TOABH: Fave

Fave.

What is your horse's absolute favorite thing? Outside of riding! Are there treats that instantly convert your pony into an addict or liniments that leave him yawning and chewing? What does your horse just love to have?

Before I answer this question I need to discuss my newest feed issue with Ashke.

Ashke has lost a little weight since the cold snap last week. It was enough that I noticed it when putting the saddle on last night for our ride. I can also see his ribs beginning to hint through his winter coat. When he was at TMR, I had him on four flakes of grass and two flakes of alfalfa. When we moved to SQA, I put him on four flakes of grass and the barley fodder. After thinking about what I think he needs, I did two things: I upped his grass to six flakes (fed twice a day) plus the barley fodder. Additionally, I went out and got a bag of Amplify to add to his daily mash.

Amplify is a erudited pellet feed that has 14% protein and 30% fat. I have fed it before and Ashke likes it, will eat it dry if necessary, and it will not make him more hyper. I'm hoping that the combination of a little more grass and the additional fat will help us get through the winter without losing any more weight. It might also help him generate body heat during his adjustment to outdoor living. So his mash will now consist of two pounds of Triple Crown Senior, one pound of Amplify, equipride, omega max, lysine and joint supplement.

Now, back to the blog hop, where Beka asks, what is your horse's favorite thing. . . . Ashke has a toss up between his mash and the giant ball. He blisses out with the mash, but absolutely loves playing with the big ball. On Weds, we get to learn to play horse soccer at SQA, something I think Ashke will excel at.

Posted with Blogsy

Indoor

We have a new to us indoor arena. It has a riding space that is a bit bigger than TMR, with the main riding area sectioned off from the walls with stock panels. There is a area in the front with a propane heater, a couple of benches, and a hitching rack. There is also a radio and speakers in the arena, if you like to ride with music. At the far end, there is another stock panel wall about fifteen feet from the back of the arena. Those panels are covered with green tarps and behind them are a couple of tarp covered carts on one side, and jump standards, barrels and poles on the other. Somewhere in all of that lurks a horse eating monster. Seriously.

Ashke has taken to spooking, trying to bolt (this is where bitting up is a good thing), crowhopping, sideways leaping and sudden stopping. Last night, when he was behaving this way, we spent some time standing in the scary corner and waiting until he relaxed, then moving on with our work. Tonight, I was not so patient. I don't want to have to hold on for dear life as we canter around past that end of the arena every single time I ride.

Tonight, about twenty minutes into our ride, we were cantering circles around the arena. Every time we hit that end, Ashke misbehaved. I tried to do what Mark Rashid recommends, ignored it and kept focused on what I was working toward. That worked right up until the sixth time he tried to bolt out from under me and added some pogo-stick, crowhopping action. Then I snapped.

We did canter rollbacks back and forth across that end of the arena until knucklehead was so tired he didn't care if there was a bear hiding back there. Every time we rolled back, I turned him into the fence. He got really good at his stop-canter transition, which was less than a stride. It's a good thing I don't wear spurs, because I was using my heels to cue him into the canter and he was responding very quickly. He figured out pretty quick what I wanted and was trying very hard to please me. More importantly, the work kept him to busy to spook at the tarp wall.

Once he stopped spooking and was just looking to stop, I walked him out a circuit around the arena, then began to work on an exercise I saw on Gale's blog, I believe. It was from an app she was reviewing. We cantered down the length of the arena, slowing to a walk at the corner, which we did as a 90 degree angle. Then we would canter to the next corner. We did that exercise in both directions for four or so circuits around the arena. This is a great exercise and I can see going back to it.

Then we worked on the slalom poles. Ashke knows the pattern, but we are now working on our simple changes and maintaining control of our speed when we are doing precision work. We did the poles four or five times and then I could feel him beginning to struggle to maintain his balance around the turns.

