BARN NOTICE
The Barn Notice is also available in PDF format. Click here to download the Barn_Notice.pdf file to print out.
Price change for lessons
Beginning August 1st, 2007, the price of lessons will increase to $35.00 per lesson. Thank you for your support and for your patronage.
Mark Your Calendars!
The return of Jerry Schmidt to do more horses teeth and feet in August.
The second Summer camp in August.
The last Hosker Clinic and deposit dates for all upcoming items.
Japanese Students!
We finally have the dates and need help on all three days. This is a great opportunity to meet a new culture, hone social skills and work on being more at ease in a fast-paced situation. Our students have made life-long friends and have become ambassadors for the horse world and for TPA through this program. Ask Tessa, Jordyn, Katie and Jessica to mention only a few. They have participated the last few years and not only have their social skills increased, we have seen them become more poised, more focused and more outgoing.
So come help us help another group of students enjoy the benefits of what riding is all about!
Okasaki
Students arrive on July 16th.
Students are at the farm on Tuesday, July 24th
1 PM to 4 PM
Goodbye dinner is July 24th
6:30 PM
We will be having 25 or more students on this one day alone. We need students to help lead horses and socialize with the visiting students. Please check to see if there is a sign-up sheet on the door.
Mukagawa
Students arrive on July 5th.
Students are at the farm on Monday, August 13th and Wednesday, August 15th
1 PM to 4 PM
The Goodbye dinner is on August 18th
6:30 PM
We will need 7 students and one adult to attend this dinner.
Please remember that the year here at TPA would not be complete without the following:
The next set of Clinics
Mike & Deanie Hosker return in October for our annual cow-working clinic. It should be great fun and will fill up fast,, so start saving your money!
Peter Campbell has a Bridle Horse clinic in Ellensburg in July. And then he is also doing a cow-working clinic in October—also in Ellensburg. For more information, contact:
Mitch Williams
509-899-0168
mailto:mitch@mfwilliams.net
Summer Camps
The second Summer Camp is full. Thanks for showing such support and for being a wonderful part of the farm and summer fun.
The State of the Arena
Craig Toups and his son Mike return the last week of July to begin the month-long project of repairing the arena. New uprights will be installed, and a new bottom section of boards or cement will replace the current bottom boards that are rotted out.
This will be a major undertaking so we ask that you stay out of the arena until Craig gives us the go ahead to return to it. We are looking forward to having an almost brand new arena after all these years. Thanks everyone.
The Farm Web Site
We have added more photos of the month and are still working on photos from the second Summer Camp. This year we will be redoing all the horse photos and adding new ones as we take them. Plus, we will be redoing the pages of each day’s students as the weather improves.
Also, if you have any photos that you would like to have posted, please submit them to To.TPA@comcast.net and we will resize them and get them up on the site. We can’t promise when, but we will do our best.
We have photos this month from Amanda May and from Liz Clark. Thank you guys!
I always like to take a moment out to thank Gale for all that she does on the site. I would also recommend her services to anyone looking to increase their business base and their outreach to the public. If you know of anyone looking to have a quality site built, please remember to contact Gale directly at: galen@op2s.com, or visit her company's web site at: www.op2s.com.
Interesting items of notice/Public Service information
I try to bring to everyone’s consideration a few books that I have been reading or something that may pique someone’s interest in one way or another. Every few years as we meet new people, I try to remember to tell folks about some books that have helped me change my life and hopefully have made others more aware as well.
Gavin De Becker wrote a book called “The Gift OF Fear.” In this modern world where sometimes even our own backyard may no longer be safe, this is a book that I would recommend every parent and teenage child read.
He has several others out, all very good books with a great deal of information and help, but I still feel that his first, mentioned above, is his best. I try to get all families to read this book—not to become worried, but to become aware and empowered. For more information, give me a call or order it from your library or Amazon. It’s a book that I have given out for Christmas and a book that I always keep on my own personal bookshelf. It changed my life and my thinking in quite a few ways.
The second item of notice
The Sun Magazine
A great friend of mine gave me a subscription to this magazine about a year ago. I have enjoyed reading the many articles by a wide variety of authors on subjects just as wide and varied. Often the topics are very personal, sometimes dark, but always thought-provoking. If you are looking for a magazine that focuses each month on a different subject, a magazine that is far different than Ladies Day or Sports Illustrated, or Time Magazine, then this might be it. If you are interested in checking out back issues, give me a heads up and I will let you borrow several to see if you might be interested in subscribing.
I had originally thought that this magazine might be a little too radical for me, but over the months I have come to enjoy reading others' viewpoints and their stories and thoughts. It is not radical at all, but simply a magazine about all of us in one way or another. It is an interesting magazine, and an nice change form Martha Stewart and the horse magazines.
Great to hear from you all!
It is always interesting to have folks pop into your thoughts in a roundabout way only to have them show up a few days later in real life. In the last 3 weeks, I’ve had contact from 5 students who have grown up and moved on, but who still take the time to keep in touch..
Several weeks ago I thought of Amy Evans, a great student and a wonderful young lady, full of life and surprises. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw her on Capital Way one day. She was in my thoughts quite a bit during that week as I told some folks about how she used to ride Tommy backwards and bareback. How she tried once to throw me into the manure pile…
Lo and behold, a week later, she wrote to me and told me that she is now a full-fledged Real Estate lawyer outside of Missoula, Montana. She is doing well and seems happy. Amy, if you are reading this, we love and miss you “Geek Goddess.”
Trina Kendall, who first brought Bella (then named “Babe”) to the farm (sometime in the early 90’s) emailed me last month also. She hasn’t been on a horse since she left the farm, but she has been busy in life. She graduated from college and is now married and has a wonderful husband and five incredibly beautiful cats. She is an office manager in Atlanta, Georgia. It was just extraordinary hearing from a former student with such a dear heart.
