When An Easy Keeper Isn't

Every once and a while, I realize how much I take for granted when it comes to the care of Gem.  The things that LA does are transparent and just "happen".  Recently, she had her hay tested to see exactly what it contained (it's very good hay).  She has the hay tested regularly and then adjusts the feed to complement the hay.  She felt that she could do better when it came to the feed she was giving our horses and decided to try something different.  After deciding on a new supplier, she asked the feed rep to come in and give us a presentation on horse nutrition and answer any questions we might have about what our horses are eating.

Holy crap, horse nutrition can be complicated!  When I was looking for my forever horse, my wish list included "easy keeper".  In my mind, "easy keeper" translated into a horse that was not fussy on what he ate and didn't require any special additives.  When the Cheval Canadien was first developed in the late 1600's, they were used to clear lumber in the forests of Quebec.  They needed to be smaller than the usual draft breeds to be able to maneuver in the trees and bushes, but strong enough to pull out the lumber.  There weren't a lot of open fields on which to graze and in the winter they were turned loose to fend for themselves.  Quebec winters are harsh.  They survived by eating whatever they could find on the forest floor and tree bark.  Whatever they ate, they were able to efficiently extract every single bit of calories and nutrition and store it for long periods of time; they could survive on very little food.  Those that survived were used as breeding stock.  As the breed became more refined, the Little Iron Horse became a strong, muscular, sound horse and very "easy keeper".  Sounds pretty good, right?  Well, maybe not.....

These vintage photos are of "working horses" in Quebec.  Although not specified, in all likelihood the horses are Canadians.

  

Surviving in the wilds of Quebec is one thing.  However, when your "easy keeper" is part of today's normal animal husbandry routine, where food is plentiful and provided in nice round bales or square flakes, it can be a challenge.  Who knew?!  That trait of being able to store calories/fat for longer periods makes easy keepers prone to weight gain.  This is quite common in ponies and draft breeds.  And, weight gain can lead to other problems, like joint issues, metabolic disorders and laminitis.  Yikes!!

After the presentation, the rep volunteered to give horses a body condition rating.  Wow.  This was really interesting.  She used the Henneke body condition guidelines, which was developed back in the 1980's, in part so that there was a standard guideline for law enforcement agencies to judge horse cruelty cases.  

The horses that were examined were all Quarter Horses and one TB/QH cross, all bright-eyed, shiny and healthy (thank you, LA!).   As it turns out, the majority of the horses she looked at were around a 5-6 body score, which is good.  To be honest, I thought one of the horses would have been scored higher because her belly was big.  The rep explained that what we were looking at was a "hay belly", where fermentation has occurred.  This could be caused by poor quality hay (not the case), not enough protein in the feed or perhaps this horse's digestion had slowed a bit due to her age (21).  This will be rectified with the new feed and mixing yeast in her portion.  The TB cross mare was a 4-5.  She's a barrel racer and a bit high strung.  LA will work with the owner now that show season is over to beef her up a bit for winter. 

Then we came to Gem.  :-)  She took his breed and the amount of "work" he does into consideration when she examined him.  He scored "7".  He does not have a hay belly or fatty deposits....his weight is evenly distributed.   While scoring a 7 is not bad for his breed, there are two things that we decided to do to ensure that he would never get above 7.   There was a major change to his routine back in June;  Gem no longer has a turnout roommate to compete with when it comes to the bale of hay (DH is now out with the herd).  He has the luxury of being able to eat all day, without fuss.  Going forward, LA will be rotating him between his turnout area where the bale is and the large round pen, where his intake will be flakes of hay at specific times during the day.  He will continue to get his "taste" of feed when the others get their scoops.  In addition, he will be worked a little more during the week; either LA will lunge him once a week or I will try to make it out one more evening a week.  Gem was actually much bigger when we first partnered up, so there is hope.  :-) 

There is an extreme cowboy clinic that is happening next summer and I am very interested in participating.  To be honest, I don't think either Gem or I are any where near being in condition to participate in this all day event; I believe I am also a "7" on the Henneke body condition score.  :-)   You never know....if winter weather cooperates and I am able to keep up the routine, come Spring we could be in good enough shape to do the clinic.   I have signed us up for weekly lessons over the next month to get us back into a routine.  Giddy up!! 

Breaking up is hard to do....

Geez, could the last few weeks be any busier?!!  :-)  I aced my yearly audit and after next week's conference, my work life will return to normal.  Yipee!

Time for a Jean and Stu update.  When we last checked in with them, Stu had just finished his professional training.  Last fall, Jean committed to riding him 3 or 4 times a week.  Of course, I regularly indicated my availability so that she could ride with company, but it was rarely convenient for her.  When I suggested she change her routine, she was quite firm about keeping to the schedule she had mapped out for herself.  I sensed that she was pulling away from me and our usual riding buddies.  She declined just about every invitation.  No more hanging out, no more lessons, no more burgers and beers.   It made me sad because she and I had been together on this horse journey from the start.  I felt that I was no longer an important part of her riding experience.  Yep, I was being dumped.  :-)

Winter settled in, making it a bit more difficult to stick to the schedule Jean had set up for herself.  In addition, she found that she was not a cold weather rider.  :-)  The visits with Stu dropped to once or twice a week.  I would occasionally see her as I was leaving and she was arriving.   Most of her work with Stu continued to be lunging.  With the brutally cold temperatures, trail rides screeched to a halt and the number of people riding in the arena increased substantially, with weekends being the busiest.   LA had to change the arena rules after there was a complaint about Stu being lunged in one half of the arena, while 4 or 5 riders were relegated to ride in the other half.  The result was that no one was allowed to lunge if there were other riders in the arena.  

