.

In other news, we're going up to Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch for Thanksgiving weekend! Click here for their website. Now lemme 'splain. I have known these folks for around 8 or 9 years. They are a guest ranch in the Kingman, Arizona area with mostly gaited horses in their herd. They take as good of care of their horses as they do their guests! I've sold them 20 horses, and three of them were our own personal horses. My wonderful blue roan gelding, Indigo, went to them. If anything ever happens to Brian, Red Hawk will go to them. We also sent Apache's full brother, Smokey, up to them. Did I tell that story or not? I'll have to check, and if I didn't I'll tell it. And I just realized...Manny, whom I also sold to them, was the horse I was riding in my above story about the Harleys! Ranger, whom we used to call Stetson, is now with them, and he was Brian's first horse.

Here's the link to the photo album on our website that shows all the horses we've sold to STGR. They are all geldings, and most of them are gaited. We're very excited to see "the boys" again. So I will definitely have pictures when I get back from there to share with everyone!

By by for now...

Nothing New...

2011-11-07T13:13:00.003-07:00

Well, other than I went to DISNEYLAND, but that's another story. :)

Selma and I have been taking Phoenix out for trail rides fairly regularly. She's the one I went to DL with, so we didn't go last week. We'll probably go again this week.

The draft horse show is this weekend, but I just haven't spent enough time with Phoenix to get him ready for it. Plus I'm playing catch up from being gone, so I really shouldn't try to push myself to do that. So I will be giving them some sponsorship money but won't be showing. It sucks, but sometimes I just need to step back and take a breath and focus on what's important. It's not like I'll be showing him again this season anyway. Plus, I'd rather him look more polished. Since I was only planning to do one show, I didn't trim him or blanket him to keep his coat from getting too fuzzy. Now he looks like a velvet Elvis painting and I don't want to walk into that ring with a poofball when everyone else is probably going to have slick, gorgeous show horses!

It's gotten very cold here in Arizona...well, cold for us anyway! High 50s, low 60s during the day, and I actually had to turn the heat on in the house! (Although I keep it at 70--I don't mind the cold.) It's been windy and storming as well, so I'm enjoying the change in the weather. Not sure if the horses are, but they seem content in their winter coats!

That's it for now...sorry things are so boring here right now. Now I have to go back to my "real" job! Hope evreyone is having a great November!

Second Trail Ride

2011-10-19T22:54:00.002-07:00

Today was Phoenix's second trail ride!

Sorry for the crappy picture. This is him at Selma's house, where we rode out from. I rode Apache and Selma rode Sophie--we wanted to see if Sophie would pony him, and she did great.

That's a bareback pad that Selma had and she gave it to me because she doesn't use it. So I just stuck it on Phoenix. Walked up to him, put it on, cinched it up, and was done. He didn't flinch. Selma turns around and goes did you just put that on there? Yep. Has he ever worn one before? Nope! And I laughed and laughed. I couldn't help it--he's just so unaffected by stuff that it really cracks me up sometimes. He wore the bareback pad the whole time. It even slid along his side and belly after he started to get sweaty and he didn't care.

This time he seemed to get tired fast, but I don't know if Sophie was moving out a bit faster than she normally does today. But both she and Apache dragged him along.

Here in Arizona, we have what we call "horse gates." The BLM and State land that is designated as park/non-buildable land is only open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. It's usually fenced off with barbed wire to keep motorized vehicles out. While there are plenty of places in Arizona where ATVs and the like are allowed, it's so nice to go riding where you know the worse you might encounter is a jogger or a cyclist.

So, to make it easy for us to get in there but to keep motorized vehicles out, horse gates are spaced along the fence. There will be an opening about four feet wide with two three-foot tall aluminum poles on either side. Two aluminum poles will come off of those poles and go diagonal to the ground, creating a V in the opening. A short metal bar connects the two poles at the bottom of the V, and there is usually a rubber covering over that pole. The horses can just step over the gate to get into the park. Hikers can step over and cyclists can lift their bike over, but it's usually too tall for someone to lift their dirt bike over the gate.

Now going over the horse gates is one of those rites of passage in places where they're common. Horses that have never seen them sometimes will want to jump over them unless you get off and show them they can step over them. Other times a horse will have to be dragged over them with someone pulling the horse in front, usually on horseback, while a rider is on the horse. When horses are ponied, it's best to get off and walk the horse over the gate rather than allow him to jump or scare himself. I have heard of two different horses being impaled on the metal poles because the owner did not get off and walk through horse through. They have put caps on all the poles, but it is still dangerous and can harm a horse if you're not patient and careful with him.

So we came to our first horse gate today. Selma was ponying Phoenix because it was on a busy street and Apache sometimes spooks at weird cars, so I needed both hands to make her mind. Selma took Sophie through first, and Phoenix waited and watched. She got off, took Phoenix, and went to walk him through. He hesitated for about a half a second, then walked quietly right over the gate. For the rest of the ride, we just lead him through the gates, and he did great. No fuss, let the other horse go first, didn't jump and didn't hesitate. We were quite amazed and just would smile and shake our heads.

Phoenix also had to trot/gait in the wash today. We went at a slow gait with the girls and he moved along with us, staying behind the horses and not getting in their way. We saw another rider on the trail, and endurance rider doing training work so he was moving along pretty quick, and while he wanted to go say hi, he didn't fuss at all. A couple of times we dropped the rope, and he would either wait for us to come get him or would follow us when we called him. I swear, I think we could have tied the rope up around his neck and he would've just followed us the whole time. Although that's not something I'm actually willing to try.

We had to stop a few times to trim some trees so there weren't any low hanging branches in areas where people ride. He didn't care one bit. He went up and down the hills again rating his speed and momentum. He had to deal with loud traffic, including a bus and a large dump truck with loud brakes, and he didn't care. We also took him to Selma's parent's house so they could see him since Selma has Sophie. He stood in their yard and was quiet with no problem.

So our adventures continue! I got the pattern for the halter class at the draft horse show in November, so I'll be practicing that. Overall, I'm proud of my boy and he continues to amaze and delight me at every turn. Born broke...that's the way I like it!

Linus, the Oregon Wonder Horse

2011-10-06T21:08:00.001-07:00

I ran across this on Facebook today, and wanted to see more photos. After a Google search, I found several links to information about Linus, so I'm copying and pasting the text from one of the articles here. All of the credit goes to Messy Beast - Horses for their text.

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The story of the long haired Oregon horses

"In the early history of Oregon traditions of a herd of magnificentwild horses that roamed at will over her mountains and valleys were told thesettlers, and, like many other tales of like character, seemed beyond belief.It was said this herd was led by an enormous chestnut stallion, whose mane andtail were so abundant and of such length as to almost envelop the entire animalin a wealth of flowing hair. For years this" Wild King of Oregon WonderHorses" roamed over the country, ever alert to stampede his followers andflee with almost the rapidity of the wind at the approach of a human being. Sosubtile was this wild leader of his race that it was only at rare intervalsthat the best hunters were able to even secure at a distance a glimpse of thesemarvelous equines. Frequent hunts were inaugurated by those who had heard ofthe surpassing beauty of these horses for the purpose of capturing them to beplaced in subjection and used for improving the breeding of the settlers'horses; but, though all the advantage that the intelligent hunter could commandwas brought to bear, added to which were large rewards for the capture of themagnificent leader, or some representative member of the herd, for years theintuitive cunning of this remarkably intelligent horse rendered his capture, orthat of his followers, impossible, though for some unaccountable reason therewas no apparent increase in the herd, which was later accounted for, as thiswild king would brook no rival, and killed every male born to his equine harem.

Surrounded by his bevy of beautiful mares, who, like him,possessed in a marked degree the hirsute adornments that caused the settlers toseek their capture, this" uncrowned king" of the Pacific Slopecontinued to evade civilization until his demise, leaving sixteen beautifulmares to mourn their lifelong protector, but with apparently no means ofperpetuating the race. Many, in fact most, of these mares were aged, for they,too, had followed the footsteps of their leader and fought among themselves forsupremacy to such an extent that only such rivals as were imbued by nature withextraordinary powers of endurance were enabled to rear their female young; andpossibly none would have survived but for the probable interference of the"wild old king," who saw in this bitter war of extermination the lossof opportunity to surround himself with the choicest of equine beauty, and soin a few instances must have insisted on allowing some "to live. At allevents, of the sixteen mares but one was ever captured that was possible tobreed, and she possessed extraordinary powers for perpetuating thepeculiarities of her race, for, as shown in the second, third and fourthdescent, all the leading characteristics of this marvelous mare are not onlyfound, but in each instance strengthened and increased by careful breeding, sothat now the "Oregon Wonder Horses" have become in captivity whatthey were in their wild state, a distinct and beautiful breed, exhibiting to ahigh degree the intelligence that enabled them to retain their liberty for somany years while pursued and eagerly hunted by the most famed scouts, cowboysand hunters the great West could command.

The capture of "Oregon Queen," the youngestsurviving mare of the wild herd, was hailed with pleasure by those interestedin improving the breeding of horses, both in Oregon and the entire PacificCoast (for their fame was widespread), and when it became known that the"Queen" was to bear a foal by the old leader of the herd, offers offabulously large amounts were made in advance of its birth for the offspring;but all were refused by Messrs. Rutherford, who had, by early purchase from thecaptors, secured the much-coveted prize. In the early spring of 1870"Oregon Queen" became the dam of "Oregon Beauty," the firstof the Wonder Horses born in captivity. This filly was treated with the utmostcare, and soon developed into a marvel of beauty (hence her name); and whenfive years old, and after the birth of her first colt (Linus), was placed onexhibition, and proved one of the greatest drawing cards for fairs and museumsever known, until her death at Coney Island, where she was killed by lightningin the summer of 1887. Happily Linus, her son, who not only resembled his dam,but possessed even a greater development of tail and mane, was able to succeedher as one of the most attractive exhibition animals ever placed before thepublic.

Linus was sold in 1890 to Messrs. Eaton Brothers, of Boston, for $30,000, andproved a splendid paying exhibition property for several years, so much so that$60,000 was refused for him by his owners, who retained possession of him untilhis death in 1894. In the meantime, by careful and judicious breeding extendingover a period of twenty-five years from the capture of the first mare, theMessrs. Rutherford have succeeded in establishing this breed of "WonderHorses" on a secure foundation; and, though guarding with utmost jealousyall the progeny, they carefully continued their line of breeding until theypossess to-day absolute control of a distinct breed of horses, the like ofwhich has never been seen in all the world, nor will it ever be reproduced,since the wild origin is now extinct.

The" Wonder Horses" of Oregon are remarkable for the great growthof hair in mane and tail, which for length and thickness is not equaled in theworld; and since these horses have been bred in captivity this growth ofbeautiful silken hair has increased with each generation, as will be seen froma comparison of the photographs contained herein. The wonderful endurance andintelligence of this breed of equines is at once apparent to anyone familiarwith horses; and now that all trace of the wild nature has bowed to the gentlecare and treatment meted out to these animals, they exhibit the utmostgentleness and court the attention of those who come near them. Anotherremarkable characteristic of this truly wonderful breed of horses is theircolor, all of them being rich chestnuts, which goes far to prove them adistinct breed, able, by reason of their thoroughbred origin, to perpetuatetheir blood from generation to generation.' No doubt the "Oregon WonderHorses" are the truest descendents of the first horses brought to America by Cortez, the conquerer of Mexico.Probably some' escaped at that early period and established this breed hundredsof years ago remaining wild and uncaptured.

Linus II is pronounced by eminent horsemen as the mostperfect type of equine beauty in the world, and his proud bearing adds much tohis natural grandeur, for he carries himself as a worthy successor of his wildold ancestor, the King of Oregon Wonder Horses, in whose place he now stands asleader of his race."

Many of the photos of the various Linuses are cabinet cardsshowing the attractions of circuses and travelling freak shows. There was alsoa promotional leaflet produced with a fanciful legend about Linus's ancestrywhich reads like a prequel to the My Friend Flicka/Thunderhead/Green Grass ofWyoming saga. This leaflet mentions Linus and Linus II. There are photos hereof Linus I and Linus II and of a third "Linus" - undoubtedly related,but with different facial markings; it was possible to exhibit"Linus" in two locations at once!

Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that there are 3 differenthorses with very different facial markings and different length white socks,all claiming to be the famous Linus! According to the postcard ("famous Oregon exhibitionhorse"), Linus' mane was 14 feet long (with 10 feet forelock) and his tailwas 12 feet 3 inches. Another source gives his mane as 18 feet and the tail 21feet. Two photos also described as being Linus (one is Linus II, the other iscurrently unknown) appear in the 1902 book "Animal Life" and claim atail 17 ft long and a 13 ft double mane (circuses and sideshows are well knownfor exaggeration). One of these was Linus II who, at 8 years old, had a mane 13foot long (with 5 ft 6 inch forelock) and a tail 19 foot long. At 11 years old,both measurements had decreased by 18 inches: mane 11 foot 6 inches; tail 17foot 6 inches.

Linus II, with his double mane

One of the horses exhibited as Linus [below] is known to have been athree-quarter Clydesdale and one-quarter French whose weight was advertised as1435 lbs. He was bred in Marion, Oregon, about 1884, then acquired around 1890/91 bybrothers CH & HW Eaton from Calais, Maine.

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Some more interesting links about long hair and even no hair in horses.

Long hair is not just for humans

Messy Beasts - Horses

Strange Maine: Linus, the unusual Rapunzel horse

Urban Titans - Linus the long haired wild wonder horse of Oregon

Phoenix's First Trail Ride!

2011-10-06T00:52:00.001-07:00

Well, okay, not an OFFICIAL trail ride since obviously I wasn't riding him. But today my friend who now owns Sophie, Selma, and I took Phoenix out for his first experience on the trail!

The temperature finally dropped--the high was 88 degrees today, and the temps are supposed to stay like this for the next two weeks. Hopefully we won't have another heat wave before the end of the month, and that means winter in Arizona is here!

So before I start talking about our ride today, I should probably point out that Amee got to a point where she had too many horses, and she decided to sell Sophie. Sophie wasn't getting the attention she needed and wanted. Selma and I have been friends for a while, and I'd been helping her with her TWH gelding, Jess, on working with his gait. I was also able to convert her to the bitless bridles. The disease is spreading!

Anyway, Selma had met Sophie before and told Amee that if she ever wanted to sell her to let her know. So I reminded Amee of that, and I made Selma go ride Sophie. Before you knew it, Selma and Amee had worked out a deal and Sophie is now living with Selma. When Selma buys a horse, she buys it for life, so I know Sophie will always be safe. Sophie loves the attention she gets and her little herd. She fit right in with Selma's two geldings, Jess and Walter, a Quarter Horse who is BY FAR the herd boss! Selma absolutely loves her and treats her like the queen she is. She even bought a pink Nurtural bridle for her! It's so cute!

(On that river ride where Apache ran off, it was Selma who organized it, and her husband was the one who walked back to the parking lot with me, leading Sophie with two saddles on.)

Selma and I go and ride once a week, and it was Selma's idea this week to come down and get me, Phoenix and Apache and go over to the San Tan Mountain Regional Park. The San Tans, as we call them, is a great park, with well marked trails that you can make as easy or as difficult as you want. There is plenty of room to gait and canter the horses. We share the trails with cyclists and hikers, and everyone is always friendly and courteous.

This is what the park looks like. These photos were taken from the top of the mountains, so it's a lot rockier than it is down below, but it gives you an idea of the views.

Of course, did I remember to bring my camera? NO! Why in the WORLD would I do that?

Well, we decided to take Jess and Apache out. Jess is a smart dude and he won't let any other horses in his charge get away with anything. Of course, I wanted to ride my own horse. Apache is hard to pony off of. She does neck rein, but if she decides to get silly I have to use two hands, which means I fumble a lot if I have the rope in my hand as well. So Selma ponied Phoenix off of Jess.

You would never know that Phoenix had never done this before. He followed Jess without a fuss. At first he wasn't sure how to cross the little sand gullies that are carved out by the rains out here, but once he saw the other horses do it he was fine. He stayed on the trail and followed--never bounced around or tried to fight or run off. As we walked, we saw more horses coming; it happened to be my trainer Trish and a couple of other riders. One of the riders was Kathryn, who I've helped out with her gorgeous grulla Kentucky Mountain Horse named Santana. Click here for his blog. We went off the side of the trail and we chatted a bit, and the horses waited calmly. Phoenix really wanted to go talk to the horses, but when he felt the pressure of the halter he stayed where he was.

When we continued on the trail, we got to an area about 30 minutes in that was at a park bench and we stopped to rest Phoenix. He was totally breathing normal and was standing still with everyone. A jogger even went by and he just watched--he didn't even flinch. So we set out again. We picked a trail that had some rocks and some steep hills to challenge Phoenix a bit and see how he'd do. Once he figured out to watch where he put his feet, he was taking those trails like a champ. He wouldn't race up them but would use his hind end to push himself up. A couple of times he did trot or gait up, but he didn't pass the horse in front of him. At one point Selma accidentally dropped his rope as she was coming up the hill, and Phoenix stopped dead in his tracks. Did he run off? Nope! We called to him, and after a few seconds of sniffing the trails, my sweet boy came right up to us and we were able to grab his rope and get going again.

At this point I started ponying him off Apache since she was also being very good. We were in an area that was up and down rocky trails. It was easy for Apache and Jess but a bit of a challenge for Phoenix. He took it all in stride. Of course, he also had to try to sniff the jumping cholla cactus, and he got some in his knee and on his nose. Did he panic? Nope! He snorted and we stopped, he tried to rub it off on his leg, and we told him no. He waited patiently while we picked the thorns off his face and leg.

We stopped again at the top of a ridge and let the horses graze on some of the local flora. I wanted Phoenix to understand that the trail does not mean no food or no breaks--we wanted it to be a very positive experience. After hanging for about 20 minutes, we headed back out again. We came up on some hikers who had to stop and pet the horses. Phoenix was perfect--he enjoyed the attention and loved on everyone. The adult woman of the group recognized that he had draft in him. I thought that was pretty cool. As we kept on down the trail, Apache decided she wanted to try to hurry back to the trailer, so I had to give Phoenix back to Selma since Jess wasn't going to let him get away with anything. Apache was letting him try to pass her, and Jess wasn't going to allow that.

Overall, he was absolutely perfect. I couldn't have planned a better ride. He had to deal with Apache behind him, Jess behind him, and him being in the very back. Selma even challenged him by getting far behind then coming up fast, which Phoenix didn't like--he tried to buck a little bit, but I corrected him and he listened, so that'll be something that I will need to remember. Sometimes he would get a bit ahead of Apache as he would come up a hill, but he slowed down when he felt the pressure of the halter. So I think he's also going to be able to lead. He stood tied at the trailer with the other horses while we unsaddled and went in and out of the trailer just fine. (Although he JUMPED with his legs tucked up like a seasoned jumper when he got in the trailer at the house--it really made me laugh. He walked in normally when we loaded back up to leave the trailhead.) I had once said to Calista that with Sophie and Merlin, I was going to get a horse that was born broke. After he was born, she told me one time he's just like I said: born broke. And today he proved that again!

Next week I'm taking Apache and Phoenix up to Selma's place to ride from there, and this time I'll take pictures!

Friesian Fun, Complete With Crappy Phone Pictures!

2011-09-27T01:29:00.005-07:00

Today I got to do something TOTALLY FUN...

I went to a Friesian Keuring!

Okay, so most of us know what Friesians look like:

And of course they're the black horse commonly used in movies. Click here for more pics.

Patrick Swayze as Pecos Bill riding Widow-Maker in Disney's Tall Tale. The horse who played Widow-Maker is (ironically) named Goliath. I actually met him in person once! (Goliath, not Patrick Swayze.)

Antonio Banderas as Zorro in The Mask of Zorro. Zorro's horse's name was Tornado. In the film when Tornado is first seen, Anthony Hopkins calls him a "Spanish Andalusian." But of course us real horse people know the truth.

And of course, the most famous Friesian of all: Goliath, from the film Ladyhawke, ridden by Rutger Hauer. And sometimes Matthew Broderick.

Now as most everyone know, Friesians are one of the most rare breeds of horses in the world. One of the reasons why is they want to keep the bloodlines extremely pure. In order to do that, each horse must be judged and approved to be in the studbook. One of these judging events is called a Keuring. Each horse is judged on conformation and movement at both the walk and the trot. They are given one of four levels, starting at the lowest: 3rd Premium, 2nd Premium, 3rd Premium, and then Ster (or "star") level. Getting one of these levels puts them in the studbook, but there are certain restrictions to breedings. Some mares can go even higher than Ster and get Model. It's very complex how it works and how these horses get to these levels--has it bred, what levels are it's offspring, etc.--but this is kind of the basic for what I was watching today.

Naming is also important--a horse doesn't get a registered name until he/she ends up in the studbook. From there, the owner is allowed to choose from a list of names that is provided for that year. In the Friesian community, each year has names that start with a different set of letters. It's a lot like looking at the letters on a telephone keypad. In 2008, the choices were A, B, or C; 2009 DEF, 2010 GHI. So foals born in 2011 have names that start with J, K, or L. Q is included with PRS and X is included with WYZ. Usually people will give their Friesians barn names that start with that letter. I met two 2-month-old foals, one named Jett and one Juel (like "jewel"), and a 5-month-old named Leto. Duplicate names in the same year are not allowed.

It is also important to note that some horses don't make it at all--one of the yearlings that was shown today didn't even make it into the studbook. They owners can try again as the horse gets older, however.

The best part of the Keuring is that the judges will explain why they gave the horse what level they gave it. It's really nice to get an idea of what the judges look for and why they consider some things as faults.

We have a decent sized population of Friesians here in the Southwest, so we were lucky to have a Keuring right here in our own backyard! Judges were brought over from the Netherlands along with handsome young handlers (they're breeding 'em NICE over there) to showcase the horses. Since Amee now has a Friesian--I know, I haven't told you about that, and I will at some point--she told me about it so I went with her. My pictures aren't very good, but you can at least see some of what went on.

This lovely mare is Natasha. She was one of my favorites, although she's 3rd Premium. As you can see, the handlers wear white and the bridle is white, which is supposed to show off the horse's color. For the record, Friesians are black most of the time, although if two horses have the recessive chestnut gene, they can produce a chestnut. Chestnuts are not allowed in the Friesian studbooks.

These two beauties are Natasha and Nadine. Nadine is the shorter one. Although I might be wrong--the shorter one in front could be Cadence, a cute little mare I met while she was in her stall.

Either way, I really liked these two mares. They were both 3rd Premium.

One horse got 1st Premium, and that was Jett, the 2-month-old colt from DJ's Farm Friesians. I don't have a photo of him, but I did get to handle him! More on that later.

Above is a Model mare (can't remember her name) pictured with her 2-month-old filly, Juel.

This is Retna with Leto. Retna is a Ster mare.

These are the three Ster and one Model horse. The horse to the far left is Hedzer, and the one second from the left is Faustus. I didn't get very good pics of Faustus. He's a horse who's done a lot of television work, photos, exhibitions, parades, things like that. He's Ster and they did a freestyle with him to show off his movement.

This incredibly gorgeous animal is Hedzer. He's a local stallion from Avalanche Friesians. He is 16.1 hands and a big giant puppy dog. Incredibly well behaved and stood really well especially with all the mares around. He'd talk to them, but wouldn't do anything. Yes, that is his real mane.

Hope, his owner, keeps his mane braided and wrapped all the time. Otherwise he'd step on it and tear it up. Merlin, Phoenix's sire, also has a mane like this. I dobut I'll ever let Phoenix's get this long--that is A LOT of hard work!

This is a video of Hedzer that I took. At about 00:58 you can hear his thundering hooves. I am amazed at this horse's presence and movement. Amee is going to be breeding her mare to him...OBVIOUSLY.

