Mrs. Zackery’s Crash Course in Hoof Anomalies.

Below is the view of the foot most often seen by the bare foot trimmer. These are the structures and areas of the horse’s hoof anatomy that we most often directly affect, when trimming. Learn the names and proportions of each area of the hoof. It will help you trim correctly and also help you recognize a healthy foot.

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I’ll admit, I haven’t been feeling ready for show season. Between my struggles to find a saddle (stay tuned for a saddle fit post coming soon!), the looming financial toll, and the fact that the test movements were not confirmed to where I want them, I could use another few months!

I have been fortunate to…

Whoot!! Whoot!! We've come so far since we bought the campground in 2011 and have accomplished so much. Let's look at a recap of things gone by:



2011

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The Martin family bought True West

Made Stall walls higher to prevent horses from playing with the tack

Lighting outside the restrooms

Rebuilt the outer portion of the deck outside…

Share YOUR Most Interesting Hoof Problem Story …..And you will be entered into our first drawing of May to win one of the pictured hoof picks. This hoof pick has a convenient brush for thorough cleaning and it is equipped with a rubber grip for easy handling. Comment on this post with your story and be sure to leave your name and email so we can reach you when you…

Buying a horse is a huge investment. For some it may be the culmination of a dream come true, while for others horse ownership is born from necessity. Either way, knowledge is key when deciding to buy a horse. There are a great many factors to consider- breed, age, housing, feed and medical expenses and the like. For that reason, it is important to approach horse buying with a clear understanding of both the buying and owning process. These guidelines will help you understand the process and…

I have been thinking a lot about the new challenges Shannon’s Arab-Welsh mare Cider has been presenting me.  I went through my old calendars and I started riding Cider regularly in 2006 until January 2012 when I switched to riding Merlin and Bobby until I could get Cider a saddle that fit her properly since her back had changed.  At the end of those 6 years Cider was super responsive to the bit (Dr. Bristol snaffle), aware that a twitch of my little finger was a valid aid to…

New post on http://essentialequestrian.wordpress.com!

From essentialequestrian.wordpress.com:

I have always said people were the most difficult part about being involved with horses, and I stand by that statement. My dad and I have affectionately named this quirk "HPS," standing for Horse Person Syndrome. In a sport where so much emotion, pressure, money, fears, expectations, etc., are a part of the daily…

I've just joined Barnmice and will be sharing posts from my new blog essentialequestrian.wordpress.com! 

Today is the First Day of the Rest of My Life…

The Beginning

My sister decided that she wanted to buy another horse last fall because Ranger is getting older, and she can’t ride as fast or as far as she would like. Don’t worry, she is going to keep Ranger—and ride him as much as she can. She just wanted to ride more than he was able. I wanted her to, too. I would love to go on long rides with her and Cole.…

“That horse has been beat!” is her opinion. Sometimes you can look at a horse and just tell. He’s showing every sign, and he has been passed from owner to owner. Abuse is always possible, but working with him, I don’t think he’s literally been beaten. Who’s right?

The horse is. It’s my As-If Rule.  His history doesn’t matter that much. If he acts as-if he has been…

Most riders eventually understand that it is ideal for their horse to work in a frame. A frame is a way of carrying the body that utilizes the ring of muscles by asking the horse to engage his haunches, lift his back, travel lightly on the forehand, round the neck from the base and drop the head. This is an efficient way for the horse to move that prevents injury and helps the horse to carry the weight of the rider. Unfortunately, many people lose sight of the whole picture and focus only on…

Many, many decades ago Piero Santini wrote in one of his books that one reason to wear the knee high boots was that when the leather of the boot was against the leather of the saddle flap the rider’s grip was stronger.  It has been decades since I rode in the high leather boots, but I do look back at them with fondness, and every once in a while I consider getting high boots again but they look so HOT.  With my MS anything that makes me hotter makes my MS symptoms worse so I…

Horses are fluent in the spoken language of the horse.  Any movement that you ask your horse to perform is something he already does naturally.  The horse can carry himself with perfect balance while executing the most technical movements.  We do not need to teach the horse how to move.  However, we do need to teach the horse how to move under our weight based on our cues.  This is the equivalent of teaching a child who can speak how to read and write.  We must take the horse’s natural…

I’ve been thinking about the words we use to label our relationship with the animals in our lives. It isn’t politically correct to say we own a horse; instead, we are its caretaker. That dog doesn’t belong to you, you’re its guardian. Swell.

Referring to an animal as a family member is the norm; it’s common to hear someone in the barn refer to themselves as Big Red’s Mom, or say that Bandit is their fur-child. No shortage of Fur-Daddies either. I understand the intention and if the…

Riding can be a form of moving meditation.  When you do a walking meditation you work on quieting the mind, becoming fully aware of your surroundings and experiencing the present moment.  You use intense concentration on each movement your body makes to help bring you into this meditative state.  Walking meditation is often easier for an individual than a long sitting meditation because you do not have to quiet the body and the mind.  I would argue that a riding meditation is even more…