new adventures in living with ponies

Apache Moon, our 13h painted pony, has been living the life of Riley for the past year or so. His girl's legs are really long on him now, and although she still rides him bareback or with his bareback pad, and he carries her well, what they can do together is fairly limited. They can't jump with her long legs. They can't do dressage shows any more because the size saddle she needs is too long for his short pony back. Not to mention the flaps!

For most of the past year he's had several young beginner riders coming once or twice a week to learn with him. He astounded me with his stellar behavior with the younger set, and his riders have had a great time on him. However, what I've discovered is that not all young beginner riders are horse crazy like my children were (and like I was), and the scheduling and managing of rainy riding days ended up being a nightmare.

When I was young I would have gone to the barn no matter what and been as happy as could be. If riding was not an option, I groomed horses in stalls, cleaned tack, learned parts of bridles and saddles and horses, and just soaked in the smell of the barn itself. I was happy just being in the same place as the horses.

My children were the same when they were in pony school. They always volunteered to stay late and help with untacking and turn-out. Anything they got to do was something to get excited about and to discuss on the way home.

This hasn't been the case with the children we've worked with. They enjoy the riding part but are much less interested in barn lessons. Since we don't have an indoor arena, there are going to be barn lessons. I actually tried just cancelling rainy day lessons and doing make-ups, but what happened then was the pony stopped feeling connected to the little riders. When we missed weeks we had to go way back to early lessons to catch things up again.

The other piece to this is that I had hoped having the little riders would help keep the pony fairly fit. But even with two lessons in a row he never really gets the exercise he needs to balance out his calorie intake. My daughter still has to hop on him and give him some trotting and cantering.

So I decided to go back to my original plan, which was this: lessons happen no matter what. We either ride or we do barn lessons. I'm pretty creative and can find ways to make things fun. But if being around horses isn't exciting, then we're not the right place for that particular child.

The pony's limited lesson schedule is still full. He actually has a waiting list. And I've shifted my expectations of the lessons. Instead of thinking he'll keep fit, I'm viewing them as preparation for grandchildren to come.

Meanwhile, he needed something else to do. This week I started clicker training with him. Which is mostly geared toward shaping some very specific behaviors and also toward something even more exciting. Ground driving.

I bought a pair of ground driving reins and as soon as I work through the clicker training we're going to move on to ground driving. At some point I'll add in blinders, and we'll work our way step by step toward driving a cart. If it takes years, that's fine. Apache Moon will be 12 in April and I have a lot of years to keep him busy.

I knew he would take to the clicker training. I did the initial introduction of the clicker on Tuesday, and yesterday I went into the arena with a small cone, a pocket full of alfalfa pellets, and the clicker. I opened the back arena gate and invited him to come in. He marched in with ears pricked and neck arched. He was ready.

I think it took him about 5 seconds to touch the cone and get a click and a pellet. He did a marathon of cone touches - probably 15 in almost as many seconds. Then he decided to use his hoof to target the cone and see if that worked. No. Back to nose. Click. Pellet.

I moved the cone all over the arena. He came to the cone and touched.

Well, that was easy! I said to him.

In the book the horses and ponies all went through a phase of going for the pocket full of treats. I had to laugh at the Little Man. He went for the clicker! The image of him walking all over November Hill clicking for pellets made me laugh out loud. He wants the control. He wants to clicker train ME.

Cody was at the arena gate begging to come join in the fun. Both donkeys wanted to play too. I did a brief session with Redford and Rafer after finishing with the pony. They learned instantly as well.

I'm eager to see how things go with this new fun. I suspect the pony will be asking for more every time I go out to the barn. The real question here is this: can *I* keep up with *him*?

spring! and some catching up

It's been a busy few weeks here - so busy that I had to take some stuff OFF my calender in order to remain sane.

We've had on again, off again spring, but I'm claiming we're fully there mostly due to my mood, which has taken a huge leap forward (hence the busy-ness) into a new season - in spite of the thermometer. Last week we had an 80 degree day and a brave carpenter bee, and last night it was 20-something and we had the wood stove cranking out heat. In between we are clearing beds and trying to get ready to start seeds.

Things are blooming: daffodils, maple trees, and some of the other early-blooming trees. The redbuds haven't bloomed yet, nor the dogwoods, but there is green showing its face all over the place. And the equines have stopped chewing tree bark, which means they have other things they're chewing on - new grass.

Salina started shedding several weeks ago and as of today all the geldings have started. The donkeys shed late, so they are still fluff-budgets.