The end of January, Jean and I happened to coordinate meeting at the barn to ride one Sunday after she got back from two weeks vacation.  Stu was very fresh and skittish when she was riding him, even after a long-ish lunge session (she lunged before I got to the arena).   Jean admitted to me that in the 3 months since his training, she had yet to get him up to a trot.   To be honest, I was shocked, but as I watched her I could see that she was struggling and I could see that Stu was reacting to her struggle.

During our lunch that day, Jean said that she didn't feel connected to the barn and the riding crowd - she felt like an outsider.  She felt lonely.  She felt that the gods were against her because she could no longer lunge Stu.  She wasn't feeling the love.   She missed our time together.  :-)  Now, I could relate to how she felt; I felt the same way when I first started riding Gem.  But, as I pointed out, her inflexible schedule didn't leave much room for socializing and riding with others.   Lessons, which she chose not to participate in, create a bond with other riders socially and educationally.  With regards to lunging, I told her that perhaps it was time to stop doing it every time she saddled Stu up.  

As we sipped our second beer, she admitted that initially she didn't want anyone watching her ride Stu.  She was shy and she wanted to ride Stu her way without comments or people judging her.  I get that.  But she now recognizes that being alone with Stu most of the time might not have been the right approach.  When you are with others, you benefit from their energy and it pushes you do to things, to step out of your comfort zone.  Jean wasn't being pushed to do anything in the current scenario.  As much as she had a firm schedule to be at the barn, she did not have a firm routine on what was going to transpire once she was there.  As a result, Stu was not regularly ridden.  He was groomed a lot, he was lunged a lot, he was ridden some times. 

Since Jean partnered up with Stu, I have always encouraged her to take advantage of LA's expertise through lessons.  Initially, she didn't think lessons would be necessary as she thought her riding experience would be enough for Stu.  When she realized that her skills were not enough, she had a professional work with Stu.  Again, she thought that she could just pick up where the trainer left off.  Personally, there was no way I was going to invest the time and money to have Gem in boot camp and then not have lessons with the trainer (LA) afterwards - in fact, LA made me commit to a couple of lessons after boot camp.  I needed to know where the buttons were and be reminded on a regular basis so it stuck!  :-)   Sadly, Jean's decision to not have lessons from the trainer or LA after Stu completed his training has had a negative impact.  She has not been able to maintain or build on what the trainer accomplished with Stu (confidence, walk, trot, canter).   

Since our lunch in January Jean has adjusted her schedule so that we ride together on Sundays.  Yay!  And, she is back in lessons!  Yay!  We have had four lessons now and Jean and Stu are doing much better.  Stu has adjusted to not being lunged, he now stands quietly at the mounting block and has gone from a wiggly-almost-ready-to-bolt horse to trotting the whole arena (gosh, Stu has a beautiful trot!).   It's great to see her enthused, connected and with a smile on her face.  And, of course, we go out for burgers and beers after lesson.  :-)   She's baaaackkkkk.....  

Have a good week, everyone!

Moment of Truth...continued

 Part 1

Gem and I stood in the middle of the arena and watched Jean get ready.  She put on my Confidence Vest ,(I am lending it to her for now) took lots of deep breaths and led Stu over to the mounting block.  He stood quietly while she fiddled and fussed with the position of the mounting block.  I knew she was stalling.  She stood on the mounting block for a bit, finally put her leg in the stirrup and swung her leg over.  Stu just stood there.  Yay! 

Deep breaths....

Up and over!

Touch down!

Jean took a moment to breathe and then asked him to walk on.  Stu flinched just a smidge when  she squeezed her legs, but he walked off nicely.  The anxiety that Jean was feeling was obvious, but I give Stu credit for not freaking out because of it.  They walked for about 10 minutes and then called it a day.  Not bad for the first time going solo!

 Jean won't ride alone (that's a good thing!), so she has been coordinating with other boarders or her husband comes with her to watch.  Her and I have coordinated to meet a couple of times.  Her usual routine is to lunge Stu at a walk, moving up to fast trot and canter until she feels he's tired.  

Now, I can understand the philosophy of using lunging as a training aid or to get out some of the P & V in some horses.  :-)  I don't know much about lunging, but I wonder if Stu needs much lunging.  He doesn't not have P & V and he understands his verbal commands beautifully.  He's pretty docile, really.  Yes he is spooky under saddle, but he's new at it.  I suspect that because lunging is an area where Jean is in control, it gives her confidence, so she does it for as long as she can. The Trainer believes in lunging before every single ride to set the tone.  LA thinks that lunging should only be used as a training aid for green horses learning ground manners. Lunging seems to be a very personal thing. 

Jean has been on Stu a number of times now and each time I see her, she's a little more confident.  When she was on him last Sunday, she asked for a trot.  Stu did a little bolt and scurry, but eventually got into a funky trot.  Jean didn't keep it up for long.  Frankly, I think she sort of scared herself when she realized how BIG the trot was.  :-) 

Jean is obviously exhilarated and happy about riding her boy.  The comments from others at the barn have been positive and she is definitely on a high. It is so exciting seeing someone recognize their dream and I am pleased for her.   I have broached the topic of getting back into lessons.  She does not see lessons in her future any time soon.  She believes that now that Stu has completed 60 days and she can sit on him, lessons are not a requirement because it's just a matter of her working him.   I do disagree with her on this, but she has to figure this out for herself; no one will be able to tell her otherwise at this point.  Jean hopes to ride Stu four times a week; three evenings and Sunday afternoons.  I admire her commitment and watching her relationship grow with Stu will be fun and educational.   Maybe next summer we will be hitting the trails together!!

