This photo/caption appeared in all the Turner Publishing newspapers… around 15 publications I think? :-)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Today’s Ride
 | Found a new trail, but couldn’t explore that far because there were so many downed trees. |
 | A different new trail… a road along the power lines that turns into log skidder roads. Can’t tell if any of them go anywhere. |
 | I don’t know if you can tell from this pic or not but honestly I think he looks DARN FINE this spring!! No extra weight to speak of. |
Source for Small-Hole Mesh Hay Nets
I used a homemade version of this all winter, and I'm thrilled to report that Zephyr looks better than any other early-spring so far. I was able to feed less hay because he ate much more slowly... so he's NOT a porker this year!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Excellent article on wound cleaning and care.
"Wound TLC" at thehorse.com is a wonderful reference, very easy to read and understand, on the different kinds of wounds and how to take care of them. You'll need to register for a free membership, but it is SO worth it. Great article... print it and post it in your barn!!!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
First Aid for Horses
The April meeting of the Mid-Maine Equestrian Search & Rescue unit focused on on-trail First Aid for Horses. A local vet volunteered her time to come and speak to us. She first spoke about various supplies we should have on hand, and why, and then we practiced bandaging. We were all fascinated to learn that in order to wrap a hock you first wrap the lower leg, then the hock, so that the hock wrap doesn't slide down.
Where to check the pulse... jam that stethoscope right up in there behind the elbow!
Where to listen for "upper quadrant" gut sounds (do this on the other side too).
Unit members, vet, and demo horse:
Where to check the pulse... jam that stethoscope right up in there behind the elbow!
Where to listen for "upper quadrant" gut sounds (do this on the other side too).Where to listen for "lower quadrant" gut sounds (do this on the other side too).
Unit members, vet, and demo horse:Friday, April 10, 2009
Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!
Today I took Zephyr for his annual chiropractic adjustment. He didn't really seem to need one, but I had promised to take my neighbor Melinda's horse Jamaar, so I decided to take Zephyr along.
We really had no idea how willing Jamaar would be to load into my trailer, so we decided that Melinda would bring him over to my place extra-early. We had a 6:30pm appointment and the chiropractor (Dr. Cindy Reynolds) lives only 25 minutes away, but Melinda had Jamaar at my place by around 4:15. Zephyr was standing tied at the telephone pole, which is my hitching post, when Jamaar came up the driveway with Melinda and her friend Terry. Because Zephyr lives alone, I expected him to get all excited and start dancing around and whinnying, but he just stood like a rock. Good boy!
Last night I removed the rear tack rack and collapsed the compartment, so that Jamaar wouldn't have to get in through the half door the first time he rode in my trailer. The narrow doorway can be very scary for a horse that isn't used to it. Maybe Jamaar is just easygoing, or maybe having it wide open made the difference... but whatever the reason, he loaded instantly! We took him off and on a few more times until he would back off quietly, and the last time we opened the rear tack back up. I prefer to haul that way so that the butt bar can be used... it's safer. I loaded Zephyr in the rear stall and we were good to go.
A few miles down the road I stopped so Melinda could check on Jamaar. He was doing great.
When we arrived at Dr. Cindy's farm, we unloaded both horses and then reloaded Zephyr so I could take pictures for Melinda, and listen in, without having to deal with Zephyr and his boredom.
Jamaar wasn't sure what to think at first! >>
But he got the idea eventually:
Dr. Cindy didn't find too many things wrong with Jamaar chiropractically. What she did find really didn't explain how lame he is. So the next step is to go see Dr. Tim Powers in Pittsfield... in Maine, he's the lameness expert!
Zephyr took it all in stride, as usual. He only had two neck vertebra that were out. In this pic Dr. Cindy is checking his hips.
Jamaar reloaded very nicely, though I did have to wave the lead rope at his butt.
Rider Checklist - This is GREAT!