Kendra Steadman (whom Trina sold Babe to when she left to go to college) called yesterday. (This is a small world!) Kendra graduated from a college in Wyoming and is back to finish her next degree at Evergreen. She sounds happy and wonderfully exuberant about life and what lies ahead of her. We hope to see a lot of her in the future.
Gary and I drove out to Satsop to get some hay this morning. On the way over and back, I thought of Laela Anderson who used to ride here and who used to intern at the Brady Vet clinic (that you can see from the freeway). Upon arriving home, I opened my email and discovered an email from Laela Anderson. (The cosmos holds some incredible possibilities out there!) She holds the dubious record of falling off the old white pony five times in one lesson. But she also holds a very large place in our heart. Laela epitomizes kindness, caring and a drive to do more than her best. She graduated from WSU and is now a full-fledged vet at the Brady Hospital where she worked as an intern so many years ago. We hope to see her on a day off. Or perhaps we will visit when we next go out for hay.
And last but never least, we received a great detailed email from Elissa Torres whose life reads like an Anna Pidgeon novel. She and her hubby are doing well saving lives and shaking their heads at the decisions of tourists and travelers visiting the great Grand Canyon. Her horse Simon, the thoroughbred, is 22 years young this year and is still going strong despite lots of ribbing form cowboys and other horse folk.
Thank you everyone for staying in touch and letting Gary and I know how you are doing in life. You touched our hearts in so many ways and are still doing so by sending an email or a note or a photo…Thank you everyone!
Jerry Schmidt has returned to the farm several times to help us do feet and to check and realign teeth on almost all of our horses. He is an interesting no-nonsense man in many ways, and looks at things in a very practical and common-sense way. He is a great addition to our list of friends and those that we rely upon to help our horses. Plus, his wife Mary has shown us some interesting things learned from Pat Parelli that we have incorporated into our schooling. If you are looking for a great equine dentist or someone to help with feet, come meet him next time he's here. We plan to have him back out in August.
The June Hosker clinic was a great success as usual, with several new faces and horses and several old close friends. We worked on lots of the basics and many new ideas. All in all, the weather was wonderfully warm and sunny, and the company was tops. We are looking forward to seeing Mike & Deanie again in October!
The Saga of Burke Lake
This Spring I was invited to a yearly campout at a place called Burke Lake, which is about 10 miles north of George, WA. The lakes area sits up above the Columbia River, and there are trails galore. Some are a bit harder than others; some pretty easy. After many years of doing nothing but feeling like I have baby-sat those who are only comfortable on logging roads and flat trails, I left everyone home and took off with Jessica Ware for the trails and adventure that I love so much, and have missed so much these last years. Little did I know that it was going to be more of an adventure than I had dreamed about in a long time—something that parts of it I won’t do again, and parts of it will fill up the rest of my life.
Jessica's Story
Life is always an adventure that's for sure.
I left Wednesday night after work for Burke Lake. I made it there at 11:30pm. I unloaded Luke and Captain and tied them to the trailer with a hay bag and went to bed. Unsure of the time, I woke to Captain's little whinny, I jumped up fast and see that Luke's lead rope is hanging from the trailer with no Luke attached (the funny thing is, I double checked both leads and pulled them tight). I holler his name and here he comes around the corner of the trailer, a complete dust ball from rolling in the dirt. He looks at me like, "What? Whatcha want at such a late hour?" I see that my new halters and leads are not staying tied together; not enough dirt and grit in them yet to hold them together I guess. I changed both horses' halters to old ones because Captain's lead was also only hanging on by a centimeter of rope. Then I went back to bed.
When I woke Thursday morning I step out of the trailer to see that I have a shredded tire - surprise, surprise. At the top of vantage what I thought was a rough patch of road (rythmic bumps) from the semi-trucks making ruts in the road must have been chunks of tire ripping off....ooops! Good to know my trailer pulls great even with only three tires. <grin> No biggy! I have a spare and have the technology to change it, so I took care of that first thing while I was fresh with energy.
Tomi showed up and we went for a couple of short rides around the lake while waiting for others to show up. We didn't want to get too far from camp for too long to insure we could save the area for our group.
Friday some folks Tomi knows/her dad knows came to ride with Tomi so we all went as a group (me, Charlie, Tomi, Liz and the four other folks).
Saturday we (Tomi and her dad & step mom, her friend Erin, Charlie and I) rode to the river then up the south trail from the river and ate lunch up on the bench. We had a little excitement with horses running off and we did our own little search and rescue to find all the critters in fine shape. Captain was hobbled in my new Sara Hagel hobbles (darn good hobbles, by the way) and managed to keep himself in one piece running through the rocks and hills (thank goodness). All the other loose horses were not hobbled and were in fine shape. Alsace was hobbled but stopped dead in his tracks when Charlie whistled for him. Now I am striving to have that with my horses and I started tonight while they were all bucking/running and carrying on - I whistled and shook the grain bucket... so far so good with grain as the reward.
Sunday everyone had a lazy morning and then packed up to go home. Charlie and I stayed a while longer to take one last ride...to smell the sage and just have quiet time with our horses. We had a heck of a relaxing and rewarding ride, and it was good for my soul, that's for sure. I worked on a bunch of slow stuff with Luke in the two rein, having him reach his front with just a supporting rein (no direct rein) and my legs, and have his head/neck in the proper position...that felt good! I also worked with him on the rocks, crawling up and maneuvering in particular places for practice when the trails get a little hairy.