The Moment of Truth

I had my private lesson last Friday.  Even though there was a light rain, we had the lesson outside.  As we walked through the gate leading to the open fields, LA asked me which fields gave me the most anxiety when out for trail rides.  My response was the big open ones - too much space!  "OK, that's where we will have our lesson.", was her response.  Gulp.

To say that my heart wasn't pounding would be lying.  But, LA reassured me that Gem knew what he was doing and that I was going to have to learn how to trust him.  Deep breaths were my friend and I walked and trotted circles around LA, working up from small to quite large.  Her dog was running in and out of the brush and trees, which sometimes took Gem's attention away from me but LA reminded me how to get him to refocus.  I explained to LA that my ultimate goal was to be able to go out on the trails by myself.  It was at that point, while trotting a circle around LA, that Gem tripped over a mound of grass and went down to his knees and dusting the ground with his face.  The reins slid through my fingers, but I didn't loose them completely.  Gem righted himself.  Instead of focusing on the "almost fell" aspect, LA explained I didn't help Gem in any way.  I should have provided some tension on the reins as he started to tumble to help him keep his balance and help right him.  Now I know.

Then that moment came.  The one that these exercises had been leading up to.   I have to say it came sooner than I expected.  LA asked me walk Gem across the field to one of the openings to the old orchard.  Then I was to turn around and half way back I was to trot to LA.  What?!  Holy crap.  But I did it.  Then she asked me to walk to the tree in middle of the field and come back, trotting the last little bit.  And I did.  We ended the lesson there, with me exhilarated. 

                                                   *   *   *   *   *

Well, this past weekend marked the conclusion of Stu's 60 days of training.  Saying that Jean was excited is an understatement! 

Stu's Trainer is a petite well-muscled young lady who teaches jumping at LA's facility on occasion, but is also employed at one of the show hunter/jumper barns locally.  She is not shy of tall horses!  :-)  What she wasn't prepared for was Stu's width and eventually it took it's toll on her hips.  She had to take a week off of riding him to rest, which delayed the conclusion of the training. 

The goal of this training was to get Stu comfortable with rider on his back at a walk and trot and start working on canter if things went well.  The Trainer rode him 5 days a week, with the time of day of the session varying.  Sometimes he was ridden in the arena, sometimes outside in the front paddock..  Sometimes the sessions lasted 45 minutes, sometimes only 20 as a reward for good behaviour.  

Jean was invited to see how Stu was progressing after his first 30 days and she invited me to join her.  :-)    I think both Jean and I held our breath as The Trainer swung herself up on him.  He did have a nervous look about him.  There were a couple of other riders in the arena and The Trainer encouraged to them not to be shy and to treat her and Stu as any other rider in the arena.  It was apparent that Stu was not comfortable with the activity but he did his best.  His balance was off.  Learning to walk and trot while having a rider on you is hard!   After she worked with him at a walk, she moved up to a trot.  When she initially asked, he was very skittish.  But when he did get into a rhythm, he looked amazing!  His trot is so beautiful - legs high, back slightly rounded.   The Trainer sure knows how to sit in the saddle.  Stu's jumpiness, even though it's only a step or two, is big.  I don't think her butt left the saddle once.

Considering that a month previous, Jean was eating dirt because he was scared of her sitting on him, Jean was very pumped to see his progress.  The Trainer asked Jean if she could arrange for another experienced rider from the hunter barn to take Stu for a spin to provide her with feedback to determine if there was a particular area that she should focus on.  Jean agreed.  Then, a  couple of weeks ago, Jean called me very upset.  Apparently, The Trainer's friend had been unable to get to LA's place, so she asked a couple of the young ladies at the barn to ride Stu and provide feedback.  Both of these young ladies are in their late teens; one has only been riding a for year but rides almost every day and has become a competent rider, the other has been riding for years and competes in games and jumping.  Jean was devastated that two other barn mates got to ride Stu before her.  In addition, having two barn mates ride your horse opens up the door for negative comments or gossip. :-(  I admit that I was upset for her.  She decided to just let it go. 

The Trainer and Jean met up last weekend.  I happened to be practicing my neck reining (sigh) at the same time The Trainer and Stu were in the arena.  Gem pinned his ears a couple of times at the big brown horse as we jogged by and Stu had a "deer in the headlights" look about him when looking at Gem.  But, after our practice, we stood with The Trainer and Stu and everyone was fine. Even with the improvement in response times to cues, Stu is still skittish when asked for transitions and he is still apprehensive when working around other horses. He does not like to be asked to lope, but when he does lope it's quite graceful.  The Trainer told Jean that it could take some time and a lot of patience for Stu to build his confidence up and loose his skittishness.  Or, there is the possibility that he might not loose it at all and she will have to comes to terms with that.


This past Saturday, after The Trainer completed her last session with him, Jean rode Stu at walk, with The Trainer holding the bridle.  The Trainer went over where Stu's buttons were and the tension on the reins, etc. etc.  It was very exciting.  However, Sunday was the really BIG day for Jean because she was going to be doing it on her own.   She tacked Stu up and led him to the arena.  Jean's colour was high and I could tell that she was nervous but eager to get the adventure started. She lunged him for, what seemed like, forever....delaying the inevitable.  But, the time had come.

