Books I would like

The three horse books I would like to purchase. Want to know what the hold up is? They do NOT have electronic versions. I travel some :-) and electronic versions are very travel friendly. Why these three books? I ask my horses to be a partner in my sports endeavors. To help them be their best its important they feel their best. Activate Your Horse's Core The Well Adjusted Horse Where Does My Horse Hurt

I've always like running Tessa in a hackamore, and the one time I tried a bit it took me a year to fix. When I saw this article I just had to share. Many riders underestimate how nice it is to ride and run their horses in a hackamore. Picking the right hackamore is just as hard as choosing the right bit. Since finding the Carolina Bit Company, going to I find the right bit much easier :-) http://barrelhorsenews.com/training/training-articles/3727-hackamores-by-design Is it okay to admit that for the most part I have only tried the more affordable versions?

Motivation from Moshi

Today I read a motivational tip, here is the part I want to share "If Jane corrects me, she always follows up by "retesting" me with the same question. The retest gives me the opportunity to be rewarded for doing things right." LOL, me I was thinking retesting was to double check you fixed a problem, thinking of retesting as a opportunity to praise my horse? It gives such positive feelings when you are retesting, you and your horse both feel the positive emotions. Join a motivational email list, it is amazing how it helps keep you up beat and how much you can learn. Can I suggest Motivation from Moshi?

Phone Tree

Tessa had a beautiful dun filly, Ginger, early Saturday morning.

Are you wondering how this concerns a phone tree? I've only bred 3 mares, the first mare stayed at a friends, since Tammy knew what she doing and the mare was at her place, it was a great introduction. The next mare did great, 3 weeks late :-) very text book, this foal is now 5 years old. Third time the foal was big and not positioned right and didn't make it. Its been a few years since I have done the whole foal raising thing. Anything not text book gets the phone tree activated. So I've talked to 2 friends a lot the last 3 days. Cori has had lots foals, she glances and says thats normal :-), Pam is very knowledgeable about holistic options for horses. Every non text book item gets the phone tree activated. Don't be afraid to pickup the phone and ask your friend for their knowledge and input. Its not tradies, its not a bother, what it is, is how you include your friends in what is going on in your life.

Physical Therapy for Stifle Problems

Did you know? the stifle joint (comparable to a human’s knee) is the largest, most complex joint in the horse, and dysfunction left untreated can lead to additional joint degradation. When reading this article my thoughts started rolling. First was that these basic stretches and exercises would be good for all horses. http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19560

When the vet says "I've never seen that before" I don't know about you but my heart stopped.  You have to give yourself a moment to be in the moment to accept your feelings (accept the emotions).  On the next breath you have to continue in the moment.  As the vet describes the issue, starts giving options, starts with the maybe we should, (accept the analytical side).  Accept that while you would like to block the moment out, you need to remember what the vet says as possible.

After the vet leaves, do the right thing, call your friends :-)  Many friends are very happy to be there for you.  They understand that mostly you just need to talk to a person they trust and like.  As a few days go by let yourself swing from the emotional side to the analytical side.  Acknowledge and allow each there own moments.  Soon enough you will find yourself in a happy place, accepting of what needs to be done and able to do it.

We all read, horses need a consistent diet.  Don't change things, only make changes over weeks.  Change is bad. Like anything taken too far a consistent diet can be just as bad as a diet with too much change.  From a taste perspective.  Horse needs some medicine for tummy or muscles or cold or you get the idea.  A horse that is used to having the taste of their food change here and there are more apt to eat up when you need them to.   A month ago I needed to give my mare some antibiotics for a cold and she ate them mixed with her grain with out a problem.  Different tasting water? not a problem.  From a gut bacteria perspective only having the same food can mean only feeding the same bacteria.  A bit of variety here can encourage a full colony of good bacteria that can make the difference when your horses diet changes.

Not All Supplements Are Equal

We all know not all manufactured supplements are equal.  Some work better than others.  One companies put weight on horse supplement works great.  But their joint supplement doesn't work as well as another companies joint supplement.  Yet the main ingredients look the same.  

This is a clue as to why some work better than others.  http://holistichorse.com/Nutrition/the-importance-of-digestive-absorption.html

Turns out we need to be experts on the main ingredients and the minor ingredients.  My suggestion?  Try a brand if it doesn't seem to work change brands.

My favorite quote.  Albert Einstein Quotes. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. 


Finding someone to ride with can be a chore.  The worst.  Personalities have to mesh between horses and riders.  But I have found it is very worth the time and effort.  There are always a luck few :-) who seem to magically improve without a riding instructor. The rest of us?  Takes time and energy to improve.  If you are just doing the same thing you have done before you are not improving.  Improving means you are learning, trying new ideas, even chucking new ideas that don't work. 


Why this quote? every time I start riding by myself for to long I fall back into bad habits, the definition of insanity,  How about you?  What is your definition of insanity statement?