tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123629012024-03-12T21:56:15.200-04:00Orchard Creek FarmA small horse and hobby farm in Prince George's County,Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Next to Rosaryville State park with acres of rolling hills for riding.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-13491652578002015262023-12-20T07:37:00.003-05:002023-12-20T07:37:52.544-05:00Christmas with the kitties<p>This will be our first Christmas with Kali (aka "Demon Baby"), whom we rescued from the cold last January when she was around 6 weeks old. She has come by her nickname due to her penchant for getting into all sorts of trouble and trying to start fights with Orenji at every opportunity.</p><p>So far she has managed to stay out of the Christmas tree for the most part, bet we shall see how long that lasts!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdP2fI5MeWbXc5zps_QhnpDBF_rIC32kWVtJJz1ZqSi4r-YJr3UIfRtB1jsIRTXQwPXBiJw5WriB-C9bAs7owuWtjyNfnIUYq0IwUM-nhm2bKofvScgY9NLpwLU492HF7DlrtJa2OCLIseOGzSLhkv72Ju_4Ucz9T4Gv-YbECOLOdRGYN6Zvf/s2847/christmas%20kitties.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cat Christmas stockings" border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="2847" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdP2fI5MeWbXc5zps_QhnpDBF_rIC32kWVtJJz1ZqSi4r-YJr3UIfRtB1jsIRTXQwPXBiJw5WriB-C9bAs7owuWtjyNfnIUYq0IwUM-nhm2bKofvScgY9NLpwLU492HF7DlrtJa2OCLIseOGzSLhkv72Ju_4Ucz9T4Gv-YbECOLOdRGYN6Zvf/w640-h205/christmas%20kitties.jpg" title="Kitty Cat Christmas stockings" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-42668350511725914172023-11-23T11:18:00.007-05:002023-11-23T11:18:00.138-05:00Trail riding video of Una on Atticus with the pups<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xhPNYVz_g2w" width="320" youtube-src-id="xhPNYVz_g2w"></iframe></div><br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.641271199999991-0.560126637062794 -146.9537712 78.651636437062791 -6.3287711999999914tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-665829430171502852023-11-20T11:18:00.000-05:002023-11-20T11:18:03.796-05:00Photo artwork and digital paintings<p> Here are some of my recent creations… they are a combination of digital art and photos I've taken.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNjVhBw-w9IcfzqsvwbSFI7RMkdXUs88S5HxQCsjcAwGPVufC67m1OHvJva7bJN0VwiKIGPyJH2ITwB79v7s6eVdXT8MKA8Q9dVqB3VZjE8hvDYLrAsUIBNou0tLFABFmj5J9FZv6LLZ3bpFmA-skstah6iEW2uBbKTBMcTUOvaK8ASYrll6A/s3579/Atticus%20and%20Claire%20Feb2022.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="horses grazing on hay with sunlight" border="0" data-original-height="2719" data-original-width="3579" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNjVhBw-w9IcfzqsvwbSFI7RMkdXUs88S5HxQCsjcAwGPVufC67m1OHvJva7bJN0VwiKIGPyJH2ITwB79v7s6eVdXT8MKA8Q9dVqB3VZjE8hvDYLrAsUIBNou0tLFABFmj5J9FZv6LLZ3bpFmA-skstah6iEW2uBbKTBMcTUOvaK8ASYrll6A/w320-h243/Atticus%20and%20Claire%20Feb2022.jpg" title="horses grazing on hay in pasture with sun" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1P2KCoPfdivXp0Pc_zh_Qr0xR_5fj6qIYfw1VT4Ww5D4HpW5dsjZOXauMS4ktOWouUb7Z-VbtiFckTwO1S_JLeYN09fAzfYjG3DnTr5CDlcqK23OFCww8erSoa3aTiUpuL0u-V0Jy-DJ9RKpQT9Gy4GI6-1X7Eg-9UjiW55W8U6u9vtEHrejj/s1080/Eva%20Atticus%20woods.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="girl trail riding on black horse" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1P2KCoPfdivXp0Pc_zh_Qr0xR_5fj6qIYfw1VT4Ww5D4HpW5dsjZOXauMS4ktOWouUb7Z-VbtiFckTwO1S_JLeYN09fAzfYjG3DnTr5CDlcqK23OFCww8erSoa3aTiUpuL0u-V0Jy-DJ9RKpQT9Gy4GI6-1X7Eg-9UjiW55W8U6u9vtEHrejj/w320-h320/Eva%20Atticus%20woods.jpg" title="girl riding on trail on black horse" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTF8L77lJ39FdfrPqqDfq6PyGYYc-Aj_KHx78DasCWM_2TcSMAQkLchsd05o7PZWOly-dfmZcYceQe0NHRxtMSV9MNE3snXsov2JE5hRzLFUIvjq0V0ZH7aB7OcXM2xSssiWzC7skJagmIz7NumDxHggp-ecMkK4XcmhumW0fzY2EPNViYA/s3265/35EB7EFD-E3B9-4281-9D26-F774725B87F2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Friesian horse art" border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="3229" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTF8L77lJ39FdfrPqqDfq6PyGYYc-Aj_KHx78DasCWM_2TcSMAQkLchsd05o7PZWOly-dfmZcYceQe0NHRxtMSV9MNE3snXsov2JE5hRzLFUIvjq0V0ZH7aB7OcXM2xSssiWzC7skJagmIz7NumDxHggp-ecMkK4XcmhumW0fzY2EPNViYA/w395-h400/35EB7EFD-E3B9-4281-9D26-F774725B87F2.jpeg" title="Black Friesian horse painting" width="395" /></a>Atticus headshot</h4><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMDuakvhe-Yk4l2993dNhDUCjc7i6zRrQAuWS7GTKKbZDtUqPvvVx5LvEb6s8R4htsSfFPmzluW-71UQgJw64O9IoO1M4-i9DARfYS_7X7kofrZJLdndIR0loMY2ivgrSshU7qgUn4PVfAjcMsvdmWJHOPSq0U4rxSjEmB_G2FK_gQ00VDg/s4032/20230418_174519.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMDuakvhe-Yk4l2993dNhDUCjc7i6zRrQAuWS7GTKKbZDtUqPvvVx5LvEb6s8R4htsSfFPmzluW-71UQgJw64O9IoO1M4-i9DARfYS_7X7kofrZJLdndIR0loMY2ivgrSshU7qgUn4PVfAjcMsvdmWJHOPSq0U4rxSjEmB_G2FK_gQ00VDg/s320/20230418_174519.jpg" width="320" /></a>The back pasture, with Spring evening sun rays.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h3><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bKBShOsH-hilT4ZiNoXJyb85YSHWINBWKqJqvJt2Ydv66FsWqauUztG--la_K70rFqczFu9tnTgSXRgoyq-vlRDShjxAWumNlIYVC42tFvOUlJwstSN1ioo7sutYmCZ32JFEpsYS-dRpwXbx4KtLsd2oklx-io4jhpKqVlR12_F44aDpkg/s2605/A112A262-D8D4-49E7-9A6B-E64D2B1EACA5.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2605" data-original-width="1864" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bKBShOsH-hilT4ZiNoXJyb85YSHWINBWKqJqvJt2Ydv66FsWqauUztG--la_K70rFqczFu9tnTgSXRgoyq-vlRDShjxAWumNlIYVC42tFvOUlJwstSN1ioo7sutYmCZ32JFEpsYS-dRpwXbx4KtLsd2oklx-io4jhpKqVlR12_F44aDpkg/w286-h400/A112A262-D8D4-49E7-9A6B-E64D2B1EACA5.jpeg" width="286" /></a></h3></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Judge (29 yr. old retired police horse) and his</h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"> girlfriend Cookie trotting in the pasture.</h3>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999114.64899526505355 -111.79752119999996 63.442514534946447 -41.48502120000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-21919084522201180342023-11-20T11:10:00.003-05:002023-11-20T11:10:34.988-05:00Latent Learning and giving the horse time to process<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xEF6eB0DLoDoBywewJNGkbIHv4rR5hcx_w3uWtkiyXPXpK1HqhbmO2GDf7PLXmZP2z6QI_-711EEQWDi_9eY0VzqCLq1jpG4DJ1ArcTDiw3iZnP2c7F6yD7DJJbLwrVo0X00YFfIGYFF2zoNQliyEWG5JIRkuI94FlSJ5c4qVToM69P63FhS/s835/thinking%20horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="835" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xEF6eB0DLoDoBywewJNGkbIHv4rR5hcx_w3uWtkiyXPXpK1HqhbmO2GDf7PLXmZP2z6QI_-711EEQWDi_9eY0VzqCLq1jpG4DJ1ArcTDiw3iZnP2c7F6yD7DJJbLwrVo0X00YFfIGYFF2zoNQliyEWG5JIRkuI94FlSJ5c4qVToM69P63FhS/w171-h163/thinking%20horse.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Have you ever had a situation similar to the following happen to you?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>You decide you are going to teach your young horse to ground drive. He has never done this before, but he is accustomed to ropes around his feet and legs, so he doesn't mind that touch. He does seem a bit confused at you walking behind him and turning him with the long lines, but after a short session, he seems to roughly get the hang of it, and there was no resistance, so you decide that's a good start and leave it.</i></p><p><i>You get busy with other horses and other things, and don't get to another ground driving lesson for a week. When you attach the long lines for the second lesson, suddenly the horse seems like a pro! He turns smoothly, can do serpentines, and even halts squarely and quietly at a light touch. You are dumbfounded.... was someone secretly working with your horse that you weren't aware of?! Did he just regain memories of a past life as a cart horse?</i></p></blockquote><p>I had this exact situation happen to me. Similar ones as well when teaching a horse a new concept. I finally decided that horses take a much longer time to "digest" new information, and their timeline is completely different from ours when it comes to learning and assimilating new knowledge.</p><p>Then I heard of the concept of "latent learning" in a podcast on clicker training horses. So when teaching a horse something completely new, such as a brand new trick, or a flying lead change, or the turn on the forehand, you will achieve much more if you give your horse breaks of a few days between lessons, instead of practicing daily. </p><p><b>Most horses trained once or twice a week for a short period learn more between sessions than those taught every day in long lessons. </b></p><p>The horse's brain needs time to process and absorb what it was shown. Then it needs to put that information into the long-term storage section of the brain, where it is archived and can be quickly retrieved by the horse when needed.</p><p>On the other hand, humans usually learn in one hour classroom blocks, so we expect to move at a much faster pace than the horse. </p><p>On her page, professional horst trainer Stacy Westfall says:</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #323333; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"I love to work with horses that I call ‘next day learners’ or horses that the next day come out and have really absorbed the lesson that was taught the day before. They may not be experts but they seem to have thought about what went on and they are applying the concepts at least."</i></span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Slow down! </span></b> </p><p>Think of a horse's timeline of stretching out much longer than your own. I have had a lot of success teaching a horse to pick up a leg on cue (a light tap with the whip) by asking once at the start of our grooming session, then a second time when I am all tacked up and ready to head to the mounting block. Upon finishing our ride, the horse would frequently offer to pick up a leg while untacking and brushing out. It's almost as if the horse had been ruminating on the task over the course of our ride, and decided to show me he's figured it out!</p><p>So try not to repeatedly drill new tasks with your horse.... give him time to "digest" the lesson and his learning pace will actually increase. </p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-3869225664134392862023-02-23T02:44:00.001-05:002023-02-23T02:44:14.744-05:00Getting your horse to take the bit<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvPp7TGU-J_VFzeoUOrdyrdkekm1pzNGEmdOJXMAMufPvwCZCZXQBYgBC4JJeIX1mZnZrsIzJULQH5whL1FAR_DWd80cchlLG0tBbjj8z9MdWAI_803L7cL9-LffctcwKtrudg0zzrfezmm177mKH_n6r1COCiOYUJFjCGpAcC7lRBaMuAw/s831/bridle%20horse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="putting on a bridle" border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="831" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvPp7TGU-J_VFzeoUOrdyrdkekm1pzNGEmdOJXMAMufPvwCZCZXQBYgBC4JJeIX1mZnZrsIzJULQH5whL1FAR_DWd80cchlLG0tBbjj8z9MdWAI_803L7cL9-LffctcwKtrudg0zzrfezmm177mKH_n6r1COCiOYUJFjCGpAcC7lRBaMuAw/w200-h181/bridle%20horse.JPG" title="getting horse to take the bit" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When I started my first horse from a youngster, I made the mistake of shoving the bit against his teeth to get him to open his mouth. This was, of course, not the correct way, and only resulted in him having issues with bridling for many years. So, here is the correct way to go about this task!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #164000; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Position yourself
on the left side, next to the horse's head, facing the same way the horse is.
