[IceHorses] Re: Fat pony
> > Should I cut back on hay or pasture? > V > Hay. :o) If you have pasture, you may as well let them eat it. Hay is expensive. -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Totally OT - Vista Excel??
> > How do I do this? I can't find the SAVE AS. Grrr. I want my XP back!! Did you find it yet? It is the menu in the upper left corner. I don't have Office 2007 here at work, but if I remember correctly then menu with "save as" looks like the windows icon. As said before, for anyone else to open the document it needs to be saved as the previous version (.xls). I think the file extension for Excel 2007 is .xlsx. If you are still having trouble, let me know and I will take a screen shot for you of my home system. -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Hello from GA!
It is so nice here compared to Michigan right now. I am on a business trip...design review . I wish I could bring my horses and ride...we won't have this weather for a couple of months yet. What are the best months to ride in the southeast U.S? -Kristen from MI (enjoying the warm weather until tomorrow!)
[IceHorses] The difference between my horses...
Spending time with my equine friends is so relaxing. The other day, the weather was decent for a MI winter so I decided to go for a ride. I attached my reins to the halter and led horse #1, Deacon, to a snow bank to hop on bareback. The snow was kind of soft (warm temps) so I had to try several snow bank before I found one to hold me up. Deacon was kind of bored by this time so although he knew I wanted to get on he sidestepped away from the snow bank. When I finally leaped onto his back he was a perfect gentleman. We had a nice ride around the yard. I put Deacon away and brought out horse #2, Midnight, my half-Arabian mare. I hopped up on the snowbank. Midnight followed right behind and was determined to get up on the snowbank with me. She quickly figured out what I wanted and stood quietly next to the snowbank. Did I mention this is the first time I have ever rode her bareback? I got on and rode a little way and then got off because she was excited and I didn't feel like making an involunary dismount. -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Avoiding Weekend Warrior syndrome - Goal for 2008
> > Thanks for the details on your conditioning schedule, Kristen, and also for > the sidenote about what your goals are. My plan for 2008 is to condition my Half-Arabian mare for a ride at the end of May. This is the closest ride to me in distance and t seems like a waste not to try to prepare for it. I will start conditioning when I return from a business trip next week. The rain we had over the weekend turned everything to ice so if I have to I will start walking Midnight down the road by hand. My favorite dressage instructor is having clinics at the end of March and April and there is a novice ride in WI the first weekend of May for competitive trail. I have not tried competitive trail so it would be a good experience for both of us. I really intended to use Midnight for the second ride last year, but she was injured/recovering for most of the summer. Poor Deacon...he is the guinea pig for all of my riding endeavors because he is so sensible. We have done dressage, barrel racing, camping, trail riding, and endurance riding. -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Avoiding Weekend Warrior syndrome - My conditioning for 2007
> > so are you saying for instance you did 3 miles a day four days a week > for week 1? and vice versa? > Janice The mileage listed is the total miles I did per each week, so for week one I rode 3 miles total. I probably went for two short rides that week - the first week of April weather probably was bad. The other thing I should mention is although Deacon is willing to participate in endurance riding, he will never be a top ten horse. We would have to canter a good bit of the 25 miles for him to be competitive. I don't think he would enjoy a fast 25 nor do I think he would enjoy going 50 miles. -Kristen in upper MI
[IceHorses] Re: Avoiding Weekend Warrior syndrome - My conditioning for 2007
> > I know there are books out there on the topic of conditioning for distance > rides, but I hoped a few of you (Raven, Susan...) would share their > schedules and experiences. Last year was my first year participating in limited distance endurance. I started conditioning in April for my first ride, which was the third weekend in June. I didn't ride all winter (Nov-Mar), but did a lot of trail riding in the summer of 2006. I work full time M-F, approx 8am-5pm. I kept track of the miles I rode weekly. I did short rides during the week after work (~5 miles total) and longer rides on the weekends (~10 miles total). I probably rode 4-5 days a week depending on the weather. Spring in MI is notoriously unpredictable. I am lucky to have several 5-8 mile trails close by to choose from. When I ride with friends we do a mix of all gaits. I didn't really know how fast I needed to go (for completion) until the week before the ride when I met with several experienced riders. The trail at Hopkins Creek, my first LD ride, was mostly flat and sandy. I can't speak for all Michigan trails, but I think they are all relatively flat with rolling hills if any. My second ride at Pine Marten Run in September had more hills. This is what my conditioning looked like: Week 1: 3 miles Week 2: 7 miles Week 3: 10 miles Week 4: 8 miles Week 5: 12 miles Week 6: 15 miles Week 7: 15 miles Week 8: 16 miles Week 9: 18 miles Week 10: 20 miles including first camping trip and 12 mile technical ride in the National Forest (mostly walking, lots of downed trees) Week 11:25 miles including 16 mile ride at almost competition pace with experienced endurance riders Week 12: Competition! We finished last BTW. I planned to ride conservatively and we finished in 4 1/2 hours, which included a 30 minute vet check and hold. Our official recorded time for the ride was 3:58. -Kristen and Deacon in upper MI
[IceHorses] Re: Anyone else shut in with a blizzard today?
