fun with horses

And amazingly, not ours!

Yesterday afternoon my daughter started jumping lessons at a farm not too far away. With the pony and her long limbs, jumping anything over 2 feet is not really useful to her in terms of learning, and I have decided, for now anyway, that Cody (although he has a HUGE jump in him) is not a good candidate for her to continue learning jumping on, as his PSSM issues make trailering uncomfortable, and I'm just not keen on putting him in a scenario where he has to learn something new that could also be difficult physically.

But my daughter has always enjoyed jumping, and we need to follow that interest for awhile and see how it plays out.

Fortunately, because of her membership in Pony Club, we have come to know some good riders and trainers, and the family she'll be riding with are life-long horse people, kind and fun, and they do a lot of polocrosse and foxhunting. I knew before we scheduled that the training part would be fine - they ride and teach a balanced seat, a kind and quiet ride, and there's none of the "ass in the air/lay on the neck" junk that one sees in jumping competition.

I've been around their horses before, but not in a lesson scenario. We arrived a little early, and got to see the horses come in for the first lesson (of two) of the day. This involved a gate being opened and 8 or so horses sauntered happily in from their huge pasture, putting themselves into stalls where they had snacks waiting. I was immediately impressed. Happy horses bring themselves in, knowing it's lesson time! They were all friendly and alert. They were clean enough that it's obvious they get groomed and cared for regularly. This was no surprise to me, but it was nice to see.

The trainer informed us that it would be an unusually huge group because she had 5 students doing make-up lessons. Since my daughter has been riding solo for most of this year, I figured this would get her back in "group lesson" mode quickly, and it did. There was a friendly banter in the barn aisle as girls groomed and tacked up horses. Each girl individually went up to my daughter and introduced themselves, and welcomed her to the group. She knew two from Pony Club, but it was a nice start to have everyone be so friendly.

The trainer spent some time at the beginning thinking through who would ride each horse. She took into account what horse each girl favored, who had ridden who before, who wanted to learn something new, and she talked to my daughter about what her riding has been like at home, and what might be a new and fun challenge for her.

Daughter ended up on a 16.2 Percheron/Thoroughbred cross, an old hand at eventing and foxhunting. He actually reminded me a bit of Keil Bay. He was huge! So my daughter, with her long legs and torso, got to shift from pony size and QH build to something truly big. This is a horse who goes into the jump field at liberty and canters around over the jumps, so he is obviously a horse who enjoys his work.

It was fun seeing her on a big guy, all set to ride out to the jumping arena.

While I've written a fair amount about finding the right trainers and my willingness to ride alone if I can't find one,  I also know that for an adolescent girl, some of the fun of riding is being with other girls (and boys when you can find them on horses!). The lively banter, the energy of girls and horses, and the fact that I was not "in charge" of coordinating any of it was very nice.

I hung out in the center of the action - at one point there was a small group of adult riders practicing polocrosse in the big field, a small lesson group of very young girls riding (in small western saddles and with halters and reins instead of bridles) in the smaller arena with cones and poles and various obstacles to work with, and the big jumping group in the jump field. Over in a smaller arena there was a girl riding without saddle or bridle on her own horse. There was a lot going on, and yet everyone, including the horses, seemed happy and in good spirits. There was lots of praise and lots of constructive direction. "Try this" instead of "don't do that."

The girls in the jump group were all advanced enough to tack up and ride out to warm up their horses, and daughter joined in without a moment's hesitation.

The only surprise was a very pleasant one: both the husband and wife trainers actually tacked up and rode in the lessons! I loved this. I've seen a few trainers who teach this way, and I really respect someone who is willing to groom, tack up, and ride with the students. In my daughter's group, the trainer was able to ride alongside each girl/horse to give instructions, and to demonstrate.

They did walk, trot, and canter in one big group because she wanted them to work on being in the midst of a lot of horses and a lot of activity - much as you are when at shows and while foxhunting. When they started jumping, she divided the girls into two groups - one group jumped while the other went to a more distant part of the field and worked on other things she gave them to do.

One horse was off under saddle, so mid-lesson, that girl took the horse back to the barn and got a different horse to ride. This all happened with no disruption to the lesson. I was thrilled to see that such a subtle "offness" was both noted (and in such a big group) and dealt with instantly. 

It was coordinated, very organized, and she packed in a lot of "work" into the lesson. I was totally sold. At the end they went off on a trail ride to cool down.

The very nice part of this for us is that the trainer is part of Pony Club so there is the opportunity for my daughter to lease one of the horses for PC activities if she wants to, and to go foxhunting and try that out on an experienced horse, with experienced riders. For now, this gives us a golden opportunity to explore this path without having to trailer Cody and without having to invest in a horse that *could* trailer easily.

And given the kinds of riding and training I've been posting about here lately, it was a relief to see quiet, kind riding on horses that were not perfect, but were happy and responsive, and had come from being in a huge pasture all day long and would go back there when their work was done.

