This Thanksgiving a weight was lifted off our shoulders bright and early. The remaining hay with Panicum was picked up by our hay supplier. No more worrying. No more raking up toxic grass. Even better news was that he has first cut orchard grass from a field with no panicum. He brought us four bales for our approval. I seriously could have hugged that bale of hay just because I saw no toxic grass. I can't wait to get that hay delivered.
Our 79 year old hay supplier had his son look up the toxic grass online, so they would know what the grass looks like. Once they saw the picture they knew what it was and could know which fields the hay came from. The cows actually get fat on that hay and it is requested by cow owners most often, but they did not know the toxic effect to horses. They were glad to find out and not sell any to horse people. We sent back 60 bales, which was close to the amount we had not paid for yet. We could not believe it when he told us he would credit us 60 bales from the next delivery. Oh, no we could not accept that and cause him to lose nearly $500. We told him we were square and would start fresh.
On top of the immense relief of waving good bye to toxic hay, we spent the day with the horses, had great weather and capped off the day with a ride. Now we wait for dinner. And tomorrow I will enjoy not having to work on Black Friday.
Some of you may have heard about the reappearance of Panicum grass, aka panic grass, in the Northern Virginia area. That news greeted us when we returned from vacation. The fall panicum grass is toxic to horses and can cause liver damage. Then after getting 110 bales of hay from our normal supplier, we read some of the reports saying the panic grass has been seen in the Manassas/Nokesville area. OH SHIT! Guess where our supplier cuts his hay?
So now we look at our hay with wary eyes. I looked on the Internet trying to find a picture of this grass. Unfortunately most of the pictures were of the grass uncut in a field or garden. I found some seed heads that did not look like the normal variety we see in our hay. Another Internet search found a picture of Switchgrass (panicum virgitum) and it looked like the stuff I was seeing.
Only our stuff was dried...
Well VA Tech was giving a talk on the issue at the MARE center this week. Peggy decided to go and get some more information. You could also bring in samples to be checked. They could tell you the bad effects, but not how much or little of the grass could cause the problems. This happened about 10 years ago and caused the death of at least five horses. Beyond that the other effected horses cost about $10,000 each to treat. Nothing good.
They did talk about identifying the grass in the hay. It tends to be stockier and at the bulbs it angles. There is hair like stuff at the base of where a seed head would start. The sample Peggy brought was Panicum, but not the fall kind. Peggy and Mom looked at our hay the next day and did find fall Panicum.
Angling, with hair
Panicum Pile :(
Since it is stocky, the horses do not like it much and will leave it behind. With about 70 bales left, we where left with the decision of what to do. Do we feed extra so they don't feel the need to eat the bad stuff? Or do we return the hay and try to find another supplier?
Let me tell you it is so hard. Our hay guy is great because he takes payments, very unusual. Going with someone else means having to shell out a large sum at one time. But weighed against the possible liver damage of the horses... Yeah see the problem. Last night I could not fill the hay bags with the hay. I told Peggy that we need to feed it loose so they can easily pick through it. Then at night we can give them the clean hay that the 30+ year eats out of the hay bags. I believe we will send the end back once we get in touch with our supplier. He has cows that can eat it safely. The worst part is who knows when his grass will be safe again for horses.
I piece makes the whole bale scary
I get panicked just seeing the stockier hay, and not all of it is the bad stuff. Peggy will get a CBC done on Comrade and Sonny when we have the vet out for Coggins. If the cost is not too high, I may try to spring for it for my guys too. Comrade's should tell a lot since he eats most of what is given to the red boys.
I kept seeing all the "No Stirrup November" posts and figured I would try to do some this month. For me that means bareback. So I have ridden Rosemary, Dottie and Comrade bareback in the last week. Roscoe was up next and I went back and forth whether to attempt a bareback ride with him. The last time I tried was not long before he went to Indiana. That ride ended up with me on the ground because he was able to suck in his tummy and loosen the girth enough to tip me off.
Night eyes and Rough Cob look
You may have figured out I really enjoy riding bareback and decided to go for it. The first test, how does the pad fit? It actually worked with both sides on the last hole. The next was getting on and making sure I had the balls to follow through. Well, my baby is definitely wider and that makes me more comfortable. Plus he has better body awareness and is not so wiggly.