The music was Enae Volare by Era from the album The Very Best of Era.

So, that was my day today! Sorry about the crappy quality of the photos. I didn't think to bring my little point-n-shoot, but I at least got a few interesting shots. And really, Friesians are beautiful no matter what the quality of the photo!

Well, It's September...

2011-09-24T01:05:00.000-07:00

...And the heat hasn't let up. YET... We're supposed to start seeing cooler temps next week. I squeal like Rhino the Hamster in the movie Bolt when I think about it! (Check 3:03 and 3:53.)

So here's a picture of Phoenix I took today.

He's at about 15.2 or 15.3--I haven't measured him. He's very dirty in this picture--he lays down to sleep A LOT, so keeping him clean is a real nightmare. The vet was out this morning for an emergency with Apache (that's a whole 'nother story), and she is very happy with how he looks. She wants us to keep him on the thin side because tall horses like him can grow too fast and get all sorts of developmental problems, which we've already experienced with Red Hawk. But I have finally found a feeding regime for him that is keeping enough weight on him to cover his ribs but still keep him lean. She's happy with what I'm feeding him, so I'm going to stick with it. In case you'd like to know, it's 1 1/2 lbs of Smart Choice by Nutrena, 2 tbsp Black as Knight, 2 ozs Gleam and Gain, and all the quality grass hay he can eat.

Again, it's been hot, so haven't been doing much with him. I'm going to start teaching him about halter classes, though. There is a draft horse show coming up in November, and I talked with the woman who runs it. They are allowing draft crosses in the show, and she checked with the judge and he's more than happy to allow Phoenix in the show. They told me to show him like his light breed side since he doesn't look like a draft horse, which means show him like a TWH. Luckily I have all the gear to do that!

But even though it's been hot, I have gotten to do some new and fun things this past month! I went with a bunch of friends to take our horses swimming in the Salt River! Obviously I took Apache. Now the Salt River is famous out here for what we call "going tubing." The river flows really well in the summer time when we get a good amount of rain in the winter, so they dam up some of the water and let it out slowly over the summer. Then they charge you a few bucks to rent a giant inner tube and go floating down the river. This makes money for Arizona's Parks and Rec division. It's tons of fun and is a great way to just sit back and have fun with your friends.

The land the river runs through is BLM land, so it's open for hikers, joggers, cyclists and of course horseback riding. There are also a lot of mustangs on this land, and it's neat to see them when you're out riding or when they're standing in the river while you're tubing.

So, a friend of mine has found a great spot along the river that is only about a 30 minute ride in from the road. There you can swim all day and then head back out. So she organized a ride that a bunch of us went on to try our horses in the water!

Here's a photo of Apache in the river:

This one's called "Hello...I'm leaving now" by the lady who owns the camera. Why is it called that do you ask? Well sit back and I'll tell you!

First of all, water is not Apache's "thing." In fact, she mostly hates it. She hates it so much that she works hard to dance around puddles and trickles of water on the trail to avoid it AT ALL COSTS. Mostly it's just hilarious--she's been this way all her life, and seriously, if other horses do go into the water, she will too, and of course she did on this trip.

So after having some fun with her in the water (well, fun for me, anyway), I took her reins off and let her go up to the bank.

I took a few photos of my friends and then was going to get her halter and tie her off so she could just graze on the bank. She was content to stay with the herd, but then decided she was going to head back up the trail. No problem--I just followed her and called her and she came back to me. However, as she was coming back, she suddenly TOOK OFF like a shot, FLYING down the trail in the opposite direction. I took off after her.

No mind you, I was wearing a swimsuit with a big T-shirt over it and very simple shoes. Basically when we go to the river, we wear our swimsuits and shoes that are water-friendly. The saddles come off and we swim with our horses, then saddles go back on and we head back out. I had worn riding tights so my legs wouldn't get hot from my black saddle, but when I went running I was just in my swimsuit. Then, I had gone to Walmart to buy boat shoes or beach socks or water socks, whatever you want to call them. However, for the past year, EVERY SINGLE TIME I have gone to Walmart to buy boat shoes they have been out of women's and men's sizes that would fit a woman. So of course, they didn't have any when I went to buy some. So instead I bought some Danskin Mary Jane type shoes that are made from nylon mesh and faux leather. Perfect--they'll work fine for riding and wading in the water. BUT, these cute little shoes had not been broken in as I'd bought them just the night before. So after 20 minutes of running after Apache, I realized I had pain on the backs of my heels. So I gathered my senses after my initial panic of my horse taking off on me and headed back to the spot we were all at and we called the sheriff's department. Luckily they have a ranger's station right up there with horses that they use for patrolling the area for people doing illegal stuff. Plus horses get away from owners a lot out there, so they are used to those kinds of calls, and the whole area is fenced in, so she wouldn't have ended up in the road.

Luckily for me, Apache headed straight for the ranger's station and they caught here there. My wonderful, compassionate friends, after spending some time searching with me for Apache, jumped on their horses and headed down to the trailer to go get her. It's pretty amazing what horse people will do for each other in their time of need. They immediately stopped what they were doing and helped me try to find Apache, and once she was found, to help me go get her. I cannot thank my friends enough for not holding my dumb horse against me and for helping me in my time of need.

Two of the five-person party headed straight back to the trailers at speed. Two of my friends stayed behind with me, one being Amee riding Sophie's daughter, Angel. Sophie was also with us. Since we were short one horse and now had one extra saddle, I managed to mess around with the saddles long enough to figure out how to strap my saddle on top of Sophie's saddle. This meant that me and my other friend were going to have to hoof it back to the trailers.

Now remember how my heels were hurting? As we were heading down the trail, my heels started hurting even more, and I could tell blisters were forming. The trail back goes past the location that is the end of the river ride for the tubers. They go up to a parking lot and wait for the buses to take them back up the river to the spot where they bought their tubes and parked their cars. I told my friends that my feet really, really hurt--I didn't think I can go any further. So Amee and Angel headed on down to the trailers and would come get me while Sophie and my other friend stopped at the parking lot. I peeled off my shoes, and OH MAN. The backs of my heels were a bloody mess. I had holes in the back of my feet that were thick and deep and crusted with muddy sand. Talk about pain. I am only now at a point where I can put shoes on that cover my heels, and this happened over a month ago. I mean, I've had worse pain, but there is nothing quite like hiking with bloody holes in the backs of your heels to make you never, ever want to do that again.

I'm not sure why Apache ran...we think it's possible something spooked her. There were kayaks on the river, one of the mustang herds was nearby...who knows what riled her up. But when I got her back, she walked right up to me and nuzzled me. Of course, I can't be mad at her--while she realizes what she did, she apologized, and I doubt very seriously she'll do it again.

So there are two morals to this story. First: when you go to the river and decide to let your horse graze, put her halter on and tie her off FIRST before taking pictures. Second: BREAK IN YOUR BRAND NEW MARY JANE SHOES BEFORE YOU GO RIDING AND SWIMMING IN THEM. You never know when you'll have to chase after your horse when she runs away.

Oh, and by the way, I FINALLY found boat shoes at Target. DUH....

August Is Hell

2011-08-13T00:28:00.004-07:00

In Arizona, that is.

I haven't been writing on this blog because...well, I haven't had much to say, really. I have shut down for the summer since it's so hot. Phoenix gets time in the round pen here and there, but that's about it. He loves to work, though--he's very eager and does everything right almost the first time every time.

He has been really thin lately, and it was driving me nuts--no amount of food was bulking him up. So I finally started feeding him Running Horse Cut n' Slide, which is high calorie for high performance horses. That is finally working. And then, as I was standing outside with the horses yesterday, I got to looking at Phoenix and then back at Apache. I realized that hey, they look close to the same height. So I grabbed my height/weight tape, and guess what? He's now at 15.1 hands! HOLY SMOKES, no wonder he was so thin--he was shooting up! That just blows my mind! Although I guess it shouldn't. Red Hawk was 15.2 hands at 14 months, but still...it's amazing to be around a horse that is going to be so big! (Phoenix is 15 months now.)

In other news, I went on a horse camping trip with some girlfriends. We went up north to Payson, and we stayed at a boarding farm up there that does dressage. It was a great place to camp, and overall we had tons of fun. I took Apache, and she loved every minute of it. She absolutely loves camping. I'd been telling her about it the whole week before, so on Thursday when I got her out for her bath, she stood stock still and let me bathe her with no issues. Sometimes she gets all spooky about the water, but not this time. She was perfect on the trails--she was the most well behaved horse on the ride. It's amazing how much she loves trail riding, so I need to do a lot more of it with her this fall.

Now, for a story. We left on Friday and got there in the afternoon. Three of us decided to go on a quick jaunt around the area just to get boned up for the next day. Plus, I wanted to ride a mare a friend had brought with her that she's selling. She has amazing bloodlines and awesome natural gaits, so I really wanted to ride her. So as we were getting ready to go, I pulled out the boots and the helmet while my friends just rode in their sneakers. They said look at Andrea, she's being so safe! I said well, I don't know this horse, and anything can happen. They said that was true and totally agreed.

Well anything DID happen. We were only out about a quarter of a mile when we got to a sandy area that was pretty steep but also a bit washed out. Unfortunately, the mare I was riding tripped and fell to her knees. I was riding in my friend's saddle which is too big for me, and I just couldn't get my balance and came off. I landed both on my back and the back of my head. But thank God for the helmet! While I'm sure I wouldn't have died, it certainly saved me a trip to the ER! So now I will ALWAYS wear a helmet, no matter what! It was a Tipperary Sportage, so I'll be buying a new one since it's served me so well!

We also saved a horse from slaughter recently. Apache's full brother was owned by the cousin of our friend who provides us with our hay and feed. His name (the horse's) is Smokey. Smokey is gigantic. He's the same size as Sophie and ironically, has a big blaze and a right hind sock, so he's similarly marked to Phoenix. He and Phoenix actually would make a great driving team someday!

Anyway, my friend was keeping Smokey at his place for his cousin, but his cousin wasn't paying for his feed, and of course my friend wasn't going to let him starve. He and his wife finally decided they just can't afford to feed him anymore, so it was time to sell him. I offered him $500 because I knew I could find him a good home. In fact, I had four different people that wanted him! But the guy got greedy and decided he wanted to take him to auction. Unfortunately, at most auctions out here, the horses are selling for $25 per 100 lbs and most are going to slaughter. We COULD NOT let that happen. So my good friend at Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch, where I've sold them 19 horses before, called the owner directly and got him for a little more than what I had offered. I was SO happy! So Smokey came to our place for two weeks. Oh, I wish we could have kept him! He was wonderful on the trails and got along with the whole herd with no issues. Apache never squealed at him when he came--I am sure she knew he was her brother. Brian even said do you think they'd notice if we sent them Apache instead? But of course I won't give up my girl...but Smokey went to an awesome home--I am so happy he is where he is now. He is going to end up being a beginner safe horse for them as he gets older. For now, he's awesome for confident beginners, and I bet he'll be great for timid riders in the arena. But I told her if he doesn't work out, to send him back down and we'll take him!

To learn more about Stagecoach, check out their website at www.stgr.com. And click here for our page on our website with all the horses we've either sold them or helped them buy. Manhattan, Ranger, and Indigo used to be our own personal horses!

So, that's about all that's been going on. Coming up will be more about Phoenix. Since he's been so eager to work, I am probably going to take him to a small show that goes on each month out here near where I live. I'll put him in the colts and geldings halter class. Eventually I will teach him to drive and put him in the driving classes as well. So things will be moving along once the heat leaves us! So see you in September!

In With the New, Out With the Old

2011-05-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

Oops! Here's a post I found that didn't get posted last month! So, I guess I might as well post it now....

**********

Written 4/18/11

Wow, it's been almost a month since I posted. I'm heartily sorry. I was dead dog sick for two weeks straight, and then the past couple of weeks I've been catching up.

Then, there was an explosion...

Well, not really an explosion. This was the result of an afternoon with the Furminator brush. But it reminded me of this:

(The Furminator is THE BEST brush in the world for pulling out winter coats in dogs, cats and horses, by the way. It's also amazing on my collies. And don't buy an imitation one--they DO NOT work like the Furminator does. Worth every penny, I promise!)

And I have since had another grooming session that has pulled out just as much hair. It's horrid--his fur gets totally matted, and I think it's because it's so curly. So I have to pull the mats out between his front legs and by his knees in the back, which he hates. So once a week or so I get to work. There IS a black coat underneath there though!

But what's really been keeping us busy is that we've been building!

From this:

Facing west-ish

Facing east-ish

To this!

Facing west-ish

Middle / north-ish

Facing east-ish

This was a shade on a piece of property some folks we know owned. They were actually two separate shades, 40 foot x 20 foot each. We combined them into one 80 foot x 20 foot shade. And best of all: the shade itself was GIVEN to us! No kidding! We just had to disassemble it, transport it to our property, then reassemble it, and viola!

Well, not JUST...it only took us and six other people to help us do all of this. And Brian had to take time off from work so we could get it up. But it worked! I had priced a new shade, and it would have cost us about $10K to $12K to have one built. This one cost us approximately $1500 in parts, equipment rental and labor. That's it! We still have to finish the spot above Red Hawk's corral as we ran out of tin since we combined two shades together, and we are going to completely paint the steel with rustoleum because some parts are rusty. We had to buy new steel poles as the poles it came with were rusted through in some areas. But overall, we are so happy to finally have shade for our horses, and not a moment too soon--it's already starting to get into the 90s here in sunny Arizona!

Then, after the shade was built, we had some unused parts removed. Namely: Phoenix's testicles.

This boy is a LIGHTWEIGHT! She gave him very little sedative and he literally crashed to the ground! But he's no worse for wear. Slept like a baby and we finally had to make him get up when he came to as he was quite content to stay flat out, snoozing away. What's amazing is that since the surgery, there's been no major swelling or bleeding, and he's healing extremely well. He's definitely sore, but he'll get over it. (Easier said than done?) He had both testicles down, so he definitely wasn't cryptorchid, which really was a big relief. Surgery to get rid of that is very expensive and can't be done in the field.

The vet is very happy with how good he looks. She said he's at a good weight and that he is growing extremely well. She's glad to see his feet are getting better, and she is glad we're keeping a close eye on them. She agrees with us that he may grow out of his being so upright in the back since he's growing out of it in the front. She did say that she believes right now, all he is is bone and sinews and skin, and that he has no muscle tone underneath. I told her that I had noticed the same thing, and that because of that, I think I'm not going to start him under saddle until he's about 3 1/2 to 4 years old. She agreed with me. She said it'll be fine to ground drive him, let him wear a saddle, etc, but he just might not have the strength to carry a rider until then. Angel and Bella, Sophie's last two foals, were also slow growers, so this really isn't a surprise.

I measured him: 14.2 1/2 hands!!! WOW! Which actually seems a bit strange to me as lately, I have had the lucky experience to ride my trainer friend's Icelandic gelding, Geiser. He's about 13.2 hands, maybe shorter. But he is ALL horse!

These are pics of my trainer friend riding him and showing me how he goes. He is playing with his 30 gallon bucket in these photos. He LOVES to push it around the arena, step on it, step over it, bite it, and carry it around. But he'll only do it when a rider is riding him. It's so weird!

I should point out that my trainer friend is VERY small--she is about 5'3" and weighs about 100 to 110 lbs, maybe less.

Here he is gaiting. I have ridden him since I took these photos and he's very cute and funny. She said he lives up to his name, though, which is how she got him. He can just blow for what seems to be no reason. But we think it's because he gets bored and he wants to find something to do. So he goes on lots of trail rides, plays horse soccer once a week, and gets arena work. I am going to be riding him in a gaited horse clinic that she's putting on. So we think as long as we keep his mind occupied he's not going to be a problem. I am only the third person to ride him, and I got him into a very nice, true flat walk. It was so cool!

**********

I guess that's all I wrote. Perhaps I was planning to write more, but I didn't. Oh well! Hope you enjoyed this very late post!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Also Brain Surgery and Sumo Wrestling

2011-05-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

"HEY! PAY ATTENTION! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!"

In all honesty, I did not remember that today is Phoenix's birthday until I got back in the house after taking these photos and looked at the calendar.

WOW. One whole year!

From this (5-11-10):

To this (5-11-11)!

I took this pic behind the fence so you can see how tall he's gotten. He's currently 14.2 1/2 hands; the fence is approximately 5 feet tall.

One whole year has passed since my baby boy was born. It's really amazing to me to realize that in only a few more years I will be riding him!

Here's the picture from his brain surgery on April 13, 2011:

It's amazing how many people asked me if I videotaped it. I seriously considered doing so, but I didn't because I thought it would gross everyone out! But I have had several people tell me they wished I had so they could see it, including my own mom!

What a lightweight! He unfortunately CRASHED to the ground after a very small dose of sedative, but he's fine. And after we were done, he was quite happy to lay there in a happy haze of feel good meds and not get up. We had to drag him up to get him out of the round pen and into his stall. He had to stay in his stall for 24 hours to get the healing process to start, and MAN, was he mad! 24/7 turnout seems to be both a blessing and a curse sometimes! Although it's much more often a blessing!

The surgery was absolutely textbook. He healed in no time with very little swelling and discomfort. Both testicles were there, so he's definitely not cryptorchid. AND he will now let me touch his pee-pee* when he would fight me before when I tried to touch it, yet Scott was able to touch it. I cannot figure that one out. I've always thought he was mellow, but he is now even MORE mellow since the surgery. He would get pushy here and there, but that seems to be fading fast. The vet told me that it's quite possible the testosterone was making him more pushy and stubborn than he could be.

We spent some time talking about his weight and growth. The vet said that he looks great, and that if he gets ribby to just add more hay. She said that he is really all sinews and bone right now with no real muscle development. I told her that I was thinking about not starting him until he was 3 1/2 or 4, and she agreed. I told her how Angel, Sophie's previous foal, wasn't started until she was 3 1/2 for the same reason. She said that could just be how Sophie's foals grow--that they're very slow. She said she thinks it's a good idea to just give him growing time before really riding him. Saddling, ground driving, and just sitting on his back are okay, but no riding. I'm glad she and I are on the same page with that. She is very happy with how well taken care of he is and said I'm doing a great job.

His feet are also really getting a great shape to them. I think he's going to have draft horse type feet since his mama has them as well as his dad. His back feet continue to not be so posty as well, so he's not looking like he has four clubbed feet anymore! I'm hoping that his feet will be so strong from being raised on such hard ground that I won't even need boots for trail riding.

More pictures from today:

Dancer is in the photos with him. His birthday is in just a few days!

One year ago (5-21-2010, a week or so after his birthday):

Today (5-11-2011):

To explain, Dancer is hanging at our house for a while while Amee is getting some pasture work done (reseeding, time for recovery, etc.). Since she is going to keep him intact for a while so he'll get a thicker neck and jowl on him, he is in his own separate area that we fenced off from the main turnout. Apache has been teasing him, and we don't want him to learn how to be a stud, so we have to keep him separate. I put Phoenix in there with him during the day and then at night Phoenix comes back with Red and Apache for his evening supplements.

Red Hawk absolutely DID NOT like a rival stud coming onto his territory! Well, of course, Red isn't a stud any longer, but he can still act like one when it comes to other horses. He put Dancer in his place EXTREMELY fast. Biting, kicking, rearing between the fences. Apache would come up to check on Dancer, and he'd chase her away, baring his teeth at Dancer. It was fascinating to watch. But now they're buds--they groom each other over the fence. Respect has been established. If I knew that Apache wouldn't have a fit if she was alone in her area, I would put all the boys together to see how they'd do.

Here are some pics of the boys playing. They are in sequential order. They remind me so much of sumo wrestlers. They will stand and pick at each other, like they're trying to intimidate. Then there's a flurry of rearing and running, and then they walk away to square off again. Phoenix always wins, though. He decides when enough is enough. Dancer will sometimes pick at him, but it doesn't take much for Phoenix to tell him I don't feel like playing. It's all very funny and keeps me laughing!

Of course, I can't leave out Apache and Red. To get the above shots of Phoenix and Dancer, I sat on top of the one of the fence panels. Apache and Red did not like that they weren't getting attention. So I obliged by taking a few pics.

We've had some wind, so hay has gotten blown all over the place. Makes the horses walk around to eat, though, which is good for their bellies.

Here's Apache's butt, which she wanted me to scratch. Note the dirty spot where I scratched her. Miss Dirty Pants.

Red Hawk's head, which mostly sniffed my feet and side when I wouldn't scratch him. I think he knows it tickles me so I will pay attention to him.

It has been an amazing journey to watch my little man grow up. Here's to 30 more years of health and growth! May we always be continually learning together!

*For those of you who are non-horsey, lemme 'splain. And this may sound really gross, so you have been warned. Male horses, either stallions or geldings, need their sheaths and pee-pees** cleaned here and there. While they have their own bacteria to fight infection, it is possible for any debris or dirt to cause blockages or infections if they aren't cleaned. They should only be cleaned about once every six months or so, although some people do it more often. We also have to check for "beans," which are round deposits of urea that get lodged in the head of the pee-pee. Beans can cause blockage to the urethra, which can in turn cause infection in the urinary tract.

**The reason I am using the term "pee-pee" is so my blog doesn't get flagged for foul language or whatever type of flagging can be done and make it not readable anymore.

You Know Summer in Arizona is Coming When...

2011-04-18T22:22:00.005-07:00

EDITED 4/20/11*

So I completely forgot to take some photos today so I could finish my most recent post! So I figure I'll entertain you with photos from an impromptu moonlight ride on Saturday and some musings about Arizona.

Well, it wasn't quite dark yet, obviously, but those Arizona sunsets are something else! In the photos with the horses, that's me on Apache in the back and Sophie, Phoenix's dam, being ridden by her new owner, Moriah. Unfortunately, Amee has run into the problem so many of us have: too many horses, not enough time! So I told Moriah about her, who had met Sophie once before. I knew she'd be a perfect match for the TWH gelding she already has. So she bought her and Sophie is now in a forever home where both Amee and I will always get to see her! Amee and Moriah's husband also were on the ride. Amee rode Dancer's dam, Mystic.

In Arizona, the best time to ride in the summer is when there is enough moonlight to see. Otherwise you either have to take the horses up north to the mountains to ride or you have to be up before the crack of dawn to ride because it's usually at least 100 degrees by 9 am. We are getting close to summer. Right now the weather is in the high 80s, low 90s, but I have discovered how to tell when summer is about ready to burn its solar heat down on us.

You Know Summer in Arizona is Coming When...

You're wearing shorts in February.

You want to take a drink from the hose when working in the yard, but you have to run the hose for five minutes before drinking because the water's too hot.

You start finding shady places to park in parking lots, regardless of distance to the store.

You decide to put away the winter clothes in March, which involves washing a couple of lightweight jackets, a few pairs of jeans, a hoodie or two, and your seven pairs of socks and then putting them in the back of the closet, ready to be used again in November.

You inventory your flip-flop collection and figure out how many new pairs you need to buy to have a different pair for each day of the month.

You change over to using the air conditioning in early April, even though you never did turn on the heat for the winter.

You start contemplating if owning a black car with a black interior is really worth suffering through another summer of sticky seats and sweaty backs by the time you get to work.

You pull your clothes out of the washer and they are warm...when you had it set on a cold water cycle.

You start an office pool for what date it will finally hit the triple digits.

You start wondering why you even live in this state in the first place!

*I posted this list on my Facebook page. Here are some excellent additions from my friends!

You can take a warm shower while just using the cold water tap--taking a cold shower to cool off is not even an option.

You can't leave your clean clothes in the washer for even a couple hours or they'll mildew.

You never leave the house without something on your feet, even just to take a bag out to the trash can or check the mail. Serious burns can result.

Your hair resembles the straw you just put in your horses' stalls.

You can feel the moisture being sucked from your body when you step outside.