With your right hand holding the bridle, slide the bridle over his face so that
you can put your hand over the poll and sort of between his ears. DON'T PUT THE
BIT IN YET. Wait until your horse is calm and not tossing his head. You can put
pressure on the poll with your right hand (or arm), asking him to lower his
head if he raises it too high. Use your left hand to put slight pressure over
his nose, about halfway between the eyes and the nostrils (where the bone and
cartilage meet). The bit should be below his jaw at this point, and out of the
way. Now, just wait.</span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #164000; font-weight: normal;">Once your horse
begins to relax and lower his head, position your left hand on the bit, to
guide it into his mouth. You do not want the bit to clank or smack against his
teeth, so go slow and take your time. You can reach into the horse's mouth and
"tickle" his tongue, bars, or the roof of his mouth, until he opens
his mouth for you. There are no teeth in this part of the horse's mouth, so you
won't be risking any fingers. I often switch my right hand to under the horse's
neck and holding the bridle by the cheek straps above his nose while I guide
the bit. If your horse is not tossing his head, this position is more
comfortable.</span></strong><b><span style="color: #164000;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #164000; font-weight: normal;">Once the bit is in,
check to make sure the tongue is under the bit, and that the bit is adjusted
and positioned correctly. Most horse's that toss their head have learned to
avoid the pain they associate with the bit in any way they can, so check
everything you can think of. The general rule of thumb is that an english bit
should be adjusted to have 2-3 wrinkles, and a western bit should be adjusted
to have one wrinkle in the corner's of the horse's mouth. Also, the cheek
straps should not rub too close to the horse's eyes. If so, your browband may
be too small. You might also want someone to help you check your horse's teeth
to see if there might be any other reason the bit is bothering him.</span></strong><b><span style="color: #164000;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #164000; font-weight: normal;">Spend some time
every time you tack up doing this ... repeatedly. Bring your horse in, put the
bridle on and off a few times, then give him a treat and put him away. You can
also try coating the bit with molasses and/or sugar, once you are able to get
him to keep his head low for you. Often, this will help a horse associate
pleasant things with the bit in his mouth, instead of pain.</span></strong><b><span style="color: #164000;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #164000; font-weight: normal;">Take extra care when removing the bit NOT to hit his teeth. Let the horse
spit it out. He'll appreciate it, and you won't have to deal with a horse that's difficult to bridle.</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Once you can get the bit in once, practice slipping it part way out of
his mouth then back in repeatedly. While
doing this, the horse should keep his head down in an accessible position.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-23850555765437883282023-02-23T02:32:00.001-05:002023-03-20T23:12:59.777-04:00Jump Panel and Décor Ideas<p> So I am always looking for novel ideas to make new horse jumps, or to dress up plain old logs in the woods. Here are a few that I have made, as well as ideas I have for others.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ideas for jump panels:</h3><p>These PVC or vinyl panels are available at places such as Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes. They came up in a search for "decor screen", so hard to say how sturdy they are, but they look like they would be super easy to attach to a long board plank to act as a wider plank or a filler:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DBWGbVcPTwg/YXFwuR7pvsI/AAAAAAAAVy4/0BIB2yUDMdMXkEpQjlp4j8Q16bRSY6GsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2067/jump%2Bdecor%2Bscreens.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="premade panels to use for horse jumps" border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="2067" height="229" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DBWGbVcPTwg/YXFwuR7pvsI/AAAAAAAAVy4/0BIB2yUDMdMXkEpQjlp4j8Q16bRSY6GsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h229/jump%2Bdecor%2Bscreens.jpg" title="decorative panels to use in horse jump construction." width="640" /></a></div>They also come in a couple different colors, although generally that is limited to shades of brown, black, and white.<br /><p>Along those lines, another search for "decorative panel" came up with these that look a bit sturdier (or at least I am more confident they would stand up to outdoor use:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>*Other ideas: Woven willow / branch filler</p><p>Faux ivy / hedge fence panels</p><p><br /></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-62721656889340829332023-02-23T02:31:00.002-05:002023-02-23T02:31:54.987-05:00Becoming a Bombproof Rider<p> I recently started reading a book about bombproofing your horse, and as I was reminded of the psychology of it, I had an epiphany; I could apply the same ideas to make myself a braver rider.</p><p>Basically, in working on de-spooking or bomb proofing your horse, you are gradually making them confront a scary thing, first from a safe distance, then gradually increasing the pressure until it's no big deal.</p><p>So it occurred to me, if I am worried about my horse spooking, or even trying to turn and bolt on me, I need to set up a situation where my horse is nervous, but I can handle it and bring him back under control.</p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-91645923294452417092023-01-11T09:18:00.000-05:002023-01-11T09:18:11.564-05:00Riding in the Rain with Magnum (2009)<span class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"></span><h3 style="text-align: left;">Just stumbled across this old post, and thought I'd repost it for the memories!</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-LQeGUcYX4wialClZJUOS6L6vPMIqas4BDa22hg9WdcUNjWQzcXTroQ2BoGMWXgkROSifqRkgh-IIh8X3TNVNIdAakPq3aRhd30LfRZ_3_ISBGAXtz7aa0P9npLqGF_UO005QdUWwvWN8xTMexyCCSp_sldPM2YWE1oHv2563II1ZZH7sw/s1694/Magnum%20and%20Teddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1694" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-LQeGUcYX4wialClZJUOS6L6vPMIqas4BDa22hg9WdcUNjWQzcXTroQ2BoGMWXgkROSifqRkgh-IIh8X3TNVNIdAakPq3aRhd30LfRZ_3_ISBGAXtz7aa0P9npLqGF_UO005QdUWwvWN8xTMexyCCSp_sldPM2YWE1oHv2563II1ZZH7sw/w400-h158/Magnum%20and%20Teddy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><i>(Originally published Oct. 19,2009)</i></div>
<div>Yeah, this weather is really crummy! I must say, I was very proud of myself for venturing out riding yesterday. </div><div> </div><div>The vet came out and looked at Magnum... she did flexion tests, felt his legs, watched him on the lunge, etc. and said she doesn't think it's arthritis. He trotted out sound after the flexions, and she said that should have shown something if it was. After watching him a bit, she did notice how he at times seemed stiff behind and took short steps, but she thinks it's more muscle development, and he's being protective of himself because he's worried about slipping. She had him stand square and looked at him behind, and then showed me, and it's clear that aside from lacking muscle along the top of his hindquarters, his right hind is much more underdeveloped in a couple places. She agreed it was probably from the EPM, that he permanently lost some muscle and it will just take more work to get it back. I asked about the possibility of steroids to help with the development, and she said we could try it down the road if a conditioning program isn't sufficient, but it can make a horse really aggressive.</div><div> </div><div>I had Magnum and Teddy in the front field while waiting for the vet, and Teddy was clearly wanting to play, running around and bucking, and then closely examining each part of Magnum that the vet had just checked. (She'd feel his stifle, Teddy would look at her then closely sniff Magnum's stifle, she'd poke around his pasterns, Teddy would sniff his pasterns, etc. I had to keep shooing him away). So I decided I'd bring Teddy along when I took Magnum for a ride up and down the power lines. Since it was a rainy Friday, I didn't think we'd come across too many other people.</div><div> </div><div>I ponied Teddy until we were across the stream (he likes to walk with his head glued to Magnum's butt, so it wasn't difficult). Then I took off the lead rope and let him run along. Occasionally he'd take a parallel trail, but then he'd always cut across to come back behind us. It was really funny when we got to the open field. Teddy first trotted over to examine the orange traffic cone in the field, then turned and galloped all around, bucking and kicking. Zoey would chase him for a bit, then he'd chase her. It was like having 2 dogs out. If he started to run too far off, I'd call him and he'd come right back.<br />
</div><div>I think he got a lot more exercise than Magnum, because he chose to run and buck so much. I thought it would also be a good way for him to learn to navigate different terrain without a rider. The only problem was when we turned to come back. Teddy decided to take the lead, and thought he knew the way home, so went galloping full speed up over the hill toward the traffic circle, whinnying the whole time. Magnum got VERY upset at that... he bucked a few times because he wanted to go with Teddy, then pranced the rest of the way with his head straight up. He called to Teddy a few times, but no response. </div><div> </div><div>Turns out, Teddy <em>thought</em> he knew the way back but got lost... he was over by the pavilion, galloping back and forth along the wood line, trying to find the trail. So when we came up over the hill, he saw Magnum and came straight back to us, with his head at Magnum's butt as usual. I thought he might have learned his lesson about running off, but once we got down to the main open field, he figured NOW he knew the way back and took off again. Unfortunately, this time he followed the road up to the playground area. (So much for horses having great sense of direction). So we walked up there, and he was again galloping along the wood line, whinnying and trying to find the trail. Magnum and I just stood there until Teddy saw we weren't going to follow him and came dejectedly back to us. Then he obediently followed the rest of the way home. I think he was quite tired by then... he hasn't had that kind of a workout before. It was a fun experiment. I'd like to do it again, but a weekend probably isn't the best time.</div>P. Reese Guytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13235708607591771821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-34002322070878158572022-12-06T10:35:00.004-05:002022-12-06T15:48:05.120-05:00How to train for a steady, confident horse on the trail.<h4 style="text-align: left;">This is all advice by Cheri Wolfe, given on her website, <a href="https://wolferanch.com/how-we-train-trail-horses" target="_blank">WolfeRanch.com</a>. I have edited the original a bit, but this is pretty close to her post.