This was posted on the Maine Riders' board. I love it, so I'm reposting it here. Right now I'm not sure where it originally came from but if I find out I will give credit. Rider Checklists
Keith Hosman I'm going to give you three "Rider Checklists" today. Together they'll keep you safer and accelerate your training to boot. They'll keep you rational; they'll keep you from "losing it" – which has the effect of setting your training back. The fact is, when we don't have an objective means of approaching our training, when we simply "ride," reacting emotionally to what's happening, we're asking for a wreck – or at the very least, a bad day. The horse gets confused and we get frustrated or lose our temper. Not an environment conducive to a proper education, would you say? Each of the following lists will cover small things you can simply check off in your brain. Basically, has something happened or not? If the answer is "not," I'll tell you what to do. Your answers to those questions will, flowchart-like, tell you how to act in the moment or how best to form your day's game plan. The lists were created to "be done in order." Checklist One: How To Keep From Totally Losing It
Before you ever get on your horse:
Back when you're approaching the barn, ask yourself one easy question: "Am I training today or am I joyriding?" If you answer "training," skip to Checklist Two. If you answered "Uh, I'd like a day off from training, please. I got a horse to have FUN, Mr. Wet Blanket Trainer Man" – that's great, too. It's great as long as you can honestly say that not once in the last few days or months have you turned to a friend and said something akin to "Flicka nearly bucked my teeth out back there" or "This (expletive deleted) horse keeps trying to eat grass. What's the number for the tiger sanctuary?" If there are known issues, then it doesn't matter where you ride (trail or arena), the fact is, you need to be training as opposed to joyriding. At clinic after clinic, here in the states or in Europe, I get a version of the same question: "I'm out on the trail. On a cliff. With a ten thousand foot drop to my right and cactus on the left. My horse hates plastic bags – but one blows by and he freaks. What do I do?" To which I answer something akin to "Say your prayers." See, training is not a widget that you carry in your back pocket and pull out like a parachute when the plane goes down. It's about practice and preparation. Ignoring warning signs and riding into potential disaster is like eating a cake every night and suddenly freaking when the scale reads "300." If riding your horse has become an aggravation or something that – even at times – frightens you, then you gotta answer "training" until riding is fun again. Following this simple thought process will have a bigger impact than if I told you to specifically do a, b, or c – because there are trillions of horse/rider combinations and situations that might be described. So, with a nod to the ol' John Lyons axiom "Ride Where You Can, Not Where You Can't," we'll consciously pick a reasonably safe place to do our training and get at it. Example One: Is your horse "jiggy"? Then you need to capture his attention by improving his performance. How do you do that? By being a proactive rider. Keep giving the horse something to do. Make him spin enough plates and he'll hand you control. Example Two: Does your horse keep munching grass? Then develop a zero-tolerance policy toward any resistance on the part of your horse. Be on the lookout for resistance in the form of a stiff neck or a horse that won't move forward when asked. Don't wait till his head's on the ground. Test constantly and the instant you feel reticence, correct the situation. If you feel an ounce of stiffness in the neck, apply pressure and get the horse moving till he relaxes, then you relax. Teach the horse that the way to get you out of his mouth is to stay soft and obliging. The answer is the same if he drops to a speed you didn't ask for. Be ready with a good kick and swift reward. If you just thought to yourself: "That's what I do and it doesn't work" then what's happening is that you're keeping pressure on the horse's mouth all the time (example one) or kicking all the time (example two). The horse has learned "I get punished no matter what I do so I might as do what I wanna do." Learn to be more aware of when you're applying pressure. It doesn't matter what you think you're doing, your horse's actions tell a different story. Checklist Two: The Best Advice I Will Ever Give You Emotion is a wonderful thing when the sensation you're experiencing is "elation" – but it's a total bummer when you're feeling "anger" or "frustration." In that respect riding can be truly feast or famine. I'll explain: As rider/trainers, we've got great days and we've got "blech" days. A blech day happens when we allow our emotions to creep into it our training. The horse doesn't get it or just doesn't give a darn and we get angry. That's bad mojo there – because what happens is that anger causes us to let go of the reins not when the horse simply gives to pressure – but after we've "really made our point." Or to give them an extra kick after they've sped up to "really teach them not to slow down." Things go from bad to worse and we walk back to the barn dejected. We spend the rest of the day depressed or wondering what we're doing with a horse in the first place. But you can have a great day every day! A great day is any day that we make an improvement, however small, and keep our negative emotions in check. Doing so will keep you and your horse on the same page and build a positive relationship. Get busy with your training and react objectively to any roadblock your horse (or nature) might erect and you'll find yourself enjoying the heck out of riding that day. So Checklist Two only has one question on it: Are you keeping things objective – or letting negative emotion creep into your reactions? Notice the word "reactions" in that last sentence. Becoming emotional puts you in a position of reacting rather than being proactive. That's a downhill slide. The horse misunderstands something and you react by jerking the reins. The horse reacts to that by bracing and stiffening up. Break this cycle: Every so often as you ride, take stock of the situation. Are you staying calm and methodical? Are you trying your level-best to break things down into their simplest form? Or are you beginning to blame the horse? Blaming the horse is a pretty good sign we're not being rational. Get off and walk around, cool out. Ask yourself if you couldn't break down your lesson even more. Then give it another shot.