I am working in the basement of this office building - no windows-I hope there isn't a blizzard. My MIL works for Grand Valley and emailed to say it was getting bad enought to wish for cancelled afternoon classes. Your kidlets will love to play in the snow tomorrow! -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Endurance riding and Icelandics (was american gaited horse)
> When one sees "LD endurance" mentioned, does that refer to Limited Distance Yes, LD means Limited Distance which is an event 30 miles or less (I think). Endurance is technically 50 miles or more. > Also, Nancy, of those folks you mentioned who you know ride strongly gaited > horses in endurance, what gait do they primarily use on the trail?Or I think there are a few people competing on fox trotters not sure of gait distribution. There are many good endurance rides in lower MI, Renee, if you want to try one. How far away are you from Cadillac? I am considering coming down at the end of June for the Hopkin's Creek ride, which is about an hour from there. -Kristen in northern MI
[IceHorses] Re: Tent Exercise-- now Camping
> > This is a good test. I practiced using a highline before my first Are there other things you might suggest that > Blessi and I get used to before we go camping? Nancy has already > mentioned the snoring. I haven't been able to rest much when I go camping. The horses are loud - chewing, snoring, etc. and I am a light sleeper anyway. However, I also am sleeping in a tent. Others I camp with have a bed in their trailers and I think they sleep better. One thing I do to reduce anxiety is have the door of the tent positioned so I can look out and see the horses if I wake up to a strange noise. I listen for rhythymic munching of hay and go back to sleep. My friends set up a portable corral and put lanterns up on t-posts so there is a little bit of light to see the horses at night. Other than the standard camping items, I discovered I needed a different pair of shoes for the morning than my riding shoes because the dew in MI is plentiful on cool summer mornings. Baby wipes are great for quick handwashing. Five gallon buckets with lids work okay for transporting horse water to a campsite, but are kind of heavy for me. Try to camp with someone who has horse camping experience the first time you go. I called someone I didn't know well but who I knew did a lot of horse camping. Now I have made some great friends. Have fun! -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Clicker Training Question
> > I keep forgetting to answer that, but you're right, she is. I wouldn't love > her less if she never talked, but it would certainly be fun if she did. > My friend has an African Grey who doesn't really talk. He barks and maybe waves hello/goodbye. However, he is the nicest large parrot I have ever met. Anyone could touch him without fear of being chomped. My aunt has an African Grey, Sam, who talks a lot but is a one person bird. She says "Let me out!" ha ha Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Clicker Training Question
> > Okay Robyn, you got my attention. You mean I can use my clicker to get the > kids to clean up their rooms?Do tell!!! : )(I am thinking Fruit > Loops would make for excellent children treats . . .) > I have recently had good luck with "Sticker training" with my three year old foster child. She was, shall I say, reluctant to do basic tasks like getting dressed. I think it was more attention seeking than anything, negative attention is better than no attention.:o( Anyway, we started a sticker chart so when she does something when I ask the first time she gets to put a sticker on her chart. Immediate positive reward. I then give "jackpots" if she gets all five stickers in one day (i.e. extra book to read at bedtime). I don't know if it would work for room cleaning though... -Kristen in upper MI
[IceHorses] Re: Tent Exercise--Advice Requested
> Last year, the Evergreen Gaited Horse Show had a diabolical trail > obstacle course with wooden cow cutouts, fake barn, etc. The most > testing challenge was a little yellow tent located right as the horse This is a good test. I practiced using a highline before my first camping trip with Deacon, but I did not even think about the tent. I set him up on the highline with some hay and then set up the tent. He got one glimpse of the tent and pulled so hard on the highline I thought he was going to break his halter. My camping buddies had an extra corral so he spent the night there instead (far away from the tent). He is pretty much desensitized now after a summer of camping. Benches along a walking trail, however, still pose a problem. :o) -Kristen and Deacon in upper MI
[IceHorses] Re: Fw: Lukka
> > WHO wants a horse that tolts like that? And for use in > endurance? > Deacon would not tolt during the many practice miles and two LD endurance events we participated in. We trotted the whole way much to my dismay at times (sore abs), but I was happy he was in a confortable gait for him. There was another Icelandic at the last ride and he did gait the whole time, but it was definitely not a tolt. I never was close enough to examine what gait he was doing. We were clipping along at a steady trot at a ride and a rider passed us on a tall Anglo-Arab gelding. He didn't look like he was exerting any effort at all at a steady trot. His long legs outdistanced us in no time. -Kristen and Deacon in Upper MI
[IceHorses] Re: OT--Fwd: Diary of a Demented Snow Shoveller
> if you live in snow country, your sides will be splitting from laughing > Some parts of the upper peninsula of Michigan are living out the diary this week. We only get residual lake effect snow where I live so it usually isn't as bad. Except for Tuesday night when I was driving in the blizzard:O) -Kristen in upper MI
[IceHorses] Interesting bit, how does it work?
