Coach Adjusts to Big Changes

Debbie's stable changed from night turnout to day turnout Tuesday this week. Coach was NOT pleased by the change in his routine. Debbie's workers had tried to keep Coach in his stall so he would be there and nice and clean for his lesson, but when Coach realized that all his buddies got to go out while he stayed stuck in his stall, well he started protesting with…

Vaping is the latest trend and is actually the inhalation of a vaporized liquid straight from an electronic device. Vaping is not only prevalent among those trying to quit smoking the regular tobacco cigarettes but also, among the teenagers. Prevalence of vaping seems to be on the rise rapidly among young adults and teenagers across the world. This is a fact even though buying vape products before the age of 18 is illegal. However, many feel that vaping is an effective way of substituting…

As Michael Approached

I just got to ride on Wednesday this week. There was off and on rain, and a pretty persistent drizzle while we drove to the stable. Debbie had called me to make sure I was still coming out, but when I told her that this would be my only chance to ride this week and I was willing to dodge the raindrops she told me to come on out.…

All Three Horses Point to my Right Hand

Last Sunday I rode a still sore Cider. When I went to buy the supplement that worked somewhat on Cider's arthritis the feed store was out, so I got the “Stop the Pain” supplement after consulting with Shannon. By Sunday Cider had been on the new supplement (AND a feed that included some supplements that help arthritis) for a week. Shannon was happy that…

Finally, an Acceptable Bit

This week, after the promised three weeks in the 23mm egg-butt stainless steel snaffle, I went back to experimenting with my new collection of titanium coated snaffle bits with Coach. Debbie and I both decided that, due to Coach's extreme fussiness with bits off contact, we should next try the titanium coated Mullen mouth snaffle. This bit addresses two of Coach's…

Equine vets are filling up on the latest, smartest research this week at the British Equine Vet Congress.  We all benefit , don’t we?... as new evidence trickles into our barns, it changes our treatments and traditions. It often changes our minds.

Here’s just one of  the top seminar tweets…”Based on Dr. M. Hewetson’s ongoing study of owner-reported signs, most…

We Survived Florence

Tropical storm Florence messed up my riding last week. While I got my lesson in, I did not ride Mia that Friday because I was afraid that the lowering air pressure would aggravate her arthritic joints and Sunday I did not ride because of the storm. But my power stayed on throughout the storm, I had the internet, and I did not have to go outside to take care of animals, so…

Credit: Dana's Doodles

Like bookends to the dressage pattern’s rhythm and brilliance, the halt is a moment to compose beforehand and reflect afterwards. This week Jill Irving reflected on her FEI WEG performance regarding the challenge of the halt. She was so proud that her horse stood quietly, despite outside…

What is “Prism-Equus”?

Linda Finstad is a world renowned equine photographer who spent many, many years capturing the beauty and grace of horses on camera.  Her work in the field fostered a deep fascination for equine body language and communication which lead to her book “How to De-code equine body language” in which Linda Finstad uses photography coupled with years of experience and research Linda Finstad to reveal the secret language of…

More Adventures in Trying Bits

I spent this week trying out my new bits on all three horses, Cider, Coach and Mia.

Last Sunday I rode Cider. She was still quite stiff from her arthritis though Shannon thinks that she has improved some on the arthritis supplement. I figured that a different bit would give her something new to…

It Seems Like Coach Prefers a Center Joint

This week I learned that Coach can communicate with great subtlety.

I was all excited when I got to the stable for my lesson on Wednesday. I had put my new three piece titanium coated “rainbow” egg-butt snaffle (with a lozenge) on my bridle to try out on Coach. When it came time to…

Could It Be the Center Joint?

I used my new Ovation titanium coated D-ring single jointed anatomic mouth bit on Coach for the second time during my lesson on Wednesday. The grinding of the bit between his teeth was greatly reduced this time, he ground the bit some at tacking up and being led to the ring, but it was not as “furious” as before. When I started my ride he ground the bit a few…

   It astounds me, as I comb through back issues of magazine articles, online articles, and books on equitation, the degree to which I now find myself adding a mental asterisk to almost every exercise and lesson, especially whenever it mentions "quiet seat" or "keep the hands/legs quiet" or some such: *if you have enough leg strength.

  That little aspect rarely, if ever, get mentioned; it gets glossed over, in fact by almost everyone. Even Clinton Anderson, in his videos…

We Try a Titanium Coated Bit

Since I started riding Coach three weeks ago I have been trying to think of a solution for him grinding the bit between his premolar teeth. To recap, Coach's normal bit is stainless steel and is 23mm thick, I think.

Coach ground the 13mm thick stainless steel Wellep bit between his teeth the most…

Coach Does Better with the Fulmer Bit

After my lesson last week I dug my Fulmer Full Cheek snaffle out of my bit box, and I finally found my Fulmer bit loops (the Fulmer bit requires special bit loops because the little ball at the end of the full cheek is small.) I dug out my Micklem horse sized nose piece, found a pair of my bit straps I made from cut down…

Join us for Equine Affaire in Massachusetts, 8-11, 2018. Experience the nation's premiere equine exposition, featuring more than 230 unique clinics, seminars, and demonstrations by top professionals in the horse industry. Equine Affaire also hosts the largest trade show in the East, showcasing hundreds of commercial exhibits, an extensive Breed Pavilion, an educational Equine Fundamentals Forum, the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition, and a special evening show - the Fantasia, a musical…

Coach is a Thoroughbred

Coach is my new lesson horse for right now. He is an OTTB gelding, Chestnut, around 15.3+ hands, with very good substance for a TB, and very high withers that stretch way back (no “pockets”.) To prepare my tack for Coach I took out the doubled bridging shims from my Contender II saddle pad, found my 48” string girth, got my 5” Wellep single jointed snaffle, and I…

What are the welfare challenges facing pleasure and competition horses? A four-year research study, led by academics at the University of Bristol’s School of Vet Sciences set to find out. I thought it was cool that experts from across the equine industry contributed to the research- vets, farriers, trainers, welfare charities, breed and competition associations. As we…

I’m sure you’re aware of the Pros and Cons of leg products such as boots and wraps and how riders and trainers need to balance their use for protection along with the danger of overheating. There are a number of studies on the topic and there are others concerning the danger of overheating with ceramic boots and wraps used for injury prevention and recovery. One important theme veterinarians and professionals emphasize is the need for breathable protection.

Another important topic…

We Should Have Waited Longer for the Bute to Work

Last Sunday Shannon gave Cider a gram of Bute before she came to pick me up. When we arrived, Shannon immediately went to tack Cider up since I ride Cider in my saddle, saddle pad and bridle. Cider still looked stiff when Shannon led her to the mounting block so I started off slow and easy, trying to make my seat lighter in the saddle while not…