I Know, I Know

It's been several days since the last post - I promise more is coming soon! I actually have 2 posts written and possibly another to write soon, and the only reason I haven't put them up yet is I've been refining them still! I started one and then the other came up and I have been trying to write them both at once. ;-D

I just found a great website, though. You should all go check this out: classicaldressage.com. They have simply oodles of really good, well-thought out articles on training, philosphy, exercise, health, etc. etc. Very cogent and sensible articles. These people sound like they must be geniuses with horses. The more I get into the horse world, the longer the list of "People I have to meet someday!!!"

I had a good time with Mira today. We went on a ride with another girl and her Paint mare. Weather was perfect and the ride went smoothly - the horses had never met but they behaved very well.

Good night all, see ya tomorrow!


L

Training a Different Back-Up Cue

One of the first things I ever tried as far as training Mira was just a couple days after I got her. It was August, a very hot time of the year around here. I was taking her on short walks up the road every day, with me on foot. (Not riding her yet as we were still figuring out the right saddle and tack for her) I couldn’t go very far without stopping to rest in the shade, and Mira was always more than happy to stop and rest too. So, almost without thinking of it, I started to do a certain order of cues at each stop. First, I would sigh, “Aaahh,” then I would say “Whoa,” and then I would stop both of us. After maybe as many as 4 of these stops, she began to stop right away at the sighing stage! I was pretty tickled at how quick she picked that up! I admit, I'm a born trainer.

I once rode a reining horse who was trained to back up when you put your feet forward toward his shoulders. He was very smooth and quick with it, and you never had to pull on the reins at all during the back up. So, back in January I decided to start trying to teach this to Mira. I figured it would be an especially good idea as she has lots of totally novice kids that ride her (at least once a week), and this would work as a great emergency stop cue for them, and anything to help with safety is good!

Here is my cue sequence:

1. Put feet forward and lean back slightly.
2. Say “Back.”
3. Pull back on reins.

I only go to the next cue if she does not respond to the first one. As soon as she starts to obey I release all cues. This is the key principle when training horses. The better and more precise you are with releasing pressure (cues) the quicker and easier they learn.

I don’t do a lot of drilling with her; instead I like to practice new things with her either right before we leave on a ride or right before I dismount. That way she associates the new thing with something else that’s fun for her. It took a couple of weeks for me to be able to tell that she was starting to anticipate. She was shifting her weight a bit with the first cue, but I still needed to go all the way to number 3 to get her to step back. By about the 4th week she actually started backing with just the first cue.

Since then, we have been refining it and working on getting bigger steps and more speed. I believe she could have learned a lot faster if I had practiced more than 4-5 steps per ride, but in this case I wasn’t in a big hurry. Also, as an older horse she does seem to have some aches and pains every now and then, so I try not to push her too much athletically, and doing a lot of backing at once probably would be too much for her. Slow and steady! A younger horse would be able to learn this a lot faster.

By the way, never fall for the “Old dogs can’t learn new tricks” saying. It ain’t true with dogs, people, or horses!


Sometime I will have to write about Mira’s story (as much of it as I know). She is a rescue horse that was starved before the vet took her. I bought her from the vet after she was all rehabbed - well, she’s still missing teeth, but other than that she’s fine! Since I’ve gotten her, she has really blossomed from all the attention and consistent exercise and training – It’s so fun to show horses new things and see how much they like it! Horses do enjoy being educated and having a part in decisions and accomplishing things, rather than being "robots" that have a limited set of activities to perform and that's all we expect from them.

Oc course, the one that is learning the most in this partnership is ME! And so far every minute has been a blast… horses are so generous about letting you make mistakes, and that's how we learn! I intend to be involved with horses the rest of my life if possible, and I am so glad I've finally had the chance to start learning from one first-hand, not just in books, articles, and occasional rides on friends' horses. She is turning out to be a great schoolmaster for me too. God really did a great job matching our personalities. :-D


L

Some Photos

The snow is almost all gone now. It sure melts fast around here. Mira gave me a scare when I went out to ride yesterday - it looked like she was limping on her right hind. Yikes! Worrywart moi went into action, and I spent about 10 minutes watching her walk and trot to make sure that no, she wasn't really limping, not even a little bit. Aarrgh! Why do horses like doing that to us? It seems like one of their favorite amusements!

Here are some photos of Mira grazing yesterday. I try to hand graze her every day, and it always amazes me how gorgeous horses, any horse, looks when it is grazing. She sure doesn't look like she's 27 years old in these pictures! She's a little chubby, and hairy of course, but she's already started spring shedding...

















You know, animals always seem to look their best in the environment they were made for - cheetahs on grassy plains, birds in the sky or bushes, dogs just anywhere outside, and cats half hiding, watching & waiting for something....