During the Saturday ride, I took the group down the shale hill trail (another trail that drops into Ancient Lakes),. All went well and all of them had HUGE eyes and looked as if they were holding their breath. I tried to get some pictures, maybe they will turn out. I just grinned. I love the thrill of it, the challenge and the reward of making it.
All in all I had a great time just waking up to my horses each day, spending the entire day with them is so dang nice... not to mention my dogs. Oh, yeah...had fun hanging with my friends too. <smile>
Charlie's Story
This is my part of the story and what I learned. I managed to come home with a terrible cough that turned into bronchitis…
“I slept upright in the easy chair in the living room last night so that I wouldn't cough so much. I am still having a heck of a time trying to breathe and just not cough my internals up. This morning I gave myself a headache coughing and not being able to stop. This stuff got progressively worse each day and Liz Clark and I both think it was the dust. It is interesting to note that my horse coughed pretty hard also. Gale thinks it is a relapse of the bad cold that I had at the beginning of the month. Whatever it is, it isn’t pleasant...
Anyway, I took Alsace as my main riding horse and Schania because she needed the work out on the trail, and the mental work of being tied to a trailer all by herself. Geri came to keep me company on the way over, at night, and on the way back.
So I learned A LOT this weekend. I've thought a great deal about it all this morning as I sat with my horses in the sun. I have read a few e-mails, looked at the photos that I have taken, caught up on the messages and washed some of the stuff that I brought into the Burke Lake camp. And now I am writing this...my thoughts on what I have learned.
The first grouping I entitle—"Things I learned around the campfire"
1. I LOVE my little stainless steel coffee pot. I love the taste and just watching the coffee perc.
That stainless steel may cost a little more, but the aluminum won't destroy any more brain cells.
A French press may be easier, but I am truly discovering that I am reverting back to the days when I was much younger and used things my folks and grandparents always used.
2. I love my little two dollar egg carrier and my two dollar aluminum camp toaster.
I wish however, that the toaster was stainless steel because it would be easier to clean.
3. I brought too much food, but would rather be prepared than not have enough.
That the Costco Apple strudel Bread is the best when toasted while camping.
4. I need to buy a little camp stove like Jess and Tomi have—my big stove is great for grilling, but for more concentrated heat, those little stoves warm and cook things faster. They are easier to move and carry as well.
However, by bringing my big stove, I got to clean it REALLY well at home and now it works better than ever! Grin...
5. The case of frappachinos were a good idea, but I drank nary a one.
The Costco juices were a better idea.
The protein drinks kept me going.
6. That there are camping things that I need to buy thanks to Suzi—my new "camping stuff" idol.
She has so much cool stuff that I need to make a trip to REI.
STUFF that I never knew existed...but must have—like those little finger things.
7. I love to cook on the stoves and create stuff.
I must have been a breakfast cook in another life.
8. That the hanging wall folding cabinet was nice and handy but spendy.
However, I plan to use it a lot in the future.
9. That my cot in the camper was really warm and snuggly and great.
Geri and I were warm, had plenty of room and enjoyed not freezing our bottoms off.
However, I need to bring a dog bed for Geri during the day because while I was out riding, she is was busy sleeping in the middle of MY bed.
10. That I need small curtains on the camper so that when I am putting my tidy whities on my fat white bottom, I am not accidentally blinding someone in the camp one camper over.
11. That the LED lantern requires more work than it is worth.
I should have spent the $20.00 on a better flashlight or another one of those Costco LED flashlights.
12. I need to carry Herbal Cough syrup or an inhaler whenever I am in dusty areas now that I am older.
13. I need to make a decision about using paper plates and using up trees (and not having to wash the stuff) or only using my dollar a piece melamine dishware and then having to wash anything I use.
However, if I bring ENOUGH melamine stuff, I can use it once, then put it in a garbage bag to bring home and throw ALL of everything that I have used in the dishwasher if the trip is only for 3-4 days.
14. I still haven't tasted smores.
15. That people are funny when sitting around the campfire.
16. That the campfire brings out the best in people.
17. That good campfire etiquette says to never throw trash into the campfire when others are still using the fire to cook stuff with.
18. That I need to look up what burning plastic in a fire does to the environment.
"The Horses"
1. I still have 5 bales of hay in the trailer to unload.
I Took WAYYY too much hay.
But in times past, my horses have eaten more than I thought they would, and by having too much, I was never stressed out about not having enough.
2. Always have Bute, & Banamine in the trailer in large quantities.
If you have liquid Banamine, make sure that you have adequate needles and syringes.
Make sure that you have ENOUGH liquid Banamine.
3. I learned that I need to make a conscious effort to teach my horses to drink when they have the opportunity, and to NOT give them buckets of water at the trailer ALL the time.
4. I do not need an aluminum shovel but do need a broom, a manure fork and wheelbarrow.
5. Using a highline looks like something I might want to do in the future.
I have all the pieces but have never set one up trailer to trailer.
6. I have an electric fence charger that works on a 6 volt battery and if I only have Alsace, I might set up an electric fence so that he can lay down and not bang on the trailer keeping Geri and me awake all night.
7. We ALL need to have and KNOW about the place where we keep our extra keys or we should give an extra set to whoever is staying in camp all day.
And that they need to be available at all times to make use of or give up if necessary.
8. That you leave the area cleaner than when you found it and when you dump manure and hay out in the sage, you don't dump it in piles, but rather throw it around so that it decomposes better and faster.
9. That you tie your horses away from the wind.
And that you park where your horses don't stir up dust and have the wind carry it into the camp or trailer next to you.
10. That you park next to people who have quiet horses.
11. That if you have to go pee and use your trailer, to bring a pile of shavings along for the job. Don't use a flake of your good $15.00 a bale alfalfa because you thought it was your $2.00 a bale grass hay in the middle of the night.
