Rain Rain, Go or Stay?

yikes!

As I sit here typing away at my computer I keep glancing outside, hoping that the rain that is falling down steadily will either lessen up or stop. I had plans for today, but those plans, and basically all of next weeks plans have been postponed or canceled :(

Is the rain a blessing or a curse? 

I can't quite decide! I'm glad it's raining because living through a drought isn't a lot of fun, but is it raining more than necessary? It sure feels like it! Every time it rains, horse people face the facts: rain is needed to keep water levels high for the horses to drink, it helps the grass grow for the horses to eat, it cleans off our trucks and trailers that we might neglect in that department because whats the point if it's just going to get muddy again? But there are lots of drawbacks to it too. Grey horses turn a nice chestnutty red or a really dark black (depending on the type of soil you live on), blankets lose their original color (and you hope they are still waterproof!) shoe sucker mud comes out in full force, and doing basic barn chores just got a lot worse! Not to mention if you don't have a covered arena you are most likely sidelined until your footing dries out, after it stops raining for a few days!

That's a lot of mud!!
 http://hoofcare.blogspot.com/

The saving grace for the current rain storm is the temperature. Thank goodness it is warm enough outside (or at least where I am!) that you can stand being out there long enough to get all the stalls clean and set up again. There is nothing worse than a damp bone chilling cold that makes every part of your body numb and achey. The only way to warm back up after a day like that is an extremely hot shower and a cup of hot tea! 

There are other reasons that the rain is good. You know all those indoor things you should do but somehow get pushed to the back? The rain keeps you inside so you can get your work done! I have a list as long as my arm of things I should do but keeping coming up with ways to go out to the barn and ride my horse instead... So is today a good day to start on that list? Well I have an entire week of rain in the forecast to get everything done! Though I'm sure I'll be putting on my boots and trudging out to the barn to see my pony on a regular basis- because lets face it, not even rain can keep me inside for to long!!

Oh!! Another great reason to stay inside when it rains- YOUTUBE!!! There are sooooo many great videos out there (and really terrible ones). I'm sure you're familiar with Ed the Naughty Pony, if not- look it up! But I just stumbled across a really funny christmas themed clip! I know it's January, but this one is to good to not share!!! Just think of it as a Candlemas present to you guys ;) Thanks to this post on Hoof Blog for finding some cute videos!

So if it's raining where you are, maybe start on that long "for a rainy day" list, and when you need a good laugh, have an enjoyable moment watching youtube! Or a good horse movie :)

Blanket Monsters!!!

I think there is a blanket eating monster in Gus's pasture. It apparently only has a taste for medium weight blankets and doesn't care for sheets- I think it likes the filling, not the crust...

This past month my horse has ripped BOTH of his blankets while out in the pasture! The two days it was cold enough to put him out in a blanket (he's clipped in case you forgot) he came in with rips on his butt.

Day 1) His brown Bit of Britain- it's 1680 denier (apparently) so should be pretty strong- well not strong enough! There was about an inch of ripped shell on his back left hind quarter... nothing bad, but still needs to be stitched up, so off it comes (it had started to warm up to sheet weather by that point) and out comes the spare- a green Weatherbeeta (Oricon maybe???) that came with Gus when we got him.

Day 2) Another cold day and out goes Gus in his green blanket...and returns with a 4 inch gash AND filling falling out! Now Gus has no spare...but thankfully barn owner was able to stitch the green one up because lets face it, I hate this blanket (color aside- it's a real pretty green) and don't care that it's no longer waterproof at the rip point BUT Gus needs a blanket when it gets cold at night.

Blankets in the Snow (from a previous year- 2010?)

So this fiasco gets me thinking- what Blanket is the Best bang for your buck? Does the more expensive Rambo equal a longer lasting blanket? So here are some thoughts about the various blankets I have used in the past and some preferences I have for picking out a blanket/sheet for a horse

What I look for:
High Neck- I like this feature b/c it makes the blankets seem more protective. I prefer the high neck vs. the neck covers (hoods) because it still allows heat to escape but protects from rain. I think that neck covers can get to hot, especially if you have a furnace for a horse!