Here is a link to a fun auction, a fundraiser for a local horse rescue. Item 6 is a Peruvian Paso bit. I have never seen a bit like it before. The owner of the site insists that a Peruvian Paso must have a bit like this to know what headset to use to gait properly. I have discussed this with him before and I didn't change his mind about bits. What do you think of this one (auction item 6)? http://www.equineadoption.com/funauction.htm -Kristen in MI P.S. Is it Lorraine who likes pink? There is a nice set of pink rhythm beads on the auction if anyone is shopping.
[IceHorses] Re: How do I measure saddle width?
> BTW, the standard units are centimeters, not millimeters...
Thanks...it was a typo...
>
> Another (better?) option might be to beg or borrow a Wintec gauge and
> describe that the tree is "similar" in width to {whichever} Wintec
gullet.
I have a wintec gauge, but I am sure the saddle is wider than the gauge
measures.
I was hoping there was a simple answer, like measuring from the tree
points or something. Maybe I will contact the manufacturer. Or, I can
measure in inches and take a picture with the ruler in front of the
saddle gullet.
-Kristen
[IceHorses] OT - Cesar's Way
My husband brought home the book Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan. Do you not have leash laws in California? In the first chapter he says he goes jogging every day on a public trail with 35 loose German Shepherds, Pitbulls, and Rotweillers - yikes! I understand the alpha dog mentality, but I don't think that anyone can predict what a dog (or a horse) will do 100% of the time. The rest of the book seems like common sense advice... -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] How do I measure saddle width?
I am selling a saddle and it is relatively wide compared to the other English saddle I have. However, I purchased it used with the horse so I never got the details regarding width. Where do I measure on the saddle to get the width in mm? -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Dagur really embarrased me today
If he > thinks you are crazy, tell hubby to take Dagur out > alone by his self. > If you ever want your husband to ride with you again, I recommend you don't follow this advice. :o) My husband has not been riding since an unfortunate incident when he went out alone (I had a migraine) and Deacon dumped him and ran back to the farm. -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Sweatshirts
> > Meanwhile I had dinner with a friend tonight and she told me that tai > chi might help me get circulation back in my hands. I think I might > sign up for some lessons. Can't do anything else while it stays this > cold...might as well do something. I'm with you Wanda and we haven't reached our coldest months here in northern Michigan. Instead of horse riding I do yoga in the winter. I discovered last year by accident if I let my bare hands get into the snow (i.e. wet and cold) and then get them dry and warm in my choppers mits, my hands stay warmer then if I just started with mittens. It must bring the blood to the surface or something. -Kristen in upper MI (it is actually 20 degrees Fahrenheit today...not bad)
[IceHorses] Re: Dog food grading
I don't think it matters what you feed so long as the animals are healthy. Unfortunately, one of my dogs is sensitive to something in cheap dog food... -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Bombproof
> The horses are cute. In a lot of the photos the sellers are standing > on the horses, or are laying under them, etc., to show they are > bombproof. I'm not sure if this really proves anything about the temperment of the horses, but it does make me question the intelligence of the trainers. >I notice that they have long metal pieces coming down off > the bit -- are those called shanks? Yes. -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: An idea
We already have the ideal device, > portable and adjustable and always in place whereever Steph is. Now the > trick is to teach Tosca that it is not a scarey device. This sounds like a great plan. I was a non-believer in clicker training (didn't have much luck) until I had to give my mare antibiotics twice a day orally. It took two five minute sessions (and applesauce) to go from rearing to compliance. It was a lot easier for me to grasp clicker training with a specific emergency task instead of general training goals. Tosca sounds like a sensible mare, I am sure she will take it all in stride. -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Silence was golden
> Fence posts can be put in the ground at that time of year, can't they? Better, of course, to install fence post before the ground freezes! Definitely a risk here in upper MI! :o) The steel t-posts are fairly easy to pound into the ground depending on the soil and are much more durable than plastic or fiberglass step-in posts. Some tractors have post-hole digging attachments if you prefer to create something with wood posts. How exciting for you - I hope the offer goes through. I am still destined to board my horses for a while longer. Someday we will have a farm too. -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: What Gait / Gatillo Video
> > What gait: It looks like diagonal pairs...so foxtrot? I have to study the Easy Gaited Horses book more... Gatillo means "Trigger" in Spanish. My girlfriend has a mare with the same name though she is not a palomino. -Kristen in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Saddle up! This pony's a smooth ride
> > no what she is saying is that icelandics are smooth but other breeds > are not. that was my understanding. I think tho a gaited horse that Thanks Janice - I guess I read it wrong this morning. I have never felt like I was bouncing back and forth in a diagonal gait..it always feels more vertical to me. Deacon prefers to trot and I have to post to be comfortable. However, my Arabian mare has a trot I could sit all day. -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Saddle up! This pony's a smooth ride
> That bouncing back and forth makes it feel like your entrails are being > rearranged, for the amateur rider. > Having one's entrails rearranged is a graphic description. The horses must have a hard pace instead of a tolt! Who would want an Icelandic with this description? Yikes... -Kristen in upper MI
[IceHorses] What is in your first aid kit?