Bonus: they have a bathroom at the barn! :) It's been awhile since I've had that luxury.

dreaming about the Big Bay (and Totilas)

I had one of my crazy dreams last night. I was taking Keil Bay to an underground spring that bubbled up with therapeutic properties both from the water, the action of the spring, and the mud it produced. In the dream, this was a favorite thing for him, and very convenient since in this dream we lived in an urban neighborhood and the underground spring was in the corner of a dirt parking lot behind a restaurant.

I put Keil's saddle and bridle on so we could ride down the neighborhood street. It was a nice neighborhood, but busy. There were cars, sidewalks, trees, honking, pedestrians, and generally a lot more activity than I would ever be comfortable riding in unless on a police horse. But in the dream it was perfectly normal and just another trip to the mud bath.

We arrived, and Keil Bay pawed at the mud, which triggered the spring to flow. He got his front feet down into the red clay mud pit and the water began to rush gently over his feet and lower legs. I had dismounted and stood off to the side. People from the restaurant were coming out onto the patio to watch. Of course, all of them remarked on how handsome Keil Bay was. He did his characteristic turn of the head to gaze into my eyes, nuzzled my arm, and then turned back to his mud. This got a chorus of "how sweet" from all the bystanders.

Up to this point, the dream was pretty much what it would be like if indeed we lived in that setting and were used to navigating through parked cars, people, and the noise of a city block.

Then it was time to leave. There were a lot of people in the parking lot when it was time to go, and several cars trying to pull in and park, so there wasn't much room to move. I realized it might be easier to long line Keil Bay out of there. (this is where dreamland takes over)

Miraculously the reins lengthened to driving reins, and I had a driving whip. Miraculously both Keil Bay and I were quite expert at this and the long lines tucked themselves in on either side of the saddle so they weren't dangling too low. In no time at all I had backed him up, turned him on the forehand, and we were walking briskly back toward home.

As we headed across the busy street, next to a row of tall but tiny-trunked trees, Keil Bay began to trot. I gave a cue and he began to piaffe. Suddenly I could see every limb moving in front of me. His legs were moving perfectly, and I was able to see and assess every joint. Wow, I thought, this is great!

We alternated trotting and piaffing depending on the traffic and my ability to keep up. And then, the dream went totally wonky.

Keil Bay began to do the Totilas version of extended trot. "Stop that!" I called out to him. I was embarrassed, for one thing, but it also seemed clear to me from behind that this wild front leg action was not practical out in the real world of the neighborhood sidewalk. And indeed, one of Keil's front legs went wildly forward and got caught on a tree trunk. We had to stop, back up, untangle that leg, and then start again.

I decided maybe we should cross back to the right side of the street, where there were no trees just waiting to tangle us up. But there was a front yard fenced in tall chain link fencing, and when Keil resumed that front leg action a hoof jammed in the fencing and we had to stop and untangle. It was an animal rescue, and there were cats and dogs and one big bear who came snuffling over to the fence to see what was what. I was worried Keil Bay had never seen a bear before and might spook with his hoof stuck and either injure his hoof or take the whole fence down, but remarkably, he and the bear sniffed noses and I got the hoof free.

"No more of that Totilas stuff," I warned, and off we went again, trotting along in Keil's beautiful floating trot.

Just when I was relaxing into this, a huge Cadillac backed out of a driveway ahead of us, and Keil Bay went back into Totilas mode, striking out with his hooves in front of him like he was trying to hit the car with them. The driver of the Cadillac, a heavy-set man with a heavy accent, put down his window and called out, "What's wrong with that horse? He looks lame!" and as he gawked at Keil's front leg action, he lost track of what he was doing and veered toward us in the big black car. We had to quickly go into lateral movement to get out of the way, and it was extremely tricky given Keil's front legs were at this point going in what seemed like every different direction.

I went up to Keil's head and said, "Really, now, that is enough of that. No more Totilas!"

And then I woke up.

house for sale! addendum

The huge house and potential horse property across from us is going to be auctioned in a week's time - and the minimum bid is unbelievably low. If I were not self-employed I would bid on it myself as an annex to November Hill!

If you're looking for a deal on property in NC, would make a terrific neighbor, love animals, do not own ATVs, and want more information, leave me your email in a comment. I'll email info and delete the comment so your info does not go "public."

ADDENDUM:

Today when I went out to get the mail, I noticed the for sale sign had gone back up across the lane, and there was a flyer box added, which hadn't been there before. So I went over and took a brochure. When I did that, I saw two trucks in the driveway and decided I'd walk over and get some more info - an out of state friend had contacted me about the property and I figured I'd get the scoop.

It wasn't the realtor who was there, but prospective buyers and an inspector, and I introduced myself and found that the family looking are horse people, and this house and property is one they've been looking at for several months. I was totally moved to hear the woman describing her first look at the house, from the driveway, and so identified with her feeling that "this is home."

It's their dream, and this house, imo, has been waiting for someone to drive up, fall in love, and move in to make that dream happen.

