Does your saddle fit correctly ?

Hey guys !!
Today I want to talk about an issue that I feel is very common for every rider and horse. An incorrect saddle fit is something many of us deal with. There are many serious issues that can come from a saddle not fitting a horse correctly and unfortunately many of us don't know of these. There are also many warning signs a horse will tell you if they have an uncomfortable fitting saddle. So that's what im going to blog about today.

 

So what is going to happen if your saddle doesn't fit properly and what will you notice? Well you will probably notice your horse getting back sore  and what this will do is make it less corporative. So they aren't going to want to work for you or they may compensate and do something abnormal.

You should be able to stick two of your fingers between the saddle gullet and your horse's withers. The saddle should have even contact along both sides of the bars. After girthing up, your saddle should look even on the horse's back, not tipping up or drooping down.

 If you can do this then your saddle is a okay if not it is recommended you look into having a saddle fitter come out and find the appropriate size saddle.

Until Next Week!!!

www.horsesaddleshop.com/signs-of-bad-saddle-fit.html

Last Source of Inspiration Post !!

Happy Monday Everyone !!

Today I wont to post about my last source of inspiration post and this post is going to be about pictures. As I was writing my last blog I was really indecisive on what picture would be appropriate to use. When I chose my pictures for my post I want it to be visually intriguing but I also want them to tell a story.

When I look for a picture I go off of purely visuals or at least this is what I have been doing but I think I need to change that up a little. I think I need to start choosing a picture based on content and visuals rather then just visuals.

Obviously no one is going to take interest in a picture that is not visually appealing but it is necessary to share some logic or it is just a collage of pointless colors. I tried on my last post to give my viewers a little more substance and give them an image that included words and logic.

I think by adding a little more content to my image choice it will improve my blog and I think this is a logical thing for anyone writing a blog to think about !!

Have an awesome week everyone !!

Founder in Horses.

Hey Everyone !

Its monday :( 

Even though its everyones least favorite day of the week i thought i would blog and at least give you guys something to do.

So today I want to talk about a rather serious topic.
Founder in horses. For those of you who don't know  Founder is a common and very painful condition affecting the feet of horses. Known technically as laminitis, founder occurs when there is inflammation of the laminae (folds of tissue connecting the pedal bone to the hoof).

Now once a horse has foundered it is very hard to keep them from foundering again but some simple things can be done to keep this from happening.

This such as keeping their sugars down is essential. To keep a horses sugar down there are a few easy things you can do. Keep them out of the grass because grass has a lot of sugar in it. Also keep them off of the sweet feed. By doing these two simple things you can easily ensure that you are fighting the founder away.

www.barefoothorse.com/barefoot_Founder.html

Studs on Shoes?

So we all know that winter is just around the corner, and that means snow and ice are on the rise. Now none of us want to keep our horses locked up all winter but putting them out on the ice and snow can be scary. How many of us have heard horror stories of horses slipping on ice, cracking a shoulder bone, and being permanently injured? Probably too many !

I know one thing that keeps my mind at ease is keeping studs on my horses shoes. By keeping studs on his shoes it gives me some peace of mind that when he's unattended and acting like a fool he will have a better chance of not slipping and hurting himself.

Another thing that I always do in the winter is put snow pads in his shoes. You know when you bring your horse in from the pasture and they have an inch of snow built up in their shoes? Well none of us like having to pick all of that out right? Its a pain and very time consuming but we all know it is necessary to get that snow out of their.

By keeping the snow pads on the shoes it keeps the snow out and saves us so much time during turning in.

I recommend this more then anything !!

I hope my advice on studs and snow pads helped !!

Have a safe and snowy winter everyone !!

Building up a horses hind end.

So for those hunters and jumpers out there one thing that we deal with is having power from behind us to clear large jumps at a slow pace.

Now i know there are many methods that each trainer uses and we all have our own methods but i thought it would be a good idea to share some of these ideas to get a little bit of a vibe for what everyone does.

One thing that I have always done, my trainer has recommended, and that we have made a part of our daily routine has been to do a little bit of hill work each week. Not only is hill work beneficial to a horses hind end but it gives them an opportunity to get out of the ring and do something a little different.

By getting your horse out of the ring it clears there mind and is proven give you a happier horse. There are many things you can do while riding outside, even going on a trail ride is beneficial. Anything that gives small a gradient to go up.

