Re: [IceHorses] Footing and companion animal questions
On 22/03/2008, Janice McDonald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > attracts bugs. Speaking of, Tivar just got his first rubbed spot on > the face. I just got in, its 8 PM, I went out at 5 PM and put bug > stuff and fly masks on everyone. Bugs already??!! Oh Janice...send your crew up here...we'll have lovely weather (bugless) until at least May... Wanda
Re: [IceHorses] Bareback and Bridleless
On Sat, Mar 22, 2008 at 08:13:52PM -0700, Judy Ryder wrote: > I love to ride bareback. It's close contact; you can get good communication > with the horse. > > But it may not be for everyone. Once we get dependent on a saddle, it's > hard to break away. i think maybe it would be good for us, the riders, to be the ones to make the hard changes sometimes. sure, it's not possible for everyone, just as some people need wheelchair-lifts to ride &c. but becoming that bit more flexible, that bit more sensitive, i think is maybe part of what we should do for our horses' sakes. we spend enough energy making *them* change -- we want them to be responsive, we want them to be light, we want them to be brave; seems the least we can do is stretch out a quadricep or two, grab some mane and learn to balance. even if it *is* hard. (and it's not as hard for us on iceys as it would be on some breeds with less-cushiony typical backs :) > It's great for kids to learn bareback right from the start. certainly. but i think adults are on the hook, too. i have (i think) just signed on a mother/daughter pair to take lessons again (they were my students when i was an apprentice), and i'm darned if i'll let the adult use a saddle and make the kid go bareback. you're never to old to build muscle and balance, and never too old to learn. > Passenger lessons are helpful in bareback riding also. definitely, passenger lessons imho are about trust as much as anything, and they certainly allow you to test and trust in your own balance. that said, i would not start "rehabbing" a rider dependent on a saddle with a passenger lesson. i'd start them on the lead line and the lunge. --vicka
[IceHorses] Re: Saddle Fit
>>http://iceryder.net/saddlefitting2.html I finally got a chance to watch these videos. . . Wow. . . I felt compelled to write a kudos to Stan about them. I hope those that are STILL using those narrow, pinching, too-long saddles will take notice. Of course, Judy and this list as well as Robyn Hood have been protesting the often ill-fitting Icelandic saddles for years, but it's nice to see even more sources where people can learn about the issues with so many of these saddles. Isn't it funny that so many saddles coming out of Iceland do not seem to fit very many Icelandic horses? I've always thought that the only reason Iceland has gotten away with using such saddles is because they switch horses so often on a long ride, and their riding season is so short. Of course, what Stan mentioned about when a horse is considered "old" in Iceland and when it is considered old in other countries is interesting to consider as well. Again, another irony: The breed that has the longest lived horse on record (in Denmark) does not have horses that live much beyond their mid- twenties in their native land. . . . Many of Stan's comments about this particular video series are thought-provoking. I always greatly admire those that will put themselves under the microscope in order to educate others. -- Renee M. in Michigan
Re: [IceHorses] Icelandic mare on Dreamhorse
> Don't know anything about this mare, just found her > while looking for gaited horse ads with videos to > watch on dreamhorse: > What a pretty girl Lorraine Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
Re: [IceHorses] Pit gravel, pregnant mares and T-post bracket pictures
Karen, thanks for all the great pictures of the pit gravel. You say it doesn't compact really hard? Do you think that is because you don't apply it too deep about how many inches would you say? And I love the pictures of your mares... can't wait to see the foals. Jacki
Re: [IceHorses] Stonewall weird what gait vid
His feet together seem like > it is almost a pure pace and at times my husband is banging in the > saddle, but compared to Jaspar's hard pace the percussion is very > light. Is it a very fast broken pace? The second url is the same > video in slow motion. What gait please? > Hi Janice, That slo-mo version was great! To my eyes, I think that's exactly what Walls is doing -- a broken, (but almost pure at times) pace. -- Renee M. in Michigan
Re: [IceHorses] Stonewall weird what gait vid
>>> The second url is the same video in slow motion. What gait please? Can you video it again and ask Jaspar to pin his ears, please? ;) I think it was fairly lateral stepping pace, but just as I thought it was becoming more broken, Jaspar's ears popped up. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [IceHorses] Icelandic mare on Dreamhorse
>>The horse's name (Vina Eir Fra Curtis) suggests she is from the Curtis ranch, whom I think was located in Idaho http://www.ice-horse.com/ Raven Lucy & Molly, the Girl Doggies Huginn & Dixie Chick, the Back Behind the Barn Ponies Maggie Rose, the cat who makes me sneeze http://www.myspace.com/iceponygoddess Respect ALL Earthlings. We are all animals of this planet. We are all creatures.
