So JEALOUS!

I'm totally jealous of all the photos Allison put up over at Ponytude! The Dinosaurus looks absolutely awesome! I'm jealous that she's riding and that he looks so good... anddd Digby is sitting. Sigh. Only till... May. :) Oh well. What are you going to do! But I highly suggest you go check out that link and look at all the pony cuteness that is Dino.

I can't wait to ride Digby. <3 I might have to just sit on him before May. I haven't really ridden since June! Argghhh.

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

I'm a horse so I don't really know what this whole "Christmas" thing is about but I heard you wear a red suit and bring presents for it. That sounds like my kind of thing. I heard something about some flying equine relative? I'm not sure... I don't think flying sounds like a good idea. Please don't volunteer me. I like to jump and all but... Anyway. For Christmas, I would like you to bring the following:

1) My spinny Likit. I'm not sure where my mother hid it but it was always filled with tasty, sugary things and I really liked it and now it's gone. Tell her to bring it back or replace it. Any flavor is acceptable besides that salty one. Gross.

2) More grass. I know it's winter and all but it's really tasty.

3) If PA cannot get more grass, I'd like a ride to somewhere tropical so I can eat grass all year long. Perhaps Florida? Is there lots of grass in Florida? There certainly are a lot of horses that go there. Ooh! I heard some place named Kentucky is famous for its grasses... Let's try there!

4) A job. My mother has clearly missed the memo that it's time to prepare for the show season. Why aren't I jumping? In fact, she's not doing anything with me! I'm totally fine! I don't know why we're not doing anything. My foot hurt for a little bit there but it's FINE now. We should be working! Women... I tell you. They overreact to everything.

5) As many treats as possible. Bring them on pallets for easy storage. Thanks!

Love,
Digby

From the ground up...

Digby, yesterday, coming over to see me.

Digby is getting his hooves trimmed soon. It's been 4 weeks since his shoes came off but the farrier had left his toes a little long on purpose so he'd be a little more comfortable. When they get trimmed, I will be taking some photos just to compare. He's been super sound some days (darn you Digby! I wanna RIDE!) and then there's days where he isn't so sound. I don't think it has to do with the fact that he's barefoot really. He's been fairly ok with his shoes being pulled since day 1. I think it's just whatever he has going on in his left front. He's also due for a chrio/massage treatment. I hemmed and hawed about continuing these now that he's not being ridden but they definitely make him more comfortable. It's not that expensive and it makes him happy. The pain in his hoof makes him brace and create tension in his muscles, which explains why he's back sore right before he goes lame. Even though we're not sure how much pain he is in, he's certainly happy and if the massages make his muscles more comfortable even for a week or two, it's worth it to me.

I've been thinking that I'll have a lot of free time when I go back to night shifts in January. I'll be working hopefully 6 days a week from 4 pm till 11 pm foal watching and doing all the fun things that that goes along with. This leaves me with ALL DAY! to do fun things. I might start doing some ground work with him or clicker training. Digby has been clicker trained before and knows how to bow and say yes and no. I'm sure I could teach him some fun new tricks. I think he's bored and would like a job. Maybe it's me who's bored... I'm not sure! :) Either way, he's not the best horse to work with on the ground and does need work with clipping (ears only) and definitely with trailer loading/unloading. He's sort of irritating on cross ties because he does. not. stand. still! and thinks that pawing is acceptable, even though I tell him every single time he does it that it is in fact NOT ok. I've decided that this winter/spring without being ridden is a good time to work with him on that kind of stuff. Nothing else to do right? I've been researching the groundwork stuff and the only thing that worries me slightly is there is a lot of circling done and/or lunging type situations. I'm not sure I want to do a lot of small circles with a horse who is lame. We will have to see how he is doing then!

Digby's new digs

Meet Trooper.

Digby!

Handsome <3

The young girls, Colada and Kahlua.

Nom Nom...

Skyy!

Sur and Brandy.

Digby.... please don't climb this tree and injure yourself.

Digby's gf Colada.

Worried face.

Thankful for...

I believe that you don't need a specific day to be thankful. You should be thankful for what you have every day of your life. I try to. But, tis the (turkey) season, so I'm thankful for...

Digby. The lovely wild hony beast and the reason I'm writing this blog today. He may be lame (though he's less and less lame lately, even on 12+ hours of turnout a day without shoes!!) but he's still his same old personable self. He makes me laugh. I'll have had him for two years in February but I've known him for much, much longer! Love you Dig My Size!

Miss Midnight. Aka the little dog. I waited 24 years to get a dog. Finally got one and she's pretty much perfect. We rescued her from the SCPA in March. Not much history on this girl but she was apparently around 2 years old, a lab mix and rescued from a puppy mill. People say you don't rescue a dog, the dog rescues you. I'm not sure who rescued who honestly but she's worth waiting 24 years for. <3 Oh but she's technically my dads... don't tell!

Fluffy. Aka fluffy cat, miss fluff, fluffers, fluffernutter and fluffaluffagus. Possibly the only good thing to come out of my last job (being a barn manager in NY). I stole her when I moved into the house across the road from the barn. Someone dropped her and her kittens off shortly before I started working at the barn. Her kittens got good homes. She remained a barn cat. Who meowed when you opened the fridge ever hopeful for some milk... it broke my heart. (She still meows when you open the fridge :) in case you were wondering) She's a big, cuddly, gorgeous thing and makes me smile every time I see her.

My friends, family, and all their pets. Being safe and healthy. We've all got food, clothing and roofs over our heads. <3 Enough said.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Promised pictures!

They aren't the best. Taken from my phone and don't really show a whole lot besides Mr. Digby himself but you get the idea.

Coming out of the run in shed the first day!

Wait, where am I?

The gate going out from the barn to the field.

Hanging out in his stall... with evil eyes :)

A barely visible Digby and a new friend, Sur.

Baby, it's (getting) cold outside!

Digby's moved to his new self care boarding situation, aka a field to live in 24/7 except to eat his grain, in nasty weather and when the temps go below 25ish at night. He's still not having an excellent time. It's no ones fault. He's just the worrying kind and two of the other geldings are quite dominant. They'll figure it out soon hopefully. He's definitely getting his butt kicked and has already lost weight! Grr. How does a horse lose weight in, like, three days? Not a ton but a noticeable amount if you're paying attention which I am.

I'm sort of liking the "self care" part of it. I never have to worry about what he's eating, if he's getting his hoof supplements, if he's ok, if the barn is going to take his blanket off or not, if they're going outside. I make up his feed, supplements included. I take his blanket off or put it on depending on the weather. They're always outside. Of course, I do have to worry about getting there every day, making sure he has hay to eat, that I get grain delivered to work, and that I can find someone to get me shavings. I also need to PAY for all these things. But all and all, it's almost relaxing to go to the barn after work. I've already got a routine down. Wake up, stop by barn to remove blanket if necessary, go to work, back to barn, make up grain for AM and PM, clean stall, fill up buckets, throw hay, bring Digby in, groom, apply corona ointment to his "battle wounds", throw on blanket if necessary, usually feed around this time, give kisses and treats, leave, go to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat. I'm sure eventually I'll get sick of it but I'm kind of enjoying the quiet solitude. It's relaxing to not have to worry if he's sound or not. It doesn't matter if I'm not in the mood to ride. I don't have to feel guilty about only riding 4 days a week. I can't ride. He's not going to be sound. He just gets to enjoy the attention that I smother him with. It's quiet. The barn is clean. The owner is nice. I'm really hoping it works out. 