"Stuff to work on at home"
1. I am teaching all of my horses to lead behind each other on narrow trails.
I am teaching them to lead with a rope around the neck or tied tail to tail.
2. That I will do everything in my power not to have herd bound horses.
That I will do anything to send each colt away to a different place for a week or two so that they become socially adept, and not to rely on any one horse.
That my horses will not kick or bite other horses when on a line no matter if they are a mare, a gelding or a stallion. Of course I don't have anything intact here on the farm, but if I did....
3. That each horse will be good at the beginning of a line, middle of a line or at the end—ridden or not.
4. That each horse will be hobble broke and will be checked several times a year.
5. That each horse learns to stand tied to the trailer for hours or be on a highline whenever necessary.
6. That whenever I whistle, I am offering the ponies up something good—grain, carrots or a pet.
That they always come when I call.
7. That the students understand that when I am away, they get to ride only their leased horse and no one else ,so that I have an idea of what is happening to each and every horse at all times.
8. That stuff that I am working on at home—stops, good right bends and left bends and following a leading rein—needs to be so good at home that when the you-know-what hits the fan on the trail, that half of what you have at home will STILL save your life on the trail.
9. That what you think is good enough probably isn't.
10. That it is lifesaving to have a horse that almost anyone can get on at any time in any circumstance.
11. That the students understand that what I teach them and what they do while riding ALL the time have life-changing or threatening and repercussions down the line.
"On the Trail"
1. Bring two-way radios with you and have them on a belt or in a fanny pouch on your body—not in a saddle bag on your horse.
A two-way radio will be the most useful thing to have when traveling in tandem going to Wyoming so that rigs can always stay in touch.
That I will make sure that the radios are charged or that I have extra batteries at all times.
And that the radios are long range for talking, not just a few miles at best.
2. That I will never let my horse loose with other horses that I don't know.
I will keep a lass rope on him around his neck and let him graze that way.
And that I REALLY don’t care to ride with people that I don’t know.
3. That there are reasons to hobble your horse—like hobbling for grazing or hobbling for ranch work, and that I need to pick one and stay with what I want my horses to know and be able to do.
4. That if you have an opinion of someone you might want to keep it to yourself because the person you insult today might be the only one who will help you tomorrow.
5. That when someone loses a horse on the trail, riding by and saying that they "will keep an eye out for your animals" is not REALLY helping.
That if you have any tracking skills or any skills at all, that you use them to help those in trouble right then and there.
That if you have a radio, you give these folks one and send the other back to their trailers where you ride to help these folks out.
6. That I will never ever touch any ones horse without asking them first.
7. That if you are offered a ride out, don't think about complaining about the toughness of the old saddle, the length of stirrups, the fact that the horse is so herd bound you might as well be a dude of the greenest sort, that the horse jigs, doesn't turn or do much except carry your sorry butt up the hill without dying in mid-hill from old age.
Be thankful for all that you are given and that your knees didn't have to carry you out all the way back home.
8. I brought my gun to carry with me on the trail and each day forgot it.
A gun would be easier for many things and less messy than using a knife.
That being lazy is not an excuse for not packing what you need.
That also sometimes NOT having a gun saves your horse's life.
9. A whistle needs to be around everyone's neck.
10. That you need to communicate with everyone and not just run off. One of my worst moments and biggest mistakes that I made was when I was trying to talk to Tomi and Erin about staying put while I rode out the other valley to see if the horses went that way and then back to camp to get fresh horses for the search....and the cowboy was yelling at me to follow him because the HERD BOUND horse I was borrowing to ride back to camp was having kittens.
11. That my little camera takes great close ups but REALLY is very inadequate when using the telephoto.
I lost some great shots because of that...
That maybe I should sell that thing on Ebay and get a better one for the trail.
12. That I am not the horse person that I want to be yet.
That being bone tired is not the time to be riding a horse that needs your help, patience and understanding. (See the section "Stuff to work on at home—items #8 & #9).
That I need to work on my patience and understanding more. That frustration and emotional breakdowns need to be kept at bay.
13. That when the you-know-what is not hitting the fan, that when you are not exhausted, frustrated or emotionally whipped, that you can accomplish a lot and that you can step back, love yourself a little more, love your horse a lot more, and then work on making both of yourselves better creatures in both the good times and the bad
14. That it is a great and educational idea to learn about the birds and snakes in whatever area you are riding.
"Upon Returning Home"
1. That I packed way more clothes than I needed.
However, if it was in the canopy (even tho I didn't wear or use it) it must be dirty by default....i.e., that dust got on the stuff, therefore IT ALL MUST BE WASHED!! (My OCD kicking in.)
2. That clothes must have packed themselves, because I don't remember putting all that stuff IN the canopy.
3. That I need more plastic containers to properly put away all the new and cool camping gear that I have so that next time it will be easy to pull out and easier to use.
4. That I am already making a shopping list for the things that I need and don't have but that Suzi says I SHOULD have.
5. That it is REALLY easy cleaning all the dishes and gear with hot water at home.
(And then letting them dry in a place where dust won't get to them BEFORE they dry...)
6. That a half hour long REALLY hot shower in your own home is definitely worth the wait.
(It may not be worth the wait for anyone else sitting next to me however...)
And that there is nothing like clean hair that has been shampooed three times.
7. That I really do need a new digital trail camera.
8. That I need to buy Jessica a new frying pan that doesn't have the non stick Teflon peeling off in the eggs.
9. That I ended up with a blue water pan, a blue handled fork and that frying pan of Jessica's.
10. That the last swim Geri went for was definitely not worth the fact that she dried off on my black wool Schaefer vest in the back seat of the truck when coming home.