Re: [IceHorses] Pit gravel, pregnant mares and T-post bracket pictures
>>> When are the mares due, they look ready or do the Icelandic mares just look bigger? Maja is due in about two weeks, and Flekka about a week later - which means any time in the next six weeks I guess... >>> My husband is home and it is work, work, work. How is he doing? >>> My filly going to turn a year this spring is huge. She is almost as big >>> as my gelding that is just about 13hh with long feet. Of course she is >>> not filled out or anything but she is all legs and tall. Do they grow >>> this way? My fillies so far have had a good portion of their height by the time they are a year, and most of their height by the time they are two.That's just what I've seen though - not exactly a large quantity of data behind it. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [IceHorses] Icelandic mare on Dreamhorse
Jeannette Hoenig <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > wasn't this some of Debbie Wards horses bloodlines? She has sold a lot of > horses over the net, my neighbor has one > > I have no idea. . . The horse's name (Vina Eir Fra Curtis) suggests she is from the Curtis ranch, whom I think was located in Idaho (or some place out west). Where is Debbie Ward located? -- Renee M. in Michigan
Re: [IceHorses] Pit gravel, pregnant mares and T-post bracket pictures
> One of my Rottweiler females just made the top ten in the Nation list for > last year in Agility. She is five years old. I have had a Gemstone dog in > the > top ten Nationally for four years running now. Last year was Ch Gemstones > Arwen of Gawan number seven in conformation. She just wonBOS at the > specialty > here this past month too. Wow! Congratulations Sylvia. That's quite an accomplishment. Nancy
Re: [IceHorses] Icelandic mare on Dreamhorse
Janice McDonald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > http://tinyurl.com/2egoov >> a lot of people argue with me when i say the prices of icelandics are > going down and say you get what you pay for, but there are known > rehabs with terrible problems that could cripple and maim a rider for > sale out there for 5000-9000 bucks and then you see horses like this > one, for 2500, well bred, I was so surprised to see a registered mare offered at this amount. . . Often you see purebred horses for that amount that have registration issues. There's no mention of any problems, just that she's green.Now, her temperament number is given as "5" (with one being the most calm/laidback and 10 being the opposite), so perhaps that's a clue as to her low price??? Either the people think she's too calm, or perhaps too spirited I think, if someone were looking for a horse to finish, she might just be a great find. Her price just might be a reflection of the owner wanting to place her in a good home, hay shortage in the area, or the economy in general. -- Renee M. in Michigan
[IceHorses] otc pink ulcer stuff
someone asked for the name of the pink stuff Liz bought for Jaspar that seems to make him eat better and gain weight and we have been giving it to others. Our Fox gets colicky sometimes before a strorm, maybe cause he was stalled all is life before coming to us, and it helps him too. I am giving it to teev now for pawing before meals. Its an OTC thing, defnintely not a solution for a horse with known ulcers, but if you suspect gastro upset that is mild, this is good stuff I think... sure wont hurt. also good for helping supplements stick to feed. i got this off Jeffers website but they have it at tractor supply also. ProCMC(R) Gastric Relief Formula23rd of 24 itemsv view larger image (W.F. Young) Calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide supplement for performance horses. Soothing buffered formula. Pharmacist formulated. Apple flavor. Provides non-prescription relief for equine gastric distress Soothes and coats the stomach Neutralizes stomach acids Calms nervous stomachs Equine Pharmacist(R) Formulated Tip'N Measure container for easy dosing Economical 64-ounce supply size -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
[IceHorses] Bareback and Bridleless
A beautiful video: http://www.imagine-discoverthemagic.com/Beach_dream.wmv Judy http://iceryder.net http://clickryder.com
Re: [IceHorses] Re: How we handle pasture
Janice McDonald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: All the rain and then now the sudden spring warmth, we > have unbelievable mosquitos. Janice, Farnum makes a spray called "Mosquito Halt". It works GREAT!So, get to your local TSC and get some! I usually have to spray the horses down most summer evenings at dusk if we've had any kind of rain. We have wetlands behind us and across the road, so plenty of mosquitos all summer usually. -- Renee M. in Michigan
Re: [IceHorses] Re: How we handle pasture
Janice McDonald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: All the rain and then now the sudden spring warmth, we > have unbelievable mosquitos. Janice, Farnum makes a spray called "Mosquito Halt". It works GREAT!So, get to your local TSC and get some! I usually have to spray the horses down most summer evenings at dusk if we've had any kind of rain. We have wetlands behind us and across the road, so plenty of mosquitos all summer usually. -- Renee M. in Michigan
Re: [IceHorses] blooms pyramid of learning
> > New information goes in at the bottom and is processed to the top. I > currently have a backlog at the bottom and very little at the top. It > is a slow process. > Sue UK > almost all your posts are good ones and very helpful to me sue, thanks Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
Re: [IceHorses] Pit gravel, pregnant mares and T-post bracket pictures
In a message dated 3/22/2008 6:22:44 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) When are the mares due, they look ready or do the Icelandic mares just look bigger? My husband is home and it is work, work, work. I throw the ponies out and hit the ground running in the morning. I am so tired from the stairs a million times a day. I have three pups that need trained also. My filly going to turn a year this spring is huge. She is almost as big as my gelding that is just about 13hh with long feet. Of course she is not filled out or anything but she is all legs and tall. Do they grow this way? Or is she just going to be big her sister is over 13.5 hh that is a year older. One of my Rottweiler females just made the top ten in the Nation list for last year in Agility. She is five years old. I have had a Gemstone dog in the top ten Nationally for four years running now. Last year was Ch Gemstones Arwen of Gawan number seven in conformation. She just wonBOS at the specialty here this past month too. Sylvia **Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom000301)
RE: [IceHorses] Icelandic mare on Dreamhorse
wasn't this some of Debbie Wards horses bloodlines? She has sold a lot of horses over the net, my neighbor has one
[IceHorses] coming when called