As for life in the field, Digby's not friends with anyone yet. Two of the mares, both are young, seem to tolerate him fine and occasionally eat next to him but when I came today he was all the way by himself. Poor kid. Find some friends, Digby! And for the love of god, START KICKING THOSE MEAN HORSES BACK! You're going to give me an ulcer. Thanks. :)

Otherwise, life is fine. Work, Digby, sleep. Getting over a death cold/flu of epic proportions that caused nearly half of my works employees to feel like death for several days. I guess that's fall/winter though. What else is new? 

Think I'm high maintenance? You should see my horse...

I got to thinking today about Digby's odd affection while I was grooming his neck and shoulders with the curry (usually he's not a fan of the curry at all) and decided that it might be his blanket. He just started wearing it. Now, this is the ONLY blanket I've found that fits him without giving him rubs on his withers or his shoulders. He wore a shoulder guard the first winter I had him and was fine but last winter, it rubbed him! Isn't the point of it to not get rubs? I took it off and he was fine with his one medium weight blanket on. I always put blankets on after he got clipped so I figured he was just itchy the first few weeks but he didn't get clipped this year. He's only getting the blanket on when it gets cold (into the 20s at night) enough to warrant him having clothing so he doesn't lose weight. Which brings me to my next point... what if Digby wasn't completely spoiled? He must be totally nuts. I suppose when he lived at the college he wasn't spoiled and we all see how well that worked out. I'm sure there are horses out there that are as high maintenance as him. Let's list several things Digby thinks he should get special treatment for:

• Saddles. He's a tricky saddle fit. It needs to be a good fitting saddle, in the proper position on his back, with a half pad and a wither relief saddle pad. If one of these is not correct, he gets cranky. Think tail swishing, grinding of teeth, resistance to move forward cranky.
• Flies. Any and all flies MUST. BE. KILLED! If a fly lands on him at any point in the ride, Digby feels he was full right to completely ignore any and all requests until aforementioned pest is removed from him. He will resort to any means necessary.
• Flat work. He gets bored with flat work at best but tends to flat like a champ, no martingale, simple happy mouth d ring like a total short stirrup pony requiring a crop and the occasional spur. But if you ask him to flat in a grass field or on a trail ride? He's calling the union on you because clearly, this is not in his job description. I can usually coax him into doing it but he's very good at telling me "mom, I'll do it because you want me to... but I really hate it. Can we get this over with?"
• Jumping. Some days he lopes around and you could probably but a kid on him. Other days if it's above or below a certain temperature, he worked semi hard the day before or the wind is blowing just right, watch out. He turns into a nut case, needs a martingale, absolutely no crop or spurs, front and back boots (because if he hits himself while jumping you may die. It's apparently your fault that he's overzealous), and under no circumstance are you to tell him what to do in the last two strides before the fence. He will suck behind the vertical, jump, land and attempt to kill you in a very nonchalant way. Though I suppose this part no longer applies because we will no longer be jumping. :( Sigh...
• Sweating and drinking. He's not a big drinker and he's not a big sweater either. This worries me in the cold, cold months of winter (he tends to colic in the winter I've noticed) and in the heat of the summer where he sweats but really not a lot. This is easily fixed thankfully by electrolytes.
• Feeding. Summer he's FAT, winter he's SKINNY. If you feed too much grain in the winter, he gets wild! Beet pulp usually helps with this or grain-free feed like most senior feeds but it's still a serious process. In the summer, you literally can't feed him anything because he's a chunky chunky thing.
• Turnout. He requires at least one friend at all times. More is better. If you remove this friend, he will be very displeased. He also requires at least 8+ hours a day. None of this "4 hours" nonsense. This required 8 hours does not depend on weather in the least. He wants to be out. Like 5 minutes ago, what are you waiting for?
• Blankets. Oh god, just about every blanket I try on him, gives him either shoulder rubs (which has previously been fixed by a shoulder guard... that then also started rubbing him??) or wither rubs. The one that doesn't, as I mentioned above, apparently makes his neck and shoulders itchy and/or sore. Oh it also rubs away a tiny 1 inch section of his mane every year.
• Farriers. They are his personal chew toy. End of story.

I'm sure there's more but that's all I can think of at the moment! Is anyone else's horse as opinionated or high maintenance as mine? It's a good thing I pay attention enough to pick up on these things or else he would be a very unhappy camper. Someone should remind him that life could be far worse next time they see him! :) I guess I love him anyway.

Digby... a self portrait

The pop tarts are clearly in this box. I know it.

Sherman!!

Sherman is boring. I will eat this box.

Oh hello again Sherman!

Nom nom.

If I look cute and innocent, maybeee someone will feed me?

No? Ok, I'll go back to opening this box by myself now. That's all!

Grooming Tip Tuesday - Bathing and Hot toweling

Grooming Tip Tuesday - Bathing and Hot toweling

Bathing is useful in several situations. Getting ready for a show or after coming in from the field when the horse is extra dirty are just two reasons. Before I start discussing the WHY and HOWs of bathing, I need to note that if you give your horse a bath frequently it will dry your horses coat out and make him more dull, rather than shiny and clean. There is no substitute for a good, thorough grooming.

WHY bathe?

• Extra clean for showing
• Good when first starting to groom a horse to get rid of all the nasty scurf and dander that has built up on the coat
• Remove stains and dirty spots on coat, especially on a light horse

TOOLS needed

• Buckets of warm water
• Shampoo of your choice (use horse shampoo, not people shampoo)
• Body sponge
• Rubber curry comb (or jelly scrubber)
• Sweat scraper
• Towels or cooler if appropriate