Your makeup melts when you get in your car.

You comb your car for lipstick, chewing gum or cans of soda before getting out, because leaving them in there means they will melt or explode.

Riding horses between the hours of 9 am and 9 pm is NOT an option.

You put a potholder in your purse for opening the car door.

You laugh when you see a car with leather seats. Or If you have leather seats, you wear Bermuda shorts to prevent burning your legs.

On February 2nd, when the round-tailed ground squirrel comes out of his hole, if he bursts into flames...it'll be a long hot summer.

Your good intentions to get your air conditioner serviced falls short because all service providers are booked for the next five months.

The snowbirds leave, aka the traffic dies down in Sun City and Apache Junction because all the old people move back to the Midwest.

You have to bring a parka with you when you want to go shopping, dining or to the movies because the air conditioning is blasting so cold.

You own a motorcycle to save gas, but you drive to work in a car because it's too hot on the bike.

When you pick up fresh chicken eggs they are already hard-boiled.

You can't sit on a concrete bench as the heat goes right through you clothes and burns your butt and legs.

No Go

2011-03-20T21:21:00.002-07:00

Well, sometimes things happen for a reason. I have whatever really nasty flu virus is going around right now, and I mean it's REALLY nasty. It started Monday night and hasn't quit, and here it is Sunday. So off to the doc I go tomorrow for antibiotics or whatever they suggest for whatever I've got! I have not been this sick in a while, where I literally cannot even do my work. Usually when I'm sick I can do all of my work--I just break it up during the day or I take a half day. But I couldn't even do my work this week. That's how bad it was.

So, because I am so sick we didn't go to the Carousel Horse Show. And obviously it was for a reason, because today my husband was outside doing some cleanup and he discovered that the tread on one of the tires on our trailer is starting to separate. JOY. I doubt I would have driven off with it like that because I always check the trailer hitch and tires before I leave, but MAN, what a bummer it would have been to discover that because I would have bathed Phoenix and everything first!

I guess that I got sick so I wouldn't go and endanger myself and my colt. So thanks to the Gods who decided to get me sick...I will watch out for signs the next time I get sick as well!

Hindquarters Success!

2011-03-14T18:52:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I just now realized that I need to finish my Breeding 101 series! So that will be coming up soon.

In the meantime, I've been working with Phoenix and we FINALLY got yielding of the hindquarters! So here's what I did. Since I know round pen work so well, I started with that. Phoenix does get bucky here and there, so all I have to do is chase him away and make him run when he bucks. I use my stick to snap the lanyard at him, and he goes. He always he gives in very fast on this because he doesn't like to run! Once we established that I'm the alpha, then he calmed right down and was licking and chewing. So I did some work with just asking for outside turns*, asking him to whoa and then come in to me, teaching him how to touch my hand when I say the word "touch." Once he was really licking and chewing and I could tell he really understood, then I was able to hook on the long line to his nylon halter and start working on yielding the hindquarters. At first he just didn't know what I was asking and just stood there, and I could see him thinking. Then he suddenly yielded, AND He did it right--inside leg crossing over the outside leg. I was SO proud of him! I rubbed him and petted him and he loved that. We were able to do the other side in a snap. Then I was even able to do his front end a little bit, although he's not as good at it.

What's even better is this work has transferred to the turnout as well. I can get him to yield his hindquarters out there. The front end is still a problem, so he'll just need more work with it first in the round pen. This training method is going to work great for him because it's transferring to all kinds of other type of work.

I also took him on an adventure of sorts. I have been riding with a friend of mine and teaching her how to use the bitless bridle on her geldings. She has a TWH and a QH. She bought my old Dr. Cooks bridle from me and had a bitless one made. I don't care as long as her horses are bitless! Her TWH is already calmer without the bit in his mouth.

So anyway, on Friday, I took Apache and Phoenix to her place. We were going to go to a local arena that she's a member of and work on how to use the bridle there before going on a trail ride. I took Phoenix and left him at her house with her QH. This was a great way to get Phoenix away from the house and his herd. He was in panic mode when he was separated from Apache, but my friend has a huge area for her horses, so he had plenty of room to run and work off his panic, and the QH is an old man and didn't hurt him. When we came back he was happily munching on the hay.

Our next adventure is this Saturday--I'm taking him to the Carousel Charity Horse Show for the day. I want him to see the show venue and will walk him around the grounds to get him used to the sights and sounds. I bet it's going to be challenging for him, but I'm excited to do it. I might also take him to Calista's house to visit his biological daddy! So pictures will be coming soon!

* I use John Lyons' methods for round pen work as that's how I was originally taught when it came to switching to non-aggressive horse training methods and learning how to read a horse correctly. I have found that Lyons' methods have ALWAYS worked for me. Well, that's not true--there was ONE horse that it didn't work on: Stetson. Someday I'll write a post about Stetson. But aside from Stetson, every single horse I've worked with has come right around to me with these methods. If you want to learn more, click here for Round Pen: First Steps, a downloadable book from John Lyons' website.

I Don't Have Time = You Shouldn't Own A Horse

2011-03-07T22:19:00.004-07:00

Need to vent. BADLY.

So I ran into a woman who owns a horse. She's had her for something like four years. Bought her as a green broke 2 year old, and this was after selling her current horse who was a green broke 4 yo that she complained about a not having enough training. Let's call the horse she bought Trixie.

Currently, Trixie is showing a lot of food aggression problems. I've actually had problems with her myself--she tried to kick my head off once with both barrels when I went to feed her one evening, and OH MAN did I get after her in her stall. She also charged me and pushed past me to get out of her stall one time. Apparently she's gotten so bad that no one wants to put her feed in her stall because she charges. Trixie also has no respect on the ground--she runs over her owner and is always in your space. So her owner asked for help with both these issues. Brian went over to help her.

He spent about 30 minutes with Trixie. Within that 30 minutes, he did some basic round pen work and asked her to yield her hindquarters, yield her front end, and do some general movements such as: following him around the pen and stopping when he said whoa without touching her; backing on command; stopping on the outside of the pen and not coming in; and various other exercises. Trixie is an extremely smart horse, and she picked all of this up lickity-split. In fact, I imagine she might be looking for someone to be her leader and that's one reason why she learns so well.

Her owner kept saying she just didn't know if she could do all of this because SHE JUST DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME. Brian said look, how long did this take me? 30 minutes? Even if you come out here for 10 minutes before each time she's fed and do some of this work in her stall, that's 10 minutes you're spending on something with her. He told her that I can train this horse all you want and make her perfect, but if she doesn't have any respect for you, then it won't help. You have to find time for her.

This comes down to my point, which unfortunately I see a lot. People buy an untrained or green broke horse who only have weekends that they are willing to devote their time to the horse with. They think that since it's green broke, it'll just learn the rest of it's training as they ride it on the trails. But then problems arise, and they don't know what to do with the problems, so they start looking for help, claiming they don't have the time to do it themselves.

There are three solutions to this problem: the hard solution, the easy solution, and the solution no one wants to talk about.

The hard solution: MAKE time for your horse and LEARN how to work with your horse. Yeah, I know, it's HAAAAARRRD. But a horse is not a machine: it has a working brain and is its own life entity. It doesn't get trained standing in a stall, and it certainly won't get respect for you if you're not out there spending time with it on a regular basis. And going outside or to the barn and petting your horse and giving it some treats for five minutes is NOT training. People will say that these horses are bonded to them, but really they're not--it just so happens that your horse knows whenever you come outside it gets fed or gets a treat. Respect is what helps build a bond, especially with horses. And no one else can train your horse--you need to do it yourself. You've currently built up a relationship that has been fueled by a lack of respect, so you have to change that yourself. A trainer may be able to work with your horse and bring him back around, but as soon as he's home he'll be back to his old tricks.

The easy solution: Sell your current horse and find a dead broke older horse that has been there, done that in the discipline you want to pursue. Find that horse that can ridden only once a week for an hour at a time and is push button. This horse might be extremely expensive, but he'll be worth it in the long run. That doesn't mean that problems won't happen, but if you have a horse that has solid training and is respectful of people then you'll have much less problems than you would have if you had the green horse that needs lots of work.

The solution no one wants to talk about: Sell the horse and don't get another one. Period. Why? Because it is not fair to the horse to continue to expect it to be perfect every time you ride it. It's not fair for you to expect the horse to be trained when you think you don't have time. A horse is a major commitment. It's not an ATV that can be tossed into the garage and not worried about until you want to use it. It needs you to be it's leader and if you can't be that, or if you choose not to make time to be that, then you have no business owning a horse.

Overall, the lesson is this: TIME IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. If you choose to pursue other hobbies while you have a horse over working with the horse, or if you allow your job to take over your life, or even if you have a family with kids that constantly demand your attention, then you have to decide what's best for your relationship with your horse. A horse is a commitment too. Ask your husband to start taking the kids to soccer practice or pick them up from school so you can go see your horse a few times a week. Cut down on the amount of hobbies you have. Start setting boundaries at work for your time (such as no more 60 hour work weeks), or find a job that has more flexibility when it comes to time management. If you can't do any of this, then ask yourself why you have a horse, and whether it's really necessary for you to have one at all.

Colt Clinic Success and Shameless Plug

2011-02-21T22:45:00.002-07:00

Okay first, the Shameless Plug. Just to get it out of the way. I have begun a new blog: The Burton Inspiration. This one's not horse related, although I'm sure horse stuff will come up. It's to document my design upgrade from my blah office into my Tim Burton inspired work room. It's also a place for me to talk about a lot of my other things I enjoy, like movies, horror, reading, crafts, and all kinds of fun stuff. So feel free to visit and post suggestions!

Okay, on to the clinic!

Well, first the bath, which was the day before:

Honestly, Phoenix was just a mess. This is him suds up. We don't have a wash rack yet, so he's rooting for non-soapy hay on the ground. I use a spray on shampoo sprayer because I have carpal tunnel, and scrubbing with a sponge or curry is extremely painful for me after about five minutes. I use EQ Solutions mixed with Horse Sense Emerald Black concentrated shampoo. I LOVE the Horse Sense line. Their stuff is by far the best color enhancing shampoo out there. I've tried A LOT of different brands, and theirs is the best, hands down. I also love EQ Solutions because it's all natural, biodegradable, doesn't sting if it gets in the horses eyes, and the horses come away cleaner than any other spray on shampoo I've used.

This is him drying:

Um, yeeeah. Could've sworn I didn't have a Curly Horse on my hands! WOW, what a curly mess. But perhaps that's why he's so soft. I've petted Curly Horses before, and I do think they're softer than regular horses. Maybe the curls are the key...? I imagine this comes from the Percheron side because Sophie is not curly like this when she's wet.

I don't have a foal blanket, and it was starting to get chilly, so I just draped this old beach towel over him. But even after I took it off and it really did take him forever to dry, he never shivered or acted cold. Guess it's that Percheron cold weather blood in him.

He didn't come away perfectly clean, but definitely a lot cleaner than we started. I then doused him with Show Sheen. I thought for sure we'd have a fit over the spray bottle because he hated fly spray when he was little. But he didn't mind this at all. But I really and truly think that the reason he and Apache don't like the fly spray is the brand. I used an oil-based chemical brand, and I think it was the smell. I switched to Repel-35 by Bio Groom (all natural and water-based) and both he and Apache are more apt to let me spray them.

Anyway, I was able to easily get any extra dirt off of him Friday morning since I Show Sheened him. He was soft, fluffy, and silky, and has kinda stayed that way for the past few days.

This is Phoenix and the trainer, Mary Sutherland. She uses natural horsemanship methods but doesn't necessarily subscribe to just one person. She uses a lot of different techniques and considers what works best for the horse and for the owner. Folks, if you live in Arizona and want to work with someone who has a strong insight for learning about the horse and working with what works for that horse, then I recommend Mary. I learned some great new stuff at the clinic.

Here are all of the colts. From left to right, they are Sport: an Arabian bred for endurance, Nikki who is a Moreisian, Phoenix, and Phoenix's little brother, Dancer.

Remember Dancer? He was the Percheron/Friesian cross that was born a few days after him. He's turning gray and looks much more like a Friesian than a Percheron. He is for sale--if anyone is interested in a REALLY nice colt that is going to make an awesome carriage and saddle horse, this is your chance to own one inexpensively! Go to Charming Pony Parties to contact Dancer's owner. Dancer isn't going to be huge. I didn't realize this, but Mystic, his dam, is only 15.3, and the sire, Payton, is only 16.1. So this will be a great horse for doing a lot of different stuff with.

Dancer has just as quiet a temperament as Phoenix does. While we did some introductions and talking, we sat in the arena with Phoenix and Dancer loose to hang out together. They were adorable and remembered each other. Sport was in the round pen, which is right off of the arena, so they also got to socialize with him.

In fact, all of the colts got along. While everyone was curious about each other, no one fought and everyone listened to thier owners. Nikki's owner, who hosted the clinic at her place, said she was a bit worrieda bout three stud colts with her filly. But honestly, NONE of the colts acted studdish and they were all extremely well behaved.

I have to be honest--I think Sport is the perfect Arabian. I could not get over his amazing conformation and head. He was specifically bred to be an endurance horse. He will be about 15.3 to 16 hands. This colt is level-headed and eager to learn. He's about 8 months old now. He has a sweet temperament and a kind eye. I wish I had a good conformation shot of him. He is also for sale--I can direct you to his owner if you are interested.

Isn't this an amazing head? I hate the dished faces of the current show Arabians. They are so ugly. This horse has just the right dish IMHO. I just could not stop looking at him--I was so amazed at how beautiful and correct he is.

I also wish I had some great conformation shots of Nikki. She was fabulously beautiful. Her dam, who the owner also has right there on the property, is an incredibly correct and large Morgan mare. Again, a real asset to her breed. She's the kind of old-fashioned Morgan but has a really feminine look to her. The dam was bred to a Friesian stallion here in AZ and Nikki was the result. She has her mother's feminine look but is built similar to a Friesian, only not as bulky. These two horses were a perfect match. Again, another horse I couldn't stop looking at!

It's kinda hard to go over what we learned because Mary just basically had us try different exercises and different obstacles. She went over using different kinds of pressure--from pressure and release to steady pressure--and how to let our tools (the halter, rope and stick) do the work for us. The goal was to allow the colt to think about what to do, not to force him into it. We would do an exercise, then stop and let the colt think about it for a while. We didn't push the colts--just let them rest when they did it right. We also found things that the colts had real problems with and worked on those. For instance, Phoenix can get kicky when I try to touch his pee-pee, so we worked on that as well. He wasn't kicky at all for me when I touched it yesterday!

Here's Dancer on the bridge:

I personally learned how to better use the lunge line and how to send Phoenix forward using it. I learned how to better use a rope halter as well and how, depending on the situation, it can work better than a regular web/nylon halter. I will still have my regular halters, but I have a red rope halter that I bought for Phoenix when he's bigger that I can use when needed.

Mary said that Phoenix is a deep thinker, and I have to say I agree. He can be stubborn when he wants to. But when he does something right, we need to wait and give him time to think about it. He locks his jaw and his lips while he thinks. Then he starts licking and chewing, and you know he's really getting it. So sometimes we'd spend a good five minutes or so to let him really let the information sink in before starting on something new.

Phoenix needs to work on yielding his hindquarters better. When he gets frustrated, he tries to just plow through you. So if we can get his hindquarters to yield, that will be our "come back to me" moment for him to face us and rethink what's going on.

Also, HE WAS GAITING! He gaited on the lunge line and had a PERFECT flat walk! As soon as he lifts his head, he trots. So I know what I'll need to do when I'm in the saddle--just make sure his top line and head are relaxed and he will gait automatically. It's not going to be hard, especially with the bitless bridle.

I took some video with my Droid, so here are two videos of Mary working with Phoenix. This was the first try on the bridge for him. I was very proud of him.

Phoenix getting on the bridge:

Phoenix on the bridge and off again:

I also have a 10 minute video of him trying really hard to stand on the wood stump, like Nikki here (who is extremely proud of herself):

Nikki has worked on a lot of these obstacles already, but she needed the refresher and she also needed to be around other colts. That's something all our colts needed--to get away from home and their usual pals and be out with others in a new environment.

Overall, the whole thing was extremely relaxing and educational. Here are a bunch of pictures of me and Phoenix. PLEASE excuse how fat I am--I really am trying hard to lose weight. (And know that it is REALLY hard for me to post these pics!)

This one is my favorite:

Mr. Friendly! He didn't take her hat or chew on her--just checked her out and walked over to me when I called him.

Overall, the clinic was really nice. We are going to try to plan another one so the colts can have more time together. Should be tons of fun to see where everyone is in a few months' time!

That's it for now, and don't forget my Shameless Plug: The Burton Inspiration! ;)

Breeding 101 - Point 2: Research, Research and More Research

2011-02-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

Now we are onto the next step of our breeding our perfect foal: the research. Research can be complex, but with this wonderful thingie called the Internet, our research can be a lot easier.

It is important to do this research for many reasons, but most of it is to (let's say it together) stack the odds in your favor. There are some pretty obvious things you'll want out of your match such as a healthy foal, good conformation, and good trainability. No one wants to breed for a horse that will have genetic issues, which can include mental and spiritual issues along with physical.

So, the following are the areas that I recommend performing your research. You may find that you might want to add to this research, but it all depends on what you are going to think you'll need during this process.

Caring for a Pregnant Mare and Raising Foals

First, if you have never raised a foal before, learn about it before jumping into this. The quality of the foal doesn't just depend on the mare and the stallion's quality. It also depends on the care you give the mare during her pregnancy.

Now I will be honest--I am not into all of the ultrasounds, various types of shots, foaling locations, etc. that some breeding barns that have multi-thousand dollar stud fees are capable of doing. I need to save money just like anyone else. So these are what I have learned to be the most essential parts to learn about in caring for your mare.

1. Ultrasound or palpation to determine if she is pregnant or not. And really, an ultrasound is the best way to go. Palpation is very safe, but an embryo can be missed if it's in an area that the vet can't reach. Plus it's easier to see if there are twins in the uterus. If there are twins, the right thing to do is to terminate one of the two embryos for the safety of the foals and the dam.

2. Regular shots and deworming schedule. Work out the vaccinations and deworming schedule with your veterinarian, and don't forget about your other horses as well. Your other horses will need to be vaccinated on a schedule that coincides with your pregnant mare to make sure they don't pass anything on to her or the foal that could jeopardize the immune system of either of them.

Now if you are not a person who gives shots, then make sure you find natural supplements that help boost the mare's immune system and reproductive system and that will be passed on to the foal. You don't want your mare catching Rhino, which in most cases will cause the mare to abort the foal, or for the foal to not be ready for the environment outside of his momma's womb.

3. Quality of feed. I personally never feed alfalfa to any horse--it is not good for them as it is not a grass and has too much protein and sugar for a horse's needs. So I feed as good of quality of grass hay as I can find, and I find a mare and foal supplement that will help the growth of the foal and help support the mare's system to carry the foal well.

Know also that is it absolutely NOT NORMAL for a pregnant or nursing mare to be thin. If you even begin to see her ribs, pump her full of extra food. If she is losing weight rapidly, contact your vet. A mare that is thin cannot provide the nutrients to the foal that are necessary for its growth both in the womb and once it's outside of it. While foals that are born to thin mares can certainly be given supplements to help them grow correctly, it is much better to start this quality of growth in the womb.

Now, your research on raising a foal should include more than just what I talked about above. You need to understand how a mare foals, what to do when she's close to her due date, what kind of environment she needs to have the foal, and what to do with the foal in the few minutes after it's born. All of this is going to be dependent on where you live, what time of year she'll foal, what kind of horse setup you have, and what your mare's needs will be.

You also might be interested in learning about Dr. Robert Miller's Imprint Training. Click the link to learn more. I am a firm believer in handling foals after they're born because it makes them easier to handle for the basics in life later on. Plus, if there is an emergency, such as a severe cut or a colicking foal, I want to be able to catch the foal and work with him without worrying about his behavior. Be careful, however, with any imprint method that you might try--it is very easy to over-imprint a foal where it can become pushy and dangerous as it gets older. My personal handling includes haltering the foal within 24 hours after it's born, teaching it to give to pressure with the halter on, learning to be caught, lead, load and bathe, standing for grooming and any vet care necessary (shots, deworming and the vet himself), and handling its feet. Anything more you want to do is entirely up to you.

Via

Sire and Dam Breeds and Quality

First and foremost, and I cannot make this clear enough: your foal is 50% sire and 50% dam. This means that a great sire is not always going to "fix" a poor quality dam's issues, and vice versa. You must find a stallion and a mare who are both equally good horses that match to create your offspring. Click here for a quick and easy to read article titled "Questioning breeding myths in light of genetics." My favorite quote from this article is this:

"...Breeding horses is not like following a recipe to make a cake. You cannot precisely measure or direct the ingredients (genes) of the pedigree mixture as you can the flour, sugar, chocolate, eggs and baking powder for a cake. You can construct pedigrees to look very similar on paper, but the individuals described by those pedigrees may be phenotypically (and genetically) quite different."

So many people will tout their stallion's capabilities without thinking about how the mare will affect the foal. This in turn makes people think the stallion is the one who gives all of his genetic information to the foal. This is simply not true because of how nature herself works. But there is a good rule of thumb to observe that I agree with: start with a good mare. If you do this, the you can always find an awesome stallion to help boost your mare's good qualities and provide some good qualities of his own. How does he boost her good qualities? By having the same ones.

So, first you need to learn more about the breed or breeds you will be working with. In my example, I had already done my research on the kinds of horses I wanted for my cross in the years and years I've spent with gaited horses. I know exactly what temperament I wanted because I knew the gaited breeds so well, and I definitely wanted a TWH mare because of that running walk, the most basic of all the gaited horse gaits. I did need to research draft horses, though, to make sure I had the kind of draft I wanted in mind.

I found in my research that the best choices for my foal's sire would be a Shire, Clydesdale or Percheron. All three of the breeds had the body types, head type, and temperaments I wanted. They are also breeds that are most successful in producing quality offspring with a cross.

I will be honest: I came across Merlin completely by chance. How I found him can be read here. I had also already found Sophie in a way--I had helped Amee find a large riding horse for her husband online, and that's how she got Sophie. Sophie came to Arizona in 2005 or so, and I always had it in the back of my mind to breed to her for my draft cross. I'd talked with Amee and she had given me permission to do so.

When you do your research, be sure to find out the qualities each breed or the sire and dam have so as to create your perfect horse. You might find that the qualities you want in your foal are not in the breed that you have originally chosen.

Research doesn't just come from the Internet. Find out about shows and events in your area and go watch some of the horses. This doesn't mean you're going to buy a show horse, but it can give you an idea of what you're looking for and, sometimes even more importantly, what you're not looking for. You might learn of bloodlines that you really like or ones you want to stay away from. You might see different types of conformation that will make or break your plans for your foal.

Overall, your research should reflect your goals. If you want your foal to be a future jumper, be sure to pick a breed that's capable of doing it. While any horse can be trained to jump, if you want to be successful in the ring, you wouldn't want to pick a large, heavy draft horse or a gaited horse for your future aspirations (unless you're only showing in breed-specific venues that provide jumping). The same is true for any discipline, even trail riding. A trail riding horse should have a strong hind end for propelling himself forward, well-balanced conformation, strong bones, stamina, and healthy hooves, along with all of the regular things you need in a horse (overall good health, overall good conformation, etc.).

I also always advocate going to visit the stallion before breeding to him. An owner can tell you whatever they want about their stallion long distance. This doesn't mean the owner will lie, but he/she might be looking at the stallion through a bit of rose-colored glasses. Plus, what one person thinks is a good quality may not be what you want in your horse. Be sure to visit the stallion several times, interact with him, watch him when he's turned out, and even ask to ride him. A good stallion owner will let any experienced rider ride his stallion. As one of my trainers once said: anyone should be able to ride your stallion.