It was enough. I rode for almost an hour, once he had walked himself cool, and he gave me great effort. He was over the silliness at the tarped end of the arena and I am convinced once he gets more accustomed to the environment he will be much happier in there. I really love the footing in this indoor. It's so much better than the eight inches of wet sand we were routinely dealing with at TMR. And it seems to be very dust free, which is also awesome.

Tomorrow, we will be back out on the trail. In the snow. Should be fun.

Two Reviews

I want to review two products that I've purchased in the past couple of months.

The first product is the Medievel Bridle I purchased for my birthday. I got it from Two Horse Tack.

It was the medievel bridle designed for an arabian, made of biothane in royal blue with dark blue stones. It is a really well made bridle, double stitched with white thread and the stones are well set, in no danger of coming off. The biothane is thick and surprisingly heavy, but flexible even in the cold. The throat latch and cavasson have double buckles, so the bands can be adjusted from either side. I love the color and design and have received a lot of complements on how it looks on Ashke. It matches the breastcollar from THT, my girth and my Ambleside saddle pad. It is incredibly easy to clean. I dumped it in the sink with a little Dawn dish soap and let it soak for ten minutes, rinsed it with hot water and then wiped it dry. It looked as good afterward as it did when I received it. There is no indication of cracking or damage and I have used it exclusively since I received it.

Those are the pros. The only con was the sizing. I have had this issue with every piece of head wear I've bought for Ashke. I have to buy a yearling sized halter to fit his nose and the size of his head. To correctly fit a bridle to him, it has to be cob sized, however the browband needs to be sized for a warmblood. The bridle from THT was no exception. The browband was way to small and the nose band was ill fitting, although the nose band didn't look bad at a distance. I fiddled and fiddled with the browband, to the point of taking the spacer out for the throat latch to give myself a few more centimeters. I was finally over it. It was a struggle to put on because of the width and Ashke and I have had a couple of struggles to get the bridle on over his ears. For a while I was taking it partially apart to get it on his head correctly. I decided to make a beaded browband that was 17" wide with sections for the throatlatch and the side pieces to keep them separated. I wanted it to match the rest of the bridle.

I think I did a pretty good job. What do you think? The noseband is not perfect, but it is set in a way that works without interfering with his bit.

 

I give the bridle 4.5 stars out of five. I would have been less forgiving of the fit if I hadn't had this same issue with every single bridle or halter I've purchased. And as much as I loved the biothane browband, it wasn't worth my money to replace it and I love having my own creation as part of this bridle. He was so much happier when I put it on today.

The second item I want to review is my Ovation Dafna Blizzard Winter Boot. I believe this boot style was originally made by Dafna, but they were bought by Ovation. They are fleece lined and have velcro tightening straps on the sides. I read the reviews and one of the complaints was the boot sagged at the ankle. This was one of my Xmas presents and I have worn them four times now.

The construction of the boot is a Sorel style boot with tall sides. The inside of the leg part has a leather patch similar to that of half chaps. The shoe part of the boot reminds me of my Sorel's, and is wide and loose like a Sorel boot. The entire boot is fleece lined and it is fairly roomy. I think I would have returned these boots as being too big, except that I am wearing bibs, which has made wearing the boots challenging. The first time I rode in them, I didn't get the bottoms of my bibs tucked into the boot very well and ended up with the huge puffy bunch of bib at the knee (think old fashion bloomers). This caused the boot to collapse at the ankle, which felt uncomfortable, and the shoe part of the boot was very loose. The second time I wore them I tried fastening the bottom of the bibs tighter around my ankle, but was left with a huge flap of material I struggled to get down into the boot. Although I didn't end up with the sagging ankles, I did have to deal with the fact that they and the bibs were not playing well together. My back brain went to work on the issue and I came up with a solution.

First, I replaced my thin pair of socks with two pairs of winter socks, one of which is fairly thick. This resolved probably 2/3rds of my sizing issue. Then, I took my half chaps and used them to hold the bibs down around my lower leg. With the half chaps on, my leg with the bibs fit into my boot fairly well. I'm still struggling a little bit with the sagging ankles, but it is fairly minimized at this point. I am no longer worried about losing a boot.