To be continued....

Big Ben

Calm, Forward, Straight (who by the way is having a contest so check it out!) did a post on the Olympics and it started me thinking about Ian Millar and Big Ben.  The links below are of a documentary that Spruce Meadows did on Big Ben. What a team they were.  Both elegant, both approachable and both enjoying their work.  Their mutual respect and dare I say, affection, for each other is evident.  I found it interesting that Big Ben could perform with the crowds yelling and clapping, and not bat an eye.  Yet, put a garbage bag in front of him and he would spook.  :-)  

I have visited the statue of Big Ben and Ian Millar in Perth, Ontario many times.  Emotions bubble to the top when you see it; admiration, awe and pride.  Here's some pics from my last visit.

 Each video is about 7 minutes long.  Enjoy!

Part One

 

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Hey, Dude.....and, Pa-toy-ing!

As I mentioned in my last post, DH's Mom and I went on a trail ride last Sunday morning.  We went out at 10:30 a.m. with the hope of beating the heat....no such luck.  Within 5 minutes, I had sweat dripping into my eyes.  Thank goodness for waterproof mascara!   For the next hour and a half, DH's Mom told me about her awesome dude ranch vacation.

The resort she went to is a family-run working ranch, which hosts 40 people each week.  The Ranch also offered other activities, including hiking, river rafting, fly fishing and mountain biking.  In addition to managing a resort and running cattle, the family runs a high-end reining training facility.  They know horses.  :-)  At the time DH's Mom registered with them, she had to fill out a questionnaire outlining her riding abilities.  

The facility was gorgeous, with small cabins around the main lodge, surrounded by the Canadian Rockies. The first evening was basically getting to know everyone.   Can you just imagine sitting out having a cocktail on this porch?  The next morning, her orientation included getting acquainted with her assigned horse and showing her skills to the wranglers to ensure that she was was matched with the right horse.  There were all levels of riders - some had never been near a horse before this!   After the skill levels were determined, groups were formed - beginners, some experience, experienced, etc.  Each group had, I believe, two wranglers  assigned to them.  A few of these wranglers were actually from Australia!  All of the horses wore special shoes, so that they could better grip the rocky terrain and avoid hoof damage.


DH's Mom was in the advanced group.  One of the wranglers assigned to her group of 4 is a vet student.   He is working towards being a large animal vet.  He grew up with horses. He told DH's Mom that he didn't "love" his horses.  His focus is on respect and ensuring that the horse understands what is required of him/her.  This is my understanding of what he was trying to get across:  "Love" was humanizing a horse and he believes that this is doing a disservice to the horse.  Horses don't "love" each other.  They respect and protect each other, but "love" is not something that is part of a herd environment.   When we start to apply our human emotions to a horse and expect it to be reciprocated, it's not a fair.  Horses are horses.  Guilty as charged!  I am not ashamed to admit that I love my horse to bits.  Absolutely, respect plays a big part in your relationship with your horse, but I also think showing affection makes us relaxed and in turn, makes the horse relaxed.   What do you think of the wrangler's comment??


He also said that horses that have a job to perform; whether it's jumping, dressage or trail riding.  It is our job to make sure they understand what is required and we shouldn't make excuses (humanizing) for them not performing their job.  They either do their job or they are made to do their job.  OK, I sort of get this.   Actually, DH's Mom follows this line of thinking and I have to say that DH has not suffered in the least with this approach.  He is solid and well adjusted.  I admit I have a hard time with the disciplining aspect of horse ownership and making Gem do what I ask.  I am inconsistent in this area.   In fact, DH's Mom and LA have told me on numerous times not to let Gem away with stuff and that I baby him. I don't know about you, but I make "human" excuses for Gem all the time when he gives me the business.  "He must be hot", "the flies must be bothering him", "he's tired"....  


DH's Mom rode every day for about 5 hours.  Each day was a different type of ride.  One day they rode along and in the river.  Another they rode up a mountain - the path was less than 3 feet wide in some parts!!  Yikes!!  One day they went through forests.  They would gallop through any terrain put in front of them.  DH's Mom said she had never ridden like that in her life (and she's as old as me!!).  She was pushed way beyond her comfort zone and had to completely trust the horse she was riding.  

Sometimes, lunch would be served out on the trail.  How cowboy is that?!  All the meals were homemade.  Cocktails were at 5:30 p.m., dinner was early evening and very relaxed - lots of talking and laughing.  Very civilized.  DH's Mom said she when she hit the pillow, she was asleep instantly!  She said it was the best sleep she had had in years.  :-)   

DH's Mom said that this vacation not only increased her confidence by pushing her riding comfort level, but this experience also pushed her in other areas.  She came to realize that it was time to make some personal changes.  You see, DH's Mom lost her husband 6 years ago to a brain tumour; he suffered for weeks.  This vacation highlighted that it was time to get out there, be an active participate in life and be with others.  She feels she is now ready to start dating......Giddy up!   :-)

                                                                      * * * * 


Gem and DH were relaxed and OK with just plodding along the trails while DH's Mom chattered away, telling me of her adventure.  As we started to head back,  I suggested that we trot across the small field we were in to the next field opening.  Off we went....Gem doing a lovely big trot.  We hadn't done this kind of activity in a while (back strain) and I was really into it, posting and thinking how amazing it felt.  Suddenly, I felt Gem power up and break into a uninvited lope.  In a flash, LA's comment you shouldn't post a trot when asking for a lope because you are off balance - you should always sit a trot before asking raced through my mind.  She was right...I came down, he came up and I bounced and lost my balance.  I tried to save myself but ended up in the dirt .  