I also am of the mind that a great stallion acts like a gelding. You forget he's a stallion when you're around him. A fire-breathing, prancing, walking package of dynamite can reflect both poor training on the owners' part and an excitable temperament. You should never fear a stallion--you should be able to spend time with him and love him as much as you are going to love your own foal. This is exactly how I feel about Merlin. I always forgot I was with a stallion and he always made me feel so special and loved, so it was easy to love him back. Phoenix has gotten these same qualities.

As for your mare, the same rules apply as with the stallion. If you want to own your own mare and don't have a lot of funds, there are great ways to obtain a mare inexpensively. For example, if you want a jumper or a dressage horse, consider rescuing an off-the-track Thoroughbred (OTTB). Be ready to invest some time in a horse like that, though, as she will need retraining. Have a trainer on hand to help you, especially when picking her out.

There are also lots of times when good mares have been injured and are breeding sound only. Be sure that the injury was external, however, and not something that she had inherited genetically and could pass onto her offspring. For example, laminitis is usually caused by external issues, such as overfeeding or poor hoof care. Be sure to find out what kind of ride she used to be, however, so you know what you're getting in your offspring.

I do not recommend breeding to a mare to "settle her down" or because she's not a good riding horse (this excludes horses that have had injuries that make them unable to be ridden). If she's bitchy or isn't a good ride, then you have that probability of passing that on to your foal. A good stallion cannot always "fix" bad issues with a mare.

So after all of that, here is my example with the qualities I needed in creating my perfect foal.

Tennessee Walking Horse Mare

True running walk that is easy to maintain under saddle.

Slightly pacey - I will be breeding to a trotting horse and I want the pace to even out the trot and create the flat walk.

Big - 16.2 hands or bigger.

Big bone to match a draft horse's bone size.

Color - homozygous for spots.

Quiet, easy-going temperament.

Intelligent and easy to train.

Draft Stallion

Not too big--nothing taller than 17 hands.

Built to both ride and drive - needs a short back, strong hindquarters, and a wide neck and chest for pulling.

Not so wide that I'm doing the splits on his back.

Comfortable gaits, especially the trot.

Color - any color but gray.

Quiet, easy-going temperament.

Intelligent and easy to train.

Why did I include color in there? Because it truly was important to me at the time. I wanted my spotted gaited draft cross, period. And I didn't want a horse that turned gray as gray is very hard to keep clean and I don't like how gray changes color over time. That's just a weird personal preference of mine--that doesn't mean I don't think gray is pretty! We thought that Sophie was homozygous for spots, but it turns out it was her dam that was, not her. But I absolutely was not disappointed that I didn't get the spots. I got a gorgeous black colt with some chrome, and that to me was perfect since I have my black and white horse in Apache.

Now, I had found a Shire stallion that had a lot of what I wanted. Problem was he was 17.2, and he had come from an abusive home so he was skittish, so I wasn't able to learn who he was when he calmed down because I lost touch with the owner. I ended up not choosing him for various reasons (click here to find out why). I'm glad that I didn't breed to him and found Merlin instead--I needed to focus on exactly what I wanted and not make compromises in areas that were not just my wants but also my needs. I just can't climb up onto a horse that's much taller than 16.2 to 17 hands, and who knows what his temperament was truly like.

Next we'll talk about the final point in "making" the horse of your dreams: Step outside your emotions and look at the sire and dam for their strengths and weaknesses. This is perhaps the most important step as it will give you an idea of all possible outcomes in your foal.

And lastly, isn't this just a gorgeous painting? I thought it falls perfectly into the idea of "making" the horse of your dreams!

Click here for artist and source

I'm working on it! I SWEAR!

2011-02-09T01:40:00.002-07:00

I started the next Breeding 101 article tonight, so I will have it up! I just need to go to bed.

I just wanted to relay that Brian and I took Phoenix on his walkies on Sunday. We were exhausted from having friends over the day before, so we just didn't feel like saddling up to ride. It was much easier to halter the colt and head out on the trail!

Brian lead him and Phoenix did great. This was the first time Brian has ever been on a walk with him, so Brian really wanted to lead him and I'm glad he did. We had some trouble going over a very deep wash--Phoenix didn't want to cross it and he did jump it a couple of times when we wanted him to walk it. But we'll work on it some more. He was much better behaved this time since I didn't take him down to the road and was his usual calm self. At one point Brian was leading him so he gave me the rope and went to get behind him so we can simulate driving again. Phoenix totally stopped right in his tracks! He was like hey, he was leading me, so I can't walk anymore since he's not in front of me. It was so funny!

Phoenix is such a wonderful presence to have around. He's calm and curious and so ready to be your friend. And here's something fun: I'll be taking him to a colt clinic on February 18th. It's going to be for six owners and their colts and we will be exposing them to obstacles, making them stand tied, all kinds of stuff. I'm excited to get some new ideas for things to do with Phoenix while he's still growing up! I will make sure to get lots of pictures!

Breeding 101 COMING SOON and Something Fun in the Meantime

2011-02-01T00:35:00.016-07:00

I realize that I haven't posted my third part of my Breeding 101 articles. Sorry about that. I ended up stepping on and crushing my glasses a couple of weeks ago. So I spent a week and a half with no glasses and experiencing terrible headaches. I couldn't drive (even though I did) and couldn't do anything for long periods, such as sitting in front of the computer, watching TV, whatever. In fact, I couldn't even see the TV unless I was up close to it. So I missed two new episodes of Dirty Jobs, which was quite traumatizing.

The sad part is that I'm actually nearsighted, not farsighted, so technically I shouldn't have gotten headaches when looking at the computer screen. However, the lenses were polarized, so it made looking at the glare of the screen easier on my eyes. So I was getting headaches because of the screen's glare.

In short, I have sensitive eyes. And they don't like being made fun of. You have to be very careful how you talk around them or they'll get really upset.

So, I will get to my next Breeding 101 post soon. In the meantime, I took Phoenix on a walk today and walked by the busy street. Yeah. Not sure that was a good idea without Daddy coming along (as in Brian). He FREAKED at a big diesel cab that went past us, and that was just on the road by our house. Then we went to the main road and while I had a lot of room for him to freak out and dance around, I'm not sure he understood the concept of cars won't hurt you and you want to stand still when cars go by by the time I was done. Plus, there was a gorgeous QH/Arab X (maybe--that's what he looked like: solid black with a bald face, not common in Arabs, even though he had an Arab-type head and body) nearby in a large turnout that was going nutso as I was trying to work with Phoenix. That horse was obviously young and was kicking up his heels, and quite frankly Phoenix just wanted to go say hi. But that might have been more of the problem than the cars were. I did get two half-hearted bucks in my direction, but I turned him directly into me like I learned from Clinton Anderson. I didn't jerk on his head, though--I just put heavy pressure on the rope and letting him crash into the halter and turn himself.

He was fine on the roads without cars. Even when we almost got hit by one who was going way too fast and doesn't know the law of the county which states that humans and horses get right of way, even over pedestrians and cyclists. Since there was wind blowing in my face, I didn't hear this SUV coming up behind us, and when I did hear it, Phoenix and I DOVE into the ditch next to the road and quite frankly narrowly avoided being hit. I don't think I've moved that quick in a long time.

We did have a funny moment. He was trying to hurry hojme and was getting ahead of me, so I said okay, let's practice me being behind and driving then. This is something we've been practicing at home--I have been teaching him to drive by just having my training stick and tapping him so he'll walk in front of me. I use the stick on alternating shoulders when he tries to turn. I don't need a halter or anything--he's learning this one really fast. So we did it on the road, only I just held onto the lead rope behind him. He took to it really well--just walked ahead at a steady pace and let me guide from behind. Then he didn't want to do it anymore and waited for me to get up to his head. After that he wasn't trying to walk in front of me anymore. It was cute.

I am really lucky Phoenix respects the halter--as soon as he'd feel the pressure he'd turn or release. When he freaked, he never bolted--as soon as he felt that pressure of the halter it was STOP and think. So I didn't go for a drag. But we still have some space issues. More round pen work is at hand.

He has gained over 10 lbs since I last weighed him with the tape. He's still 14 hands; however, he's butt high again. And I swear his neck is longer. His head is probably almost a foot above mine when his neck is up.

We are also going to a colt clinic in a couple of weeks. It'll be six colts, yearlings and younger, trying different obstacles and learning some new stuff. I am excited to try it. Amee is going to bring Dancer, so it will be fun for the boys to see each other again.

Okay, so here's my something fun. I wrote this and submitted it to a website that accepts open letters to people who will probably never read them. I didn't get accepted, and I imagine it's because my letter is pretty specific. But hopefully you horsey folks will understand! :) Let me know what you think, good and bad!

**********

An Open Letter To Coworkers Who, Once Learning I Own Horses, Ask When They Can Bring Their Kids Out To Ride Them.

Dear coworkers who, once learning I own horses, ask when they can bring their kids out to ride them,

Okay, here’s the deal. I know your kids watch movies and play with toys. I’m sure your kids has seen Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, The Black Stallion, or The Last Unicorn. I can probably guarantee that he/she saw Shrek and was amazed when Donkey turn into a Stallion. Then there are all those horsey toys out there like Breyer and Bella Sara and My Little Pony. And then there’s the princess movies and really, what’s a prince without a horse? I get it. I really do. But what you don’t get is a pretty basic rule of life, and here it is in terms I bet you can understand:

Horses are not to be equated with little kids.

Click for photo and artist source

I know it sucks to hear it, but it’s just a fact. Disney is actually wrong on this one, and I’ll tell you why. Horses are big animals. Did you read that? Big animals. Sure, there are ponies, but I am an adult, and therefore I don’t ride ponies because they’re too small; I ride horses. And also because I am an adult, I own horses that are for adults. They are not safe for kids to ride. In fact, a horse that is safe for kids to ride is very rare and hard to come by. And since I have no kids, why would I keep a horse that is safe for kids to ride? It’s certainly not so you can stop by my cramped cubicle and interrupt my report writing that’s due by 4:00 P.M. to sip your coffee while discussing the finer points of why horses wear shoes and if they bite little kids.

Now, I’m not saying my horses are mean. Far from it. They are very friendly and curious and genuinely like children. But they are also—and I’m pretty sure I said this before—big. They have big lips, big teeth, big heads, big legs, big hooves, and big tails, and all of these body parts can accidentally bump into your kid or step on your kid and clobber him really good, even knock your kid down. They are animals that do not realize how big they are nor how small your child is, so accidents can happen when you least expect it. Horses also do “gross” things, like snort and blow snot and fart, and they will even poop or pee right in front of any human that is present. Believe me, trying to keep horses from doing this when company is present is impossible. Therefore, this could happen while you and your kids are there, and it might be difficult to explain to your child why her hair has globs of clear goo in it or to try to keep her new white Dora the Explorer sandals from turning a stomach-churning shade of brown-green.

Blech.

Now, I am open to you coming out to my house and bringing your kids to pet (and only pet) the big horsies and feed them carrots. However, I don’t think you have made the connection between the fact that it takes me two hours to get to work everyday and the extreme distance my house is from work. In order to own horses and keep them on my property, I have to live in areas where horses are still allowed. That does not mean I’m in the apartment complex that’s 20 minutes from work, nor am I about 30 minutes from your house in a gated community with paved driveways and pretty lawns. It takes me two hours to get to work each morning, and if there isn’t any rush hour traffic, then it takes an hour and 15 minutes. Now seeing as your kids are very young, I imagine an hour and 15 minute drive probably translates to two hours plus since they will get hungry or have to pee, so you will have to stop along the way. I also imagine that two hours plus in the car is going to be hard for little kids who are restless to pet the horsies. I imagine choruses of “Are we there yet?” or general fights in the backseat consisting of “Stop touching me!” or “Dad, make him stop it!” are going to be a part of this ride. Then once you arrive, are you sure your children aren’t going to be frightened by the sheer size of the horses? It’s a common issue, after all—horses are small on a TV screen, but in real life, even if they may be small to an adult, they are always huge to a child. What happens if a crying fit starts due to fear? Will it be worth it to have to turn around and go back 10 minutes after having arrived since your kids obviously doesn’t like horses when you were so sure they would?

Now once you get to my house, you will learn that horses live outside. Therefore, you child can get dirty. I know, it’s hard to understand, but it will happen. Refer to the above references about snot, poop and pee, and then imagine your children getting into your nice clean family SUV with leather seats that you just had detailed last weekend and the smell that comes along with it. And we don’t have pavement where we live, so even if your children don’t get dirty, your car most certainly will. I’m sorry to give you these images, but it’s important you understand what can happen when you come out.

A friend's daughter and her pony--proof of what really happens when mom's back is turned.

Also, since I live on acreage, I have other animals, such as dogs and cats. My dogs are also big dogs because they serve as kinda/sorta guard dogs—since I am outside a lot by myself, they come in very handy and will bark if they suspect anything. They are friendly but can be over-exuberant when it comes to children. And there again comes the potential for your child to be knocked down. My cats, on the other hand, are not especially friendly with children, and because I don’t agree with mutilating animals for human convenience, they still have their claws. So there again is another chance your child might get hurt.

So all of this might not be a big deal to you, and you want to still invite yourself out anyway. All right, I can handle that. However I’d like you to remember one more thing. You are not coming to an open stable or a petting zoo. You are coming to my house. This is my personal property, and I live here round the clock. Sometimes my house is messy and I don’t feel like cleaning it. Sometimes I want to just put my feet up after a long day shoveling manure, cleaning tack, and fixing fences (God forbid I have time to ride) and pop open a beer rather than entertain guests. Just because I have horses does not mean this is an open invitation for you to come out. I didn’t come up to you when I found out you have a 62 inch TV and ask when I can have a Harry Potter movie marathon at your house. Nor did I ask you when my 16-year-old nephew could drive your Maserati or Hummer or motorcycle. And honestly, I’m sure you’d be a bit taken aback if not a little miffed that I actually had the nerve to assume I could do such a thing. Those are your things, not mine—how dare I want to use them? Remember that these thoughts can go both ways.

So, at this point, you might want to reconsider bringing your kids out to pet the horsies. In fact, if I were you, I would just not tell your children I have horses. For you know as well as I do that if you do tell them, then at least once a week you’ll hear the plea: “Daddy, when can we go pet the horsies?”

Sincerely,

Andrea

Breeding 101 - Point 1: Want versus Need

2011-01-12T23:32:00.010-07:00

In this second post, I'm going to talk about the first point that I followed when I decided to "make" my perfect horse. This was figuring out what I both WANT and NEED in my own personal perfect horse.

Now I must go on to say that my perfect horse isn't going to be the same as your perfect horse. Perfection is always relative. There may be a standard that is agreed upon as perfection, such as a breed type or a certain dressage movement. However, it is relative in that someone came up with what perfection should be for that particular breed, movement, whatever it is.

There is also this issue of WANT versus NEED. I think we all understand the differences, but we must also understand how to put this into practice. For example, I might say I NEED to go see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie* as soon as it comes out in the theaters or I will die. Okay, so we know that I really won't die if I don't go see the movie. What I really mean to say is I WANT to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie as soon as it comes out in the theaters or I will feel like I've died.

Getting back to horses, an example could be while I may WANT a horse with a big spirit and want to go attitude, I really NEED a horse that is going to be laid back and content when working.

So what I had to do was really consider WANT versus NEED. I had to look into my heart and figure out where each quality goes in the list. Now some qualities belonged in both categories. For example, I wanted good conformation, and that is also truly a need. If you have plans for your horse, then he needs to have good conformation and correct conformation to carry out those plans. There was also the realization that I am not necessarily going to get all of these things in one horse. But that's where stacking the odds in my favor came in handy, which I'll talk about in a later post.

If you have a hard time keeping these two categories separate in your mind, then go ahead and sit down and draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper. Categorize your WANTS and your NEEDS in two separate columns, like so. I put an asterick next to the items that are included in both categories.

I want to point out that it was a big deal for me not to breed a TWH mare to a draft stallion, not the other way around. First, this was because I didn't want the size of the draft horse with my cross. I really wanted a horse that was big, but I didn't want to have to feed the draft horse. (Although I have since learned that Percherons have a low metabolism and they don't eat much more than what Red Hawk eats.) For some reason when breeding drafts with lighter horses, it usually turns out that whatever the mare is is how the foal will end up being. A foal out of a draft mare will be a heavier draft type, while a foal out of a light mare will be lighter in type.

Second, I did not want feathers. I know, it's crazy, but honestly, feathers are VERY hard to take care of. Calista shaves Merlin's feathers because she doesn't want to wrap his pasterns when she rides to keep stickers and cactus out of them. Scratches is also common on a horse that has feathers and is hard to deal with and still keep all that hair. As gorgeous as feathers are, I'd just rather have a gorgeous thick mane and tail to work with. So to NOT get feathers, you have to breed to a horse that doesn't have them, as feathers are a recessive gene and both horses must have feathers to produce feathers on the offspring.

Third, I would have to either ship semen or take my mare out of state as I know of no TWH stallions here in Arizona that meet my criteria. I am also very keen on meeting a stallion before I breed to him to see what he's like in person. Traveling to meet various stallions would take a lot of money that I don't have. However, there are several draft stallions in Arizona, even Gypsy horses, and at the time I was working with a lady who brought in draft horses from the Amish country in Ohio to train and resell. So I knew I could find a good draft stallion here in this state if I needed to.

Fourth, I already knew Sophie, she had most of the things on my WANT and NEED lists, and I had already asked Amee if I could breed to her. She was fine with it, so that particular part had been solved.

A lot of my WANTS and NEEDS also come from my life's experience (so far) with horses. I like big horses. I don't know why, but I do. I have liked them since I was a little girl. One of my "rewards" for doing well in my lessons when I was a little kid was to get to ride Rebel, a large (to me) buckskin Quarter Horse gelding. He was safe and quiet and easy for me to handle under supervision.

I have talked before about my obsession with spots, which came from the book Summer Pony by Jean Slaughter Doty. I love black and white the best. Since I didn't have Apache at the time, I wanted my horse to be spotted. One of the reasons why I bred to Sophie is because we thought she was homozygous spots. But instead of her usual spotted filly (three times over), she gave me a black colt. But since I have Apache now, I don't mind that Phoenix isn't spotted. And I do like black--it's the most basic of colors, goes with anything, and it's slimming!

I've had a lot of scary and stupid experiences with horses. My training has gone from "cowboying" a horse and beating it to get what I want to bitless bridles and lots of groundwork to partner with my horse. I have owned 10 horses in my short time with gaited horses (approximately 12 years), and I have been through just about everything a person can go through emotionally with horses. (Comparatively, my husband has only owned 4.) I didn't want to go through any of that anymore. I wanted just a good horse that likes me and that is willing to work and do the stuff I want to do, not because I'm forcing him but because he and I are partners.

I have been exposed to driving a few times and have driven a few horses myself. It is so much fun that I wanted a horse that had the temperament for it. Draft horses of course were bred for it, so it seems only logical that I use a draft horse in my breeding plan. (Not that TWHs can't pull, or any breed for that matter, but I wanted a breed that had a propensity for it.)

I also wanted a colt because even though I love mares, I would rather not have to deal with her time of the month if there's a show or event I want to do. I didn't want to have to give her extra supplements to keep her calm or find ways to ease her pain. I have nothing against mares, honestly--I don't mind either sex in general. But for what I wanted to do, I wanted a boy.

Now there is further information about why my WANT versus NEED list is the way it is, but that will be covered in second point I want to talk about. Some of the WANTS and NEEDS came from the research I did, and that's for the next post.

Now, to get you started on your own list, start with the easy stuff. What do you want your horse to look like? Sure, you can ask for that. It doesn't mean you'll get it, but again, it's possible to stack the odds in your favor. If you want a palomino, you can guarantee it by breeding a cremello to a chestnut or sorrel. Or you can guarantee a buckskin by breeding a completely homozygous perlino (has the double black and double agouti genes) to a black, chestnut or sorrel. If you want short, breed two short parents, and vice versa for tall. Want a dished face in an Arabian? Find two dish faced parents. The possibilities are endless if you take the time to really study your list and your potential horse mates.

Then you move onto the harder stuff. What do I want the horse to have to perform the job I eventually want to train him for? What does the horse need to have to perform the job I eventually want to train him for? For example, if you want a Quarter Horse that can jump, then most likely cutting or halter QHs won't be what you're looking for. Neither have the conformation that would make them a successful jumper. While any breed can do endurance, if you want to do 50 and 100 mile rides, you have to make sure you breed for a horse that has the stamina and heart rate to be able to finish those rides.

So next I'll talk about the second point. If you have any questions or comments about the first point, feel free to post them here!

*For the record: the POTC movies are my favorite films. I even named one of my cats Captain Jack Sparrow (take my advice: NEVER name your cat after a pirate). I know, as a film guru, it should be Citizen Kane or The Hurt Locker or some other Oscar-winning (i.e., droll) film. But sorry, folks--the main reason movies are made is to entertain, and I really, really like to be entertained! Anyway, I am already counting the months to when the new film comes out MAY TWENTIETH! So you might start seeing me pepper things like this:

Or this:

Into my posts. Hey, there are horses in the pictures! Well, at least in one. And the suggestion of some in the second. Anyway, it's my blog, so I might put in POTC references, so there. :P

Breeding 101 - Three Points to Avoid the Unwanted Horse

2011-01-10T01:34:00.014-07:00

Hi all. So I was working on my evening constitutionals yesterday and was reading the Jan 2011 issue of Dressage Today. Since breeding season is coming up for pretty much everyone, they have their Annual Breed Outlook issue. It's pretty darn cool. It has information on famous horses' get, advice for breeders, and how to start young horses (NOT 'TIL THEY'RE THREE IN THE DRESSAGE WORLD!).

The biggest article is about Totlias, the Horse of the Year for 2010 in the dressage community (above, Edward Gal up, from Horse and Hound online). Click here for a video of Totilas and Edward Gal, riding their record-breaking freestyle performance in 2009. Whether you follow dressage or not, I think it's very clear for any horse person to see why this performance is nearly flawless. Totilas is now world-renowed and mare owners are lining up to breed to him. He not only has the talent but an amazing temperament to go along with it, and he absolutely loves to be ridden and to work.

(And for Pirates of the Carribean lovers like myself: listen for the POTC3 soundtrack bits! Who can't love a rider and horse who ride to POTC!)

Now one of the best articles in the magazine is a small panel article within the Totilas article titled "What Does the Phenomenon of Totilas Mean to Small Breeders?" The writer, Mary Daniels, has two mares and is a small breeder. She talked with two top ISR/Oldenburg registry officials about Totilas. CEO Ekkehardt Brysch offered one of the best pieces of observation I've read in a long time.

"Totilas is not a horse that you can breed on purpose. This is a one-in-a-lifetime horse for which everything came together--natural aptitude, how he was raised, how he was handled, how he was trained. He is like an Einstein. It is not like what kind of parents can you match to create an Einstein."

Later in the article...

[Brysch] said many breeders think every other horse should be like Totilas, but he reminded me that if you have one mare and breed her to the same stallion five times, you will get five different horses. "They may be similar, but you will get a variety--with one horse, the grandmother comes through; with the second horse, the stallion line comes through, and with third one, the dam line comes through and so on. The same thing with my grandkids--same parents but the kids are completely different. The differences are fun to see and should encourage us to follow this route. Breeders should learn more about good genetic intake and the background of their mares and stallions. This all helps us make better decisions for matches in the future."