HOW to bathe

• It's easiest to rinse horse off with hose, but if you don't have access to a hose with warm water, sponge off entire body getting the horse throughly damp. Start at the hooves then work your way up to the legs then body. I start at the front of the horse as well and work back to the hindquarters.
• Don't forget to wet the mane and tail!
• Squirt a bit of shampoo into your bucket and make sudsy. Sponge this over the horse. Don't be afraid to use a lot. The horse should be pretty sudsy. 
• Use the curry comb or jelly scrubber to loose up dirt and work shampoo into a lather
• When shampooing the mane and tail, I tend to use my fingers because I've found that works best. Hey, it works on our hair doesn't it? Pay attention to the base of the tail (super dandruff-y) and the base of the mane. Don't apply conditioner to the mane or tail if they are going to be braided in the near future. It doesn't end well!
• Rinse before moving on to a different section of the horse. It should feel super clean and free of shampoo. You can either rinse with a hose or by squeezing clean water onto horse with a sponge
• Shampoo left on the coat is never a good thing. It makes horses itchy and leaves them sticky, gross and often looking less shiny then when you started. Not ideal.
• When shampooing the horses face, use as little as soap as possible. Most horses don't like this and I've found baby wipes or hot toweling works better. If your horse allows you to bathe its face, then go right ahead. Just proceed with caution.
• White/light coats should use a shampoo afterwards like Quik Silver. Apply full strength and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse afterwards. Repeat as necessary.
• Make sure you use a sweat scraper afterwards to remove all excess water. Use a dry sponge or towels to remove water from legs and face.
• If it's cool out, cover horse in a cooler unless they're totally dry. 
• Don't leave unattended. They WILL ROLL! :)

Hot Toweling

Hot toweling an be used in cold weather when bathing isn't an option or if you're aren't allowed to give a horse a bath for whatever reason. It works really well on getting up the dirt and scurf from those problem areas like the mane, head and croup. You need a bucket of very hot water (the hotter the better!), rubber gloves if you prefer to not burn your hands and a large towel. If you have gloves, put them on first. Dunk the towel into the bucket full of hot water and wring it out until it's almost dry. Rub the towel with one hand into the roots of the coat. The towel should be dry enough to not wet the hair but bring up all the dirt. Continue to move towel around in your hand to clean spots. When the towel gets cooler, place it in the bucket again and repeat. You can hot towel any part of the horses body as long as they are comfortable with you touching it.

If you have any questions, comments or a suggestion for a grooming tip tuesday post, please comment and let me know! :)

*Crickets chirping*

Not much on the Digby front (is there ever?), besides the fact that my search for a field is going pretty poorly. Who knew that finding a field with four solid fences and a competent owner would be so difficult? If anyone knows of any, or even has a number, please let me know!

In other news, I changed the background so that when it's winter, we can all enjoy some green grass! :)

Grooming Tip Tuesday - White coronets, socks and stocking! Oh my!

(Apparently, the "auto post" option that I tried yesterday did not work... oops.)

White coronets, socks and stockings! Oh My!


This week it's all about the down and dirty on getting those whites CLEAN. My first step is always to shampoo them. I don't need to use a blueing shampoo, like Quik Silver, the first time around. I lather them up and scrub, scrub, scrub. If they're covered in super gross mud and dirt, they simply aren't going to get sparkling white. The next step is to rinse, let dry and then clip. I tend to use a 10 blade but you can also use a smaller blade, like a 15, if you prefer the closer clip. Be careful with a smaller blade that you don't leave clip lines! It's pretty easy to do if you're using anything above a 10 blade. I clip the entire white, whether this is just around the coronet or all the way up to the knees. After clipping, it will be much easier to keep those whites white! For basis maintenance, just keep up to date on shampooing when they get gross so the whites don't have the chance to stain in the first place.

For a show or any other important event that requires lots of flashy whites, I do the same first steps (shampoo, let dry, then clip) a day or two ahead of time. The day before the event, I shampoo with a blueing shampoo like Quik Silver. Make sure you don't dilute Quik Silver. Apply directly to the white and scrub. It needs to sit for about 5 minutes. If it sits too long, it has the chance of staining the white purple. Eek! But if it doesn't sit long enough, it doesn't get as white. After shampooing and washing out the shampoo, I do one of two things. If it's only a tiny coronet on front leg or on a generally clean horse, I usually just spray some ShowSheen to help repel stains and dust and call it a day. If it's a sock or a stocking, I apply baby powder or corn starch while the leg is still wet from the shampooing. Pack as much in the white as you can! Honestly. You almost can't use too much! I don't apply ShowSheen after the baby powder but that's just me. On the morning of the big day, brush out any baby powder/corn starch that is still in the white marking and admire. I usually apply ShowSheen on the white marking after knocking out the baby powder/corn starch just to be safe but it's not necessary. The whites NEVER get whiter than a good course of clipping, Quik Silver and baby powder! (Note: you can do this to an entire body, or to any white marking on the body, but it does require a lot of baby powder!)

If possible, wrapping and blanketing is always your best option before a show day. White legs stay much cleaner by default when they have wraps on!

Back from KY! :)

Back from the land of ponies that is more commonly known as Kentucky... :) Had a good time, though I'd like to have done less working and more sight seeing! It's gorgeous down there. I highly recommend going for a visit if you're a horse person or not. I'm about to go see Digby but I did get a text earlier in the week that he is 75% better, off bute and going back out in his mini pen but still lame. Such is life, I suppose...

I've got three potential "homes" for Digby lined up that all seem to be ok. I haven't seen any of them in person but they were all recommended by great people so hopefully one of them will be ok for me to keep him there. I'm still hoping for a miracle but I honestly think at this point, financially and mentally, it's best for both of us even if he does become sound in the next two weeks that he should just go live out for 6 months to a year with friends and be a horse. It's not the end of the world. He'd certainly be happy just hanging out and eating all day!

Again, if anyone knows of a place that meets the requirements in my last post, please let me know! Thanks. Hope everyone had a good week while I was away! Expect more frequent posts now and a Grooming Tip Tuesday this week!

Quick update!

Digby is chilling in his stall, ready to be bored for the next 5 days while I'm packing to go to Kentucky for the next 10. I spoke with the barn manager and the main trainer to let them know where I'm going to be, the dates I'll be gone, what to do in an emergency in case they can't reach me. It feels good to have plans. I also spoke to the main trainer about the dreaded "what if he doesn't get better?" topic. We seem to be on the same page. I've figured out what the problem is, given him time off, and done some treatments to help fix the problem.... with limited success. There are certainly other things to try and do but realistically, he was free and I don't make a lot of money with a barn job. I can't validate spending much more money on a horse that was free. I'm secretly hoping that he blows out a giant abscess while I'm gone, but my gut feeling says not happening since he was back sore in the days before we went lame. We chit chatted about it for a bit and both decided it was a good idea that if he wasn't sound by the end of the month (October) that I would move him. Sigh... I dislike this idea greatly as I LOVE where we are so much but I'm not sure what else there is to do. I will certainly still ride where I am but I can't afford to keep a lame horse there. It's too expensive. The barn manager and main trainer both know that and are very supportive about it. I'm going to start searching for a field to put him in for around 6 months to a year.