This past Saturday the hunt club had its Hunter Trial to wind down foxhunting season. My daughter rode her lesson horse and won her class - and brought home a huge trophy, a blue ribbon, and a gift bag that had a gorgeous set of wooden hunt club coasters. It was a rainy, dark day, but the trial went on, and we managed to stay mostly dry and keep horses mostly dry as they waited for their turns to show off. There were some absolutely gorgeous foxhunters there, and it was a fun day all around. I admit - I was glad to get home at the end of it!

Yesterday we had hoof trims and everyone is looking much much better with the new trimmer. Salina actually lifted her front hooves to be picked and examined the "regular" way. Unfortunately, Rafer had to have some more hoof wall removed as the white line disease is still present - though not to the degree it was initially. We've had a lot of rain and mud, and it's being difficult to keep those little hooves perfectly clean. But he's not having discomfort now and we're working on growing new, tight, healthy hoof.

Today the pony had his little rider here and after the ride I got in my own ride on the Big Bay. I don't really need to say anything except how happy and grateful and lucky I am to have this handsome gelding in my life. Last week at my daughter's lesson there was a 73-year old man learning to play polocrosse. When he got off at the end and stood there letting his muscles situate, I had the thought that I hope, desperately, that when I turn 73 I am climbing into the saddle and treasuring the horse that carries me. I suppose it's possible that it could be on Keil Bay, but if not, it's definitely possible it could be on Cody.

But for now, for today, I'm a happy horsewoman with a handsome, sound, brilliant bay and at least a few sunny days in a row to ride him!

more time in the herd mind

This morning I was busy scrubbing out a big water trough. The wind was gusting around me as I stood armed with the hose nozzle in one hand and a big scrub brush and a sharp knife in the other.

The horses were finishing their breakfast tubs in the barn, and as they finished, my daughter let them out their back doors so they could head out to the pasture and their hay.

As you might imagine I was suddenly the center of attention. Keil Bay came up, then the pony, and then Cody. I was literally surrounded by 3000+ lbs. of horse.

Keil Bay was standing with one hoof on either side of the hose I was holding. I was trying to keep the sharp knife out of the way of curious noses. I was hoping they would decide that nothing interesting was happening in the empty trough and move on out to the field.

Suddenly Keats our black cat jumped into a pile of leaves a few feet from the water trough. She came out of nowhere but made a loud noise doing it. Horses, pony, and human did one huge spook in place simultaneously. I mean, literally, all 14 feet went airborne and then landed with one loud smack on the ground.

"What?! Oh, it's Keats!" I exclaimed. And we all relaxed.

One by one the horses walked on to the field, leaving me to finish my chore and to marvel at what had just happened.

That they all spooked in place was pretty remarkable. Not one of them wheeled or bolted or even moved any part of their bodies except straight up in the air and down again. Had they moved even an inch, I would likely have been knocked down, cut with the knife I was holding, and maybe gotten kicked by a fleeing hoof.

That I spooked with them, without even thinking, was even more remarkable to me. I've written before about incidents when I have been in the midst of the herd and moved with them without thinking. I've never had it happen in such incredibly close quarters. I was brushing horse shoulders on each side and three heads were leaning in around me. I didn't even get a bump from any of them.

When these kinds of things happen, it's impossible not to think about the power of connection we can have with our horses. And if their presence is capable of pulling us into the herd mind, what does our presence do to them?

And what is possible if we give them our full attention and our focus, along with permission to them to be exactly what they are - exquisitely gifted with the ability to read and respond to the tiniest sound, gesture, or cue, even those that are silent to us?

When I think about this, I become even more convinced that a huge percentage of what gets done to horses is too loud, superfluous if not downright traumatic.

I want to say to everyone: take off all the excess gear. Loosen the too tight straps. Stop asking the horse to DO something. Stop talking. Just stand still, shoulder to shoulder, and see what happens.

My guess is you'll be pleasantly surprised.

a good but thoughtful ride

After a bit of a spell of not riding, Keil Bay and I got back to the arena today. After so many wonderful rides in December and January, I was eager to get on, and really looking forward to riding in the sunshine this afternoon.

I got on a kick recently about stirrup leathers, namely wanting to eradicate the bulk of a regular stirrup leather (doubled) plus the buckle under the flap. I've ridden with these leathers ever since Keil Bay came to live with me and never really had an issue, but for some reason I suddenly decided to try the Bates Leather Webbers to see if losing the bulk made any difference.