I have to say that this is absolutely some of the best advice anyone can give a person considering breeding. As we all know, there is an overpopulation of horses, and the base of the reason is that people won't stop breeding them. We can find that a lot of the unwanted horses (not all, of course) have big reasons as to why they're unwanted: they have no paperwork because they're a cross that doesn't have a legitimate registry, the genetic background is iffy, they don't have the physical capability to be the horse the owner wants, the reasons go on and on. If breeders would take the time to match stallions to mares properly and geld any stallions that aren't even close to being good quality, then this problem would diminish quite quickly. As it is, we have problems with overbreeding in breeds such as Thoroughbreds and Tennessee Walkers, where people breed a stallion to as many mares as possible, hoping for that one horse that is the Totilas (or Secretariat, or Midnight Sun) of their generation. We also have problems because people get dazzled by color or a certain size or a certain type of capability, so they breed solely for that color/size/capability without taking the horse's whole genetic makeup into consideration. Sure, he might be a gorgeous buckskin color, but does he have good conformation to make him a good riding horse or a good horse for the types of work his breed is supposed to do?

So, I thought I'd do a little series on breeding. I'm gearing this towards the person like me who wants to breed for the type of foal he/she wants to keep for the rest of their life. But I also hope that breeders of any kind will take note. I hope that after reading this, breeders will take a long, hard look at their stock and ask themselves if they are breeding high quality horses that people want to have, that they are lining up to buy, or are they just breeding to see what they'll get or waiting for that miracle horse. These are hard questions to ask, but I hope this series makes those questions easier to answer.

I have a lot of experience in poor breeding practice and good breeding practices, and it isn't just limited to horses. I have seen the same problems in breeding dogs and cats when I worked at vet hospitals. Overall, it's really the same principle: stack the odds in your favor. If you choose a sire and a dam, a stud and a bitch, a stud and a queen, or a mommy and a daddy that have a strong propensity toward the qualities you want, then you're more likely to get the horse that you want.

So, I followed the below three points when I chose Merlin and Sophie to be the sire and dam of my foal.

1. Figure out what I both WANT and NEED in my own personal perfect horse.

2. Research, research, and more research.

3. Step outside of my emotions and study any potential sire and dam for both their strengths and weaknesses.

I'll go into each of these points in more detail in subsequent posts. But first, here are some major reasons both WHY and WHY NOT to breed for your own foal.

WHY

1. Get the horse that you are having a hard time finding, or you know isn't a horse you regularly find on the market. I agree with the saying that if you want a certain horse, buy it, don't try to make it. But then again, sometimes what we're looking for just isn't out there. If I had wanted a tall, leggy chestnut TWH mare with flaxen mane and tail that has show experience, I could probably find it. But TWH/Percheron crosses are extremely few and far between, so I didn't have much of a choice BUT to make one.

2. The satisfaction and peace of mind in knowing the horse's complete background from conception on. This is something I run into a lot of when dealing with people who are buying or selling horses. I have run into several new horse owners that want to know every detail about the horse's background so they'll be ready for any surprises. Honestly, that kind of information can be extremely hard to come by, and sometimes past owners don't want to talk about the horse. So if you want to know exactly what your horse has been through, consider breeding one.

3. You have a lot of experience in the horse world and can accurately pinpoint quality in the breed(s) and type of horse you are breeding for. I have over a decade of experience with Tennessee Walking Horses. I have taken the time to learn exactly what the gaits are and why they're important. I've learned bloodlines, color genetics, and temperament types. I didn't know a lot about draft horses, though, so I started working on that side of it. Which breeds can do what, what qualities do I like, what don't I like, etc. That was a key element to part of my research in learning about what I was going to breed for.

4. You have a lot of experience with foals, training, groundwork, and general horse knowledge. If you don't know this stuff, LEARN IT. A foal can be a lot of work if you don't mess with it at least three or four times a week. Foals are are gangly beasts that hardly know where their feet are, much less how big they are. While this is cute in a puppy or kitten, it can be dangerous with a foal if you don't teach them discipline and respect from the beginning. If you need help, find a local quality breeder who will let you watch them work with their foals. Go to clinics and learn about groundwork, take riding lessons, learn about how bits work, how saddles fit, what feeds and vaccinations a foal will need, all of the things you will need to know in going into your lifelong partnership with your foal.

5. You're ready to commit to the long haul. Because there is such an unwanted horse problem in our society, we must not think of horses as throwaways. Instead, if you are breeding, have a plan for each and ever foal you breed. Your plan could be to keep it or to keep it long enough to train it in whatever discipline and then sell it. Or perhaps you already have a buyer for the foal sight unseen. But be committed to the animal one way or another, however. Always have a backup plan if the horse doesn't work out, and be ready to take responsibility for the foal if the new owner doesn't want it anymore. You brought that life into this world, and therefore, you are responsible for it, just as you would be responsible for your own child.

WHY NOT

1. I love my mare--I want to keep her forever by creating a foal out of her. {Insert buzzer sound here} WRONG. This can go wrong in so many different ways. The best thing to remember is that a foal is genetically 50 percent dam, 50 percent sire. Similar to Brysch's example, look at a family with more than one child. Each child is uniquely different--one may be like dad, the other might be more like grandma, the third might be something you'd never expect out of that family (good or bad). The chances of the foal being exactly like your mare are very slim.

Another example: I have a friend who had a beloved mare that passed away before her time. This mare was bonded with my friend and they took care of each other--she was devastated when she lost her. She ended up finding one of the mare's daughters online for sale. She was able to trade a gelding she had for the mare. While the mare is somewhat physically similar to her dam (though definitely not as tall), her temperament is hardly anything like her dam. Not that she isn't a nice horse--far from it. And my friend will keep her for life. She's just not the same horse that the dam was. And my friend is wise enough to accept that and just be glad she has a small piece of her mare with her. So know that you won't get an exact clone of your mare--it's truly impossible, even with cloning technology.

2. I wonder what I'll get if I breed my mare to that Arabian stallion down the street. {Buzzer again} This is absolutely not a good idea. Breeding to "see what you get" is how most horses end up facing dire straights in their lives. Crosses don't sell well, and if your mare and the stallion don't match conformationally, you could end up with a physical train wreck that could break down before its time.

I knew a man who owned several TWH and Saddlebred mares and he had a TWH stallion from a previous breeding to one of the mares. He would literally breed the stallion to these mares "just to see what he'd get", figuring he could sell the offspring. He also bred them to an Arabian stallion that was boarding on their property. The problem was that while the horses were decent quality, they weren't outstanding, so the foals weren't worth much money. He also was very ill and wasn't able to work with them to train them as they got older, nor could he afford to have a trainer work with them. He also never got them registered, again, due to lack of being able to afford it. As a result, a lot of the horses ended up being sold long after they should have been trained and for a low price. Some he even gave away. He did find good homes for them, but that doesn't mean they're forever homes.

3. I really like my mare and the stallion is nice, and I'm sure someone would want to buy a foal from them. {This buzzer sure is working overtime tonight.} Unless someone has already handed you money for the future foal, do not assume someone will want to buy it. Just because you like your mare and the stallion doesn't mean someone else will.

4. If the colt doesn't work out, someone's sure to buy it. This is by far a horrible attitude to take. You are creating a new life. This is not building your own muscle car or carving a fancy dining room table. This is an animal that eats and breathes. When you bring a life into the world, it is your responsibility to care for it correctly. As I've said before, you should never have the attitude that the animal can be a throwaway. An unwanted horse's future is uncertain--how do you know whoever you sell him to will be a good and forever home? The fact is, you don't. The only forever home is yours.

These reasons should give you foresight as to how to go about breeding for your foal. I hope it makes you stop and pause and really think about why you're breeding and whether or not you're ready for this lifelong commitment.

So if you are, be ready for my next post! I will go over each of the three points I used above to create my own foal in separate posts. So I hope this will help anyone who is ready to breed!

Happy New Year 2011!

2011-01-02T21:45:00.004-07:00

Hello all! Here we are, upon the new year and a brand new decade. Did anyone make resolutions? I didn't, mostly because I forget what resolutions I make or I just never get anything resolved. I think the only thing I resolved to do was to get to the eye doctor and the dentist this year. That's about it.

Here's what's been happening for us in the past month.

Are you sure we live in Arizona?

Ironically, it has been freaking COLD here in Arizona. In fact, some of the higher elevation areas, around 2000 feet and higher, have gotten snow in the past few days. That's right: SNOW. It doesn't last, but it does come down! We have had freezing temperatures at night, and there is ice in the water buckets in the mornings. I also keep a bowl of water out for the dogs, and it was a solid block yesterday morning. Brian went outside the other morning and Phoenix had frost on his back!

Our horses are doing fine in this weather, though. Our vet always told us NOT to blanket the horses unless there's snow that stays on the ground. The reason you don't want to blanket them when there's no snow, even when it's freezing temperatures, is because of how the air works. The air is nearly frozen when there's snow, and that kind of cold can work past a normal winter coat for a horse. But the air fluctuates too much when there isn't snow to justify blankets. You have to know precisely when to take off the blanket during the day so the horse is not affected by the extreme temperature change when a blanket is removed. It's kinda like taking a coat off when you're outside in the cold--you know when you're warm enough to not need the coat, but we can't predict when our horses are warm enough for their blankets to come off. Our horses have been staying perfectly warm on their own--they hang out together and sleep in a group huddle at night. Phoenix's instincts must have known he'd need an insanely plush coat this winter. We're giving them lots of extra hay to keep their digestive tracts moving, which also helps keep a horse warm. The horses poof up their coats in the early mornings and late evenings, so they remind me of birds when they're poofed up to stay warm.

Phoenix Update

Phoenix is growing even more! He's up to 14 hands and 530 lbs at 6 months. He's really funny--right now he has no interest in carrots, apples, pears, or other such horse goodies. He likes these berry-flavored alfalfa pellets we have that are horse treats, but he spits out anything else. He doesn't even like the mustard weed that grows on our land here and there. Mustard weed is native to Arizona and is safe for horses to eat as a treat. I figure he'll grow in to other types of treaties.

Phoenix is also now ready for his vaccines. Since I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for the vet to come give his shots, we're going to administer them ourselves. From all the research I've done, it is best to give the first shots at 6 months, another round at 7 months, and then the booster at 12 months. We are only giving him vaccines that are a problem here in Arizona since he won't be going out of state anytime soon. This includes Eastern, Western, WNV, rhino, and tetanus. I'll probably only give him strangles as he gets older since he isn't exposed to any other horses right now. Sleeping sickness isn't a big problem in this state, but he might get the shots later.

Phoenix is doing better and better with his feet. He got trimmed again, and his front feet are looking much better. He's still really post legged in the back, but our trimmer is doing a great job in working with what he has and we think he might grow into himself eventually.

Phoenix is also doing a lot better with his ears. I probably talked about how ever since he was born he hasn't wanted us to touch his ears. He's not bad about it--just turns or pulls his head away. Now we have done a lot of messing with his ears while he's eating, and it's really been a great way to get him used to his ears being touched.

A Christmas Miracle

I may have talked about this before, but possibly not. Several months back, our landlords offered us two free livestock shades that they had at a property they'd just bought. Because it was a non-profit organization, they weren't able to sell the shades, so they offered them to us. They are probably from a kit and are similar to the shades used at dairy farms, although MUCH smaller. They are 20' x 40' each, so with two of them, they would completely cover four of our stalls plus the space we have for feed.

However, after we went to look at them our landlords didn't let us know when we could get them, and we never heard from them about it again. I figured they'd probably ended up selling them and just hadn't told us. But a few days before Christmas, our landlady called and said they had finally gotten the paperwork done for the land, and that we were welcome to come get the shades. OMG FREE SHADES. For those of you who live in Arizona, you can understand how amazing this is. So now our horses are finally going to have real shelter from the weather! HOORAY!

Another Cross Coming Soon...Soon Being Relative

I've talked with Brian, and now we're definitely going to look for a large TWH mare to breed to Merlin. He wants another TWH/Percheron cross for sure. We aren't going to get one anytime soon, but I definitely am keeping my eye on prices to see how they're fluctuating. The goal is really to find a really cheap or free mare that someone just doesn't want anymore that's breeding sound.

I have heard of some mares that are large recently that are inexpensive, but they are out of state. The way I see it, though, it'll be like everything else that has happened in our lives when it comes to horses: getting the mare will be easy for us. If it's meant to be, it will be easy. It's like how I was able to buy Sophie and then breed her to Merlin, or how I so easily got Apache back. So it'll happen when it's supposed to. Patience is a virtue! (Though not necessarily mine...)

FINALLY! A Saddle That Fits!

Fitting a saddle to Red Hawk has been an absolute nightmare his whole life. I think we've had about five different saddles for him, and the only one that's really fit was my Wintec 500 Dressage with the CAIR panel system and the Easy Change gullet. We recently discovered that our Royal King trail flex-tree saddle was actually pinching him after I started riding him in the Wintec. It's not that Royal King aren't nice saddles, because this one was. It's just that it didn't fit. Red Hawk is such a trooper, though--he has never complained about a bad saddle fit. He has always put up with whatever's on his back. The only way we knew the Wintec fit was because suddenly, he was moving entirely differently and was fluid in his motion.

Scott doesn't want an English saddle, but we borrowed a Wintec endurance saddle from a friend that had the CAIR panel system and the easy change gullet. Scott didn't realize how much easier endurance saddles are to ride in and how comfortable they are for both horse and rider. He figured we'd end up getting a Wintec for Red Hawk someday. He also borrowed another friend's Campbell trooper saddle and a Watson endurance saddle. Both of those also fit Red perfectly.

This past week, a friend of ours let us know she had a brown Barefoot Treeless Saddle for sale. It's the leather Cheyenne model, which is very similar to an endurance saddle. She had the endurance stirrups and leathers, a green and brown biothane breastcollar and bridle, a Tolklat wool girth cinch, a green Grandeur saddle pad, even woolies that covered the stirrup leathers and the seat, all a package deal. The reason she was selling was because she liked the way the Barefoot Sierra model fit her Quarter Horse better. So we tried it on Red Hawk. It was PERFECT. It fit him even better than the other saddles did, and he moved with a fluidity we hadn't seen in a really long time. Scott was also extremely comfortable in the entire setup. And it was all even in Red Hawk's colors: brown and green. So we bought the whole package from her. FINALLY something that fits!

So here we are, starting 2011 with unusual weather in Arizona, new-to-us horse shades, future thoughts about another colt, a new saddle for Red Hawk, more fun with Phoenix to be had, and hopefully cleaner teeth and better vision. May everyone have a great New Year!

Size Matters

2010-12-09T00:37:00.006-07:00

I've been trying to remember the formulas for measuring a foal. You know the ones I mean: measuring its leg to find out how big it'll be.

I found out the following measurements. Who knows how accurate they are, but I'm going to give them a shot.

6 months: Measure the leg from the coronet band to the middle of the knee. Each inch equals one hand.

1 year: Measure the yearling by hands as you would normally do. Convert to inches and divide by 0.9. Then convert back to hands.
Example:
13 hands = 52 inches
Divided by 0.9 = 57.78 inches
57.78 inches = approximately 14.2 hands (14.45)

2 years: Measure the horse by hands as you would normally do. At this age he should be 90% grown (height-wise). So use this formula:
14 hands = x hands
hands are 90%, x is 100%
x = 15.5 hands (15.2 hands)

(Although I will be honest--I have no idea how to actually calculate that formula. I am pretty clueless when it comes to most math problems. If it is more complex than addition, subtraction, multiplication or division, I'm pretty much SOL!)

Sooo, I did the 6 months measurement. And the answer is...

17 HANDS!!!!

WOO HOO! And I hope he doesn't get taller than that. And I'm not kidding about that. I will measure him again at 1 and 2.

There is another measurement where you take a string and run it from the elbow to the ergot. Tie a knot in the spot at the ergot. Then rotate the string up above his withers, keeping the spot at the elbow the same. Measure from the knot to the ground as usual and that's the height. I tried this one but it was really difficult without a helper and it only said 16 hands. It wouldn't be bad, of course-- anywhere from 16 to 17 is fine by me. But I'm just not sure when that measurement works during the foal's growing period.

When we went on our latest walkies, I was wearing a flannel over my T-shirt and quickly got hot. (I mean, who wouldn't--it was around 75 degrees and sunny without a cloud in the sky. THIS is why I live in Arizona!) So I tied the flannel around my waist. But it kept falling off. So guess who had to carry it? Yep, Phoenix. I wrapped the arms around his neck and tied them and let the flannel lie across his back. He did not care one bit. He wore it pretty much the whole walk. I should've taken a picture--it was quite cute. Now I need to get a lanyard that's long enough to go around his neck with a water bottle holder attached so he can carry my water bottle.

So now for other stuff...

I need another horse like I need a hole in my head. But we are going to need another draft horse in the future as I imagine Phoenix is not going to be able to keep up with the other two well on the trail. I can tell he's going to gait under saddle, but he's still half draft, and he tends to not be in a hurry to get anywhere. So I started looking at horses on the Internet to get an idea of what's out there. I think most likely our next horse will be a draft or another draft cross. Unless we're able to find a 16.2 to 18 hand TWH mare with big bone to breed to Merlin...and if you know of any, PLEASE SPEAK UP! And I'm talking a TRUE 16.2 to 18 hands...none of this "assuming" stuff. It's amazing how many horses I find on the Internet that are supposed to be 16 hands and when you go see them they're actually 14.3.

Okay, so we thought about breeding to Sophie again but decided not to. It's only because my husband doesn't like spots, and with our luck HE will be the one who gets a spotted foal when I got the plain black one! He said well then I'll have to take Phoenix and you can have that foal. HA HA FAT CHANCE ON THAT, BUSTER.

So, we have to find a big TWH mare to get another gaited draft cross, and that's going to be hard. (Although I did find a big gray one online, but in TX and $2300...UGH.) We also may go to the auction and take a look at any draft mares that show up there.

But then, I found a gray Percheron gelding, 18+ hands, trained to ride and drive, comes with the cart and harness. GET THIS: ONLY FIVE GRAND. And in CA--easy to go get! I was shocked!

And then there's Molly. 16.3 black Percheron mare, in CA, 12 years, safe for anyone. NEED NEED NEED. I actually need her more than the gray gelding because she's breedable AND she's safe for anyone to ride. She's only $1000, too. Can't beat that kind of a deal.

So, if anyone wants to get me a Christmas present, I could use anywhere from $1000 to $5000 and gas money please! Or just send me any Percheron mare you might have lolling about in your pasture that you're not using...as long as she's got a good temperament, is breeding sound and has good conformation, that's what we want! THANKS! ;)

The Butthead and First Time Walkies

2010-11-30T21:19:00.006-07:00

Sorry, no pics this time--it's hard to take pics of walking your horse when you're the one doing the walking.

I started taking Phoenix for walkies yesterday. We were probably out for about 30 minutes. He did so well. He stayed either behind me or next to me with his head at my shoulder. I did take my stick for any reinforcement if he tried getting in front of me, but I didn't need it. He whinnied A LOT, and my neighbors said that Apache and Red Hawk were FRANTIC while he was gone. We have flat land with wide trails out here, so the walk was easy. He stumbled a lot, but I know this will only teach him to watch where he's going. He was not spooky, did not spook at cars, walked over different types of terrain (gravel, asphalt, etc.) and never hesitated, and even tried plowing through creosote bushes instead of taking the trail. What a champ!

Then today I took him out again. It was really spur of the moment, though. I have met a new neighbor, Lauren (not her real name) and her Haflinger, Dean. She lives up the trail from me, about two or three blocks away. I have seen her walking Dean on the trails a lot, and now she's riding him. It turns out he had laminitis and was laid up for three months. But now he's allowed to go out again at the walk. So we decided to ride together today.

WEEEEEELLLL, Apache decided to be a butthead today. She was also a butthead Saturday, sidestepping to the right as I was mounting her, causing me to fall off, grabbing the stall panel as I came down and my legs flopped to the ground. I folded in half...BACKWARDS. Ow. But she still got ridden and she was bucky and poopie and a butthead the whole time.

("What are you looking at, butthead?")+

*SIGH* I can tell that her left hip is sore, but she's not THAT sore--she's not limping and she didn't flinch when I tested her hip on the ground. So she can be ridden.

So today she was a butthead as well. This was upsetting Dean, who does not need to be rearing or bucking when he is supposed to be healing. So we cut our ride way short and headed home after about 10 minutes. However, I decided that I would not be detered--I tossed Apache in the round pen (NO WAY was she going back to her hay in the turnout, nuh uh, not after THAT behavior) and grabbed Phoenix. So Lauren rode Dean while I walked Phoenix, and it was great. Phoenix did whinny a lot and tried to rush home, but the stick helped me out. I would tap his chest or gently tap his face, and he would slow down and stay beside me. Dean was nice and calm for Lauren. So we decided we're going to do more walks until Dean is up to snuff and can not only keep up with gaited horses but also can stand being around a butthead.

The walkies are also great for me--I need to lose weight, and walking is a great way to do it. I actually didn't mind just trucking along and talking for the 30 minutes or so we were out. Maybe longer. It was really nice. I'm sore now, but I know my muscles will bulk up and I'll get back into shape. I used to do aerobic walking as my exercise everyday...nothing like getting married to shut that down.

Oh yeah, and after we got back, Apache and I had a "talk" in the round pen. She was extremely ready to join up, so I know she learned her lesson from coming home and not getting to go eat. I am going to continue round pen work this week with her so she'll be in the right frame of mind to ride this weekend.

So, more walkies are to come. I'll keep everyone posted and try to get pics since I'll be forcing Brian to go with me from time to time and he and I can take turns taking pictures!

+Okay, I know Biff said that to George at the beginning of Back to the Future when they were in 1985 and still bullying George before Marty went back in time, but that's the best pic I could find where it looks like he's calling someone a butthead, okay? Geez, you guys... Click here for Tom Wilson's hilarious BTTF song. Tom Wilson played Biff.

Nap Time

2010-11-23T02:02:00.006-07:00

First of all, a big SORRY to Funder and Kate! Somehow Blogger isn't sending me updates when I get comments to my new email address, so I'm going to have to fix that. So your comments to my last posts are now approved since I just now found them!

In other news...

It is Nap Time. Well for me it's 2 am and I can't sleep, which is why I'm now writing this post. But I hope that those of you reading this take the time out of your day to take a nap if you need it. Naps are definitely underrated. It's been proven that a quick 20- minute nap can refresh your mind and help you function better throughout the rest of your day. According to Dr. Steven Howard, MD, associate professor of anesthesia and expert of sleep deprivation and fatigue at the Stanford University of Medicine: "Being up for 24 hours has the same effects as being legally drunk. Caffeine and nicotine mask the effects of sleepiness, but naps actually replace lost sleep. It's totally different mechanistically." And check out these other facts and various articles about naps--I guarantee you'll learn something new!

Anyway, as with any young mammal, horses need plenty of rest when they're young. They are growing at an alarming rate, so rest helps the body's growth hormones secrete faster. The body needs rest to give itself time to keep up with these hormones.

So, obviously, Phoenix sleeps a lot. I will look outside and will see a big dark mound in the dirt and I know he's out like a light. He doesn't wake up easily, either. He grunts and groans and twitches in his sleep...all good signs of his body growing and staying healthy.

I took these photos on Nov 18, 2010. I went outside to do chores and found this guy fast asleep. He didn't move until I got up there and the dogs followed me and started bothering him. He would lift his head and that was about it, though. He zonked back out once he saw who was bugging him.

Then Red Hawk came up. He seemed to decide it was time to hover and do his duty as a Big Brother. As did Tennessee and Tegan.

(Sorry about the blurry finger--I'm still getting used to how my Droid works for photos.)

Phoenix seemed to be annoyed by my constant clicking at this point and sat up. So I straddled him and put a bit of weight on his back and rubbed his head and ears. He liked that. Apache also came over to hang out, but because she was demanding me to scratch her, I had to oblige, so no pics. She has a system. I start at her neck under her mane, then she walks forward so I get her belly and her back, and then she walks forward more and I have to go behind her an scratch her butt. Then I have to move to the other side. She loves it. She even has my neighbors trained (Theo, Aly and Abby's mom and dad). She goes up to the fence and he'll tell her to turn around and she will and back up to the fence so she gets her butt scratched.

