In celebration of the arrival of Spring, we decided to let the herd have a romp in the riding field before we set up jumps and the dressage arena.The snow is gone and the footing is firm.Some of these horses have only seen the riding field from the other side of their paddock fences.The few who are ridden have been in the field but only under saddle. They had quite an adventure and got the chance to shake off the winter blues. Hope you enjoy the show.
' Fun Day '
' Sammi & Donnie '
' Donnie'
' Sweetie'
' Sweetie' leading the charge
' Nate'
' Blue'
' Mellon ' Looking good for a 21-22 year old!
'Dusty'Look at that trot!
Until next time
Quote for Today
A little horseplay... the way best to enjoy a spring day!
I almost let Blue’s birthday slip past without acknowledging him. As of March 26,1997 there was one more gorgeous paint arriving on the planet. The only thing I can say about Blue is that he is one unique horse who has never followed the crowd. There are so many of his antics over the years that had us laughing hysterically I’m afraid I’d never fit them into one short post. Except my favorite one comes to mind and I will have to share it. What happened was, they had all gotten to know where there stalls were, so we’d occasionally let them mosey in from the pasture through the catch pen into their stalls. While we were in the barn directing traffic, we noticed all of the horses had made it into their stalls except Blue. When we went out into the catch pen to see where he was, we found him standing in the dumpster (which we kept inside the catch pen behind the barn) acting as naturally as he would have in his own stall. I think he had decided he’d like to sleep under the stars for the evening, and the dumpster seemed a likely place as it was full of shavings - sort of like a convertible model stall. Only Blue...
Happy 12th Blue
Until next time
Quote for Today On the first day god created horses, and on the second day he painted the good ones.
There seems to be a common thread running through our herd right now. Our horses refuse to stay clean.Never one to complain (much), I am getting really tired of cleaning these muddy monsters. A word to the herd,” one more time kids and ..."!
Today we are featuring Dusty, who in her defense is usually a fairly clean horse, except for the last few weeks. Maybe she shouldn’t be allowed to hang out with the ‘‘bad boys of mudville’ any more.
Until next time
Quote for Today
Grooming: the process by which the dirt on the horse is transferred to the groom.
In her last post, jme from Glenshee Equestrian put up a fun questionnaire for riders to participate in.I thought I would post this particular tag to celebrate my 100th post.I realize I’m not the most prolific blogger out there in the blogosphere, but unfortunately it takes me a long time to either think of something to post or to put together a piece that has me researching to make a post interesting or helpful. I’ve taken out jme’s answers and made a list so it might be easier to copy and paste.
A friend of mine sent me this little horsey questionnaire on Facebook, and I thought I’d post my answers here. I won’t officially tag anyone, but it might be fun if readers passed it on by filling it out and posting it to your blogs with your own experiences, and encourage your readers to do the same. Hope you decide to play along! And if you do, leave a comment here letting us know :-)
1. How old were you when you first started riding? 2. First horse ridden: 3. First horse trotted on: 4. First horse cantered on: 5. First Horse fallen off of:
6. Most recent horse fallen off of 7. Most terrifying fall: 8. First horse jumped with:
9. First horse who ran away with you: 10. First horse that scared the crap out of you: 11. First horse shown :!)
12. First horse to win a class with: 13. Do you/have you taken lessons:
14. First horse you ever rode bareback: 15. First horse trail ridden with: 16. Current Barn name:
17. Do you ride English or western?: 18. First Horse to place at a show with: 19. Ever been to horse camp?:
20. Ever been to a riding clinic?
21. Ridden sidesaddle? 22. First horse leased:23. Last Horse Leased: 24. Highest ribbon in a show: 25. Ever been to an 'A' rated show?: 26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races?: 27. Ever fallen off at a show 28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers?:29. Have you ever barrel raced? 30. Ever done pole bending?: 31. Favorite gait: 32. Ever cantered bareback?: 33. Have you ever done dressage?: 34. Have you ever evented?:
35. Have you ever mucked a stall?: 36. Ever been bucked off?: 37. Ever been on a horse that reared 38. Horses or ponies.
39. Do you wear a helmet?: 40. What's the highest you've jumped: 41. Have you ever ridden at night?: 42. Do you watch horsey television shows?: 43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall?: 44. Most falls in one lesson:
45. Do you ride in an arena/ring?: 46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse?: 47. Have you ever been bitten?: 48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse?: 49: Favorite riding moment: 50. Most fun horse you've ridden:
My Answers
How old were you when you first started riding?I started to formally take lessons when I was 40, but had ridden before that as a teenager.