Whether you're leading, feeding, roundpenning, riding or just hanging out with your horse, there should always be "two versions of you" out there with the horse. One of you is Dr. Jekyll the other, Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is the nice guy, the one who everybody loves, the life of the party. He's patient, easy-going, fun and kind. Still, nobody messes with him. Why? Because of his close relationship with Mr. Hyde. Mess with Jekyll and Hyde comes out of nowhere, delivering his punishment, vanishing in an instant. Now, let's not take this analogy to an extreme: Nobody's suggesting that you get all medieval on your horse. But what I like is the idea of staying cool the bulk of the time and meting out punishment quickly, a reprimand served cold, sans emotion. But is punishment even called for most times? More often than not, no. Can we simply stipulate here then, that smacking your horse unnecessarily is just asking for trouble? We must because it's more than that. Being "rude or disrespectful" isn't winning you any points either. There are two ways to quickly lose your horse's respect: 1) smacking them randomly, for no good reason and 2) not dealing instantly with their disrespect. Be consistent on those two matters and you'll be fine. Slack off and you'll have a brat that you can't take to a restaurant and who mouths-off at family get-togethers. If you find yourself going around in circles, so' to speak, and your horse just "ain't getting it," begin by asking yourself "Have I kept things business like and kept emotion out of this?" "Can I break the lesson down to make it even simpler," as outlined in CL2? If you can honestly say "yes and yes" then next ask this: Do I have a horse that is trying at this moment or not? If you're asking and your horse is trying, then no punishment is called for. Not ever. I'll type that again, because it's just that important: If the answer is "He is trying" then you cannot punish whether he's doing what you expect or not. I define "punish" as any sort punitive action such as yanking the reins, spurring, screaming obscenities, etc. If he's trying, you keep asking until he finally stumbles upon the answer or you find another way to ask. Patience is the rule here. Smile: Your horse is teaching you to be a better trainer. Have fun: He can only go 6 directions (up, down, left, right, etc.) so we know he'll get it sooner or later if we stay consistent. And keep Dr. J locked up. If our questions and answers have led us to "He ain't trying and a reprimand is called for" then try making the "wrong thing uncomfortable and the right thing comfortable" as Clinton Anderson likes to say. Apply more motivation in the form of speeding the horse up, changing the angle of your rein or asking for a different movement entirely. A classic example would be the horse who won't back up or the horse that won't move his shoulders: Rather than getting into an argument, we ask for something entirely different like asking him to disengage his hips. Above all keep this in mind: Your horse is going to make great sport out of throwing roadblocks out in front of you. You can win the day by finding pleasure in successfully dodging them.