My mare is injured...She is an Arabian so maybe OT. The herd was galloping around like wild horses on Sunday when we were getting ready to catch them for a trail ride. My mare was fine and then all of a sudden was on three legs. I caught her right away and cold hosed her left front pastern and gave her some bute. There was bleeding from what I thought was a scrape (turned out to be a medium-deep cut) so I doctored the wound with wonder dust and ointment. The vet couldn't come until Wednesday, and when she arrived said that we should have wrapped it (sprained pastern) and the cut was looking a little infected. Midnight is now wrapped and taking powdered antibiotics. I have been thinking about the contents of my first aid kit because the one thing I was missing was a wide cotton wrap. The vet gove me the rest of a roll of gamgee, but recommended baby diapers. Thermometer Stethoscope Clean cotton rags in a ziplock Baby wipes soaked in betadine Clean baby wipes Vaseline Fura ointment Triple antibiotic ointment Vet wrap Gauze squares Scissors Empty syringes SWAT Wonder Dust What is in your first aid kit? -Kristen in Northern Michigan
[IceHorses] Re: Weight-Carrying Ability
> Have we heard a trainer, breeder, or seller of Icelandic Horses claim that > the horses can carry a 300 lb man all day? > Here is a quote from a riding tour advertisement: "The height of Icelandic Horses is 13 - 14.2 hands. These small but strong horses can easily carry a rider up to 250 lbs."
[IceHorses] Re: Sensation saddle
> but are there many that have tried it and for some reason didn't like it > or it didn't fit (rider or horse)? Hi, Although the Sensation saddle probably fit my horse, it caused pain for my inner-hip sockets that lasted for more than 24 hours after a 20 minute ride. I did like many features of the saddle, however. -Kristen in Michigan
[IceHorses] Re: My first 25 mile LD endurance ride
--- In IceHorses@yahoogroups.com, Raven <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > great photo! hey...do they not require tree savers in your area? ~:9] > There weren't any requirements at the camp for picket lines. We did have a nylon strap on one side. My husband, the mechanical engineer, rigged up my highline with nylon non-ratcheting tie downs (i.e. tree savers) and a ratcheting tie down to tighten the line as needed. We were camped in the rough. The actual equestrian campsite were huge and beautiful with fire rings and picnic tables. The campground was very full by the time we arrived, but the dnr makes allowances for a group ride like this. -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: My first 25 mile LD endurance ride
> > ah...you can sponge during LD? you can't for CTR in my region. is he > still furry? huginn still is and i'm thinking i need to reclip him Yes you can put water on the horse any time during Limited Distance. The ride management transported buckets of water out to a dry spot on the trail so the endurance horses could have a drink or be sponged. We could have ridden CTR, but I wasn't sure if we would make the time. It turns out that we were riding perfect CTR speed. In CTR you can only use natural water on the trail to sponge your horse or allow a drink. They are also allowed to drink water at vet checks, but no sponging until after completion and the final vet check. Deacon is almost in his summer coat. He has a bit of long hair on his flanks and his rump. -Kristen
[IceHorses] A bit story
At the endurance ride, we were parked next to some pleasure riders at the camp with their Rocky Mountain horses. All of the horses were gorgeous and also seemed very calm and comfortable in the camp. One couple had brought a young gelding and requested help from another more knowledgable friend to put the bridle on him because he was resisting the bit. It was a weird leverage bit. If I was the horse I wouldn't want it in my mouth either. From the outside it looked like a d-ring snaffle, but it had a port. It may have been something like a kimberwick. I will have to search my catalog for a picture. Anyway, I asked them why they didn't try a regular english snaffle or french link (or a milder bit period) and they insisted it was just a snaffle and was a standard walking horse bit. Ugh...the poor gelding was so nice and didn't need all that leverage to begin with. Here is another situation where people have gaited horses and think they need special equipment -Kristen
[IceHorses] My first 25 mile LD endurance ride
Deacon and I completed our first endurance ride on June 23, 2007 at the Hopkins Creek ride near Manton, MI. We finished 25 miles in 4 ½ hours, including the hold time. Deacon stayed in camp this time. We used a highline instead of a pen, but He probably would have been fine either way. He could see other horses from where he was picketed and seemed content. My new friend Kathy and her Arabian gelding Jubilee graciously offered to ride with us so we wouldn't be alone on our first ride. I admit to shameless begging to convince her to do the 25 LD instead of competitive trail. We started on the orange and yellow loop at 7:00 am slightly behind the rest of the competitors. We walked for ten minutes and then picked up a 6.25 mph trot to carry us through the rest of the ride. The temperature was 58 degrees Fahrenheit and the bugs (fortunately) were still sleeping. We jogged down sand roads and part of the Michigan shore-to-shore trails. The shore-to-shore equestrian trails are designated in traditional blue with a white hoof print on the trail marker. Deacon trucked along and flagged a little when we reached areas of deep sand. In no time at all we had reached the creek. Deacon enthusiastically slurped water