11. That despite the fact that I was totally wiped out, I had to stay up to see The Donald pick the girl that did not distinguish herself at all over the boy from the dot.com in Seattle.
And the Major things that I will always think about:
1. Always be prepared for anything.
2. That Lori Smith saved my life by being attentive, staying with me, staying positive and taking the easy trail home.
And that Jess saved the relationship of the mare and me by suggesting one more trail ride and letting me work on the things that I had wanted to work on and planned to work on in the first place when I took the mare out for the first time...instead of just taking her out of the frying pan and putting her into the fire like she had to have done.
3. That when you-know-what hits the fan, deal with it, get over it and make sure it doesn't happen again.
4. That opportunities like this only show us where we need to work harder, think more, and devote more time to the things that matter when keeping ourselves safe around the horses and people we love.
5. That fear is a great inhibitor to learning, finding your potential, and for getting you hurt when it takes over in a tight situation.
Learn to deal with it and learn to become a better person because of dealing with it.
6. That a horse like Alsace comes along only once in a heart life time but that you can make other horses almost as nice and truly as solid.
That I am blessed to have this horse and even luckier to realize it.
That I will never forget the image of my horse stopping at the top of that trail and looking back at me when I whistled.
That I will never forget the gift that he gave that day to me right then and there...
That I will never forget the gift that he gave when he left me and rode off with Jess.
And that I will never forget the image of my horse catching sight of me standing on that rock waiting for him and his ears pricking up and following me...
And that folks, was the saga of Burke Lake. A lot happened during those three days, both in adventures and education. I came back pretty frazzled about other people and what they put up with. (Bad manners, bad horses and a lack of common sense.) I also came back more firmly understanding how and who I want to ride with, why I feel this way, and where I want to go in my future. Despite some misadventures provided by other folks and Schania, it was one of the best trips of my life.
Personal Reflections
I belong to a group of ladies who e-mail each other frequently on a variety of subjects. This spring the subjects have been as varied as the meaning of names and the changes in horses after name changes have occurred, as well as looking a horse directly in the eye and whether that is threatening or non-threatening and whether bling is necessary on your gear. The group is as diverse in its thoughts as in its methods which always makes for interesting conversation.
One of the subjects brought up was the divergence of two patterns of thought concerning the training of young horses. One group advocates a lot of early desensitizing and work, the other says to do a minimum amount of work with a baby then kick it out to pasture until it’s two years old or so…
Both theories have validity of sorts in my book. I tend to be of the first group, however in how I want our babies handled. I have always taught my babies to lead, then to just do things. One of the first books that I bought when we had our first baby was a book by James Ricci. I still do many of the things that he recommends in that book. From teaching them how to lead for the very first time, to introducing them to things that they will meet in life.
I have always raised or owned horses with the intention that they will become good lesson horses, or just good horses and safe horses to be around regardless of who you might be. And, since many of the horses have been born here on the farm, that means that they have to have manners around humans from the get go.
The very first priority in my estimation is trying to get the youngster good to lead and tie. A horse that leads well will be a horse that you can take just about anywhere. They will enter and exit a trailer without fear because you have shown them how to use their feet, how to drive, or how to follow. It is truly amazing to me when watching horses that won’t load in a trailer run over their handlers because they simply don’t lead well.
In 1987 there was a major chemical leak up the road that caused us to evacuate the farm in less than 20 minutes. Now, we had to lead the young horses out (our trailer had a flat tire and we couldn’t use it—another life lesson that I will never forget or think about fixing “Tomorrow.” Because you may need the trailer TODAY!) Our horses led quietly and easily to safety down the road for about 4 miles. Can you imagine trying to lead a scared young horse through traffic and buzzing fire trucks and aid cars if you haven’t done some preparation with them? But folks simply don’t, and then they wonder why they have so much trouble with a big burly 1000 lb. two-year old when it would have been simpler and easier to work with a 500 lb. baby. Ah well.
Standing tied allows the youngster to develop patience and an inner courage to be alone or simply content most of the time. This is a skill that takes a great deal of time to develop but once it is in your horse, the most amazing things happen. Often here at the farm you will see a horse on the highline or tied out back for a long while. We still don’t do this as much as we need to, but hopefully this summer this will be rectified.
The next priority of mine is to have the youngster safe to be around. That means safe for everyone whether they are the farrier, a vet, or someone just feeding or grooming them. They have to have manners at feeding time. No pushing, squealing or yanking bites out of an armful of hay, or sticking their nose into a wheelbarrow full of grain buckets. They need to be respectful of food and those feeding them at ANY time. They need to stand quietly and pick up all four feet and not be kicking or pulling their feet from the farrier’s hands. What you don’t teach your youngster. can seriously harm a person’s livelihood if they are kicked or hurt in some way while simply trying to give a shot or trim feet. And yet, time after time I hear problems blamed on the farrier when it is actually the owner's fault for not spending time with their horse's feet—picking them up, roping them, getting them used to balancing and being good citizens at all times. Why is it our farrier's job or even our own school teacher's job to teach our horses and our children manners when it should be OUR own first and foremost concern?
To me it truly does seems that these days it is always easier to blame some one else than it is to devote the time, than it is to get over your fear of doing something wrong, to get over your lack of skill, to look at yourself clearly and see who may really be to blame for a horse acting the way it is, and then to decide to dig deep and to just get the job done. I don’t have much tolerance for those who talk the talk but who can’t walk the walk because they are the ones that are putting everyone else, from farriers to vets to friends, in harms way.