If you are the type that heads right for the hill here are a few tips on a good workout...

                       1.) Start with walking up and down the hill maybe two or three times.
                       2.) Next increase to trotting up the hill once or twice depending on how big it is. Remember that trotting up hill is harder for your horse then any other gate and can cause soreness if done too much.
                      3.) Next increase to a canter and go up the hill once or twice.
This is enough for the first workout but remember to build in small increments each time you workout!

Hope this was informational and helped you guys out !:)
Have a great rest of the week !

Senior pictures...!

Hey guys !!
So this post is going to be a little different then the ones I have previously done.
Today I want to write about something I have been seeing a lot of. Its getting to the middle of the school year for high school students and from experience most of us know what that means for the juniors, senior pictures!!

Since my social media has been blowing up with pictures of my friends and their horses for their senior pictures I thought it would be an interesting idea to give you fellow horse lovers who are looking to do senior pictures or have them done for your daughter some ideas on poses.

I know when I was getting my senior pictures done this was something I researched to a high extent because I wanted every unique pose that there could possibly be ! So im going to make a list of some poses I have found that I think would make awesome senior pictures.

I think this one is really cool and an essential! The way both horse and rider are looking in the same direction away from the camera gives a very intimate vibe.

This was my absolute favorite form my senior pictures. I loved this one because it showed my horse at a very good angle and make him look gorgeous.

I think this one is essential to any senior picture album. You cant take pictures with your horse if you don't have one of you riding.

Well guys I hope these three pictures gave you some ideas on what to do in your photo shot !

Have a great week talk to you later on !!!:)

Source of inspiration post !

Hey everyone !
So its time for another source of inspiration post !

So far I have talked to you about font and background styles. Today I want to talk to you about another important design aspect.

This week I've noticed a lot of color, as I was walking around campus flyers are up everywhere advertising varies clubs, associations, and events. The one thing that brings my attention to these flyers more then anything is there bright and vibrant colors.

More specifically I think it is the pictures that are bright and color as well as the text.  So as I was noticing this I thought about my blog and I was wondering how I could relate these bright flyers to it. My main goal of course is for this blog to be very interesting to all of you reading and to be interesting I feel as though it has to be eye catching!

Now I would love to write all my text in bright purple and blue color but unfortunately this would probably be a little too harsh on all of your eyes so instead of the relying on the text being in color I have to rely on my pictures. I hope that my pictures are very interesting and make you all want to read my blog more then anything !

I feel it is very important for the pictures to be bright and to really tell a story about my post for that day. Even if you don't read my actual post I hope that by looking at my pictures you get a very good idea about what it is about !

Thanks for reading guys !!

What bits are okay to use ??

Hello horse lovers!!

Hope everyone is a having a fantastic week, it wednesday! We are almost there!

So I've been running out of things to talk to you about, so I've been brain storming and i want to talk to you about the gag bit.

Obviously there are many types of harsh bits and many opinions about what is appropriate and what is not. We all have heard those horrid dressage stories about rides who have used extreme chains and gags on their horses instead of properly training them.

Well i can't talk to you guys too much about those bits because i have never been on a dressage horse and have no experience. But i do have experience riding hunter/jumpers and have seen the horrid use of those bits. Now we all have different training methods and different expectations on what bits that we feel we can use.

I want to bring two bits to your attention and i want to give my opinion and then let you guys tell me what you think. So the two bits that come into my mind are the gag and pelum.

Lets talk about the gag bit. Now i have mostly rode hunters and for those of you who know gags are not allowed in the hunter ring. So i have only done minor training rides with a gag and with my experience i do not like them, but I'm not saying they do not have  a place. I think the reason i disagree with them. The only reason i do not like them is because i feel as though people misuse this bit. I think it should only be a training bit and that is not what we use them for. Many trainers/riders have used this bit 24/7 in which case i feel that this does not teach the horse anything.

That's just my opinion I know everyone has their own !!

No Stirrup November!

Hey guys !
So today is the second day of November and for all the horse trainers and students out there you know what that means !
no stirrup November has officially begun !
Today I want to talk about my experience with this lovely month as well as some cool ideas to do with your students that include dropping those stirrups !

