Horse in the Snow

My husband was able to come to the barn today to see his "boy". JC has been on vacation since the middle of October and gets to spend his mornings running outside. I never get to see him do it as, by the time I get to the barn, he is inside. Today, we got to the barn and JC was still outside--as beautiful as ever. We went outside and called him. He came running. The first thing Brian said was, "where is the camera?" Well, it was at home. What a wonderful picture watching this beautiful liver chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail playing in the white snow and then standing perfectly still like a statue.

It amazes me that we take these gorgeous animals who the trainers work so hard to make into show horses and give them their time to be just horses again, and they are more beautiful than when they are showing. The tail and mane flowing and them running free as they were meant to be. I missed the perfect moment which I don't know that I'll ever get again. Then I wonder what will happen when his vacation is over and it is time to get ready for show season next year. What if he doesn't want to do that again? What if he just wants to run and play and be a horse? more

Thanks to the trainers and grooms

It is the time of the year where we need to remember and thank all of the people who help our horses look and be the best they can. For some of us, it is our trainers who spend countless hours and a lot of patience to help our horses become the best they can. Not to mention the hours they spend on us as riders and probably more patience to make us the best we can be. It is no wonder we have so many trainers who are either grey or bald. These trainers also care for our horses when they are sick by giving them their medicine or staying up all night worrying about them. Our trainers also get the wonderful job of teaching young babies how to be show horses. They get dragged around the ring, thrown and tossed out of carts on occasion. We won't even mention the demand that customers put on their trainers to make the next Imperator or Sky Watch. read more

New York's Best Retires

One of our babies, who is obviously no longer a baby, was retired at the age of 14 after her last class at the Mane Event charity horse show. New York's Best a/k/a Jet retired after a great career and will join Lady Skybuck in the broodmare ranks.

Jet was out of our first mare Best Loved and by New York Times. My mother had always wanted a black horse. Best Loved was by Status Symbol so we knew she had a chance of producing a black baby. My sister and I bred lady (Best Loved) as a present to my mother. After much research, we went to the stallion that we figured would produce a black horse. Hence, Jet was born. more

Wow, time does fly

It was one year ago that we were watching JC drive. That's all he did for months was drive. There was never any thought of showing him. He was a lanky 2 year old who could barely lift his legs and was really good at tripping over them. In February, I finally said it would be interesting to see him under saddle once again.

Terri Anne (my trainer) said fine and rode him. Jimmy (who had been training him) said there would be no more thought of him showing in harness as he was much prettier under saddle. Showing??? Huh??? a three year old under saddle. This would be a first. We talked about it and decided we would aim for the middle of show season. Then April came, and I was told he was going to show in May and then go to Midwest etc.. He did better than I ever could have hoped. Thank you--Jimmy and Terri Anne.

Well now it is November and show season is behind us. more

Christmas Shopping

We are getting close to the holiday season. Check out our companion store All Things Horsey for all your stocking stuffers and gift needs. Almost all the merchants are having sales right now. We have gifts and items for everybody and every room in your house. Remember, each merchant does carry non-horsey items also. The carousel at the top of each shop are from Amazon. If you buy from Amazon, and click through the carousel, whatever you order will be credited back to me.

Most of these merchants are offering free shipping right now. The merchandise is updated regularly. If there is something in a shop which is unavailable, please notify me so I can replace it. If there is something you would like to see, I would be happy to try and locate it for you.

Happy Shopping!

When Do I Need a Professional Horse Trainer?

Each day I read questions from people asking what to do about their horse's behavior, training or general care. These are from people who have limited experience with horses, but want to train these horses themselves. It is really not as simple as these questions make it out to be. You must consider your knowledge of horses and the horse you own when deciding whether or not to hire a professional.

I have been raising horses for 25 years now and riding and showing them for over 35 years and I don't feel that I have the qualifications to be a horse trainer. A person who trains horses is a professional like anyone else. Usually, they even have a card that says professional on it. They have spent years apprenticing under various other trainers to master their skill and usually begin by working as a groom in a barn to become comfortable with horses. Each horse is different and the care and training of each horse is different. One horse may be on the lazier side and may need more leg or a smoother bit. Another horse may be gamier or more nervous and you wouldn't want to drop a leg on him or put a smooth bit on him. Some horses are quirky about one side or the other and there may be no clear explanation for this. It takes years for people to master the ability to read horses and train horses the way an individual horse needs to be trained. Not all horses are trained in an identical manner. Read Complete Article

To Sell or Not to Sell

It is murphy's law that a good horse will always sell themselves. It doesn't take much to sell these horses. However, this is not necessarily the horse you want to sell. This is it--the best baby you have produced. Isn't that why many of us breed--to produce something better than we can afford to buy and have the thrill of showing that baby?