Neck Cover

High Neck

Standard Neck

Chest Clips- not buckles- There is nothing worse than trying to buckle the front of a blanket with thick gloves on and the strap is not going through the buckle, so you have to take your nice and toasty gloves off and on as you buckle each horse's blanket- boo. I don't care what kind of clips, but really do like ones that just snap on- those are the easiest


 Tail Straps- ok this isn't the end of the world, but they are so much easier to deal with than leg straps. This way you only have to unclip the front and stomach clips before pulling off the blanket. But if your blanket shifts a lot on your horse the leg straps can keep it in place a bit better.



Blankets I've tried

Weatherbeeta- These tend to be cheaper blankets but have many features that people quite like. They usually have shoulder gussets to allow more freedom in the shoulder. I do love the really large tail flaps to protect the tail area from rain/snags/bites/whatever it stops (I think this is only available in the Freestyle versions). It does a really good job of covering the tail area without restricting movement or being to loose and flapping. They have high neck and standard neck designs, but they have the evil buckles. I hate Weatherbeetas for this purpose alone. But to be fair I just looked at their website and some of the blankets have the quick clip option! Yes! Now that is what I'm talking about!! I would consider trying one of those Weatherbeetas! Now back to the review- They hold up decently well, but this also depends on how many blanket monsters live in your pasture! I've heard mixed results about how they fit horses, some horses they fit really well and others not so much. But I think that's a general problem, not one specific to Weatherbeeta. Color option is pretty extensive with the Joules collection, so it's nice to have some fun options! Do really love the Weetherbeeta/Joules bubble dog blanket I have for my dog Jello- it is in it's 3rd winter and has held up really well, and my dog doesn't just sit at home- she's out hunting in the woods by the barn and going on trail rides with me so it's been through some brush!

one of many styes/options/colors from Weatherbeeta

Jello in her blanket

Bit of Britain- Cheap blankets WITH clips! They have the adjustable buckle but with a clip for easy usage once properly adjusted to specific horse. Quite handy. Color options aren't extensive, their strongest denier comes in a not the most attractive copperish brown color. It's not horrible, but they seriously could of picked a better color! But I guess it does hide mud better? They do have a much better blue plaid version of the high neck, but has a lower denier strength. This is important when deciding what blanket to buy for what horse and how rough the horse is on his blankets. The blankets fit pretty well to the horse, but I feel like they tend to shift slightly. Though to be fair, this is most likely a result of me trying to change the leg straps into a tail strap and then loosing the other leg strap. But it didn't fall off, just off center. So as long as it stays place and still covers my horse while being off center I won't complain, to much. The other thing I don't like about it is it tends to be a bit bell shaped when sitting on a horse. Again more of a cosmetic issue, not a workability issues, but I don't like how it seems to flair out at the bottom. The brown blanket I have is a year old and the bell shape hasn't really gone away. Has shoulder gussets so this is quite nice. They tend to go on sale, even in the middle of winter (like right now-25% off!) so this is really nice if you're on a budget!

 