So from previous experience no one likes to ride without stirrups. It hurts your calves thighs and even back. But everyone knows loosing the stirrups only makes you become a better rider. What better way to strengthen those leg muscles then gripping for dear life as you are being tossed around by a thousand pound animal. So for those of you who hate riding without stirrups but want to strengthen those legs, do yourselves a favor, suck it up, and get to work!

So what has your trainer made you do without stirrups ?

Here are some things that I have had to do and have found very painful and helpful.
1.) Simply Walk around with your legs held where they are suppose to be.
Now this may seem like an easy task but if you do it long enough you will be sure to feel the burn. This is something that a lot of riders should do because it doesn't hinder your riding time and can be done just simply as you walk your horse around the ring to warm them up.
Hold your legs back behind your girth and heels down. Keep your leg here without stirrups for a good ten minutes each time you warm up. This is a great way to ease yourself into no stirrup November !

2.) Lets trot !!!
Ohh no now things are getting a little scarier but its not as bad as you think. Drop those stirrups and make your horse trot. To make it a little easier on yourself sit the trot and then once you feel as though you can hold yourself up there try posting the trot. This may not seem like it would be any harder then sitting but trust me it is way harder to get your but out of that saddle when you don't have the support of those stirrups !

3.) Cantering.....
Everyone's favorite!
This is something that may seem very hard to do without stirrups but actually it can be a little easier then trotting if you have a good center of balance. So drop those stirrups and make your horse go right into a canter or thee fast trot will be sure to throw you a little. This is something that can be a little hard on your horses back so try to not do it for as long as you would trotting.

Hope these three exercises helped out and make sure to try them !!
No stirrup November only comes once a year so MAKE IT COUNT!
Have a super week guys :)

Maclay Finals are complete !

Hey guys !
Happy Monday !!!

Today I thought I would talk about something a little different. So for this post I want to address the Maclay Finals that went underway October 13th. Because I know I have a lot of readers who are not necessarily horse people I am going to take a second and talk about the Maclay so we all know what this post is about.

So then short of it is that the Maclay Finals is a huge horse show for junior riders, any under the age of 18. These riders jump around a 3'6 course and only the best of the best attend. There around 156 horses and riders that compete for this title every year. Lets just say it is a BIG deal and everyone junior riders dream!

Now lets talk about the amazing young pair that took home the prize this year. Mckayla Langmeier and her beautiful horse Skyfall from Kalienda Farm took home the first place ribbon and had their names permanently sketched in history. This amazing duo actually followed the family tradition as years prior Mckayla's mom actually won the Maclay Finals.
As you can imagine this was an amazing victory for this 15 yr old.

This team took the judges breaths away and stood out over 152 other horses and riders. That is quite an accomplishment and something that I am sure this team will never forgot. At just fifteen years old an amazing talented young riders life was changed.

Thanks for reading guys !!!

Winter Weight Issues ??

Hey guys !!!
Hope you all had an awesome week !
Its FRIDAY !!!:)

So today I thought I would talk about something that a lot of horse owners care deeply about. This topic that so  many people struggle with. Is my horse too skinny ? and if so how can I put weight on them ?

Speaking from personal experience because I have a thoroughbred who is extremely hard to keep weight on and now that it's winter things just got a lot harder. So how do I determine if my horse is looking a little thin?

Well first off you have to know your own horse and what is a normal weight for him or her. Typically their weight will go down in the winter and this is simply because they are trying to keep their bodies warmer. My horse will start to loose weight in one major area, his barrel or around his ribs and stomach.

My typical regamind as far as feed goes in the winter basically consists of this... My horse usually gets a full feed scoop of grain eight months out of the year. As soon as the whether decides to start getting cold i up his grain to a scoop and then another half. This is done about a month before harsh whether hits. When the months begin getting into the 30's i typically add a half a scoop of rice bran twice a day to his regular feeding regimend. Rise bran, for those of you who are unfamiliar with this, is a supplement that is high in fat and low in protein so it adds calories without adding the extra energy.

One of the main probelms a lot of horse owners have in the winter or any time they try to put weight on their horse is that it makes them very "hot", or wild. This is because so many weight gaining supplements have sugar and protein in them, which does make your horse gain weight but it also gives them a lot of energy and most of the time this is not a good thing.

