Dude and Bestie are just about out of supplements. We've had them on HorseTech products for several years. But now, with the cost of everything in life going up, I decided to take a look at the HorseTech catalog and see if there was something else I could put them on, other than the Reitsport, which is fairly costly. Plus, now that they're not really working, I don't think they need all that the Reitsport offers (glucosamine AND chondroitin). So I decided to switch them to the Glanzen GL, which provides joint support in the form of glucosamine, with a host of other goodies like biotin and vitamins C and E, all in a tasty ground flax seed base (smile). It's a lot cheaper than the Reitsport and I think it will suit their needs at this time very well.
Plug for the HorseTech people: when we first had Dude tested for HYPP, I started researching how to reduce the potassium levels in his diet. Ironically, it seemed like every supplement he'd ever been on was alfalfa-based, loaded with potassium. We just didn't know any better. A friend in the barn recommended looking into HorseTech. (I might add that this friend's horse is still on a HorseTech product.) I called HorseTech and described my concerns regarding Dude, and they figured out the potassium content of the supplement I was interested in. It was the OWNER of the company that got on the phone. Great customer service. And you get a free pack of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies with each order. And, if you order 20 pounds, which is a nice easily stored size that lasts us a few months, the product comes in a large white bucket, which is great for toting other horse stuff or passing along to friends (or fathers) who always need buckets for watering or weeding. Or, just take it to the recycling center. Also recycle the plastic bag that lines the bucket and presto, no trash. Hey, can't beat that!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Weather wimp
OK, I'm sure I'm going to sound like a whiner, but.... we had temperatures in the 60s this weekend, then on Monday it dropped into the 30s. A thirty degree drop is nothing to sneeze at, especially once the snow started falling on Monday night!
Dude and Bestie got their turnout sheets back on on Sunday night, then yesterday I added their cotton/poly sheets under the turnout sheets. They're both pretty fuzzy so that's probably all they'll need for now. Once it drops to the 20s pretty consistently, I'll switch to the midweights.
They're still not going out because despite the cold, the fields have not yet frozen and are very mucky. So they're in. And not happy. Last night I was in a rush; had to hit the barn prior to dinner out and a basketball game, so I grazed them and mucked their stalls. While we were outside, Bestie was doing big snorty breaths of the cold air; she loves it. Dude would graze and then randomly do a little rear of happiness, then graze again, then rear. I was FREEZING by the time I got done with the grazing. The merlot with dinner hit the spot!
Dude and Bestie got their turnout sheets back on on Sunday night, then yesterday I added their cotton/poly sheets under the turnout sheets. They're both pretty fuzzy so that's probably all they'll need for now. Once it drops to the 20s pretty consistently, I'll switch to the midweights.
They're still not going out because despite the cold, the fields have not yet frozen and are very mucky. So they're in. And not happy. Last night I was in a rush; had to hit the barn prior to dinner out and a basketball game, so I grazed them and mucked their stalls. While we were outside, Bestie was doing big snorty breaths of the cold air; she loves it. Dude would graze and then randomly do a little rear of happiness, then graze again, then rear. I was FREEZING by the time I got done with the grazing. The merlot with dinner hit the spot!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Muck, graze, lunge, ride, wash ...
Geez, a busy day. I filled in for one of the daily muckers who was heading off to the Equine Affaire in Springfield, Massachusetts. We went every year for about four years; it's a shopper's paradise for horsey stuff! Sadly, now that the kids aren't into it as much, we don't go. But I highly recommend it for the shopping and the clinicians. There are always some awesome big names there who are fun and informative to listen to and watch ... John Lyons, Clinton Anderson, the O'Connors.
OK, back to my day. Mucked, and everyone was in because it warmed up and the fields are mud pits. It was so warm that all the horses seemed a little dozey; in fact, at one point four stalls in a row were occupied by reclining ponies! After I got done mucking, I grazed Dude and Bestie, then lunged Bestie, then rode Dude. Dude and I have reached an understanding with the curb bit and we are doing much better. It's been fun riding him this week around the field. I am dreading when the weather changes once and for all and we're stuck indoors. The field is a lot more interesting and also good for him with the little ups and downs.
