Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Horse Rebound

Right before thanksgiving I recieved a call from a horse trader about some gaited horses he had available for sale. I had emailed him back in September when I was horse hunting. I went out to see him and his horses out of curiosity. Ive never really have ridden gaited horses except a peruvian paso that a friend allowed me to ride on the beach back in June.

So I went thinking I will just look and see. Still feeling raw about Corona...I didnt think I would be able to connect with another horse so soon. But of course that wasnt the case. I met a great gelding TWH with a flaxen mane and soft big eyes. He was finished and smooth. But the gate felt foreign to me and there was a little hesitation that I might not be good enough as a rider for this particular horse. Well the seller was very carismatic and this was too good to pass up. So I put down a deposit and left to sleep on it.

There was a problem. Something wasnt right. I begin feeling regretful and nasious and fearfull. This might sound strange but I felt like I had just cheated on my significant other. This is what I call a rebound. There was nothing wrong with the horse..he was perfect. But I wasnt ready to move on.

The next day I went back to the ranch and broke the news to the guy. He was actually very understanding and to my surprise refunded my deposit. What a releif. I felt so much better imeadiatly.

This is a very big desision and it should feel right. There should be no second thoughts when it comes to horse ownership. Ive gotten lots of critism from people over the past few years that "im not serious about riding" or "I dont know what im doing" but the truth is that no one really knows your situation better then you do. Go with your guts.

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Monday, November 18, 2013

Vet Checks

So I'm sad to say that I won't be able to continue with the purchase of Corona. Just before we were going to move him to his new home, I had asked our vet to come and perform a pre purchase vet check. It was pretty extensive and they gave him a clean bill of health. Just before we finished up the vet asked if we wanted a blood test to see a snapshot of what his health before we move him. I figured since I would have it done anyways after the move then what could it hurt.

Well his Blood Urea Nitrogen  (BUN) test came back with some abnormalities. It appears that he has 2x the levels of a normal horse his age as well as elevated creatinine & calcium. The doctor explained to me that this means he has decreased kidney function and could lead to kidney and renal failure as well as  dehydration or worse. So this would rule him out for any endurance rides or long workouts in the future.

This just broke my heart. I can handle training issues but this is something I could never fix. Theres a chance he would need dialysis in the near future and I can't sign up for that. Im going to stop by tomorrow and give him my goodbyes. I don't think he is in any danger of not being sold.. he would make a great horse for arena and short trail rides.

Im so glad we got this test...le sigh.

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Monday, November 11, 2013

Pregnant Mare Rescue

I got a chance to stop by PMR over the weekend on my visits with potential horses for adoption. I had the honor to meet Kizmet. She is 5 years old and has the sweetest personality. She came from a pregnant mare facility and was rescued before being placed into service. Shes a nice prospect for someone who is learning to work with natural horsemanship training. Heres a bit more info about this wonderfull Santa Cruz organization:


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Sunday, November 10, 2013

Time to update my tack.

I have lots and lots of tack from my previous horses...but everything is over 15 years old. Some of it was salvagable but some of it looks pretty archaic.

So now its time to measure my horse to make sure my saddles, bridals, bits, ect will even fit.

Also came across this awsome illustration of the horses mouth.
Mayhew, Edward, D 1800

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Saturday, November 9, 2013

I bought a horse today!

Well not compleatly..theres a 30 day trial period and pending a vet check.

Heres his specs:

Corona is 8yrs. 
Paint Palomino Gelding He is 3/4 quarter horse and 1/4 Arab. 
Stands at 15 hands. 
Nice conformation and good looking. 
Mainly done trails and some ranch work when he was younger. 
Neck reins, very brave on the trail, no spook, sure footed and very willing. 
Great ground manners and very easy to get along with. 

Sigh... im in love.


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Thursday, November 7, 2013

Horse Market


So I have been searching for a horse for some time now...and I have come to the conclusion that I dont need anything fancy. Just a horse with good feet, a straight back, and lots of heart. But this has proven to be harder then I could ever imagine. First of all Ive noticed that there are two kinds of horses for sale. Unregistered backyard broodmares and Hunter/Jumper show ponies for big $$$. Where are all the good western trail horses?  Do I have to travel inland for the stock horses?

