Barney, aka "Barn Cat"

It seems Barney has settled into house cat status! He was brought in to escape the frightful construction equipment trundling up and down our driveway. Aside from which, some of those construction workers drive like they are on the freeway, rather than a private drive.

At least now the barn cat knows the joys of life inside!

Cottagecore Aesthetic continued...

I recently bought this dress that I love, and plan to try it with this apron I recently sewed... Thought and opinions? 😁

"Patience Pole" theory and highline for horse training

I prefer an overhead tie, or what is known as a "highline" in the world of horse packing and camping.  There is something else that has popped up frequently online lately, called a "patience pole", which serves the same purpose.  I started using this with my young horses after I had one that would completely freak out and pull back when tied to the hitching post after having an accident.  I think this is the safest way to tie if you can.

* If horse throws a fit, elasticity of branch and rope bounces them back. I actually had one rear and slip, falling over, and the branch and rope was so elastic, he bounced back onto his feet!

* If the horse does freak out when tied with this, the safest thing to do is stand back and let them sort it out... don't go in to try to untie them and get yourself hurt.  I have always had them calm down after a minute or so.

* make sure you use a swivel on the tie.  I have noticed that antsy horses tend to turn in the same direction, which means they will gradually twist and tighten the rope without a swivel.

* As always, horses are dangerous and unpredictable, so use this method at your own risk.

A little hard to see in this photo, but this is Pimms tied to an overhead branch at my grooming area.  I also have a solar, motion-activated light for returns after dusk, and a gravel pad with a rubber mat where they stand.

Sports Tracker App for recording rides

UPDATE! As much as I loved the Sports-Tracker App, a friend introduced me to a new one which is actually geared toward horses, called Equilab. I actually use the free version, which is still chock-full of great features. For example, you can enter multiple horses, which is very handy for me.  Also, if you have a riding lesson in the arena, or maybe forget to turn on the app when you start riding but really need to track the ride, you can manually enter a training. 

There are additional features in the paid version, such as a "safety tracker" - where you can choose someone to get a real-time notification of your ride.  So for example, if you are riding alone, a friend or spouse can monitor the ride to make sure you get back safely, and if something should happen, they can see on the map exactly where you are.

Here are some screenshots from my phone to show some of the features:

Oct. 26, 2014

So I have a new favorite way to track my rides and horse workouts.  It's an app for your smartphone called Sports-Tracker, and it uses your GPS to record a map of your route, your speed, your time, and numerous other functions.  Yesterday I took Teddy out for a ride, and here's the "dashboard" of info:

I think what I like most is just the sense of accomplishment I get from looking back at what I've done!

Some Favorite Grooming Products for Dogs and Horses

I just finished cleaning up some very dirty and muddy horses (and 1 long-haired dog), and it inspired me to post some of my favorite horse grooming products (many of which can be used on dogs as well!). 

                                                      First off, these Grooming Gloves...

I have tried numerous other types of scrubby mitts, bath mitts, and curry gloves, but these really have more teeth that actually get down to the skin.  As proof, my sensitive TB is not a big fan.  BUT, you can also use them on tails!  Just put your palms together with the tail hair in between and stroke down.  Works great!

The next product, I actually purchased from my vet, but it is available on Amazon, and I intend to buy more.  It is Hylyt Shampoo by Bayer 

My long haired Shepherd, Zoey, has had a problem with flaky skin and sort of a greasy-feeling coat for quite a while.  I have tried numerous shampoos and conditioners, to no avail.  I mentioned it to the vet, thinking she might need some sort of heavy duty dip treatment.  He quickly said, "Oh, that's no problem, we can give you a shampoo for that".  I looked it up, and reviews said it was full of fatty acids and didn't contain detergent. So, figuring it would take a couple treatments, I gave her a bath with it.

Wow!  One bath was all it took!  No more flakes anywhere to be seen on her skin, and her coat was super soft.  I really wish I had taken a before picture, as I was extremely impressed by the difference.  I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can try it on the horses.... particularly those prone to rain rot and fungus issues.

If you go through this stuff in large quantities due to having a kennel full of dogs or a stable full of horses, here is the gallon size for you.

Update: Works great on horses as well, and left their coats super soft and glossy.  I also love the fact that this is safe for cats. One of our kitties was neglected as a kitten and never learned to properly groom herself.  So she tends to get greasy and have lots of loose fur.  A bath with this shampoo leaves her soft and clean for a long time.  I am very impressed.

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Eva and Atticus do a couple jumps

Okay, first of all, apologies for the very poor quality... clearly I need to use my GoPro next time so the gimbal can mitigate my shaky hand. But hey, I'm hardly a pro (clearly!)

Lovely ride in the park

Beautiful day for a trail ride today! With Judge & Mariam and Pimms & Kay.

200 Acres added to Rosaryville State Park!

*NOTE: I originally wrote this post on February 6, 2020.  I have been trying to find out if the sale has indeed gone through or not, since I figured some budgets may have been cut due to Covid-19.  Still haven't found out anything.

The Maryland Department of natural Resources has acquired an additional 200 acres of land adjacent to Rosaryville State Park (the park that abuts the rear of my property and the number one reason I purchased my farm!).