Keith Hosman I'm going to give you three "Rider Checklists" today. Together they'll keep you safer and accelerate your training to boot. They'll keep you rational; they'll keep you from "losing it" – which has the effect of setting your training back. The fact is, when we don't have an objective means of approaching our training, when we simply "ride," reacting emotionally to what's happening, we're asking for a wreck – or at the very least, a bad day. The horse gets confused and we get frustrated or lose our temper. Not an environment conducive to a proper education, would you say? Each of the following lists will cover small things you can simply check off in your brain. Basically, has something happened or not? If the answer is "not," I'll tell you what to do. Your answers to those questions will, flowchart-like, tell you how to act in the moment or how best to form your day's game plan. The lists were created to "be done in order." Checklist One: How To Keep From Totally Losing It
Before you ever get on your horse:
Back when you're approaching the barn, ask yourself one easy question: "Am I training today or am I joyriding?" If you answer "training," skip to Checklist Two. If you answered "Uh, I'd like a day off from training, please. I got a horse to have FUN, Mr. Wet Blanket Trainer Man" – that's great, too. It's great as long as you can honestly say that not once in the last few days or months have you turned to a friend and said something akin to "Flicka nearly bucked my teeth out back there" or "This (expletive deleted) horse keeps trying to eat grass. What's the number for the tiger sanctuary?" If there are known issues, then it doesn't matter where you ride (trail or arena), the fact is, you need to be training as opposed to joyriding. At clinic after clinic, here in the states or in Europe, I get a version of the same question: "I'm out on the trail. On a cliff. With a ten thousand foot drop to my right and cactus on the left. My horse hates plastic bags – but one blows by and he freaks. What do I do?" To which I answer something akin to "Say your prayers." See, training is not a widget that you carry in your back pocket and pull out like a parachute when the plane goes down. It's about practice and preparation. Ignoring warning signs and riding into potential disaster is like eating a cake every night and suddenly freaking when the scale reads "300." If riding your horse has become an aggravation or something that – even at times – frightens you, then you gotta answer "training" until riding is fun again. Following this simple thought process will have a bigger impact than if I told you to specifically do a, b, or c – because there are trillions of horse/rider combinations and situations that might be described. So, with a nod to the ol' John Lyons axiom "Ride Where You Can, Not Where You Can't," we'll consciously pick a reasonably safe place to do our training and get at it. Example One: Is your horse "jiggy"? Then you need to capture his attention by improving his performance. How do you do that? By being a proactive rider. Keep giving the horse something to do. Make him spin enough plates and he'll hand you control. Example Two: Does your horse keep munching grass? Then develop a zero-tolerance policy toward any resistance on the part of your horse. Be on the lookout for resistance in the form of a stiff neck or a horse that won't move forward when asked. Don't wait till his head's on the ground. Test constantly and the instant you feel reticence, correct the situation. If you feel an ounce of stiffness in the neck, apply pressure and get the horse moving till he relaxes, then you relax. Teach the horse that the way to get you out of his mouth is to stay soft and obliging. The answer is the same if he drops to a speed you didn't ask for. Be ready with a good kick and swift reward. If you just thought to yourself: "That's what I do and it doesn't work" then what's happening is that you're keeping pressure on the horse's mouth all the time (example one) or kicking all the time (example two). The horse has learned "I get punished no matter what I do so I might as do what I wanna do." Learn to be more aware of when you're applying pressure. It doesn't matter what you think you're doing, your horse's actions tell a different story. Checklist Two: The Best Advice I Will Ever Give You Emotion is a wonderful thing when the sensation you're experiencing is "elation" – but it's a total bummer when you're feeling "anger" or "frustration." In that respect riding can be truly feast or famine. I'll explain: As rider/trainers, we've got great days and we've got "blech" days. A blech day happens when we allow our emotions to creep into it our training. The horse doesn't get it or just doesn't give a darn and we get angry. That's bad mojo there – because what happens is that anger causes us to let go of the reins not when the horse simply gives to pressure – but after we've "really made our point." Or to give them an extra kick after they've sped up to "really teach them not to slow down." Things go from bad to worse and we walk back to the barn dejected. We spend the rest of the day depressed or wondering what we're doing with a horse in the first place. But you can have a great day every day! A great day is any day that we make an improvement, however small, and keep our negative emotions in check. Doing so will keep you and your horse on the same page and build a positive relationship. Get busy with your training and react objectively to any roadblock your horse (or nature) might erect and you'll find yourself enjoying the heck out of riding that day. So Checklist Two only has one question on it: Are you keeping things objective – or letting negative emotion creep into your reactions? Notice the word "reactions" in that last sentence. Becoming emotional puts you in a position of reacting rather than being proactive. That's a downhill slide. The horse misunderstands something and you react by jerking the reins. The horse reacts to that by bracing and stiffening up. Break this cycle: Every so often as you ride, take stock of the situation. Are you staying calm and methodical? Are you trying your level-best to break things down into their simplest form? Or are you beginning to blame the horse? Blaming the horse is a pretty good sign we're not being rational. Get off and walk around, cool out. Ask yourself if you couldn't break down your lesson even more. Then give it another shot.