Requirements:

• A large field with friends (at least two other horses/ponies. Digby likes lots of friends)
• Grass to eat, not just dirt/mud
• Good fencing (please, not a ton of broken fence boards or unsafe fencing!)
• Cheap (yeah... enough said. At least as cheap as possible)
• Doesn't need indoor, outdoor or trails
• NEEDS A GOOD, CARING OWNER (example, owner of property cannot be an idiot who has no idea what colic is, or what needs the vet called out vs what doesn't, or doesn't care enough to water and feed the horses every day)
• Preferably close to my house or work but I'm willing to drive further if it's a truly awesome place

Anyone know of anything? Again, I DO NOT want to move him. I'm praying on my hands and knees he gets sound and stays sound. But he's miserable inside on stall rest and I'm miserable that he's miserable. If he's unsound when I get back from Kentucky, I'm just going to find a field that meets the above requirements and give him at least 6 months off to let him play with friends, be a horse and then think about what the next step is. :(

Grooming Tip Tuesday - Basic Grooming Procedure

I went over all the grooming tools last week. This week I'm going to describe a basic grooming. I've found this is best after exercise, when the horse is relaxed and a little tired. If you're riding the horse, I pull him out of his stall and start with light brushing. I just get the majority of the dirt off with a plain black rubber curry followed up by a hard brush in the areas that will be affected by tack or leg protection. After the ride when the horse is fully cooled, put the horse back in his stall and let him hang out, chew on some hay and get a drink while you clean tack and put everything away.

With yearlings to start, I use a mane and tail brush. We brush our yearling manes and tails every day and they are kept completely tangle free. On a regular horse, I start with the curry comb. This is probably the most important step to getting your horse clean and shiny. Currying loosens up all the dirt and dander and gives the horse a nice massage. I tend to use a lot of different curries for different purposes. I generally start with a black rubber curry type and use it in a circular or side to side motion all over the horses body. It depends on the horse though. Some horses need softer curries, while others can tolerate hard curries. Always use a rubber mitt or special face curry on the legs or face. If the horse is extra sweaty and you're unable to bathe or hose off, using wintergreen rubbing alcohol on a towel will remove all the dirt from that area. I try not to use alcohol regularly because I feel like it would dry out the coat. If the sweat has dried already, using one of the plastic Shed Flowers in a circular motion works well. If the horse is shedding a lot, the Grooma Grooma can be used now to lift all the loose hair off. In certain severe circumstances, I will use a dry microfiber or hand towel after currying. It helps pick up a lot of the gross dirt and dander you just lifted that sometimes just refuses to be brushed off the coat any other way. Curries also need to be check every few weeks or months depending on how many you groom a day to make sure the rubber has not worn down too far. A curry that is worn will not clean nearly as effectively.

Next, use a hard/dandy brush. Grooming is a vigorous process! When using the hard brush, use short, flicking strokes. There should be dirt flying off your horse. If it isn't, you either didn't curry enough to lift the dirt or you aren't brushing hard enough. Use the hard brush in the direction of the hair growth all over the body. Keep listening to your horse because some tolerate this better than others. Digby hates being hard brushed but most of the yearlings I groom actually seem to enjoy this part. Use the hard brush on legs and face if the horse tolerates it but with lighter strokes then on the body. Like I said before, don't forget key areas like the elbows, pasterns and base of mane.

Next, use a body brush in the direction of the hair growth. This is a very important step. This brush will pick up all the dander and dirt that was lifted by the curry and what's left over from the hard brush. Your brush WILL get dirty quickly if you're grooming correctly so make sure you clean it by wiping it on a towel or using a metal curry every few strokes. This brush can be used on any body part, including the legs and face. I try to avoid using it on the legs because they tend to get pretty clean with the hard brush only. The body brush is also good for that oh so hard to banish dust/dirt on the top of their hindquarters. If you need to keep your grooming tools budget to a minimum, buying a high quality body brush will benefit you best in the long run out of any other grooming tool.

Use a sponge, warm damp towel or baby wipes next to clean out ears, nose and around the eyes. I occasionally use a baby wipe to clean their bridle path if it just didn't seem to get clean while brushing. Use another towel or sponge to clean behind the tail and near the sheath or udder.

I generally will use the mane and tail brush now. I don't brush out the tails on riding horses often. I think leaving them alone tends to make them the thickest and longest. I will brush out forelocks and manes though. Use a silicone spray (Show Sheen, etc) to detangle if you do not have time to pick out the knots by hand. Whatever method you use, you need to be careful not to break hairs. Manes and tails take a looong time to grow in! After that, I hoof pick. I won't go into details about hoof picking because it is fairly straight forward. Refer to the USPC Manual if you have questions about hoof picking.

As a finishing touch, I rub the horse down with a hand towel. You can also use your hands as the oils from your skin help the horses coat. I use white towels so I can see if there was any dirt left. I do not necessarily use the same towel on the same horse every day. When it's dirty, I launder it. I know people who use the same towel after every grooming on the same horse, every day. The towel helps distribute the oils back onto the coat. It definitely works but I think using a new, clean towel works fine as well. Use the towel in circular motions, ending with brushing the hair in the correct direction. Rub the horse for as long as you have time, as this toweling really helps get them shiny.

That's all for this week! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them for me! I'll be gone for work until the 8th so there won't be a grooming tip tuesday next week, nor will you be hearing any Digby updates. :( I promise to update you as soon as I get back!

Grooming Tip Tuesday - Tools of the Trade

Grooming Tip Tuesday! Tools of the Trade

Before I get into the basics of grooming, I'm going to discuss what brushes I personally use. It's in no particular order, as I'll get into that next week. Again, this is just what I use so by all means test them out on your own horses. Different horses prefer different types of brushes depending on their coat types and if they are thin skinned or not. Grooming should take about 30 minutes. 45 minutes is actually the best but it's a bit unrealistic for the normal person who would probably like to ride, as well as groom their horse in their limited time schedule. You're going to want some container to keep all your brushes in. If you like to see all your items, a grooming tote works best. If you have a place to spread your brushes out, you can use a simple bucket. A grooming bag is also an option. They usually have lots of pockets to keep things semi organized.

Curry Combs


Depending on what kind of horse you have, their coat, and how thin skinned they are, the currys you use will vary. Curry combs are used to loosen up dirt and dandruff and provide the horses skin and muscles with a massage. I use a variety of curries for a variety of different things.

I use a rubber grooming mitt for more sensitive areas like the legs and face, if the horse allows. They're good for shedding and getting off dirt in areas where a horse does not tolerate a normal curry.

I use a plain black rubber curry for general body currying. These are semi flexible and work best with "shark" teeth rather than rounded edges.

I've found that the "grooma groomer" works best for getting up loose hair on horses that are shedding. Most horses really enjoy when you use this on their muscles after exercising hard.

Two of my new favorite curries are the Epona Shed Flower and the Epona Curry Flower. The shed flower works really well on sweat stains (remember some of us can't bathe the horses we're grooming and need to get rid of sweat) and the curry flower works well on really dandruff-y skin. They might be silly because they're in flower shape but they both work well... so I'll over look it.