Oh, and for the record, Phoenix is now 13.3 hands and 515 pounds. At six months old. OMG THERE ARE ICELANDIC HORSES OUT THERE THAT ARE THE SAME SIZE AS HIM! (Sorry--that was just me freaking out a little bit.)

MMMM. Who doesn't want a nap after seeing this content little (respectively) face? :) Sleep well!

Adventures in Freedom

2010-11-12T01:01:00.014-07:00

Two days ago I went out to do my normal chores outside. I went out earlier in the day to take a break from work and started the age old process to which all horse owners find themselves resigned to: shoveling sh*t.

Now I have to be honest: I mean REAL horse owners here. I believe that anyone who boards their horse and does nothing more than go out to ride the horse every week or even less is NOT a true horse owner. They merely own a horse as a status symbol to impress their friends. Now, I know lots of people who board who do go out and ride once a week but they also stay and help with chores or make time during the week to come help out or at least spend time with their horse, and that's great stuff. The bottom line is: if you don't muck stalls, then you're not a true horse owner. Period.

So, this afternoon I decided to invite my neighbors' dogs over to play with my dogs and hang out with the horses. They have three dogs: Theo, the German Shepherd, and Abby and Aly, the pit bull mix sisters. These dogs are tons of fun and love hanging out with our dogs, Tennessee, the black lab, and Tegan, the smooth coat blue merle collie. Yes, he is a REAL collie, not a mix.

We live on an acre and a quarter, while our neighbors are on two and a half acres. I open up the gates between the acreages and the dogs can run and play everywhere.

Now, a new thing I've been doing with Phoenix is allowing him to roam the property. It is completely fenced in, so I never worry about him going anywhere. He is not a troublemaker at all--he stays out of the feed bins and stays within sight. He doesn't get into stuff and is careful where he goes. I of course make sure there's nothing he can get himself killed with out there before I let him out. Mostly, he just goes to the area where we keep the feed and eats the hay leftover on the ground. This is very unlike our other two, who when they escape take off running and catching them is like trying to herd cats. Red Hawk is also WELL KNOWN for going through the feed bins and scarfing up whatever he can.

So here are some pics of Phoenix hanging out. Here he is eating off the hay (please excuse his dirty butt).

There are four large plastic pallets sitting there with hay on top in 100 lb bales. The tarp is over them to protect them from the sun and the occasional rainstorm (yes, it does rain in the desert--6 inches a year!). Our sun is so bright out here that it sucks the nutrition right out of the outside of the bales within days, so we always keep them covered.

He also goes roaming BEHIND the pallets. As you can see, he's not phased by a flapping tarp.

Stuck? No problem--we'll just climb OVER the bales and the tarp!

(Notice his front right leg.) He had no problem climbing over this--he went with no hesitation. In fact, at one point as he was exploring, he stepped up onto the pallets and then put his front feet up on a hay bale and looked around like he was posing for the cover of Jack London's Call of the Wild.

This is a much easier way to get out.

And now he's just posing and looking cute because he knew I was taking his picture.

He seems to really like the camera and mugs a lot.

I don't know if you can tell, but his winter coat is incredibly plush. That's the best word I could come up with to describe his coat. It is like hugging a stuffed toy or a very soft Teddy bear, a lot like those really soft squishy ones they make now for babies in their cribs. I like to lay my hand on his coat and let it get between my fingers because they get deep down in there and it feels so good. I just love it. It is also very black on the roots, so let's hope the Black as Knight is doing it's job!

Okay, so now, after about 45 minutes or so my neighbor came home. She stopped in her drive to see her dogs and I went over to where the gate is that separates our property from their drive. Phoenix headed right over with me (he followed me, that good boy, and never got ahead of me) and headed right through the gate and out into their property. The dogs thought this was great! Someone to hang with!

Here's the same photo with names added to it so you can see who's who.

This photo cracks me up because Red Hawk wants in on the fun SO bad!

That's the neighbor's house in the background.

This is next to the well.

This is so cute of him and Theo. Theo was VERY protective of him. He kept a close eye on him and stayed where he could help him.

He didn't go near the house. He wanted to stay near the horses, so he explored back and forth along the fence near them. Well for a while--then he took off running down to the far end of the property with the dogs.

Sorry about the pixels on the first photo, but I took these with my Droid and they were really far away in that shot. But that camera still did a great job for a phone camera.

Theo did his job--he ran with Phoenix and made sure he herded him back toward the other horses. Theo has an excellent herding instinct. Tegan does as well, but mostly it's just through barking and trying to round all the other dogs up together. He doesn't try to round up the horses--only to round up Tennessee to keep her from getting hurt by them. Tenn-Tenn can be pretty dumb sometimes--she'll goad the horses into playing and she has been stepped on a few times.

Here's Red Hawk and Apache, and I SWEAR I heard Red Hawk say "Hey! NO FAIR!" My neighbor said we could let them out too, but I told her no way--Red Hawk would go straight for her flower beds and ruin them AND make himself sick.

Now this is when I finished shoveling and went to go get Phoenix. I am bringing him down the neighbor's drive to the gate to our property. He has officially graduated to his yearling halter. AT 6 MONTHS OLD. GEEZ, this horse is going to be big!

Now, a long time ago when Tennessee was just a few years old, I taught her to "lead" the horses. She would take the lead rope in her mouth and pull them along while I told her where to go with them. Well this day, she wanted to lead Phoenix--she kept trying to take the rope out of my hand. So I gave her the rope and she started bringing him along to the house. However, she dropped it before I could get a good photo, and I couldn't get her to pick it back up. But these photos are still cute.

Phoenix literally just stood there while I tried to get Tenn-Tenn to pick up the rope. I was laughing so hard and he just stood and looked at me, like you weird human, you. He didn't move until I asked him to.

So that was our very fun day playing. This weekend I'm going to take him for his first walk away from everything else. I think he'll enjoy this. I won't take him far, but enough for him to start getting used to being on his own and relying on me. This guy has to learn to drive, after all, so he'd better be ready to be alone!

Also, here's an update on the Freedom Feeders. This is still one of my favorite products on the market. Now, I will be honest about how I'm using them. The instructions say to keep hay in them at all times and to refill them before they get empty. Eventually, the horses would get used to having hay all the time and would only eat when they felt like it. However, I am quite sure I own Dyson's own horses, for they are truly vacuum cleaners. I was filling the bags four times a day and the horses were not stopping. This was after over two months of using them. So I finally said to heck with it--twice a day is it because I'm going through WAY too much hay*.

However, I will still use them because first, they have the small holes so the horses can only pull out small bits of hay, just as if they were grazing, so it takes them a lot longer to eat. Second, Red Hawk has FINALLY stopped weaving in between meals. It takes them around six hours to finish the morning's serving, and after that they just snooze in the sun or pick at any stray pieces on the ground. They are not stomping or fighting in the afternoons anymore because they're wanting their evening meal. Their minds and digestive tracts are being kept busy, so there is no need to lash out or be destructive due to boredom.

So, I still recommend these feeders. Since Bobby went home, we are just using three of them since we only have three horses here. Most likely Sweetheart is not going to come back because she has to have special shoes and special conditions to keep her healthy right now, and we can't provide that. But if we get a fourth horse, then I'll put the fourth feeder back up. Overall, they're a great product and of course I'm kicking myself and saying why didn't I think of that!

*For those of you from other states, here in AZ very few people have pasture because it's so hard to keep in good condition. Grass just doesn't grow in the desert unless you work really hard at it! The main type of hay grown here is alfalfa, which I won't feed my horses because it's too high in protein for such a warm climate. There are some grass hay farms, but not a lot. So a lot of our hay is almost always Bermuda grass hay and is shipped from out of state. This means hay becomes what I find a lot of folks back east think is expensive--anywhere from $11 to $14 a bale. These are 100 to 120 lbs three wire bales, but the quality can vary when it comes from other states. Luckily the feed store I buy from buys from an AZ Bermuda grass hay farmer, so it's always very fresh and green. I am very lucky--some people have to just go with whatever they get, no matter what the quality is!

It's Halloween Time!

2010-10-26T23:33:00.050-07:00

Many people who know me well know that my absolute favorite holiday is Halloween. I love Halloween the way southern middle aged women love Christmas. I love the decorations, going in the costume stores, watching horror movies, going to haunted houses, wearing Halloween shirts, socks and earrings, watching The Nightmare Before Christmas a million times (and Corpse Bride at least once), and just the general fun and mayhem that Halloween is.

So, I thought I'd have some fun with horse Halloween costumes to help celebrate! Now, I have not personally entered a horse into a costume contest before. Just haven't participated in a show where there's been a costume contest. But I've always wanted to do it, or at least have a Halloween horse ride and party where were have a horse and rider costume contest.

Anyway, this is going to be a long post, so sit back and enjoy. And..

Costume Pics

First, here are some great pictures I found on the 'net of horses and costumes. I tried to find ones that are homemade and not store bought.

Of course, I'm a sucker for movie tie-ins...

The Witch-king of Angmar riding a Ringwraith's steed.* These characters are from The Lord of the Rings. Very clever costume!

The Pink Panther and Inspector Clouseau.* (I did find out later that there is a small ranch that makes this particular costume that you can purchase.)

A girl after my own heart: Willy Wonka from Tim Burton's version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, along with his Golden Ticket.^

Harry Potter and Dumbledore!+ Or is that perhaps Hairy Trotter? (Okay, not my idea--I used to have a T-shirt by Jared Lee with a horse riding a pitchfork with a lightning bolt star. It was titled "Hairy Trotter.")

How about various ideas for The Wizard of Oz?

Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion+

Dorothy and the Scarecrow+

Hey! That horse looks like Dorothy!^ I love this play on characters.

And these are just really clever!

Hugh Hefner with his Playboy Bunny*

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell+

Hippies^

Bride & Groom+

Gumby & Pokey

And of course, the ever present Sea Horse:

I don't know why, but I still think this particular joke is funny.

Costume Ideas

These are my personal ideas that I always had in my head but never put into practice. If you decide to pass on the info and someone uses an idea, send me a pic so I can post it here!

My Little Pony - It's very easy to make your horse into a My Little Pony. A sorrel horse can become Applejack, a white horse can become Glory, a blue roan can be Rainbow Dash. You can buy spray-in hair dye at any costume store or places like Hot Topic in the mall. Then, using body paint, paint the symbol of the pony you choose on his rump. I actually found a stencil once that looked like Glory's design. She was always my favorite MLP. You can always dress up as a fairy or princess in matching colors. (I do have to be honest--the new look of the MLPs really creeps me out.)

Got a spotted horse or an Appaloosa? Then make you into an American Indian and paint your horse with symbols. Here are the authentic designs used on horses by American Indians. This is actually something I've always wanted to do with Apache. It's not all that unusual, but a really well made American Indian costume with real beading can score high points. You can always go to costume shops to rent a nice one, or enlist your mother, grandmother or neighbor to sew one for you. Since American Indians usually rode bareback or on animal skins, you can disguise your saddle if needed. Buy a few yards of brown, gray or black fleece, felt, or fake fur at your local fabric store. Make sure it's enough to cover your saddle when you sit in it. Then drape it over the saddle, and while you're sitting in it, have someone cut slits for your stirrups to come through. A basic Western bridle decorated with beads or feathers can complete the look. If you can ride in a rope halter, even better!

Pirate and his Parrot - I also had the idea of being a pirate riding my parrot. I would use a bridle that has a noseband or caveson. I would attach a triangle piece of orange felt to the noseband to simulate the beak. The base would be attached all the way across to the noseband and one of the pointed ends would drape down over his nose. Then bright colored feathers that you can buy at any craft store can be added to his mane and tail. I also had the idea to cut wings out of cardboard and glue or sew them onto a piece of fabric that goes under the pommel of the saddle so they stick out at the horse's shoulders. Then I can glue feathers to the cardboard to complete the look.

Thinking in Pairs

Since you and your horse are a pair, then it's time to think about pairs. One way to do this is to use your horse's natural look or color to create an outfit. For example, if he's bay, turn him into Seabiscuit and you can dress as Red, his jockey. If he's all black, find a good Headless Horseman costume and put all black tack on your horse when you ride him (or see below for an idea for the rider's costume). A white horse can be Shadowfax and you can be Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings. Got a palomino? Go as Roy Rogers and Trigger, then find a friend with a buckskin and they can be Dale Evans and Buttermilk. A brown horse can be Bullseye and you can be Woody from Toy Story. Show paint is available to touch up blemishes on horses for the show ring, so horses that aren't all one color, such as black with white markings, can be made all one color. Or you can add color to your horse. If your palomino doesn't have a blaze like Trigger did, then you can add one.

Here are some other pairs ideas that can be as easy or as hard as you want to make them.

A witch and her cat - Where the horse is the witch and you are the cat.

Alice and the White Rabbit, or Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Shaggy and Scooby-Doo - If you have a brown or sorrel horse, painting on Scooby's spots, braiding his tail, and then putting a fabric "collar" on around his neck would be sufficient to make him look like Scooby.

An angel and a devil - This is especially cute with a child and a pony or mini, where the horse is the devil.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto - Where the horse is the Lone Ranger.

Cops and Robbers - A white horse can be painted with large black stripes to be the robber, or a black horse can be painted with large white stripes.

Headless Horseman - If you watch Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, there is a scene where a few of the men of the town dress up as the Headless Horseman to scare Ichabod. They throw the flaming jack-o-lantern at him, just like in the Disney film and the story. You can see how they made their Headless Horseman costume when Casper Van Dien's character, Brom, reveals himself in the costume. Might be recreate-able.

Here's a whole list of famous pairs that you can choose from.

Accessories

Unicorn horns - I have a friend who's bought unicorn horns that are fastened to browbands for her ponies in her pony party business, Charming Pony Parties (above). I also found the below gorgeous photo at Gypsyroses.org. I think they make these.

Pegasus wings - Wouldn't these be freaking AWESOME fashioned to fit a horse? I'm sure they could be made to fit on a saddle pad at the shoulders of the horse. Actually, these folks come to our Renaissance Festival every year. I should ask them if they could make some for horses. Anyway, you can always do any color horse as a winged horse, but in the Greek myth, Pegasus himself was white. (And honestly, I HATED the new Clash of the Titans black Pegasus. What were they thinking????)

Slinkies - Slinkies can change a horse's color so he gets a new look. A green Slinky with felt "spikes" sewn on the back and neck can create a dragon. Braid his tail with green ribbon and tie a felt spike to the end of it.

Support boots - Since support boots come in all colors now, buy some to match your Slinkies to complete your horse's colorful look.

Fly masks - Fly masks can be spray painted and painted on to give your horse a new look. The bug eye fly masks can really add some dimension to your idea.

Body paint - If you are a good artist or know of one, body paint works great on horses as well as humans. You can paint on stripes for a zebra and dress yourself up as Tarzan or a person on safari.

but honestly, try to do the stripes well. I truly think it looks stupid when people just paint on stripes straight up and down like the horse is a cage. The above photo is way cool, but they could have done a much better job on his face. It's not like you can't find plenty of pictures of zebras online. Maybe they were going to work on that, though.

Or do different colored stripes and your horse can go as the Fruit Stripe gum zebra, dressing yourself up as a little kid from the 50s, or whenever that gum came out.

The spray on paint could also create this look:

It's the horse of a different color! This horse went from white to pink/purple to yellow and then to red in the film.

So, there you have it. That's about all I can think of for now. I'm sure there are thousands of other ideas out there. Feel free to post yours!

*Found here. +Found here. ^Found here.

Farrier Correction Information

2010-10-26T12:43:00.005-07:00

I think I need to clarify in case it was not understood that my major problem with the farrier I was using is that he did not respond to my texts, emails, or phone calls about him coming out to trim my horses since he had decided not to come to my area anymore. I would have gladly taken my horses to my in-laws' house to have my horses done there and then found someone else, but instead I was ignored. My horses went 11 weeks without a trimming, which is dangerous for my mare as she's suffered from laminitis in the past. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and give him time to get back to me, but it's hard to have sympathy for someone who clearly ignores you when you're trying to get a hold of him.

So, that's why I will no longer recommend that farrier. I'm not going to say DON'T go to him to someone--he is extremely talented and wonderful at his job. It's just that I can't recommend him because of how he's treated me.

I am not one to badmouth a person's name to a stranger, but we all talk about others to our friends behind their backs. Word of mouth is powerful. It's why I have plenty of enemies in various areas of the country. I don't worry about it because not everyone can get along. I also find that most of the people I know who don't like me aren't people I really want to associate with anyway. But I certainly can't recommend a businessperson who does not even acknowledge my attempts to get in touch with him/her. Actions speak louder than words, that's for sure.

Okay, enough on that. I have a much more fun post coming up that I hope everyone's going to enjoy.

When Hard Work Pays Off

2010-10-18T11:23:00.005-07:00

This weekend I helped a good friend and trainer with some presentations at a horse expo. Trish Beres is a Certified John Lyons Trainer and Certified Riding Instructor. When she heard about the horse expo, she contacted the guy who was putting it on and said let's fill a niche: you need a gaited horse presentation of some kind as well as what you already have. So she was given four time slots in between the 1 1/2 hour trainer sessions to present her basics on training gaited horses. She is not a gaited horse trainer per se, but she is a phenomenal trainer who has a lot of experience and natural instinct with horses. She also works with a lot of gaited horses, partially because I send her a lot of gaited horse owners! Here's her website if you want to learn more about her: Wooden-Bridge Ranch.

Anyway, she used four different horses in her presentations. She decided she wanted me and Apache to be in one of the presentations. We were in the second time slot, which was at 12:30. Our portion of the presentation was showing how to teach a horse to yield the hindquarters and get a horse to "come to your hand" rather than pulling on the bridle to get him to respond. This teaches your horse leg cues (which Apache doesn't know), how to use their hindquarters, and how to ride better in the saddle.

Now, as I've said before, Apache is not a show horse. So the idea of taking her to a large horse show center with music, noise, vendors, weird smells, and lots of different vendors was daunting to me. However, I decided that I needed to apply what I've been doing with Apache all along. While I joked about her becoming a bucking bronc or not paying attention, I was serious when I made this decision.

Two weeks ahead of time, Trish and I got together at the horse park and practiced what we were going to do. During that week, I mentally prepared myself and Apache. I would tell her out loud what we were going to be doing and that we'd be with Trish and we would be safe (Trish knew Apache when I owned her the first time around). I would also picture in my mind things going extremely well. Apache would be calm and concentrate, and we'd have an excellent connection during that time. And that's what happened at the practice. So I continued that mental and emotional connection with her for the next two weeks, letting her know what we'd be doing.

I also physically prepared for it by making sure I got up early to bathe her, took her there early to get her used to the sights and sounds, and worked with Trish to make sure she was in a stall next to another horse. We were lucky in that we got the roping arena that had been sectioned off, so the horses got to be stalled in the cattle pens attached to the arena. This way, she got to see and smell everything and got to hang out with a like-minded gelding who wasn't fussy and who also had never done this before. I had plenty of hay and water for her. I would walk away and come back to her and spend time sending her good messages and talking and scratching her so she'd understand we would be okay. When it came time for our presentation, I got her saddle on an hour before, let her stand with it on, then went into the arena a half hour before the presentation. I did some ground exercises for a few minutes and then got on her. She listened to people walk on the bleachers, she watched banners and tents flutter, and she got to drop her head and really sniff the arena dirt--I think she even wanted to roll a few times. She performed perfectly during the presentation and concentrated on what we were doing. There was no fighting, no bucking, no nothing. Just a calm and quiet time where Trish was able to easily explain what to do and we could demonstrate it. We were even laughing and joking during our presentation, so everyone was really relaxed.

Overall, the only trouble I got from her was before we left--she didn't want to be caught to have her bath or to leave. But I know it was only because she was going to be leaving her food. When I got her to the grounds and put her in a stall with her hay, she calmed right down.

I have realized through all of this that it's all about attitude with our horses. If we mentally visualize the results, then we will have good results. While we can't predict everything, we can certainly put the odds in our favor. If we focus on all the good things our horse can do rather than dwell on bad things that have happened in the past or that we think will happen, then we can create a calm environment that the horse will be comfortable in. Instead of walking outside and thinking what are you going to do to me today?, I think wow, I'm going to be with my horse today; I am so lucky! It's amazing what the power of the mind and emotional state can do when we set our hearts to it.

I realize also that all the hard work I have put into mentally and emotionally connecting with Apache is a real asset and the real reason for our success. I believe wholeheartedly that we are now partners and we are capable of just about anything I think we can do. As long as I don't go outside her realm of what she wants to do--for instance, no showing--then I think we'll really have an amazing partnership for the rest of our lives together. I am lucky to have such a strong bond with my horse soulmate. I hope others can learn from my experiences and apply it to their own horse/human relationships.

Feeders, Farriers, and Another First

2010-10-03T23:22:00.004-07:00

No pictures, but Phoenix had his first trimming this week!

First of all, my farrier decided that he doesn't have enough clients in my area to justify coming out here. This REALLY pisses me off. I recommend the guy on my website, I included him on a clinic I had for riding and shoeing gaited horses, I have helped him with a lot of advertising and stuff. And he does this to me. Of course, he doesn't tell me he won't be coming out. It wasn't until our horses were two weeks late and he showed up at my in-laws' house to do their horses while my husband was there that he told him he won't be coming out. I imagine I never would have heard from him if that hadn't happened.

*SIGH* I truly think that farriers really are probably some of the worst people to deal with in the horse industry. The good ones know they're good and that good ones are few and far between, so they make you jump through hoops to have them at your place. Then there are so many bad ones and it's so hard to weed the bad from the good that you risk laming your horses.

However, one of the owners of the tack store that we buy all our feed from knows how to trim horses. We asked him a week or so ago if he'd do it since I hadn't heard from my farrier, and he said yes. He came out and did everyone and did a wonderful job. I was thrilled beyond words. He doesn't want to advertise that he trims horses because it's such hard work, and he only does it for people he likes. I'm so excited because he said he'll put us on a regular schedule. Ironically, it turns out he owns one of Apache's two full brothers! I've known him for years and just now found this out! He got him just a few months ago and had mentioned him, but I never made the connection that Smokey was Apache's brother, Smokey! He got him from the folks that own Apache's dam and her other full brother. Sadly, the other brother, Elvis, died of colic last year. Apache's dam was recently sold to a riding program place, which is good because she's very safe for beginners and kids.

Anyway, he did such a great job and was so patient and quiet that even Apache stood as still as a statue to be trimmed. He was extremely patient with Phoenix. We didn't tie him off--I just held him while the trimmer picked up his feet. Phoenix tried rearing and walking forward when he'd pick up a front foot, but the trimmer just held his foot until he calmed down. I gave him tons of praise when he calmed down and talked and cooed at him while the trimmer trimmed. After just a few minutes with each front foot, he calmed down and figured out he wasn't gong to get hurt. He actually was better for his back legs than with his front legs. I was so happy and so proud of him. My trimmer said he was very impressed and was really happy with how well he did. At one point he sighed and closed his eyes while his back feet were being worked on. I was so happy with my little man!

Phoenix's feet seem to be growing straight up and down, so the trimmer took off some heel on each foot and cleaned up the toes. Since Phoenix has never had a trim before, the trimmer starting out without taking too much off. We'll take more off the next time around. He said he shouldn't be ready until about eight weeks, but if he seems to need it at six weeks just to let him know. When I took him back into the turnout, he seemed to be unsure of the new feel to his feet and tripped over himself a couple of time. When I took his halter off he stood with me for a second, then took off bucking and farting. It was really funny. He's so smart and respectful--he didn't buck near me, only as he was running off and away from me.