Today on the trail my husband and my friend sylvia got way ahead of me and another lady on her paso. we were going over these series of erosion control hills and her paso bucked. It was a really nice moment for me personally, you know how you advise people and they ignore you. Well this time I said "I don't see him as being a bad acting out horse, maybe he bucks starting down hill because of saddlefit, maybe pinching and she said "yes, actually, I have noticed it has gotten snug right at the front pommel (its a bob marshall) ;she looked at my hybrid and is thinking of trying one. that was satisfying. But anyway, he started wanting to take off to catch up to the others and acting out so she made him do circles and then said "you go on ahead, I am going to ride him the other direction to let him know I am in charge" and she left me. Then Jaspar did the sweetest thing. He just stopped like he was waiting for them to come back. So there we were, in the middle, out of eyesight from any other horses. So my husband hollers thru the woods :is everything ok?" and I holler back "Her horse bucked, she will be back, how is stonewall?" and my husband said when stonewall heard his name he took off for us and when i saw him through the woods it scared me cause I could see he had that look in his eye where he is not in tune with the rider, where he is in the mental frame of mind where he thinks he is a horse at liberty in a herd. So I hollered "control him " to my husband and when stonewall heard my voice he looked and saw us and relaxed and stopped when my husband reined him. It was interesting to me. None of my horses ever come when you call their names but him... He is our problem child and my husband said today he noticed stonewall has to be constantly brought back into focus, like he has adhd or something. He said he whacked his leg into a tree more than once :) i thought he was exceptionally sweet. Tomorrow I am riding Teev with my friend Syvia on a real short easy ride with her mare that just had a baby. The mare needs exercise. My friend has a very very small paddock with no pasture at all and her horses get all their exercise from being ridden. My friend normally rides every day so she wants to make sure the mare gets exercise. Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
[IceHorses] Interesting barefoot site
First of all, here's the disclaimer: I am not against shoes or shoeing horses if circumstances dictate. I post this site not as an admonishment to those who DO find shoes work for them, but more for the educational value of the pictures, which I found very interesting. I am fortunate to not have to shoe my horses.But, if I could ride more (which would be ANY riding at the moment!) or had different terrain, I may not be able to say that. Anyway, here's the site: http://www.right2remainshoeless.com/index.html
Re: [IceHorses] OT - Igloos for chickens-Janice
--- Anna Hopkins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On 3/21/08, Virginia Tupper <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > http://omlet.us/homepage/homepage.php > > > I really want one of these. << Yeah, I thought it sounded great, too - till I saw the price!! Susan in NV http://desertduty.blogspot.com/ Riding for Breast Cancer Awareness Nevermore Ranch http://users.oasisol.com/nevermore/ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
Re: [IceHorses] Footing and companion animal questions
haha wanda! If we were to put wood chips anywhere an animal goes to the bathroom it would be like that picture you posted with gillions of roaches everywhere! and not just roaches! wood chips. what a concept! If we use any kind of wood even in the shrub beds it has to be some kinda special treated redwood or cedar stuff. and even that attracts bugs. Speaking of, Tivar just got his first rubbed spot on the face. I just got in, its 8 PM, I went out at 5 PM and put bug stuff and fly masks on everyone. It took me that long to get them all squared away. My husbands horse ran from me and I had to catch him and he fought me trying to put bug stuff on his ears, Tivar and Nasi were so calm about it I didnt even have to hold them, just stood while i dosed them with that horrible smelling stuff. i think teev was secretly very glad. he has been rolling all day as a sort of living mosquito killing implement. as for footing, i just use our dirt which is thick dry sand and my farrier says it is good for feet and thrush and all. in our drought dust was a bad problem, the horses would run around and then cough from it and i felt bad about that. we put lime in it to keep it "clean" from urine etc. for companionship, we have a donkey and he fits in, one of my horses is obsessed with him and grieves when I wont let him sleep in the same paddock with him at nite and the others torment him by picking on the donkey. Its their favorite game. Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
Re: [IceHorses] Icelandic mare on Dreamhorse
> http://tinyurl.com/2egoov > > It says she was started by "an experienced and renowned Icelandic trainer", > but maybe she is still salvagable. a lot of people argue with me when i say the prices of icelandics are going down and say you get what you pay for, but there are known rehabs with terrible problems that could cripple and maim a rider for sale out there for 5000-9000 bucks and then you see horses like this one, for 2500, well bred, trained the way many think one should be... and then of course the ones quietly rehabbed in a loving calm environment and given to well matched homes. Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
[IceHorses] Pit gravel, pregnant mares and T-post bracket pictures
An eclectic mix of pictures, probably not of general interest but for those who might be interested: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=4jh0nhxz.9ze05gb3&x=0&y=17v7so Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [IceHorses] OT - Igloos for chickens-Janice
i notice some breeds last longer around here, and bantams are one. They are faster than many predators and some can fly like birds. Ever now and then I get a sweet chicken that just loves people, loves to hang out etc, and inevitably they get snagged by predators because they are too gullible and people oriented I guess. I am finding now a big grown lordly aggressive gander does wonders for predators. He is keeping all my little yard chickens safe it seems! As for CT, you know some of the first arcade games were live chickens in a cage. People would put in money and they would perform "tricks" like play the piano, cause when they would peck the keys corn would spill out :) Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
Re: [IceHorses] Re: How we handle pasture