I was seriously impressed with his walk. Yeah, I know I say that all the time, but for this ride he was active and pushing. Even lazy he can over step, so the energy he gave was great. Then I asked for trot. Roscoe did move forward, but it was more of a jog. I was okay with that while I got a feeling for his back. Overall the trot was much better than I expected and I could relax. But when I relaxed, Roscoe was like "this is weird." The full seat feeling was different and he started thinking. When he just does, he moves off fine. If he starts thinking we lose forward. And in this case he decided that trotting was not the thing to do. So now I had a situation. Do I push the point and get him to trot? Or do I refocus on another task? I had to be sure I could follow through with the push if I went that way. Nothing he had done to that point gave me any bad feelings, so I pushed. The first few times I had to tap him with the whip. Then he started to figure out he could move even though I felt different. Roscoe decided that he would move on with a burst and maybe not stop. So we did transitions until he was not sticky at all with either the upward or downward. At that point I called it a win and hopped off. Bareback won't be a normal occurrence with Roscoe, but at least I know it will work in a pinch.
Racing stripe
All the riding we have done recently has shown who needs clips and who can wait a bit longer. Rosemary was the one who was sweaty even before working, while Roscoe and Winston just got sweaty during work. The old guys will stay hairy unless they get too hot on the warmer days. I really want them to retain as much as they can. I had a bit of time after we stacked new hay and decided to give Rosemary her clip. This year I went bigger than normal, but not as much as I have seen online. Hopefully this clip will be just enough for the amount of work we do with her. I did not have time to do anything creative, but that may come later. I still need to do the other two. Luckily the blades are sharp. Now if only there was a way to deal with the hairy situation afterwards. Hay and hair make for a very itchy shirt.
Whew 7 days in a sorta sunny Florida put me into riding withdrawal. I went from September where I rode 20 out 30 days to missing nearly 20 days. Hard to be too upset when my grandmother was so happy to see us all.
It also gave me my normal rash on my hands. There is something in Florida that just does not work for me. I dreaded having to stack 150 bales of hay when we got home with my hands so sore, but I was saved by the rain.
Our first day back I asked Peggy if she was off restriction now from her eye surgery. She was, so we did a trail ride through the fall foliage. I definitely felt the time off and 14 hour drive when I sat on Dottie's broad back. It was totally worth the ride though.
The next day Peggy was sick, we found moldy cubes and it was raining. Not good. By time we went out and got new cubes, the rain had stopped and I decided to see how wild my stallion was after all the time off. Turned out he was still on vacation. Mom rode Rosemary and Roscoe was seriously distracted. Mom was trying to tell me how to get him working, but lack of sleep had me not willing to listen to her and a little pissy. I did finally get tired of his poking around and really whapped him across the butt with the whip. And what do you know, he finally tuned into what I was telling him. I felt bad, but I guess he needed the proverbial 2x4. It did feel good not to have to keep nagging him and I did not have to be heavy handed with the whip again. Sharing the ring with Rosemary was really good for him to learn that he could do his own job while she did hers.
At some point during the ride, I realized that we were divided into mothers and offspring. I had to have a picture. Roscoe was super about standing next to Rosemary.
All in the Family :)
One thing the picture shows, is that Roscoe has the same length of leg as Rosemary. I had taken baling twine to his leg, Comrade's and Rosemary's a bit ago, so I already knew it but it is cool to actually see it side by side. He is only an inch off of Comrade's leg length. I think he will be taller than his mother, but stay under 14.2h. He is filling out width wise and that will make a difference too. Roscoe already fills out his sheet from last year much better.
Now to mail off his Stallion Service Report so his foals can be registered and wait to hear if Rosemary's nomination for Welsh of the year will go into the running.
Finally on Saturday we were able to do something we all have wanted to for awhile, drive both Cobs. Rosemary has been driven with other horses being ridden before, but not with another horse being driven. She was the one we figured would be fine with the process. Comrade was the real question. He is not totally thrilled with driving and has had his dodo moments. So he was the first one we hooked. Peggy drove around with him a bit to refresh his memory. We gave him the lighter cart to hopefully make the experience more fun for him. Once he was settled, Rosemary was hooked up. She of course was ready to roll.