Once I got the boots to work well with my other winter gear, I have been very pleased. The boots themselves are toasty warm, especially while riding. A lot of times I have had boots that are warm if you are moving, but then slowly chill your toes as the ride goes on. These boots were colder when I was on the ground. Once i was on Ashke and away from the snow, they were amazing. The other good thing is that the leather pads on the inside of the boots helps stablize my lower leg and I am no longer sliding around inside the bibs. Or having my leg swing around inside the bibs.

I am rating them three stars out of five. For the $50 they cost me, they are worth the hassle of finding a way to make them work. I can't in good conscience recommend them to any one else. I know they will work for the coldest rides we are going to go on and they are completely water proof, which is a huge plus, in case I need to walk through muck or water. I don't like the fit in them well enough to wear them as work boots and could see my heels becoming sore if I had to walk in them for very long. I am happy with the temps they keep my feet and will continue to use them for this winter, although I can't promise I won't replace them next winter.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Goals for 2015

Goals for 2015

1. Ride 4 or 5 times a week 
This served us well the past year. Ashke needs consistent work and enjoys the time spent with me. By riding 4 or 5 days a week (weather permitting) gives us the opportunity to combine both trails and arena work in a way that keeps him fresh, involved and mentally challenged without burning out or being overworked.

2. Four Season Riding
When I was a younger person, nothing stopped me from riding out in the weather. There is something fantastic about cantering through fresh powder or feeling the cold catch in your nose as the snow squeaks under your hooves. I spent a lot of time back then with frozen fingers and frozen toes. As an adult with access to technical fabric and the concept of layering, I have put together an outfit that seems to work in the temps that it is safe to ride my horse in and so far, the experience has been positive. I want that to continue.

3. Ride 500 trail miles 
This goal should be attainable without us killing ourselves, especially if we keep riding in all four seasons. We have also recently found a set of books detailing trails, parking accommodations and trail conditions for 110 trails within an hour of Denver. (Sqweeeeee!) I am so excited to pick some of the best and most exciting ones to ride. Although I have no desire to ride any trail that has a drop off on both sides, with rocky, unstable footing. Exciting is in the eye of the beholder.

4. Work on my Working Equitation
This will give us focus and frame work for our arena rides, specifically working on attaining a flying lead change (which he has done on trail), our balance and bend when neck reining, and obviously, the fun of working over obstacles. I plan on attending clinics and play days, plus any shows that are offered in Working Equitation in the area. I'm really excited to learn and grow in this discipline and think it's great for Ashke's mental well-being.

5. Spend more time camping
 This is something that my family and I love to do and because of the horse, it is something we have not done as much of the past two summers. I want to take one weekend a month and go camping in Vedauwoo. It's great for the dogs, it's good for the boy and it will make more family memories for us to cherish. We have a week long vacation to plan (sans the horse) and lots of time to do more than just ride. I have been fairly selfish the past three summers and that will change again this year.

Blanketing

Blanketing is something new to me. When I was a kid, I didn't know that whole horse blankets existed, or maybe I am just so old that blanketing became a thing between my youth and my middle age (Yes, I am going to live to be over 100, so there.) My horses were never blanketed. In fact, they were turned loose on 60 acres in the fall and put on weight eating the grass buried under the snow. They grew nice thick winter coats and were shaggy and rotund from October through May. Grooming them the first part of May was one of my favorite things to do, as they dropped thick handfuls of hair under the brushes and curry combs. I made more than one horsehair saddle blanket but stuffing a gunny sack with horse hair and then stitching it shut and using it under my saddle for the summer.