yes the drought is over but its like the biblical plagues or something! All the rain and then now the sudden spring warmth, we have unbelievable mosquitos. Until now, nothing, then yesterday i go to bring them in for feeding and Traveller, pale grey, has a face covered in mosquitos where I had none the day before! Then today, came home and saw Tivar rolling. Looked out later saw him rolling again, looked out later and saw him again and thought oooh, not good, is he colicky? I go out there and he is dry, no sweat, and just hundreds of mosquitos all over him and the others were no better! I have their west nile in the fridge waiting for this and now I am afraid i was too late! yi. My husband and I went around kicking over every large magnolia leaf, etc, getting rid of standing water! now I dont want the winter coats gone! At least they offer some protection. Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
[IceHorses] Stonewall weird what gait vid
My horse stonewall does a wonderful saddle rack with me riding. Today my husband rode him on a trail ride and I took Jaspar because Walls is so goey he scares me when he hasnt been ridden in a while, and Jaspar has a calming effect on him and other horses in general. And my husband seems to have a way about him that makes walls behavem. He was an absolute angel btw. My husband is heavy, has scoliosis so he has a permanent slump, and he is a terrible rider, just a passenger really. I wanted to video him coming down the road with our friends, both of them with horses that usually saddle rack. As soon as they started out my husband said he let Walls just "have his head" and we laugh about him always thinking when horses are gaiting, to him its a race. He was only with the others a few seconds and just took off and I filmed this very weird (for him gait). His feet together seem like it is almost a pure pace and at times my husband is banging in the saddle, but compared to Jaspar's hard pace the percussion is very light. Is it a very fast broken pace? The second url is the same video in slow motion. What gait please? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIh6Wzozz7I slow motion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWSyUXdj2N8 Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
[IceHorses] horses feet on metal bridge
remember when I was griping about how rude it is to come up real fast onto a metal bridge with other horses crossing it? I took this video today, it is just the noise of stonewall crossing the bridge in front of me, and at one point Jaspars steps on the bridge with him. So maybe you can better understand where I was coming from! we ride here often and there is no way in or out but over this bridge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKf3g7zMXN0 janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
[IceHorses] Bits Icelanders Use
My question to the group is: what kind of bits are those that one so often sees on horses ridden in Iceland? In the Icelandic Horse Quarterly, Issue One for 2008, on page 31 it looks like Bernie Wills is holding one. Are they harsh? How do they work? Or is the long metal piece just decorative? Donna Nelson
Re: [IceHorses] Surrender to the Saddle Tree
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> i am constantly amazed at the lack of discussion of bareback riding > here, given this as a sample fact. So start a thread on it. : )And actually, come to think of it, most of the pictures I've ever seen of list-owner Judy riding have been bareback. Maybe she's been trying to be subtle with us. : ) -- Renee M. in Michigan.
Re: [IceHorses] Surrender to the Saddle Tree
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> i am constantly amazed at the lack of discussion of bareback riding > here, given this as a sample fact. So start a thread on it. : )And actually, come to think of it, most of the pictures I've ever seen of list-owner Judy riding have been bareback. Maybe she's been trying to be subtle with us. : ) -- Renee M. in Michigan.
[IceHorses] Icelandic mare on Dreamhorse
Don't know anything about this mare, just found her while looking for gaited horse ads with videos to watch on dreamhorse: http://tinyurl.com/2egoov It says she was started by "an experienced and renowned Icelandic trainer", but maybe she is still salvagable. She's very pretty.Anyone up for a project this summer? The price is sure right. -- Renee M. in Michigan
Re: [IceHorses] A boring video
On Sat, Mar 22, 2008 at 10:11 AM, Karen Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Here's a boring (thank goodness) video of much of Angie's vet check > yesterday. What a sweetie! She seems calm and happy. V
Re: [IceHorses] T post bracing
On Sat, Mar 22, 2008 at 8:41 PM, Cherie Mascis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I've used these and they work really well. There's a bit of a learning > curve if you're not good with puzzles! > Thanks! V
Re: [IceHorses] Re: What Gait / Netuno
Judy Ryder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: . . . what I've seen in the US. The ones here have all been tall and thin (narrow), so I didn't especially like the breed.< Ha -- I should have kept reading. That's been my impression of them too. But these two don't appear that way. I wonder if it's a case of the early exports not being the best examples of the breed because the "motherland" wanted to keep the best at home? > > But these two videos have changed my mind. > Me too! > Did you notice that the first part of this video, the horse is being ridden > with only a neck rope: Yes! Definitely grabbed my attention. That horse carried himself in gait effortlessly. I don't care too much for the parlor tricks of sitting between the horses legs and crawling around, jumping on the rump, etc., but clearly a nice all-around horse. > > From the association: > > "The reason for so much preoccupation with the marcha, indicated by the name > of the breed is that this gait is unique in the world. > (Is the "this gait is unique in the world" a true statement?) SNORT! Geez, every gaited breed seems to think THEY hold exclusive rights to the rack, don't they? So funny. . . don't they ever look around at what all the OTHER gaited breeds do once in awhile?It's kind of a form of barn (breed?) blindness I think. -- Renee M. in Michigan
RE: [IceHorses] T post bracing
>Came across this website and wondered about the product: > >http://www.wedgeloc.com/index.html >Virginia Tupper >NB, Canada I've used these and they work really well. There's a bit of a learning curve if you're not good with puzzles! Cherie Western North Carolina Lilja, Roka (Icelandics)and Tyra (Fjord) No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.21.8 - Release Date: 3/20/2008 12:00 AM
Re: [IceHorses] What Gait / Netuno
> > I hated the way the guy kept making the horse turn so suddenly and > sharply -- seemed kinda extreme and rude to the horse. > > Nancy Sturm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > That's sort of a stock horse "thing". This horse really does it pretty > nicely and the rider is tactful with his rein handling. Some horses learn > to do this with the very minimum of rein contact and act like they enjoy it. Hi Nancy, Okay. . . But given the amount of tail swishing and ear pinning this horse did, I don't think he enjoyed it, although you are right -- it didn't appear the rider had to exert much "force" or pressure to turn the horse in this manner. -- Renee M. in Michigan