There are 4 babies at home which are for sale at very reasonable prices. For some reason, the lowest priced horse is the hardest horse to sell. People expect a $20,000 horse for a $1,000 price. Why is this when there are people who are paying 6 figures for other horses? It seems as though there is no middle ground when trying to sell a horse. continue

Considerations of Breeding Part VI

What Breed is It?

After having the now 3 year old in training for over a year, you take a look at it and ask yourself, "What breed is it?" This happens many times. A baby doesn't meet our expectations of what we wanted or is not talented enough to compete. What do you do now? We've all read about these breeders who just leave the horses to starve or abandon them. That is not an option. No matter what the baby turns out to be, it is still your responsibility as the breeder to take care of it or find a home for it. There are others who choose to sell these horses at horse auctions. The problem with these auctions is you really don't know where your baby will end up. There are other choices. continue

Decisions, Decisions

As you've all followed my blogs, you know that JC (Buck Almighty) has had a good show season for a 3 year old. He is qualified for the 3 year old finals in Kansas City the week before Thanksgiving. Now, the decisions...do we take him? There is huge prize money, but no guarantee he will win. Do we show him at the Wisconsin Futurity Horse Show in 3 weeks or wait until the Mane Event horse show in October? If we wait until the Mane Event show, it gives him more time to get stronger and it is closer in time span to Kansas City. We are leaning towards that because we think we can make a more rational decision when there is only 4 weeks separating the two shows as opposed to 8 weeks. The other thought in going to Mane Event over the Wisconsin Futurity is the fact that I will have the cast off and be able to walk again. This is a positive for Mane Event.
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It Must Have Been that Horse!

I recently broke my leg. That is not humorous, but the reaction I have gotten from people is. The first thing people have said to me is, "Oh my you fell off your horse," or "Oh my you got hurt by a horse." They immediately blame the horse. No, I did it putting my pants on. Horses have a reputation as being dangerous. I am not saying that there aren't horses who may not have the perfect temperament and that accidents on horses don't happen, but that quick reaction of it must have been the horses just cracked me up. read more

Considerations of Breeding Part V

Early Training

As the baby grows and develops into a yearling, they start to get much bigger. You have decisions to make at this point. First of all, you have to decide whether or not you are going to train the baby yourself in which case you are going to make sure you have all the equipment necessary for starting the training process. You will need a lead chain, lunge line and eventually the equipment to long line the colt. These are the beginning steps in training. You also have to make sure you have the riding apparel you will need such as jodphurs, boots, working gloves, and chaps. It would be beneficial to make sure you have a bull pen or a small area to start training in as babies will tend to pull you around a bit. read more

Considerations of Breeding Part IV

Other Considerations

When the foal reaches about 6 months old, the baby is going to have to be weaned from it's mother. Do you have enough room? How are you going to separate them? They will yell for each other. It is easier if you have had the mare and foal out with another mare and foal. This way you can turn the babies out with each other and the mares out together in a separate field. You are going to have to learn to ignore the noise. If it bothers you,get some ear plugs. read more

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All Things Horsey

Considerations of Breeding Part III

The Baby


The filly pictured is 2 months old. She is Shilo. She is now changing colors. She began as a bright chestnut and is now turning liver like her mother. The only reason I was able to see her is because she ended up with Pneumonia and had to be shipped to the veterinary clinic. This clinic happens to be 2 miles from the barn that my horse's are at. As discussed in an earlier blog, the babies are kept at another farm. Another thing to think about when deciding whether or not to breed is what if the baby gets sick? Shilo has had to spend almost a month at the clinic. By the time she got there, she was so sick they didn't know if she was going to make it.