before we crossed back into camp for our first vet check. Deacon was already at a pulse of 64 so I loosened his girth and waited for Kathy and Jubilee to finish with the vet. Deacon got a B for gut sounds and skin tenting, but A's on everything else. We headed to our bucket and box and I took off his bridle so he could have a snack. However, his hay bag did not look as tasty as my granola bar. I had a bite and gave him the rest. I took out a peanut butter sandwich and he gazed at it longingly. I took a bite and gave it to him. He would have consumed my Crystal Light, but couldn't figure out how to drink from the water bottle. So much for lunch! We started on the pink loop at 9:57 am. The deer flies and horseflies were awake and the trail was more open (i.e. hot) too. We met up with two fifty mile riders for a mile where the loops overlapped. They were on the orange and yellow loop for the second time and were traveling at a pace considerably faster than 6.25 mph. I asked Deacon to tolt for a short while because he was trying to pace with the faster horses and his trot was too fast to post. Water had been placed at the midway point and Deacon sipped gratefully from our bucket. I had been posting for 3 ½ hours by this point and was starting to feel tired. I had to grit my teeth and keep going. I was thankful for Kathy and Jubilee because it would have been difficult for me to motivate myself to keep up the pace. We cantered for a half mile on a wide gravel road to let the horses stretch out. I tried to switch diagonals frequently throughout the ride, but Deacon kept bouncing me back to his "good" side. We hit the two mile marker (two miles to finish) and decided to trot one more mile before walking in to the final vet check. I dismounted for the final ¼ mile and walked Deacon into camp. His pulse was already down to 60, but he was breathing harder than usual because he was hot. I slid his tack off and sponged him a little before presenting him to the vet for our completion. A volunteer pulse- taker was concerned about his breathing because a pony had gotten the "thumps" at another ride, but the vet wasn't concerned and just said his heart was in good shape and Icelandics have more surface area to cool than Arabians. He cooled down right away and I took him (and myself) back to our campsite for a snack and a nap. We are looking forward to our next ride close to home in September in the Keweenaw Peninsula. -Kristen and Deacon in MI
[IceHorses] Re: Tried the Sensation finally
> not sure what to tell you about pelvis hip sockets, as i think mine are > on the flexible side (my pony is shaped like a potato anyway), and none My leg problem could just be the width of my pony - ha ha. We have a western saddle (Big Horn Haflinger) that fits us both, but I prefer to ride English. His Icelandic saddle fits him now that he has lost weight, but the seat is way too big for me. The Sensation is the most comfortable saddle on my behind that I have tried -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Scary weekend
> > please think about using a HiTie or picket line/high line next time > you camp. there is NO 100% safe way to contain horses when camping. > but...IMHO portable electric corrals are the most UNsafe. > Yes, absolutely I will either use a highline or the trailer to confine him this weekend at our first endurance ride. I would consider the pen again with two or three hot wires, but only in a situation with more horses present in camp. > > were you the only one in the campground? > We were the only ones at the campground,but he had been fine by himself for several hours. I am sure that he got zapped on his way out and that expediated his escape. There is apparently a bad side to havng a well-conditioned horse! -Kristen
[IceHorses] Tried the Sensation finally
So, amid all of my other excitement this week I finally received the Sensation dressage demo that I inquired about two months ago. The pros: Confortable to sit on I felt secure Stirrups have give, comfortable for knees Light weight Very secure on the horse The cons: Not crazy about the western trail stirrups provided, but I could have swapped out with my own english stirrups. Felt like my pelvis hip sockets was being stretched too far. The stretchy girth was weird. I didn't notice an amazing difference in his gaits, but he seemed to like the saddle well enough. I am not yet converted - my inner hips are sore from the experience. So many saddles to try, so little time. -Kristen
[IceHorses] Scary weekend
I almost lost my gelding this weekend. Deacon escaped from our campsite at dusk, crossed a highway, and made it more than 5 miles before he stopped in a yard and some teenagers caught him. We were camping alone in the national forest and I had made plans to meet up with some locals from the area (approx 2 hours away from my home) for an endurance training ride. Deacon was reaching under his electric pen for grass and must have got zapped. He shot forward at a gallop heading towards the highway. In a panic, I called the two people I knew and they called some people. One woman found his tracks and probably would have caught up with him eventually, but the teenagers called their aunt who had horses and someone had called her about Deacon. She came to find me and I followed her to the house. I picked him up at midnight. I am thankful for all of the strangers who came out to search in the dark. I didn't even know where to start looking. For safety and so we could sleep, I removed the divider and locked him in the trailer for the rest of the night. Deacon and I would not like to repeat that experience! -Kristen in Michigan
[IceHorses] How do you define "good feet"?
