My 22 yr old Welsh driving pony has tested very low in selenium. He's on a regimen of vitamins from the vet although I ran out for a few weeks, he's on them again. Would that be a reason for his laziness? I want to rule out physical problems before deciding it's an attitude. He's more forward and straighter going home than leaving the barn. Thanks for any help, Sherry

Hi Guys,



In order for your lateral work such as shoulder-in, haunches-in, and half passes to be effective as collecting exercises, your horse must BEND.



Think of the following equation. Bend+Sideways=Engagement. (Engagement means the bending of joints. As your horse bends his hind legs, his croup lowers, and his forehand goes up--kinda like a seesaw or an airplane taking off.)…

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THE 2009 LUSITANO COLLECTION GALLOPS INTO FLORIDA THIS WINTER





MIAMI, (September 11, 2008) – During the weekend of February 19-20, 2009, members of the equestrian community and South Florida social scene will gather at the 111-acre Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida, for the second annual Lusitano Collection Auction. The prestigious event will indulge guests with lavish cocktails and a gala dinner, courtesy of The Lusitano Collection. A portion of the…

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What item can you absolutely NOT LIVE WITHOUT in your saddle bags?

I have two...CHAPSTICK and a small bottle of insect repellent that can be used on either horse or human!

There are LOTS of other things in my saddle bags...but they I can live with out them. I keep my knife and cell phone on my body as may need either if seperated from the horse.

But can't stand chapped lips or mosquito bites.

What are your on trail MUST HAVES?

Friday, October 24, 2008



Well, sort of at the last minute (and with my hubbys blessing as diesel prices are dropping) I have decided to go and compete in the NATRC Region 4 LAST CHANCE at the OK Corral CTR next weekend in Stillwater OK. I went this ride last year as I was "chasing points" and it was the last of the season and it was a blast.



This year I'm not chasing points as it's only the 2nd NATRC ride I've done this year so I'm just going for fun and to get Amira and I… Continue

October 23, 2008
US Olympic dressage stalwart Rober Dover says he is retiring from riding and teaching, and from the running of Romance Farm in Florida. He will dedicate his time to writing and working for the non-profit organisations the Equestrian Aid Foundation and Well Wish International. The five-time Olympian is to be inducted into the US Dressage Federation's Hall of Fame in December.

Well, the winds are picking up and around noon the temperature started really dropping around here, so I guess that cold front the weathermen talked about really is moving in!



YIPPEE...FALL IS REALLY HERE...FINALLY!!!



Of course there have been signs around the barn that fall has been coming for quite some time...both Gypsy and Amira are REALLY fuzzing up and getting their winter coats and I think it's a bit earlier than… Continue

Mark Rashid helps people communicate with their horse. Here are some great ideas that he shared with PBS.



What’s your philosophy?



Basically, I try to help folks get along better with their horses by finding some common ground so they can accomplish what they want to accomplish. I have two main messages — Don’t fight; and be clear. If you can do those two things, it opens the door for pretty much everything else.



The vast majority of horse…

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A fellow horse person told me that most horsepeople will "FIND A WAY" to still enjoy their horses....but I know it's got to be tough for many of us....we are all having to "tighten our belts" and really re-think things.



Even though fuel prices are coming down..they are still high...especially diesel and I drive a 1 ton dually! But I now just focus much of my riding closer to home.



I am VERY blessed living in the Dallas / Fort Worth area to have at least 5-6 trail systems… Continue

The following is inspired by "Lily" (I am not using her real name, as I do not want to comprimise the ongoing investigation into the conditions under which she was found); an older Thoroughbred mare with whom I had brief contact. This mare probably had a story common to many OTTB's; a race career, ending for some reason or another; a "rescue" thereafter, only to fall into a state of neglect, depravity & hunger. Subsequent "rescues" followed that, until she came to be taken to a place I'll… Continue

Make me worthy of my horse,

as I value his trust above all else.



Help me understand his lessons,

for he is far wiser than I.



Let me listen with my soul,

For my ears & eyes miss much.



Guide my hands & make them feel,

for I hold not my friend’s mouth in them, but his heart.



Keep my mind open & willing,

only in this way will my horse & I continue to grow.



Put faith in place of my doubts,

only one… Continue

Everything we do offers a lesson; & every lesson gives us the opportunity to improve. The improvement could be in what we do, how we do it, or perhaps most importantly, why we do it. Over the years I've slowly discovered that horses have helped teach me most of the stuff that really matters.



These are just a few of the things that make me thankful I live in a world that has horses in it.



Have You Ever …



Had the sight of horses grazing in the early… Continue

There's not enough room in that saddle for you & your temper.

Your anger makes it harder for your horse to please you, & blinds you to the lesson s/he is offering.





Listen to your horse.

If you're not getting the answer you think you want, try listening for the answer the horse is giving you.





Make…

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Today my babý girl (okey she's 2 and a half years, but she'll always be my baby) had to see the dentist.

I don't know what it's called in english, but to translate it directly from swedish would be "Wolf teeth". Anyhow, she had 2 of them.

She was as sweet and calm as a lamb.



Now I have to wait 3-4 weeks before I can start to ride her and I really need some help with how much I should feed her ! Does anybody have some advice? She has quite a lot blood - just like her mother… Continue

We have a large haystack. of good hay, our firewood is in.

Due to people being scared of what is going to happen in the economy, two of our leasedhorses were returned to us, a year early. One is in foal.

So we are scrambling around to find more hay, and most people have it already, so we are some concerned, and hope we will be able to take care of all the animals, and people in our family, for the winter.

I stopped listening to all the crud on the news, as our business is doing… Continue

I have a two year-old AQH filly named Ms. Stormy Dry Doc. I brought her hom in May of 2008. She was not halter broke when I got her, therefore we had a long way to go. I didn't think I would ever get any where with her, because for the first week she wouldn't even eat, much less let me catch her. Finally, I changed her feed to a mix of sweet feed mixed with my usualy pelletized performance horse feed. She liked that matter, I'm guessing because of the molasses. Gradually she began to let me…

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Your monthly Horseyscope is a featured blog by Animal Communicator and Barnmice member Lauren Bode. Thank you Lauren!



Scorpio - October 23- November 21

Happy Birthday! A wonderful year is in store for you. The training that you are putting into your horse now, will come out in the years to come. Be grateful that your horse understands you, training to blend your work and the need to push yourself to the next level means that…

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