</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxfeTHr_k0QwkbBUB8Hc_88HTBJMRR53zT23D1PAPB-MZP2mn67GJZOAAc6nW40gxzkyjd-cVlxB_8Epttm32CNPNkusMMslsgMxJANxB3cn2eCCRkmLaBI33ubX64d_JVGqM6YrVqFAZa45BO5vFvHWbRLyAa9JGRbTfMOA06JmW-_hCWQ/s3428/trail%20horses.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Brave and bold trail horses" border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="3428" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxfeTHr_k0QwkbBUB8Hc_88HTBJMRR53zT23D1PAPB-MZP2mn67GJZOAAc6nW40gxzkyjd-cVlxB_8Epttm32CNPNkusMMslsgMxJANxB3cn2eCCRkmLaBI33ubX64d_JVGqM6YrVqFAZa45BO5vFvHWbRLyAa9JGRbTfMOA06JmW-_hCWQ/w640-h141/trail%20horses.jpg" title="Brave and bold trail horses" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These tips not only make a horse more confident, but they should also make the rider more confident as well.</span></h3><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1. The main thing you are looking for from your horse is <b>OBEDIENCE</b>. Quick and full response to your aids and requests without a fuss. If you say walk on, the horse does so promptly and without argument. Same with stop, turn here, etc.</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">2. Your horse doesn't get to look at every new or different thing and decide if it's okay. <b>YOU decide</b> if it's okay, and if so, the horse needs to trust you, and not his natural instincts to bolt and run from any potential threat. As the leader, what you say goes. A foal will follow it's mother across a raging river because he trusts her. If you tell your horse that flapping tarp is OK, then he must trust you and have no more questions about it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">3. If you get in the habit of "showing" a horse everything he is fearful of, they get into the habit of stopping to check out anything new or strange. Not acceptable if you are galloping a cross country course, or trying to get to a stuck cow. The habit you DO want to reinforce is to <b>go past, over, or through </b>anything that you ask him to.</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">4. The horse either has to become the leader and figure out everything for himself, or he has to let <b>you be the leader.</b> I believe I am smarter when it comes to identifying actual dancer, know where I am going and what I want to do, and he doesn't get to have an opinion about it. <span style="background-color: white;"><span>Nervous, spooky, 'refusing' horses
are most of all 'worried'. As a prey animal, they are supposed to be worried
about them and the horses behind them when they are the leader. When YOU are
the leader, they are not worried about anything, and are much happier and calmer.</span></span></span></p><div class="x-el c1-1 c1-2 c1-1a c1-1b c1-1c c1-1d c1-1e c1-81 c1-82 c1-83 c1-84 c1-85 c1-86 c1-87 c1-88 c1-89 c1-8a c1-8b c1-8c c1-8d c1-8e c1-8f c1-8g c1-8h c1-8i c1-8j c1-8k c1-8l c1-8m c1-8n c1-8o c1-8p c1-8q c1-8r c1-8s c1-4 c1-2q c1-b c1-1f c1-c c1-1g c1-d c1-e c1-f c1-g x-rt" data-aid="CONTENT_DESCRIPTION1_RENDERED" data-typography="BodyAlpha" data-ux="ContentCardText" style="box-sizing: inherit; flex-grow: 1; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; width: 725.328px;"><h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #5e5e5e;">T</span>ips for how to accomplish this while riding:</span></h3><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: both;" /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1. Look out <b>past or beyond</b> the scary obstacle. Ride with the resolve of a person on a mission who needs to get somewhere quickly. This subconsciously makes you more assertive, and the horse reads this as confidence. Don't look down at your horse, look at the place you are going! If you look for spooky stuff, you will certainly find it!</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>2. Don't ride straight toward a scary thing you can <b>go around or past.</b> (e.g., recently on a trail ride, there was a bright shiny </span>Mylar<span> balloon on the trail. I managed to get around it by deviating into the woods a bit to add a little more distance). As you pass the scary thing, bend the horse's head away from it and shoulder towards it. Once past, reverse direction TOWARD the object (don't turn tail to something scary, that is retreat), and pass it again in a shoulder-in same as before (head away, shoulder towards thing). Repeat until there is no tension.</span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>3. If the horse isn't trained enough to know how to leg </span>yield<span>, another option is to <b>ride "hard and fast"</b>... at least, go faster (trot rather than walk), cover more ground, go over rough ground, distract the horse with more pressure. Use tools to get the horse's attention back on his job and on you. Focus on where you are going, not the object. Ideally, if time allows, you should then repeatedly pass the object until the horse thinks nothing of it. (Hence why you should never be in a hurry when riding... training issues need to be dealt with and not put off).</span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>4. Before hitting the trail, make sure </span><b>you have control</b><span> of your horse's feet and good forward impulsion. When you ask a horse to walk on, it should be a bold, working walk. If not, make him halt and ask him again to walk on, using crop of a strong thump of your legs if need be to get a good forward walk. Ask him to </span>yield<span> his head to both sides, and practice the one rein stop.</span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>5. Never accept less than <b>full obedience</b>. Finish what you start. If your horse decides it is not going to cross the stream and stalls out, threatens to rear, starts backing up, keeps whirling, etc., you have to MAKE him do it. If you can't ride him across at first, lead or ground drive him, then ride him. Use crop or spurs if necessary, but he cannot be allowed to win the battle. If he does, he will try that much harder the next time he doesn't want to do </span>something<span>, and you quickly have a dangerous horse on your hands.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h4 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">You become a confident rider when you have full control. Control comes from being an "In Charge" leader.</span></h4><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "Open Sans", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.641271199999991-16.455310089723206 -146.9537712 90 -6.3287711999999914tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-55538872760513833872022-11-26T17:57:00.000-05:002022-11-26T17:57:48.248-05:00Benefits of Long Reining or Ground Driving Horses<p> It can be called Ground Driving, Long-Reining, or Long Lining. What it is, is basically driving a horse with two long lines while you are walking on the ground. Sort of like lunging, only with a second line. It's benefits are numerous! Long lining builds top-line muscles, and teaches softness in the bridle and self-carriage. <span style="background-color: white; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 18px;"> </span></p><p>You can see ground driving depicted in old horse training manuscripts and artwork as it was sometimes used in classical training (or high school dressage, such as that practiced by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, or the Cadre noir of Saumur in France).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNkg8_WUYNXnbEO71-FMLeJ54gV9GAjzHyjGs-v1QeZ9XkqOUteepxLlLFn8sDUqZaa5eMGtEnWQeKfJzGiiVHI_Eed7jSo6wt83c6Or-oMBObpz9iF-97DOJr0VHmf1M3S4DWNYfSRM7U14UlkTf5rWdfzCaCyARx-HZ9VdfxNLW3bHKTXQ=s3181" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Long reining or ground driving is training a horse from the ground with long lines or reins." border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="3181" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNkg8_WUYNXnbEO71-FMLeJ54gV9GAjzHyjGs-v1QeZ9XkqOUteepxLlLFn8sDUqZaa5eMGtEnWQeKfJzGiiVHI_Eed7jSo6wt83c6Or-oMBObpz9iF-97DOJr0VHmf1M3S4DWNYfSRM7U14UlkTf5rWdfzCaCyARx-HZ9VdfxNLW3bHKTXQ=w640-h198" title="Long-lining is a great way to train horses dressage." width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>One of the things I have noticed in long lining Atticus, is the ease with which I can ask for shoulder-in and half-pass along the fence line. As I am not always correctly balanced, and definitely stronger on one side than the other when it comes to using the proper aids, I frequently worry that I may be confusing him or inadvertently giving conflicting cues. I don't have to worry about this with the long lines.</p><p>Additionally, I find it's a great way to work on an issue that I would not be comfortable riding the horse through. Here is a short video of driving him away from "home" (the tacking / untacking spot) when he decided he was done working and the ditch made a handy excuse for him to refuse.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="328" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9hHNk3b9_iE" width="473" youtube-src-id="9hHNk3b9_iE"></iframe></div><br /><p>Whenever he tried to spin away from the ditch, I would turn him again to face it and encourage him to go forward. If he was at least facing the right direction, I would verbally encourage him. After a number of refusals, he realizes it's easier to go over than to continue refusing. It's the same principle under saddle... take the pressure off if the horse is doing the right thing (or even just THINKING the right thing, as in facing the ditch without backing or turning away).</p><p>I find that having this ability to reinforce your requests without danger works really well for under saddle behavior.</p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-12132639142580293132022-07-09T11:05:00.000-04:002022-07-09T11:05:02.812-04:00Stall bedding methods<h3 style="text-align: left;"> <u>Deep Litter Method, or "Lazy Man's Way"</u></h3><p>This involves starting with a whole lot of shavings, picking out the obvious manure, and adding more fresh bedding on top. It is what I prefer in my outdoor run-ins, as it builds up a decomposing base layer which helps to lift the floor level above any dampness and also adds warmth in the winter. I actually start with a layer of woodchips, and add sawdust on top. In the winter, I usually add chopped straw, as it really helps to insulate and keep them warm.</p><p>Usually the whole shebang is cleaned out completely once a year or so, which can be a massive job. Although I have seen this method used where the base layer decomposes at a rate that keeps the level of bedding pretty much even.... again, usually outside, and with few horses.</p><p>One big drawback to this method is the buildup of ammonia fumes, especially in a closed up area such as a barn. (Another reason it works better for outdoor runs). You also have to be sure to add enough fresh bedding on top to lift them away from any dampness and bacteria. Because manure gets mixed in with the shavings, it can cause issues with thrush and similar infections.</p><p>PROS: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Once established, quick and easy</li><li>Can provide extra cushioning</li><li>Provides warmth in winter from decomposition</li></ul><p></p><p>CONS: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Very labor-intensive when complete cleaning becomes necessary</li><li>Can cause buildup of ammonia fumes and breathing problems</li><li>Can exacerbate thrush or fungal issues</li></ul><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>Stall Mats + Very Light Sawdust</u></h3><p>This method relies on the stall mats to provide cushioning, and just uses a dusting of sawdust or shavings to absorb urine and manure spots. It makes the stalls very easy to clean, but you must make sure there is sufficient cushioning under the mats so it is comfortable for the horse to lay down.