The single best advice I can ever give you in the world of horse training comes into play right here: No matter what your horse (or the day) throws at you, learn to find joy in it. Short of getting kicked in the head, you've got to react to your horse's reaction by smiling and telling yourself two things. One, your horse has given you a gift; he's told you exactly what you need to work on. No more wondering "What do I do today"? He's told you. Two, well, there is no "two." Go back and re-read number one. It all boils down to this: Approaching your riding with "We're going to do what I want to do" is asking for trouble. Riding with the attitude of "Horse, what would you like to work on?" will keep you forever in a positive frame of mind. You will enjoy your horse's company; he will enjoy yours.
Checklist Three: When Can I Get Medieval On Ol' Dobber?Whether you're leading, feeding, roundpenning, riding or just hanging out with your horse, there should always be "two versions of you" out there with the horse. One of you is Dr. Jekyll the other, Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is the nice guy, the one who everybody loves, the life of the party. He's patient, easy-going, fun and kind. Still, nobody messes with him. Why? Because of his close relationship with Mr. Hyde. Mess with Jekyll and Hyde comes out of nowhere, delivering his punishment, vanishing in an instant. Now, let's not take this analogy to an extreme: Nobody's suggesting that you get all medieval on your horse. But what I like is the idea of staying cool the bulk of the time and meting out punishment quickly, a reprimand served cold, sans emotion. But is punishment even called for most times? More often than not, no. Can we simply stipulate here then, that smacking your horse unnecessarily is just asking for trouble? We must because it's more than that. Being "rude or disrespectful" isn't winning you any points either. There are two ways to quickly lose your horse's respect: 1) smacking them randomly, for no good reason and 2) not dealing instantly with their disrespect. Be consistent on those two matters and you'll be fine. Slack off and you'll have a brat that you can't take to a restaurant and who mouths-off at family get-togethers. If you find yourself going around in circles, so' to speak, and your horse just "ain't getting it," begin by asking yourself "Have I kept things business like and kept emotion out of this?" "Can I break the lesson down to make it even simpler," as outlined in CL2? If you can honestly say "yes and yes" then next ask this: Do I have a horse that is trying at this moment or not? If you're asking and your horse is trying, then no punishment is called for. Not ever. I'll type that again, because it's just that important: If the answer is "He is trying" then you cannot punish whether he's doing what you expect or not. I define "punish" as any sort punitive action such as yanking the reins, spurring, screaming obscenities, etc. If he's trying, you keep asking until he finally stumbles upon the answer or you find another way to ask. Patience is the rule here. Smile: Your horse is teaching you to be a better trainer. Have fun: He can only go 6 directions (up, down, left, right, etc.) so we know he'll get it sooner or later if we stay consistent. And keep Dr. J locked up. If our questions and answers have led us to "He ain't trying and a reprimand is called for" then try making the "wrong thing uncomfortable and the right thing comfortable" as Clinton Anderson likes to say. Apply more motivation in the form of speeding the horse up, changing the angle of your rein or asking for a different movement entirely. A classic example would be the horse who won't back up or the horse that won't move his shoulders: Rather than getting into an argument, we ask for something entirely different like asking him to disengage his hips. Above all keep this in mind: Your horse is going to make great sport out of throwing roadblocks out in front of you. You can win the day by finding pleasure in successfully dodging them.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Cause for Celebration!
Today was the first official after-work ride of 2009. I didn't leave work early to ride, I just came home at the regular time. I was saddled up and riding out of the driveway at 6:30 with the goal of getting home between 7 and 7:15... the earlier the better because it would be all road.
Just as I got out onto the main road, which can be fairly busy and is more hilly/curvy than I like, my cell phone rang. It was my best bud Steph, who I am visiting in MN two weeks from now. I had to tell her I'd call her later because it was time to boogie... like I said it's a busy road so I didn't want to be trotting while I talked on the phone. That's just too many things to concentrate on at once!
About a mile down the road we cut into the woods on a short trail that connects my road with an intersecting one. Picture a "P" turned counter-clockwise by 90°... we started at the bottom and were about to make a right turn up into the loopy part.
There was still snow on this trail and LOTS of water. We got almost all the way out to the other side, maybe .3 of a mile, when we came across a very large downed tree. Spruce, I think. It was lying diagonally into the trail, about waist/chest high, and its very tip was just inches from a tree standing on the right side of the trail. I felt in my packs and realized my tree-cutting tools were at home. There was no easy go-around either.
Turning around would have pretty much meant scrapping this ride, so I tentatively pulled on the top of the tree to see if I could bend it out of the way. No go. From the other side it would have been easy, I could have just pushed through it, but from this side it was pointed at us on the diagonal and there was nothing for it. I would have to get off, and even then I wasn't sure it would work.
