How to train for a steady, confident horse on the trail.

This is all advice by Cheri Wolfe, given on her website, WolfeRanch.com.  I have edited the original a bit, but this is pretty close to her post.

These tips not only make a horse more confident, but they should also make the rider more confident as well.

1. The main thing you are looking for from your horse is OBEDIENCE. 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.

2. Your horse doesn't get to look at every new or different thing and decide if it's okay.  YOU decide 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.

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 go past, over, or through anything that you  ask him to.

4.  The horse either has to become the leader and figure out everything for himself, or he has to let you be the leader. 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. 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.

Tips for how to accomplish this while riding:

1. Look out past or beyond 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!

2. Don't ride straight toward a scary thing you can go around or past. (e.g., recently on a trail ride, there was a bright shiny Mylar 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.

3. If the horse isn't trained enough to know how to leg yield, another option is to ride "hard and fast"... 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).

4. Before hitting the trail, make sure you have control 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 yield his head to both sides, and practice the one rein stop.

5. Never accept less than full obedience.  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 something, and you quickly have a dangerous horse on your hands.

You become a confident rider when you have full control. Control comes from being an "In Charge" leader.

Benefits of Long Reining or Ground Driving Horses

 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.  

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).

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.

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.

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).

I find that having this ability to reinforce your requests without danger works really well for under saddle behavior.

Stall bedding methods

 Deep Litter Method, or "Lazy Man's Way"

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.

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.

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.

PROS: 

• Once established, quick and easy
• Can provide extra cushioning
• Provides warmth in winter from decomposition

CONS: 

• Very labor-intensive when complete cleaning becomes necessary
• Can cause buildup of ammonia fumes and breathing problems
• Can exacerbate thrush or fungal issues

Stall Mats + Very Light Sawdust

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.

Types of Bedding Material

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:

Baled straw: 

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.

Chopped straw: 

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!

Shavings: 

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.

Sawdust: 

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.

Pelleted wood:  

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.

Interesting New Horse Products

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.

At any rate, I recently came across this website. 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:

Thoughts?  I will update this post as I come across more fun stuff!

Puff Pastry Cookie Recipe

                                  

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.

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.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 egg whites
• Granulated (caster) sugar
• Cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• Vanilla and / or Almond extracts
• Sliced / slivered almonds
• Frozen Puff Pastry sheets

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.

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. 

 Use a pastry brush to brush your glaze mixture onto the sheets.

 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.

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. 

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!

Enjoy!

Judge is back from the Hospital!

And so begins his long recovery process.  It was so sweet watching him greet his old friends!

Here is Mariam, Judge's favorite person and savior, welcoming him home!

Dealing with an older horse and colic surgery

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.
Turns out that the cause of the colic was something called a strangulating lipoma. This is 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.
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.

For those who have never seen how surgery is done on a horse, it is rather fascinating and shocking.  Here are a few pics: 

Pretty amazing stuff, huh?

Taking Cookie for a walk

 Sometimes you gotta take the mini horse out for exercise.

-:

Cottagecore, Farmcore, Countrycore Aesthetic!

 

“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.  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!”  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!

 

Photoshoots, Filming, and Photography on the farm

 

Our farm is available for rental if you are interested in a filming or photo location.

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.

Prices are:
$125 / hr. for use of farm                                                                                               

Additional $100 / hr. for use of horse*

(includes horse prep and handler. If horses are wandering in background or just photographed in pasture, no extra charge.)

Text or email for more information.                                                                                    
*Use of horse to be agreed upon beforehand... may not be suitable for all ideas.

I have numerous types of tack, including English, dressage, western, Australian, 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:

You can also see more photos posted on my Instagram Page

Horses Playing with Slow Feed Treat Balls

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.

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.

First Winter Snow of 2022 on the Farm!

 We have snow!

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...

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.

Pimms was trying to take a nap, but then Atticus had to come beg for attention when I went to say hello.

The house actually looks quite adorable with soft snow everywhere and the warm light from the lamp post.

The sun was beautiful as it started to set on the snowy field with the horses eating their hay peacefully.

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!

Benefits of an overhead tree tie

Tie up High

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. 

Similar to snubbing for despooking... lets a horse move it's feet, but cannot run away.  

Horse Tying Safety

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.

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.