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfgaLEhPue_eYcEYDFJrSLZNm-g2qEVxeVKUWYTnzIXzE9bheYNASflpxsNyCwoZI5j0gN9X_1VWFwMwJo1zQFvyPPMvxTbv2_td5PIi1Q1wrWd6yrW-F7SUs6vn3Zy1JarpYm6LSqIVFfaxOxaC96ETfl2HGi_I2ssu7N1NytlieZ9QTBQ/s3314/stall%20bedding%20article.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="3314" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfgaLEhPue_eYcEYDFJrSLZNm-g2qEVxeVKUWYTnzIXzE9bheYNASflpxsNyCwoZI5j0gN9X_1VWFwMwJo1zQFvyPPMvxTbv2_td5PIi1Q1wrWd6yrW-F7SUs6vn3Zy1JarpYm6LSqIVFfaxOxaC96ETfl2HGi_I2ssu7N1NytlieZ9QTBQ/w640-h190/stall%20bedding%20article.png" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>Types of Bedding Material</u></h3><p>In my area, the options are pretty much baled straw, chopped straw, shavings, sawdust, and pelleted bedding. Here is my experience with the various types:</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Baled straw: </h4><p style="text-align: left;">Cheap, fluffs nicely to provide good insulation. However, it is an absolute bear to muck out! All the long fibers mat together, creating a very heavy mess. Additionally, for some reason soiled staw bedding stinks much more than the other types.... I have only noticed this when mucking out, not when walking into the stable.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Chopped straw: </h4><p>Very easy to handle and spread, insulates, keeps coats very clean. The biggest downside is that horses may eat it, and eating too much can lead to impaction colic. But this stuff makes a soft, fluffy bed that I wouldn't mind sleeping on myself!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Shavings: </h4><p>Light and fluffy, the wood shavings are larger than sawdust, and can be had usually in cedar or pine. Cedar smells nice and helps repel insects. However, this stuff sticks to everything, and you will find it a bit itchy when it works it's way under your bra. Can be hard to separate out when cleaning, so you do wind up throwing out some clean shavings with the dirty bedding.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Sawdust: </h4><p>Easy to clean out and separate the dirty stuff. You do need a lot of it to provide sufficient cushion, as it tends to pack down easily. It is also prone to becoming dusty, which can be a big problem with a horse that has any sort of breathing problems, such as Heaves.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Pelleted wood: </h4><p>I love this stuff! You have to soak the pellets before spreading it, and at that point it crumbles into sawdust. Due to the soaking step, it is less likely to be dusty, and it's an absolute dream to much out... sort of like cleaning a litter box, the poop clumps stick together, the pee spots are easy to see. It's also very easy to store, as you can stack the bags anywhere. If it does get wet, it expands inside the bag and tends to burst it, but I have just raked that stuff up and spread it... it doesn't go bad like wet feed would.</p><p><br /></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comUpper Marlboro, MD 20772, USA38.8159473 -76.7496908999999910.505713463821152 -111.90594089999999 67.126181136178843 -41.59344089999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-26872786177230160722022-07-05T10:13:00.000-04:002022-07-05T10:13:05.850-04:00Interesting New Horse Products<p>I am always curious to see what new inventions clever people have come up with to solve various horse / riding / farm problems. Heck, for that matter, I also like to look up old patents to see what sorts of clever ideas people had a couple hundred years ago.</p><p>At any rate, I recently came across <a href="https://ridecorrectconnect.com" target="_blank">this website</a>. They have a couple products that I found interesting and may want to try. The first being, these Velcro gloves and reins combo. I have sometimes found myself with wet or sweaty hands and reins, and feel like I am trying to hold onto a pair of eels. Royal pain in the butt! Anyway, this is what the product looks like:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTq841hRdLCgBdAhTYfyuowTvieAkjlBCUzWbnT9fTOAWCdPXQSmwWMX73ZWM6T3Vd3V_WTWozN98vxIIxfVFyTGGX3viGYAJ2cmj5OnXrND5F7Dx4Ynup4mNJi7oECNETYg61YfKNFRjiLzeQbPgfeR2H5QVeswosNxHJWABgO1dlskAIg/s3097/Velcro%20gloves%20and%20reins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="3097" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTq841hRdLCgBdAhTYfyuowTvieAkjlBCUzWbnT9fTOAWCdPXQSmwWMX73ZWM6T3Vd3V_WTWozN98vxIIxfVFyTGGX3viGYAJ2cmj5OnXrND5F7Dx4Ynup4mNJi7oECNETYg61YfKNFRjiLzeQbPgfeR2H5QVeswosNxHJWABgO1dlskAIg/w640-h208/Velcro%20gloves%20and%20reins.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Thoughts? I will update this post as I come across more fun stuff!</p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comUpper Marlboro, MD 20772, USA38.8159473 -76.74969089999999-11.738249953849525 -147.0621909 89.370144553849514 -6.43719089999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-68662197109114011842022-06-28T10:29:00.002-04:002022-07-09T11:08:44.795-04:00Puff Pastry Cookie Recipe<p> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sHGATw7Wfpw/XJeUnc9X4bI/AAAAAAAAHEw/QscKnHMro7wxSZ_m7ldqOVsJC83u257YwCLcBGAs/s1600/puff%2Bpastry%2B6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sHGATw7Wfpw/XJeUnc9X4bI/AAAAAAAAHEw/QscKnHMro7wxSZ_m7ldqOVsJC83u257YwCLcBGAs/w320-h231/puff%2Bpastry%2B6.png" title="puff pastry cookies" width="320" /></a></p><br />I stumbled across this recipe when my local Wegman's stopped carrying a crispy, flaky Italian cookie called Sfogliatelle or Millefoglie. (My guess via Google, sorry if I am butchering the name!) At any rate, they seemed to be nothing more complex than puff pastry brushed with a sweetened glaze and baked. When I discovered Puff Pastry in the frozen section of my grocery store, I came up with the following easy recipe.<br /><br />Not only are they fairly quick and easy to whip up, they look very impressive to serve to surprise guests or with tea or coffee. I do not actually measure my ingredients, so I will have to do that the next time I prepare them so I can update this recipe for those who prefer precise directions.<br /><br />INGREDIENTS:<br /><br /><ul><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rCbpWE6yqJA/XJebbNWrgMI/AAAAAAAAHFU/gzL87kiS81QXpGGnzLBOVB5IBFABAlSOgCLcBGAs/s1600/extracts%2Band%2Bpastry.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rCbpWE6yqJA/XJebbNWrgMI/AAAAAAAAHFU/gzL87kiS81QXpGGnzLBOVB5IBFABAlSOgCLcBGAs/w320-h112/extracts%2Band%2Bpastry.jpg" title="make puff pastry dessert" width="320" /></a><li>2 egg whites</li><li>Granulated (caster) sugar</li><li>Cinnamon</li><li>Pinch salt</li><li>Vanilla and / or Almond extracts</li><li>Sliced / slivered almonds</li><li>Frozen Puff Pastry sheets</li></ul><br />STEP 1: Combine egg whites, about 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tblsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. Vanilla or Almond extract (I use both, to total 2 tsp.), and a pinch of salt in a small bowl or ramekin. With an electric beater, whip until it forms soft peaks.<br /><br />STEP 2: Take pastry out of freezer (I recommend leaving it in until this step, otherwise it will quickly soften). Break off 2 folds from one of the sheets, and lay out on a piece of parchment paper. <br /><h1 style="background-color: #f9f9f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #bf1e2e; font-family: "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.12; margin: 21px 0px 10.5px;"></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-COIjLABX9r4/XJeUkfi3kOI/AAAAAAAAHEg/ynt-MIlPLu88dSJcVqZj0REmPPBZtdZAQCLcBGAs/s1600/puff%2Bpastry%2B2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1226" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-COIjLABX9r4/XJeUkfi3kOI/AAAAAAAAHEg/ynt-MIlPLu88dSJcVqZj0REmPPBZtdZAQCLcBGAs/w200-h153/puff%2Bpastry%2B2.png" title="puff pastry recipe step 1" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Use a pastry brush to brush your glaze mixture onto the sheets.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fRN-kK52ndU/XJeUkaroiSI/AAAAAAAAHEk/46osSXWW1bQH673SGCtoZCCLqlaoUgn2gCLcBGAs/s1600/puff%2Bpastry%2B3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1327" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fRN-kK52ndU/XJeUkaroiSI/AAAAAAAAHEk/46osSXWW1bQH673SGCtoZCCLqlaoUgn2gCLcBGAs/w320-h265/puff%2Bpastry%2B3.png" title="puff pastry cookies" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> STEP 3: This step is optional, depending upon how you like your almonds. I briefly toasted mine in the oven, then used my fancy knife cutter thingy (official name, by the way) to chop the bits smaller.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OCKJHAnqa4s/XJeUlgmrLOI/AAAAAAAAHEo/UC3r1JHgerE1QMgSeI26o3Tn0zCIhhI7ACLcBGAs/s1600/puff%2Bpastry%2B4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1313" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OCKJHAnqa4s/XJeUlgmrLOI/AAAAAAAAHEo/UC3r1JHgerE1QMgSeI26o3Tn0zCIhhI7ACLcBGAs/w320-h262/puff%2Bpastry%2B4.png" title="crushed almonds for pastry" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">STEP 4: Again use your cutting tool, whatever it may be, to cut the strips into rectangles. Transfer the parchment to a baking sheet. Make sure the cookies are not touching each other, and sprinkle liberally with your almonds. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZRV1-dvg40/XJeUnBIOAtI/AAAAAAAAHEs/Tv3PfS-iz38w0AK9I4PLDYpUN4pKC9SYwCLcBGAs/s1600/puff%2Bpastry%2B5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="1600" height="278" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZRV1-dvg40/XJeUnBIOAtI/AAAAAAAAHEs/Tv3PfS-iz38w0AK9I4PLDYpUN4pKC9SYwCLcBGAs/w320-h278/puff%2Bpastry%2B5.png" title="puff pastry cookies ready to bake" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">STEP 5: Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. You'll want to watch the first time to get an idea for how long, depending on your oven's peculiarities. They should puff up and turn brown at the edges. If you take them out too soon, they will flatten as they cool - not what we want, but still tasty. You have my permission to eat any failures!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Enjoy!</div><br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-56929230229878071232022-06-18T08:06:00.003-04:002022-07-09T11:09:33.252-04:00Judge is back from the Hospital!<p>And so begins his long recovery process. It was so sweet watching him greet his old friends!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="331" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p9roA0eNk78" width="477" youtube-src-id="p9roA0eNk78"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXUwhLBx86OJatO9WCBFRxSHrFgACdi04eXUEWCqd4W42Lg_6Fbkh95VUpeSQOZcMvuKABIIPyKEejnUe7-cx4pY8siBw4HrGGVLofeUYYNiXyLePlcJXHw5aQyZi_UCqt1PrFUvZZR3L2FkeSBsesH-yPnnOvhOW46zrges9iLZbwCZ8nQ/s2511/Judge%20and%20mariam.