The idea of blanketing, or clipping and then blanketing, had never occurred to me, nor was I around people who were showing and keeping their horses clipped for that reason. I guess my philosophy is that I would prefer to leave my horse natural, housed outside with shelter and plenty of food to eat during the winter. I want him to be able to experience the elements and changing temps, to have some say in how he experiences the weather. I might at some point in the future, decide to do a clip, but I would need help and direction and a pair of clippers. Ultimately, I prefer to manage the hairy beast and monitor my riding/his sweat in a way that precludes clipping. Not that I'm dead set against it, I just don't know enough to know how to do it without creating issues.

When I first brought Ashke home, I purchased a heavy weight horse blanket to help him until he gained enough weight to maintain his body temp. He was still wearing the blanket six months later, when the weather turned in October of our first year. Then I moved him to TMR, with it's heated barn and the absolute refusal to have the doors open if the weather is colder than about 50 degrees. This means that for the past two years, Ashke has not been in normal weather. He was locked in a box stall if it rained, if it snowed, if it was windy, if it was cold. His winter coat is slightly fuzzy, but certainly not a real shag fest. Even so, many of the horses at TMR are blanketed all year long, from sheets and coolers to heavy blankets. Some of them were blanketed under two sets of blankets when it got cold. In a temperature controlled barn.

When we moved to SQA, one of the things I was really excited about was the fact that Ashke could pick and choose his surroundings. He is in a box stall with a run. The stall and the run are separated by hanging plastic curtains, which he has learned to negotiate. He is on four flakes of grass hay a day, plus two feedings of the barley fodder. Howcver, the feed is not enough  make up for the lack of a winter coat. He is still fairly slick and as he has demonstrated, he is not very good at making the choice to stay inside when there is inclement weather. I have found him shivering several times, even with the blanket on and so was very afraid when the weather turned bad this week.

I talked to the BO about buying an extra bale of grass hay. One of the key things you can do to help eliminate shivering is to ensure your horse has access to unlimited grass hay. This morning when I got to the barn to check on Ashke, he was warm and still finishing his breakfast in his stall. There was a bale of hay sitting on top of my tack box (Thanks Mike!!) waiting for me. I gave Ashke his first mash of the day and then put about half of the bale of hay into a hay net and hung it in his stall. Ashke finished his mash in record time, then turned around and saw the hay net, spooked violently (I honestly think he would have kicked out at it with a hind foot given the chance) and bolted out into the balmy 10 degree weather.

When we went back tonight to check on him, he was standing in his stall munching on the grass hay. He got more Triple Crown Senior with carrots and felt toasty warm under his heavy blanket. I had planned on layering his BOT under the heavy mlanket, but since the temps outside were close to zero and he was nice and warm, we just dumped a bale of shavings into his stall for warmth in case he laid down overnight. He still had a flake of grass in his feeder and a little more than half of the hay still left in the hay net, plus a pile underneath the hay net. I picked his stall (he prefers to pee in the shavings but will almost always go outside to poop), and then spread out the bedding. I plan on going back tomorrow morning to replenish his hay net and give him another wet mash.

I am hoping this process helps him make it through the cold spell. I felt really bad for all of the other horses standing and listening to him munch on his unlimited hay. It is good to be Ashke.

Last Ride

Today was our last ride this year. It was sunny and a chilly 15 when we got to the barn. I made a mistake and got impatient with Ashke when he didn't come through the hanging flaps into the stall. My reaction made him less willing to try to come in and he began to shake in response to my frustration. I stopped and snuggled him for a few minutes, exchanging kisses and giving him a peppermint. He calmed down and I was able to coax him into the stall by holding all of the flaps out of his way and telling him he was a good boy. He finally pinned his ears, ducked his head and walked in. I got him groomed and saddled with the long BOT blanket that covers his haunches, checked his feet and slipped on the bridle.

I never ride in easyboots when I ride in the snow. They could slip and his hooves are naturally sticky. I'm still very careful around ice, but in snow and snow pack he does very well. Today, I was riding in a thermal high tech undershirt (which isn't going to work, since it rides up inside the bibs), a henley long-sleeved cotton shirt, my breeches covered with the bibs, and my Carhartt Jacket. I also wore my new Ovation Dafna Blizzard boots with two pairs of socks. (I'll review them tomorrow, if I can find time.) I was so warm I rode without gloves and with the coat unzipped on the way home in 22 degree weather.

