Watching Our Equines Grow Old

I bought Kyley on June 12, 1988 for $500 - every last penny I had in my savings account at 12 years old. She was three years old then - barely halter broke, and nothing like the horse of my dreams that I had imagined in my horse-crazy mind. In place of the large bay hunter gelding I had been dreaming of for years, was a 15-hand solid black mare - defiant, untamed, and not at all ready to leave the farm where she was born.

Over the years I was shown again and again why this solid black mare was destined to be mine. Through years and years of hard work, determination, ribbons, trophies, 4-H drill team, and long trail rides, Kyley and I grew up together, and have been inseparable ever since. She taught me the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and everything in between. She had a beautiful filly in 1996, and I now own her 4-year-old grand-daughter.  Our farm, Candlelight Acres, is named after her.

I'm now 32 years old, and Kyley is 24. Many miles and many years between the two of us, we still have that special unspoken bond that only exists between a horse and owner that have been together through thick and thin, for over 20 years. She's retired now (has been for years) and recently foundered. It's literally the first serious health problem I have ever experienced with her. And it's very scary.

This morning I stood watching her quietly eat her hay, and took note of her overall appearance. I guess this was really the first day I have ever thought of my Kyley as being 24 years old.... She has been 3 in my mind for so many years now, that I think my brain fools me into thinking she hasn't aged at all.  

Everyone tells me she looks fantastic for her age.  And I am extremely thankful for her health and vigor - and she rarely acts her age anyway.  But it's an interesting time for me - this is the first horse I have had for this many years, and the first time I have really had to face owning an aged equine.  I worry about her all the time - what she eats, how she's walking, and if the pasture is too slippery for her.  Now that she's foundered unexpectedly, I find myself staring at her feet constantly, and taking a lot more notice of her comfort while she's moving.  It's a different type of horse ownership for me - one that has kind of snuck up on me all of the sudden after all these years.  I don't think I'm quite ready for this, although I don't think anyone ever really is.

I will own Kyley until the day comes when this Earth is no longer graced with her presence.  I'm hoping that's 10 years down the road (at least).... When people ask me how long horses live, I have always said 'Somewhere around 30-35 years old, except Kyley, who has promised me she'll live forever.'  

For those of you reading this who are currently experiencing owning an older equine, I know how you feel.  And this morning, it occurred to me that she isn't as young as my brain thinks she is, and that tragic brevity of time is scary.  I love my sweet Kyley - she is the one who 'started it all' for me.  I pray that I have the wisdom to help keep her healthy, happy and comfortable during her twilight years.

Where Will All The Horse Shows - and Showers - Go?

I've been a horse owner for over 20 years now. We all understand that taking on a 1,000+ lb. animal requires a lot of emotional involvement, love of the creature itself, and, perhaps most of all, the financial commitment. It can sometimes be a daunting task for those weekend owners who have their horses boarded out and ride as a hobby, for enjoyment. For those who have one horse, it's been challenging enough in recent times - for those of us with more than that, it may be getting a bit tricky.

I don't think I have to say it out loud for everyone reading this to agree that the United States is in a financial panic. You can't turn on the news, listen to the radio, or read any major internet news web site without hearing about the financial crisis and recession that we're in, or at least starting. With gas (and diesel) prices soaring to places we never thought they would go, I don't think there's a person in this country that isn't saying 'uh oh' and seriously reconsidering where their money is spent. I know I am. And probably many other horse owners are as well. And let's face it - as much as we love our equine friends, they are not necessarily on the 'essentials for life' list like food, water and air (although I would definitely say I have sacrificed my own food intake over the years for my horses, when the need arose).

Last year was a great year for me and my show horses. I traveled to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania and just about everywhere in between, showing miniature horses at the Local, Regional and World level. I showed 4 miniature horses last year in various performance events, with each of them (thankfully) having extremely successful show records to show for it (so the 15,000+ miles on my new truck wasn't entirely in vain). We even racked up a few AMHA World Top Tens and Top Fives, 3 AMHA Eastern Championship titles, an AMHR Country Pleasure Driving Hall of Fame induction, an AMHR All-Stars Top Ten in Showmanship, and an AMHA Honor Roll Top Ten in Showmanship, along with the much-anticipated retirement of my favorite miniature stallion from his competitive career.