When you are a breeder, there are things you have no control over. Read More

Considerations of Becoming a Horse Breeder- Part II

Foaling Time

Well, we've made it to about a month prior to the mare foaling. Now, how early or late she foals depends on her previous history. If she is a maiden mare, you won't know and will find out soon. You need to decide where you are going to have the mare foal. If you choose to have her foal on the farm, it is now time to get a foal alert. This is just like a human baby monitor. You put one part in the stall and the listening device by you so you can hear if anything is going on. You could also just get up every hour and check on the mare. You could decide, especially with a maiden mare, to have her foal at the equine hospital where you know there is someone there 24/7. There are the added costs of keeping the mare at the clinic. We tend to send ours about 2 weeks prior to foaling. A good indication of when she needs to be sent is either prior history or when the mare starts to bag up. If the mare has been pasture boarded only, this would be the time to start bringing her in at night.
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Considerations of Becoming a Horse Breeder

Part 1 Pre Baby

We have been breeding American Saddlebreds for 23 years. We first started because a mare we had got hurt, and she had such good bloodlines that our then trainer told us to breed her. When I think back over all the babies we have had, I realize how much has gone into this business. First off, we do not own a farm. We have always had to pay someone to keep the mares and the babies. When deciding whether or not to breed a mare, the first factor to consider is cost. These costs begin way before the baby is born.

The initial cost, of course, begins with the stud fee. Stud fees can be anywhere from $250 up to $10,000 or higher. It is a myth that just because you breed to the most expensive stud, you are going to end up with a fabulous baby. This is not the case. Finding the right stallion requires extensive research on not only the bloodlines of your mare, but how that line will cross with the many stallions that are out there. You also need to research the bloodlines of the various stallions which may involve a trip to look at some of his get to see what he produces.
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Update: Raquel-The Filly

Well, Raquel finally made it here after all that went on yesterday. Read the blog: It Makes Me so Mad. She will have her surgery tomorrow morning and go to her training barn tomorrow afternoon. She is the baby in the first photo and the third. She is no longer a baby and no longer bright chestnut as the picture under Buck Almighty shows. She is now pretty big and a dark liver chestnut with white socks behind.

I can't say that I ever want to deal with the other barn again. What an unprofessional way to behave, but I guess we all have our own definitions as to what a professional is. I am just relieved she is here where I can see her and make sure she is ok. I hope, if all goes well, she will be in the show ring in two years like her big brother JC (a.k.a Buck Almighty) who is also on this page many times.

Read the rest of the story

It Makes Me so Mad

For the last 24 hours, I have had to put myself in my trainer's position. I don't envy her her job. When I think of all that people want and expect from horse trainers, I don't know how they do it. People calling constantly with expectations, dealing with the disappointments customers may have and just dealing with us crazy horse people. Not to mention all the arrangements that have to be made for bringing in horses and getting horses shipped to clinics, shows etc. That's where I learned how difficult it can be.

My trainer had arranged for our filly to come from the farm she was at to begin her training. The person that had the filly took it upon herself to cancel the truck that was coming for the girl because the filly needs some cosmetic surgery. Without ever talking to me, the filly's trainer, or my mother, this person decided what would be done. I didn't find out until 7:00 last night that all arrangements had been canceled. She had still personally not notified anyone. She had scheduled the surgery with an equine hospital as far from us as you can get without our permission.
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HORSE

I was online with a person who is a member of what he calls HORSE-Husbands Officially Recruited to Serve Equines. I started thinking about this and thinking about the fact that many of us don't give our husbands any other choice. My husband spent years trying to fight my passion for these beautiful animals Finally, he gave in. I fell in love with Buck Almighty a/k/a JC from the day he was born. I knew I had to have him. My husband bought him from my mother's business for me. Since then, JC and Brian have become very close. JC is smart enough to know that when Brian walks into his stall, he needs to put his head on Brian's shoulder.

They became very close over the winter. I had two shoulder surgeries and couldn't drive for 4 months. Every Saturday Brian had to drive me out to the barn. He took me in the worst snowstorms. After a while, he got to the point that he could tell all the babies apart. Along with JC, my family has 2 other 3 year olds at the barn. But, each time, after JC got done working, Brian would go to his stall and JC would rest his head on Brian's shoulder. For JC's friendship, Brian bought him a new horse blanket and halter with Buck Almighty written on it.
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How Quickly They Grow Up

JC has now completed his fourth show. The difference in him since May is amazing. At his first show, he was a nervous wreck. Then, again, so was I. He was afraid of everything and acting like a 3 year old. Wow, they are not supposed to act their age. It was very iffy as to whether or not he would even make it in the ring at that show. As you know, if you read the blog JC's 1st show, he made it in and did well.