 I hand walked down the road to the trail head. I just wasn't going to trust the footing and the cars on this road race past the barn.

 The first part of the trail was groomed, which made life much easier on J.

 I know it will surprise you, but we were the only bike rider (other than a very determined eight year old) and horseback rider on the trail today. Go figure.

 We stayed on the sidewalk as much as possible, because Coyote is not four-wheeled drive

J said it was difficult to pedal and brake at the same time, because the bike would have slipped out from under her on the ice if she had stopped pedaling.

 Once we passed under the overpass, there was no more groomed trail and the ride became a lot more difficult for J.

 As you can see, she's making her own path through the snow.

When we got to the soccer fields, I set Ashke into a canter (with a huge grin on my face). It was the first time we have cantered in the snow and it was amazing. And then I turned around and saw our tracks.

 He is dragging his LH toe when he canters. And it is swinging outside of the track of his LF.

 And he is very consistent in his motion, as you can tell from this line of tracks across the pristine snow. The thing that blew me away is that there are four hoof prints separate and distinct aside from the drag mark.

Any ideas why this would be happening?

To answer a couple of thoughts: he felt normal to me, so I have no reason to believe that there is something unusual going on with him. He carried himself very well and when we were cantering on the left lead and I neck reined him to the right, he had a flying lead change, that while not completely smooth (two strides of cross canter before he corrected himself) it was better than we've had in the past. I believe the tracks were occurring while on the left lead. The next time we are out in fresh snow I will cue the right lead canter and see what the tracks look like.

 Ashke was very good and listened well, despite the multitude of small children and plastic snow sleds on every hillside. Oh, and the rockets being launched in one of the soccer fields.

 Ashke cruised his walking pace, is beginning to find his traveling jog (which sometimes morphs into his totally engaged and powerful trot).

 There was a traveler in the distance that looked like a horse to me. I asked J and she said no, just a woman walking with her jacket on funny. Sure enough, the sides of the jacket looked and moved like the legs of someone riding a horse.

At the trailhead looking across the street at the barn.

Ashke was cool and dry when we reached the barn. We unsaddled and he tucked into his mash. 

Triple Crown Senior with carrots = horse crack. Seriously.

We finished the year with 416.25 miles on trail (that does not include miles ridden inside the arena).

I wanted to keep a record of what we rode by month for 2014, to compare to next year. I know we will ride a lot more on trail the first six months of 2015 as compared to 2014, just because so many issues have been resolved (I'm not going to say it out loud) and we have a trailer.  I'm excited to see how many more miles we can actually ride.

I won't be riding again under January 1st, due to a arctic cold front moving in tonight. I am going to swing by the barn on my way to work and see if I need to throw the BOT fleece cooler under Ashke's heavy-weight blanket. The high tomorrow is supposed to be 10 with up to 7 inches of snow, a low of -1, a high on Tuesday of 1, and a low Tuesday night of -12. I am also buying an extra bale of hay to load in his hay net to hang in his stall over the next couple of days. Maybe it will encourage him to stay inside part of the time. If nothing else, it will give him plenty to eat.

Ashke

 

 

Presence

 

Refined

 

Ethereal

 

Magnificent

 

Inquisitive

 

Strong

 

Frisky

 

Forward

Floaty

 

Muscular

 

Bouncy

Flirty

 

Peaceful

 

Regal

 

Calm

 

Skeptical

 

Curious

 

Athletic

Fast

 

Ripped

 

 

Tough

 

Buoyant

 

Flippant

 

Stalwart

 

Spectacular

 

Spirited

 

Powerful

 

Spiritual

Pocket

Affectionate

Co-Being

 

 

Posted with Blogsy