I got off, disconnected one end of the reins, and stood with my back pressed against the top of the tree. I was able to bend it far enough back to make exactly enough room for Zephyr to pass between me and the upright tree on the other side of the trail. He would, in fact, have to step right over my feet, as they were in the middle of his path so I could brace myself. After some urging, he started to go through but stopped with his butt right in front of me. I pushed on it with my thumbs, telling him to walk on, but the rein must have gotten snagged and pulled on his head. He thought he had to turn around and come back. I truly do not know how he accomplished this, as he had to bend himself in half with the front half in the spruce tree. When he turned and squeezed back past me I saw lichen had gotten tangled all through his mane!
Let's try it again, I thought, and this time I'll use the lead rope. I have a thin rope halter under his new add-on bridle, and the rope was tied up onto my pack. I quickly unknotted it, pressed my back against the treetop again, and pointed him through. This time I was more insistent with my pounding on his butt and saying WALK ON! GO STRAIGHT! GO! and this time he went. For the third time in a row, he avoided stepping on my feet as he went by.
Cool, I thought, we're on our way with just a few moments wasted. Up I got, and down the trail we went. We came out onto the next road and turned left. This road is great for trotting and cantering; it has a wide dirt shoulder that is level and has very few mailboxes. There is a gradual uphill trend, not enough to really notice but it's there. He was very forward in this stretch, offering to canter most of it.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Horse Survey
Saw this on a friend's blog and thought it would be fun to answer.
1. How old were you when you first started riding?
My first pony ride was when I was about 4, but I started lessons when I was 21.
2. First horse ridden:
Mmmm, lesson horse named Amy I think? Morgan, I think?
Amy 4. First horse cantered on:
Amy... flew off her right shoulder when she started bucking out of excitement... all the lesson horses were cantering at the same time. Couldn't canter for MONTHS after that, still have trouble with canter departs in an arena. 5. First Horse fallen off of:
Amy
6. Most recent horse fallen off of:
Zephyr. As I recall, I was walking him down a gentle snow-covered slope and he did some weird kind of duck and spin thing, and I came off over his right shoulder. I suspect I always come off over the right shoulder.
7. Most terrifying fall:
My old TB gelding "The Gentleman" that I owned in college... I was jumping him in the outdoor arena and the sand was waterlogged. Showing off for the boyfriend (now hubby). He took the corner too fast and fell on my left leg. BAD sprain... heard it pop in three places but no broken bones.
8. First horse jumped with:
Hmm. Not entirely certain. Possibly Gentleman? I rode a lot of lesson/lease horses before him, so maybe not.
9. First horse who ran away with you:
The TB gelding, no question. He was FAST for a cull!!
10. First horse that scared the crap out of you:
Amy. Falling off at the canter really did a number on me.
11. First horse shown:
The Gentleman (“Manny”). He had a god-awful trot and ran away over jumps... no ribbons that I remember.
12. First horse to win a class with:
I don't remember ever winning. I might have, but I'd have to look at my ribbons to be sure.
Yes, in college. My instructor called me her 50mph student because I was such a fast learner. At one point she accused me (teasingly) of taking lessons somewhere else in between her lessons, but really I was just going home after each lesson and visualizing it over and over again until I got it right in my head. Then next time I rode I DID get it right. Little did I know that I was doing an actual accepted method of learning! 14. First horse you ever rode bareback:
A QH gelding that I leased during college before I bought Gentleman. Don't remember his name. 15. First horse trail ridden with:
Probably that same QH, but I'm not sure. 16. Current Barn name:
None, I have Zephyr at home and it's really not a "farm" so hubby says it would be silly to name it. I think if I WERE to name it, maybe I'd call it PineApple Creek Farm?? We've got a lot of pine trees, a lot of apple trees, and a creek. Also, pineapples are the symbol for hospitality, and I like to think that hubby and I are very good hosts. 17. Do you ride English or western?:
Endurance. That is, whatever works. Right now it's a shanked hackamore and an English treeless saddle. Zephyr neckreins and direct reins, so no problem there. He doesn't do a western jog though, he foxtrots/racks instead.