I also have gotten the Freedom Feeders and am using them. I got them last Monday so it's been about a week. It is using up a lot of hay right now while the horses get used to it, so if you're going to try them keep that in mind, that you'll go through a few extra bales. However, Red Hawk does not weave like he used to anymore and there's no fighting at feeding time. I think they are starting to get used to having hay all the time--it seems I'm filling them less times during the day. Overall, though, there is a much more relaxed atmosphere when they eat, and in the evenings when I give them their supplements no one is pawing (Apache) or weaving (Red Hawk) in anticipation. My husband hates them because they take extra time to fill, but I think once the horses get used to them then everything will be fine.

That's about it for now. We're just dying for cooler weather to come soon!

Ready....GO!

2010-09-29T01:02:00.003-07:00

I am waiting for some laundry to be done, so I'm going to challenge myself. I'm going to think of a breed of horse for every letter of the alphabet. I am including extinct and wild breeds as well. This is actually a really good way to pass the time waiting in line or to get yourself to fall asleep. I find it works really well--pick a topic and find something that starts with that topic from A to Z. I did it for book titles the other day while waiting in line at the pharmacy. It worked great!

Okay. Ready....GO!

A - Appaloosa

B - Belgian

C - Connemara

D - Draft

E - Eohippus

F - Friesian

G - Grevy's Zebra

H - Halflinger

I - Icelandic

J - Jack (Mammoth)

K - Keiger Mustang

L - Lipizzan

M - Missouri Fox Trotter

N - Newfoundland Pony

O - Oldenburg

P - Percheron

Q - Quarter Horse

R - Rocky Mountain Horse

S - Shire

T - Tennessee Walking Horse (duh)

U - Unicorn

V - Vanner

W - Westphalian

X - ?

Y - ?

Z - Zorse

So those were my first thoughts. Here are some REAL breeds for the letters that I'm a bit off on.

D - Dartmoor Pony, Dales Pony, Danish Warmblood

E - Exmoor Pony

G - Georgian Grande, Gypsy Horse

U - United Mountain Horse (And why I didn't think of this when I have gaited horses I have no idea.)

I could not think of anything for Y, and honestly, I can't find any breed for Y. And I know a Jack isn't a breed, but I can't find a J breed either. I also couldn't find an X, but I think in that case the Exmoor Pony counts. :)

Any horsey games you like to play to pass the time?

Photo Shoot, or How We Discovered Phoenix is The Self-Lunging Horse

2010-09-19T22:59:00.009-07:00

I should be working...instead I'm blogging...thank God for my job in that my boss can't catch me doing this! ;)

We did a photo shoot on 9-11 (Phoenix's four month birthday) with all the horses. Here are our best shots.

This is Apache in her rhythm beads by Natural Rhythm Beads. (Also here on Facebook.) Natural Rhythm Beads is run by my friend in Florida who donates her rhythm beads to auctions for horse rescues to auction off. She also makes some to sell just to offset her costs, but she's really doing all of this for non-profit. I LOVE THEM! They are perfect and exactly what I wanted. She did a great job in filling my order.

If you don't know what rhythm beads are, they are "necklaces" or mane clips for horses that have bells on them. When the horse moves, the bells jingle, and it's a great way for horses to learn rhythm and cadence. I have used bells on gaited horses and it has always worked well. I also have used music or reciting the phrase "I think I can, I think I can" from The Little Engine That Could to help my horses find their four-beat gait. These are just a lot prettier and easier than attaching bells to your bridle and singing! I will also use these on night rides--a great way for people to hear you coming.

I'm really weird about each horse having his/her color. I do believe in how color can influence our bodies through the seven Chakras. I do understand how color works and why it's important in our lives. I have understood the Color Wheel since grade school and I love to study how color affects us and invokes certain moods and thoughts.

Apache's original color when I owned her before was royal blue, black and white. But I learned through a student who practiced Reiki (which involves the seven Charkas) that it's good to do your color and your horse's color together. My Chakra color is purple, and Apache's is blue. So I use this "hurricane blue" (as Weaver halters named it) and purple for Apache. I have a pad in the same color that my in-laws bought me by mistake--I actually wanted baby blue. But I like this color much better!

Obviously Phoenix will grow into his. His colors are black and red. I will also use purple on him when I ride. I'll probably make a talisman for his mane or bridle in red and purple for when I ride him.

Here's Red Hawk. He is SO good at posing for the camera! His colors are green and brown. Always have been, always will be. When I ride him I have purple and green reins and a sage green saddle pad I use and conchos that I decorated with purple and green rhinestones. (Apache has purple and blue rhinestones on her conchos for her bridle.)

We used my husband's Canon EOS 40D. He got all artsy fartsy with this shot:

Here are my after-photoshop-pics. Okay, I should say after Paint.Net pics. Photoshop is just one of those programs I STILL cannot figure out how to work! I need to take a class on it.

We also discovered that Phoenix is self lunging. When we were done with our photo shoot, Scott went to lead him back and he started walking around Scott at the end of his lead rope in a perfect circle. No prompting from us--he just did it. We told him what a good boy he was.

That's my lab, Tennessee, in the background.

And some confirmation shots:

Our vet said to keep him just a bit ribby to avoid him growing too fast. I've had the problem with tall horses growing too fast in the past (Red Hawk being one of them) so I am keeping his weight just where you can just barely see his ribs. He's doing really well on it and really doesn't overeat. Even though we're free feeding hay, he doesn't gorge himself and will stop eating and walk away for a while.

For the record, I measured him on 9/9 and he is 13.1 hands. I had to measure three times to be sure I was right because I didn't believe it.

You can get an idea of how big he is here:

I'm worried about his feet, though. Our farrier has not been answering my calls for the past two weeks...the last time this happened I found out my farrier had passed away. I hope this one is okay. In the meantime, I really am worried about Phoenix's legs and feet--he still slightly over at the knees and I don't like how he's so high up on his heels. I'm going to have to find someone who will be willing to work on him who knows what they're doing to help him out.

However, on a more positive note, Phoenix watched me like a hawk last week when I worked with Apache in the round pen. When I put her away, he tired to stick his head in the halter, as if to say let me try! So I got his little halter and spent about five minutes in the round pen with him. He did a wonderful job. At first he wasn't sure what he was doing and bolted to the gate twice. I just let him bolt and freak out to get it out of his system. That took all of 30 seconds. As soon as I asked him to go around the rail, he did it at a walk. He does nothing fast--Scott said it's because he's part draft, and I definitely agree. I got some outside turns and inside turns with him. He even whoaed and came in when I asked. I am so proud of him. I swear he figured out what I wanted just by watching Apache.

We went for our first ride of the riding season today, and Phoenix was NOT happy! Neither were Cooper and Bobby, but Phoenix was really mad! We'll have to pony him once his feet and legs are in better shape.

Anyone want to venture to guess how big he'll be at six months? I am really, really shocked at how much he's growing!

I Haven't Posted Since WHEN???

2010-09-08T00:14:00.004-07:00

Wow, I guess I haven't had much to talk about! We haven't done much with Phoenix because of the extreme heat. Just mostly teaching him things like being haltered, respecting space, and picking up his feet.

However, he has shot up in the past week or so as far as size...I will take pics and post them soon.

These are pics from August 13. I was so excited because this was the first time Apache has allowed him to eat with her. Now he is welcome to eat with everyone. The other horses protect him, and he hangs out with Apache a lot.

It's sometimes hard to express how happy I am that Apache accepts him. I was worried she'd be jealous or mean to him because of our relationship. But honestly, I truly believe that because I told her so much about him before he came into this world and that she will always be my best horse, I think I prepared her and she knows she's still my number one.

Here's our little herd: Phoenix, Apache and Red Hawk.

Right now we are "babysitting" a friend's horses, two TWHs named Bobby and Cooper. My friend has had knee replacement surgery and the horses came to stay with us for a few months. While Bobby doesn't like anyone except Red Hawk and those two are best buds--grooming each other and whatnot--Cooper protects Phoenix and hangs out with him and Apache. Apache lets Cooper get close, but not TOO close. I'll post pics of them as well.

We've made some changes to our feeding style. After a very heavy rainstorm flooded the corrals and we didn't want the horses eating hay soup, we threw their hay out into the turnout to eat. I am AMAZED at the difference in their attitudes. The horses move from hay pile to hay pile, but there is no more fussing and horses getting each other trapped in the corrals and fighting. I used to leave all the corrals open so everyone can move around and not feel trapped when eating, but this solution is MUCH better. I feed three times a day and this method has cut down on fights and hay guarding tremendously. So I'm going to get some Freedom Feeder hay nets. They're not expensive and it cuts down on waste and cost of hay. The horses eventually learn that they will always have hay available, so they actually eat less than they do when you feed them at regular intervals. It also means less time spent feeding hay and more time spent in the saddle!

It's now September, however, so saddle time is upon us! I'm going to start riding Apache again in the round pen this week, probably mostly bareback. She's such a joy to ride that way and I think she enjoys it as much as I do.

More pictures coming soon. Thank goodness summer in the Valley is almost over!

Fly Spray Success!

2010-08-09T13:27:00.003-07:00

No new pictures, but I wanted to share that I was able to spray Phoenix all over with fly spray yesterday! I did the same thing I did with the bath--just put his halter on and held the rope while I sprayed. He did great. I don't use a chemical fly spray on him--it's a recipe that I have that I just love. I find the horses are much more tolerant of it being sprayed on them because it doesn't smell bad. It's not as strong as the chemical stuff, but I really like it better. So once I have finished off the gallon bottle of Pyranha we have, I'm going to use my recipe and Bio-Groom Repel 35 from now on!

Phoenix also colicked on Thursday night, but he's much better now. We've had some extreme weather changes lately--it's monsoon season here in AZ, so we get cool and humid for a few days and then the next is extra hot and dry. It bounces up and down, so colic is not uncommon at this time of year. Our vet came out but we didn't have to tube him to get mineral oil and water into his gut. She had us give him a miniscule amount of bute, which caused the pain to subside and got him eating again. We gave him about two cups of soaked pellets mush along with a handful of hay every two hours, and he got enough moisture in him to start eating normally and pooping normally again. So he's fine. He was PERFECT for the vet--stood still for her to check him over and even allowed us to use the thermometer like it was nothing. I am so proud of my little boy!

I can't figure out why he doesn't want his ears messed with, though. He's been this way since he was born. He'll let me do it, but he always jerks his head away first. Any suggestions, anyone?

BATH DAY!

2010-08-02T01:25:00.011-07:00

Okay, quick update--I finally got the comments settings updated to how I think it'll work so everyone can still comment as wanted. I just had to get ride of those damn Asian porn sites being posted in the comments.

So now on to the fun stuff: BATH DAY! Wednesday was bath day for Phoenix and Sophie. I used EQ Solutions in my EZ-all sprayer bottle. I have carpal tunnel and have a hard time scrubbing the shampoo directly on the horse. These sprayer bottle thingys have saved my life.

Here are Sophie and Phoenix after their bath. I think Phoenix really did like his bath. He wasn't sure at first, so I just held the rope rather than tied him off. He figured out that water feels good, soap feels better and when mom uses the plastic scrub mitt it's THE BEST. So he did really well with his bath. We even "brushed his teeth"--he would open his lips for me to spray his teeth and in his mouth. I think he'll end up being a horse that will enjoy bathtime like his dam.

He was COVERED in suds when I sprayed him with the EQ Solution. He looked so funny. I wish I had had someone taking picture for me, but since Brian is out of town I had to bath him alone, so no pictures. Just the afterwards.

So handsome! A lot of his foal coat came out and he's got a really soft black coat underneath. I'm going to start feeding him Black as Knight when he's old enough to keep him black.

I then did some go away and come in exercises with him after his bath and he was dry. He wasn't too keen on it but listened really well. I've been using Clinton Anderson and John Lyons methods and both are working great. He has learned VERY fast and I can now send him away if I need to.

And honestly I wanted to get pictures of him running! He does a flat walk, trots, canters and gallops.

We also weaned Phoenix completely on Saturday. All week I've been putting Sophie in the round pen at feeding time. She was also starting to kick him off of her and wasn't letting him nurse much. It turns out that she most likely was not giving him anything being as thin as she was, and it was possible that he was killing her. So for everyone involved, including Apache, it was time for her to go home.

He's doing great without his mom. He only cried the first night and now is sticking around with Sweetheart. He has tried to nurse on her here and there, and she squeals and kicks at him. But other than that, she's being extremely patient. She lets him hang out with her and eat with her, but he goes in his separate corral for his supplements in the evening.

A close friend of mine is having knee replacement surgery and her two horses are staying with us for two months. They are geldings, both TWHs, Bobby and Cooper. Cooper is an endurance horse; Bobby is a do-it-all horse, although he's best at day-long trail rides. Both of them already get along with Phoenix and the others just fine. Earlier today I watched while Cooper tried to walk up to talk to Phoenix but Red Hawk and Sweetheart were protecting him. I'm sure once they get used to him then Cooper will be "allowed" to hang out with Phoenix. So I'll get pictures of everyone together soon.

What do you want me to do now?

Hey Red Hawk! Do you have any hay? Me neither!

Stop taking pictures and come pet me, Mom!

I saw on a website a few days ago a woman was breeding her Fox Trotter stallion to a PMU Percheron mare she had to create what she called a "gaited baroque" horse. I LOVE that term! I will have to use it when I talk about Phoenix. Think maybe we need to start a new breed registry? Ha ha!

Phoenix Needs Training!

2010-07-19T22:24:00.010-07:00

First, I wanna say that I have had to change the settings on the comments on this blog since there are so many GDMF Japanese porn people posting in my comments section to get you guys to click on their nasty gross sites. So hopefully this change will keep them from continuing to post. If you try to post it will tell you how to do so.

So here are pictures of Phoenix I took on July 5 here at his new home.

Hanging with Red Hawk and his mom. They are in Sweetheart's stall and then under the shade we built in the turnout. (More on Sophie in a bit.)

The little bugger is really sweet, but I have ZERO control of his feet. I can't send him away when needed or anything like that. He will shove right into me sometimes. While I know it's also because he's young and just don't know, I want him to learn respect NOW rather than deal with it when he's 1200+ lbs. So he's going to have to get some round pen training this coming weekend. Just some basics, nothing difficult.

Here he is showing off how he wants his butt scratched:

You can also get a sense of how tall he is. These panels are almost 5 feet tall.

Be sure to ruin mommy's shot by walking towards her!

Such conformation!

I love this photo. It reminds me of that line in Bambi where he says, "Mother? What we gonna do today?"

Here are Apache and Sweetheart, his other herdmates. Sweetheart is my mother-in-law's retired horse. she was sored as a younger horse and has serious lasting effects from it. She has severe arthritis, a severely swayed back, her hooves grow weird, and she has nerve damage in her shoulders. It's sad because she's only 23. But she's an excellent auntie to Phoenix...if Sophie would let her get close enough.

We're also having serious problems with Sophie. She's attacking Apache for no apparent reason. She literally finds her in a stall, runs in, backs her into a corner and kicks the shit out of her. I've watched her do it three times. Apache has done nothing to deserve this--in fact, she has avoided both of them like the plague since day one. She has never struck or kicked at Phoenix when he comes up to her--she either freezes or walks away. Now because of Sophie Apache looks like a cougar attacked her. I can't have her doing this, so we're weaning Phoenix at three months. I've done a lot of research and breeding farm consulting on this. Basically, the foal gets it's most important nutrients during the first two months of feeding. After that, they get calcium and protein for bone and muscle growth, which tapers off after about four months. I can easily supplement that. So it won't be hard to raise him from there. I can't have him learning bad behavior from Sophie.

Plus, Sophie is not gaining weight, and I can't spend a fortune on feeding a skinny horse that I don't own. And she probably isn't giving Phoenix much because she's so thin, and I can't continue to put her in danger by allowing him to suck her dry. So we've decided three months is it. I know, I hate it, and it's been so hard to come to this decision. But I can't allow Sophie's poor condition and behavior to continue. She needs to go back home--I can tell she's not happy here. It's the best for her.

Phoenix is home!

2010-07-03T23:57:00.005-07:00

PHOENIX CAME HOME TODAY!!! Amee brought him and Sophie over this morning as our trukc is on the fritz. WE went over there and helped load Phoenix. He didn't jump right in, but Amee is the kind to just shove them right in, so we didn't get to spend time helping him in one foot at a time. But he was not bad and did not fight us horribly to get on. Once he was on he was fine--no issues. I think he'll learn how to do it fairly well once our truck is fixed and we can work on it here at home. He is so tall he can already see out the windows of the trailer!

Did I take pictures? NO. But honestly, I needed to just hang around with the rest of the herd and make sure no one was too aggressive with anyone else. We introduced everyone slowly, one at a time, so Sophie wouldn't get overwhelmed. Now everyone is turned out together. Sophie is protective for now, although she has allowed him to wander off while she eats. I'm sure she'll get used to things and nothing will be a big deal in a few days. She isn't being mean, just cautious.

We started with my mother-in-law's retired mare, Sweetheart, who was incredibly respectful and is already "guarding" Sophie and Phoenix buy putting herself between them. Sweetheart loves other foals and wants to take care of them. Once Sophie figures it out, Sweetheart is going to make a great babysitter while Sophie takes her naps!

Red Hawk decided he really really really really really wanted to talk to Sophie again, but she wouldn't have it, so she went running around. He would chase her and he was like hey! Wait! I just wanna talk! But she was like no deal! and would buck at him. So Red Hawk is being careful and keeping his distance. He also was interested in Phoenix, but Sophie wouldn't let him too close.

Apache wants NOTHING to do with him. In fact, when I introduced her she looked at Sophie and Phoenix, Sophie laid her ears back, and Apache went running away! It was really kinda funny. She only tries to be brave when Red Hawk or I are around. Earlier, they were all turned out and Sophie brought Phoenix over to get a drink, and Apache was nearby. Sophie just turned and looked at Apache and Apache took off again!

I had spent a lot of time with Apache telling her that Phoenix was coming home, so she is showing absolutely no signs of being jealous and still wants my attention. So I give her and Phoenix equal time. Phoenix is already leaving mom to come talk to me! My little boy loves me!

We also put up a carport shade over our feed area, where we keep our hay and supplements. Part of it hangs over into the turnout, so we anchored it into the ground with steel rods. Phoenix had to come "help." I said Phoenix wants a job! What can he do? Brian's sister said he can supervise! He was very good and didn't get pushy or in the way like most foals do. He has really earned respect for space.

I will take pictures of Phoenix and the herd tomorrow. For now, here are pics from Saturday, June 26. Doesn't he look so handsome in red?

Hey mom? Where'd you go?

Itchy spot!

Handsome boy!

Here he is with Dancer. As you can see, Dancer is catching up to him as far as size, but Phoenix still has him beat. Dancer already has TONS of hair! His mane is already folding over, and he has tons of chin hairs and his feathers are already growing. He looks more like a Friesian foal than a Percheron foal, and Phoenix looks more like a Percheron than a TWH! I guess the two daddies really made their marks! I know Phoenix and Dancer will miss each other, but we plan to get them back together after they're weaned.

That's Cinnabon, one of Amee's party minis, rolling in the background. Charm, the palomino mini, is coming to join her.

Hey! Come over here and hang with us!

While you do that scratching thing, I'm going to go over here!

Brothers sharing secrets.

That's it for now!

Only 12 Days Later...

2010-06-20T22:59:00.015-07:00

And Phoenix looks like a different horse. We are at 5 weeks and two days, and look at this:

First, SHAME ON ME. I didn't even realize it has been 12 days since I last saw him. Man, the summer is getting away from me. Second, for some reason, I always manage to go over there when Amee is irrigating the pastures! I will make sure to make it out there next weekend when the pastures are back to normal and everyone's turned out.

Third, check this out:

May 30:

June 20:
That's only 20 days. TWENTY DAYS. I mean sure, the pics aren't exactly the same, but check out where the top of his head is compared to Brian's shoulders. I cannot believe how big he's gotten. We measured and weighed him: 12.1 hands and 270 lbs. HOLY CRAP!

He's completely outgrown the foal halter. We put a yearling halter on him today and it's a bit big, so I think a wealing halter will fit him.

Today we did leading work with him. I lead Sophie around while Brian lead him. He did extremely well. He resisted here and there, which is why I won't use a rope halter--I don't want that localized pressure the rope halter causes around his pole. I'd rather have the wide nylon which distributes the pressure evenly. Once he got the hang of leading, though, he did really well. He stayed behind Brian most of the time and wasn't pushy.

As you can see, he's still not sure where his legs go. He reaches real big with the front and has a big overstride in the back. I wish I had had someone to take a picture of him when we walked him around the side of the pasture, but I was leading Sophie and letting her graze while Brian walked Phoenix around. Hard to take pictures when doing that.

His chest, back and croup have really widened out. He is just really filling out fast. His legs are almost straight in the front, too. He's almost too big to nurse. I wonder if we'll have to wean him sooner because of this. I hate to do it, but then again, I know plenty of people who have weaned foals at two months and it hasn't been an issue. I will have to call my vet.

He's still at Amee's house, obviously. We finally have our shade up over at our place, but we need to build another one. We're still in that almost completely done with the house and property stage you get in after moving--just taking our time buying the stuff we need. So he probably won't be here for another two weeks or so.

I also made a decision on his color. I am a firm believer in how color affects people. It doesn't affect people in the traditional ideas that people have, however: red doesn't equal anger, yellow doesn't equal happy, green doesn't equal envy, blue doesn't equal sad. It's the affects the colors have on people subconsciously that are important. Blue is actually extremely calming, green is very neutral and easy going, and yellow is actually very boisterous and aggressive. I have read where you should never paint your bedroom yellow because of this--it can cause you to not sleep well and wake up aggressive. Many couples will have more fights in a bedroom that's painted yellow than any other color.

So, after some soul-searching and thinking about Phoenix's personality, I chose the color red. In Feng Shui, red is the color of divine energy. It also equals passion, courage, and luck. Within crystal healing work, red symbolizes action, confidence, courage, and vitality. In the self-healing work of reiki, red auras have a variety of different meanings depending on the tint or shade of red; but overall, when bright and pure, red energy will serve a healthy ego. Then in the chakra studies, red is the root chakra, which is located at the base of the spine and in the abdomen, related to a woman's ovaries and a man's prostate. It is the first and grounding chakra that keeps us rooted to our origins from the Earth and helps us find balance and security in our lives.

I also chose red because of the mythical bird the phoenix itself, which many times is depicted as red or with red in its plumage. In fact, the depiction of Fawkes, Dumbledore's familiar, in the Harry Potter films is exactly how I pictured a phoenix to look.

As I'm sure everyone knows, the phoenix has a long life cycle, anywhere from 500 to 1000 years depending on the tale being told. At the end of it's cycle, the bird burns completely to a pile of ash. From the ash is born a phoenix fledgling, to begin the life cycle again.

In a way, this symbolizes Phoenix himself. He is our second foal to raise for ourselves to keep--Apache's second foal, who was also Red Hawk's first, we had to sell because of financial difficulties. We always planned to keep her but couldn't. This is our second life we are cultivating to keep, and I can't imagine him going anywhere.

Plus, with our ranch being called Silver Phoenix Ranch, and living in the southwest, Phoenix really seemed a fitting name.

So, after all of that, I'm really happy to chose red as Phoenix's color. And ironically, it is also Merlin's color, which I didn't even realize! So it's obviously meant to be!

June Already?

2010-06-08T17:01:00.015-07:00

Yes it is. And it's FREAKING HOT. Good ol' Arizona--nothing like going from cool and breezy in the high 80s/low 90s to insane hot where it's over 105 and walking outside is like walking into an oven and the breeze feels like a blow dryer.

