I'm working on a cute video for the blog from some video clips of me letting Digby take a spin in the round pen (spoiler alert: had a SERIOUS go button, paired with some feeling good freshness made for a fun time, but we had a pretty decent whoa none the less! Good hony!) from Wednesday.
In the meantime, I'd encourage everyone to read this blog post over at horsenation.com, regardless of how old or young you are, what you compete in, or if you don't compete at all. It's a fairly short blog post and it's 100% worth it.
20 million women and 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life (link to scientific research plus more stats found at nationaleatingdisorder.com) and based on statsitics in 2012, 43.7 million adults were listed as having "any mental illness" in the past year the U.S. alone (link to scientific research and more stats at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/). I personally know several equestrians and non-equestrians who have battled eating disorders, anxiety, depression and I've heard comments like those that are listed in the Horse Nation article. If you are blessed to have never suffered from any of the above, I believe it's important to support those who do, and even more so, encourage friends, family and bystanders to keep an open mind.
The program (a blog and FB page... for now!) she discusses, Riders for Well-Being, seems to be new but I'm eager for more content and contributions!
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Owning it.
I've been doing a lot of internet reading via blogs, Facebook and Instagram over the past few months (thanks night shift!) and a recurring theme has stuck out to me. I see a lot of "well, I mean, I'm just doing beginner novice because we're not that good" or "It's just First Level, not like I'm doing Fourth like you or anything" or "my horse has been injured so we're just coming back into work, we usually work a lot harder and look better" or "don't judge my eq, it was a bad day."
NEWS FLASH!
Done? Ok.
Now, I am 100% guilty of doing this as well. I'm in fact very, very good at saying things like "well, we didn't have an indoor so I'm just working on getting back into shape and thus look pretty terrible" and "we've got some lameness issues so we don't work that hard." Yes, yes, all good and well but the reality is it's YOUR horse. It's YOUR goals. Regardless to what someone in the barn says, or your family says, or the internet says - some days you can do this:
AKA be a total badass on your SUPER cute pony with friends cheering you on!!
(Stolen from Eventingnation.com)
Andddd.... some days you do this.
(Stolen from pintrest.com)
Goals: it's all about the perspective.
So I'd like to encourage all of you to OWN your accomplishments! Whether it's "complete my first four star without falling off," "walk around the outdoor twice without horse throwing a temper tantrum," or "keep pony from jump out of dressage ring." Guess what friends? My goal for tomorrow is to ensure Digby's shoe (that he lost on Sunday... Grr.) is back on and then go work in the round pen for 5-10 minutes to make sure I've got a go button and a whoa button so hopefully Thursday I can start Digby doing some long lining to slowly get back into shape. Yup, it's that exciting. I am going to look like a lumpy sack of potatoes holding two ropes with a skinny horse with zero muscle probably flailing around at the end of them. Maybe this time next year, I'll be working on some dressage tests to show over the summer.
But for now, this is our life. And it's going to be awesome.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
The case for the small hole haynet
I was browsing Facebook earlier and one of my horsey friends had posted a link to an article written by Thehorse.com. It's titled "hay net design and forage consumption rates studied" so immediately my ears were pricked because 1) science and 2) food.
Long story short, the University of MN studied the length of time it would take horses to eat a certain amount of hay either from the ground, in a regular hay net, a medium hay net, or a small hole hay net. There was no difference between feeding on the ground and out of a regular hay net, but the medium and small hole hay net increased their time. Ok, cool, what does this mean for us?
As a boarder, I am constantly trying to do what's best for my horse without being the worst boarder ever and asking the BM/BO to do something they find ridiculous. In case you don't buy your own hay, it's $$$$. Feeding lots of hay makes a boarding barn costs go up quite a bit, especially when you think of all the hay that gets wasted by horses peeing on it, grinding it into their stalls, and otherwise not eating it because it's not up to snuff. It's also possible that with an air fern type (aka NOT Digby) your horse can't eat hay/grass 24/7 because it will become fat (aka me when I eat ALL THE CARBS!!!!) and that isn't good either. But it's SO important for horses to be eating as much forage as possible. So where do we balance the horse being able to "graze" as much as they'd like versus spending all the barns money on hay that the horse could waste or get too chunky from? Enter the small hole hay net.