Rambo- Love Love LOVE my Rambo!!! It's probably 5+ years old and still going strong (knock on wood) Don't like that the Wug sheet version (high neck style) only comes in purple, but oh well. Real men wear purple right? It has all the check marks for my blanket requirement list with easy clips, tail strap, and high neck option (the Wug) They seem to have a really long shelf life because all of our horses have had their Wug's for minimum of 5 years. I know that there are Rambos still in use that could be reaching the age of 10,15, and 20 years- who knows even the very first Rambo could be out there still in use??? The other thing I like about Rambo is the people behind the company are always coming up with new ideas to make their blanket even better. The V neck snap system on the front of the blankets, velcro that now has a double closure system to keep the blanket closed when the velcro starts to get old and not as sticky, removable surcingles because those are always getting ripped up and fall apart before the blanket does, a plastic covered tail strap because poop is always collecting on the nylon ones, and the 3rd surcingle for added security without restricting movement. The only fault that Rambo has is it's price- holy cow the price! Not an easy purchase to make if you're trying to save money or if you have to buy multiple blankets for multiple horses. Horseware Ireland (the company behind Rambos) does make a cheaper option called Amigo. I've only ever used one Amigo and I quite liked it. It didn't have any of the cool Rambo features, but it was also unknown age (probably with in the 5 year range) and had come out of a box of blankets that my mom had as leftovers from when we had a riding program at our old boarding barn. It fit Liaison well and he looked quite dashing in the Green Plaid design.

The Bay Boys in their Wugs

Care and Maintenance of Blankets

Hairballs from blanket after washing

As with any blanket the way you take care of it will determine how long it will last. Washing and waterproofing every year will insure that your blanket will keep out the rain. But remember that regular detergent will strip the waterproofing off of the blanket and ruin it. Also make sure you use breathable waterproofing agents because it can get really hot under a blanket unless it can breathe! The breathability prevents the horse from sweating and then catching a chill (when blanket is used in appropriate temp for weight of blanket)- if you've ever worn a cheap raincoat than you know what I'm talking about

So either take your blankets to a reputable blanket repair person (just like anything in life, not all blanket repair people are created equal) or make sure you wash and waterproof with APPROVED detergent and waterproofing only! I promise this will SAVE you more money in the long run!!! I know someone who ruined their blankets by using some weird waterproofing stuff (I think it was for your shoes?) and while it worked great the first year, it has prevented the blankets from holding onto their waterproofing ability since then. My horse was the only one dry and his blanket is the exact same blanket (and age) as the other ones. It may suck paying for quality work, but it's a lot cheaper than buying a new blanket every year!

Final thoughts about blanket purchase:

 If your horse's nickname is Shredder and you find that the Ninja Turtles are always battling your horse out in the pasture and every year you need to buy a replacement blanket, go with a cheap blanket that doesn't put you in debt when purchasing a new one every year.

 If quality is what you seek, go with a Rambo. If you are able to spend the extra cash up front I do think buying a good quality blanket will pay you back in the end because it will outlast the others.

Not all blankets will fit your horse. There is nothing more unsightly than a blanket rub on your immaculately clean horse at a horse show. You can buy shoulder protectors to prevent rubs, but it's easiest if you buy a blanket that fits (less hassle). If your horse is extra wide (big shoulders or girth area, drafty or Quarter horse breeds tend to be this way) they do make extra wide blankets to accommodate the shoulder but won't be to long for the back. 

But no matter how much money you spend for the initial blanket, upkeep is the only way to ensure longevity in your blanket purchase- no matter what brand you go with!

Johnny staying dry and toasty in his blanket

The Bay Boys coming in to eat

Hardcore Riding

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelene/2243842084/

With Christmas coming closer and closer I knew that Gus was possibly going to have between 3 to 4 days off doing nothing but eating and rolling in some dirt. But the 29th and 30th of December we're suppose to attend an intense 2 day clinic (if a small detail in scheduling will allow it!!!) and the last thing Gus needs is a week off! But the weather is making this task EXTREMELY difficult! Yesterday the rain came in and it's suppose to keep raining until sometime after Christmas... so how the heck am I'm suppose to ride???