But this year is going to be very different, it seems. Much as I want to show like I did last year, there's a lot of factors that are weighing in at once. Diesel is $4.35 a gallon (holy cow!), and rising. Feed prices are rising fast. The bale of hay that I paid $2.75 for last year is now up to $5 or more. I'm sure the Northwest isn't the only area being affected by this economic problem, and I'm sure I'm not the only horse person this year suddenly not preparing as much for my horse's show careers as I'm preparing for how I'm going to pay for their feed in July and August.

I've watched horse shows fluctuate over the past 20 years - one year there's 30 horses in a class, the next there's 80, the one after that there's 15. It all depends on a number of miscellaneous factors, particularly at the higher levels of competition.

But my curiosity is piqued as we start April of 2008.... When most people are usually putting the finishing touches on their show critters this time of year, and buying new shiny equipment to wow the judges - are they now carefully setting aside their show equipment and bracing themselves for the economic times to come, vowing to show in 2009 instead? Are they weighing in the factors of paying their own personal bills (mortgage, credit cards, utility bills) against the 'fun' factor of showing their equines in competition? And what about those who keep their equines being conditioned by trainers - are they suddenly moving those animals to boarding facilities or home, to save their money for more necessary things in life like the car payment or their mortgage?

I have been a horse show junkie for as long as I can remember. Like many others like me who are addicted to such adventures, regardless of their level, I will literally do just about anything to afford to go to a horse show. I've been very clever over the years in my abilities to make enough money to show at the level I love, yet this year I'm sitting back and saying 'OK, I have to make sure there's going to be enough money to keep my animals fed this year - for the first time in a long time, this showing thing might have to be put on hold.'

Am I the only one? I sincerely doubt it. And don't think I'll be alone in my hesitations about showing horses anytime soon, with the massive media frenzy that tends to feed on people's fears (i.e 'There's going to be a blizzard, stock up on bread and milk' , or, perhaps, similar panic to the Beanie Baby craze of the late 90's), and take all the fun out of being alive. Right now my herd isn't too large - I did some shifting around over the winter, sold a few, and I currently have far less critters on the property than I normally would this time of year. And while usually I have planned well into the summer what shows I will be attending and who I'm taking to the Nationals or Worlds, I find myself saying "Well, my goal is to go to two Local/Regional shows and the Nationals this year, I hope", rather than planning to be at a horse show pretty much every weekend from April through October.

It has definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things, and I'm sure I'm not the only horse show enthusiast second-guessing myself right about now. I have always been concerned about my horses' care and welfare first, no matter if they are part of my show string or not. And right now, I want to make sure I don't run in to a shortage of anything for them - feed, grain, or otherwise. Anyone else out there like me? Please feel free to share your stories here - I'd like to see if I'm just backing off a bit on my lifelong horse addiction (which I sincerely doubt - it's in my blood, and no cure), or if this industry, much like many others, is going to take a downward turn in 2007 as well.... Please share your stories - I'd love to hear them!

The Art Of Catching Horses...

I have learned over the years that if a horse doesn't want to be caught, you just can't catch it... unless you devise some clever plans to outsmart it (or wear it out completely).

I totally understand a horse's 'flight' mechanism, and why it's there. I understand that their innate ability to run from predators has kept wild horses alive for many generations. However, I do not understand why horses (particularly miniature horses) need to exercise that particular trait in an indoor arena... When I'm tired...

I brought two new miniature stallions home the other day - one is a year old, and one is a 3-year-old. Neither of them have had a lot of halter work done, and both of them are (unfortunately) extremely fast, and can spin like World Champion reining horses. I should have known I was in for trouble when it took me several minutes to catch each of them in their 10X12 stalls. Whatever possessed me to turn them out in my 50X60 indoor arena together (after the struggle it took just to get their halters on in their stalls), I don't really know. But I was tired, I'd had a long day, and they had energy to burn. Rather than clean their stalls with them inside, I decided that I could get them exercised and have their stalls cleaned, thus making me the great multi-tasker of the day. Or maybe the biggest idiot. I haven't decided.

Once I was done cleaning their stalls, I foolishly wandered over to the arena, knelt down, and called their names. Pretty much all of the miniature horses I've had so far either come when they're called, or can at least be cornered when it's time to be caught. Not so with the two new guys....