His second show was at the Midwest Charity Horse Show in Springfield, Illinois. He was even better at that show. He was still nervous, but was vastly improved compared to his first show. He discovered that he liked horse shows. He likes riding in the truck and he especially liked the fact that he got carrots and other treats several times a day. Just like at home, he took his afternoon nap everyday. He didn't fret about anything and got to wear his new show blanket which made him proud.
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The Thrill of Breeding

When we first started riding horses, we never realized what an important part of our lives they would become. We started when my sister was 12 and I was 4. We started spending more time at the barn. We learned to groom horses, clean stalls (not a fun job) and tack the horses. Eventually, we learned to exercise horses, give lessons and take out trail rides. The trail rides were fun to do because we would always have guys come out trying to impress their girlfriends. We asked who were experienced riders so we new which people to put on which horses. Invariably, the young guys would say they were very experienced and there were two horses we knew very well. Each of these horses had their own tricks. One would always stop at the creek and duck his head. Experienced riders would catch him and there wouldn't be a problem. Inexperienced riders would end up in the creek. I can't tell you how many of these "experienced" young men ended up in the creek. It was a hoot. The other horse would turn and go back to the barn. Again, experienced riders had no problem just turning him back and he would continue to follow the group. Most of the girls of these "experienced" guys ended up finishing the trail rides by themselves as their boyfriends were back at the barn.

As time went on, my mother bought us each a horse. Our first horses were killed in a barn fire which destroyed most of the horses. A man started the barn on fire. That is my worst memory of our beginnings. Once the barn was rebuilt, mom again got us horses. Through the years we have had the good, the bad, and the really ugly. But, we have learned from each and every one of them. One horse my mother got my sister was a mare who got hurt at a very young age and was never able to trot sound after that. We didn't know what to do with her. The trainer we were with suggested we breed her as she was a mare out of Status Lovely who was a daughter of Status Symbol. That was the beginning of the rest of our lives.

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Decorating Horsey for your Teen

I decided to get my children involved in horses at a young age. I have always loved them and they have been such an escape for me from different things throughout the years. I started taking them to the barn when they were very little. My daughter was 3 and my son was 5. They learned very quickly what to do and what not to do around horses.

As my daughter became a teenager, she became absolutely crazy about horses. She had to have everything in her room related to horses. After all, horses and horse related items became her "signature". Every item of clothing she wore had to have a horse on it. Even her backpack had a horse on it. She also had a horsey purse. She even got a t-shirt with her horse's picture on it. We did a lot of shopping to get this horsey wardrobe.

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What Horses do For Us

I have been on a lot of horse forums lately. The number of stories I have heard about how horses can help one maintain his or her sanity amazes me. I thought it was just me. Everyday I would go to work just to get to Saturday. It was the day when I could see the horses and I knew that that day would erase all the insanity of the week. No matter how stressed out you are when you walk into the barn, it seems to melt away when you look into the eyes of these wonderful animals.

When I was a very young child until the time I was a teen, I had a weight problem. I wasn't able to participate in a lot of sports as nobody wanted me on their team. I was always the last one chosen. I would feel really bad about myself, but the one thing I had was the horses. They never judged me or turned away from me because of my weight. Riding horses was the only thing I ever thought I was good at. I even got to use it for some of my physical education credits in high school. I always knew that the horses would have to remain apart of my life no matter what.
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Your Horse-Your Partner

Getting along with a horse does not come automatically. There are some horses that, no matter what you do, you will never win them over. I know. I have had a few of those. But, for those horses that can become your friend, you have to remember he will also become your partner. You have to be partners in what you do as you are working together.

In order to achieve this partnership, you have to gain the horse's trust. That can take time especially if it is a horse you bought. When you buy a horse, he doesn't know you and you really don't know him yet. This is the time to start getting to know one another. You may ride differently than he is used to. You may use a lot of leg and this is a horse that doesn't like a lot of leg. Further, maybe your hands aren't as quiet as he would like. Give it time. You need to listen to what he is saying to you.
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Considerations of Horse Ownership

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about horses that have been left neglected and starving due to gas prices, costs backyard breeding and other factors. As I thought of this, I realized that many people do not really sit and think about all that is involved in owning a horse. First of all, a horse is not a dog or a cat. You can not keep a horse in your house. A horse is generally kept in some sort of barn.

Second, there are completely different expenses with a horse. When your dog, cat, gerbil, hamster, or what have you gets sick, you put it in a carrying cage and take it to the vet. This is not the case with horses. Either the vet has to come to you and charges for a vet call or you have to load the horse into a trailer and truck the horse to the equine hospital. In order to do this, you must make sure you have certain supplies to be able to safely trailer the horse. You will need a lead rope, halter and probably a blanket to truck the horse. If you do not own your own trailer, you will have to pay someone to ship the horse to the veterinary clinic.
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