I just read an ad on dreamhorse.com for an Icelandic mare that had good feet that did not need shoes and only required trimming every 4-6 months. Is the terrain so rough out west that feet wear down on their own? My gelding has strong hooves that don't chip or crack. He doesn't need shoes in Michigan on the soft trails here. However, I could probably have him trimmed every six weeks even when we are riding a lot. -Kristen in Michigan
[IceHorses] First camping trip
Deacon and I went camping for the first time on Friday night. Our first endurance ride is in three weeks and we need to practice camping. All of my regular riding companions were busy, but I managed to hook up with some experienced horse-campers who kindly invited me to join them in the Nicolet National Forest (northern Wisconsin). I managed to set up my highline with a little help from my new friends. I have a few bugs to work out, but the system my husband (mechanical engineer) devised with ratcheting tie-downs mostly worked. I am getting to be a pro at tying knots! My biggest problem was attaching the horse to the highline. I used a prussic knot on the highline as a horse-positioner and then I tied his cotton lead rope in a quick-release knot to the prussic knot. Unfortunately, Deacon freaked out once or twice (the yellow tent was very scary) and pulled the quick-release knot so tight I could not untie it dangerous! Deacon did eventually calm down and stood quietly eating hay while I visited at the campfire with the group. They were all very concerned about Deacon and as they had an extra electric corral, they invited him to spend the night at their trailer so we could all sleep peacefully. I am going to practice more with the highline and also invest in a portable corral system so that I have more options. A funny thing happened on Saturday morning. We planned to ride around 10am, and although I woke up early (tents are bright, birds are loud) I stayed in my tent and read a book until 8am. I started to get ready and found it odd that everyone was still sleeping because we had planned to eat breakfast together and stuff. Eventually, the others started to stir and someone asked what time it was and I realized that my watch was still set for Eastern time because I had volunteered at an endurance ride across the time zone line last week. So, I really got up at 7am CDT! Ha ha let's just say I woke up very very early We had a wonderful ride in the national forest and the Whisker Lake Wilderness area on Saturday with a QH, Appaloosa, and a QH-Belgian cross. The trails were beautiful, but rough lots of trees to step over. We rode past a waterfall and through a creek. We stopped for lunch at Whisker Lake, and I discovered that Deacon loves fig newtons. The QH is gaited! Deacon was in front for a while on a brief section of road. The other three horses were slow walkers, but on the rough trail it didn't matter. To keep up with Deacon's normally fast walk, the QH swung into a nice gait. It had lateral pick-up, but it wasn't like the tolt. The diagonal pairs seemed to swing together so I was wondering about fox trot. I hope to ride with them again so I can snap a picture for you. On the packing list for my next camping trip are rubber boots for the morning (My feet and legs were soaked in dew) and clothes to change into after the ride. -Kristen and Deacon (upper Michigan).
[IceHorses] Re: Cues for Nickering
> get him to say no. I would like a distinct cue for nicker, but can't > think of one. Anyone have any ideas? Have you tried a hand signal? You could start a conversation and then pause...give hand signal...like the horse is interrupting you to correct some information. SOunds like fun!
[IceHorses] Re: Florida and Bugs
> don't go anywhere in fla if they dont have chickens or you could have > one of these in your bed! They can get up to 1- 1.5 inches long! I took a shower with one like this in Tennessee. It asked me to pass the soap! -Kristen P.S. We have creepy crawly wood ticks here in upper michigan. Ick!