Well I decided to brave it today and be "Hardcore". Thank goodness it's not freezing outside so getting a little wet isn't the end of the world. But getting so soaked that it takes hours to dry off isn't fun. Which is what happened today. I woke up to the sound of a steady downpour and then around 9 it stopped. I quickly jumped up, checked the hourly weather and saw that I had till 11 before the rain was coming back. So immediately started running around the apartment trying to get ready so I could "beat the rain". Unfortunately I didn't have a working bathroom quite yet (it was fixed this afternoon) so I was running up and down the stairs to the half bath right under my room. I'm not the most organized person especially when it comes to planning out the most efficient morning routine. I just wander back and forth between my bathroom and my bed putting a shirt on, brushing my teeth, digging in my laundry for riding pants while brushing my teeth, spitting in the sink and washing out the toothpaste, grabbing a quick bite of breakfast, finding some socks to wear, and then looking for my shoes and making sure my dog Jello is ready, looking for Jello's raincoat (since it's suppose to rain), finding my keys, finding my purse, making sure my phone is in it, oh wait it's upstairs.... ok now where is Jello- oh she's gone back to sleep- WAKE UP we have to GO!!! Aaaaand just as we walk out the door woosh! Instant downpour of rain. So back inside we trek only to hear the rain stop 3 minutes later! So back out we go and to the barn we're headed!

On the way the rain comes and goes but doesn't really rain all that hard so I keep thinking- ok, I can do this- think about the clinic, be hardcore, be hardcore, be hardcore!!! What is a little rain? It's not cold, suck it up, suck it up, BE HARDCORE! So as soon as we get to the barn I knew we were in a little trouble- the ring was SOAKED and it starts to downpour again! So plan changed, going to clean tack, after all I just drove out here, wasn't about to turn around... and then the rain stops! So I ran out to the field, grabbed Gus, quickly tacked him up and we headed out to do some "Road Riding" since that was the only place we could do any sort of fitness ride.

The good thing about the road that's right behind the barn is the lack of cars. The farm had been sold to a developer before the economic crash and they had paved a road for the trucks to drive on. They also put in a water system so there is a nice grassy flat space with man holes sticking up along the way, but plenty of space to ride on. It's not a long trail, but it has decent footing and paired with the road on this mucky gross wet day it was all I had to work with! The road has a perfect hill to walk up and down and really get the horses pushing uphill or sitting and really using their hind end/stifles to walk down.

So off we went towards "The Hill" and it started out just a little drizzly, nothing that we couldn't deal with. Gus was feeling great, my quarter sheet was covering up most of my saddle and keeping Gus's butt dry (since he's clipped I didn't want him getting chilled) We took the Man Hole Trail as a nice warm up to "The Hill". The footing wasn't that bad and it has a nice slope that isn't to steep but starts to get the horse pushing a little more than on flat ground. Finally we approached The Hill and Gus was ready- well he didn't have much choice ;) Now this Hill compares nothing to the Snowy River Hill, but it really gets the horses puffing 3/4ths of the way up

Scene from "The Man from Snowy River"


Now this movie is the definition of hardcore riding. Just look at the way Jim is balanced as he and his horse sail down the cliff edge after the brumbies. This is obviously the most famous scene, but Jim's horsemanship throughout the entire movie is hard core awesomeness. I think I'm going to start channeling Jim Craig and Denny on cross country now... Just look at this picture!!

Hardcore Downhill Riding

We ended up walking up and down the Hill 3 times to really give Gus as much of a work out as possible for the clinic. We could of done it more but by the 2nd loop my pants were soaked through and on the 3rd loop I was getting cold and was a little jealous of Gus under the quarter sheet. If I glanced down water cascaded off the brim of my helmet onto my already drenched legs. It was definitely time to head in. 

Even if the rain stops I'm still in a bit of a pickle. The ring is so soaked and with more rain in the forecast I don't see how I'm even going to be able to ride in it before the clinic. So Gus and I might be banned to the "Hill" for the next week, but I think I'm going to join him in walking up and down the hill- after all I have to survive the clinic too!!!

Under all that Hair...

It finally happened! Gus is now one super cute CLIPPED over grown pony!!!!