I cringed slightly as I realized the horses had the wrong color harnesses on for the cart they each had. Rosemary had the black harness with the russet accented cart and Comrade had the russet harness with the black accented cart. Good thing we were just driving around the neighborhood. But beyond the fashion error, the horses had no problem driving with each other. While in the arena, they led and followed, passed going the same direction and passed going opposite directions.
When they both showed no signs of worry we headed out of the ring and onto the road. This would be the true test and where Comrade normally has his dodo moments. We started out with Rosemary in front, so that Comrade could see her. I think both were glad to be out of the deep sand of the arena. Soon it was apparent they were okay driving in company and we could enjoy the lovely fall day. I hopped out to try and get a nice shot of them both. Unfortunately, Rosemary kicked in her big walk and out distanced Comrade so they were a bit too far apart.
The day was so nice we just continued down the road with them and let them trot. Comrade took the lead and I was able to get some video. He was not as sure being in front, but he still did really well. As we turned to head back to the barn, Comrade again followed. Heading home can be his problem time. I kept watch on both horses and kept an eye out for vehicles approaching. Comrade actually seemed more responsive and willing with Rosemary driving with him. It really makes me want to see how he does in a pair situation. I did have a "Oh Shit" moment when I looked back as we were trotting to see an SUV on Comrade's ass. I don't know what the driver was thinking, but all I could imagine was Comrade spooking and running into Rosemary. So not good. It worked out okay though. I told Mom there was a vehicle and she slowed. Peggy worried about how close the vehicle was, swerved to the side sharply. Both horses took it in stride while the idiot driver moved by. Then to further test the horses, we came up on a horse and rider. Our social butterflies of horses though they should be able to go and see the new horse. They had to tell them both to get back to work and focus.
Overall it was a complete success. Maybe I can get Rosemary out to some driving events next year. Plus I can't wait till we have all three driving so I can join in too. Roscoe is still coming to terms with the thing that will be behind him. I think we are just going to have to bite the bullet and hook him up to get him over the questioning. But that will have to wait until after our trip to Florida. Hopefully my ponies are not to wild and wooly by time we come back. I definitely see some clipping in my future.
After postponing due to the tropical storm last Saturday, Roscoe and I finally managed to have a lesson. I was torn because my instructor is my farrier's wife and she decided to ride with him when he came to the barn. We do the lesson while he works, all good right? Not quite. Normally I pull shoes and then clinch and finish the shoes, so doing a lesson would take me away from that. My farrier takes about $50 off my bill when I help, so I needed to be able to still do my part. So I agreed to the lesson if the horses would be okay in the stall until I could finish them. My farrier said that would work and the lesson was on.
I pulled Dottie and DaVinci's shoes before getting Roscoe ready. They were in stalls ready for my farrier as we headed down to the arena. My farrier told Mom to go watch the lesson since he could handle the shoeing. Of course little did we know the other red boy would cause some havoc. Comrade decided to open Dottie's door, so my poor farrier had to get two horses out of the stall before he could get to Dottie. So he also ended up finishing her completely since he did not want her outside with raised clinches. Bless him, he never even came to get Mom.
Meanwhile, Roscoe and I were going through our paces. We started at the walk. She told me to make sure he was active, not just over stepping. Then she had me start adding halts. I explained about his recent loss of forward. She said that green horses started as 3yr olds start out gung ho, but as 4 yr olds decide to begin to test the boundaries. My battles are just beginning. Hopefully with occasional lessons I can win.
Roscoe did not understand why he could not socialize with her when clearly she was talking to him. Moving on to trot, his lack of straightness was apparent. We also had to figure out a working pace for him. Soon she noticed that his bit was hanging a bit too low. Roscoe even had his tongue over the bit. So she raised the bit and he was happier. Not straighter though. I don't think we managed even one straight line. I have to remember to maintain contact and boundaries, but if he makes mistakes, correct and forget.