Hard/Dandy/Stiff brush

 

I like both synthetic and natural brushes for these. Natural brushes make them shinier in my opinion but if you're buying them yourself, synthetic brushes are often $3 versus $20 for a natural brush. It's up to you. Hard brushes are used in short flicking motion, to lift the dust from the coat. Use very hard and short strokes. You should see dust flying off your horse! You can use these all over except generally the face. Make sure you get the base of the mane and pasterns. These are often overlooked parts and all very important!

Medium/Body brush

This is used to remove all the dirt and dust you just lifted from the coat by currying and the hard brush. The brush should get very dirty quickly as its taking all the dirt and dander from the horses coat. Clean it often by wiping it with a towel or by using a metal curry. Brush horse all over in the direction of the hair growth.

Soft/Finishing Brush

Not entirely necessary but I like using a very soft brush to follow up. I just think it gets the last little bit of dirt up from the coat for a final "polishing". They tend to be made of goat hair or some other super soft material. Use the same way as the medium brush.

Mane and Tail Combs

These can be combs or brushes. The key is to not pull out any hairs. Which ever you prefer, start from the bottom of the mane or tail and work your way up. Detangler (ShowSheen, Vetrolin, Mane and Tail, and Cowboy Magic all make their own detanglers) can be added if you're short on time (like me) or patience. In theory, manes and tails should be worked out by hand but honestly, who has time for that? Pulling combs should be used for pulling only in my opinion but I know people that use them as combs as well.

Hoof Pick

Used for, well, picking out hooves. Remove all dirt and make sure there are no rocks/foreign objects lodged in their shoes. I'm a big fan of the cheap 89 cent hoof pick. There are plenty of fancy, schmancy hoof picks but honestly the cheap ones work just fine. Why waste your money? A hoof pick with a brush is very nice to have and still cheap.

Extras


Other things you may want to have around are:
- Scissors (for quick cutting of fetlocks or bridle paths)
- Unscented baby wipes (great for noses, ears and those who dislike their face being brushed... Ahem DIGBY!)
- Towels (We used normal small hand towel sized ones that we buy in bulk at Costco at work. Digby gets microfiber towels that I got from the car parts store. Works well for a rub down and final polish after brushing)
- Baby powder/corn starch (works excellent in getting those white markings blindingly white! Add to marking when it's still wet from being bathed and brush out once dry)
- Blueing shampoo/Quik Silver (a must have for white socks or stockings!)
- Any shampooing items you find necessary (Bathing will dull a coat if you do it often so keep bathing to a minimum. Trust me, your horse will thank you and they can be just as clean without a bath as they can with one if you work at it!)
- Steel wool or brillo pads (work well instead of paying for an expensive hoof brush to remove dirt and other "grossness" from hooves)
- A&D ointment (works wonders on healed cuts to help grow hair back. Do not use on any wounds that have not healed yet)

Recommending Reading


The United States Pony Club Manual 

Braiding Manes and Tails

Grooming

Grooming to Win (the best book for discipline specific answers)

Fall is the BEST!

Fall is hands down my favorite season. Between the gorgeous leaves on the trees, football season, the relief from the hot weather and of course I love my bud light and hot wings to go along with the football games, how can you not enjoy the season? Halloween is a pretty awesome holiday too. I just love everything about it.... except that it means winter is coming.

Shudder. Winter. Now, from an weather point, I can handle the cold, snow and ice. What I can't handle is the lack of turnout for the horses, the stuck inside for months on end (has anyone else noticed that the three months of summer are WAY shorter than the three months of winter?!), the boring drabness of it all. Both Digby and I prefer to be outside in an outdoor than in an indoor. Digby feels its an excuse to be wild and spook at everything because he has no pretty trees and horses to look at. I just think staring at the same four brown walls and brown footing for three months just gets booooring. Does anyone have a plan for staying motivated to work your horse when it's 30 degrees out all the time? Any ways to spruce up the "indoor blahs" that we all seem to get every year?

I suppose in the mean time, I'll enjoy my bud light and as much football season as I can watch. Digby's going to enjoy the leaves. :) It's back to turnout during the day soon which means 8 hours of turnout versus the 12 he's getting now but that's all. As far as riding goes, not much difference. I'm going to Kentucky for work in about a week. I'll be there for 10 days so you won't hear anything from me and Digby won't be getting much (if any...) work. But I'll keep you updated this week and expect a "Grooming Tip Tuesday" tomorrow!

Grooming Tip Tuesday

(Hey guys! This is the first installment of the "mini series" that I talked about. Hopefully it will be a regular occurrence every Tuesday until I run out of things to discuss. If you have any questions, comments, tips, whatever just let me know in the comments and I'll be sure to discuss it or answer them!)

Nutrition and General Health
I debated discussing this but I decided that it's so important I needed to. Horse nutrition is a HUGE topic in which I have no real scientific knowledge or education. Google it, look it up on the Chronicle forums, ask around, whatever. There is a ton of varying opinions of feed this, feed that, don't feed that because the horse may dieee *cue fake dramatic shriek of horror*.

A happy, healthy horse always looks the best. Horses are meant to move and graze 24/7. Very often, especially in this area of the US, do horses live outside 24/7 in an area that they receive the type of lifestyle their wild ancestors had. I believe (and this is strictly opinion) that all horses should be kept up to date on any vaccinations that are recommended by a respected, knowledgeable veterinarian in that area. All horses should be given dewormer at the recommended dose at the correct time. Teeth should be taken care of as well by a vet or equine dentist. Horses should be conditioned and worked correctly, to help build up proper muscles so they can be happy doing their job at the highest level. They should be turned out as much as possible. The farrier should be out to trim or reset shoes every 4-8 weeks depending on the time of year and the horse. Above you, you need to listen to your horse. A fat or super skinny horse isn't going to look as nice as a well conditioned one in proper weight, no matter what the coat looks like.

High quality hay is always the start of good nutrition. It keeps horses happier, busier, and is very well suited for the grazing 24/7 lifestyle. If you horse needs extra calories, then start including grain. Tons and tons of grain does not create a high show bloom. That said, while prepping yearlings at work, we strictly limit their hay intake to avoid "hay bellies" and give several pounds of grain a day. It works. But these are yearlings on a strict feed regime, a strict exercise regime and closely monitored every single day to prevent OCDs, create a high shine coat and make them manageable. This is only their lifestyle for two to three months while they were in the barns for preparation for sales. It is NOT a long term feeding plan. All horses should have access to clean, fresh water at all times and I'm a personal fan of salt blocks. Buy the highest quality hay and grain you can buy and you should be fine in that catergory. If you have questions, ask your trainer, your vet, the barn manager or a knowledgeable friend.

Nutrition matters. The yearlings come in on one type of feed (I won't name names just in case) and we have a 7 day period that we switch them over to a new, higher quality feed. From our daily 30 minute grooming and the new feed, the horses look phenomenal when they leave for the sales. It's only a few months time span. The fat ones who get less feed usually have worse coats that we have to groom that much harder to make shiny. Coincidence? I'm not sure. That's for you to decide.