I didn't use hay nets, except for while trailering, until a few years ago. I heard they weren't that good for horses because it wasn't a natural feeding position, they're hard to fill, aren't worth it, blah blah. Digby has become a slightly harder keeper every winter and most barns aren't totally thrilled with me to be asking for free choice hay 24/7, because again, it costs a lot of money. I also learned more and more about ulcers. I started using them in 2013 and haven't looked back. I feel like the pro's outweigh the con's here. The barn gets to feed the same amount of hay, it takes Digby much longer to eat aforementioned hay, thus increasing his health and lessening my anxiety. He also doesn't waste any, where as before he regularly stomped hay into his bedding.
If the barn says, "it takes too long to fill" or "it's hard to fill", please show them this video. Problem solved. You can use a garbage can, a muck bucket, or really any large tub. It's almost as easy as throwing hay.
Full disclosure: Digby DID get his hoof caught in his small hole hay net a few weeks ago. It only happened once ever and he's used the hay net for many years with zero problems. He's the type to paw at his hay and grain when eating and does wear front shoes. I'm not sure if it was just tied too low that night in his stall or what exactly happened. Please make sure all hay nets, even small hole ones that you would think they couldn't possibly get caught in, are tied at an appropriate height. (Digby was fine, for the record. He was freed from the net right after it happened and went hay net-less for the evening just in case he thought it was fun and wanted to try again) I'm still a fan, even if my silly horse decided wrestle with his one evening.
Long story short, the University of MN studied the length of time it would take horses to eat a certain amount of hay either from the ground, in a regular hay net, a medium hay net, or a small hole hay net. There was no difference between feeding on the ground and out of a regular hay net, but the medium and small hole hay net increased their time. Ok, cool, what does this mean for us?
As a boarder, I am constantly trying to do what's best for my horse without being the worst boarder ever and asking the BM/BO to do something they find ridiculous. In case you don't buy your own hay, it's $$$$. Feeding lots of hay makes a boarding barn costs go up quite a bit, especially when you think of all the hay that gets wasted by horses peeing on it, grinding it into their stalls, and otherwise not eating it because it's not up to snuff. It's also possible that with an air fern type (aka NOT Digby) your horse can't eat hay/grass 24/7 because it will become fat (aka me when I eat ALL THE CARBS!!!!) and that isn't good either. But it's SO important for horses to be eating as much forage as possible. So where do we balance the horse being able to "graze" as much as they'd like versus spending all the barns money on hay that the horse could waste or get too chunky from? Enter the small hole hay net.
(Yes, that is Digby trying to eat a hay net in a stall while he's turned out... Circa 2014.)
I didn't use hay nets, except for while trailering, until a few years ago. I heard they weren't that good for horses because it wasn't a natural feeding position, they're hard to fill, aren't worth it, blah blah. Digby has become a slightly harder keeper every winter and most barns aren't totally thrilled with me to be asking for free choice hay 24/7, because again, it costs a lot of money. I also learned more and more about ulcers. I started using them in 2013 and haven't looked back. I feel like the pro's outweigh the con's here. The barn gets to feed the same amount of hay, it takes Digby much longer to eat aforementioned hay, thus increasing his health and lessening my anxiety. He also doesn't waste any, where as before he regularly stomped hay into his bedding.
If the barn says, "it takes too long to fill" or "it's hard to fill", please show them this video. Problem solved. You can use a garbage can, a muck bucket, or really any large tub. It's almost as easy as throwing hay.