Sending these horses off to the trainers doesn’t do much good in my opinion, either. It’s like sending a child who is acting badly to military school. It may help, but everything will fall apart if the parent doesn’t learn how to deal with the situation. It’s the same with owners. A horse may come back better mannered, but it will fall right back into the old patterns if the owner doesn’t take to the time to educate themselves so that they can fix up the problem or deal with what is going on. Horseman have an old adage—“The horse falls to the level of the rider.” And that is so true in all parts of life—not just horsemanship
I have always wanted young horses to treat humans with respect, interest, and with the same care that older horses have. To get this, I treat them exactly as I would any older horses, not as the baby that they are, but I always keep in mind that they ARE babies and will react sometimes like babies. I see so many owners today still treating their young stock like it is still right out of the womb. And that young stock often acts just like the delinquent it is because it has never had to respect barriers or rules or be a good citizen. I have found simply that if you treat the horse as you would an older horse, they simply rise to the occasion and I end up with horses that can safely go into the lesson string at three years old.
Now, I have also seen the other side of things where folks love their cute little baby and want to do so much with it that they cuddle it all the time and make it’s life a sheer living prison. They don’t give it any time to be a young horse. They drill and drill and drill until the human does not become much fun to be around…that doesn’t work either. You end up with a horse that hates to see the human coming…
Somewhere in the middle seems to be what works best for us…and the proof is in the fact that our colts are mentally ready for the trail and for riders at an early age. (Maybe not physically, but most certainly mentally!) But everyone needs to do what works best for them. We love our colts and if time, energy and money weren’t a problem we have lots of them because each one teaches us something to pass onto the next generation. And each generation keeps getting better and better.
This is a very interesting exchange and sequence of emails from Cindy Easley who now lives in Vancouver. Cindy recently came up to visit and we had a great talk about moving feet and how to work on a troubled mare that she inherited… The mare has trouble being saddled and has done a few inappropriate things that Cindy would like to address before getting on her. This is from Cindy:
Email #1
“THANK YOU!! Talking things out with you today about Carissa and showing me some of the more precise foot work and fine-tuning that I can do worked wonderfully! I kept the correct images in my head on the way home and through dinner, and went out to play with Carissa this evening. I noticed right away she was very stiff and braced through the neck and body bending to the left, we worked that out and I saw an amazing change after I really got her feet moving and stepping up and under herself more correctly. After we did a bunch of hindquarters/forequarters, and some backing half-circles putting her feet where I wanted them to go, her whole body relaxed, and she folded herself around me and was sighing and licking and chewing when we took a break.
I put the saddle up on her, she had to move her feet a little bit with the girth but I just took my time and was able to tighten it up with her bent around and checking out what I was doing. Immediately after getting the girth snug and before she could think about anything, I moved her hindquarters, then brought her front end across where I noticed about one second of tensing up, but I got right down her side and moved her hindquarters and she relaxed and focused right back to me. There was no catching of her breath or blow-ups. Backing with the saddle on was no problem, we did fast trot to stop, turn and trot to stop, no problem. I set up an X jump, she went right over it and couldn't wait to do it again (so we did if from both sides about 3 times each). Then I made the jump into a vertical close to 2 feet high, she took it perfectly multiple times and again came back to me each time she landed. I put her bit in and was able to buckle the headstall on with no ear issues. She thought that was interesting and did great giving to the bit both directions.
I took the saddle off and just messed around with the long lines and bit for a brief period of time. Took the lines off and put the saddle back on... NO PROBLEM. Put her over the jump once more and quit. After I brushed her down and turned her loose, she stood next to me and yawned over and over. The release and relaxation she felt was fantastic, and she was so proud of herself. Moral of the story... Ask the right questions! Not "What happened to her in the past that caused her to react this way?" Bad question. That didn't get me or her anywhere and got me worried about causing her more trauma, so I wasn't able to fix the braces and relax her body so we could move forward. I should have been asking "Is she coming all the way through and not stuck or braced, and if not, what do I need to do to get her there?" Live in the now and look forward, be precise in what you're asking, and do what it takes to get the right answers! Thanks again, and it was nice to get a chance to visit with you, and see you and Gary today. Have a great week, I can't seem to stop grinning! Love, C
Email #2
Let's see, I worked with Carissa again on Monday, and we had the same things happen with the saddle (meaning NOTHING, WOW)! Putting her feet to work right away with bending to relax her neck and muscles overall is the key to helping her through this. After putting her over the jump with the stirrups down and no reaction, I put her bridle on again and did some more long-lining, this time with the saddle on. I got better with my timing and body position, and we were cruising all over the arena. She got a little confused a couple of times but instead of getting worried, she just paused and I helped her work through it. We ended it when I got a good whoa on her, then I brought her back to the mounting block and played with putting my weight in the stirrup, and knee on her back while rubbing her. She didn't react at all.
We finished up, I took her bridle off and let her graze with the saddle on for awhile, and she was fine with it.
Email #3
Took a day off on Tuesday, rode Luke on Wednesday, he did really well, but we had to spend quite a bit of time dealing with him spooking at the mounting block, spooking at the bucket jump standards, spooking at Carissa's saddle on the ground. It worked really well actually, because his feet were so lively we did some turn arounds that felt amazing, but it made me appreciate the mare's attitude of "gee, what's that and can I climb up on it or lay down on it?" so much more!
Played with Carissa again today. She jumped just slightly when I cinched her up, but I moved her feet pretty quickly and she settled right down. I took the girth back off, and put it right back on, no reaction. Bridle on with the long lines, she's giving to the bit really well and softly, pretty amazing for the third experience with the bit! We were doing walk and trot and whoa, and I noticed on the turns that I was timing up with her feet on the turns without thinking about it, neat.