In a lot of ways, full-size horses are somewhat easier to catch. You can mess with their heads a little bit, and convince them that when you open your arms wide, that creates some kind of imaginary barrier that they can't cross when pinned in a corner. It doesn't always work, but it is possible to catch a horse that way. With miniatures, I am convinced that their smaller size means their brains have to work much faster, and therefore it makes them craftier when it comes time to catch them in a large area (or small one, like their stall). And today was no different - I was just more tired than usual.

It actually only took 10 minutes to out-maneuver the clever 3-year-old. He finally gave up his frantic running circles when he realized that hey, it was close to dinner time, and he was suddenly hungry. I got him to his stall, and went back for the yearling. He hasn't decided if he likes the food here or not, and was a little tougher to convince that the grain I was rattling around in the bucket was worth allowing me to catch him. He trotted glorious circles around me, would allow me to get within 3 inches of him, and then he'd take off with his head in the air, whinnying. I love horses, and have spent my entire life around them. But on nights like this, turtle farming was looking real good.

The yearling has not been body-clipped yet, so the more he ran, the hotter he got. We call him the 'little llama', because he looks like a llama at the moment, with long shaggy hair that even feels like a llama. I was concerned that he'd get a chill, and decided he had much more energy to burn than I did. I had to devise a clever plan, and quickly, before we both worse ourselves out.

I must say that this was the first time I had ever 'given up' on catching a horse. Something about evasive horses creates a challenge in my head, and I have to outsmart them no matter what. Tonight, however, I didn't care about devising a clever plan to capture this little 80-lb creature. I just wanted dinner. And a warm shower. I know we've all been there, fellow horse people. You know how it feels.

I closed the big doors to the barn, opened his stall door, and proceeded to herd him down the aisles to his stall. The barn cat was highly amused, having watched the previous 20 minutes with great interest, probably saying to herself 'Wow - Deb hasn't had a worthy adversary in this barn for a while - this one's a keeper!'. This new game was even more fun and challenging for him, since it narrowed the space we were working with, and increased his excitement for being loose and naughty. After another 5 minutes of his games, he finally walked quietly into his stall, without any flourish or ferver. I was even more hungry, even more tired, and even less interested in being a horse person. I guess that's where the true horse addiction stuff comes into play - when we're nursing a sick horse, spending every last dollar on their care, or chasing them in endless circles trying to capture them. I think I'm going to take up gambling instead - at least you get to stay still. ;)

Miniature Horses Stuck On The Trailer...

I have taken a few months off of horses. I boarded out one of my geldings, and one of my mini mares is at a friend's house. I sold my hunt seat mare, and I have my 24-year-old retiree here at home, along with her 4-year-old granddaughter. I just needed a break. I was on the road constantly showing the miniature horses for months at a time, and I just needed some time to breathe.

I began gathering my critters back up a few days ago. It looks like the frigid temps here are lifting a bit, and I actually saw a flower the other day, so I decided it was time for me to retreat from my winter-long hiatus and get my act together.

I have been showing miniature horses on a Local, Regional and World level since 2005. After 6 reconstructive surgeries to the tendons, ligaments and nerves to my right ankle and knee (plus I broke in there somewhere, too), I switched from the big horses to miniatures, so I could continue with my passion, but give my ankle a much-needed break from riding. That has resulted in me getting 'hooked' on miniature horses, and completely intrigued about training them. It's interesting for me after so many years in the 'big horses' to train the same brains in smaller packages. The view is also a little different between the saddle and the seat of a show cart, and I was ready for a change after 20 years of showing the full-size horses.

In 2007 I completed the amount of points and championships I needed to get AMHR stallion 'Lauralees Royal Jammin Man' his induction in the American Miniature Horse Registry Hall of Fame in Country Pleasure Driving. We retired Jammer from competition at the AMHA World Championships in October 2007, and I was suddenly looking for a new project. A friend of mine had a 3-yr-old black and white colt for sale, and I decided that he would be my new project. His name is 'Stryker'.

My friend kept him at her barn all winter, while I was on my hiatus from horses. Two days ago, I decided it was time for me to pick him up. I also accidentally picked up a yearling colt as well. If you're a horse person, you know how that is - how you easily rationalize in your horse-addicted head, going to pick up one horse and coming home with two instead. But that's a whole other story.