Full disclosure: Digby DID get his hoof caught in his small hole hay net a few weeks ago. It only happened once ever and he's used the hay net for many years with zero problems. He's the type to paw at his hay and grain when eating and does wear front shoes. I'm not sure if it was just tied too low that night in his stall or what exactly happened. Please make sure all hay nets, even small hole ones that you would think they couldn't possibly get caught in, are tied at an appropriate height. (Digby was fine, for the record. He was freed from the net right after it happened and went hay net-less for the evening just in case he thought it was fun and wanted to try again) I'm still a fan, even if my silly horse decided wrestle with his one evening.
Moral of the story: Small hole hay nets keep boarding costs low and hopefully ulcers away.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
My view
This is my view currently:
Doing some rereading, waiting for Rolex live feed to start, cuddling with the pets. Bring on the day! :)
(Side note: Has anyone else had trouble with Blogger lately? I keep getting errors, having trouble commenting on other blogs, I wrote the same post twice and it was eaten both times, and struggling to edit. It's both on my computer and via mobile... Which is kind of a bummer! I can't be the only one??)
Friday, April 24, 2015
My horse is skinny, I've been eating too many cookies
All jokes aside, the vet came out for spring shots and we discussed a lot of topics. She pulled blood, we decided to up his grain to 4 quarts twice a day, as well as adding in alfalfa cubes/hay stretcher. I also started treating for ulcers, sort of as "just in case" option. He hasn't lost anymore weight but I wouldn't say he's gaining much.
The blood work came back just fine so hopefully the addition of more hay in the form of cubes or hay stretcher plus treating for ulcers will help!
I also threw him in the round pen yesterday for a few minutes. I haven't been riding even though he's sound because he is quite skinny and I don't want him to burn any more calories than he needs to. Plus, honestly, is his saddle even going to fit?!
Also, I've been eating toooo many donuts and cookies so I've got a few pounds that I could lose from riding. :)
Friday, April 3, 2015
A wee bit skinny
As you could see from the last post, Digby is skinny coming out of winter. Sigh.
He had lost a little weight between when I moved back and before I moved him back to PA but he was probably a 4.5 on the BCS so I wasn't too worried. Enter cold winter of doom.
All in all, I guess he could look worse...? But he looks pretty bad. His coat is still pretty shiny which makes me chuckle and he is always a very enthusiastic eater. He got tons of blankets and free choice hay. Fecal was fine but I dewormed him before I moved him back to PA with equimax and again in December with a powerpac. His teeth were up to date but I did them in March anyway. They weren't great so the equine denist is coming back out in May to use some power tools. I also switched him from what the barn feeds (Blue Seal Strider) to Triple Crown Senior in January. I've fed it before and had great results. He gets an entire scoop (3 quarts) twice a day and still looks like this. According to weights on their website, that's about 6-7 lbs a day. That's a lot for a 15hh guy like him! The last time I fed TC Senior he got max 5 lbs a day and that was in the dead of winter, not March and April.
The vet is coming back out for the second round of spring shots on April 9th so she's going to run some tests then. I'm thinking we will pull blood, discuss the possibility of cushings, Lyme or ulcers and see what she has to say. I had given him Ulcergard two days before, during and for a few days after the move, but I suppose he could of gotten ulcers while in PA. Any suggestions?
Thursday, April 2, 2015
A day in the life
So I thought it could be fun doing one of the "day in the life" posts that I've seen going around! Since I work night shift, my days are a bit different than everyone else. :)
10:05 PM - alarm goes off. Much grumbling, occasional cursing, ensues. Check calls, texts and alerts on phone to see what I've missed this evening while sleeping. Check weather to see how cold it is going to be at work and plan what I need to wear.
10:45 PM - arrive at work. Eat whatever breakfast I've brought. Discuss what happened during the day at the farm with the employee who works 3 pm - 11 pm. Pet Skylar, the obsessive but lovable border collie.
11 PM - 3 AM - twiddle my thumbs. No seriously, I get paid to sit and be quiet. It's mind numbingly boring so I usually tidy the office and the barn a bit right around 11 pm. If someone decides to foal at any point in the shift, I call a manager to let them know and help with foaling process, making sure baby stands and nurses, etc. If no one foals, I generally browse COTH, study and do homework for my classes, obsessively check social media out of boredom, and watch Netflix/Hulu.