After much pondering and consideration to the future weather forecast, available "free" time, and future ride plans, I made the decision to bathe Gus on Sunday and then clip him on Monday (the day of the monsoon!!!) because those were the last of the really warm days before fall (and an inkling of winter) decided to set in.

So on Sunday- out came the shampoo and scrub brush! I'm not going to bore you quite yet with tips and tricks to get your horse so squeaky clean that you can pass a HA Formal Inspection at a Pony Club Rally (or rating for that matter!) That'll be for another post on another day! (Just for those that might not know- H.A. is the highest level of Horse Management in the Pony Club Rating system- check out ponyclub.org)

Just some of the "tools" needed to be "HA" clean!!!

Now it was Monday- clipping time!!! I opted to give Gus a little Ace to keep him from being bothered by the tickling from the vibrations of the clippers. I wasn't worried about Gus not letting me clip him, but I know he is very sensitive and I have to use the softest curry combs and brushes because he's so ticklish. I waited about 20 minutes after giving Gus some Ace and into the cross ties he went! 

Clipping a horse is kinda of like walking in the snow. Taking that first row of hair off with the clippers is like the first step into a completely unmarked area of snow. You can't help but look at it and think- I hope I don't mess this up!!! But at the same time I love it! Just like hearing the snow crunch under your boots and seeing your footprints follow behind you, there is something satisfying and thrilling watching the blades cut little paths into the coat. There is something exciting about transforming a shaggy pony into a work of art! I guess it's the same feeling that artist get when they start a new project? Taking a canvas and seeing it transform beneath the paint? When you reach the end you hope it's something that you can be proud of! 

Ok so remember in the last post where I was talking about Quarter marks? After some Google searching I came up with a fun little design that I was going to attempt to put on Gus's butt. Typing in "Augustus" (because that is his show name) I found a lot of marble faces staring back at me. Along with these stone faces were random pictures of faces on coins. So I thought, all coins have a tails side so maybe there will be an easy design on the back of an "Augustus coin"? Sure enough, there was!

Augustus Coin

So here's a little history lesson- Caesar Augustus is considered the first Roman Emporer. He was Julius Caesar's nephew/adopted son. Approximately four months after Julius Caesar was assassinated, a comet appeared in the sky. (Can't you hear it now? Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears...oh a comet!) Augustus declared that this was Julius Caesar ascending into the heavens. Apparently this comet was so bright that it could be seen during the day and was visible for 7 days. The comet became a symbol for Augustus and was printed on the back of these Augustus Coins. So there is your history lesson for the day! Thanks to Wikipedia's Caesar's Comet and other websites that I will not link to because they tended to be discussions about the religious context of the star and since this blog is not about religion, I've opted for you to search for yourself if you are interested. (Google image search "Augustus Coin" and click on any coin that looks like/similar the one above and it'll probably take you to the right page)

The "Practice" Side- eventually was shaved off

Well I am NOT that skilled with a fast moving blade to write out words or create the tail of the comet, so I opted for a little artistic rendition for Gus pony's quarter mark. Taking masking tape and a bottle with a round bottom, I traced the bottom of the bottle onto Gus's bum and then used the masking tape to make the rays of the comet. Originally I was trying to cut around the masking tape with small clippers, but that ended quickly because the blades were to close together and was cutting the hair sooo close to the skin that I was going to have a bald pony if I wasn't careful! Since I hadn't clipped the other side of his bum yet, I took masking tape and made a quick small version of the comet. Then taking the big clippers I buzzed over the masking tape and cut the exposed hairs. It ended up looking decent enough so I thought, might as well try it on the other side! Anything would look better than a bald booty!!!