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="2511" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXUwhLBx86OJatO9WCBFRxSHrFgACdi04eXUEWCqd4W42Lg_6Fbkh95VUpeSQOZcMvuKABIIPyKEejnUe7-cx4pY8siBw4HrGGVLofeUYYNiXyLePlcJXHw5aQyZi_UCqt1PrFUvZZR3L2FkeSBsesH-yPnnOvhOW46zrges9iLZbwCZ8nQ/w640-h200/Judge%20and%20mariam.jpg" title="bay horse and brunette woman" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is Mariam, Judge's favorite person and savior, welcoming him home!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.com9748VG9F+X452.869882700000012 -73.47720869999999140.739628660277489 -91.055333699999991 65.000136739722535 -55.899083699999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-61560476403669106992022-06-18T07:47:00.000-04:002022-06-18T07:47:32.278-04:00Dealing with an older horse and colic surgery<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">Judge, my retired police horse, had an emergency colic earlier this month. He had to be taken to the vet for surgery right away. He is 28, which normally I would've thought would put him in the "poor surgical candidate" category, but my vet said he's actually in excellent shape for his age, and she's seen horses worse off recover from the surgery just fine, so off he went.<br />Turns out that the cause of the colic was something called a strangulating lipoma. This <span style="font-family: inherit;">is<span><span style="color: #333333;"> a type of colic caused when a fatty tumor gets wrapped around a portion of the intestine. The tumor is benign, but it develops in a sort of sack attached by a long stalk, which can make it easy to wrap around and strangle the intestine.<br /></span></span><span><span style="color: #333333;">Luckily for Judge, he got into surgery quick enough that the portion of the intestine wrapped up didn't actually die, so there was no need for a resection (cutting out a portion of the damaged tissue and reattaching the rest of the intestine or colon). He is currently on stall rest for about a month, and is starting rehab exercises to build his abdominal muscles back up.</span></span></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For those who have never seen how surgery is done on a horse, it is rather fascinating and shocking.</span> Here are a few pics: </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOevBHP_56UpAnD2HVu1eIAm4EmMdq_RiNBhSbQYsoomctW5pdP3zaXZrHUdiEve_62f1tItbj4YGIz2bbk8lhTXdiKskh7JwbUGfsv2vPYnTPRj1VeTTy0pIC_Imnhvua5MbfR2pnXXgE-yrTd3nclUX59ECaVEe8SPwqUZ0x7umlS5cIWQ/s2209/colic%20surgery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="2209" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOevBHP_56UpAnD2HVu1eIAm4EmMdq_RiNBhSbQYsoomctW5pdP3zaXZrHUdiEve_62f1tItbj4YGIz2bbk8lhTXdiKskh7JwbUGfsv2vPYnTPRj1VeTTy0pIC_Imnhvua5MbfR2pnXXgE-yrTd3nclUX59ECaVEe8SPwqUZ0x7umlS5cIWQ/w640-h250/colic%20surgery.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9xpnF2k-Z0lewZQ8dqDadW4FDNgrgUv3bDSQtefl6IXa3gGio4686mZcRdhuOWzZDWsqhnhCavYu532HsqdaY62ROL2Hc5MTwPQxSLzEpigt94I0o6F1BatjJh4SMyIqgKdZ4uJDtJp2yiY0OzCYuQwOfRWayF0ytT9IfQlKGW6pFwyalg/s2596/horse%20surgery2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="2596" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9xpnF2k-Z0lewZQ8dqDadW4FDNgrgUv3bDSQtefl6IXa3gGio4686mZcRdhuOWzZDWsqhnhCavYu532HsqdaY62ROL2Hc5MTwPQxSLzEpigt94I0o6F1BatjJh4SMyIqgKdZ4uJDtJp2yiY0OzCYuQwOfRWayF0ytT9IfQlKGW6pFwyalg/w640-h230/horse%20surgery2.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pretty amazing stuff, huh?</div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-82442881340724469782022-05-03T21:41:00.005-04:002022-05-03T21:47:04.156-04:00Taking Cookie for a walk<p> Sometimes you gotta take the mini horse out for exercise.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-:<img alt="Mini horse out for a walk" border="0" data-original-height="1670" data-original-width="1318" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfniwW-Dra7d-FECi8icQJOX0tBtVbeEdQkc_-1Gy13WjwhX42lSrSq4A7AIBz-2WxTPibIKUX35ArgLwf0A9wqrnLXf4cIlXX4NT2o9xoQmTHBe7DlJQ0mezNLilA0mgWsv86-BORzxIg4GZCJkvaY-Ga6QdGc9JsGV-6N__nJR1_EOu2Kg/w506-h640/5573C3D5-BA7B-4F15-9A24-9E9EE6CB9BE6.jpeg" title="Walking the mini" width="506" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Byga8cH162gjN2ocVXCicYgTwoGYvOhLGnXarHVMzn89HZCWAXJC_sY-oS5VYK8mGb_ceVlplHmSYB5N7Afna3zAyUreH9_EFz2f075FlQrHCjDdDdtvtzyRvXKVFGGMUjmq4j6qqBwg7IpZrjcB6L_SU-6rsleAfBRKaFXuUoqP96XdMA/s2624/AC532C5D-4431-4386-A7D0-33B9C4FD517A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Walking pet mini horse" border="0" data-original-height="2624" data-original-width="2302" height="555" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Byga8cH162gjN2ocVXCicYgTwoGYvOhLGnXarHVMzn89HZCWAXJC_sY-oS5VYK8mGb_ceVlplHmSYB5N7Afna3zAyUreH9_EFz2f075FlQrHCjDdDdtvtzyRvXKVFGGMUjmq4j6qqBwg7IpZrjcB6L_SU-6rsleAfBRKaFXuUoqP96XdMA/w487-h555/AC532C5D-4431-4386-A7D0-33B9C4FD517A.jpeg" title="Walking the mini" width="487" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-91433118830331741112022-04-26T11:18:00.006-04:002022-04-26T11:26:08.248-04:00Cottagecore, Farmcore, Countrycore Aesthetic!<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_iUfq77gZlSAO_RGFZMiQpdw9ic5L-C9ilVmdNQpVEEdiBBMU09tFWnMnq-WB1NOfEU89BFnPyJQV-05EfcGYV8zMIWuZAGvkWwG6VHS9KAQ1AFFXAT1K3tZ_5VxhPykTa6TptTIT4x99smYQ84_tC8pBvrbQRe1z90QQOZeaVh8f3b4lA/s2692/cottagecore.jpg" style="background-color: white; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="cottagecore, countrycore with chickens and women on the farm" border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="2692" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_iUfq77gZlSAO_RGFZMiQpdw9ic5L-C9ilVmdNQpVEEdiBBMU09tFWnMnq-WB1NOfEU89BFnPyJQV-05EfcGYV8zMIWuZAGvkWwG6VHS9KAQ1AFFXAT1K3tZ_5VxhPykTa6TptTIT4x99smYQ84_tC8pBvrbQRe1z90QQOZeaVh8f3b4lA/w640-h198/cottagecore.jpg" title="farm cottage life and country aesthetic." width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">“Cottagecore”</span></b><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (Also called Farmcore
or Countrycore) is a visual look that is inspired by a romantic version of life
on a farm in places such as the U.S., Australia, England, Ireland, and Scotland.
It is based on the concept of living simply and in harmony with nature. I tend
to think of <u>Little House on the Prairie</u>, or the Hippie movement of the
1970s (only cleaner and sweeter smelling, with fewer drugs).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">It
involves the subjects of self-sufficiency, growing and raising your own food,
taking care of family and community, so forth and so on.</span><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">I was recently told about it by a friend who
heard a segment on NPR (national public radio), and thought, “that is exactly
the sort of thing Anna does!”</span><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">It seems
to be a common theme that while I know what I am interested in, I don’t always
know the proper search terms to use or what the current buzzwords are.</span><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">I frequently would search for “ferme ornée”
(Ornamental Farm in French), which is what Thomas Jefferson’s estate Monticello
was referred as… what one might once have called a “Gentleman’s Farm”. It also
revolves around the idea of an aesthetically pleasing farm, where the animal
enclosures, fences, structures, etc. should not be solely utilitarian, but also
must be pleasing to look at. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9Jf1s0qWmSWzbR_nXLSU5id3o8kgAnUCC7qSSY_4-UJnY8_7W0SHiREpK-1hyvo08_Nv7OyhmH_tcvJdxpM59Ysp2Yt584oH-HgiSJ9ASd2FCuhJTGbKSfONipaYEsKYaXsv4WIPI51y2xKYuPQpx_6ErK2-MSssYTyy-5pxVzWqFO3bdg/s1922/cottagecore2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cottagecore girl in prairie dress and a fantasy forest illustration of a woman leaning against a stone arch from ruins." border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1922" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9Jf1s0qWmSWzbR_nXLSU5id3o8kgAnUCC7qSSY_4-UJnY8_7W0SHiREpK-1hyvo08_Nv7OyhmH_tcvJdxpM59Ysp2Yt584oH-HgiSJ9ASd2FCuhJTGbKSfONipaYEsKYaXsv4WIPI51y2xKYuPQpx_6ErK2-MSssYTyy-5pxVzWqFO3bdg/w640-h373/cottagecore2.jpg" title="whimsical forest country ladies and girls." width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
one thing I found rather interesting is that apparently there is a political
bent to some of this movement… being either very strongly LGBTQ, or the
far-right based on traditional gender roles.</span><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">Kind of funny, huh?</span><span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">I love the
Cottagecore stuff simply for the aesthetic, and disregard any political
leanings around the trend.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">Of course, there has also been criticism because Cottagecore
idealizes a refined Eurocentric farming life, which some think carelessly
celebrates colonialism, as well as simplifies and underestimates the labor of
farmers. (I mean, it wouldn’t be quite such a fun fantasy if you had to look at
photos of underpaid immigrants laboring under the hot sun and all the human
rights abuses that go on in the real world).</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">Then again, my argument would be that this is of course an ideal,
visually appealing fantasy version of farm life.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt;">I mean, come on, it includes fairies!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #3a3a3a; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-28179698383034985492022-04-26T10:23:00.001-04:002022-04-26T11:28:01.896-04:00Photoshoots, Filming, and Photography on the farm<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOrc0-h8lp-ESy5i2KBLzSbRN6OHwbU2Gh9KbNClXThYjUHBh1b6UW45vKu-B9GEdCoKSh2JH_kRVRLFzkedco0dJSCJt7f5SavQa7ICZLxLyk0TrLb23sFfkuVb8PwAkLmvu-xc9S6lLlvK5ubLvuPvD9eGUrqyeSxrEh519HTM_3oT9ng/s611/save%20the%20date%20horseback.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="horseback photoshoot for save the date and wedding pics ideas" border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="611" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOrc0-h8lp-ESy5i2KBLzSbRN6OHwbU2Gh9KbNClXThYjUHBh1b6UW45vKu-B9GEdCoKSh2JH_kRVRLFzkedco0dJSCJt7f5SavQa7ICZLxLyk0TrLb23sFfkuVb8PwAkLmvu-xc9S6lLlvK5ubLvuPvD9eGUrqyeSxrEh519HTM_3oT9ng/w400-h266/save%20the%20date%20horseback.png" title="a couple on horseback with a save the date romantic banner in between them." width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Our farm is available for rental if you are interested in a filming or photo location.</p><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A beautiful rural country location for senior yearbook photos, engagement photos, baby announcements, social media profiles, and more! Bring your own photographer, or take pics yourself. Photo shoots on the farm are a lot of fun, and photo shoots with horses are one of my favorite things to do! I can also offer my Photoshop and other photo editing or digital painting skills if you are interested.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prices are:<br /></span><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$125 / hr. for use of farm </span></span><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Additional $100 / hr. for use of horse* </span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(includes horse prep and handler. If horses are wandering in background or just photographed in pasture, no extra charge.)