[IceHorses] Re: Time to Clip
> My boys were clipped today. I clipped Deacon's neck and chest last night by myself. He was terrified of the clipper at first, but I had a pocket full of grain and we practiced our clicker training, "touch." He looks like he is wearing a bib. I wanted to take more off, but the temps are still in the 30's (Fahrenheit) over night and I can't blanket easily. Midnight, my Arab, is an old pro with the clipper. I show it to her once and then turn it on. I only clipped her bridle path last night. While not practical for body clipping, I have Wahl Iron Horse clippers and they did not heat up even with being on for 20-30 minutes. I was impressed. -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Taking an Icelandics pulse?
> > I've been conditioning for endurance as well, and I > can not feel my horse's pulse either. The solution: > Heart Rate Moniter! Thanks Susan. This answers my next question - if I can't find the pulse, can the heart rate monitor? Which brand do you have? -Kristen
[IceHorses] Taking an Icelandics pulse?
Theoretically I know how to take a horse's pulse, but I cannot feel Deacon's pulse at any of the recommended locations. His jaw is too hairy for me to feel a pulse with a finger and his mouth sounds are too loud for me to hear a pulse with the stethoscope. I have also listened behind his elbow before and after a ride and I could only hear his respirations. I am conditioning for an endurance ride this year and I would like to start recording his recovery rates. Maybe I am listening in the wrong place. Does anyone have any suggestions? -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Sensation Chameleon packages: all black, pink/black, blue/black
> running around with their mouths open, so I hope no one will know if I have > a colored-coordinated mouthpiece in my bits. :) > But they would look so pretty hanging in the tack room. :o)
[IceHorses] Re: Sensation Chameleon packages: all black, pink/black, blue/black
>Since it's Easter weekend, I guess I could even go for the Easter-egg look and mix the pink and blue options! (I think that would be a bit much, even for ME!) > Karen, Have you seen the Happy Mouth bits in new pastel colors? You could get a pink bit and a blue bit to match...hee hee -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Brutal Trainer
> > I can't believe people are still hiring him. > I think that sometimes people misakenly assume that a trainer knows more even if the training looks abusive. There is a prestigious dressage trainer/rider in the midwest that an acquaintance, "J", hired based on credentials. The woman "trained" J's stallion to the point of lameness. At that point J was able to escape - she was actually afraid of the trainer. Scary, isn't it? -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Dreadlocks
Is there anything I > could use to help? I don't want anything that will bother his eyes. > V I don't know if it would irritate his eyes, but Cowboy Magic brand detangler works great. It is pricey. However, a little goes a long way. My gelding's mane and tail are coarse and have never tangled. I wondered if it was a breed characteristic, but I guess not -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Haflinger Breed Info - now price of Icelandics/travel
> that Anneliese (then Christine and Robyn) didn't tell me that I needed > "special" training or tack. > Karen, Did you go to B.C. before you purchased your horses? Kentucky is closer, of course. Just curious... -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Haflinger Breed Info - now price of Icelandics
> > just out of curiosity, what saddles did they use or suggest? fjords > look pretty hard to fit, saddlewise, to my untrained eye... > The two geldings had western saddles and I rode the mare in a English wintec saddle. The two geldings, Ole and Oscar, are not as broad as Deacon. The Fjords have longer backs than Icelandics. Of course, I have paid more attention to saddle fit now that I have my own horses so they might not have the perfect saddle.