This is why i recommend rice bran. In addition to rice bran hay is another major component. It is always a good idea to allow your horse as much hay as they are willing to consumeeven if youre not trying to put weight on them. Horses are graizing animals so they are meant to eat small amounts all day long. We have slowly changed their behavior and many times only allow them to eat hay or grass for a couple hours a day. If this is the case for your underweight horse you may want to consider upping their hay.

Well I hope my two ideas of rice bran and added hay helped anyone with a skinny horse issue !

Thanks for ready guys !
Enjoy your weekend :)

ALL THOSE FONTS

Hi Everyone !!!
Thanks for taking time out of your day to peak at my blog !
Today I want to write another post about my inspirations for this blog. So one topic that has been very prevalent in a lot of my classes has been font. I've been learning about what the fonts mean and the vibe they each give off.

You may not always notice that each font actually expresses something different. For instance when you receive a wedding invitation what is the font always in. 90% of the time its going to be Italic, whys this? Because italic font gives you that sense of maturity and elegance. when you receive that special letter in the mail you don't want it to be in big bold letters, giving off a harsh vibe.

So this got me thinking about my blog and what I want my readers to portray when they look at it. I don't want them to feel like they are reading a wedding invitation but I also don't want them to feel like they are reading something big, bold, and intimidating.

For this reason I chose to keep my font in the style of Georgia (which is what this paragraph is in). I really like this font because I feel like it is kind of fun and also serious in the same manor. I want my blog to be intriguing to read but I also want my readers to take it serious and not feel like they are reading a children's book in a type of font such a comic sands.

I hope this blog post kind of make everyone think about ALL the different types of fonts and how they really do effect the way you look at an article, poster, or blog post ! Hopefully everyone enjoys the fonts I choose !!

PMU Babies

Hey Everyone !!

Today I want to talk to you about a very serious topic that no one really wants to talk about. If you have not heard of a PMU baby then let me tell you a little about them. PMU babies are foals, baby horses, that have been born through a process to collect a drug called  Premarin. Premarin is a hormone replacement drug that is given to women.

The name Premarin stands for Pregnant Mare Urine.  Now your probably asking yourself why this drug is such a big deal. Yes its kind of disturbing that we are giving women horse urine as a hormone replacement but that's not the big issue at hand. The real reason I wanted to wright about this was to bring to attention the horrible condition these mares are kept in to collect their urine.

First of all the mares are inseminated and once pregnant they are kept in captivity for months. For the first six whole months of a mare being pregnant they are kept stationary in a tiny standing area. They are not allowed to walk, turn around, or lay down. This is done to ensue they don't disturb their bladders as well as making sure every drop of urine is captured.

They mares are allowed to be turned out only to deliver their foals and then are brought back to start the process over again. Now not only is this inhumane to the mares but you have to think about how many foals are produced from this process. Thousands of horses have now been born that no one wants. This is where the real problems lies. Many of these plants do care about where there foals go and have dedicated programs to ensure their findings of a safe home. Unfortunately many do not have the heart to do this. So they send all their foals to slaughter. This is a fast and easy money making process. They don't have to waste time and money on placement of the foals and they are ensured a fast check.

Obviously this is an unideal situation and breaks the hearts of many. There are ways to help though !!
You can visit www.premarin.org to get more information and find ways that will make it easy for you to help save these babies and their mommies !!

Thanks for reading !!!

Credits:
http://www.gentlegiantsdrafthorserescue.com/pmuindustry.html

Source of Inspiration Post!

Hello !

Todays post is going to be about something a little different. Throughout the duration of this blog I will post a total of five " Source of Inspiration " posts. The purpose of these post is to tell you all how I get my ideas for the design aspect of things. These could vary from fonts, colors, and overall designs.

So today I want to go over why I have chosen to make my background the color it is. When you go on my blog you will notice the background to represent the outdoors. Originally this was not my background. Until I was enjoying the outdoors at my barn with my horse one day. I realized that the one thing I think of when I think about my horse is being outside.

Of course I tried to pick a  background that would make me feel like I was spending that precious time with my horse. Of course I hope it brings every reader of mine to a place of  serenity. Many people don't realize how important an appropriate background is but if my readers don't feel a connection between that and the topic then I'm not doing a very good job.

