2 Person-2 Horse Gymkhana

So one of the days that WildHorse was over we decided to make a 2 person 2 horse Gymkhana and WildHorse decided that she was going to win the gymkhana by miles! Well It didn't quite work out like that for her....

The final scores are:

BENDING:

WildHorse And Rain: 18.0secs
HorseFrenzy And Specere: 11.9secs

BARREL RACING:

WildHorse And Rain: 25secs
HorseFrenzy And Specere: 23.2secs

SHIFTING: 

WildHorse And Rain: 2minutes and 35.3secs
HorseFrenzy And Specere: 1minute and 31.6secs

So as you can all see I won fair and square! It was mainly because Rain is a younger and less experienced horse. At the Shifting game (consisting of two stacks of tires and 4 blue foam tubes) we had to trot or walk our horse around the tires pick up the foam and ride over to the other and drop the foam in. Well Rain freaked out and bolted (thank goodness WildHorse had a strong will to stay on!) so poor WildHorse had to walk the course.. LOL

Here are the photos you have been waiting for :D

Horses and Thistles?

What is up with horses and thistles? My mare is constantly eating the heads (flowers) off the thistles, but get this they are dried up and SPIKY thistle heads!

Is it normal for a horse to eat thistles? Yes it is.

Is eating thistles going to hurt my horse? No, Vets say it is totally normal for a horse to eat thistles. And horses have a strong mouth so they are practically designed to eat them.

Does it help my horse by eating thistles? Yes some types of Thistles actually help horses. For instance like the Milk Thistle, the milk thistle  Helps to protect the liver from toxins and stimulates production of new liver cells to replace damaged ones. 
Milk Thistle works in three ways. It protects the Liver cells, it has antioxidant activity and it will also regenerate damaged liver cells. Milk Thistle seeds are comprised of bioflavonoid silymarin complex and silibinin. The silymarin complex protects the liver with its anti-oxidant properties. It prevents toxins from entering the liver cells and it also helps with regeneration of damaged cells. 

A typical thistle you see around the place!

                                          

A milk thistle




So now we discover that it is fine and actually healthy for a horse to eat thistles...

Till next time :)

I Won't Come Off!

I refuse to be thrown from a pony. Why you ask? Well, I really should have graduated from ponies a long time ago. 

I like ponies. They tend to be very lazy or very bouncy. I prefer a bouncy pony. Also, ponies tend to be tubby, therefore making them comfortable. 

I learnt to ride on ponies, and never really moved on. Let me see... There was Bandy, who I got my first ever bareback sit on (I was like 7!!). Gem took me for my first canter and jump. Bobby taught me ponies can be sensitive to every touch. Daisy gave me my first fall. (HorseFrenzy and I were talking about that the other day lol). 

After that, I rode quite a few horses. 

I rode my friends dads TB's a few times, and another TB a lady at church had for a while. Pandora was the youngest horse I had ever ridden, she was 5, and I learnt from her to have a stable jumping position or be dumped. 

After that, HorseFrenzy taught me a lot on Toby, the first horse I ever had a gallop on. Specs taught me how cool TB's can be. 

I then got a chance to ride Pinto, who was a pony. He was old, but didn't act his age! I enjoyed riding Pinto. 

Then this week I got to ride Rain, who also is a pony.

Ponies are fun, and I don't think I will ever stop enjoying riding them!

I will not be thrown from a pony at my age! It would be just embarrassing! 

I shall leave you with this quote: 

There Was Never a Horse That Couldn't Be Rode. There Never Was a Cowboy That Couldn't Be Throwed. - Cowboy Saying

So true! Have a good day :) 

Inspirational

This young women is inspirational. Please watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHbzju0i12o

Catching Issues Solved

Everyone hates it when they walk into the paddock its and nice day and they are off to catch their horse and BOOM! The horse see's you and starts running or walking away.
I sure know I hate it! You get sick and tired of trying to follow your horse around and you should be (especially if its a huge paddock). The one thing you are doing wrong is you SHOULDN'T  be following the horse around the horse SHOULD be following you!
We have to remember horses are herd animals and in those herds there are rankings and while you are following your horse around your ranking as far as the horse is concerned is getting lower and lower by the minute.
 A horse that respects the human as a "herd member" who is higher in the social order will behave in a more appropriate manner towards all humans than a horse that has been allowed to engage in dominant behavior over humans. -Wikipedia

In a herd there is One Stallion who is the boss but there is also the lead mare who helps to keep the herd or band under control amongst them their are mares and foals of mixed sexes among the group. A lot of people believe that the stallion runs in front of the herd but the stallion runs behind the herd and protects from the back while the lead mare runs a head leading them to water or more food.

A horse with a higher ranking has the power to chase around a lower ranking horse. If they want that lower ranking horse to move they will move it and because of this the lower ranking horse obeys.

So what you need to do to achieve the higher power is to make your horse move. The best way to do this is to chase your horse around. Now I know you are probably thinking 'This girl is nuts, what does she know' but believe me this works. I'm not asking you to spend hours chasing and chasing your horse around in a huge paddock, no, you need to get you horse in a pen and remove all gear from him\her.