I still have not ventured into the world of buying a miniature-size scale horse trailer, so my minis travel in my 2-horse, Thoroughbred-height stock trailer (which is kind of funny to see, actually). I tied the 3-year-old in the center stall behind the tack area (I don't have solid partitions to the ground - there's open space underneath the divider, but low enough so that minis can stand in that center partition and still be separated from whatever else is in the trailer). I tied the yearling in the back of the second stall. They're both stallions, so I didn't want any fights if I could help it.

When I got home, I opened the back of the trailer to find the yearling in the center partition with the 3-year-old. He had somehow managed to get under the partition (his lead rope was still attached both to his head, and to the side ring of the trailer back there), and was now squashed against the 3-year-old. I didn't think anything of it at first, until I realized what he had done to get there. My center partition is removeable, and he had somehow managed to knock the partition off its hinges, and it was dangling precariously from the pin that is used to allow it to swing open. Nice. Not only that, but that divider is heavy enough that it takes two people to remove it. And at that time, there was just one of me, and it was dangling by the pin that is already hard to remove....

If you've hauled horses before, you know that strange things can happen back there when you're cruising down the road. And that when something does go wrong, it's usually not a very good thing. These two little mini colts were standing there, completely unhurt, blinking at me as if to say "Did we do this? Oops-sorry!". I suddenly realized that those two were now stuck behind a divider I could not move on my own, I was home alone (of course), and I had no idea how I was going to get them out. The partition only swings one way, and despite the things I have been able to train minis to do, I have never been able to teach one to crawl on command.

I struggled with that partition for a while, trying to prop one end up while I juggled the stuck pin on the other. Every time I tried to do anything, both of the colts freaked out and tried to scramble over one another, which wasn't helping. After struggling for quite a while (did I mention it was 35 degrees and raining outside, and that I have been battling bronchitis for over a week?), I decided to convince them to squeeze through a small opening I was able to make by swinging the divider in the wrong direction. While I was able to maneuver the older colt with some convincing, the yearling was a little less trusting of me (kind of like trusting someone to lead you blindfolded through a dark room). He finally agreed that it was better to follow me than be left alone on the trailer, so he catapulted himself out through the tiny opening with some flourish. Neither was worse for the wear at all, but I was now wet, cold, and coughing even more. Nice.

I've been trailering horses around the country for a long time now, and I must say this was the first time I had ever had two stuck in a trailer with no way out (unhurt, to boot). It's days like this that I often question why I'm not more into turtle farming than horses....

Neighbors Banging On The Door, Never A Good Thing When You Have Horses...

I admit I'm a little bit of a safety freak when it comes to my horses. Ask anyone who has been to my barn, and I think I've driven them all nuts with the extra precautions I take so that the horses there don't get injured, sick or loose from their designated containment areas. Still, as any horse owner knows, sometimes it doesn't really matter how good your intentions are or how much planning you put into making a safe haven for the equines in our lives - something is always bound to go wrong.

I'm not usually much of a football fan, but in recent years I have reluctantly decided that any true Western Pennsylvania native has a true human duty to root for the Steelers. (It's just, well, un-Western-Pennsylvanian not to do so - at least that's what my Steeler-crazed neighbor friend says anyway). It was a cold and very rainy Sunday afternoon, I had the flu (read: I was completely miserable), and I was laying on the couch watching the Steelers slog through another home game (you'd think with a brand new stadium built in PA, they would be able to keep the footing even the slightest bit stable in inclement weather - after all, Pittsburgh is just plain known for inclement weather, so they should have planned ahead!).

About halfway through the second quarter, there was a very loud banging sound on the back door - the rapid-fire kind of knocking that stops the hearts of those of us who are fortunate enough to live in the country (no one just suddenly comes knocking on your door on a Sunday afternoon in the pouring down rain and fog). My husband made it to the door before me. As I was struggling to my feet in the midst of piles of tissues and blankets, I heard the back door slam and two of the most dreaded horse-owner words on the planet.... "horses" and "loose", in the same sentence.... Followed closely by the words "colic" or "can't stitch that shut, that's for sure"....