3 AM - check waters for all horses, make sure everyone has hay. Continue studying/netflixing/being bored out of my mind. Pet the (sleeping) dog. Usually eat "lunch" around this time.
6 AM - start feeding. Throw down straw so day shift crew doesn't have to get it. Turn horses out. Administer meds if necessary.
7 AM - OMG TWO OTHER PEOPLE COME IN TO WORK!! BEST TIME EVER! Proceed to chat their ears off. Pet Thor, the yellow lab, and usually feed him a treat/donut piece.
8 AM - done work. Drop dog off at home, go to class.
10 AM - class depends on the day so well call done at 10 am the middle ground. Either go see the hony, or do things necessary to life like get groceries, do laundry, cook so I have food, figure out college stuff, plan my life (bahaha), etc. Usually check social media and try to text everyone I have in my phone so I feel social.
2 PM - curse out loud. Usually text someone "damnit it's 2 pm and I haven't even showered, eaten, or walked the dog and I should be sleeping! Why am I so bad at this?! I should be able to get 8 hours of sleep!" Every. Single. Day.
2:45 PM ish - climb into bed. Force myself to put down my phone and social link to the world. Sleep usually within 15 minutes, but then wake up several times, until my alarm goes off at 10:05 pm.
10:05 PM - alarm goes off. Much grumbling, occasional cursing, ensues. Check calls, texts and alerts on phone to see what I've missed this evening while sleeping. Check weather to see how cold it is going to be at work and plan what I need to wear.
10:45 PM - arrive at work. Eat whatever breakfast I've brought. Discuss what happened during the day at the farm with the employee who works 3 pm - 11 pm. Pet Skylar, the obsessive but lovable border collie.
11 PM - 3 AM - twiddle my thumbs. No seriously, I get paid to sit and be quiet. It's mind numbingly boring so I usually tidy the office and the barn a bit right around 11 pm. If someone decides to foal at any point in the shift, I call a manager to let them know and help with foaling process, making sure baby stands and nurses, etc. If no one foals, I generally browse COTH, study and do homework for my classes, obsessively check social media out of boredom, and watch Netflix/Hulu.
3 AM - check waters for all horses, make sure everyone has hay. Continue studying/netflixing/being bored out of my mind. Pet the (sleeping) dog. Usually eat "lunch" around this time.
6 AM - start feeding. Throw down straw so day shift crew doesn't have to get it. Turn horses out. Administer meds if necessary.
7 AM - OMG TWO OTHER PEOPLE COME IN TO WORK!! BEST TIME EVER! Proceed to chat their ears off. Pet Thor, the yellow lab, and usually feed him a treat/donut piece.
8 AM - done work. Drop dog off at home, go to class.
10 AM - class depends on the day so well call done at 10 am the middle ground. Either go see the hony, or do things necessary to life like get groceries, do laundry, cook so I have food, figure out college stuff, plan my life (bahaha), etc. Usually check social media and try to text everyone I have in my phone so I feel social.
2 PM - curse out loud. Usually text someone "damnit it's 2 pm and I haven't even showered, eaten, or walked the dog and I should be sleeping! Why am I so bad at this?! I should be able to get 8 hours of sleep!" Every. Single. Day.
2:45 PM ish - climb into bed. Force myself to put down my phone and social link to the world. Sleep usually within 15 minutes, but then wake up several times, until my alarm goes off at 10:05 pm.
Digby and Dino today at 1 pm. They've obviously never met before (they lived outside together for months up until this last month when they've both been brought in due to the mud) and needed to sniff and squeal at each other. (FYI - The barns 35 minutes from home and I had yet to eat "dinner", shower, or walk the dog...)
I feel like this picture sums up this turnout herd. Completely.
Pretty horses. :)
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