Anyway, back on topic, today we just grazed, no riding, since I was the one limping around today! I think I slept weird or something 'cause I woke up sore and by the time I got off work I decided no riding for the day - I was just too exhausted. The little spot in the pictures is a mostly fenced area with one open side that I have taken her to the last couple days. I let her loose and sit in the gap and read while she grazes. She really likes doing this, and so far she has been very good about when I pick up the halter and it's time to go in. She even puts her nose in the halter. Okay, okay, I'll stop with the rambling brag now.
;-D

Come back soon! Another training post coming...


L

Blog Carnival!

This week's edition of the "Horse Lover's Blog Carnival" is here. Wow, this was a big one - lots of good posts about all sorts of things! The main theme was the "Horse as Teacher."

Oh, by the way, I am one of the contributors. ;-)


We had snow last night! Almost 6 inches! This is only our second snow this year, so even though it's kind of hard getting up at 5 a.m. and going off to work in snow and ice, I didn't mind. This area is SOOO beautiful when it snows....

Mira, however, does not seem to share my liking for the white stuff. She's standing out there looking sulky. Oh well. She'll cheer up when we go on a ride later on today!


L

The Math of Breeding

In horse magazines and books you constantly read about the problem of overbreeding, and how there are too many people producing too many poor horses for the available market. This is undeniably a problem, as evidenced by the fact that at many auctions it is possible to buy registered purebreds for $50 to $100, which is less than $0.10 a pound! The rescues, which try to save as many as possible from slaughter and adopt them out to good homes, are always full. Nobody likes the slaughter industry, but right now it serves a useful purpose in providing a necessary "release valve" for the extra horses, and while there is much debate, I believe it is a better alternative than we would see without it. I truly hate the idea of all those horses starving to death slowly rather than quickly and humanely killed. And I'm afraid that too many people that say they love horses casually breed new babies every year and add to the very problem they are trying to outlaw.

However, one thing I have never seen addressed is the math of breeding. Exactly how many new horses do we need every year to replace the ones that die, without increasing the net population? What would responsible breeding look like? So, I sat down and worked out the math.




Per population of 1,000 horses:
Assuming the average lifespan is 33 years, we would need approximately 30 new foals each year to maintain a steady population.

If we assume that once a mare begins breeding she continues to produce a foal every year, we would only need about 30 full-time broodmares. However, let us be more generous and also allow for hobby breeders and good mares that also need to be ridden more. So, let's assume that each mare only foals every 4 years. About 1/2 of any foal crop is fillies, and the other 1/2 are colts. So, out of 500 mares in this population, only about 120 would ever be used as broodmares.

Now, stallions have successfully bred over 100 mares a year. However, most people believe it is a lot healthier to restrict a stud to 30 to 60 mares or so as a healthier balance. A breeding stallion should however have the opportunity to breed a good number of mares every year or else it is not fair to him, and he may become more dangerous out of frustration (all stallions, no matter how well-trained, are still dangerous - it's the nature of the hormones). Let us say that each stallion breeds 30 mares a year. Thus we only need 1 stallion per 1,000 horses. This means that out of every 500 colts born, only 1 should remain a stud. All the others should be gelded.

Conclusion:
To responsibly maintain a steady population of horses and ensure a continual improvement of quality, only the best colt out of 500 colts born should ever be used for breeding, and only the best 25% of mares should ever be used for breeding.



There you have it! A handy objective formula to help you evaluate your horse for its quality and suitability in a responsible breeding program.


L

Rich, Linky Goodness

Zorro!

I just love this picture - I hope they won't mind my borrowing it. The link is here. Talk about sheer drama and beauty - Friesians will take your breath every time.

Here are some fun pics I found of a wedding on horseback - very cute. Not sure I want that horsey of a wedding myself, but I thought it was a fun idea.

Now on a serious note, here is an amazing video of a reenactment of a Jerusalem Marketplace in the time of Jesus. The scenes are set to the tune of Todd Agnew's "My Jesus." Go watch it. Right now. And then be quiet and think about it.

Well, I hope you enjoy the links!



L

Still Alive

Hi there, I'm still alive & kicking. Had a very bad case of the cold combined with something else, not sure what. I have been sick as a dog since Saturday, to the point of taking time off work. (Rare for me)

I feel like I'm resurfacing today out of my kleenex & blanket cocoon and getting back into real life finally! I hope to post some fun links tomorrow, so stay tuned in!


L

Blue Sky & Green Grass

A Picture of paradise!