Took off the lines and brought her over to the mounting block. Did more of foot in the stirrup, and bouncing around. The only reaction was her looking around and leaning in to me like, "just get on already". I swung up and sat on her sidesaddle bounced around and jumped off, no reaction on either side. I just need to be sure I've got her feet forward enough and not stuck in any way before I try the first ride. Do you have any small children you can loan me for a few days??
Feel free to use any of the Carissa story in the barn notice. I'm learning so much, if it helps someone else that's even better.
Email #4
Have to share, I can't stop laughing! Flag back and forth over withers and snapping in circles and randomly back and forth from one side to the other over Carissa's head, she just raised her head a little and jumped slightly once, then relaxed and started chewing. I had an old rake handle that I pounded a nail most of the way down then folded the nail over the handle of the bucket so I could bang and flip the bucket around. We ran around with it for awhile, then I bounced it all over her with just a couple small flinches. Then stood on the mounting block, and waved it banging as loud as I could back and forth over her withers, on either side of her neck and body where a rider might be, no reaction, she was completely bored!! All this with the saddle on.
Changing eyes with the lead up over the seat of the saddle and around the cantle and around her hocks and hindquarters, no problem. I drove her forward while standing at her side and digging my elbow into her ribcage, she bent around toward me first, then walked forward and did a nifty leg yield on both sides. Did the long lines with the stirrups down and the lines under the stirrups so I could flip them against her sides occasionally, she did walk, trot and whoa with only some minor confusion, which we worked out right away. I suppose I could try the tarp again, but she loves to carry it then wads it up under belly with her feet when it falls off and tries to lay down on it.
I've been spending lots of time rubbing them and touching her ears with everything I can think of. I was able to get the bridle off today without unbuckling it, but we had to work at it for quite some time. She was so pleased with herself that she was able to accomplish that. I think she's been eared quite a few times.
Let me know if you have any other ideas. I'm going to wait until the girth issues are completely resolved before I try really riding her. I know... I'm going to attach the lariat to the saddle somehow and pull on the lariat to shift the saddle while moving her forward so she feels the saddle moving from side to side while walking. That's what I'm the most concerned about.
Thanks for letting me bounce ideas off you, I hope you don't get tired of getting mail from me:-)!
Email #5
Thanks again for all the great ideas with the tarp and saddle. I didn't get a chance to work with her today because of the rain and she managed to slice the front of her pastern. It was just deep enough that we thought it could use a couple of stitches. After finally getting drugs in her (someone really messed her up with needles, and I'm sure eared her to get the vaccines done), Curt had her on the happy valium cocktail with her nose on the ground and snoring, and she still managed to jerk her leg even when numbed up, so we decided it wasn't that bad and wrapped the leg instead. She'll get a couple of days off, I'm sure that was planned!
Yep, the tarp I use is 13x13 I think. I've had it covering her from mid-neck to tail, attached it to the lariat and pulled it off her from the side, back, front, at a walk and trot. Every time it hits the ground she stops and puts her nose on it. If it falls under her feet she stops, then tries to step on it because she likes the sound. I've run full out with her around the pond dragging the tarp from the front and having her chase us, pulled it along her side at walk and trot, it's her favorite game and she never flinches (although I'm sure that's another reason the neighbors don't associate with us:-). I've led her from Luke bumping her with my leg and flapping the saddle from the top of him. He's more worried about it than she is. If I'm riding him and she's in the arena, she frequently pairs up with us and does walk, trot and turns with us at liberty.
I've done hindquarters/forequarters with her from the top of him (in a dressage saddle no less!).
Once she's healed up we're going to work up to saddle on, tarp over the saddle, long lines flapping on tarp, eventually working up to long lines under tarp so I can flap the tarp while driving her. She's one of the few horses I've known that once you've taught her something on one side, she'll do it right away on the other, which is probably why she doesn't seem to have much trouble changing eyes. It's always been the ears and the girth, and needles! Curt commented that now that she feels more brave about the saddle everything else is no big deal. I'm thinking he's right!
Anyway, those are the thoughts, I know you have lots of e-mail and things going on, if you have any insights or concerns certainly fire those off to me, otherwise, I'll continue to keep you updated but I'm perfectly good with not getting a reply every time. It's just nice to get the feedback from someone I respect that we're going in the right direction and filling in the holes properly, so I have the confidence she needs when I do throw a leg over.
Thanks again and have a great week!
There are more to come in the next Barn Newsletter. Stay tuned for the ongoing progress of Carissa and Cindy.
Trailering info for everyone
Lately we have been taking a quite a few students off the property to start using the skills that they so diligently work on at home.
Here are some general rules and prices for everyone when we trailer out to different places.
Before the Ride
If there is an appointed time to meet and get ready , (and then leave the farm by), please make sure that you are not late—and end up holding up others who may have a time constraint.
We won’t wait for you.
Dress appropriately
Bring extra clothes if necessary and always pack rain gear.
Bring a few dollars spending money for lattes or such.
Do not borrow money from your friends. Be respectful of your friendship
Bring a lunch, water or snacks if necessary.
Bring a camera if you want. (Pack Accordingly)
Plan on paying the driver for gas.
$5.00 per ride on short trips (Half hour or less) per person.
$10.00 per ride per person for medium trips. (More than one half an hour to one and a half hours drive time.)
On a long trip (two or more hours), you pay for all the gas used since the driver is using their rig and is putting wear, tear & miles on the truck & trailer.
Riders other than the driver (Owner of the truck and trailer) are to split the entire cost of gas.
This applies to all trail rides and clinic situations.
Getting Ready
Make sure that you have a shovel and a broom (and a wheelbarrow on a long trip) in the truck for manure.
Make sure your horse is booted if necessary.