It seems my butt hit first, then my left elbow and then the back of my head.  After I made sure I could wiggle my toes, DH's Mom helped me up.  As I was getting up I felt this excruciating pain shoot up my from my where my inner thigh meets my body.  I was having difficulty walking.  I explained to DH's Mom that it felt like a "pa-toy-ing!".  She immediately understood my description.... Pa-toy-ing = a pulled groin, probably a result of trying to right myself in the saddle.  I limped over to a rock, DH's Mom held Gem and I got back on him.  It hurt like crazy, but riding actually stretched it out a bit.  Getting down was another challenge, as was driving, as was getting out of my car.  I iced my crotch from the moment I got home.   Advil did an amazing job, as usual.  My Husband and I surveyed the damage the next morning:  obviously, I was stiff, I have a lovely black/purple bruise about the size of my hand on one cheek of my butt, numerous other bruises over my arms and legs and a particularly nice swollen one on my left elbow which I was delighted to show the guys at work.  :-)  I consider myself lucky that a) I didn't land on any pointy rocks, b) that I had a helmet on,  c) that my back was not re-injured, d) that my shoulder was not re-injured and e) I didn't actually get stepped on by Gem as I sort of fell in front of him.  So, all in all, not a bad fall.  :-)  

Stu Update!

Well, Stu has been at the barn for over two months now!  Can you believe it?  How time flies. 

Bringing him to LA's was a piece of cake.  We met the transporter (recommended by an acquaintance) at  Handsome Farmer's place. I went along to keep Jean from crashing her car in the excitement and seeing Handsome Farmer again was a bonus.  ;-)

Hey, Mom's here!

Where are we going??

The transport guy was terrific.  His trailer was big enough for Stu and very clean and maintained.  In fact, this guy owns Canadians, so he couldn’t be bad, right?  :-)  Stu loaded without issue.  Whew!  Now the ride home.  Jean thanked the handsome farmer and basically sprinted to the car.  I shook hands and thanked Handsome Farmer for…oh, I don’t know….being handsome, I guess.  ;-)

We arrived at the LA’s first.  Word had spread and a small crowd had started to gather in anticipation.  They weren’t disappointed.  Stu unloaded like it was nothing and although you could tell he was a bit nervous, he was well behaved.  Everyone was oooh-ing and ahhhhh-ing. 

Watch the ice!

 Jean walked him up and down the lane a few times.  It was icy, so she took him into the arena.  There were quite a few riders in there and he handled it well.

First time in an arena!

Hello, there....

 Stu was a little skittish, but was well behaved.  LA and Jean took him to the round pen and let him run around a bit to stretch his legs.  It was decided to put him out with the herd later that afternoon.  As he calmly started to walk towards the the hay pile, all the horses looked over at him and started to trot over.  It ended up where everyone was trotting behind Stu!  Hilarious!  It was wonderful to watch 20-odd horses following the larger horse.  One horse did challenge Stu but it seemed to sort itself out as we watched.  LA headed back to the arena and Jean and I watched the herd dynamic for a bit longer.  Stu eventually started trotting through the bush out of sight, so we made our way back to the arena. 

Handsome Farmer warned Jean that Stu was hard to catch out in the field and that was what Jean decided was her first priority.    In fairness to Stu, yes, he was hard to catch as an individual, but only because he was used to being brought in with his driving team as a group, sort of follow the leader.   Jean was out there pretty much every day, in freezing weather, sometimes for hours trying to catch Stu, while other horses swarmed her.  Occasionally, I would join her, either gently steering Stu in her direction or keeping the other horses from interrupting.  It was really hit and miss.  Jean went through bags and bags of carrots.  :-)

Over the first few weeks, Stu got more used to Jean and would stand next to her or follow her around like a puppy.  Hooking up the lead was still hit and miss.  When she was able to hook him up, she brought him into my barn and put him in the cross-ties (new to Stu) and groomed him.  Or, if the arena was empty, she would take him in there and walk him around on the lead.  The breakthrough came when LA moved all of the horses into the small field behind the barn (Gem's usual turnout) to allow the grass to grown in the pastures. By that time, the hierarchy had been decided (Stu's upper/middle),  he had a girlfriend (Lucy) and he was eating and putting on weight.  Life was good.  In his content state, he began to relax more and more.  Jean didn't have to walk over miles of acreage to find him.   Eventually, one day when Jean entered the field, he walked over to her and let her hook up the lead rope.  Yay!!!    I commend Jean for her patience.  BTW, putting Gem out with the herd a couple of times a week was delayed until the herd goes back out.

It is funny to see Gem next to Stu.  Height-wise, Stu doesn't seem that much taller to me than Gem.  However, he probably outweighs Gem by about 200 lbs now.  Stu's head must be twice the size of Gem's!  In fact, Gem looks like a chiseled dainty Arabian-type horse next to Stu!  Gem is not completely sold on this new guy.  In fact, he has tried to take a nip out of Stu when Jean walked Stu by Gem's stall!  Stu didn't even bat an eye at Gem's rudeness. 