I brushed off two of their turnout sheets and lugged them into the laundromat on the way home. The sheets get so yucky what with all the rolling around outside. This way, they will each have a clean one for the next change. Not too crowded at the laundromat, which was good. This particular laundry has ok'd horse blankets, but I still hate walking in there when there's a ton of people, most of whom look at you disapprovingly when you start wadding the smelly blankets into the washer. There's an awesome wash service in our area called Thorowash, but it usually takes them a week or two to clean and dry the stuff and I often don't have the time to wait for the blankets. When they wash the blankets, they don't smell AT ALL. When I put mine through the laundromat, they still have a faintly horsey odor. Thorowash is a good end of season option and they do nice repairs as well. That's my shout-out for Thorowash, owned by friends of ours in Milton, VT :) !
OK, back to my day. Mucked, and everyone was in because it warmed up and the fields are mud pits. It was so warm that all the horses seemed a little dozey; in fact, at one point four stalls in a row were occupied by reclining ponies! After I got done mucking, I grazed Dude and Bestie, then lunged Bestie, then rode Dude. Dude and I have reached an understanding with the curb bit and we are doing much better. It's been fun riding him this week around the field. I am dreading when the weather changes once and for all and we're stuck indoors. The field is a lot more interesting and also good for him with the little ups and downs.
I brushed off two of their turnout sheets and lugged them into the laundromat on the way home. The sheets get so yucky what with all the rolling around outside. This way, they will each have a clean one for the next change. Not too crowded at the laundromat, which was good. This particular laundry has ok'd horse blankets, but I still hate walking in there when there's a ton of people, most of whom look at you disapprovingly when you start wadding the smelly blankets into the washer. There's an awesome wash service in our area called Thorowash, but it usually takes them a week or two to clean and dry the stuff and I often don't have the time to wait for the blankets. When they wash the blankets, they don't smell AT ALL. When I put mine through the laundromat, they still have a faintly horsey odor. Thorowash is a good end of season option and they do nice repairs as well. That's my shout-out for Thorowash, owned by friends of ours in Milton, VT :) !
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A short but happy ride
Rode Bestie on Friday. I had lunged her on Thursday night so that she could get her inner bronc out, but she was actually pretty good. Only a couple of head tosses in my direction, like she was saying, "You know, I could really run if I wanted to, but I'm just not into it tonight. But I could if I wanted to."
We rode around in the indoor for a few minutes. Amazingly, no one else was riding; that hardly ever occurs, especially now that the barn is full with about 30 horses. We negotiated through a couple of passes by the door to the outdoors, where she wanted to head directly out and I said, "No, not quite yet." She's so funny. You can just feel her settle down when you're consistent in your reply to whatever it is she wants. We had a couple of good slow trots around the indoor. When she's doing her little Western jog, she is just so smoooooth. I keep trying to get her to take it further and further, but it's like a little bell goes off and there's no more slow jog. She gets faster and faster and then gets all frazzled. I'm not sure how to get over this hump.
So after nice stretch of s-l-o-w, we went outside and walked around the field. I'd much rather end on a good note so both of us are happy. And on a 50 degree-plus day, I too would much rather be outside than in the indoor.
We rode around in the indoor for a few minutes. Amazingly, no one else was riding; that hardly ever occurs, especially now that the barn is full with about 30 horses. We negotiated through a couple of passes by the door to the outdoors, where she wanted to head directly out and I said, "No, not quite yet." She's so funny. You can just feel her settle down when you're consistent in your reply to whatever it is she wants. We had a couple of good slow trots around the indoor. When she's doing her little Western jog, she is just so smoooooth. I keep trying to get her to take it further and further, but it's like a little bell goes off and there's no more slow jog. She gets faster and faster and then gets all frazzled. I'm not sure how to get over this hump.