Make sure that your gear is stored in the trailer (Bridles, saddles, pads, girths, clothes and personal items).
Make sure that your stirrups are the correct length before leaving so that we don’t have to waste a lot of time at the trail head waiting for people to get their stirrups correct.
If you are saddling before leaving, make sure your stirrups are tied up correctly.
Be ready to load your horse.
Know how to tie a horse correctly in the trailer.
Know how to help with doors and dividers.
Know how to check closed doors, the hitch and tires before leaving after any and all stops.
After the Ride
Make sure your horse is rinsed off or brushed off before putting away.
Put all gear away.
Clean all gear.
Clean the trailer. (Hose and brush out if necessary)
Help with chores if need be.
Finish by cleaning the barn and closing up.
Return to Thoughts from Our Students
All parents need to drive 10 MPH down the driveway.
This means the entire driveway.
All of our students are doing just great. Can’t ask for anything more! Keep up the great work!
Barn Assistant News
Here's the section that everyone needs to read—specially the folks that spend time helping out at the farm or who wish to lease in the future, or who just love giving time up to TPA.
1. Please make sure that you spend a minimum of an hour and a half doing chores. Lately, we have had folks spend far less at the farm because they are doing a minimum of work—(not just because they work fast).
2. If you lease a TPA horse, please remember:
That you can only ride your leased horse.
That you need permission to ride other horses.
That you need permission to ride on the cross country course or in the Johnson’s
That you need to be off your horse by 1 in the afternoon on days that lessons are held.
That you need an adult on the property at all times when you are here.
And that you cannot assume that Gary or I will be here and thus be that adult.
DO NOT ASSUME that another mother will necessarily be here. CHECK with the adult that you think will be at the property if your own parents can’t stay.
That you can ride during a clinic–you just need to ride wherever the clinic is not being held.
3. Sweep the barn aisle the first thing when you get here—whether there are lessons or not.
4. ALWAYS find an extra chore to do…Be creative and look at what needs to be done.
5. Mark it off on the board going up the stairs
6. Make sure that you know what vitamins and meds go into each horses’ grain buckets.
7. Make sure you know what horse goes where each evening and what horses come off of pasture each day.
8. Remember to ALWAYS check out with Charlie or Gary or Lyn.
9. Please keep the grain room neater than it has been lately. Grain and vitamins should not be spilled on the floor.
"”Wisdom denotes the pursuing of the best ends by the best means." ~Frances Hutchinson |
"”Just get to the verb." ~Robert Altman |
“By opting for the ‘safe’ constrict of belief, Catherine O’Driscoll |
“If my life were not a dangerous painful experiment, Hermann Hesse |
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In the time that I have allowed myself to experiment, Gale Nelson, January 2007 |
A Few More Words to Live By
And just for a little thought, here are the codes of honor that some of us grew up with while watching those old westerns of the 50’s and 60’s.
Gene Autry's Cowboy Code of Honor
1. A cowboy never takes unfair advantage—even of an enemy.
2. A cowboy never betrays a trust. He never goes back on his word.
3. A cowboy always tells the truth.
4. A cowboy is kind and gentle to small children, old folks, and animals.
5. A cowboy is free from racial and religious intolerances.
6. A cowboy is always helpful when someone is in trouble.
7. A cowboy is always a good worker.
8. A cowboy respects womanhood, his parents and his nation's laws.
9. A cowboy is clean about his person in thought, word, and deed.
10. A cowboy is a Patriot.
Hopalong Cassidy's Creed for American Boys and Girls
1. The highest badge of honor a person can wear is honesty. Be truthful at all times.
2. Your parents are the best friends you have. Listen to them and obey their instructions.
3. If you want to be respected, you must respect others. Show good manners in every way.
4. Only through hard work and study can you succeed. Don't be lazy.
5. Your good deeds always come to light. So don't boast or be a show-off.
6. If you waste time or money today, you will regret it tomorrow. Practice thrift in all ways.
7. Many animals are good and loyal companions. Be friendly and kind to them.
8. A strong, healthy body is a precious gift. Be neat and clean.
9. Our country's laws are made for your protection. Observe them carefully.
10. Children in many foreign lands are less fortunate than you. Be glad and proud you are an American.
Wild Bill Hickok Deputy Marshal's Code of Conduct
1. I will be brave, but never careless.
2. I will obey my parents. They DO know best.
3. I will be neat and clean at all times.
4. I will be polite and courteous.
5. I will protect the weak and help them.
6. I will study hard.
7. I will be kind to animals and care for them.
8. I will respect my flag and my country.
9. I will attend my place of worship regularly.
The Lone Ranger Creed
I believe that to have a friend, a man must be one.
That all men are created equal and that everyone has within himself the power to make this a better world.
That God put the firewood there, but that every man must gather and light it himself.
In being prepared physically, mentally, and morally to fight when necessary for that which is right.
That a man should make the most of what equipment he has.
That "this government, of the people, by the people, and for the people," shall live always.
That men should live by the rule of what is best for the greatest number.
That sooner or later...somewhere...somehow...we must settle with the world and make payment for what we have taken.
That all things change, but the truth, and the truth alone lives on forever.
I believe in my Creator, my country, my fellow man.
Roy Rogers Riders Club Rules
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave, but never take chances.
6. Study hard, and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and care for them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday School regularly.
10. Always respect our flag, and country.
Texas Rangers "Deputy Ranger" Oath
1. Be Alert
2. Be Obedient
3. Defend the Weak
4. Never Desert a Friend
5. Never Take Unfair Advantage
6. Be Neat
7. Be Truthful
8. Uphold Justice
9. Live Cleanly
10. Have Faith in God