18. First Horse to place at a show with:
Probably the TB gelding I leased during the year after I graduated college? I took him to some dressage shows and some regular hunt-seat shows. He was a real stinker, I remember getting 2nd or 3rd in a big equitation class one time because he was acting up SO badly... just not quite badly enough that we had to be excused from the ring, and the judge told me she really admired the way I handled him.
19. Ever been to horse camp?:
Nope.
Yes, several. Took Zephyr to four sessions of gaited riding clinics (two were at Equine Affaire), and attended a couple with local horsemanship trainers (two as an auditor, one as a participant). 21. Ridden sidesaddle?
No. 22. First horse leased:
Can't remember his name. 23. Last Horse Leased:
Can't remember his name either. 24. Highest ribbon in a show:
I really don't know. I might have won a class or two but I'd have to go look at my ribbons to know for sure. Zephyr did get Reserve Champion at a 25-mile competitive trail ride last year. 25. Ever been to an 'A' rated show?:
No. 26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races?:
No. Endurance rides, and CTRs, yes. 27. Ever fallen off at a show?
No. 28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers?:
No. 29. Have you ever barrel raced?
No. OMG that is a funny thought. Absolutely not. 30. Ever done pole bending?:
No. 31. Favorite gait:
Depends. Love a nice relaxed canter, but there's nothing like the "high" you get from a really great extended trot! 32. Ever cantered bareback?:
Yes. It's way easier than trotting. 33. Have you ever done dressage?:
Yes. 34. Have you ever evented?:
No. 35. Have you ever mucked a stall?:
Yes.
36. Ever been bucked off?:
Probably, but I consider it more “lost my balance and slid off”. It’s never during the actual buck... only after.
37. Ever been on a horse that reared:
Yes, but not one that went very high.
Horses. 39. Do you wear a helmet?
Every time. 40. What's the highest you've jumped:
Maybe 2'? I'm a scardey cat with jumps, especially in an arena. Out on trails, on a straightaway, I'm more brave. 41. Have you ever ridden at night?:
Yes. I even got a 'completion' at the 2007 Moonlight in Vermont 50-mile endurance ride. 42. Do you watch horsey television shows?:
Sometimes. The ones that aren't educational are often highly irritating, so I try to avoid them. 43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall?
I had that bad sprain, but I don't know that you'd call it SERIOUS. 44. Most falls in one lesson:
One. 45. Do you ride in an arena/ring?:
When I have access. I don't have one at home. 46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse?
No. 47. Have you ever been bitten?
Yes. 48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse?:
Sheesh, do you have to ask? Of course! 49: Favorite riding moment:
Whenever I want to go to a "happy place" I think about the Justin Morgan 50 back in 2007. There was this one field about halfway through when 4 of us were cantering side-by-side down a mowed path... the sun was shining and the birds were chirping and the air was thick and warm on my skin... I dropped the reins, spread my arms wide, and lifted my face towards the sun. ALL was well in that moment. 50. Most fun horse you've ridden:
Zephyr. He and I are basically one person at this point, I think.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Tax Reform
Sorry, this isn't horse related, but I found a nugget of PURE GOLD buried in a news article today.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/01/house-republicans-stimulus-repeal-budget-plan/
A partial quote: "The GOP plan also proposes major changes to the tax code. It would allow taxpayers to either file under the current system or choose a simpler option: Individuals earning $50,000 or less, and couples earning $100,000 or less, would be taxed at 10 percent. The rate for income above $100,000 would be 25 percent. Republicans say they would allow taxpayers to fill out their income taxes on an index card. "
Now THAT is the smartest idea I've heard for an economic stimulus plan in a long while. Of course, we'd also have to curtail spending, but that needs to happen anyway. You truly cannot get rid of a debt problem by spending more money!
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/01/house-republicans-stimulus-repeal-budget-plan/
A partial quote: "The GOP plan also proposes major changes to the tax code. It would allow taxpayers to either file under the current system or choose a simpler option: Individuals earning $50,000 or less, and couples earning $100,000 or less, would be taxed at 10 percent. The rate for income above $100,000 would be 25 percent. Republicans say they would allow taxpayers to fill out their income taxes on an index card. "
Now THAT is the smartest idea I've heard for an economic stimulus plan in a long while. Of course, we'd also have to curtail spending, but that needs to happen anyway. You truly cannot get rid of a debt problem by spending more money!
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