 When I do find a good looking horse and I decide to contact the owner, I usually get a response like “already sold” or no response at all. There’s got to be a better way to find a quality horse. A big part of me doesn’t want to get scammed either. So I guess theres a combination of cold feet and lack of inventory in my price range. Just like housing.

...I wonder if there’s a correlation.

Here are some of the resources Ive been using:

BEAN - http://www.bayequest.info/
Craigslist

Word of mouth seems to be the best way. Please let me know if you know of a good horse for sale.

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Saturday, October 5, 2013

Willing Partners by Monty Roberts

So im in search of a horse to purchase and looking for a willing partner that is sound & has a great horsenality. This proves to be a harder task then I initially thought. Lets just say I have a modest budget...mostly because im just looking for a good trail/western horse to work with that has been started in natural horsmanship. Im new to the equestrian community and just not sure how to find a good horse for a good price. So when I found Monty Roberts Willing Partners program, I was esthatic! They have a great track record and find quality horses to match with the right owner. Hopefully this will be a great start to my horse search.

http://www.montyroberts.com/horses/willing-partners-program/

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Sunday, September 29, 2013

Giddy Up Flix

So I just came across this great service when I was  searching for used clinic DVD's. Its call Giddy Up Flix and they rent horse related movies, tv shows, instructional training videos, and clinics that usually would cost $$$ if you were to purchase them. What a great idea!

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Monday, September 23, 2013

Horsenality


Parelli has provided a great template to learn your horse's personality in order to achieve stronger results... check it out:

Right-Brain Introvert

This shy, timid, shrinking violet avoids pressure by retreating into himself. Success involves going very slowly at first and waiting for him to come out of his shell, to trust more. Pretty soon he’ll be offering you more.


Right-Brain Extrovert

This horse constantly needs reassurance. He gets confused easily and then gets afraid, so he needs you to make things simple, which will help him relax; especially since that is not something that comes easily for him around humans.


Left-Brain Introvert

Welcome to the land of “Why should I? What’s in it for me?” This horse reads people like a book. He knows what you want and he’s not going to give it to you, unless you treat him right. Even though he appears stubborn or lazy, he’s not at all lazy in the mind! Reverse psychology is where it’s at, oh… and treats!

Left-Brain Extrovert

This horse is a playful character that needs interesting things to do. He is obsessed with learning and needs variety and new things to keep it fun.

Heres a very useful chart provided by Perelli:

http://files.parelli.com/HorsenalityChart.pdf

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Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Page Mill Pastures - Palo Alto, CA






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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Hidden Treasures

There are many horsese that need homes. If you are looking for a horse please look into adoption. These are great horses who need loving attention. They are not food, objects, or trophies. Did you know that there are places that sell horses to buyers who then ship them out of the country for slaughter? They are called Kill Buyers.

Horses are warm & loving family members who can bring years of companionship. In addition they are a commitment. Horses can live very long lives...20 plus years or so. If you cant adopt then volunteer or send your support. They can always use a hand and funding ;)






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Monday, August 12, 2013

Horse & Heart


Soquel, CA
Aug 2013


Say Cheese!


Bugsy


Lori, Jill, & Student playing the mounting game
Jill & Ashley  -  Photo By Lori Halliday

Attentive Jill  -  Photo By Lori Halliday
Grooming - Photo by Lori Halliday
Kari

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The Flehmen Response



Meet Cherokee and his stall mate Pixie. 


Cherokee is showing us how he enhances the smell of his pony friend by curling his upper lip and exposing his front teeth. He holds this position for a few seconds and repeats.

"The behaviour facilitates the transfer of pheromones and other scents into the vomeronasal organ located above the roof of the mouth via a duct which exits just behind the front teeth of the animal." - Wikipedia


If you keep making that face, it might stay that way forever!

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Sunday, August 11, 2013

The Man from Snowy River

Photo by Wayne Brad

I absolutly adore The Man From Snowy River ... unfortunatly craigs hut burned down in 2007 during the bushfires. But you can still take horse riding/backpacking trips up to the high county.

Ive also currated some items here for your etsy pleasure:


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Pleasent Valley Pony Club



Summer means time for camp... what better way to spend it then with horses. Fortunatly this summer hasnt been to hot here in Santa Cruz. I got to take a few photos of my time at Pleasent Valley Pony Club. 



Jenn & Misty

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Saturday, June 8, 2013


Tim Kimura & I 
@ Western States CalExpo 2013

Photo Credit: Michelle Le Clair

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