</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Text or email for more information. <br /></span><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Use of horse to be agreed upon beforehand... may not be suitable for all ideas.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I have numerous types of tack, including </span></span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">English</span></span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, dressage, western, </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Australian</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, medieval / fantasy, and some costumes and accessories available. I am still working on trick horse training, but currently I can get my horses to stand on a pedestal, and usually stay in a spot I put them. Here are some of the photos I have taken with my horses here:</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfvEBCJbdz2JBPwPwYdQvOD8bwU7cDfaDCXq3Fv-2dp8RAHAbobQnVoxPKUxmJAQnXdaAaWZExZafUJtk2qnIgg1r2Syu-T0Tp8z3M6a49AiQFi0qm2v76ia0QvAakQlT-JlEzarHKh7r1FwZE2HsKuP1LDMbJC7eLd7Kt8YmeFt54ZHJptQ=s2696" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="a photoshoot on a horse farm, country photoshoot, christmas card ideas, country pics ideas, photoshoot ideas in the rural countryside." border="0" data-original-height="2696" data-original-width="2196" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfvEBCJbdz2JBPwPwYdQvOD8bwU7cDfaDCXq3Fv-2dp8RAHAbobQnVoxPKUxmJAQnXdaAaWZExZafUJtk2qnIgg1r2Syu-T0Tp8z3M6a49AiQFi0qm2v76ia0QvAakQlT-JlEzarHKh7r1FwZE2HsKuP1LDMbJC7eLd7Kt8YmeFt54ZHJptQ=w522-h640" title="farm and ranch rural photoshoot site ideas with horses." width="522" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can also see more photos posted on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/annab264/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram Page</a></h3></span></span></span></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-39857528175343962092022-03-26T09:58:00.001-04:002022-06-28T10:30:57.365-04:00Horses Playing with Slow Feed Treat Balls<p>I designed these treat dispensing toys after seeing the smaller hexagonal ones for sale for what I thought was a rather absurd price. These are much larger, so can dispense more food and hay cubes as well. As the horses became more and more adept at using them, I had to add a few things to make it harder, such as interior baffles and objects so they couldn't just roll all the food out at once.</p><p>One of the things I've found fascinating, is that the horses seem to love these, and will go to play with them rather than eating hay cubes scattered on the ground, readily available. After reading up on things such as Dopamine release, clicker training and varied schedules of reinforcement, I believe something similar is at work here. To paraphrase, it's sort of like a person at a slot machine... never knowing WHEN it will hit next is part of what keeps you pulling the lever. There are many more studies and such around this behavior, which I may eventually link if there is enough interest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VL0UL4yNQHo" width="439" youtube-src-id="VL0UL4yNQHo"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-88691805837722195382022-03-15T11:46:00.001-04:002022-04-26T11:30:30.740-04:00Rainy Day Stall Training or Stuck on Stall Rest<p>Considering that the ground outside has been looking like a swamp for the past couple weeks, it's getting really frustrating, and starting to feel like I have made no progress whatsoever with the horses. So I decided to start brainstorming some things I could do in one of the run-ins or in one of the stalls. I would love to hear other suggestions... these are mostly things I have been working on anyway in the open.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span face=""Copperplate Gothic Light","sans-serif"" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Exercises For The
Stall Or Run-In</span></u></b></h3>
<div style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="clear: right; float: right; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="horse clipart training step to a mounting block" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuvcwIOeZzQHJV5nKMXmtuK2-b04GB3Yd3lRmmDFinj34f7pzFFiDKxiBdazo2eQPmW85D4y1l9EXEZWOdvW3dJb_Ol_2EuqHBN6ShCXkZDWWOC4F6mYS3IakXjkfHfOP_-mh8BSVLqOeT0IxgZ4DUCOScgyJAVbnbef9XW1064nCJlwsbqw=w198-h200" title="Teach horse to step to you for mounting" width="198" /><span style="height: 541px; margin-left: 1440px; margin-top: 766px; mso-ignore: vglayout; position: absolute; width: 535px; z-index: 251664384;"><img height="541" src="file:///C:/Users/AnnaB/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.png" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_7" width="535" /></span><!--[endif]-->Teach horse to step hindquarters toward you for mounting. Stand on mounting block with horse on lead rope, reach over back to tap far hip. Keep tapping until horse takes a step toward you, then stop and reward. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><br /><br />Practice cues for turn on haunches and turn on forehand from the ground, using your hand instead of leg.<br /><br />Practice “head down” cue (Pressure on poll).</p>Accustom horse to clippers… acclimate them to the sound, then the vibration on various parts of the body… no actual clipping needed! OR…. Use a percussion massage gun! <br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">S</span>it on horse bareback and use leg cues to pivot…</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt;">ü</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span>Move leg forward and tap shoulder for turn on haunches<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt;">ü</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span>Move leg back and tap for turn on forehand</p><h3 style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Trick Training & Clicker Training</span></span></u></b></h3><h3 style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><img border="0" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXRztOhgO7IFXwg0FZXs0a3VTxXA40VpeeuIe5ZDIACMMnS0I4ywYtWf_A_qB9-xJ8DLVWPNgrNMkgjTdiMa5ND6uFYn8-7BPQMZzWBC5DY8eu9YVIwoixzRRVLFpM2GRDnrh8xnx6NJFeAC0YEO6J9l4KT2gLviUPvuedrcXL0NbvAXyw4w=w160-h66" width="160" /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Teach to touch a target (i.e. empty water bottle) for a click & treat</span></span></p></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Cues for pick up foot …</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">ü</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Tap behind cannon for pick up behind (i.e. for
bow)<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">ü</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Tap in front of cannon for reach out (i.e.
Spanish walk)<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Step up on pedestal</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Pick up all feet from one side.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Teach "ears forward" cue for photos - <br /></span><span style="height: 231px; left: 0px; margin-left: 913px; margin-top: 924px; mso-ignore: vglayout; position: absolute; width: 348px; z-index: 251658238;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/12362901/8869180583772219538"><img alt="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RufCNQI03iQ/YDwqZDlu7JI/AAAAAAAAQDk/TzBFQXX8tN4-8Uwl5TWgTuAGGw4-ylVqQCLcBGAsYHQ/w116-h77/image.png" border="0" height="231" src="file:///C:/Users/AnnaB/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" width="348" /></a></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnQ__CLmKdcm7sZy7RO8QMPXDzrll9oPzq0dtHH8Dz5YAdWbTfIcGdCd01RNJ0VX3OxFKRIvVjtLeO_uNxmT25Xy-MEm5u5pmuzkqwrkL1yaDc_Il6GOvaaHzfWSTPLtMt96nttJCtGgw6kyshS4gliYO6GtvsL4dhvlXQkBwKIjF1hOPHIA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="181" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnQ__CLmKdcm7sZy7RO8QMPXDzrll9oPzq0dtHH8Dz5YAdWbTfIcGdCd01RNJ0VX3OxFKRIvVjtLeO_uNxmT25Xy-MEm5u5pmuzkqwrkL1yaDc_Il6GOvaaHzfWSTPLtMt96nttJCtGgw6kyshS4gliYO6GtvsL4dhvlXQkBwKIjF1hOPHIA=w141-h94" width="141" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75"
coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe"
filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75"
alt="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RufCNQI03iQ/YDwqZDlu7JI/AAAAAAAAQDk/TzBFQXX8tN4-8Uwl5TWgTuAGGw4-ylVqQCLcBGAsYHQ/w116-h77/image.png"
href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/12362901/8869180583772219538"
style='position:absolute;left:0;text-align:left;margin-left:226.5pt;
margin-top:-.1pt;width:87pt;height:57.75pt;z-index:-251658240;visibility:visible;
mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;
mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;
mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;
mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;
mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page' o:button="t">
<v:fill o:detectmouseclick="t"/>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\AnnaB\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png"
o:title="image"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">ü</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Flashing hand sign up high. (Use horse neigh sounds from YouTube to get initial reaction so the horse gets the idea.) Click & Treat.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;">Teach horse to back up to a hand signal (Usually a wagging finger) ☝<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Just for fun</span></u></b></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Practice vaulting on
horse bareback. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Sit on horse with rope
halter and lead rope. Practice flipping rope over horse’s head to
pull head left, then right. This can later be used when riding.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Find your horse’s
favorite scratchy spot… under the neck?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">On the withers?</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Practice your braiding
skills<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Practice putting on polos
/ leg wraps</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Give applesauce and molasses in an empty dewormer syringe to make it fun and easy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And finally, you can try these....</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwW196NbqMFpch3QXvpgc_NVzGvYLysiynyhGcmUdNcOcwZA3eVGbQUyXY5m5qjjDQrFnIdP3LkH-AyvsQ6mf-hXtr96f4qmmoh8zIMmxCUIrDLcRFqDXrlFC62KW7hpvXbvbsqmDVpLRuXviwfJgM4iu9ipj8kFAZiQxzwzHoJ4OYBMqDOw=s2151" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1919" data-original-width="2151" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwW196NbqMFpch3QXvpgc_NVzGvYLysiynyhGcmUdNcOcwZA3eVGbQUyXY5m5qjjDQrFnIdP3LkH-AyvsQ6mf-hXtr96f4qmmoh8zIMmxCUIrDLcRFqDXrlFC62KW7hpvXbvbsqmDVpLRuXviwfJgM4iu9ipj8kFAZiQxzwzHoJ4OYBMqDOw=w640-h570" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p></div><div style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-50602645485600441322022-01-12T09:02:00.001-05:002022-04-26T11:32:06.020-04:00DIY / Homemade Horse Products - Updated!<div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><p style="text-align: left;">These are my various home-made concoctions that I have found very useful to use around the farm.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u>For the Coat</u></h2><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>Fly Spray</b>: </h4></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I find the very best and cheapest fly spray to take care of my 7 horses is Apple Cider Vinegar. I frequently add a bit of Healthy Haircare to condition the coat, and sometimes a drop of Pyrethrin concentrate that I ordered off Amazon.com. You can add essential oils (I'd recommend Lemongrass, Cedar, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Citronella, or Geranium), but this mostly just increases the cost of your fly spray.<br />