To expose him to barn life, Jean brought him out to the front paddock the other day.  Three young ladies were riding in there while others watched.  If Stu could have climbed into Jean's lap he would have!  It wasn't that he was dancing or spooking, but every time a rider would come near, he would sort of try to put his head down on Jean's chest or under her arm, just like a dog.   It took a sec for Jean to figure it out, but she believes his nervousness was because he's just not used to seeing people ON horses!  LOL!   He will definitely be getting more exposure to that!  :-)

Stu's progress has been great.    Look what he has accomplished over the last couple of months:

• Coming to Jean to be hooked up to the lead.
• Standing in cross-ties.
• Standing for periods of time to be groomed.
• Allowing his feet to be cleaned regularly.
• Had his feet trimmed without the use of stocks (our farrier rocks!)
• Had his teeth floated (Apparently they were done when he was younger, but Handsome Farmer had never had them done while Stu lived with him.)
• Free-lunging in the round pen.
• Spending time in the arena, even when snow was sliding down the sides.

Next up:  Now that he's comfortable with the lead, Jean will start working him on a lunge line.  She is going to have LA show her how to lunge properly.

Stu has such a lovely demeanor about him and everyone loves him.  Jean and I have been together on this horse journey and I am very pleased for her.  Despite the negative nellies at the barn, I think that Stu came into Jean's life for a reason.  Jean was searching for something and I think Stu might just be her answer.

Have a great weekend!

When Dreams Come True

Weekend before last, my riding buddy Jean and I went on a road trip. We had an appointment to meet a guy named Stu. Although we had not met him, we had heard that Stu was a nice guy and we were looking forward to meeting him and talking horses. After an hour and a half, we found the long lane way to the farm we were looking for. We were greeted by two large dogs, announcing our arrival. A tall (very handsome) man emerged from the barn and carefully maneuvered over the icy open area to where we were parked. After we introduced ourselves, The Farmer told us we would find Stu in the barn with his daughter.

I chatted with The Farmer (did I mention he was handsome?) as we walked up to the barn, asking about his milking operation and his hobby of driving. He currently drives double and four hitches and competes in the regional fairs, if he can get someone to babysit his cows over the weekend. Which brings us to the reason we came in the first place. Meet Stu....

Isn't he handsome? Jean heard about Stu through a friend. He is trained to drive single, double and in a four-hitch. The only issue....he's too short! The Farmer bought him as a 3 year old, hoping he would finish at closer to 18hh. But, at 6 years of age, he pretty well finished at just 16.3hh and at 1400 lbs (we measure him), he's too small to drive in pairs or teams with The Farmer's other horses. As a comparison, Gem is around 16.0-16.1hh and weighs in at 1300 lbs. Although Jean did not have plans to buy a horse until the Fall, Stu was pretty much exactly what she was looking for; he is the right age, the right size, a gelding, has a gentle demeanor, he is an easy keeper, has never had any health issues, is outside 24/7, has good feet and reasonably priced.

It's not all roses though. The Farmer was honest with us and said that Stu had not been worked with for a year, was living the life of a prince out with the other horses, is in the upper section of the 10-horse herd hierarchy and was sometimes hard to catch in the field. Oh, and he's never had a rider on his back.

Stu let us touch him all over (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and we picked up his feet and held them up without issue. We couldn't trot him outside because of the ice. However, The Farmer's 13-year old daughter walked him up and down the aisle of the barn. He never pulled on the lead rope and was quite content following her. The Farmer did say that because he knew that Jean was looking to have a riding horse, he put his daughter up on Stu prior to our arrival to see what he would do! He said he wouldn't have done it if he wasn't confident that Stu wouldn't turn into a lunatic. He did it again for us. Stu sort of had a look of "hmmm...that feels different....", but he didn't twitch or freak out.

A date was agreed on for the vet check, a handshake sealed the deal and Jean and I said our good-byes to Stu, The Farmer and his daughter. We waited until we were driving down the lane way before we started whooping and hollering.

Jean excitedly told LA about Stu after our lesson last Tuesday. Instead of being excited for Jean, LA's response was guarded. She's concerned for Jean's safety. She thinks Jean is in for a lot of hurt and frustration. But what was hurtful was she doesn't quite get why Jean would want a Clyde in the first place. "You can't do anything with a Clyde." It was a bit of a letdown for Jean and when the two of us went for Burgers and Beers afterwards, I had to give her a little pep talk. However, LA's negativity and big horse prejudice has made Jean even more determined to prove her wrong. :-)

The vet check was done this past Wednesday and other than the vet wanting him to be a little heavier, he passed with flying colours. Unfortunately, because of icy conditions Stu couldn't be lunged in a circle, but the vet's examination did not lead him to believe there would be problems. All his vaccinations and a Coggins Test were done. His teeth will be floated in the spring.

Getting a Clyde or any horse that is +16.0hh brings on other challenges. Normal trailers can't handle a large horse comfortably. Most farriers won't work on drafts without the use of stocks. Getting a saddle may be a challenge. But you can always find a solution and it's amazing how horsey friends come together and help. I offered my English saddle to Jean just to get him used to having something on his back while she's working with him. A trailer was found and booked. Boarding arrangements, at the regular outside board rate (yipee!) with LA have been finalized. Stu will have his feet done before he's transferred to give Jean time to find local farrier that will work without stocks.