I had leased  a huge 16.2hh Clydie cross gelding called Toby and he was a pig to catch I would spend ages steaming while trying to catch him in the paddock until one day his owner told me this theory and it worked!

I let Toby into this pen and began chasing him around. At first he thought I was nuts and wouldn't go so I got out a lead rope and began spinning in a circle as I chased him. Well after a few days of this I had the power! And it felt great!

I would enter the paddock and Toby would be standing randomly somewhere and I would approach him slip his halter on and lead him away and it was as easy as that!

You are maybe thinking 'Well that may have worked for you but my horse isn't that horse", You are right your horse or pony isn't Toby and maybe this won't solve anything but I guarantee that at least 97% of the horses that have this done will stand quietly for you next time you catch them.

The worst thing people have tried to do with their problem catching horses is "bribe" them with a treat. What does this solve? You horse is going to run around to you are puffed and then you reward them when they decide to stop? No! That isn't going to do anything but create very naughty habits in your horse.

While you are working on this type of problem and are doing the running around thing daily you may prefer to put your horse into a smaller paddock than he\she are already in.

When your horse stops being naughty great! But don't stop then! Do an extra week of chasing just to let your horse know you still are boss.

I hope this helped you out and I'd like to know if you have tried this. If you have please feel free to comment below how this has helped you and if it isn't quite working comment to :)

Till next time :)

Friendly or Fierce?

So recently when I go visit my 2 year old filly Chancy she will charge up to the gate. My main concern has been What is she trying to do? I have always thought it has been out of bad behaviour but actually she is doing that because she is a friendly horse. Chancy is still rough around the edges but when she runs up to the gate its actually being friendly and pretty much saying "hi"!

There should be boundaries though. A horse should be friendly and responsive to you but not pushy.
For instance if you have a horse that runs up to the gate every morning to greet you that should be no problem, but if that horse starts shoving and pushing and won't let you through the gate, that easily becomes a problem and if not dealt with it equals bad habits. You should have a horse that is sitting by the gate waiting for you to catch, rug or even feed him\her but not one that as soon as you enter turns toward you and starts pushing you trying to run through the gate. An easy way to deal with this is to carry a lead rope or a lunging whip with you when you go into the paddock. Next time you enter and you have a barging horse leave the halter on and when you walk into the paddock instantly clip the lead rope on, if that horse tries to push you through the gate let him\her know there is a limit and give them a flick of the lead rope or lunging whip and make them back up. Continue this till the horse waits patiently for you to open the gate and give the signal to walk through and then make the horse stand quietly while you latch the gate.

If you want to when your horse obeys your command give him\her a treat to let him]her know they have done a good job, but be careful to not over treat your horse which can result in bad habits like nipping.

That's all for now!
Keep posted for more updates and tips :)

Quiz Four

•  1: What Age is a filly considered a mare?
• A. 5
• B. 3
• C. 2

2: What do you use to pick out your horses feet?

• A. Hammer
• B. Hoof Pick
• C. A Drill

3: What Pattern is an appaloosa pattern.

• A. Leopard
• B. Tabino
• C. Pinto

4: How do you tell if you horse is angry doe's he\she.

• A. Swish there tail
• B. Pin their ears back
• C. Stand alert

5: What breed of horse is used for racing?

• A. Quarter Horse
• B. Shetland
• C. Thoroughbred

6: What is a horse "Near Side"

• A. The side closest to you
• B. The left side of the horse.
• C. The right side of the horse.

7: What is a halter used for

• A.Catching and tying up your horse
• B.Riding your horse with
• C.Somthing you use with the saddle

8: The person that trims your horses feet

• A. Farrier
• B. Vet
• C. Dentist

9: What is a sock

• A. white marking that extends higher than the fetlock but not as high as the knee
• B. white marking that extends over the fetlock
• C. white just above the hoof, around coronary band

10: What colour is a horse that seems white?

• A. White (Duh)
• B. Grey
• C. Black

The answers are: (1b 2b 3A 4b 5c 6b 7a 8a 9a 10b)

Quiz Three

Quiz 3 is about horse breeds


Quiz 3: 


1. Witch of these is a horse breed?
a. Curly horse
b. Blue roan
c. Cute horse
d. Western riding horse (A bit like the English riding horse)

2. What horse breed best fits this description?
a. Mixed with Arab, it is called Anglo-Arab
b. Small ones are often used for polo
c. They are hot blooded
d. They are often used for eventing (jumping, dancing and all that)


3. What horse breed best fits this description?
a. Big splashes of brown or black 
b. Several diferent names
c. Is a warm blood
d. Often in cowboy movies (shot 'em ups)


4. An Akhal-Teke is breed for:
a. Riding horse 
b. For endurance (running for ages)
c. Looking pretty
d. being in a circus 


5. All these are all horse breeds. True/false
a. Paint horse
b. Gidran
c. Friesian horse (sort of like the cow)
d. Orlov trotter





How'd ya go?
1a. No jokes!
2. Thoroughbred, also known as a TB
3. Paint, pinto or American Paint horse
4. A or b
5. All of these are breeds! put it into Wikipedia if you don't believe me!