Aaahh, I had a very nice, relaxing day. :-) I got off work a little earlier than usual, and so had some extra time this afternoon. It was Mira's day off, so I just did chores around the pasture and groomed her. Then I took her out above her pasture to this spot where the grass is the best. It has grown about 4 inches in the last week from all the rain, too, so it's just perfect! Just look at how contented she is...

I've always been sort of interested in photography, but I've only started really getting into it since getting Mira. She's a good subject to start on, so I'm having fun learning how to take good pictures, and the weather really cooperated today. I loved the balmy weather but now I'm hoping it'll rain again soon, and hard. We REALLY need it here. Even the mountains hardly have any snow. :-(

Well, ta-ta for now!

L

Rounded

Longeing a horse is the act of sending it around you in a wide circle, attached to a long, light line, and controlling the horse's speed, direction, and distance from you. Roundpenning a horse is similar, but you rely on a fence and not a rope for boundaries.

Horse people often use longeing to "get the fresh out" before riding a horse, so the horse can buck and play before you get on. It can also be a very useful training tool in a lot of ways.

One of the common, and dangerous, problems a young horse will have that is addressed by longeing/roundpenning is an eye-changing problem. This is where a young horse feels insecure and wants to use one of their eyes to watch you at all times - if you ask them to turn away from that side they might spook, kick, or run. Obviously, you don't want that happening under saddle, so it is a good idea to get that taken care of at the beginning of training. That is one of the first steps in becoming a well-educated, well-rounded horse.

All horses have strengths and weaknesses, just like all people do, and it is SO satisfying to be able to help a horse get over a fear, develop a strength, and overcome a bad tendency! Horses are capable of such incredible things, and don't ever let anyone tell you they can't think - I have seen them stop and think something over very carefully. It is so cute how you can see the wheels turning in their heads!

My goal in training is not so much to produce a "well-trained" horse as it is to produce a "well-educated" horse. I think of the "well-trained" horse as one that knows it's job very well, while the "well-educated" one not only knows it's job, but it thinks about how to help you with yours. Examples: A cutting horse that "reads" a cow and controls it's direction and movement with no help from the rider; a babysitter horse that carefully watches small children to keep them from getting hurt; a trail horse that moves over next to a stump so you can easily get back on, etc.



But how does this relate to people?

Well, the older I get the more I realize how much God wants me to be well-rounded. This is NOT some self-improvement spiel - I'm talking about the simple fact that God wants to improve our strengths and fix our weaknesses. I hear a lot of talk about working with your strengths, and doing what you are good at, but it seems like people use that as an excuse to ignore their weaknesses. "Oh, I just can't help being grumpy before I've had my coffee in the morning." "I don't know how to talk to my friends about God, so I'll just pray for them." "I was born with a bad temper, so please just don't mind it when I blow up - I really don't mean to!" Etc., etc.... And I have my own little excuses and reasons why I don't need to work on this or that fault....

We also tend to do the same thing with things that are more... not neutral, maybe subtle? Like how much we read, pray, exercise---I keep thinking about the Greeks, and boy, they were really pretty smart about the whole "moderation in all things" bit.

But really, how pathetic is that, to go through life without ever sitting down and developing a personal worldview and belief system? I am not talking so much right now about moral convictions - we can thrash that out later. ;-D I'm talking more about convictions that shape how you view life and make decisions.

For example, one of my convictions that has come through much reading and talking, and yes praying, is that I want to be as healthy as I can be in all ways, and that part of the way to do that is by living sustainably. I make a lot of my decisions based on that conviction, rather than what other people think would be good, or how I might make the most money, or what would be easiest. By now, you may have figured out what my favorite word is…

INTENTIONAL

I guess you could say that my philosophy is if something is worth doing, it's worth doing intentionally. Notice I am NOT saying "worth doing PERFECT. (Or even RIGHT - I make plenty of mistakes!)" I just believe that life is such a precious gift that I want to make the most of it.

What about you? Will you join me in my attempts to live intentionally?



L

Ta Da!

Yay!!! Muchas gracias to Brother #1 for fixing my computer! I'm up and running again, and it sure is a relief!

I hope to publish my "Round" post tomorrow - hopefully. It seems to be taking a lot more editing than I expected, and I keep thinking of things to add, so we'll see!

On other news, it has been raining cats and dogs (but unfortunately not horses) for the past few days. The sound of rain is so cozy on the roof, especially since it's been so dry, and we really need it. Although, I do hope it'll be clear tomorrow afternoon so I can ride. :-)



L

Stay Tuned...

Aargh! I have so much to post about, but my poor computer has been broken this whole week! Thus, my computer time has been SEVERELY limited. *pouts* I hope it will be fixed very soon now, so stay tuned for my next exciting post on the concept of "Round." ;-D



L