I threw a jacket on over my flannel jammies, and bolted out the door. My husband -and a guy I didn't even know - were running toward our barn, barely visable in the fog and rain. When I got to the barn, one of the main gates to the indoor arena was swung wide open, and the gelding (in his stall) was barreling back and forth and tossing his head, bellowing his protest at not being in on the action.

All three mares were missing. In a downpour you could barely see through. In the fog. At dusk. In deep, slippery mud.

I have learned after 20 years in horses not to immediately panic at every 'little' thing. However, I must admit, panic was pretty much the first thing I did. My three mares are adventurous types as it is, and had been cooped up in the barn (confined to the 50X60 indoor arena) due to a way-too-muddy, way-too-steep, clay-based pasture. For weeks. One of them was my 24-year-old mare that has recently had some arthritis issues and is mostly blind in her right eye. The other two, a 10-year-old and a 4-year-old, always managed to get into everything, and rarely would come to my calls under the best of situations. Surely they had led the old mare into disaster. Panic was definitely the first reaction.

I could hear my husband and the other guy calling to the horses outside the barn, over the whinnies of the gelding, who had now whipped himself into a frenzy in his stall. I grabbed two containers of grain and headed out in pursuit.

Guys (especially non-horse guys, bless their hearts) rarely know what to do in a situation like this. They just went running out into the rain, in two different directions, calling to three missing horses in the pouring down rain (as if, like Trigger or The Black Stallion, they would come trotting around the corner saying 'Oh, thank God you've come out of the house to rescue me!'). Us horse girls know that loose horses that have been cooped up in a barn on a rainy day could be miles from the nearest human within minutes. And they don't come when they're called, even on a good day.

I looked for hoofprints in the mud, while the two guys relied on their eyes to try and spot three blanketed horses in the rain (sure, one of them was a bald-faced Paint, but with a black blanket on, she may as well have been a tree in that weather). It took several minutes of piecing together the muddy prints in the driveway and (ahem) neighbor's yard, to spot them grazing at the top of the hill. On any other day, it may have been surreal. Today, I didn't want to own horses anymore.

Of course none of them had a halter on. The guys decide to herd them (in ankle-deep mud and soft, wet grass) toward the barn, by waving their arms wildly and yelling at them. Just as I yelled to the unknown guy that the black horse was blind in one eye, he actually caught the 4-yr-old... by wrapping his arms around her neck as she trotted by with the rest of them.

Had this been any other situation, I would have laughed out loud. She trotted right up to me (as I suspected she would - she truly is the adventurous one, however all thoughts of straying beyond the norm are stopped by her stomach, every time), and dug into the grain, with the poor guy still swinging from her neck. I put a halter on her, and handed him the end of the lead (failing to tell him that, as soon as the grain ran out, she would start rearing and trying to get away to be with the other horses - oops on my part).

By this time, I'm soaked to the skin, muddy to the ankles, and wishing I had gone the route of dancing lessons instead of horses when I was a kid. The Paint mare has a mean streak, and every time I got close to her, she'd pin her ears and chase the black mare away - usually closer to the road, which made my heart pound even more. I genuinely did feel bad for the stranger I left with the 4-year-old, though - she was rearing and spinning and whinnying, caught up in the moment and trying to get back to her friends, held by a guy who very obviously was not a 'horse person'.

The old black mare's stomach eventually got the best of her (she is the grandma to the 4-year-old, after all) and I was able to trick her into being caught. Knowing the Paint would follow, we thanked the guy who alerted us to this whole mess (who, coincidentally, was the neighbor whose nice green yard they had tromped through), and led the three strays back to the barn.

I missed the rest of the Steelers game (they won), and prolonged my flu by several days. Being a true horse person, I stripped all of the horses of their sopping wet blankets, dried their coats with a hair dryer, and replaced the wet blankets with dry ones - long before I did the same for myself. No one got hurt (well, except for the neighbor's yard), and (thankfully) I was the only one who got sick (and I was sick already). The gate was re-secured with new chains and harder-to-break snaps, and the gelding eventually calmed down once the mares shared their adventurous stories with him.

This horse addiction thing? Yeah, it's apparently here to stay. Although some days (like the day of this incident), I sincerely wonder if this 'addiction' is truly more of an 'affliction' instead....

~ Deb

Curiosity Is Apparently Gunning For The Gelding....