I am going to be Jean's ground person for the first while, and definitely when she's ready to start sitting on him. Her goal is to be riding him by the summer, eventually working towards taking him out in the small field to get him used to larger spaces with a rider on his back. I am excited for Jean - her dream has come true. I am looking forward to helping her; I think I will learn a lot. Stu will be here in 2 weeks....I can hardly wait!!! :-)

Erin and Tonk

A friend sent this to me and I thought you might enjoy it, too. I have embedded the link to the interview below. How beautiful is Tonk??!!! :-)

The Equine-Human Bond: More Than Meets the Eye

A Tale of Courage, Inter-Species Communication & the Human-Animal Bond Published on October 14, 2011 by Lee Charles Kelley in My Puppy, My Self

"The phenomenon of thought-transference ... is so close to telepathy and can indeed without much violence be regarded as the same thing." —Sigmund Freud 1932.
David Letterman had an interesting guest on his show the other night, a horsewoman with a great story of courage: not only her courage, but her horse's as well. Her name is Erin Bolster. She's a guide at Swan Outfitters, operating near Flathead National Forest in Montana.

On July 30th of this year, Bolster—who's been riding since she was 4—was leading 8 horses and riders on a trail into the Montana wilderness. The riders included a family of 6, along with a California dad who'd brought his 8-year old son to Montana for his first riding experience.

They hadn't gotten far when Erin's mount Tonk—who's described as a possible Percheron mix, and was s rental horse, not owned by Erin or the outfitting company—stopped in his tracks. Erin knew instantly that Tonk sensed danger nearby.

Then she heard the sound of branches breaking and underbush crashing, followed by the sight of a young male deer, running for his life, directly toward the riding party. Because of a hard winter, the bears in the area had been more active than usual. So Erin wasn't surprised to see a huge grizzly coming after the deer. The young buck ran straight to the group, grazed Tonk's shoulder with his horns, frightening Tonk, then he veered away.

Seven of the horses—including the California dad's mount—turned and galloped back in the direction of the barn. The deer, perhaps feeling that there's "safety in numbers," followed suit. But Scout, the horse carrying the man's son, stepped back at a 90 degree angle to the trail.

The bear immediately switched from chasing the deer to going after Scout. Bolster said that Tonk wanted to follow the main group back to the barn. But she dug in her heels, forcing Tonk, through her strength of will, into a spot between Scout, the boy, and the charging bear.

The boy—who'd never ridden a horse before—was having difficulty staying on Scout. Bolster knew that if she was going to save the boy's life, she had to convince Tonk to stand his ground. Somehow, miraculously, she did just that. She got Tonk to square off and face the bear. Tonk wanted to turn and run but Bolster held firm. Then, once Tonk was facing the bear, Bolster was able to do something even more amazing. She got Tonk to charge at the bear!

The grizzly was no fool. He knew the easiest way to his next meal was to circle around the bigger horse and go after the smaller horse and boy. Bolster wasn't going to let that happen either. She wheeled Tonk around to charge at the bear again. "Nothing in my body was going to let that little boy get hurt by that bear," she told a reporter for Spokane Washington's Spokesman Review. "That wasn't an option."

After three attempts, and three instances of Bolster and her horse charging the bear, he turned tail and ran back into the brush. The boy and both horses were in shock. But they were all alive and well.

The studio audience cheered at various points of the story during Erin Bolster's appearance on Letterman. I did a little cheering myself, as I watched from my spot on the couch. Even Dave felt his eyes getting a little misty when he thought about what an amazing horse Tonk was, and what an amazingly courageous and level-headed woman Erin Bolster is.

Since I normally write about dogs, you might be wondering why I've chosen to tell this tale. It has to do with the bond that develops between humans and animals, and how that bond deepens our ability to communicate in a way that doesn't involve language, training, or conditioning. As Erin Bolster said, "No amount of training could keep a horse from running away from a 750-pound bear charging at him."

So what was it that kept Tonk on track, willing to face that bear?

First of all, it was Bolster's courage; it had to be. Secondly, it was Tonk's trust in her. And finally, it probably involved a form of communication that can't be explained empirically, through the lens of Western science, which brings us back to what Freud suspected about telepathy.

"One is led to a suspicion that this is the original, archaic method of communication between individuals and that in the course of phylogenetic evolution it has been replaced by the better method of giving information with the help of signals which are picked up by the sense organs. But the older method might have persisted in the background and still be able to put itself into effect under certain conditions." [Freud, "Dreams and Occultism," in J. Stracey (Ed.) The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. London: Hogarth, 1964, 53, 54.]

The relationship between a horse and a good rider develops over time. The human and animal move together with a certain rhythm, sort of like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Many dog owners experience this same phenomenon with their dogs. I know I have.

Psychologist William Roll writes, "The human self is not restricted to the body studied by physiology and behavioral psychology. The experienced self is a larger self, a ‘long body,' to use a Native American metaphor, that includes significant other people, places, and objects."

On her blog, Zen poet Genine Lentine discusses this idea of the "long body." "When you pick up the phone just as your friend is calling, that’s The Long Body. Or when you are five and dream your grandmother has died and your mother delivers this news to you the next morning."

Telepathy is a daily occurence, one that we're mostly unaware of. The problem with university studies is that they're looking for mental telepathy when it doesn't exist. The word telepathy comes from the Greek for "distant feeling," which suggests that it's a body state, not a mental one.

So in order to study the telepathic connection between dog and owner, or horse and rider, we need to focus our attention on synchronous firing of neurons in the limbic systems of both species, or perhaps the millions of neurons located in the solar plexus, often referred to as "the second brain." Or, since dogs communicate via pictures, the visual cortex. [1]

Horses communicate via pictures too. And I would venture to say that this may have been the primary reason Tonk was able to do what Erin Bolster wanted, despite his terror. She probably had a clear vision in her mind of the two of them successfully scaring the grizzly off. As long as she held that image, Tonk was willing to do whatever she asked.