Be careful to provide the horse with the recommended amount of protein, vitamins and minerals for the age and workload. If you don't meet the recommended feeding amount on the back or tag of your feed bag, you may want to consider switching feeds or supplementing with a vitamin/mineral product (think Centrums for horses!) or a ration balancer. Many feed companies have ration balancers. Speak with your vet, knowledgeable person, etc etc or a feed specialist from the company you use if you have questions. (FYI - The difference between a vit/min supplement and a ration balancer is that a ration balancer contains protein as well as vit/min. Both are low calorie which is great for those chubby horses, though the vit/min supplements tend to be lower if you have a super easy keeper.)

Supplement and product wise, there's a TON out there. I've heard many, many reviews on this supplement or this spray or whatever. As a short term fix, yes products work. Showsheen DOES make them shiny for a day. Healthy Hair Care does make them shiny. I'm sure lots of other spray on products do as well. I just don't have the time or energy to list all the ones I've used or heard about. I've heard tons of good things about Omega Horseshine, SmartShine, and personally I've noticed a different since Digby's been on the Smart Omega3 to help with his lameness which isn't supposed to be for coats/shine but it has a lot of Omega 3s (hence the name) which help with shine. There are lots of options out there. I attended a lecture while I was in school given by a miniature horse breeder and winner of several national in hand competitions who swore up and down about feeding sunflower seeds for shine. Flax seed and linseed are also really popular at the moment. Honestly, while I think it probably helps, elbow grease is free. If you have a high quality feed and hay, you should have a healthy horse. A healthy horse is a shiny horse!

Even in poor, low lighting Fashion Gabby is a shiny colt! This is with NO spray on products or feed thru supplements to his feed. Nutrition matters! :)

we trotted!

Digby enjoying his hay before turnout.... and after our RIDE!

Well. We survived. I walked for about 25 minutes then trotted once around the ring, to the left. I picked the left because his hoof problem is front left and I wanted it to show up if there was a problem. There was no problem. He's sound. We walked for another couple minutes and I hopped off. I don't have much to say. He's fat, out of shape, and doesn't want to use himself AT ALL. He alternated between rooting on the bit and trying to yank the reins out of my hand (not happening, sorry Digby.) and curling behind the bit while chomping on it violently in protest. Luckily, he seems pretty happy to have a job again and be doing something other than eating, pooping, sleeping and hanging out with his turnout buddy Toast. Neither of us died. I asked for the trot, he lazily trotted around the ring, and we walked again. Huh. Certainly not as eventful as I expected but I suppose that's a good thing! I did ACE him a little before I got on just for safety sake. It's not worth it to me, him or anyone else in the ring for him to explode when I ask for the trot. I'm not sure how much of an effect it had or whether it was just the random humid heat that we had today but he sure was lazy!

We have a loootttt of work to do... fingers crossed he stays sound and sane as winter approaches! :) I'm going to try and coax someone into taking pictures within a week or two. Maybe at least of me sitting on him as proof because we don't do much besides walk around. It's time I put up pictures here of more than just him in his stall or the cross ties.

Progress?

So, update on Mr. Digs himself! Due to the hurricane and the following storms featuring more flooding, massive road and fence damage, and some other fun bad weather activities, Digby just hasn't been going out. None of the horses at the barn have. They don't have sheds in the majority of the fields and it just isn't safe for a horse to be out in severe thunderstorms with wind and potential (and sometimes definite) flooding. He has gotten his feet done. The vet gave free x-rays (a big thank you!) to our farrier so she could properly address Digby's freakish hoof issue and make sure the angles are correct so we are doing the most we can to help prevent the issue again. The angles were basically correct already so we're just going to continue to leave him as is. We don't want to increase the heel angle like you would with a normal navicular horse because we're not sure what exactly is causing him to go lame. It might not be his congenital bipartite navicular bone. It might be something entirely different and in order to be certain, we need to do several more vet visits with MRIs, more x-rays, etc. I just can't afford to do that on a free horse when he's comfortable. If we can't get him comfortable after he goes back into work, we'll have to think about things. He got shod again with the pads and the EquiPak just for extra "comfiness." Yes, I did just make that into a word! His weird right hind swelling that lasted way too long for my comfort has gone down and is back to his normal size.

With winter quickly approaching, Digby needs to get back into regular work... NOW. Winter and Digs don't mix so well. I'm not sure if it's the cold, or the lack of turnout, or the fact that he needs lots of food to keep from losing weight but he tends to get wild in the winter. Always has. I'd like to avoid having to walk for half an hour with only 2 minutes of trotting when he's going to want to be leaping around like an idiot. He's had off since June and needs to be brought back slooowly. Think walking for twenty minutes and trotting half way around the ring. Then walking for thirty minutes and trotting one way around the ring. Then walking for thirty minutes and trotting one way around the ring and one way the other direction. Yes, that slowly. I haven't made an "official" plan yet but it will include a LOT of what I call "busy work." Since we'll be doing a lot of walking, far more than either of us is going to enjoy, I need to keep his little brain busy. This means I'm going to be constantly riding but without the addition of other gaits. I'll be asking for changes of bend, transitions within the gait, transitions between gaits (aka halt and walk), doing lots of schooling figures and hopefully playing with some lateral movements. I'm also going to incorporate ground poles into the plan as long as Digby behaves and doesn't try to jump them and land in a bucking frenzy. That's happened before. If anyone has any awesome ideas for me, let me know! Digby isn't the type of horse you can just throw the reins at and walk around for hours at a time. Trail rides are an option but he's 1) not very well behaved on them and 2) winter is coming. Either way, they are definitely going out tonight because the entire barn is going stir crazy. So tomorrow, I will definitely be sitting on the wild hony beast in an attempt to get back into "regular" work. Hopefully by the beginning of winter, I'll be able to move him around enough to be safe for riding.

The farrier said something totally perfect when I was holding him so she could shoe him the other day. "Digby isn't mean, definitely not. He's never even remotely aggressive. He's just kind of a playful weasel. He has an opinion on EVERYTHING. From how he wants to stand, to where he wants to walk, how he wants to be touched, how much hay he gets, everything, right down to what color his freaking shavings are! I've never met a horse with so many opinions!" <3 I love my opinionated, high maintenance pony.