First horse ridden:A trail horse in a park.
First horse trotted on:Same horse in the park on trails.
First horse cantered on:Lesson horse, Spanky.
First horse fallen off of:Jimmy, off the track thoroughbred, I went over the jump… he didn’t quite make it.
Most recent horse fallen off of:Dusty…who else? She has mounting issues, I almost had my leg over when she took off, I landed on the frozen ground, bit my tongue and banged my head. Must have looked like I had a stroke slurring my words and limping for the rest of the day. You gotta love her, what a _itch.
Most terrifying fall:Had to be off Erik my 17’2 hand Dutch Warmblood.We were jumping a line, he stopped in front of the jump, I thought okay we’ll do that again, I sat back for a minute to regroup,and started to turn him around when he decided to take the five foot standard from a standstill, I slid off the back of the saddle wound up on my back and my helmet (no strap) came off so hard it bounced off the opposite wall of the arena. I got back on and finished the course but I was hurting for about 2 weeks after that one.
First horse jumped with:Spanky
First horse who ran away with you:Ellen’s horse, off the track thoroughbred, just kept going around the arena and had no brakes. I’m sorry I forgot his name.
First horse that scared the crap out of you:Ellen’s horse. See #9.
First horse shown : Lifeguard
First horse to win a class with: Lifeguard
Do you/have you taken lessons: I used to have 3 lessons a week and ride at least 2 horses a day…making up for lost time I guess.
First horse you ever rode bareback :Never have and don’t see it in my future.
First horse trail ridden with: Other than the trail rides in parks, the first horse I took out was Dopey on the traditional day after Thanksgiving barn ride where everyone from our barn went to a nearby park.
Current Barn Name: Glenshee Equestrian
Do you ride English or Western: I ride English but have ridden in Western saddles a few times; I feel very unsecure in a Western saddle so try to avoid them if I can.
First horse to place at a show with: Lifeguard
Ever been to horse camp: No
Ever been to a riding clinic: Yes, but I prefer to audit them as I think I get more out of watching and listening.
Ridden sidesaddle:Not on purpose.
First horse leased: None for me thanks.
Last horse leased: None for myself but one or two over the years for my daughters.
Highest ribbon in a show:1st and champion.
Ever been to an “A” rated show?: More than I care to count.
Ever competed in pony games/relay races: Only from the ground.
Ever fallen off at a show: No, but I have forgotten a few courses in my time.
Do you ride Hunters/Jumpers: Hunters- yes ,Jumpers-no, because I’ve done mostly Equitation classes.
Have you ever barrel raced: No
Have you ever done pole bending: No
Favorite gait: Canter
Ever cantered bareback:No
Have you ever done dressage: Yes
Have you ever evented: No, I find that particular aspect of riding not to my liking because of the way the horses are treated.
Have you ever mucked a stall: Ha, Ha, silly question of course, more than I care to remember.
Ever been bucked off: No, not that it hasn’t been tried on me though.
Ever been on a horse that reared: Well yes and no. Snow slid from the indoor arena once and banged the outside wall as Erik and I were passing he went up but then again not that far up so I don’t know if I would qualify that as a Hi Ho Silver rear or not.
Horses or ponies: Horses
Do you wear a helmet: Always, I have seen too many accidents take place that wound up with serious injuries and could have been prevented by wearing a helmet.I could go on a rant about this but at the very least parent’s are responsible for insisting on a helmet for their children whether they ride Western or English.
What’s the highest you’ve jumped: According to plan I’d say about 3’3, unplanned, well there was that 5 foot standard…
Have you ever ridden at night: Sure, many of the lessons I had were at night.