<br />
Another trick I read about was to boil a strong tea and use that. I did try this once, adding some clippings from my rosemary and wormwood plants. It did a decent job of repelling flys temporarily, but in all honesty, the apple cider vinegar works the best!</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gz0N8AJ3Isw/W1jDQCPEf4I/AAAAAAAAFPg/SXmaadVHnIUyV9rcMF_09fm1ZBgOzIJ1ACLcBGAs/s1600/essential%2Boils.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="natural herbs and plants for horse fly spray" border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gz0N8AJ3Isw/W1jDQCPEf4I/AAAAAAAAFPg/SXmaadVHnIUyV9rcMF_09fm1ZBgOzIJ1ACLcBGAs/w640-h185/essential%2Boils.jpg" title="horse fly spray herbs and ingredients" width="640" /></a><br /><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Antifungal / Drying Powder:</b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">You can use this to help dry sweat spots on a horse you can't bathe or rinse, to help cure rainrot, or even as a shoe / boot powder (which I do all the time... I have a fear of spiders living in my barn shoes!). I don't have exact measurements, but here is a general guideline:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRouFZWU8z1Hte7ILpLNY2dr2oPTmgMefUPcZ3eyucVYff8hIcj10Z5vDyo7AoeuRNDyDEd31AGui06XHS2Vb4w1xSe8OIopqdweIysdFQsMMxWBc88Fh6_X2_Dk6bw5wHD9TO-cFhGDq4uhsKPY1qWZPxG7IzGBGKB_xAxchhGzzHzOK6rg=s2436" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="2436" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRouFZWU8z1Hte7ILpLNY2dr2oPTmgMefUPcZ3eyucVYff8hIcj10Z5vDyo7AoeuRNDyDEd31AGui06XHS2Vb4w1xSe8OIopqdweIysdFQsMMxWBc88Fh6_X2_Dk6bw5wHD9TO-cFhGDq4uhsKPY1qWZPxG7IzGBGKB_xAxchhGzzHzOK6rg=w640-h202" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u><b>Mane & Tail lotions</b> - </u></h2><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;">Detangling:<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h4><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Okay, here is my secret for detangling knotty manes and tails.... forget your Cowboy Magic, Show Sheen, and other silicone-based products. Find the ethnic hair care section of your local store and pick up some Luster's Pink lotion. I suspect it's the high lanolin content, but I have tried numerous other products, and this is the one that works best! When I need to detangle some knots or burrs, this stuff works better than anything! I have actually tried many hair care products for ethnic and African hair types on the horses, but have yet to find one that works as well as this.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Probably coming in second place for detangling a problem area is</span> WD-40. It also adds a lovely sheen. However, I can't vouch for how safe this stuff is to use... I suspect it's not a great idea to have frequent skin contact with a petroleum-based product (although I could be totally wrong, I'm not a scientist).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">General moisturizing:</h4></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I frequently make my own all purpose mane & tail lotion by mixing some Pink lotion, cheap hair conditioner, water, and Healthy Haircare. Other ingredients that I may add include olive or castor oils, tea tree oil (for it's anti-fungal properties), and coconut oil (you can now find the liquid-at-room-temperature kind in the grocery store).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Growth / Antifungal:</h4><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">To be used on just the hair roots, use either straight Listerine (antifungal, and seems to stop flakes and itching), or mix in a bit of Witch Hazel, a few drops of Tea Tree Oil and / or Neem Oil, and the secret ingredient, Miconazole, also known as the vaginal yeast infection treatment found everywhere. Shake to mix it all up well, and be careful with application... one of my horses seemed very sensitive to it, and proceeded to rub his neck and mane on everything he could find, actually causing more hair loss. (Yikes!)</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Again, I am far from a scientist, more like a MacGyver wanna-be DIY Kitchen Witch! Use at your own risk.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s7NKGDXq6wc/W1jDQGc8VMI/AAAAAAAAFPk/H-oZccxjfeY0pl-7T61-5GjmyA42pr9eQCEwYBhgL/s1600/antifungals1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Antifungal ingredients for horse coat, skin, mane and tail as well as hooves." border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="1600" height="232" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s7NKGDXq6wc/W1jDQGc8VMI/AAAAAAAAFPk/H-oZccxjfeY0pl-7T61-5GjmyA42pr9eQCEwYBhgL/w640-h232/antifungals1.jpg" title="ingredients that are antifungal for DIY horse treatments" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2><u><b>Hooves</b></u></h2><div><u><b><br /></b></u></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>Hoof Oil</b> </h4><div style="text-align: left;">This has many of the same ingredients as the mane & tail lotion, only I usually add an anti-fungal and make sure when I apply it to get <b>it into the hair up around the coronet band.</b> This really does seem to prevent hoof cracks from forming, and was recommended by my farrier long ago. Some good anti-fungals are Tea Tree Oil, Miconazole (yes, that's what's in Monistat vaginal cream), copper fungicide, apple cider vinegar, Venice turpentine, Creolin, and iodine. Really, any sort of thick oil seems to make a good base. Again, I love the Luster's Pink lotion because of the lanolin. Many people recommend Listerine, but I haven't used it as I don't believe it mixes well with the oils.</div>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>Hoof Hardener </b></h4><div style="text-align: left;">Okay, I found this someplace online when I had a problem with reoccurring hoof abscesses in one of my horses. Be warned, it can be <b>very toxic and dangerous,</b> so if you decide to try this, always wear chemical resistant gloves, protective eye goggles, and be extremely careful how you apply it. It is comprised of equal parts Formalin, Propylene Glycol, and Iodine. (All these things can be purchased from Amazon). ONLY use it on the sole and white line, DO NOT apply it to the frogs - Formaldehyde (which is made into a solution in the Formalin) can be very dangerous to living tissue.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Handle with the same care you would use if it were battery acid! 💀</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">Hoof Packing</h4></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Basically I mix the same anti-fungal ingredients from my hoof oil recipes above with Kaolin or Bentonite Clay powder. Use enough wet ingredients to make it into a sticky mud consistency. This is great, because it sticks really well in the soles of the hooves, you can use it if hooves are damp (do make sure they are picked out clean first), and if they are being turned back out into a muddy area, it will stay in the hoof for a while.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999112.085212755025108 -111.79752119999999 66.006297044974886 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-7230192571582764512022-01-04T18:33:00.008-05:002022-01-08T10:19:11.514-05:00First Winter Snow of 2022 on the Farm!<h2 style="text-align: left;"> We have snow!</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Amazingly, after a day of weather in the mid 60s (that's 60 degrees Fahrenheit), we had a major snowstorm dump almost 14" of snow. Here are some pics from yesterday and today...</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_LpXJC45v9gmKQr4nFNstC1P_lTII0jh-XhOvcRcNUuGkx7EiRXmboSWJAOhipY2JexEc41wvkDJf2XOXxbKetE3Bh8fuHJcE_tF43olSvtZ1lj6A7m-CgpuMmP_eCQso2Q-zKIDNSYlmU-8AFyb3pN-83ZMBa0nv3mOg0e_U_zJKhQQDhw=s1829" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="1829" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_LpXJC45v9gmKQr4nFNstC1P_lTII0jh-XhOvcRcNUuGkx7EiRXmboSWJAOhipY2JexEc41wvkDJf2XOXxbKetE3Bh8fuHJcE_tF43olSvtZ1lj6A7m-CgpuMmP_eCQso2Q-zKIDNSYlmU-8AFyb3pN-83ZMBa0nv3mOg0e_U_zJKhQQDhw=w640-h352" width="640" /></a></div>They got boiled apples and oatmeal with their grain this morning, as the temperatures were down in the teens. Here I am dragging a couple bales of hay down to the pasture on the sled.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHXS7AYB03jo8gTnuWwqgusV7x3Q_3AoPJsuKzdLDq2liqvhOwE09CkTlNHIE__md0xa-QxekXF3yq4Jd0zITGZf0bDTZjfK8YNcCLNzFWsuEPhdjEvTYlhN6mg6ie95-9j-Tg_7dZEnUPpMjThA4n-36JCHp8zzVuhwDUknt6-G5p_1iA2g=s3145" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="3145" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHXS7AYB03jo8gTnuWwqgusV7x3Q_3AoPJsuKzdLDq2liqvhOwE09CkTlNHIE__md0xa-QxekXF3yq4Jd0zITGZf0bDTZjfK8YNcCLNzFWsuEPhdjEvTYlhN6mg6ie95-9j-Tg_7dZEnUPpMjThA4n-36JCHp8zzVuhwDUknt6-G5p_1iA2g=w640-h210" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Pimms was trying to take a nap, but then Atticus had to come beg for attention when I went to say hello.</h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcvQIeq77Gs9Hbcwix9t2UacGoeTQLtsIHsn5T9u7Ht3__LGm2U2K2_wbrnwVFwTORUYlHALw6ePhNd5p-AjdqMUHExpG2fZ6n4qtx93dZEI9zoQEExZ8OW6Z_5VgiNeDAARGkR7_axXs21pRhVEaw_ygqzgMDIb5YeclDdHcGki8sP2HbBw=s2935" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="2935" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcvQIeq77Gs9Hbcwix9t2UacGoeTQLtsIHsn5T9u7Ht3__LGm2U2K2_wbrnwVFwTORUYlHALw6ePhNd5p-AjdqMUHExpG2fZ6n4qtx93dZEI9zoQEExZ8OW6Z_5VgiNeDAARGkR7_axXs21pRhVEaw_ygqzgMDIb5YeclDdHcGki8sP2HbBw=w640-h248" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The house actually looks quite adorable with soft snow everywhere and the warm light from the lamp post.</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBdV9Xn2fvUhfnK8ZYrYTiX304g_vHCgkv550b2sMsrEY2pFHST1t7CsvdLzhxtffOQ1ypkber6tDgdDk0saRBVozUQArO0g49rALTk3A5vqFJiUjeyXVFkXxXGlBXbXhH3PFpPvDLexOTDUNUp-DkPfqciMnJtRIKxCK2h9w576ujcpM5Uw=s3171" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="3171" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBdV9Xn2fvUhfnK8ZYrYTiX304g_vHCgkv550b2sMsrEY2pFHST1t7CsvdLzhxtffOQ1ypkber6tDgdDk0saRBVozUQArO0g49rALTk3A5vqFJiUjeyXVFkXxXGlBXbXhH3PFpPvDLexOTDUNUp-DkPfqciMnJtRIKxCK2h9w576ujcpM5Uw=w640-h240" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The sun was beautiful as it started to set on the snowy field with the horses eating their hay peacefully.