So after nice stretch of s-l-o-w, we went outside and walked around the field. I'd much rather end on a good note so both of us are happy. And on a 50 degree-plus day, I too would much rather be outside than in the indoor.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
60 degrees in November
A few days ago I was writing about dealing with the horse blankets, and now it's 66 degrees! Whenever this happens, it's like a little gift; you take it, whisper "thanks," and go about your day not letting yourself think about what weather might be coming down the pike.
I got to the barn late yesterday because I had a much-needed haircut scheduled. It was about 7:15, so Dude and Bestie had basically finished all their dinner hay and were snuffling around in the shavings looking for stray pieces. Both were muddy as anything; it had obviously been a good day outside with a lot of happy rolling in the areas still wet from last week's rain. I chatted with a couple boarders who were still in the barn, then mucked the stalls and curried each of them to get the mud off. Dude had it packed into his hooves like concrete blocks.
I went in and out of their stalls and the tack room numerous times, getting brushes and treats and other stuff, and every time Bestie would see me reappear she would nicker pointedly at me. I got the message ("Take me out for grass NOW slave lady!") but ignored her since it was pretty dark and I really wanted to get home and see what was happening with the election.
I love being in the barn late at night or early in the morning. It's just so peaceful with the sound of horses muching on their hay, and they're generally pretty quiet since they know their routine. They watch what you're doing with idle curiosity but don't get worked up about anything, particularly in the evening, when they know they're in for the night.
I got to the barn late yesterday because I had a much-needed haircut scheduled. It was about 7:15, so Dude and Bestie had basically finished all their dinner hay and were snuffling around in the shavings looking for stray pieces. Both were muddy as anything; it had obviously been a good day outside with a lot of happy rolling in the areas still wet from last week's rain. I chatted with a couple boarders who were still in the barn, then mucked the stalls and curried each of them to get the mud off. Dude had it packed into his hooves like concrete blocks.
I went in and out of their stalls and the tack room numerous times, getting brushes and treats and other stuff, and every time Bestie would see me reappear she would nicker pointedly at me. I got the message ("Take me out for grass NOW slave lady!") but ignored her since it was pretty dark and I really wanted to get home and see what was happening with the election.
I love being in the barn late at night or early in the morning. It's just so peaceful with the sound of horses muching on their hay, and they're generally pretty quiet since they know their routine. They watch what you're doing with idle curiosity but don't get worked up about anything, particularly in the evening, when they know they're in for the night.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Home on the range
I should've done this back at the beginning ... some shots of the barn, our ponies' home. For the first picture, I stood in the grassy "aisle" between the two outdoor rings and the two stallion paddocks. The fields are to the right. That's the indoor arena straight ahead, with the barn attached to the left. It's definitely a nice facility and I'm very appreciative of all that we have there. I'm still amazed at the quality and lushness of the grass in the open areas (where no one is turned out and where we continue to hand graze until the snow starts staying around). The shot of the fields shows the morning turnout group happily grazing. They're usually out from about 7:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. The afternoon crowd heads out from 11:30 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m. The grass is looking pretty sparse in the fields at this time of the year, but they're definitely happy to be out regardless.
Silver sparkle boots
Dude's bell boots are favorites at the barn. He's had them a while, but they've been packed away in the trunk with all the show stuff that we no longer use. He got them for Christmas one year. A couple of weeks ago he finally ran his old bell boots into the ground; they were barely hanging on with major strap and Velcro malfunctions going on. Rather than going out and buying new boots, I dug the sparklies out of the trunk. The turn out girls said he looked like a male body builder when they have those colorful booties on. Hmmmmn.
I've often thought we should've bought stock in Davis, the company that makes these bell boots. At times I've tried to save money by buying cheaper boots, but the Davis boots have really been the longest-lived on our horses, as well as the most flexible boots with Velcro closures that I have found. A couple of the other brands seemed fairly inflexible, particularly in the cold, and I worried that the rubber (or whatever it was) might bruise their ankles. Bestie is not shod now, so she doesn't wear them any more, but Dude is the king of bell boots since he stands base-narrow and tends to step on himself quite a bit.
Time for a close-up ... a little muddy, but definitely still gleaming in the sunlight!
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