PS - Still no name for my "grooming mini series" but I'm tossing around some ideas... hopefully the first installment will come soon! :)

The supplement obsession

Raise your hand if you've ever seen a sale on SmartPak and gone "oh, I'd like to try that on my horse. It has 300 some good reviews and now it's on sale." *raises hand*

There's just something about SmartPak's that call to me. It's like magic. I have successfully managed to keep Digby's SmartPak small. He's been on Farriers Formula since I got him. He also got Smart Bug Off in the summers (worked in NY, didn't do much this summer so he won't get it again) and Apple-a-Day electrolyte because he doesn't drink a lot which worries me in the summer heat. When I moved back to PA, I put him on Smart Combo, which is a multi-purpose supplement that's supposed to help joint, hoof, coat and digestion. I actually only put him on it because I thought he might benefit from a joint supplement and it was cheaper to buy the Smart Combo vs buying him Smart Flex and Farrier's Formula. Now he's on Smart Hoof (kept him on that because it was in the Smart Combo and I wanted to continue him on it to see if it helped) and Smart Pak's MSM to help keep inflammation down in that funky hoof of his. This one is studied so I believe it probably does work at least a little plus it's 8 bucks a month. Ok, so I drink four less energy drinks or coffees than I normally would and it's paid for. Long story short, even with these two items, I am constantly sent SmartPak e-mails try this, try that, 20% off sale! It makes me very, very tempted to try half a million things. I usually get super excited for a day and then the next day come back to earth. With that being said, I'm not loving the Smart Hoof that he's been on for months now and was browsing the hoof supplements. You need to wait several months for hoof supplements to tell because the hoof needs to grow in. His hooves have been growing in sloooow, super dry with lots of cracking going on. It might be because he was on stall rest and hooves tend to grow less with less movement but either way, I'm not pleased. There's about half a million to choose from just involving the hoof alone. While I'm browsing, I'm debating, do I put him on Smart Omega 3? It's supposed to help keep the body in an anti-inflammatory state with it's lots of Omega 3s and it's only $13. What about Smart Sox? It's supposed to be good for horses with heel pain and Digby doesn't like it when I touch his heels. Oooh, here's Recovery Eq! It's supposed to be good for horses with navicular and it has lots of good stuff in it.

Of course, everything costs money so by the time I'm thinking about all these products, Digby's "small" SmartPak has escalated to over a hundred dollars. Easily. Not acceptable for a free horse. Which brings me to another point, is it necessary? Sure, I'd love to give my horse all the best things and make him fat and happy and comfortable. Who wouldn't? But is that $49 a month spent on Smart Sox worth it? Or what about the much cheaper $13 Smart Omega 3? Is it going to actually help? There's not scientific research on the majority of the supplements out there, if any. It may help some horses, it may not help others. If I had a million bucks, I'd probably do some more research. I'd like to think that the grain I'm feeding has all the nutritional requirements Digby needs so, for now, I'm going to leave it at that. He does have a new hoof supplement (because biotin, the main ingredient in hoof supplements, HAS been proven to improve hoof growth and quality) which comes in a nice bucket which I'll scoop out myself and put into containers and take to the barn for the barn staff to feed along with his grain. He'll also be getting MSM because it's also been proven to help with inflammation (and apparently help with hooves in some cases too!) and it's so cheap that I couldn't validate not giving him it. I'm not getting the buckets from SmartPak though just to avoid the temptation. Hopefully in a few months, Digby will have stronger, tougher hooves then he currently does!

I swear, SmartPaks might as well be chocolate cake...

Mini series?

(I'd like to note that Digby and the rest of his barn managed to survive Hurricane Irene just fine. There was some downed trees and branches, and a copious amount of water, but no major incidents or problems. Hopefully the rest of the east coast made out as well as we did! I know from Facebook there are several people in various states that are still without power. I wish you the best of luck and hope your power comes back on soon!)

I've been reading horsey blogs for years. Honestly, years. I subscribe to them via RSS and get them in my e-mail. I've only recently started my own blog and while I find it pretty easy (so far!) to find topics to discuss even with Digby's lameness, I know that will eventually change. I've noticed a pattern. Many blogs, if not all, have mini series. For example:

- Andrea and Gogo at Eventing-A-Gogo have Sunday Success stories.
- Allie and Dino at PONY'TUDE have their PONY'TUDE approved tips. (Who doesn't love hearing Dino's opinions on things? He's certainly got enough of them! Oh and he's adorable to boot.)
- Jen and Tiki at Tails of the Off Track Thoroughbred have Monday Tip of the Week.
- Mugwump at Mugwump Chronicles has Mouthy Mondays.
- Jane and Hudson at The Literary Horse have Murphy Mondays. (CUTEST! BABY! EVER! I highly recommend reading this blog even just for Murphy Mondays because it's a weekly dose of cuteness.)
- I'm sure there are others, I'm just having a brain fart at the moment.

I suppose blogs of the non-horsey nature have them as well. Either way, the wheels have been turning. Maybe I should do a mini blog... but on what? I could showcase all the old horses that helped me get to owning my first horse, Mr. Digby himself. I certainly rode, leased and showed enough horses for that to last a while. But who cares, really? I could talk about various topics that are of interest to me (horse nutrition, different types of tack and their uses, the list goes on...) but none of which I feel qualified to issue tons of information about on a regular basis. Plus, if you're reading this, chances are you know what a flash noseband does and the difference between an eggbutt, loose ring and full cheek snaffle and why you'd use them. Not exactly ground breaking discoveries. Hmm, hmm, hmm.

So, my patient readers, what am I qualified to talk about for more than a post? I've been working in barns since I was 12. There must be some topic! I've cleaned stalls, groomed horses, tacked up for other people, braided, pulled manes, given shots, dewormed, ordered feed, dealt with vets, farriers, chiros, saddle fitters, massage therapists and equine dentists, set up jumps, painted jumps, built jumps, and done just about anything else that happens in a barn. Wait, wait.... lightbulb! I'm very good at grooming and getting horses ready for shows. At my previous job, I was constantly clipping ears and whiskers, pulling manes, bathing, body clipping, and prepping ponies and horses for rated shows, including HITS, Pony Finals and M&S Finals. In my current job, for roughly 4 or 5 months a year, I'm prepping yearlings for various sales. We can't bathe, can't give them supplements to help with shine or even clip. We're forced to use other methods to get horses truly "sale shiny." Plain and simple, shiny horses look nicer and sell for more. So, keep your eyes peeling for my experiences on grooming and show/sales prep! Now, to think of an awesome "mini series" name! :)

For the East Coast...

Just something to think about while we're all being attacked by hurricane Irene this weekend. Ahhh, sunshine.... :) Make sure to take precautions for yourself and your pets if you're near the coast in case of high winds, flooding, power loss, and all the other fun things that come with hurricanes. Who knew we'd ever be getting ready for such a serious hurricane... only days after we had an earthquake!

Boo hurricanes.... :( Work and riding is no fun in 70 mph winds!

Slow down and enjoy the clover

As horse people, we constantly critique, evaluate and judge. Whether it's while we're working, riding our own horse, or dealing with just about anything in life. I'm constantly running through a check list in my head. If I'm at work feeding, I'm making sure no one is cast (stuck laying against the side of their stall and unable to get up), no one is showing signs of being ill, everyone is eating fine, no one has any injuries in need of attention. Is this hay moldly or does it smell ok? That filly didn't drink any water. We need to keep an eye on her. Is this horse always a stall walker or could he be colicing?