Re: [IceHorses] Re: What Gait / Netuno
> > Another Mangalarga Marchador: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2e0QKe6a4 Susan Coombes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Beautiful horse. Lovely training. I don't thimk I want to ever plonk > down in the saddle like that. Stepping pace. > Sue UK I agree with Susan, except I think it's a saddle rack.But that horse can come up here and live at my barn anytime. Man, what a gorgeous, tractable, lovely animal. What is the genetic background / history of the Mangalargo Marchadors? Anyone know? Some of them seem quite "rangy" looking, while others almost have a Iberian look to them, especially in their neck attachment. -- Renee M. in snowy Michigan (again. . . sigh)
Re: [IceHorses] Footing and companion animal questions
> > Slippery? Really? Was this only when it was wet out or were the wood > chips just generally slippery? This was a covered indoor arena. It was not wet, but something about the way they were mixing their sand, soil and wood chips made it quite slippery - sometimes. It was not always slippery, only when they got the mix wrong. And I haven't a clue what a correct blend would be. Nancy
Re: [IceHorses] T post bracing
--- Virginia Tupper <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Came across this website and wondered about the > product: > > http://www.wedgeloc.com/index.html > Thanks for posting this, Virginia. I'm getting ready to expand some of my fencing, and this will save me having to put in wooden corner posts and the headache of doing H bracing with them. Susan in NV http://desertduty.blogspot.com/ Riding for Breast Cancer Awareness Nevermore Ranch http://users.oasisol.com/nevermore/ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
Re: [IceHorses] OT - Igloos for chickens-Janice
On 3/21/08, Virginia Tupper <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > http://omlet.us/homepage/homepage.php > I really want one of these. Think I can convince Michael we need more animals? This setup looks pretty user friendly and mobile. I've even looked at chicken breeds. The Sussex Bantam sounds great. Here's what they had written about the behavior: They have a placid nature and are adept at coping with bad weather. They are easily tamed and will do anything for a treat. They make superb pets for children as they are affectionate and rarely show aggression in any form. They are excellent layers and often continue producing eggs throughout the winter. The hens make excellent broodies and wonderful mothers. Sounds like a good clicker trainee. Anyone have any experience with them? Janice, any input? -- Anna Southern Ohio
RE: [IceHorses] Footing
We had wood chips on grass once and they were always slippery for the first few months. Same goes for mulch. Another disadvantage for the wood chips was that we put them on in the middle of the summer and it made the ring really bright and much hotter. You had to wear sunglasses in the ring. After the winter they had lost their brightness and were much better. Christine Icelandic Horse Farm Robyn Hood & Phil Pretty Vernon BC Canada www.icefarm.com
Re: [IceHorses] Footing and companion animal questions
On 22/03/2008, Nancy Sturm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Before the days when arena footing became a sceince, they used to mix wood > chips with sand in the indoor arena at the loacl fairgrounds. If they > didn't get their mix right, it could be quite slippery - actually, nasty > falling down in the corners slippery. Slippery? Really? Was this only when it was wet out or were the wood chips just generally slippery? Wanda
Re: [IceHorses] Surrender to the Saddle Tree
On Sat, Mar 22, 2008 at 11:18:15AM -0700, Judy Ryder wrote: > Surrender to the Saddle Tree > By Lisa Dawes Brown > [...] > The greatest light cavalries of the world, the Sarmations, the Tartars, the > Huns, among others, swept down on whole civilizations on saddleless, > bridleless horses, and defeated them. i am constantly amazed at the lack of discussion of bareback riding here, given this as a sample fact. --vicka
[IceHorses] Surrender to the Saddle Tree
Surrender to the Saddle Tree By Lisa Dawes Brown You buy a mare for 300-pounds. She looks like a miniature Rembrandt, but she is sulking, explosive. You saddle her, hack her out. Then you pick up the reins. You try not to feel your diaphragm tighten with the knowledge of the last three riders whom she towered over on her hind legs before crashing backward in the dirt. She begins to jig. After twenty minutes, your cheap investment, whose next appointment may be with the slaughter house, explodes. She is not unlike the medal-winning French horse you once saw, whose face wore an agonized look, and who, after 45 minutes of ring work, reared at the closed menage doors, crashed them open, caught her chin on the molding above, and flipped backward on her rider. How much more clearly do these two horses need to say, "Let me out of here!" They have much in common with horses you see in every barn: The ones who won't bring their backs up, who don't track up, who buck after taking a fence or as you ask for a canter, who won't become regular in the trot, who pedastal or are long-based in the piaffe, who cross their legs in the piaffe, or have trouble with travers and ranvers going one direction, who show their toes to the sky and throw their legs from under at the trot, who cant their heads to the side at the halt. There was a sign above Bill Clinton's desk in his campaign headquarters while he ran for president of the United States in 1992, and this philosophy saved him from scandal, blunder, and now from impeachment. It reads: "It's the economy, stupid." Where dressage horses are concerned, we might harshly say, "It's the saddle, stupid." X-rays will not reveal what ails many troubled dressage horses. What we should x-ray is the saddle. If we did, we would find a rigid arch designed for one purpose: to provide structure from which to hang the stirrup leathers and suspend the seat; that is all. This arch, as its name implies, must not touch the top of the withers; this is basic. The wither and shoulder region, thoracic vertebrae # 5 through #11, form an arch. The saddle forms an arch. When one is placed on top of the other, they must nest together perfectly like stacked chairs, to avoid a pressure point. This is impossible, because the arch above must not come in contact with the wither below. The points of the arch must, by design, bear into the trapezius muscle to hold the apex away from the wither. From an engineer's perspective, there is no other way. This saddle design is flawed. We feel defensive, as if our saddle design is justified, because it exists, and it is all we know. Our trainers believe in it--or at least take it for granted--as have their trainers, and their predecessors. We behave as if the modern European design existed from the time man first threw a