</h3><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjE9s4Np6mbhBLtsa7OL0dRHceSYGX3Cxw3zvM-yBMw_YyLfgLyhvVomIe9RQXpfXN58R9o92UU1gUf9pYk_Psdt1opVPscRc1TW1e4wspb3a3qjUQResSa44mhrh1bQV1Y1fT65_IsNSTuUs9pOtxJQpTCBQ3-nke_I9UPZsHafcqkm15LYw=s3999" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2999" data-original-width="3999" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjE9s4Np6mbhBLtsa7OL0dRHceSYGX3Cxw3zvM-yBMw_YyLfgLyhvVomIe9RQXpfXN58R9o92UU1gUf9pYk_Psdt1opVPscRc1TW1e4wspb3a3qjUQResSa44mhrh1bQV1Y1fT65_IsNSTuUs9pOtxJQpTCBQ3-nke_I9UPZsHafcqkm15LYw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Atticus and Claire hoping for some grain or other tasty snacks. And then as dusk was falling, it was time to go in by the fire for some hot cocoa!</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhx5orI4QXP8jGWsFjcLcz-yYU3aQLi5DC0l_oiFEv9ajm5HWujUKJ4mElEqGf0NJVv6ixQHmniiYWNopV2X-J8LryELFy1TNCGeSNGZqVDlc62-cz9CCAkEellyHR73wjMza2QD5NaxGV1Zxrt3cvR1qe4oUsD_RMySVgWAzVCZqIlRfOJng=s3999" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2999" data-original-width="3999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhx5orI4QXP8jGWsFjcLcz-yYU3aQLi5DC0l_oiFEv9ajm5HWujUKJ4mElEqGf0NJVv6ixQHmniiYWNopV2X-J8LryELFy1TNCGeSNGZqVDlc62-cz9CCAkEellyHR73wjMza2QD5NaxGV1Zxrt3cvR1qe4oUsD_RMySVgWAzVCZqIlRfOJng=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comUpper Marlboro, MD 20772, USA38.8159473 -76.7496908999999910.505713463821152 -111.90594089999999 67.126181136178843 -41.59344089999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-48551282374187788472022-01-04T17:41:00.004-05:002022-01-04T17:41:36.813-05:00Benefits of an overhead tree tie<h3 style="text-align: left;">Tie up High</h3><p>I don't recall where I first got the idea... probably looking at something about tying horses to a highline for horse camping. But after first using the overhead line (a rope strung between two trees, with a tie coming off it), I then found a nice big shade tree with an appropriate branch coming far enough out from the tree to tie the line to that. The branch acts as a spring to take any force if the horse hits the end of the rope due to spooking or acting up. </p><p>Similar to snubbing for despooking... lets a horse move it's feet, but cannot run away. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Horse Tying Safety</h3><p>If the horse actually throws a fit and rears and starts to fall, the branch actually acts as a spring to absorb to shock, and frequently bounces horse back to it's feet. An important safety tip here... if the horse freaks out at something, just step back and let them sort it out for themselves. Don't stand where you could get stepped on or tangled in the rope. It's also always wise to have a knife handy in a few locations where you have livestock and ropes.... I knife can saw through a rope under tension quicker than anything can cut it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioIXB3RxlAQBgSvWAuBcISc7SswiwQVFbDMyy6eYAhw_tY6723bmvg89Y0uieB4-Bv8H115PKw6jObEHqRwtSsy6r0figj2nn1aLaGL1zy38sA3fQ6RLPmKz9EDp_7nVFaG3Luy1p9-EgYxm_EnX9OlHumM-DLdIYS7d20oSO1mqwDiaQWQA=s2768" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="2768" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioIXB3RxlAQBgSvWAuBcISc7SswiwQVFbDMyy6eYAhw_tY6723bmvg89Y0uieB4-Bv8H115PKw6jObEHqRwtSsy6r0figj2nn1aLaGL1zy38sA3fQ6RLPmKz9EDp_7nVFaG3Luy1p9-EgYxm_EnX9OlHumM-DLdIYS7d20oSO1mqwDiaQWQA=w640-h221" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Something that is more or less the same is known as a "Patience Pole".... not sure where the concept first came from, but it has the same advantages of any other overhead tie. The horse can safely stand tied without much risk of injury, even if they are dancing around with impatience or spooked by something.</p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comWashington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.036870710.596958463821153 -112.1931207 67.217426136178844 -41.880620699999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-10199916668787427612021-12-24T10:40:00.000-05:002021-12-24T10:40:12.141-05:00 Strange and Unique horse feed - updated<h1 style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Odd Feeds for Horses</span></u></b></h1><div><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WIt1sv8MqBI/YDU6h4APV3I/AAAAAAAAQB8/F0PHB2tRgE4b-bzHJyaEfPfEZ2ePaT1awCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="2575" height="144" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WIt1sv8MqBI/YDU6h4APV3I/AAAAAAAAQB8/F0PHB2tRgE4b-bzHJyaEfPfEZ2ePaT1awCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h144/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></span></u></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I have been reading up on some older, out of print
books to find out what sorts of things horses have been fed in the past and in
other countries.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I find this very
interesting, as many of the things considered normal and proper have changed
with scientific advances. Some things horses were fed in the past were
necessary due to lack of “proper” feed, and were downright strange.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">For example:</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A still more stimulating
food was sometimes provided for Indian horses in a meal of boiled mutton or
goat's flesh . Marco Polo tells us that in Malabar they fed their horses on
boiled meat and rice. In Cutch , before hard work , the old outlaw custom of
giving the horse such food still prevails. (from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Things Indian</u> Being Discursive Notes on Various Subjects
Connected with India</i> By William Crooke · 1906)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The following
is from</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><i><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Training and Horse Management in India</span></u></i><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> With a Hindustanee Stable & Veterinary Vocabulary, and the
Calcutta Turf Club Weights for Age and Class, </span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">By Matthew Horace Hayes ·
1885</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Rice.</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">--</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">
In some parts of India , especially in Eastern Bengal, rice in husk , commonly
called paddy (Hind . Dhan) , is much used , after it has been kept for one
season . It is given raw and in a broken state. It forms a fairly good food. A
mixture of one part of gram to two of rice is an excellent one for feeding purposes.
Rice, without the husk, is quite unsuitable for horses. [I found this very
interesting, as I started feeding cooked parboiled rice to my elderly guy which
really seemed to help him put on weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not sure why he says ‘rice without the husk’ is unsuitable]. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Carrots and other roots</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> contain but a small amount
of nutriment compared to their bulk, hence they are inapplicable for forming a
large proportion of the food of horses, which are called upon to do fast work.
They supply the system with certain important salts , which tend to preserve
the fluidity of the blood and to build up tissue. … They come into season
during the autumn, and may, with great benefit, be given in quantities of 6 or
7 lbs. daily: 2 or 3 lbs. will be sufficient for race-horses. Parsnips are
almost as good as carrots. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">…Carrots also improve the
state of the skin. They form a good substitute for grass, and an excellent
alterative for horses out of condition. To sick and idle horses they render
corn unnecessary. They are beneficial in all chronic diseases of the organs connected
with breathing, and have a marked influence upon chronic cough and broken wind.
They are serviceable in diseases of the skin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Milk.</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> For sick or delicate
horses, milk is often most valuable, and they will seldom refuse it. Sweet
skim-milk is preferable to new milk, which, from being too rich, is very apt to
purge the horse [Give them diarrhea]. A couple of gallons may be given daily.
To correct any tendency it might have to produce diarrhea, the milk might be
brought to the boil in a clean vessel, care being taken that it be not smoked
during the process . Sugar or salt may be added. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-indent: -48px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another snippet, this one from <span style="text-indent: -0.5in;">John Lockwood Kipling, C. (1904). </span><i style="text-indent: -0.5in;">Beast and Man in
India; A popular sketch of indian animals in their relations with the people.</i><span style="text-indent: -0.5in;">
New York: The Macmillan Company.</span></span></p><w:sdt bibliography="t" id="111145805">
<p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if supportFields]><b><span style='mso-no-proof:yes'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span></b><![endif]--><o:p> </o:p><i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">[The following discusses the desire of a stocky, draft-like build in naturally thin Indian horses]</span> </i></p></w:sdt><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">"But by rigorous confinement and careful stuffing with rich food even this condition is approached. Many horses belonging to persons of rank are fattened like fowls in France, by the grooms thrusting balls of food mixed with ghi, boiled goats' brains, and other rich messes down their throats. And, as might be expected, very many die of diseases of the digestion and liver under the process. The difference between East and West, between old and new, between feudal and free conditions, is shown in few things more clearly than in a comparison of the horse of the Indian Raja with the scientifically treated animal of Europe and America. The latter is carefully fed during the all-important period of its growth, so that its strength and substance are fully developed, while it is made to take regular exercise." (p.166)</span></p></blockquote>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12362901.post-63072922981123973252021-12-23T08:59:00.003-05:002021-12-23T08:59:31.749-05:00Peaceful Winter Night Under the Cold Moon<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMIvTPRdq3OoJEUF5lxLxYnm0WI9xU4EzCRPtLSo5kM7BGbgeIPPeryW1HJkqv0aJGplGpTqONafCFO8LerwUQ6M7qx-jVIaVyLWbClpaMn8k1dtb21gocyrZdqaZk2aPNK3gmvjIYmvaZ4RdoSNNwvTrgpfcjyNFxKLi71hnJ93P0keg07A=s3999" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2999" data-original-width="3999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMIvTPRdq3OoJEUF5lxLxYnm0WI9xU4EzCRPtLSo5kM7BGbgeIPPeryW1HJkqv0aJGplGpTqONafCFO8LerwUQ6M7qx-jVIaVyLWbClpaMn8k1dtb21gocyrZdqaZk2aPNK3gmvjIYmvaZ4RdoSNNwvTrgpfcjyNFxKLi71hnJ93P0keg07A=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">The night is cold and brisk, yet peacefully silent. The moon glows overhead, illuminating the
bare winter landscape. The air smells
crisp, as if hinting at coming snow. A fox gives a curt, sharp cry to his mate
down the farm lane, then silently disappears into the woods. In the cloudless sky, the stars brilliantly
sparkle with the promise of a bright new year to come. </h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946119250113858314noreply@blogger.comMaryland, USA39.0457549 -76.64127119999999110.735521063821153 -111.79752119999999 67.355988736178844 -41.485021199999991