As for the rest of Gus's body, I ended up doing a trace clip combo with a hunter clip. I shaved off all the hair on his body, but left the legs and a saddle pad (like the hunter clip) and only clipped off the hair from the bottom side of his neck (like the trace clip). The reasoning behind my motives is simple. Gus has plenty of blankets to keep his back warm this winter, but this doesn't help his neck out (even though all his blankets/sheets are high neck) So by leaving some hair on his neck he can stay warmer while he's hanging outside in his pasture pigging out on the dying grass and eventually hay (when the grass finally sleeps for winter). The underside has been clipped to keep him cooler when riding because that is where he (and all horses) sweat the most on their necks, henceforth why you clip that part of the neck!

Now it's time for the drum roll..... The end results of Gus's new haircut!!! After hours of scratching and itching from the hair finding it's way into my shirt, and straining my eyes to make sure I wasn't leaving clipper lines, I present to you, Prairie Augustus, ready for winter riding!!!!!

The Right Side

The Left Side (note Comet on hind end)

Closer view of Gus's Quarter Mark!

And on that note I leave you with a joke-

What is the difference between a good clip job and a bad one?

2 weeks!!! Grow hair grow!!!

To Clip or Not to Clip...

Fall is here, winter is coming, and yet today the temperature reached a blazing 75 degrees F. It was way to gorgeous of a day to not ride so off I went to my NEW barn!!! Ok so I might also add that I've moved!!! Not just moved barns, but completely moved cities!!!!! I am soooooo much happier in this new place, even though I haven't been here very long, but it's always a good thing when you find yourself smiling as you drive down the road right? Yes... a very good thing!!!!

So back to the barn... The past week of riding I have been challenged by the amount of hair that Gus has. When it was cold I didn't want to work him to hard because I wouldn't be able to dry him out before the sun set, and today poor Gus was sooo hot that I had to cut our ride short because he was having difficulties cooling down. He's decently fit (for the amount of work I put him through) and today he didn't stop puffing until I was able to douse him with cold water- so this brings up the age old question- to clip or not, and if clip, what kind of clip?

http://horsegroomingadvice.com/

Pros of Clipping:
   Easier to clean after riding!
   Cooler for horse in work (especially where I live- see today's weather temp!!)
   Can do fun designs (though coming up with the "perfect" design can be tricky...)
   What shedding season???

http://vichorse.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&goto=2290902&S=b2128383612a289c2d70134370bf5e23

Cons of Clipping
  More blanketing required
  Horse might look ugly (bad clip job, or not pretty color after clipping-usually bays!)
  costs $ or hours of your day (depending on how fast you are!)


If I do end up clipping a horse I always try to wait till after Thanksgiving. This way I only have to clip once! If you clip to early they grow their winter coat back and you either have to clip again, or deal with shedding season. Also if you clip to late (after they start to shed) it could mess up summer coat growth.

Some people leave lights on to prevent their horse from growing a coat (since it's daylight hours that tells a horse when to start growing/shedding). Personally I hate this, it probably costs more in extra electrical usage than just clipping the horse! One person I know leaves the lights on all winter and then her horses start to grow winter coats in March/April when they should be shedding! Then she has to clip the horses because they're to hot for the summer...(where is the logic in this? She ends up clipping anyways!!!) I know some breeds standards (show quarter horses come to mind) tend to favor this system but it's not my favorite way to keep a horse's coat short, but if you're showing your horse in those type of breed classes through the winter then I guess it's what you have to do? Good thing eventers don't care!!!

So after much deciding, ok not really- Gus is getting clipped!!! It's time to figure out what type of clip to use. Depending on work load/ blanketing abilities/shelter options this can be more difficult to figure out. The four main types of clips you see are: Hunter clip, Trace clip, Body clip, and Blanket clip.