leg over a horse's back. Why should we defend our saddles, if not to justify our own ignorance? Viewed from a physical and engineering perspective, the concept of trying to carry weight on the arched surface of a horse's wither and shoulder with a rigid arch, is flawed. The greatest light cavalries of the world, the Sarmations, the Tartars, the Huns, among others, swept down on whole civilizations on saddleless, bridleless horses, and defeated them. They were not too stupid to use saddles. They posessed them, but they knew one fact: Their horses' backs would be rendered unsound, unable to perform many of today's dressage movements, had they placed a rigid object on the horse's back and ridden into battle. Rather than choose the comfort and security of a saddle and stirrup, they wrapped their torsos and legs against relentless concussion, inventing trousers and boots, and chose life over being hamstrung, because their war horse would be too inhibited by a saddle to obey subtle seat aids. If our lives depended on the freedom of our horses' backs, we would have thrown out the saddle long ago. The saddle is a contraption to help humans ride, and only when we swallow that bitter pill, are we able to see the symptoms of saddle pain in our own horses. ATROPHY OF THE TRAPEZIUS AND UNDERLYING RHOMBOIDEUS MUSCLES. When the arch of the saddle places pressure on the trapezius muscles behind the scapulas of the horse, the horse eventually surrenders to the tree. He "drops his withers" away from the pressure and pain. He does this by contracting his trapezius muscle and the underlying rhomboideus muscles anterior and posterior to the wither. When the rider calls for the horse to work from his hocks, and bring his energy up through the croup, up the back, to his ears and to his nose, the horse cannot push the energy through. He must stop it where he contracts his trapezius and rhomboideus. The energy flow does not proceed over the back and up the neck, it drops away to the sternum and base of the neck. If the rider is skilled, and the horse is valient, he pulls his forehand up (not with his l
Re: [IceHorses] T post bracing
>>> Came across this website and wondered about the product: >>> http://www.wedgeloc.com/index.html We've used T-post brace/brackets before with some good luck - they've only been up maybe 4-5 years but are holding up well. I'm not sure if that's the brand though. We (ok, Cary, if you have to be picky) have still set 6" wooden posts in concrete for the corners, but have used those for bracing the wooden posts. Of course, we don't have a lot of snow drifts here - don't know if that's a factor to consider. I'll try to get pics. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [IceHorses] grooming tool
>>> have to let you know that I think this is the best shedding tool I > have ever seen and it's cheap! > > > http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3307+5+17841&pcatid=17841 I got two of these--medium and large--on Ann's recommendation. They are > really great. Ferne
[IceHorses] T post bracing
Came across this website and wondered about the product: http://www.wedgeloc.com/index.html Virginia Tupper NB, Canada
Re: [IceHorses] I won!!!
On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 7:17 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I won a round pen in a raffle at our local fed store.happy dance> > > Penny > > ...And I missed Penny doing the happy dance!! Congratulations > though! What a treat! Ferne
Re: [IceHorses] Re: What Gait / Netuno
I'll try. Our problem with video is the single track trails. For me, gait videos only help if they are done from the side. This is the woman who was coming along behind me and said, "Nancy, your horse is doing some kind of a GAIT" - as if I didn't know perhaps. Nancy
Re: [IceHorses] Re: What Gait / Netuno
> Hers is an attractive little red dun mare with a trot so smooth > she doesn't need to post. Any chance you can video this gait for us? Several strains of Mustangs are gaited. Judy
Re: [IceHorses] Footing and companion animal questions
> > So this year we are considering renting a wood chipper and spreading > wood chips over the dirt in the ring. Before the days when arena footing became a sceince, they used to mix wood chips with sand in the indoor arena at the loacl fairgrounds. If they didn't get their mix right, it could be quite slippery - actually, nasty falling down in the corners slippery. Nancy
Re: [IceHorses] Re: What Gait / Netuno
> > Did you notice that the first part of this video, the horse is being > ridden > with only a neck rope: I did notice that and I went to several websites. The ones in Brazil (it was Brazil?) were very substantially made and very attractive horses. A friend, who with her husband is a BLM employee, has just purchased two Kiger Mustangs. She is quite enthusiastic and was teaching us about their lineage, DNA proven to go back to both the Spanish jennet and the Andalusian. Hers is an attractive little red dun mare with a trot so smooth she doesn't need to post. We tried to interest her in Icelandics. They do ride and tie and Annette, a small woman, has RA, lots of pain and the need for a small smooth horse. Nancy
Re: [IceHorses] Footing and companion animal questions
On 22/03/2008, Jacki Edens <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: So I am looking for footing that would be safe for a horse to be on 24/7 during periods when she can't be in the field and that would also be good footing to exercise her in or to serve as a small ring. Any suggestions? Interesting topic... We have a separate spot for feeding and we keep the arena (playpen) locked and only let the horses out when I want them to eat down the grass. We have a problem with low lying cedar in the arena area and we found the the odd root or branch could really make the footing treacherous...so last year Kevin bought a little cultivator and made a ring around the outer edge of the arena and left the middle in its native prairie grass. It seems to have worked well and has improved the footing tremendously. ( I must say it took us hours to sort through the cultivated dirt and yank out the remaining roots and branchs and then we went over it again with the harrows many many times) However... After all this work I did find that the dirt ring could get dusty. So this year we are considering renting a wood chipper and spreading wood chips over the dirt in the ring. We don't really have a problem with mud except for where the horses have been eating over the years. AND as soon as it dries a bit Kevin will clear the manure and push it into the pile. Our soil is quite sandy, so I thought adding the wood chips might help with the dust. I don't know...I'm still considering it. Does anyone have wood chips on their tracks? Wanda
Re: [IceHorses] What Gait / Netuno
