Great horses- my personal philosophy

I believe most if not all horses have the ability to become a really great horse.

The kind of horse every equestrian dreams about.

Light.

Willing.

Responsive.

Trustworthy.

Reliable.

The kind of horse that can be ridden with just a whisper.

I truly believe that every horse if given the chance can become something truly great.

The key words being "if given the chance."

Great horses are made by great riders.  

Riders willing to do what ever the horse needs until he no longer needs it.

A rider willing to work through the tough outer shell until they reach the sparkling gem hidden inside.

Good horses are born, but great horses are made.   

Water problems- Health Edition

Lines break.
Floats stop working or get knocked out.
Buckets get turned over.
Buckets get pooped in.
Birds or wildlife fall in.
Many things can go wrong with your horses' water supply.

So what should you do if you find that your horses' tough is dry or contaminated?

Besides obviously cleaning and filling the trough you should withhold grain (and hay if possible) for a few hours once the trough has been filled to give your horse plenty of time to drink and re-hydrate to help prevent colic.

If you feed a horse before they have had a chance to drink for several hours the they many end up with an impaction colic from not having enough moisture to properly digest their meal.

They can also suffer from gas colic if they drink a bunch of water right before or after a large grain meal which then can give them a tummyache.

So in short to help prevent colic when #@%^ happens postpone a grain feeding for several hours or skip a feeding entirely when your horse has not had free access to water for an period of time.

This also applies when riding and trail riding for several hours at a time.

 

My New Long Term Project

For the time in a few years I finally have something new to train for myself.  This is Mozzie.  He is currently 3 and a half months old and is the newest member of the KnP team.  Just like his dam Pie he is already proving to be quite the horse and character.  I am excited to be able to document his training progress here on the blog so stay tuned.  

Teaching Headsets And Other Finer Things- Are You Ready?

Headsets, people love them.

There are few things prettier than a horse with a nice level headset. (Headset meaning- relaxed, light, not too high, not too low,  and on and nearly on the vertical with little to no rein interference.)

While everyone wants an attractive headset many people rush through the training process and try to teach/achieve a nice headset before a horse is ready.  In order to be ready for headsets and other more advanced maneuvers a horse must first have a firm grasp on the basics.  

In order to achieve or school on a headset a horse must first-
*  Have forward movement.  A horse must first be moving freely and willingly under saddle with little to know encouragement from the rider.

*  Be under complete control of the rider and light and responsive to all aids.  A horse should not warp circles, veer off a straight line, or resist rein or leg pressure.  

*   Be able to rate.  A horse must be able to maintain a constant speed at all gates as directed by the rider and do so on a loose rein.

Only after all of the above is achieved should a rider even consider schooling more advanced maneuvers. And a rider must also be willing to go back to the basics and do a little tuneup at any time before continuing in training.      

An Explanation

I apologize for not writing with much regularity the past few months.

I may have not shared that I've been pregnant with my first child and have not been able to sit at my desk comfortably since February. And while I was still working up until a few days before my delivery (I actually had a lesson scheduled for the day that she arrived) getting my ideas down hasn't been as easy.

Thankfully my new riding/training partner was born May 17th (She shall be known as LL here on the blog) and I start back to work this week her in tow which should get the creative juices flowing once again as I take on training and coaching now with the twist of also juggling motherhood.

In the next few months I also hope to take this blog to a more personal level as I begin this next chapter of my training career.

So please stay tuned it promises to be an interesting ride.

A few things to consider before you breed

My first foal (ever) arrived last week.  After 8 years of waiting for the right place and right time, 352 days of pregnancy, and a long month of restless nights Pie (maiden) gave birth to a smashing red headed colt.

The arrival of this bundle of joy has inspired me to really think about what a potential breeder should consider before choosing to breed.

Things to consider before breeding-

A foal will generally take on the attitude and personality of their dam-  

The mare is your foals single greatest influence growing up.  Her approach to people and the rest of the world general will either have a positive or negative effect on your foal.  

The dam accounts for 50% of the foal-

To often would be breeders focus solely on what the stallion may or may not have done and they forget to honestly consider what the mare has to offer besides a open uterus.  I am not saying that she needs to have national wins to be worthy of being being bred but she should be broke to ride and good at her given job.    By knowing your mare by more than just her looks you can make a much more informed decision on the right stallion and have a better idea of how your foal will turn out long term.

They should compliment each other-

If you are looking to raise a ranch versatility horse don't breed to a halter stallion.  If your mare has a longer back than ideal back don't breed to a stallion with the same issue.  There are no guarantees in breeding anyway but by breeding a problem to another problem you are just setting yourself up for another problem. 

Know your faults, and decide what is acceptable-

If you breed to a stallion or mare with a upright shoulder which creates a choppy and short gait you greatly increase your chances of having a foal with that same trait.  There is no perfectly put together horse out there but by breeding your best to the best (that compliments) what you have you greatly increase your chances of having a foal built to excel at your chosen sport and remain strong and sound throughout it's lifetime.  I personally believe that any chronic lameness (permanent or off and on) with the exception of that caused by injury should never be bred.  If the dam is lame at 5 without an injury why set yourself up for a foal which has the potential to follow suit.  

The cost and the time-

Besides your breeding fee and other veterinary costs related to your mare's pregnancy you must also consider the long term costs of raising a foal to riding age.  This includes feed, hay, board ( if you do not have your own property), regular veterinary care, unexpected veterinary care, hoof care, and all other costs that go into having a horse.  For myself I will have spent 4 years growing this foal before I ever have a chance to ride him (I plan on waiting until he is 3 before starting him under saddle).  Once your horse is old enough to ride you must either have the skills and knowledge to properly start and train it or be willing to hire someone else to do it for you.  Done properly a foal is a serious and expensive long term investment.

              

       

Equestrian Spring Cleaning Checklist

Wildflowers are sprouting, the weather (in Texas) is heating up, and the horses are finally shedding.  It seems that spring has officially sprung and with spring comes a great time for some equestrian style spring cleaning.

Spring Cleaning To Do List-

1. Wash and put away all winter blankets.

2. Clean grooming tools.  (A bucket of water with several tablets of denture cleaner does a great job at cutting the grim, I then rinse and soak them in a diluted bleach solution, rinse again and let them dry in the sun)

3. Wash/rinse all saddle pads, sport boots, and other similar items.  (I do not wash my sport boots and a pads with soap.  Instead I rinse them very thoroughly with a sharp stream of water and hang them out in the sun to dry)

4.  Oil and clean all leather tack.

5.  Scrub out all troughs and buckets.  (You can do this with just water or a diluted bleach solution and a stiff brush, rinse thoroughly!)

6. Sort and evaluate all medications, lotions, potions, and other bottled products. (check expiration dates, be sure all products are still the appropriate consistency)

7. Consider your fly control options and methods and put them in place.  With spring comes the flies and with the rain comes mosquitoes.

8.  Evaluate, organize, and restock (or clean out) your first aid supplies.

9.  Do a thorough walk through of your horse pasture, fencing, and stalls and make note of any all repairs that should be taken care of before the summer heat sets in.  Also be on the look out for hornet/wasp nests that should be treated.

10.  Do a thorough inspection of your horse trailer and be sure that the tires are properly inflated, the lights are working, and be sure that your rig is ready for the trails and horse shows.

11.  Groom your horse(s) and help them shed their itchy winter coat.  After a good grooming hook up the hose and give them a head to tail spring bath.  (Beware of flowery shampoos which may attract bees and flies)