We all have that one horse in the barn - the one you love with all of your heart, but one that you just want to strangle when it gets itself into the most precarious situations. As the old saying goes, 'Curiosity killed the cat'. However, in my barn, curiosity has apparently left the barn cat alone (she's living just fine) - it's apparently gunning for my 4-year-old Paint gelding, Reggie.


Reggie has always been a curious horse. I've had him since the day he was born, and he has gotten himself into some pretty weird and stupid situations (like the time he hung his blanket up on a bucket hook and apparently stood there all night with one leg dangling in the air by his blanket strap, waiting for me to untangle him in the morning - he limped around for a whole day, I have pictures).

The other night I braved the bitter cold to feed the horses. I had three of them turned loose in my indoor arena, so they could move around to keep warm (plus, no stalls to do for a while - hooray!). They were unusually quiet at feeding time, and as I rounded the corner to fill the second bucket I got that 'something just isn't right' feeling. I hadn't turned the arena lights on (the light from the aisleway dimly illuminated most of the arena anyway, and I could feed them in the dark if I had to), and I suddenly found myself tripping over a large board on the floor. Which is strange, because usually the boards are happily living where they belong - on the wall.

I forced myself to look up and around. There, scattered all over the usually-clear arena floor, were 12 rough-sawn boards (complete with nails sticking straight up in the air, of course!), and the huge corner post. On the arena floor. On a bitter cold night.

My first reaction was to finish putting grain in the buckets along the non-destroyed walls, and I ran to switch on the arena lights. The whole way there I'm thinking 'This just isn't possible - horses cannot pull entire walls down. You're hallucinating. And it's cold out here - you're done feeding, get back in the house where the warm people belong. The Super Bowl is on for pity's sake - there's cheese dip!'

As I switched on the overhead arena lights, it was apparent what had happened. Coincidentally, at the same time, if horses could point fingers at one another for blame, the two mares would have been pointing directly at Reggie, screaming "HE DID IT! I SAW HIM!".... Like a bunch of little 2nd-grade girls.

We had a nylon rope attached to the big corner post in the arena (up high). It was used to help wrangle round bales of hay out of the backs of pick-up trucks, and then tucked behind the wall when not in use. Like a CSI investigator, I pieced together the course of events that had to have taken place....

Reggie is a very curious animal. He's bred to be a barrel horse (his mom was my World-level hunt seat horse), and his brain is just constantly working. Due to a major leg injury on my part (6 surgeries), he hasn't been broke yet. So his little 4-year-old mind has not been put to use yet, at least not put to use for anything good. He's fairly tall, and can get into things my other horses can't reach. Apparently he found the nylon rope behind the wall, fished it out, chewed on it for a while, and then somehow managed to take off running with it, pulling the entire wall down with it. Fun, huh? I love horses.

I am stunned that none of the horses in that arena were hurt. With all of the nails sticking up (he pulled the boards straight out of the wall, leaving the nails at the ends sticking straight out - he only bent a few), I'm shocked that there wasn't a single puncture wound, scratch, or gash on any of them. I cannot imagine the amount of force it must have took to get that wall down, or what it must have sounded like. And I had only left them alone in there for a few hours!

I've included a photo to show the damage done. It's repairable, and could have been so much worse, but geez - that gelding is going to get himself in some serious trouble someday! I still love him, of course (I'm a horse owner, after all - my 'children' can rarely 'do wrong') but, wow....

As for the barn cat, her curiosity only allowed her to peer around the corner as we dragged all of those boards out of the arena and did a nail-count to make sure we got them all. If I'm correct, I think she would have pointed a grey paw of blame at Reggie, too. ;)

~ Deb

Confidence - What The Judges Want To See!

If there's one trait that successful horse show enthusiasts share, it's confidence.  Most of the top riders and competitors in the world are not only successful when they are competing with their equine companions, they are successful in business and life as well.

Not everyone can ooze confidence and poise at all times, especially under the stress of competition with a large animal that has a mind of its own!  Let's face it, sometimes our equine companions can spend hours at home performing every element perfectly, and then completely blow it once they hit the show rings, simply because someone in the stands opened a package of crackers that echoed funny off the walls and sounded like a monster.  And this constant concern of that 'horse-with-a-mind-of-its-own' element while competing at horse shows, whether at small back-yard fun ones or in the exclusive World Show arenas, can certainly rattle even someone who thinks they're confident of their overall performance.