Do you watch horsey television shows:Occasionally
Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall:I’ve hurt my back more than once (disc dislocation) then there’s the knee thing, and of course some would say the brain is completely shot.
Most falls in one lesson: Just one usually did it for me for the day.
Do you ride in an arena/ring: Yes, but also like to ride in the field and on trails. I prefer to be outside almost all the time when riding, but I wouldn’t mind my own indoor for the winter months.
Have you ever been trampled by a horse: Not yet, I’m pretty quick on my feet…or I used to be, hopefully I’ll escape this one.
Have you ever been bitten: Once, I was holding a horse for someone while they tacked up and I was gabbing away, when she tightened the girth this horse got me really good on the inside forearm. It was black, blue, and yellow for a month. I recall his name as being Devil something.
Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse:Erik was great at this, he would just step on your foot and level out and stand there while I tried pushing, pulling, yelling, hitting anything to get him off and he’d just stare at me like I was this crazy person and what was my problem anyway.
Favorite riding moment: Well I’ve had so many it’s hard to choose. We all know that when it all goes according to plan that’s always a favorite riding moment. If I had to choose one though it would be the day my mom came to the show I was competing in to watch me ride, it was the only time she ever saw me ride and it meant a lot to me, especially since I was champion that day and clinched the year end award for that particular series.
Most fun horse you’ve ridden: I know everyone would expect me to say Erik, since he was my boy and I loved him so very much, but he was a hard ride and not so much fun unless he was being very cooperative. The most fun horse I ever rode was Lifeguard, he did whatever you asked most of the time and he was a blast to take over a course, this was a horse who really got into it and loved to show.
I hope this wasn’t too boring. Join in the fun, put up your answers, and let us know about it.
Until next time
Quote for Today
You can love a horse and ride it and a horse can love you and squash you.
…That soon there may be a shortage of wood shavings for stall bedding. Consequently, if you are able to find it, the bedding may become cost-prohibitive. So, I decided to do a bit of research on alternative bedding just in case.
Before I get into the actual bedding materials, I would like to do a quick summary on stall mats. The reason for this prelude to alternative bedding is that, depending on the type of bedding you use and what kind of floor you have underneath, stall mats may cut down on your bedding material significantly over a year’s time. Hard floors such as concrete or asphalt/macadam require a lot of extra bedding for cushion, so rubber mats may be a good choice to soften the floor and save on bedding. However, contrary to popular opinion, the mats actually require more bedding than a dirt floor would.Stall mats only allow drainage through their cracks, which leads to periodically having to lift the mats and clean under them, which is a nightmare. We’re hoping one day to try a single continuous matting system like Stall Skins, which is sort of a compromise between the permeability of a dirt floor and the even surface of a matted floor, which might be a good choice if using straw.Stall mats work great with most kinds of absorbent bedding, though they are unsuitable for use with straw or any other kind of draining bed.And, contrary to common wisdom, because mats do not drain and because the bedding is more easily displaced when on a mat, more bedding is required to keep the horse insulated from the wet bedding.But the ease of cleaning a matted stall is what makes it a bedding saver in the long term.
We use them at our barn and have found that over the years the interlocking ones work the best. They stay put and shavings, manure etc. don’t get in between the mat and the floor, as can happen with the mats that abut one another with a straight edge. In my research, I found a good site that will tell you all you need to know about stall mats, their advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I would prefer a good draining floor, so long as it did not become uneven due to erosion.Because our stalls came paved with the same asphalt as the aisle, we’re sticking with the mats – I would never go back to a plain concrete or asphalt floor if given the choice. Check out this site if you’re interested in stall mats for your barn:
There are alternative types of bedding that can be used if wood shavings become unavailable. But I’m going to include the wood shavings in this brief rundown too:
·Wood Shavings
We currently use these because it is easier to muck, it’s absorbent and, although it does give off some dust, by the time the horses come in from pasture it has generally settled. Mold is not a problem with wood shavings and another advantage is they cannot be eaten by the horse.They also look and smell nice in the stall, with a light, bright appearance, and are relatively easy to clean off the horses.If they are packaged in plastic, they can be compressed and stored outdoors, which can be a great convenience. You can see why wood shavings are the most popular type of bedding.
