Morgan and Bekah

So today I had two "horse crazy" girls over to help out with my horse. Rebekah and Morgan. As I am recovering from a ACL surgery, I cant do much with my mare right now. They did many things with Lizzy. From giving her a bath to long lining! They had a good time and so did I! Then we decided that they needed to get some good horse pictures with the two of them! So, here are some I liked!

From the Back of a Horse

                                              I have been many places on horse back.
                     Nothing could be better then traveling all over on the back of the horse.
                                                                     Lets roam.

 

 

Written and Handmade

Written

Handmade cards

Trailer Loading (Equine Tip)

     A trailer is also a scary object. Horses hate “objects”—anything that doesn’t regularly appear in their living space. If something is always in your horse’s stall or pasture, then he obviously sees it every day and gets desensitized to it. Horses especially hate objects that move and make a noise. A trailer does a little bit of everything; it’s an object, it moves, and it makes a noise when a horse walks onto it and as it’s traveling down the road. So of coarse its scary!
 When you start  teaching your horse to load onto the trailer, the first rule is to completely forget about the trailer. Yep! Forget it!!! Act like loading your horse onto the trailer is the furthest thing from your mind. Why? Because the more you think about getting him on the trailer, the more you’ll start to act like a predator and scare him. You will get tense and so will your horse!
Make sure your horse is comfortable around the trailer. If he’s not, he won’t want to get inside of it. Start by asking him to move his feet  around all three sides of the trailer. Letting him inspect and smell it!
When your horse is comfortable moving around the trailer (he’s not spooking at it), lower the trailer’s ramp and send him back and forth across it. (lounging him over) If you don't have a ramp, no biggy.. just do the same thing with imaginary ramp!

This will help him get used to the noise the trailer will make when he steps up onto it. Anytime he wants to stop and smell the trailer or paw at the ramp, let him! That’s his way of doing his own safety check and proving to himself that the trailer isn’t going to harm him at all.  :) It also lets him know that you are willing to take your time with him and are letting him be a horse!
When your horse is chill.. walking back and forth across the ramp of the trailer, ask him to take one step inside the trailer.

 And just before he gets nervous or plants his feet and refuses to move, back him out! You’ll play a little bit of a cat and mouse game with him. Its great fun! That’s the complete opposite of what he expects you to do; he thinks you’re going to force him on the trailer. And most people would! But you’re going to make it his idea to get on the trailer by pretending you don’t even want him in there. Its a whole different mind set! Each time he steps inside it and you back him out and he doesn’t get hurt, he’ll gain more confidence. And he will get more curious!
When he’s comfortable taking one step inside the trailer, ask him to take two steps, and then back him out again. Keep working on that until his whole body is in the trailer. Then let him rest in the trailer for a few minutes as a reward. Soon it will be old school to calmly walk into the trailer! Then you can start asking him to stand in the trailer for longer periods of time. It takes time and patients, but its worth it! And your horse will trust you more buy the end as well! instead of freaking him out by shoving him in the trailer!

Soon you will have a willing horse that walks in and out of a trailer calmly and likes to hang out in there if you want him to!

Risen by a snort

So, I had surgery on my knee a while ago. I wanted to get outside of the house! I laid out on a blanket with a  good book under a shaded tree. I chose a spot where I could see my horse grazing near by.

 

I ended up kind of drifting off to sleep. T'was so warm outside and I was cozy.

All at once I woke with a start by a loud noise! It was my horse snorting a bug out of her nose! Opening my eyes this is what I saw...

A HUGE nose!

 

And a belly of a horse!

She had decided that It was indeed a good time for a snooze! So, she came and stood next to me with her head hovering over mine. Her hooves not two feet away from my head! She was just chilling!

I backed her up a bit, she was a little closer then I liked... And snapped some pictures of her! Then, with a sigh, she decided that it was a better idea to lay down, I probably looked really comfortable laying! So she plopped right down on the grass! Who wants to stand and sleep when you can lay down!? She looked so funny!

Good 'ol girl thinks she Is a person. Monkey see, monkey does..

 

 

 

 

Mint festival

Our lovely town is know for its mint. So every year we have a mint festival! I hadn't gone to the parade in years and we decided to drive into town and make it this time! They had all kinds of floats and police men, candy, bands, animals, mounted police, and all kinds of cars!  Yet again, I only got pictures of the horses!

I think he knew I was taking pictures of him!

They were so cool!

Massive creatures!

Pressure and Release (Equine tip)

Timing, meaning when you release the pressure is critical when training horses, especially when desensitizing. When you’re desensitizing your horse, never take the object/pressure away until the horse stands still and shows a sign of relaxing.(taking a big breath, cocking a leg, licking his lips, soft eyes, or lowering head and neck) If you take the object away while the horse is moving his feet and using the reactive side of his brain, you’ll teach him to be scared of the object. Instead of him relaxing and standing still, he’ll think the answer to getting away from the object is to run. Using the Approach and Retreat Method, you’ll teach the horse that if he stands still and relaxes, the scary object will go away.

Remember that your horse is a prey animal with the natural desire to run from anything that scares him. You have to constantly reinforce to the horse that the answer is not to run from danger, but to stand still and relax. In fact, you’ll prove to him that when he does stand still and show a sign of relaxing, the object will go away. You want the horse to think that the only way he can feel safe is to stand still and relax.

This horse is very relaxed. His head and neck are in a relaxed position.

His ears are floppy and his eyes are soft.

 

This horse is tense and ready to run.

Head high and eyes open. Legs stiff and ready to flee. He is ready to react, not think.

 

 

Respect. Willingness. (Equine tip)

A respectful horse is a willing horse. When you ask him to move, he instantly moves. When you walk, he walks beside you like a shadow. When you go in his stall, he gives you two eyes and comes to you – he wants to be your partner. Every time your horse pins his ears back, tries to kick you or bite you, steps on your foot or pushes you out of his way, he is being disrespectful. Many people won’t let another human take advantage of them, but they will allow a half-ton animal to push them around. Allowing a disrespectful animal to invade your space creates a dangerous situation. Respect must be established from the very first day you work with your horse. He should be respectful of you, and you should be respectful of him. It’s a two-way street. Respect is the foundation of control – without it, you won’t be able to control your horse and he won’t be any fun to be around.

Equine partnership (equine tip)

 One of the coolest things on earth is the bond between horse and rider. Not just anyone can do it.

It takes skill, patients, and dedication. For both rider and horse!

 

 

Partnership

 

Beauty

 

Gentleness

 

Strength

 

Attentiveness

 

Courage

 

Wings to fly