Quiz Two

Quiz 2 is one about knowledge of your horses part and breeds.

1. A stripe is:
a. A white stripe on my horses face
b. Like a Zebra, you know, like all stripy
c. Ummm I don't know
d. Maybe my horse is sick if he has one. I'm going to call the vet!


2. The poll is:
a. On the side of this page (dah )
b. Ummm On my horse?
c. Up on the head by the cool fringe bit, the fetlock?
d. Don't don't care

3. The Arab is:
a. Hot blooded
b. Cold blooded
c. Hot? Cold? Maybe I should go put my ponies rug on.....
d. What's an Arab?

4. PC stands for:

a. Personal computer (please!)
b. Pony club
c. The ponies have a club!?
d. Pretty cool??

5. Your pony should have things done for at the same time everyday

a. Nah, whenever is good for me, good for him
b. Yes, everything is at the same time every day. He likes it that way
c. Ummm well all the grooms at the stable do it for me
d. Well, I try to stick to a timetable





How'd ya do?
1a
2c
3a
4b
5b

Quiz One

Quiz one is about general horse stuff


Quiz 1:


1. Your horse bolts. what do you do?
a. Fall off (Duh!)
b. Panic. Then fall off. Maybe scream.
c. pull, let go, pull on the rains, turning him in a circle
d. I never go off the lead rain, anyway

2. When you jump you:
a. fall off
b. keep a flat back, look froward and go into two-point
c. Jump!? Not on your life!
d. Give your pony a whack, and hope for the best, and go into two-point

3.  You have just set out for a trail ride you and your friend have been planning for weeks and horse goes lame. What do you do?
a. Stop, turn around and call the vet
b. Panic! He could die. Get the vet ASAP.
c. Keep going. He will be fine for the next hour or two
d. Yell angrily, whack him and scream at him. He's ruined your day!

4. It's windy. You are taking your horse for a ride. He may be......
a. Grumpy. More than usual
b. Refuse to leave the paddock?
c. Frisker and might spook
d. Run around and around so I cannot catch him?

5. It's cold and in he middle of winter. Does your pony need
a. Lot's more brushing! He might  need help getting his blood to move around and a brisk bush would help.
b.Not as much. He will need his natural oil more than ever.
c. Brushing? what's that?
d. I never go to see my pony in winter 'cause I can't ride him.

6. Your friend is wearing chaps. These are for:
a. Better lower leg grip
b. To look pretty
c. They make you look like you're wearing long boot's
d. The keep your legs warm. Sort of like socks.

7. At a show, a horse has a red ribbon tied into his tail.  This is because:
a. The horse may kick
b. It  looks nice
c. He is a he! (duh!)
d. Ummm what ribbon?

8. Do you groom your horse before tacking up?
a. Nah. What's the point?
b. Um yes, but not well
c. Every time. He likes and it makes him look nice
d. Yea! I can cheek his legs to see if he is injured and stuff. I might have to call the vet!

9. Is your pony EVER right about things?
a. NO WAY!!! I'm always right
b. Um never thought about it
c. yes, I guess he could
d. I worrying now! what if I've hurt him! Maybe I should call he vet.....

10. What is your horses mane for?
a. Grabbing. I have been saved by it many times
b. It keeps him warm and help the rain run off
c. Um were is the mane again?
d. Mane? who cares about that? (yawn)






How did you go?
1c.            2b.
3a.           4c.
5b.           6a.
7a.            8d.
9c.           10b. yes, that's what the experts think!

Moving In

Hi everyone!
I had another blog about horses before deciding to do one with HorseFrenzy, so I'm coping some stuff over :) Enjoy!

2010 American Miniature Horse Champ Jumper Video (AWESOME)

Here's something I found on YouTube that is epic cool! American Miniature ponies show jumping!
Its cute and awesome!

Here's the video:

Check it out!

"Larry"

Sore, Burning and Aching!

WildHorse: I'm sore. It burns. IT ACHES!!!!!

So today we took back Rain the Appaloosa pony who we were borrowing from a friend to ride. We took Rain back to her paddock where she lives and let her go. Because we had to ride back doubles on Specs we decided not to use a saddle... Because there were two of us on the bony back of Specs whenever we walked forward we slipped forward and the person in the front got pushed onto Spec's bony whither.

Lets just make it clear... IT HURTS LIKE NOTHING EVER BEFORE!!!!!!!!!!!!! (except maybe child birth)- (which to be clear we don't know anything about anyway :P)

HorseFrenzy: It didn't help I was wearing jeans either.. BUT IT HURTS!! It's like you are leaning over a spike! And when you trot man you just wanna die!!

WildHorse: And it makes you want your mummy!!

So the story tip of the day is don't ride a bony thoroughbred bareback double :)

Enjoy your day!

Hello All You Horse Lovers Out There!

Hey and Welcome to our blog! We are going to teach all of you people out there how to enjoy horses!

Enjoy this blog!