 

Peasridge Clipper Advice

Personally I would never body clip my horse, but that is mainly because of the type of weather my horse tends to see in the winter. Body clipping is fine for the horse down in Florida/warm climates or have access to warm blankets, leg wraps, and a warm stable for the cold days. If my horse is in serious work I tend to do a Hunter clip so that the legs can stay warm because I can't always go out to the barn to wrap legs (think road closing weather conditions) plus the hair on the legs gives them protection from sticks and brambles and things that you might run across when trail riding or fox hunting (hence it being called a "Hunter" clip- ah ha!) I also find the so called Blanket clip a bit backwards. Why take all the hair off the neck but leave the back? I guess if you don't have adequate blankets and need to keep their back warm then this makes sense, but I'd rather do a reverse blanket clip and leave the top part of the neck hairy (like the neck on a trace clip) and clip off the hair under the blanket (but leave a patch under the saddle- for protection). This way when horse is standing outside he can keep his neck warm and stay snuggly under a nice thick blanket.

The best part (in my opinion) about clipping is the quarter marks!!! You can add some fun and flair to any horse or pony by stenciling a design onto their bums! There are some really neat ones out there, and also the typical fun ones (hearts, stars, etc) But clipper beware! If you are clipping into the coat you better be an artist!!! Your design can only get bigger if you make a mistake!!! If you're clipping around the design you can always shave it off if it looks bad, but alas your "easel" is a one time use (until next year or another horse!)

Cornell Polo Ponies

Body Clip Art

And now I need to go think about what Gus's design is going to be...and hope that I'm skilled enough to do it!!! I'll try to post pictures after Gus's clip job- which will hopefully be done in the next week or so!!!! Goodbye hair!!!

Polo-Cross-Train-In-G(rass)

One of the benifits of boarding at the farm where the pony club equipment is stored is the ability to borrow it when it just sits there looking at you day in and day out... Well ok when I say the equipment I really mean the Polocrosse mallets that are hanging in the tack room!!! Our club bought the mallets back when I was in high school because of Festival 2001 where we all came back totally in love with the game! We never got competitive with the game, but loved having the mallets around to tool about on our horses. Heck it's a great way to find out how quiet your horse is, because lets face it- only a certain horse is going to let you swing a stick around on it's back!

http://www.ezpolocrosse.com/

Lately I had been eyeing the mallets and wondering how Gus would do... So day 1) I grabbed the mallet and slowly introduced it and the ball to Gus. He was a saint! He probably was more interested in the grass  we were standing on then the stick I was holding in my hand- he didn't flinch a muscle. So next came the ball, at first he thought it might be edible and sniffed it for a few seconds and then realizing it was just a plastic lacrosse ball (the real polocrosse ball has been lost in the shuffle of moving between 3 barns) and he went back to snoozing. I rubbed the ball all over his face, shoulder, flank, etc. Then I started lightly tossing the ball at him to see how he would react it if accidentally hit him, again nothing- the only thing he did was reach for some mouthfulls of grass while I pelted him lightly with the ball. So obviously he's fine with the mallet and ball being in some sort of control, so the next step was to see how he would react with it in motion. I started swinging the mallet in large circles by his eyes and flanks, nothing, zero, nilche. Gus continued to stand there and look at me like I was some crazy person because he wasn't bothered at all by flying objects!!! Good sign Gus!!

http://www.ezpolocrosse.com/

Day 2) Ride time!!! I tacked up Gus today and took him out into the field to see how would react in "play" mode. I waved the mallet around and then tossed the ball straight out in front and VOILA! He did nothing. My horse was so game and awesome that I decided his next career should be as a polocrosse pony!!! He's a great height, obviously doesn't care about the ball and stick, he's top man in the field but doesn't usually bite or kick except in play, so he'd be aggressive but not dangerous (a plus for a polox pony) the only issue I foresee is speed. He's not the fastest horse in the world, and it does take an effort to make him go anywhere, but I think if he was playing a game he'd pick up the pace and get a little more excited. He's really handy and listens to your leg really well so today I didn't have any problems stopping and turning with one hand on the reins (another reason that I'm in love with his Dressage training!!!) The only problem we had today was ME!!! I couldn't pick up the ball for the life of me!!! Walk and sometimes at the trot I was ok, but every time we would canter right past the ball... Now to give myself some credit, and not take the total blame... we only had a lacrosse ball which is about half the size and much lighter than a polocrosse ball. Plus the grass was really tall and the mallet kept getting caught on the grass blades instead of being able to scoop up the ball. So word to the wise- there is a reason polo players and polocrosse players play on mowed fields!!!! Plus I lost the ball a couple of times and had to walk around looking for it- even with it being bright orange it was difficult to see if it was buried under a tall thick clump of grass!!!!