I hope everyone enjoys that background I picked and understand why I chose that style. To me it represents so much about the barn so I hope I brought a little of that into my blog.


Have a fabulous day !
Thanks for reading!!

Blanket weather is coming !!

Hey guys!!

So blanket weather is coming and you know what that means ! Its time to break those blankets out of the closet. Now obviously not all of us blanket our horses but many of us do and for those of you who are wondering if it is necessary or if it is the best option for your horse read my blog and then make your final decision.

Lets go through our two choices here... first one being to blanket. Why do people choose to blanket their horse? Well for a number a reasons, first one possibly being to keep the hair length short. One major question you need to ask yourself is how often do i ride my horse in the winter, and how sweaty do they get? One problem with not blanketing is your horse is obviously going to become very fuzzy and when they grow that much hair you aren't able to ride as much because they will not dry after they get sweaty and you can't leave a horse sweaty and wet when it is 20 or 30 degrees out. So to solve this solution many of us blanket our horses so the hair doesn't grow and we can keep them in regular work. A to of the serious riders all body clip their horse, so they are completely dependent on us to keep them warm. And of course many of us just feel bad for our animals having to live outside so we blanket them making us feel more at ease.

But did you know ...... Vets actually recommend that horses stay without a blanket until the temperature gets below 10 degrees. Blankets actually compress the coat and do not allow the horse to properly self insulate itself. Horses are an innate ability to keep themselves warm during the cold months with proper feed and shelter. So this means if you are not planning on making your horse very sweaty every time you ride blanketing may not be for you. As long as you are supplying a adequate amount of forage and proper grain your horse can be self sufficient because they warm their bodies through their digestive track.

So there are definitely many pros and cons to blanketing... but you have to decide for yourself. Its your horse and you know best !

Thanks for reading everyone !!!!!!

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/vth/Pages/horse-blanketing.aspx

Lyme Disease in Horses.

How many of us have heard about lyme disease? Well if you haven't you better do your research because unfortunately it is more prevalent then we think! Not only is is common in horses but many other animals as well.

I want to speak from a personal note about lyme. My horse was diagnosed about two years ago with lyme disease. Back then lyme was not so common so when your horse had an outbreak you had absolutely no idea what the problem was. Im going to tell you some of his symptoms... Loss of appetite, fever, and soreness were all things that he displayed. It was probably one of the scariest days of my life. He wouldn't eat or even move. We called the vet as soon as we noticed his temperature rising and he was quickly put on antibiotics and diagnosed.

The morel of the story here is if you ever see your horse, dog , or cat acting a little strange don't just brush it off. Lyme can be a life threatening thing is not treated. This horrible disease that is caused by a tiny tick can often times leave your animals paralyzed. So obviously this is the first thing that came to my mind when i found out my Caleb had lyme.

Fortunately his treatment wen very well and he is now back to his normal health after a few long months in recovery. If anyone has any questions about lyme or thinks there animal may be a victim please feel free to comment and ask any questions !!:)

THANKS FOR READING!

Ottb or no Ottb ?

Because owning a ottb is something that seems to be very controversial. You either love them or you hate them ? This is something I know everyone, including myself has a very strong opinion on. For those of you who are not horse people and aren't sure what an ottb is I will tell you. An ottb stands for an off the track thoroughbred. So obviously there is good reason to why some are so against owning this type of horse.

Why is everyone so weary of this breed? Well they do have a bad reputation and its not even that they were on the track that is solely to blame. Thoroughbreds are hot blooded horses. They are naturally full of energy and have a lot of stamina so of course they are used for racing. So when you buy an ottb you have to expect the energy of a thoroughbred plus that energy that has been stored in their brain from the race track. A lot of people like to say that these horses are not meant to do anything but race , that they have no business in any other discipline.

Well there is obviously ,another side to this story and that happens to be mine. This may be slightly biased but speaking from personal experience of owning a ottb I would never have anything but. Yes, they can be fast and full of energy but what everyone doesn't see is that most horses are. They have more heart then any horse  I have even ridden and will do anything  to please their rider. The amount of stamina these animals have is amazing and the love they give in return to what you put into them is unreal.

Those are my two points !
If anyone has an input I would love to hear it !!!

What Type of Supplements do you use ??