We bed deep with banks going up the walls for both comfort and safety; our horses are all quite large, even for their 12x12 stalls, so the deep wide banks can act as both a ramp and a spacer to help prevent a horse getting cast in the stall, and our horses also love to snuggle up to their banks and lounge against them.However, banks are not always necessary, as horses don’t care if the bedding is deep – their main care is whether there is a soft surface to urinate on, as they don’t like a hard surface for this function because it can splash on their legs.
·Straw
Straw has been the long-time favorite bedding for horses, and there is a good reason it has been the traditional bedding for so long.It is comfortable, warm, dry and relatively easy to use once you get the hang of it.
Straw is drainage bedding meaning it is supposed to allow urine to drain straight through to the floor and not absorb it.Typically, a straw bed would be done over a dirt or gravel base for drainage, which would then be treated with lime or some other product to neutralize the ammonia.This is why it is not advisable to use straw over mats, concrete or any other non-draining surface unless there is an actual drain built into the floor.If allowed to absorb too much urine, saturated straw is heavy and it becomes hard to separate the manure from it when mucking the remaining clean bedding.Traditionally, a straw bed would be done in what is called a “deep liter system” in which it is applied thickly to the floor, with banks up the walls; it is then allowed to compact as only the manure is taken out of the stall and the urine allowed to drain through.Fresh bedding is added as needed to the top to keep the surface clean and dry, while the bedding below would begin to rot and provide a nice warm, soft bed for the horse.Once a week, the wet underneath is removed and new bedding added to the top.This requires excellent drainage and good ventilation, and every so often, the entire mess has to be stripped out and started over.When we have done straw in the past, we’ve done it on a peat base, which is absorbent and helps to neutralize the ammonia, while also allowing the top layer to be frequently replaced.
A plus is it rots down to make garden compost therefore it is easily disposed of.Sometimes local farmers will even take it away for you.
The disadvantage to straw is that it can be as hard to find quality straw as it is to find quality hay, and the concerns are generally the same.You always want to avoid dusty, moldy or weedy straw.Storage is another consideration, as it must be stored inside a barn or trailer, just as hay would be.Worse, it could be in short supply if there is a bad harvest, and it can be expensive. The advantage of wheat straw over barley or oat straw is that horses are not likely to eat wheat straw. It is also considerably more durable that oat straw, and drains better, as oat straw can be absorbent – it is also very edible.Rye straw can also be absorbent and also has a tendency to break down into small fibers that can irritate the horses.In addition these straw types can be prone to mold.So if possible, buy wheat as opposed to barley/oat straw.
Peat moss
Peat moss can be used as a base underneath other types of bedding or on its own. It is not pretty bedding, and the dark color sometimes makes it hard to find the manure and wet spots, though it sifts very well through a pitchfork, which makes cleaning very easy and little bedding, is wasted.It is also extremely absorbent and wet spots can be scooped out as a solid clump without disturbing the rest of the bedding.
Peat is soft, warm, and mold-free and it is easy to dispose of as it can be easily spread or used in a garden, etc... Some vets recommend peat for horses with allergies to other beddings because it doesn’t support mold spores.I’ve read that humans should wear a mask when working with this in the garden so it is important to mist it lightly when it is first put down to keep the dust down.If used alone as a bedding, be prepared for it to cover the horse’s legs with black dust, etc. I also would not recommend feeding hay directly off the peat.
We’ve found the best way to use peat is as an absorbent base for other beddings.It works great under straw or shavings provided it isn’t disturbed too much while mucking. It is perfect for the sort of horse who has a consistent wet spot in the stall. The wetter it gets, the better it gets as it packs down, absorbing any wet that filters through the bedding above.When mucking, one simply has to clear away the clean bedding on top and dig out a small damp patch of peat.It can be a little expensive but it’s easy to find in any garden store, and the cost is often offset by its durability and ease of cleaning.It should be remembered though that peat is not a renewable resource, so it should be used sparingly.