Now I just need to find some friends in the area to come over and play a game with us! And find a REAL polocrosse ball....  But if not I'll keep playing by myself because it really is a great way to cross train Gus. He has to listen to my leg cues, practice galloping forward and slowing down, and turning with balance- all good things that an eventer should know! So here we go- it's Polo-Crosse Training time!!!

Are Pictures Worth a Thousand Words??

Basically my entire life somehow revolves around horses (much to my grandparents chagrin) but I do have other hobbies, one of them is photography. Most of the time I feel like I get pretty lucky with a shot, as in not really sure why it turned out so well, but it did...luck. I see pictures of professional photographers and I can't help but drool. The way the capture the emotion just makes me want to fall out of my chair with yearning. If I could design the perfect life, I'd be a professional photographer that happens to ride horses. But since I have not quite found the niche of this so called "perfect life" I can continue dreaming and hopefully one day get there! So as a quest to become a better photographer I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures from over the years. Some might have horses in them, but not all do- this is part of a "challenge" posted by a Chronicle of the Horse Forum poster to blog about something non horsey- so here goes my "challenge" :)

"An Irish Road Trip"

Ok so here is a picture I took back in the summer of 2008 when I was living in Galway Ireland. I had a student working visa that allowed me to work, live, and play for 5 months before coming back to the states. While I was there I met 3 Canadians, 1 Aussie, 3 Irish neighbors, and 1 Irish girl. Ok so I met more people than that, but these were the people that I hung out with basically the entire time. This picture is of my Canadian roommate, Liz, standing on top of the Cliffs of Moher.

Irish Road Signs- good luck if you don't have a map!!

Galway is seriously the best location for staying on the west side of Ireland because it is the most central to all the tourist sites. The Cliffs were an easy easy day trip from the city, and you can easily catch a tour bus that will run you to the cliffs and back, and stopping at various other attractions along The Burren.

The Burren- yes that's what the ground
 looks like, cracks and all!!

The "Coast Road" to the Cliffs

one of the Portal Tombs sprinkled across Ireland
A tourist attraction on the way to the Cliffs!

Aussie Susy waving from "the other side"

But this day Aussie Susy, Canadian Liz, and I took a little road trip with a rental car on loan (don't tell the rental car company!!) took off on one the few true blue days to go sightseeing. We had a great time hiking out past the sign that read "Do Not Go Past This Point" (because lets face it, the sign was only for legal reasons, everyone goes hiking past that point!!!)

plants along the cliffs

cute older couple enjoying the day

When we got fairly far the sky suddenly started to turn an ugly black so back towards the visitor center we went- and thank goodness for our perfect timing! Literally seconds from opening up the door into the visitor center (that looks like a little Hobbit home because it was built into the side of a hill) it started pouring and thundering!!! Now it does rain a lot in Ireland but RARELY does it thunder!!! So our gorgeous blue day was interrupted by a short thunderstorm, but on the drive back to Galway it allowed us to see some of the most amazing full rainbows... oh Ireland how I do miss you!!!

Rainbow on the way home

And even though this was suppose to be a horseless post I couldn't help myself- this is Ireland after all and horses are a part of the scenery!!! These two cuties were hanging out in a pasture right next to the coastal road we drove down! So naturally we stopped and took pictures :)

the lunar landscape that is The Burren in the background

This is Ireland- horses are a part of the scenery!