How many of us have ever wondered what type of supplements  our horses need? If any ? From personal experience there is nothing wrong with keeping a horse in work or not in work on a supplement. There is always concern with adding to much supplement to a horses diet. Obviously if we think about their lives in the wild we realize they were not on any type of supplement. Their bodies are self sufficient. Unfortunately it is what we have done to them to make them dependent on our care. We put shoes on them ,weakening their feet. Work them too hard, weakening their joints. For this reason there is nothing wrong with putting them on a joint supplement. A very popular one is just straight glucosamine. This assures that they are getting a pure supplement that is nothing but good for them. A good hoof supplement, if your horse has hooves that seem to be chipped or cracked is pure biotin. This helps strengthen the hoof.

Keep your horse healthy !
They depend on you !!!

Wondering What Type of Show Clothes to Buy ?!

So this is always the never ending question. What apparel is hot in the show ring changes every couple months  and we all know how hard it is to keep up with trends. So Today I want to talk about what show clothes have not gone out of style in the past year. These go to trends when looking to update or start your show clothing wardrobe.

lets start with the jacket. When looking for a show coat there is one main thing that seems to be an absolute must, the soft shell is a necessity. While these can be expensive you do not need to go spend $600 on a brand like Grand Prix or Pikeur. There are cheaper alternatives when you look at brands like equine couture and even RJ Classic can be affordable and very high quality.

Now what breeches are there to buy? Well my personal favorite and something that you can assure will never go out of style are Tailored Sportsman's. These breeches are high quality and a classic. While they are a little pricey the quality is definitely worth it. Another great brand is Romfh. This line of apparel is more affordable and looks very similar to the Tailored Sportsman, although not as high quality you are sure to get that finished look.

Now what about that extremely expensive tall boots that everyone dreads buying. Well if you don't want to spend thousands of dollars on a pair of custom boots don't think you cant show. There are many other brands that are designed to fit and look like customs. Such brands like mountain horse have been making a big comeback. These boots are my personal favorite ! They look and feel like customs but are more affordable and last ! Being designed in many different styles they have a look for everyone.

Well these are my favorite show clothes ! RJ Class, Tailored Sportsman, and Mountain Horse are all in my wardrobe !!

RJ Classic

Mountain Horse

Tailored Sportsman

Two Riding Disciplines that Stool My Heart

Hi everyone !

Today I want to start off my blog by posting about something that relates to my life with horses. I have been riding for many years and the type of style I am very passionate about is English. Now to be more specific I grew up riding hunters and jumpers which are both two types of English disciplines.

When you think about hunters two words that should automatically pop into your mind are elegance and perfection. A hunter is a horse who jumps in perfect form, stays a consistent steady pace two and away from the jumps, look pristine, and moves exceptionally well. These are all things that when showing a judge looks for. It basically consists of who has the nicest horse. I have loved riding hunters , mainly because you feel the power and grace of this huge animal. You are trying to be perfect, which although never happens, is something I love to strive for.

The other discipline that stool my heart when I met a very special horse a few years ago were the jumpers. Jumpers are a little more difficult to ride then hunters. This discipline focuses on speed, agility, how quickly your horse can turn after a jump, and most importantly the time clock. This unlike hunters is a timed event. Basically the fastest time wins. I used to hate showing jumpers. I always felt like they didn't have the class of a hunter but as soon as I started riding a mare, who was a jumper, a few years ago I have fallen in love with it. In jumpers it'
s just you, the horse, and the clock. No judge is there to tell you how well you did , no one else's opinion matters. If you mess up its on you.

Hope you all enjoyed reading about these two disciplines that i am so passionate about !!

This is a picture of me and my beautiful horse Caleb !! <3

Welcome to my blog !

Welcome to my blog !

Throughout the duration of this blog i hope to install a lot of horse knowledge into each person who reads this. Im choosing to write this topic because horses are the one thing I'm truly passionate about. Ive been around horses all my life, riding and caring for them. Until you have been fortunate enough to experience the love of a horse you can not imagine what magnificent creatures they are.

I know very few of you are fellow horse lovers so i will do my best to keep my topics fun and entertaining for every viewer. Topics not only designated to the horse but things such as current competition updates, information on upcoming riders, general care of the horse, and posts about any general aspect of the horse !

Hope you all enjoy ready !!

Becca