This process works both ways; animals send us pictures as well. A dachshund named Noodles often stays with me. He's a picky eater; I'll sometimes put his food down, he'll come over, sniff it, then go take a nap. So I was a bit surprised the other day—while working at my computer (as Noodles napped under a blanket on my couch)—that I had a sudden image of Noodles happily eating his dinner.
I turned around to find Noodles not napping at all, but staring at me.

"You want your dinner now?" I asked.

He jumped down, then followed me happily to the kitchen where I put down his provender and he scarfed it up.

Movies, TV shows like Lassie, and even some scientists, tell us that dogs communicate with yips, barks, whines, etc., that are analogous to human language. I don't think that's true at all. Yes, dogs may resort to such measures, but I think they only do that when their owners ignore the telepathic signals they're already sending.

By the way, since her ordeal, Erin Bolster bought Tonk from the stable that was renting him out each summer to Swan Outfitters. Tonk is her horse now, and probably will be forever.

Big Redux

Jean contacted the Clyde breeder soon after we met them at the fair.  After a few email exchanges, Saturday was the day to go and meet the whole family.  :-)  I met Jean and her mother early Saturday morning.  It was the first cold day of the season and the sun was absent, but the weather did not dampen our mood....we were excited.

The purpose of the visit was to see the horses in their natural living environment and meet some of the yearlings, the three mares that are carrying foals and the stallions.  The idea of buying a baby is becoming more appealing to Jean.  She would know her horse from the beginning and can work with the breeder in training the horse for riding (they have a couple of Clydes that they ride).   However, if the perfect adult Clyde became available and the timing was right she would consider it. 

The Mr. and Mrs. met us as we pulled into the lane, along with their son and daughter.  What a lovely family!  So pleasant and welcoming.  We walked down the lane a bit and met the mares.  Initially, they were grazing but when Mrs. called them, they walked over to the gate.  Jean went through the gate and waited for them to come to her.   They were very courteous....curious, but courteous.

Hello, nice to meet you.

Oh, you brought a hostess gift!  Yummy!

What struck me about these big ladies is that you could see gentle wisdom behind their eyes.There was one mare that took a shine to Jean.  Sure, treats were involved initially at the meet and greet, but after the treats were gone, she just followed Jean around like a puppy dog. 

The turnout areas were large and clear of scrub weeds and rocks.  Lots of space to kick up large heels.  :-)   The trees around the parameter of the field provide shelter.  The horses are left out 24/7 unless there is freezing rain.    Then they are brought into the barn.

Now it was time to meet Stallion 1.  He has been part of the family for 8 years, purchased as a yearling. I have to say that I had a preconceived idea of a stallion; unpredictable, wild, untouchable, fire-breathing, relegated to a small paddock out of sight.  So, when Mr. and Mrs. invited us into Stallion 1's field, we were surprised.  In fact, I was a bit nervous.  However,  I wasn't so nervous that I didn't turn my video on.  :-)  Check it out.....

Stallion 1 was galloping right for me, but I didn't move.   My heart was thumping a bit, I admit.  :-)  Jean and her mom got a bit of a fright when he veered.

Mr. and Mrs. handle their horses a lot.  Having them socialized is important not only from a resale perspective, but from a showing perspective.  You can't have a spooky 2,000 lbs horse in the show ring.  So while Stallion 1 was eating his treat, Mr. stood behind him and untangled his tail which was full of burrs. 

Next we went into the barn to see the babies.  The stalls were twice the size of normal stalls.  We were allowed into each of the stalls and encouraged to rub and touch the youngsters, which were around 7 months old.  There was only one almost nipping incident, but other than that they were better behaved than a lot of the horses at my barn.  :-)

Does this tail make my butt look big?

Mr. showed us the saddle he uses when he rides Clydes.  I forgot to take a picture of it.  It's a Western saddle with two stirrups on the left side.  One is the regular fender/stirrup combo and the other, placed behind it, almost looks English with a very long leather strap and metal stirrup attached.  Because of the potential torque on the horse's back when you use the long stirrup, someone has to be on the right side of the horse pushing down on the stirrup to make sure the saddle doesn't move when you mount.  Once you are up, you hook the long stirrup to the back of the saddle so it's out of the way. 

Stallion 2's stall was in amongst the babies.  Stallion 2 has shoes on for showing, so he is in a stall for the time being or in a small paddock.   I was actually scratching Stallion 2's chin and ears for a while before Mr. mentioned that he was a stallion.  Again, another preconceived idea about stallions being untouchable blown out of the water.  Stallion 2 was a big schnook!  Every time I stopped rubbing, he would lean into the bars.  I asked Jean's mom to take my place so I could get a pic.

Schnook alert!

I realized that I was not at all nervous around these horses.  Perhaps it was because I am (finally!) used to Gem's size and even though these horses out-weigh him by +400 lbs and are 6-8 inches taller, it didn't seem that big a deal to me.   The Mr. and Mrs. love their horses and it's evident; the horses are calm and friendly.  Being around these gentle giants was almost soothing and like time was standing still.  But, time wasn't standing still and after a couple of hours of visiting, it was time to go.  We were invited back any time.   On the drive home, Jean said that she was happy with what she saw and believes that she has found her Clyde connection.   I am glad that she has found her connection and that her dream is within reach.  I am glad that I was able to sample the Clyde magic....geez, I hope Jean invites me to go with her for another visit soon!