[IceHorses] Re: Haflinger Breed Info - now price of Icelandics
--- In IceHorses@yahoogroups.com, "Karen Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I think Judy's original question was why have the numbers of some of the > other breeds introduced to the USA about the same time as Icelandic's grown > much more than the numbers of Icelandic's. > Before I acquired my gelding, a friend bought a yearling gelding. She was advised to send him to OK to an Icelandic trainer when he was mature. When I was shopping seriously for an Icelandic, many of the other customers were novice adult riders (new potential horse owners) and the horses available were mostly imports. We, on the list, all know how awesome Icelandics are, but I think that the low numbers of Icelandics in North America is a direct result of what we have discussed on the list many times. Adults in the U.S. don't generally ride ponies. The training that the imported horses received in Iceland is not generally the same kind of training that novice riders receive in the U.S.. Gaited horses are neat, but there are many other gaited breeds to choose from that are less expensive and are trained for a North American pleasure rider. If someone is interesting in showing, there aren't many opportunities to show Icelandics and/or gaited horses. And, if someone is interested in pleasure riding there aren't many Icelandics available in North America to choose from. Catch 22... I have met a few Fjords and have ridden 3 on a semi-regular basis before I had my own horses. All are nice, solid animals with mostly mellow temperments. Their respective owners never said anything about sending them to a Norwegian trainer or worried about finding a Norwegian saddle. At the Midwest Horse Fair, the Haflinger demo was geared toward showing the "all around" horse. People were riding western and english and some horses were in harness. In general, the Fjords and Haflingers I have seen are a little larger than the Icelandics that I have met...14+hh vs. 13hh..i.e. almost horse size vs. pony size. Both breeds are also on showbills as draft ponies at the county fairs here in upper michigan. Plus, people can show them in local light horse open shows as well. The price of Icelandics might be high, but I think it is the cost of everything else that turns off a potential customer (travel to and from the far away barn, shipping the horse, specialized training, specialized tack, etc.). Why spend the extra money when you can get a TWH (or a Fjord or Haflinger) locally. -Kristen
[IceHorses] High line setup - question for Raven
I am collecting supplies to camp with my horses this summer and I have been examining Raven's photos for ideas. I understand how to put up the high line, but what do you use to connect the horse to the high line? Thanks! -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Thresholds
> > Thinking back to when Orri started bolting--I'm wondering if maybe > that was his 'coping mechanism' when he was at a threshold. > I searched through the messages to find Orri's first incident of bolting. Was it the time with the tractor in the arena? To me that incident seemed like a shy and not a lack of understanding on Orri's part. In any case, it sounds like you are able to get him under control again in a short time. My friend has an Andalusian gelding with an extremely strong flight response. Her solution was to just relax and let him go until he stopped on his own (if she could do it safely) and if she could for see a potential freak-out (i.e. plastic bag blowing across the trail) she prepared herself and him by slowing down or stopping and letting him have a look. Eventually he got to the point where his flight response required shorter and shorter distances. Part of training is exploring thresholds. You may never know what triggers the bolting, but you can visualize what you will do during a bolt- relax, keep breathing, make a circle if you can do it safely, half-halts, etc. - when you are back in control, return to your exercise, but change direction and see if he understands better on his other side. > And--maybe it's not a threshold thing about the training, but a > threshold thing about putting up with my blundering around like the > novice I am. In attempting to do your owning training, you are doing a great job. We all make mistakes and we learn and move on. -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Alois Podhajsky on the young horse...
> > that is a great quote! did he write it in english, or is this translated? > I think that it was originally written in German (~1965), I am reading the translated version (~1967). -Kristen
[IceHorses] Alois Podhajsky on the young horse...
Alois Podhajsky on The young horse in the first phase of training... "The first object of training is to make the horse familiar with his new and unaccustomed work. If this work begins under the rider he should not forget the youthfulness and inexperience of his horse and show leniency to his faults, overlooking playful bucking which is an expression of youthful gaiety to which the horse is entitled. On no account should the horse be punished, but the rider must make every effort not to be thrown off." I am reading the Complete Training of Horse and Rider In the Principles of Classical Horsemanship. I found this passage amusing and wanted to share. I think it is the language that made me laugh. I will look for a real quote to discuss as I progress. The book interesting so far. -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Invitation to view Raven's album - 2007
> I was bored this afternoon, stuck in the house. Tons of snow outside.
>:{ So, I put together a few photos from last year's riding
season. If you're also bored, take a peek. HA! Raven & the Crew
Raven - Thanks for sharing your awesome photos. We are snowed in up
here too. I hope that we can meet for an LD this year.
-Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: TWICE!
> > two days in a row my husband turned water off I had left running and > the pipes busted Our water froze on Wednesday and we had to hire a guy with a portable welder. He came on Friday and thawed the pipe between the road and our house. No busted pipes though (not that we know of yet). It was like camping, but with drains. So far so good... -Kristen (In northern MI where spring is still two months away)
[IceHorses] Re: Western Saddle Picture
> > One question for you - does the girth get too close to his elbows? I haven't had a problem with the girth. This one is "roper" style, I think, wider in the middle. I just ordered a new breed cinch from country supply. You can't see in the picture, but there is a rear ring that I can use for "y" rigging. I obviously didn't have it Y-rigged that day. I have a friend that is really into barrel racing and she wanted me to go with her to the shows. The rules say that you have to use a western or stock so I bought one. However, I was never comfortable in a western saddle until I bought this one - it fits my behind! The saddle that I normally use on him is Icelandic. It fits him, but I hate the knee rolls . -Kristen
[IceHorses] Re: Megas Going Western
> > What kind of saddle do you have on her? I am looking for a westrn > saddle for Lukka for when hubby wants to ride. I doubt very much if he > would get in an english type saddle. > I have a Big Horn Haflinger western saddle that seems to fit my gelding, Deacon. I bought it from a friend locally who had purchased it originally for her wide QH mare. Turned out to be too wide for her. I don't have a picture on this computer, but will try to send it when I get home. -Kristen