Anyway, we are going to move Sophie and Phoenix to our house as soon as we can figure out a way to get our shade put up so it doesn't blow down in our Kansas-like winds we have where we live. We want him closer--it would really be nice to have him here at our place so I can just walk outside and mess with him. I've also read where it's safer to keep the baby at the place he'll live and then take mom away for weaning time.

Here are some photos from over the Memorial Day weekend. Phoenix really enjoys Brian--he spent more time with him and pretty much ignored me! But Sophie made me in charge of scratching her, so I obliged.

Ooooo! Scratches feel so good!

We did some leading exercises and picking up feet exercises as well. He pulled some, but very little.

He tries to groom Brian when he scratches him. I love the funny faces he makes.

Here you can see how insanely big he is. Brian is 6 foot, to give you an idea of Phoenix's height. I measured him today and he is 11.3 hands--he stood straight and still for me to measure his height--and 108 lbs, but he didn't stand still for the weight, so I think the tape was off. I imagine he's closer to 130.

He was very fascinated with our shorts. And yes, Brian is a bad boy for not wearing closed toe shoes. But we have an excuse--we had run some errands and stopped to see him on a whim. I was wearing sandals as well.

Phoenix also loves water. We dumped the bucket and added more water, and he stuck his nose in it while it swirled around and splashed, drank and played.

Here are pictures of him from today. He's starting to shed his foal coat, which doesn't surprise me since it's so hot. It's not unusual for foals to shed completely to the skin in AZ at this time of year.

It was hard to get full body shots of him because he kept wanting to be petted. He is getting extremely broad along his back and his neck is really thick.

To answer your question from your comment in the last post, CLHAQ, yes, he is over in the knees, but I really think he's just extremely bent from having been in his momma's belly. They get straighter and straighter every time I see him. I figure if it comes down to it, I can work with my farrier to do some corrective work to help straighten his knees if needed. But I really think they'll straighten on their own.

We did some halter work today too. He lead like a pro. I hardly had to put any pressure on the lead line, and sometimes if I just clucked and started walking away he just followed. He got TONS of praise when he did it right, so man was he happy to do it right. Sophie would even help sometimes--she would nudge him in my direction if needed.

Overall, I didn't spend a ton of time there today because everyone had to be in the barn because of irrigation, so the heat was just nasty. But I really enjoyed being with him and can't wait to bring him home.

Feet

2010-05-22T00:59:00.010-07:00

Spent some more time with Phoenix on Wednesday night. I went there with no agenda--mostly I just wanted to be around him. But we actually ended up working on a few things that kinda just happened.

First he has started to feel full of himself and tries to buck. I'll be scratching his butt and he'll decide to buck. So I just shove him away and walk away from him. One time he really got a good buck in and I chased him off, then turned around and walked away. After about a billion times of this he finally figured out that he doesn't get scratches if he bucks!

Then since he was standing so well I decided to pick up each foot in turn. No need for the halter--he let me do it with no major issues. He was perfect on his left side, but on his right he would just jerk his foot. It wasn't so much to get me to let go, it was more like man, that's annoying! He didn't really fight me, just wasn't too pleased about the experience. But as soon as he relaxed I put his foot down and gave him TONS of praise told him that he was a genius! He really liked that.

He's discovering the water bucket and the hay. He also is getting his teeth--his two fronts have broken through! So now he's going to be at that mouthy stage. He got bopped in the face once by me when he did bite me, but I know he just doesn't know what he's doing with his mouth yet.

What's really funny is how he tries to groom me when I'm petting him. I will scratch and scratch and he will toss his head around and gnaw at the air or will groom himself instead! He's still trying to figure it out. It's so cute!

Stand still! I'm trying to take a picture of you!

Here's another picture of Amee's foal. OOPS, we were wrong: He's definitely bay!

She has decided to call him Mystic Moonlight Dancer. She plans for him to be a freestyle dressage horse, so he will be her dancing horse.

We'll be moving Sophie and Phoenix to our house in a couple of weeks. I just can't stand not having Phoenix here. Since my work is so varied as to I never know how long it's going to take, I just want him to be here so I can spend the time I need to with him without having to plan for it. Even 10 minutes is 10 minutes, so I want him home! Plus it'll be easier to wean him if I keep him here and move momma rather than the other way around. I'd just better start sending mental vibes to my other horses that a baby is coming!

Check out his little tongue!

Halter Time

2010-05-18T01:17:00.012-07:00

Well, things are progressing really well with Phoenix. Merlin's owner, Calista, is spending more time than me with him. She has this wonderful technique for training foals to learn about the halter. These pics were taken by her and her friend who came to help her on May 15 with working with him.

First, take a horse-sized halter and put it around the foal like a dog harness, so the bottom of the halter is along their spine and the nosepiece is resting where the breastcollar will eventually rest. The crown goes around his girth area. Then when you ask him to move, you just put a little pressure on the halter. If he doesn't come right away, you can then put pressure on the harness to get his whole body to move. It's a MUCH better way to train than just hauling on their face and allowing them to struggle at the end of the halter. He is responding far better to this than he was with me with just the halter! Of course I hadn't seen this technique before, and I was in a bit of a unique situation, but still!

Calista also uses Phoenix's natural instincts to help get him to learn to lead. She lets him come to her first, and then she pets him all over to tell him he's a good boy. Then she'll get him to turn toward Sophie, allowing his natural instinct to be near his mother to kick in. She bends down low so she is also at his level and talks to him in a positive tone, which encourages him to move. She gives as soon as he does what she wants. Then she walks away and waits for him to come to her again.

I am fascinated by this technique. There is no struggling, no fighting. The foal is not flooded with information that can become confusing and scary--he instead is experiencing only positives in the whole process.

Of course, it's always important to pick up a foal. I firmly believe in it, and not because I want to "dominate" the foal or "show him who's boss." I want him to understand that I am a leader and can help him when he's in a vulnerable state. He's in the air, but I can put him down and "save" him. I think it's something that builds trust between horse and owner.

Here he is wearing his fly mask. It's so cute--it's got tractors around the edge. It's actually a mini sized fly mask--I haven't tried the foal one I have on him yet, but I have a feeling it's going to be too big!

I plan to go tomorrow to spend more time with him, just to be around him. Today was a bad day for me--I was sick to my stomach.

In other news, Phoenix now has a "brother!" Mystic, Amee's gray Percheron mare, was also pregnant. She had her foal at 9 am on Sunday, May 16. The foal is by a Friesian stallion and is a black colt, exactly what Amee wanted! Although he looks like he's going to turn gray, but that's okay--a gray Friesian will be pretty! he doesn't have a name yet, but she's been thinking seriously about Sundancer.

I truly, truly believe that Mystic and Sophie wanted to have their foals close together so they can grow up together. These two mares are definitely "sisters" in both size and temperament and have bonded really well, so having their colts be together will be great. Both are excellent moms and are making our jobs of training very easy!

Pictures of Phoenix taken today by Amee.

Got Gait?

2010-05-12T23:47:00.010-07:00

YOU BETCHA! Check it out!

I AM SO EXCITED! And can I brag a little? I am SO proud of my selection of mare and stallion! I wouldn't have gotten this foal if I hadn't done the research I did and been so picky about the stallion and mare. Man, I am SO pleased with myself!

(Geez, Andrea, don't break your arm patting yourself on the back.)

Today was Phoenix's first day of turnout--I just had to do it so I could see if he gaited or not. He also wore a halter and fly mask today for the first time. He also is extremely independent. When I went to put him and Sophie back in the stall, he said nope, I'm not going in and headed back out into the pasture! It took me three tries before I could get him in, much to poor Sophie's chagrin. While I was with him, I'd just do some basic pressure and release with the halter--nothing serious and no leading. But when Sophie got put away in the stall and he didn't, I thought okay I bet he'll lead now that mom's in the stall and freaking out and he's not. No can do! He pulled like a normal colt would. DAMN, he is strong--a lot stronger than other colts I've run across! I wasn't able to reach my arm around his butt to send him forward, either--he's too big! I just moved with him and let him pull until he stopped. The funny thing was, he didn't seem upset about not being around--he was much more worried about this horrible thing on his face! Then I had to go let Sophie out so she'd go to him, halter her, and then bring her back. He finally came back in on his own accord on the third try!

What was truly amazing was when I went to take his halter off and put his fly mask back on. He freaked out when I took his halter to take it off--he started pulling again, bumped into another stall and jumped forward, then fell into one of the water buckets, turning the spigot next to it on! I just went with him while he did this--I didn't want to let go of the halter and him learn that pulling would get him away. Once he calmed down and stood still I let go. Then I went to take the halter off again, and he tried to hide behind momma. Amazingly, Sophie repositioned herself time and time again so that he was between me and her. I thought what is she doing, then finally realized oh, she's trying to help me! I swear Sophie rolled her eyes when I made that revelation! When I went to put the fly mask on, she did the same thing. She would nicker to him, like come on, you need to wear your fly mask. It was great--what an amazing mom!

So Phoenix was put out with me for a while, but later on he let me come up and scratch him again. I just did a lot of advance and retreat--after he'd freak out, I'd walk away, let him rest and think, then come back and try again. He did great, really, for his second day. I'm excited to spend more time with him.

Here are some more pictures. My favorite is the last one!

Curly hairs on his rump!

MMMMM MILK!

Meet Phoenix

2010-05-11T23:43:00.011-07:00

Hello all! Phoenix has arrived! And he's not painted. How the heck did THAT happen?

Phoenix was born at about 4:00 pm today, May 11th, 2010. Unusual time to be born, but it seems that Sophie really wanted us to not be around! Amee literally came outside to feed and there he was! He was mostly dry, but he hadn't gotten up yet and the placenta was also out with him. I got there around 4:45. Amee and I helped him stand up because the straw was still slippery and he was having a hard time standing. He started to nurse around 6:30 pm. He was so interested in all the people around him that he was having a hard time figuring out how to nurse. We finally had to leave the pen to get him to start focusing on nursing! He is pretty much born trained. He already loves people and is friendly but respective of space.

Sophie is doing great, and what an amazing mom. She let us know she trusts us to spend time with her boy--she'd go eat while we petted and messed with him. She stood stock still for him to figure out how to nurse, and she didn't care that we helped him up and tried to get him to nurse.

Phoenix's blaze is a nearly perfect keyhole shape, and he has a front left sock with one ermine spot on it. Sophie has the same ermine spot on her front left, as does Angel, her third foal. He's also gigantic--probably over 100 lbs and stands at about 12 hands. He looks like he's a month or so old rather than a newborn.

I am thrilled with his conformation--his legs are straight when you look at him straight on, he has a sloping shoulder, neat throat latch, short back...all the makings of a smooth ride! He also has a very kind eye and acts more mature than he is.

We thought Sophie was homozygous...guess not! Her first three were all spotted girls, and number four is a black boy! But honestly, that's okay--I have Apache home and she's black and white, so it'll be nice to have three different colors of horses.

I am beat and need to go to bed, but I am so happy he is here. Thank you, Merlin and Sophie, for such a fine, fine colt!

BABY IS HERE!

2010-05-11T16:45:00.001-07:00

Just born about 10 minutes ago! IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!! Am going to take pics...more later!!!!!

What date is it now? MAY EIGHTH????

2010-05-08T21:35:00.001-07:00

And still no foal!

However, Amee reported that Sophie isn't all that interested in eating tonight. She's been eating like a pig lately (or I guess like a pregnant horse, really), which of course is a good sign. So perhaps we're actually getting close!

STILL No Foal

2010-05-03T23:05:00.003-07:00

Well, We've moved into our new house and are getting settled. But still no foal. However, I'm glad she's having the baby after we've moved--I'm actually closer to her now so it'll be easier to do the mare stare.

So, more waiting and waiting and waiting. I'll keep everyone posted!

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-30T12:29:00.002-07:00

Was with Sophie from 7:30 pm to 4:30 this morning...did not sleep...NO BABY. Of course, we move into our new house tomorrow, so I can't stand vigil tonight...UGH!

There is a song by Barenaked Ladies called Who Needs Sleep. The chorus is as follows:

Who needs sleep? / Well you're never gonna get it / Who needs sleep? / Tell me what's that for / Who needs sleep? / Be happy with what you're getting / There's a guy whose been awake since the second World War...

I'm trying to repeat this song to keep me going today...

MORE WAX!!!!!!!!

2010-04-29T09:51:00.001-07:00

Okay, LOTS more wax this morning! Let's hope we have a baby TONIGHT!

To Pass The Time - Movie Fun!

2010-04-27T21:10:00.007-07:00

Here were are, playing the hurry up and wait game. Although, I was told that a late foal means it will be a boy, which is what I want! But then again Apache was 10 days late with Katsina, who was a filly, so I think that myth is out.

So, since Sophie and Anasazi/Phoenix are taking their time, I thought I'd write a blog entry I've been meaning to write for a while.

To give you some background, I am a HUGE movie fan. BIG TIME. Have been since I was a kid. I go see the blockbusters when they come out (if my seat ain't rumblin', it ain't loud enough!), watch the Oscars every year, try my best to see all the nominees, and be sure to keep up with indie films. My favorite genres are horror, fantasy and sci-fi. Duh. But that doesn't mean I don't like films from all genres. I own over 500 DVDs and still have some VHS that haven't been put on DVD yet (like Amazing Stories--loved that TV series!). My DVDs are organized by genre, and I make up my own genres, such as Tear Jerkers and of course HORSES!

So, I thought I'd do a review of my top 10 favorite horse movies, number one being my absolute favorite. I am basing this list on the fact that the film is specifically about a horse or a horse/human relationship--it's why I won't include The Two Towers or The Return of the King as the films are not specifically about horses. Feel free to comment and add your own--I love hearing others' opinions on movies as well!

You will note that I don't have some listed that you might think I'd have listed--I will explain that after my list.

10. Miracle of the White Stallions (1963). This film chronicles the story of the Lipizzaner stallions in Austria with the Austrian Spanish Riding School during WWII, when they were in danger of being destroyed by Nazi Germany. I had seen this as a kid and had forgotten all about it until I saw the Lipizzans in town a few years ago. They were offering the DVD for sale so of course I bought it. While of course there were creative liberties taken, the story is still fascinating and the display of horses wonderful.

9. Nico the Unicorn (1998). I know, you've never heard of it, right? Me neither, until I happened to be at home sick one day and Animal Planet was showing this little gem. It is adorable--a story about a boy who rescues a pony mare from an abusive pet farm owner, who turns out to be pregnant. She gives birth to a unicorn, which grows to full size. The boy must keep Nico secret, but can he really keep Nico at all? I fell in love with this little film and really appreciated it pointing out the realities of horse ownership. There is a whole scene where the boy's mom is buying horse feed, and she is shocked by how much a horse has to eat! It has some great funny moments, and Nico is quite frankly the unicorn of my own dreams.

8. Second Chances (1998). Yet another film I hadn't heard of, but one I ran across on Animal Planet one day. It's a great story but also has some really wonderful underlying messages, like how cruelty to horses is not necessary, and how if you work hard for what you want then you can achieve it. While Ginger, the horse, is obviously a quiet QH gelding in one shot and a fire-breathing Saddlebred mare in another, it doesn't really matter. It's still a good movie beyond its obvious low budget.

7. Trigger, Jr. (1950). This is by far my favorite Trigger film. Roy, Dale and their hands decide to start a circus, but there's a killer white stallion on the loose that blinds Trigger! Can Trigger, Jr. save the day? I don't know why, but this little movie was just something that made me smile. It was cheesy and completely predictable, but for some reason I enjoy it.

6. My Friend Flicka (1943). I'm talking about the original film, with Roddy McDowell, long before he was in that movie...what was it...the one with the talking monkeys.... Well anyway, I hadn't seen this movie in a really long time until I bought it on sale, probably at Walmart. I had forgotten how good it is. And it's quite obvious that Flicka's dam is a Saddlebred--her rack is incredible! I don't think anything can compete with the original film, especially since it sticks so close to the book. I didn't really enjoy the new film, Flicka--while it was cute, I didn't really like the change of storyline and the unrealistic way the girl gentles her Flicka.

5. National Velvet (1944). I think what I love most about this film is how well Elizabeth Taylor captures the love little girls have for horses. Her dreamy eyes when she thinks about horses and her excitement and exuberance around Pie is really what all us horse crazy girls have felt at one time or another. Two interesting facts: First, in the novel, Pie is actually a black and white gelding with blue eyes, just like my Apache! That's why his name is Pie--"piebald" is the traditional description for a black and white horse. ("Skewbald" is for a horse that is any other color and white spotted.) Second, Angela Lansbury plays Velvet's bigger sister, Edwina, and it was her second film after having been a child actress on the stage.

4. The Last Unicorn (1982). I watched this movie so much as a little girl that I pretty much wore out the VHS tape and I have it memorized. Although it's an animated film, the story has always appealed to me. The last unicorn goes in search of more of her kind, and with the help of a wizard, a cook, and a prince, she is able to save the unicorns from the Red Bull and the evil king who has captured them. I like the way the legends about unicorns are presented in this film, and the characters are fascinating. The cast of voices is absolutely first-rate: Mia Farrow is the unicorn, Alan Arkin is the wizard, Jeff Bridges is the prince, Christopher Lee is the king, and Angela Lansbury is Mommy Fortuna, the witch. A wonderful film I still really enjoy today.

3. Dreamer (2005). I found out that this film is very, very loosely based on the real story of the racing filly Sonador. However, that doesn't mean it doesn't make for a good film. Wonderful acting and a well-told story elaboration give this adorable film life and brightness. And seriously, how can anyone resist Thunderpants, the teasing pony stallion? I found myself enjoying this film far more than I thought I would and had to buy it.

2. Seabiscuit (2003). I think we all remember the reading craze the novel this film is based on created in the summer of 2002. I read the book when it came out, and if you haven't read it, you must do so. It is one of the most entertaining biographies I've ever read, and it's not just because it's about a horse. Laura's phenomenal prose made me feel like I was right there in the thick of the races, and I found myself holding my breath during the match race. The screenwriter and director translated it perfectly to film, and my heart was still racing when I watched the match race, even though I knew who would win. Of course, the acting was amazing, as was the cinematography and editing. I wish it had won the Oscar for that year, but at least it was nominated!

1. Black Beauty (1994). This version is the only version that actually tells the story as Anna Sewell originally wrote it: from Beauty's point of view. I read this novel hundreds of times as a child. It always communicated to me how we must treat animals: with respect and admiration. It became ingrained in my mind and is how I view animals to this day. As John Manly tells Joe: "Kind treatment makes good horses...bad treatment ruins them." He is absolutely right. Sewell's novel was the very first time someone publicly spoke out for animal rights during a time when animals were worked to the bone and severely abused. Her message still rings true today, and I don't think it's been better told than in this film. The film captures all of Sewell's major themes, and the director captures Beauty's personality perfectly. I still cry like a baby every time Joe finds Beauty in the end. To me, this film is the epitome of how to tell a horse story.

Honorable Mention: Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1991). Remember this one, the true story about Sonora Webster, the famous horse diving girl? I had forgotten about it too until I was doing a search for the name of the film Second Chances! I have only seen this film once, though, and it was in bits and pieces, so I don't remember a lot about it. I will have to rent it and see it again. What I do remember is the girl's passion for her act and her horse, and how horse diving is probably the strongest and most trusting bond that a human and horse can have.

Now for what I didn't include...

The Black Stallion (1979). I love the book. I think this movie is totally boring. And I hate the kid in it--he's a terrible actor. There, I finally said it out loud. I don't know why, but this movie just doesn't appeal to me and never has. Maybe it's because I'm not a big fan of Arabians, maybe it's because it seems such an unlikely situation to me...I really don't know. Overall, though, it's just never been a horse movie that I really liked. I wish I could put my finger on it...I just can't.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002). For a film the filmmakers tout as the most accurate animated horses ever done, and for as much as they claimed they studied wild horses and horses in general to capture the correct movements and dynamics, I think this movie falls way short. First, the filmmakers made a major mistake in the storyline. Anyone who has studied herd dynamics know that the stallion is NOT the leader of the herd. This film portrays Spirit and the leader and disciplinarian, which we know is not true. The alpha mare calls the shots--the stallion is merely there for protection and breeding. Most likely, Esperanza, his dam, would have been the alpha of the herd. Then, the filmmakers must have never seen a horse drink water during their studies, for when Spirit is a foal, he laps water from a pond like a dog, not sucking it up the way horses actually drink. That bugged the crap out of me and still does. I also don't like the generally nasty portrayal of the U.S. Cavalry. I will give them credit for one particular scene in the film, though. When Spirit snaps at Little Creek and Rain runs up and screams at him, Spirit sighs and thinks: "Mares." DAMN, was that quote accurate! I loved that. But overall, this film was not as good as I had hoped it would be.

Hidalgo (2004). Yes, yes, yes, Viggo Mortensen is hot. But even actors that are both hot AND talented can make mistakes. What bugged me about this film is that it's touted as true when it's not. The real Frank Hopkins was never in that race. In fact, during the time that he claimed he was in the race, it was actually proven that he was working in California. Hopkins was well known for his tall tales and fantastical stories, and most of his claims to fame have been proven false. He did own Hidalgo, but only during his time on the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. It's even been speculated that Hidalgo was not a full-blooded mustang and was a QH cross of some kind. So the hype surrounding this film and the drama surrounding the story is quite ridiculous and unnecessary. Oh, and did anyone else notice that when Frank releases Hidalgo into the wild mustang herd, Hidalgo still has shoes on? That's nice and dangerous for a horse that's being set free.

The Horse Whisperer (1998). Now I have to be honest: this movie was FAR better than the book, and that's one of the only times you'll hear me say that. Robert Redford did an excellent job capturing exactly how the accident at the beginning of the novel happened, and he also was able to create the sets and scenery exactly as how I read them to be. However, I really, really, really didn't like the book, especially the ending. And overall, this story doesn't appeal to me. Plus it's not really about the horse/human relationship anyway, so I don't count it as a true horse film.

So that's it! Feel free to pass on your favorites and chew me to bits for not liking The Black Stallion!

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2010-04-27T11:26:00.002-07:00

Still no foal. No more wax, either. This is the perfect week for her to have the baby, too, because my work is slow so I have free time! Let's everybody keep their fingers crossed for the foal to be born before the weekend! (We move into our new house this weekend, so a foal being born before then would be ideal!)

When the Painted Horse Isn't

Growing and growing and growing...

Nothing New...

Second Trail Ride

Linus, the Oregon Wonder Horse

Phoenix's First Trail Ride!

Friesian Fun, Complete With Crappy Phone Pictures!

Well, It's September...

August Is Hell

In With the New, Out With the Old

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Also Brain Surgery and Sumo Wrestling

You Know Summer in Arizona is Coming When...

No Go

Hindquarters Success!

I Don't Have Time = You Shouldn't Own A Horse

Colt Clinic Success and Shameless Plug

Breeding 101 - Point 2: Research, Research and More Research

I'm working on it! I SWEAR!

Breeding 101 COMING SOON and Something Fun in the Meantime

Breeding 101 - Point 1: Want versus Need

Breeding 101 - Three Points to Avoid the Unwanted Horse

Happy New Year 2011!

Size Matters

The Butthead and First Time Walkies

Nap Time

Adventures in Freedom

It's Halloween Time!

Farrier Correction Information

When Hard Work Pays Off

Feeders, Farriers, and Another First

Ready....GO!

Photo Shoot, or How We Discovered Phoenix is The Self-Lunging Horse

I Haven't Posted Since WHEN???

Fly Spray Success!

BATH DAY!

Phoenix Needs Training!

Phoenix is home!

Only 12 Days Later...

June Already?

Feet

Halter Time

Got Gait?

Meet Phoenix

BABY IS HERE!

What date is it now? MAY EIGHTH????

STILL No Foal

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

MORE WAX!!!!!!!!

To Pass The Time - Movie Fun!

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