When I'm grooming a yearling, I go onto full on critique mode. What is this horses personality? Does he like when I curry him with this brush or shouldn't I use it? Does it get her cleaner if I use these two curries, then this hard brush, followed by this soft brush or do I use these three curries and the two hard brushes then a rag? Are they shedding the same as yesterday, or are they shedding more? Are her legs all bump and cut free? Why is this leg stocked up? Did she bump it or is her hock big because she possibly has OCDs that need addressed? This one has a pretty snotty nose. Is it the regular "yearling cold" or does she have a temperature? Is this coat just dirty and dandruffy or is there something else going on? Is he getting shinier or do I need to squeeze in 40 minutes a day of grooming instead of the usual 30? She's not muscling up nice enough. I need to see what we can do about that. Why the @#&*^$ is this one still rubbing her tail?! I tried everything! Does she have worms or is there a tick on it somewhere? What's going on?

I can't look at a horse without judging it. He obviously doesn't like when I keep fussing with his face, maybe I'll use a softer brush or just my hands. That one is being totally ridiculous and needs to get over itself because there is no reason at this point in time it can't get its hooves painted. Why don't you try some more transitions with your riding horse and making sure its in a proper frame because it needs more muscling behind? That full cheek bit needs a keeper because it could get caught on something, like your jean belt loops. I need to clean my helmet because it's really dirty around the harness. I'm not sure if we as horse people are born like this or if riding horses makes us like this. The chicken or the egg theory. But it's so much more than horses and riding. Basically, I'm obsessed with details.

And somewhere in all the evaluations and critiques, I forget to sit down and enjoy what I'm doing. Don't get me wrong, I'm the small part of the population that actually likes what they do for a living. Sure, there are things that I would like to change, but I generally like my job and my horse. The other day, while I was hand grazing Digby (not that he needs more food but...) I was going through my check list. I'd really like to see his hooves have a little bit more heel to them. I'll have to remember to talk to the farrier about that. Gosh he's really quite fat. He's not getting grain just a ration balancer but maybe less hay now that he's outside again? I hope he doesn't founder or anything. Ok, he's probably not that fat but he's plump. I wish I knew why his hind right keeps getting fluid in it. The excess weight can't be helping. It's nothing though. It'll probably go away when I start exercising him. When should I start doing that? Turnouts been so crazy because of the storms. Maybe Wednesday? Hmm, I wonder why Digby will eat the grass and the clover equally, where as most horses prefer the clover. Did he just eat that weed? That's weird. Ah, I need to kill this green head. There, dead. He's pretty shiny naturally. It's a shame I groom for 4 hours a day and don't give him a super grooming because he could probably be quite...... At that point, with my brow furrowed in concentration, as I picked apart and analyzed every minute detail of my horse, Digby picked his head up, looked right at me, and I swear just rolled his eyes and sighed. Like, slow down woman and just enjoy the mix of weeds, grass and when you get really lucky, clover.

I stopped, laughed that my horse just sighed directed at me and I realized that he's not my job. He doesn't need to have the perfect coat, look perfectly muscled up, have perfect hooves, and be the perfect weight because I'm not trying to sell him in a month for as much money as possible. He's mine. It doesn't matter. He's happiest when he's grazing in a field with some friends, unclipped, unpulled mane and covered in dirt. Maybe I need to stop being so "at" him and nit pick at every little detail and just enjoy the time spent, instead of wondering if I can get his coat shinier by currying 5 extra minutes a day or what training regime I need to put him in to best suit our new career choice. Just like humans, he has flaws, he has a personality that needs to be taken into consideration, and he has strengths. Maybe the horses have the right idea. Maybe we need to stop prepping, stop worrying, stop analyzing and just enjoy what we've got in front of us at that very moment. I can't plan on showing him next year at HITS like I had hoped. He isn't going to be my 3'6" horse like I had hoped. We don't have any set "goals." I can't tell you what discipline we're going to try next. Hell, he might not even stay sound enough for me to ride him regularly. We're just going to have to wait and see. In the mean time, the to do list got erased and now only contains one thing - enjoy the mix of weeds, grass and clover.

As for the critiquing, judging, and stressing over every little thing? Well, that's why we have jobs, isn't it? :)

What's that about pictures are worth a thousand words?

Fat. Happy. Pony. <3 OUT IN THE BIG FIELD!

(PS - He trotted sound today! Even after being out Monday and Tuesday nights... yesss!)

Apparently I've been busy...

Digby was set and ready to be jogged for soundness on Friday, which is exactly one month from having his coffin joint injected. Wednesday, in the midst of being attacked by grooming my assigned yearlings at work, I had missed a call from the owner/trainer at Digby's barn. Leaping into full on panic mode, I quickly ran to the end of the barn and dialed my voicemail. I was convinced I was going to hear the worst - Digby got kicked through the fence and he's hurt, Digby's colicing, something along those lines. Phone calls from the barn owner, barn manager, or trainer usually aren't good. Turns out, none such fatalities had happened. The vet had stopped by for another horse, they were outside Digby's stall, she asked how he was doing and wanted to see him jog.....


GUESS WHO TROTTED SOUND?! Oh, that's right. Dig My Size! *cue cheering* Of course, he's been going out in his mini pen for a while now but now he's legally allowed to go out in the big field with his friend named Toast, who is a huge, clunky draft cross and looks hysterical next to little Digby. We're supposed to start him out slow, an hour, then gradually build up to all night within a week. Did I mention Digs needed lip chained to jog?? In case you aren't a horse person, lip chaining means you take a lead rope with a chain attached and instead of putting it over their nose like commonly done, you put it under their top lip and onto their gums. (See image here) It's pretty distracting to a horse (can you blame them?) to have a metal chain on their gums. Is anyone surprised that this was necessary? He was actually describe as "tackling" the barn manager who was trying to jog him. I'm not sure exactly how a horse tackles someone but if any horse could, it's probably mine. Long story short, the vet suggested I start riding under saddle and it was promptly shot down by the barn manager and the trainer who are tired of Digby's antics in his little pen. Digby gets to go out first for a few days. The barn staff tried to gradually build him up, like the vet suggested, but even with heavy amounts of sedation, Digby is being quite the punk. We're going to drug him HEAVILY on Monday, throw him out with Toast, and hope he comes in alive Tuesday. I'm mildly worried by this but really, does anyone from DelVal remember how much FUN Digby is to bring in/turn out when he's not happy? Yeah... it basically equals death, even to experienced handlers, let alone the poor guys who work at the barn to do turnout and clean stalls and aren't as experienced with horses. I can't expect the barn to keep up with all his demands.

As for jobs, I've been thinking about what Digby's next career should be and I have it narrowed down to dressage (most likely doing this and easiest transition for both of us), western pleasure (he likes to go slow with a level head set), or driving. He's pulled a sled before so how much different could it be? Anyways, just hoping to be riding him by the middle of next week! :)

The fat hony himself today after being groomed. Note his defiance with "you're busy and not feeding me soooo I'm going to step out of the grooming stall. Onto the hose. With both feet. Na na na na na na!"