From everything I heard and saw today, these folks would make incredible neighbors, and I love the idea of their "dream-making" energy moving in over there.

Send some good vibes their way. I love seeing magic happen.

nice end to the very busy week

Everyone but me set off this morning for a photography group field trip to the zoo, so I had the chores solo this morning. My mom came over and kept me company while I prepared breakfast, and we enjoyed chatting and hanging out while I mixed minerals, scooped supplements,  ground the flax and vitex berries, and got beet pulp rinsed and ready to carry out to the barn.

No one in my family is a horse person, and I talked so much about having horses from the time I could talk, I think everyone, especially my mom, gets a huge kick out of seeing me with the equines, working hard but loving every minute of it.

And it was fun seeing my mom standing in the feed room door, being nudged gently by Salina, flanked by the donkey boys, and feeling perfectly comfortable with them so close. And hearing her laugh with delight as she got to hear the Hanoverian breakfast chorus, which is quite a symphony.

It reminded me of days when I was young, being dropped off for the day by my mom at the barn where I boarded my horse, and being picked up at the end of that day, loading tack into the car so I could take it home and clean it, blissfully tired and talking non-stop about my horse all the way home. 

Today is another gorgeous day, and after getting the morning chores done, my mom and I had some rare time to visit without my kids here. With doors and windows open, we sat in the living room and talked about health care, family visits, and reminisced about dogs and cats we've loved over the years. (while Bear and Kyra entertained us, and the cats sat in their various spots as though they were enjoying the conversation!) We went to a favorite place for lunch, stopped by the espresso van for mocha frappucinos, and then headed back here where of course it was time for more barn chores.


This afternoon Keil Bay is getting time in the barnyard with donkeys and Salina, and he's sauntering around making the most of it - grazing, munching hay, checking out the path to the back, locating acorns, and periodically doing his most favorite thing - parading through the barn aisle from one side of the barn to the other. I'm not sure why he loves doing that so much - except that I doubt he's had much chance to do it anywhere but here, and he seems to think it's a fine privilege to have.

Very fine day, in fine company, and happy for all the blessings in my life.

a first for Rafer Johnson

We've had some funky hoof issues this summer, likely brought on by wet/dry weather combined with lots of pasture, then stressed pasture, and what I suspect is my trace mineral balance getting out of whack. Things are getting back to normal now, but part of my treatment plan is the soaking of equine hooves.

Keil Bay and Salina are of course old hands at having feet soaked. Keil Bay will stand like a rock with multiple feet in buckets. Salina, you might remember, will soak her OWN feet if she feels like that's what needs to be done.

Apache Moon is less experienced, but he knows what to do and as long as you give him some hay to munch, he's okay with the process.

Cody, however, has simply not needed to have his hooves soaked in his young life, and while I've tried to plug it in a few times to at least introduce this practice to him, I admit I've not been diligent about it. So it's a bit more stressful for him. I've discovered that he prefers an old rubber feed pan than the bucket. The feed pan is bigger, the lip low to the ground, and I think he doesn't feel as "trapped" by it. It certainly is easier to manage if he wants to lift his hoof up - no banging or tipping. So I've been working with him this week and he's just about got it down now.

The donkeys have never needed hoof soaking either, and I haven't even tried until yesterday. I expected a bit more of a challenge, as donkeys are not really fond of water in general (drinking it is fine, but the hose is not their friend!).

Yesterday afternoon I was the only one here, the barn was quiet, everyone was munching hay, and I decided it was a good time to introduce Rafer Johnson to the process.

I closed off one end of the barn so Salina and Redford would be out of our way, and sat down in the barn aisle with Rafer, the rubber feed pan, my jug of apple cider vinegar and warm water, a small pile of hay, a few carrots, and Rafer's halter and lead rope.

Rafer smelled the jug. He smelled the pan. The one confusing factor in all this is that obviously the feed pan was used as a feed pan. And now I'm putting something liquid in it. But Cody got over this discrepancy quickly, and so did Rafer. I picked his hoof. I slid the pan under. I gently put his hoof down into the solution. He took it back out. I gently put it back. He lifted it out. I put it back. He stood down and let it soak. I gave him a carrot and lots of neck scratches.

Repeat a few times with each hoof.

And stop before it becomes too tedious.

Whenever I read about how difficult donkeys can be, I think of Rafer Johnson. His response to things is always measured, and for the most part trusting. If you approach something new with quiet, centered requests, he will generally comply. And once you repeat that with some treats, praise, and the same quiet expectations, he gets very good at the thing and comes to enjoy it.

It's been an interesting reminder to me this week - working with Cody, working with Rafer Johnson. There's something magical and healing and conducive to success in a quiet barn that has no distractions. The sound of horses munching hay, the occasional snort. It's the perfect backdrop for relaxation, meditation, and learning something new.

And a wonderful lesson for the human in how to accomplish something softly, with no drama and no force. Creating a routine that will make things easy the next time.