--- Judy Ryder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Another Mangalarga Marchador: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2e0QKe6a4 > I say definately a saddle rack. I liked it untill the guy went from standing on the horse's back and dropped to the saddle. Susan in NV http://desertduty.blogspot.com/ Riding for Breast Cancer Awareness Nevermore Ranch http://users.oasisol.com/nevermore/ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping
Re: [IceHorses] Footing and companion animal questions
>>> My husband and I are finally getting a place with enough land for me to >>> keep Svort at home with me and I have two questions that maybe you can >>> help me with Ooh, exciting! >>> The first is, what other animal besides a horse would you consider for a >>> companion animal and why? Goats, donkeys, mini-mules work well. I suspect they prefer another equine-type though, but we had a goat for my old horse when he was sick and no longer accepted by the herd. He loved his goat. Some people use mini-horses, but remember that they will require about as much cost to keep us as a riding horse. They may eat less, although probably not noticeably less than an Icelandic-sized pony/horse, but the farrier and vet bill will be the same, and some are prone to health problems, especially founder and certain dwarfism-related conditions. Some farriers don't like to work with mini's, just as many don't like to work with drafts. (Apparently either extreme in size makes the back-breaking work even more so.) Goats don't need as many vaccinations (can't remember now what they need, but I remember that one tube of wormer seemed to last FOREVER), and need only minimal hoof care, and if Buck is any indication, mules and donkeys seem to require a little less farrier work, less dental work etc. (They DO need farrier and dental work however, and as always, any individual may not adhere to the "in generals"!) >> And the second question is actually a bit more complex. I am planning to >> have a paddock/sacrifice area to keep her on when she shouldn't be in the >> pasture , because it is too wet, to lush, frozen and fragile, etc. Many >> people around here use blue stone, i.e.stone dust for that application >> but it becomes extremely hard and compacted if you don't groom it. We have access to something here that is called "pit gravel". I am not sure they are universally available though, and may be known by other names. I really like them for this sort of use. The texture of the gravel in the brownish mix varies from coarse sand to gravel to small rocks, and the rocks are sort of crumbly, with no really sharp edges - blue stones here are nice for driveways, but can be sharp enough to cut. We don't put it down too thick though, so that it sort of settles and mixes with the top layer of dirt, but enough that it cuts down on the mud significantly. It makes for a rough surface, even slightly abrasive, but not so rough that it is too hard on the horses. The varying sized particles seem to keep it from packing so hard too. We used it in our paddocks, in the "oval pen" and around the water tanks and gates where traffic is high. It's also the base surface in my barn, and it's worked well for that. I just had a load delivered yesterday so we can freshen up the surface in the foaling paddocks. I'll see if I can get some close up pictures so you can see what I'm talking about. We've been using it this way for over 15 years, and we like it. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [IceHorses] Footing and companion animal questions
That may be okay for the paddock, but I would also like to use this same area for long lining or other exercise. So I am looking for footing that would be safe for a horse to be on 24/7 during periods when she can't be in the field and that would also be good footing to exercise her in or to serve as a small ring. Any suggestions? Congratulations on your new place. Grooming a paddock is pretty easy. Bruce uses an ATV and a small harrow. He also has a little wagon he uses when he cleans stalls or moves hay bales or sacks of feed. In Oregon, sand is the common surface in riding rings. I believe there is quiet a science around how to grade the area and apply the sand to keep it draining well. I don't like to feed on sand, however. We have plain old soil and have a man come in annually with a power tiller and work it up. Then we maintain it with the small harrow. There are many ways of managing horses and others will have different opinions, but I don't like to train horses in the same place where they live. This is not to say we don't do some training in the hall of the barn, but I like a separate corral, round pen, paddock for longeing and riding because I think it helps the horse to focus and separate himself from his living space. Goats are a favorite companion animal here as are miniature horses. There's always someone needing to place a horse as a companion animal too, but be careful not to take on any "problem children". Nancy
Re: [IceHorses] A boring video
n 22/03/2008, Karen Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Here's a boring (thank goodness) video of much of Angie's vet check > yesterday. These are the kinds of videos I like seeing. A relaxed, interested horse getting some attention.. > Note that Cary is > holding Angie in his normal, lacsidasical way, on a loose lead - slipping > her a cookie once or twice. Well...it seems to be working. She knows she's supposed to stand there. Nice video... Wanda
[IceHorses] A boring video
Here's a boring (thank goodness) video of much of Angie's vet check yesterday. (I paid for a pre-purchase check in September, plus my vet did a quick check of her when she arrived - this was mainly a booster WNV visit.) You may remember that I got Angie around the first of December 2007, as a project horse. When she stares off, she's watching Sina in the stall beside of her, as Sina wanders in and out of that stall's adjoining paddock. Angie is a busybody, always concerned about what's going on, and I think her curiosity is what is making her turn around so easily. Note that Cary is holding Angie in his normal, lacsidasical way, on a loose lead - slipping her a cookie once or twice. Angie's teeth seemed pretty good, so she got marked for a dental re-check in six months. Maybe (no promises!) we'll be thinking about putting a bit in her mouth by then... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofq55ZxBd6o I think she's ready to go under saddle whenever we can get to it. We still have work to do with Runa, foals due within 2-6 weeks, and Svertla is in line to be started first - plus we're trying to get Sina and Skjoni back into shape, as well as the others. (And I have to work to support all these hungry mouths...where IS that lottery ticket?) I spent some casual one-on-one time with Angie for the first six weeks, during which she stayed in a smaller pasture with Runa and/or Ima for company. About a month ago, we put her in the big pasture with most of the herd. She came here noted as "hard to catch" and "very nervous", and she's still somewhat wary in the big pasture. I think the herd interaction is good for her at this point, to see how the other horses like to come to us and see what's up. I haven't made a point of trying to catch her in the big pasture though - I want her to get over the idea of being "caught" and instead, pick up the attitude of being "selected" - and I think it's coming. We can easily rub her and give her a cookie in the pasture now. That was more evolutionary than revolutionary, and sometimes I think that's best all around. When she came here, she'd jump/flinch/startle at any quick human move, and even with her lack of concentrated individual attention over the past few weeks, she didn't flinch even once yesterday. I was quite pleased with that. I was quite pleased with our rehabs/projects/rescues yesterday - all were very good indeed! I've said before that I think there are at least three kinds of confidence that a horse can have - herd confidence, human confidence, and "stuff" confidence. When Angie arrived, she had plenty of "stuff confidence" - she's not at all what I'd call a spooky horse, which surprised me since I was told she was "very nervous." And, we've seen that she has tons of herd confidence - she immediately integrated into the herd, rising to a leadership/strong-peer position almost immediately, even though a few others are probably basically still ahead of her overall. What I saw lacking initially was her "human confidence" and yesterday, I saw that too has had a huge boost since she got here. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[IceHorses] Footing and companion animal questions
My husband and I are finally getting a place with enough land for me to keep Svort at home with me and I have two questions that maybe you can help me with The first is, what other animal besides a horse would you consider for a companion animal and why? And the second question is actually a bit more complex. I am planning to have a paddock/sacrifice area to keep her on when she shouldn't be in the pasture , because it is too wet, to lush, frozen and fragile, etc. Many people around here use blue stone, i.e.stone dust for that application but it becomes extremely hard and compacted if you don't groom it. That may be okay for the paddock, but I would also like to use this same area for long lining or other exercise. So I am looking for footing that would be safe for a horse to be on 24/7 during periods when she can't be in the field and that would also be good footing to exercise her in or to serve as a small ring. Any suggestions? Thanks, Jacki
Re: [IceHorses] Re: How we handle pasture
It's too wet to snow here. I just look at the pasture and wonder which direction the waves are breaking on. Rain since June on and off. Anyone getting a drought? Sue UK We had a serious drought last year, but we seem to be over the worst of it. The lakes and reservoirs are still on the low side, but the rain has been coming at good intervals and rates. We had "monsoon year" in 2003, the year I bought my first brood mares. The grass was so high that I was constantly worried (haven't had that problem since!). I think sweet little Saga was here for a month before we ever saw her coat and mane dry - thus she picked up the nickname we still call her, Miss Soggy. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [IceHorses] What Gait / Netuno
>>> I've been studying the slo-mo and it seems to be wavering between >>> stepping pace and saddle rack. I believe that's likely. I didn't take the time to freeze-frame, but just looking at the non-leg clues: the rider's seat is not leaving the saddle at all, and the horse looks extremely smooth to ride. But, you can see a slight side-to-side motion in the rider's upper body. Whatever you call it, that sort of lateral gait is a long way from hard pace, and can be a great gait to ride - that's one of those spots where I sure wouldn't quibble whether someone calls it step-pace or saddle rack. He holds it for long periods too - I saw him break gait a few times, but not many. >>> Considering that some horses can't turn like that, I think the horse did >>> a really good job at it with no logging on the reins or head by the >>> rider. Yes, but even so, abrupt turns like that are hard on a horse's joints. Even non-abrupt turns can be hard on his body, so it bothers me to see it ridden like that purposely. Looks like a very nice horse to me, at least from what I can see in the video. I watched this on my teeny-tiny laptop screen. The reins look slack, and I don't see any shanks on the bit. Is that a snaffle? Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [IceHorses] Re: What Gait / Netuno
> > Another Mangalarga Marchador: What lovely horses. Do you suppose they are all as nice as these two? Did you notice how hard the wind was blowing in the first segment?The horse doesn't seem to even notice all those blowing palm fronds. Nancy
Re: [IceHorses] What Gait / Netuno
I hated the way the guy kept making the horse turn so suddenly and sharply -- seemed kinda extreme and rude to the horse. That's sort of a stock horse "thing". This horse really does it pretty nicely and the rider is tactful with his rein handling. Some horses learn to do this with the very minimum of rein contact and act like they enjoy it. Maybe to them it's a little like pasture play. I had a 16 h hunter that could turn on the rail and also slide like a stock horse, using an English saddle and a snaffle bit. Nancy
[IceHorses] Re: What Gait / Netuno
> > Another Mangalarga Marchador: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2e0QKe6a4 > Beautiful horse. Lovely training. I don't thimk I want to ever plonk down in the saddle like that. Stepping pace. Sue UK
[IceHorses] blooms pyramid of learning
Hi judy, You wrote that 'exposing ourselves to new information is not the end of the journey.' I learned about blooms pyramid from an equine website but I can't find the link. It is very useful, or essential I would say. A lot of people make the mistake of believing anything a more experience person tells them without testing or evaluating. One of the drawbacks to being brought up to be obedient rather than an independant thinker. Also it eliminates the hard work. Even the best make mistakes and are still learning. The pyramid LEVEL WORDS Evaluation.Judge appraise evaluate compare Synthesis..design organise formulate propose Analysis...distinguish calculate test inspect Applicationuse demonstrate illustrate practice Comprehension..desribe explain discuss recognise Knowledge..define list name recall record New information goes in at the bottom and is processed to the top. I currently have a backlog at the bottom and very little at the top. It is a slow process. Sue UK
[IceHorses] Re: What Gait / Netuno
- > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD65pC8ZMEk > Now that I leaned to touch the pause button it's a little easier. Looks like saddle rack. Sue UK
[IceHorses] Re: How we handle pasture
It's too wet to snow here. I just look at the pasture and wonder which direction the waves are breaking on. Rain since June on and off. Anyone getting a drought? Sue UK >