I haven't found any news on the purchase, other than a few short articles that basically say, "...its acquisition will expand the park’s offerings including equestrian opportunities and an expanded trail network."  I am guessing the property is probably what a local guy referred to as the "Woods Boys"... I couple of elderly gents who were extremely nice the one time I met them riding on their property many years ago.  It touches my property on one back corner.  Here is a map from PG Atlas with the areas shaded:

Cottagecore!

I was recently introduced to cottage-core by a friend who heard a segment on NPR (national public radio), and thought, “that is exactly the sort of thing Anna does!”  So of course, I promptly asked the Google about it, and this is what I learned:

“Cottagecore” (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 Little House on the Prairie, or the Hippie movement of the 1970s (only cleaner and sweeter smelling, with fewer drugs).

It involves the subjects of self-sufficiency, growing and raising your own food, taking care of family and community, so forth and so on.    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.  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.

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.  Kind of funny, huh?  I love the Cottagecore stuff simply for the aesthetic, and disregard any political leanings around the trend.

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).  Then again, my argument would be that this is of course an ideal, visually appealing fantasy version of farm life.  I mean, come on, it includes fairies!

Little Pony Wookie’s first real ride!

My young 11 yr. old neighbor Yomar started helping me with Wookie last week. He has done a great job on him and it’s been a lot of fun! His first time on, Mariam led the way on Judge...

Then yesterday, I took Atticus and we went on a trail ride in the park .

Is this not the cutest picture of a kid on a pony you've ever seen?!  I can't help but say "Awww" every time I look at it!

Riding through the water jump pond:

I was very proud of both of them!  They seem to be a great match

Tracker for elderly or sick pets

I designed this dry-erase board to help me keep track of Zoey's medications, bowel movements, and feedings. Between my SO and I, it can be hard to know when she ate and when she took certain meds.  I found this super helpful, so now I am selling the design if anyone else can benefit.  

I also welcome any suggestions for improvement!

Pet tracker

So after the popularity of this design, I went ahead and made another one that I myself use in the stable to keep track of my horse care, vet visits, deworming, and so forth.  Here it is if you would like one as well, for yourself or a gift!

horse care tracker

Great day for riding!

Yesterday was a successful horse day!  Yvonne and the girls (Eve and Sage) came out to see the horses and maybe ride.  They were planning on riding Judge and Brandy, but then Susan texted me and said she planned to come out to ride, and would anyone like to join her?

So as it turned out, Susan, Sage, Maya and I headed out for a trail ride with Brandy, Judge, Pimms, and Atticus. Yvonne and Eve stayed back to work with Wookie in the round pen.  However, shortly after we headed out, my stirrup leather broke, so I had to turn around and go home.  After changing out my stirrup leathers, I decided to head to the round pen to try a new bit on Atticus and help out with Wookie.

The bit (a French link Dutch gag) worked great.  Normally, Atticus goes in a full cheek french link gag with two reins, like so: 

This is because when we started him over jumps, he was prone to getting excited and throwing some big bucks!  The gag rein works to lift his head to stop any bucking.  However, it can be a severe action, so the snaffle rein works as a simple snaffle bit.  The full cheek has been useful in training him to the one rein stop.

I like using two reins, because I can have a mild one for normal work and a stronger one in case of emergency.  I have used various forms of double reins on several of my horses over the years... for example, one rein on a rope halter as a bitless bridle, and a second on a light bit.

At any rate, I wanted to try something with some curb action, to make working him in a frame a little easier, so I thought I'd try the Dutch gag (or "bubble bit").  I also used two reins, so I had the option of only using the snaffle action, or adding curb action.  It worked very well, but I am not sure it would do anything to raise his head if he did want to buck.  At any rate, he seems to be over the silly antics of his younger years, so I am not too concerned.

So all that aside, after working Wookie on the ground a bit, Eve sat on him and had Yvonne lead her around.  Wookie did just fine, and I hope to borrow my neighbor's child, who apparently does pony races, to finish his under saddle training!

A few more products created for the horsey set...

Which design do you prefer? A nice english trotting horse throw pillow and equestrian clock... horse pillow 

Elegant old fashioned horses equestrian clock
by OrchardCreek

People Falling Off Horses Blog

Okay, I just stumbled across this blog on Tumblr, and although it's probably NOT the best thing to peruse if you're looking to regain your riding confidence, it is extremely entertaining!  So please, click for your amusement...  https://peoplefallingoffhorses.tumblr.com/

Sherrie riding Atticus in the dressage ring

Sherrie is Maya's riding instructor.  She has been teaching for 30+ years, but hasn't done a lot of riding herself lately, and has wanted to get back in the saddle... partially because she has an off the track (OTT) Thoroughbred that she will be working with once she gets his hoof issues sorted out.  I know where she's coming from... riding a young and potentially hot horse when you don't feel that you are in fit riding shape can be a challenge, not to mention intimidating! 

At any rate, she asked me if she could regularly school Atticus, and of course I jumped at the chance!  Here is some video of her riding him the other day, where she really got him to respond to her leg and to collect a bit:
             

Some fun horsey products....

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I have designed these things and am selling them in my Zazzle store.  But I do love them and think you will too!

race horse wrapping paper

I used to be rich...

Atticus at his first recognized horse trial!

This is from May 2017 (I've just gotten around to updating it!).  His dressage and showjumping events at the Loch Moy Horse Trials.