A few differences right off the bat:

I ordered the longer leathers and even on the highest hole they are pretty long for me - not too long, but there is no room to shorten.

Keil Bay has also put on a little weight, and it seemed like the saddle was sitting up just a tad higher on his back than usual.

He's never been girthy but today he actually licked and chewed as I buckled his girth - which went a hole less than usual, also indicating some weight gain.

He walked out of the barn with a rhythmic stride, ears forward, clearly ready to go to work. We had no trouble at the mounting block. All to say that he seemed actually more eager than usual for a ride.

We did a long bit of walking while I adjusted to the new feel of the saddle. My upper thighs were definitely flatter and my legs longer with these new leathers. I expected things to feel different but I expected it to be a very clearly positive change. Instead, it felt - not bad at all, but just... different.

One thing I noticed immediately was that my leg aids were sharper and clearer, which makes sense. The legs were able to drape a bit more naturally without that bulk up top - but my seat felt different. I'm not sure I can describe how it felt - again, not bad in any way, but not like the last rides I've had.

But... no twinges! Either I'm more stretched out now than I was in December/January or this new lack of bulk changed my hip angles in a good way. It might also be that what felt good/new about my seat in December and January now feels... normal.

Hands and reins were very much as they were the last wonderful rides. I feel like whatever notched into place with the contact is still happening.

Another interesting thing is that when we trotted, the contact was terrific, Keil was terrific, but something felt off in my posting - I could feel the pommel more than usual. Again - not a bad feeling, but just something I don't remember noticing before.

And then, two times coming around to the right in the exact same place (by the main arena gate), Keil did a little balk. He wanted to either stop or go across the diagonal but when I asked him to go straight down that long side he stopped and ... thought about backing up but neither time did he actually go backwards.

Each time he did this I circled him to the right in a small circle and then aimed straight down the arena at the trot. Trot was great, I could feel the pommel, but things were otherwise fine. There was no issue once we got on that straight line.

It was so unusual though for Keil to balk, I stopped after the second circle/trot correction and got off. Nothing seemed off about the saddle or bridle, hooves were clean, and he did his usual post-ride snort and happy face. He walked normally to the barn. Everything seemed normal.

This week looks like a good one to get a nice string of riding days in, so I can see how things go tomorrow.

hoof notes, update on the Big Bay

I've been meaning to write a little about Keil Bay's hooves and how they responded to his new trimmer and her willingness to take his heels down further. We both wanted to address the contraction in the front feet as well as his deep central sulci areas which can become breeding grounds for thrush.

A week after the trim I tried to pack a folded square of gauze soaked in Banixx into the two front hooves - in the crevices that he has had since he's been with me due to the contraction of his heels. Usually I can get the entire piece of gauze in that crevice. A week after his last trim I could only get it halfway in - the crevice is closing up from the inside out.

Yesterday, about halfway into the trim cycle, I brought Keil Bay into the barn aisle to clean his hooves and take a close look at them. His frogs are no longer ragged and jagged in front but nice and flat with almost no central sulci. The crevice, as I call it, is nearly gone.

But the really wonderful thing is that the moment I picked up the first hoof, Keil Bay started licking and chewing, loudly, and he repeated this behavior as I went all the way around from hoof to hoof.

Keil hasn't ever been difficult about his feet, but he's never seemed so happy about the process either.

I should add that we put #78 stone into the shelter behind the geldings' stalls - so that any time they go in or out of the barn (which is at least 4x a day) they are walking on the rocks. They also tend to gather under the shelter when waiting for meals or if they want the shelter for some weather-related reason, so they've been getting a fair amount of time with hooves on stone. And they seem to love it. The donkeys actually ROLL in it!

We extended the #78 to the area outside/beside the shelter, as that too is a favorite hang-out spot. And yesterday, we added #67, which is a nice smaller size gravel, to the strip in front of the shelter and around the edges of the outside square of #78.

Tomorrow I'll get another load of #67 and we'll extend that outside edge to the area beneath and on both sides of the gate that leads from the small barnyard into the dirt paddock.

In addition to helping with the muddy areas we tend to get when it rains, we're providing lots of different terrains for the equine hooves here, and I'm looking forward to seeing how their feet change as we make our way from the barn outward.

We still have the barn aisle doorways to do, the other side of the barn outside Salina and the donka boys' stalls, four gateways, and then squares around each water trough. I'm also going to do a dedicated hosing/bath area in the smaller stone.

With all this stone work, can anyone guess what I wish I could get for my birthday?

(That's right - a baby dump truck!)