Next we did a series of baby lateral exercises. Starting with turn on the forehand. She helped us work through the movement. For me the use of taps versus steady pressure was good advice. The time it took for Roscoe to figure things out was less and less each time. She helped with turn on the haunches, a couple steps at a time. Roscoe's shoulders are a problem area. The last was side pass. Surprisingly, we actually did a few steps once he got the jist of it. I was really amazed at how Roscoe took the time to think about what she or I was asking before reacting.
We did have a moment of distracted stallion when another horse walked by the arena, but a turn on the forehand helped regain his attention. Well, then she said "How about canter?" and I said "No I don't think he is there today." Of course she was like ok we shall canter. And we headed towards the right. The last time I asked him to canter, he wanted to travel right but canter left. So she helped me set him up and the transition was better and it was the correct lead. Around the short end where he was bulging his shoulder, she had me slightly counter bend him to keep his balance. Such a small movement that made a big difference. The left lead was rougher and not a great transition. She had me get after him, then forgive and move on.
Overall the lesson was positive and I have lots of homework. She said there was so much she wanted to say. I almost felt bad because I can only afford one lesson a month and she seemed to want to make the most of the time.
My take aways:
1. Make sure he is active, not just over stepping
2. Straight, lots of straight practice
3. Soft, but solid contact
4. Tap with the leg for lateral so he can't lean into the pressure
5. He can drop his head, but not too low
6. He will have more tests for me
7. Sit light for downward transitions to help discourage hollowing
So, I am going to share the videos. Fair warning they are kind of crazy. My mom got distracted by watching and forgot to follow or got lost zooming.
First let me say, I am not a Natural Rider. Now my brother, he was a natural. Good thing soccer and girls caught his attention or I would have some competition.
Over the years I have come across a couple of Natural Riders, both teenage girls. The first could ride my Mom's Morgan and get excellent work out of him. The second I just met this weekend and got out of shape Comrade looking show ready. I had a moment of thinking "does he look that good with me?" She also won brownie points by agreeing to ride in the light rain. Sorry no pictures because of that fact.
Little man got a ride the day after
I had no idea how old she was or how much riding experience she had while we were riding. She did mention later she was moving to 1st Level and had been jumping 3ft. Plus her trainer was having her ride a 2 year old to eventually ride in a Materiale Class. That surprised me since she thought Roscoe working was unusual. Uh, hmm its okay to work the 2yr old but not the 4 year old. Must be his small size, makes her think he should not be ridden vs how big some breeds are at 2 yrs old.
Anyway at 13yrs old she really did ride well. But there were things that struck me as odd. She asked as soon as she mounted if Comrade would round. I told her yes, but he needed to warm up. When she did start asking him to round up, she kept lowering her hands. Later she mentioned that her trainer had her ride some horses out on hacks to work on rounding. I told her that the connection comes from the leg not the hand. Occasionally when she would go round and round the arena for a long time, Comrade would try to put on the brakes surprising her. Then when she got on Rosemary she mentioned that she did not have to hold with her knees at the sitting trot. I was a bit confused.
Well everything made more sense when her mother told me she had only been riding for 3yrs. Yep, she was a Natural. It explained how she could ride so well, yet still be caught unaware or make the odd comments. It amazes me that this girl is going 1st level and riding a 2yr old when her basics are not solid. That being said, she does take all the clinics she can and takes direction well. I would not be opposed to her riding some of my horses. She did ask how "sound" Roscoe was. I think she was talking about how safe he was to ride. Definitely angling to ride him. Maybe down the road she could. I even thought about her riding him for pictures. Having a light rider will make him seem bigger. (PS if anyone close by wants to volunteer....)
So has anyone else met a Natural Rider? What do think the Pro's and Con's are?
The Pro's that I can see:
Can instinctively ride a horse as needed
Nice soft hands
Seem to progress quickly
Great posture
Gain opportunities from other equestrians
The Con's:
Though instinctive, they can't explain how they achieve the reactions they get from horses
Gaps in basics
Can react, but not always anticipate a horse's actions.
Give the appearance of being more experienced than they actually are
Puddles, Purple rain boots and Ponies
Now after nearly a week of rain, thanks Joaquin, hopefully we will start to dry out. My ponies are getting bored. We have worked fairly consistently this month. Roscoe and Rosemary go through all their tricks as soon as I am near them. Plus Roscoe has that stare down his nose look and trouble in his eyes.