Sawdust/Wood Pellets
Sawdust has a clean appearance, the horse cannot eat it and it can be stored outside if wrapped in plastic. The disadvantages of using sawdust as bedding are that it is extremely dusty, and having a horse with a respiratory condition, we do not use this. We have also found it to be irritating to the horse’s eyes.It can become hot and soggy too which makes it heavy to muck. I would try to avoid this if possible.
Wood pellets are wood shavings/sawdust that have been compacted and dehydrated. They’re easy to muck and there should be less wasted bedding. The startup cost is more expensive than wood shavings, but this is balanced out by using less. These pellets are meant to be sprayed with a hose and then they become fluffy. I’ve found this bedding to be too dusty, like sawdust.There is also a tendency to use too little of it because it is more expensive initially, and it becomes messy.I’m not a fan, but it does have its advantages.Like sawdust, it sifts well through a pitchfork, which means less waste, but it can also get heavy when wet.If you choose to go with this type of bedding, don’t skimp on it.Here is a site you might want to check out for more information: Woody Pet
Cardboard and Shredded Paper –
As bedding this is easy to use, warm, dust and mold free and, though the paper is more of draining bedding, the cardboard is very absorbent. It usually comes in plastic so is easy to store and inexpensive. Although it provides comfort for your horse, it compresses easily and requires a hefty amount to create and maintain the proper bed. This bedding will keep your horse cleaner than other bedding products (except for newspaper, which will cover your horse with ink and is not recommended.) One disadvantage to this type of bedding is the disposal aspect, as it can’t really be composted or spread in the field.Some suggest burning it or using it as a weed deterrent in gardens. Straw or wood shavings to supplement the paper and cardboard can be another way to go.We’ve never liked paper bedding, though we hear better things about cardboard.
·Aubiose
Though we personally have never tried this bedding, it sounds interesting.It is derived from the soft centre of the hemp plant and it is like a natural sponge. It can absorb up to 12 times more water than straw and 4 times more than shavings, thus the bed remains dry and warm. It is easy to handle, lasts longer and requires less maintenance than other fiber bedding and it is free from dust. It is also a highly fertile organic fertilizer therefore; it is easy to dispose of. The only disadvantage to this type of bedding is the initial set up cost of a bed is slightly higher. I’ve never seen this for sale anywhere, so I will just give a link to a site and you can decide for yourself: Aubiose ( It looks as if this is a company in Europe, but they say they supply North America, I couldn’t find a site for it here).
·Hemp
Is hard to find but may be available in some areas. There is not much on the subject of hemp, so I’m guessing it’s the same as the above-mentioned Aubiose and reading their site will give you additional information if you’re interested in it. It’s hard to say yes or no to this as I’ve never used it or seen it.
·Kenaf
We have wanted for a long time to try kenaf bedding, but it is incredibly hard to come by.Nafcore seems to be the primary distributor of this product, but whenever we’ve contacted them, they told us they were unable to help us.I’m hoping they get their act together and get this product out there, as I think it would make an ideal bedding.It is super-absorbent, 100% renewable, dust and mold free, and fine enough to sift easily through a pitchfork for mucking.It will also compost, so it can be disposed of in a number of responsible ways, and it is bright and clean looking in the stalls.If you’ve used this before or you know of any way to get a hold of some of this stuff, let us know!
Hay
Is a poor choice all around, so even if you’re tempted to use your old hay for bedding, it’s a bad idea. Once it is wet, it turns sour quickly and smells. If the hay is old it may be moldy and your horse is at risk for respiratory trouble. Even if the hay is no good, horses will probably try to eat it and perhaps get sick. It is also more expensive that traditional bedding and it’s hard to clean up. Because it’s softer than straw, it doesn’t muck out well with a straw fork and will become impossible to muck once it’s wet.
I found a very good site for information on comparing bedding so you might want to click on this and see if it is helpful to you:
There is another site I thought might help if you need shavings but can’t find any in your area. I don’t know how big an order you would need to place, but if the requirement is too large for you, maybe a co-op of the horse community in your area could band together and buy a truckload. Here’s the site:
' Sammi & Donnie '
' Donnie'
' Sweetie'
' Sweetie' leading the charge
' Nate'