The trick to horse showing is often creating an air of confidence that might not really be there.  It's a game we all have to play with our minds in the warm-up pen and when we hit the in-gate...  After all, what we're trying to do is to show the judge's you deserve to win no matter what, right?  And it's up to convince the judge, or judges, of this confidence, whether or not it exists.

Here are a few tiny tidbits of show-ring flair that might help even the backyard competitor bring their A-Game to the show pen:

Be prepared.  One of the best things you can do for you and your horse is to make sure that you belong in the class you are showing in.  Even small horse shows require a significant amount of cost to get there and enter, and with today's economy, you want to make sure that the horse you're showing is going to do the best job in a particular class.  For instance, barrel horses rarely make competitive Western Pleasure horses - and your Showmanship horse won't necessarily nail all of your Western Riding patterns, either.  It's important to pick and choose your classes wisely, and make sure that you are showing the judges you are prepared for the class, and are ready to win!

Show With Eye Contact.  It never fails to amaze me how many people enter the show arena with their heads down, looking at the ground in front of them (which could be dangerous when riding or driving a horse) or just plain look like they're embarrassed to be there.  When you are competing, no matter what level, you want to confidently show that you and your horse are completely prepared for this competition, and that you not only want to be there, but that you deserve to be there as well.  Take the time to sit up straight, put a big smile on your face, and enter the arena with an air of confidence and excitement to be there.  It will make a big difference in your overall performance!

Ride (or drive, or lead) With A Purpose.  Particularly in pattern classes where there is a lot to remember, riders and drivers quickly forget that they have a 'whole package' to sell to a judge, not just showing off your ability to remember a sequence of movements you're required to do.  Make sure you know your stuff inside and out before you even walk into the show ring.  Ride into that ring like a runway model with a brand new outfit to show off - you want to 'sell' to the judge that you have a purpose for being there, and that purpose is to win!

Make Sure Your Equipment Is Clean.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to make a good first impression on the judge or judges you are 'showing off' to.  It is true that many classes are won or lost based on the first impression a judge gets of you when you enter the show ring.  They sit back and look at the overall package, how it fits together, and if they like what they see.  I don't think I have ever entered the show ring with any part of my equipment or show outfit not in sparkling clean condition - that means every aspect of my turnout is sparkling, neat, and in excellent condition.  Going into the show ring in any other condition shows the judge immediately that you weren't prepared (and obviously didn't care, so why should they?).

Be courteous. Judges are people too, and when they ask you a question, say 'good morning', or ask you to perform a certain task in the arena (such as backing up your horse), smile and be courteous to them.  When they say 'Good morning' when you trot up to them in Showmanship class, say (with a smile) 'Good morning sir/madam.'  Don't carry on a conversation with them, but show them the respect that they deserve as the chosen judge for that particular competition.  They were hired to be there - show your appreciation for their role in your horse show experience.

Following just these few simple steps and concentrating on your overall confidence in the horse show rings could very well help to bump your placings up a few notches. Showing horses is both a terrifying and exciting activity at the same time - being prepared for your competitions both mentally and physically will help ooze the confidence of a well thought-out show plan, and success in the show pen.

~ Deb

It's Not The Truck and Trailer In The Parking Lot

Several years ago, a friend and I traveled together to horse shows with our little group of miscellaneous pleasure horses.  Compared to now, those seemed like much simpler times, and definitely a time when I seemed to be able to focus on one horse's show career at a time (oh how I long for those days).  We had a few Paint and Appaloosa horses we traveled with at the time (and we were in a transition between deciding whether we wanted to show APHA or ApHC shows... so we just showed the regional Open circuit instead - it was a transitional year).  Our two main horses were a 16-hand, hard-to-keep-sane black and white Paint gelding that I showed, and her breeding stock (almost had enough white on his hock to make regular papers) APHA gelding.

Back in those days, we'd show one show on Saturday, and another show 5 hours away on Sunday, all while working full-time jobs (I worked two jobs, at the time, to support my 'horse habit'), and trying to justify being so tired all the time because of our 'hobby'.  We chased points like there was no tomorrow, and worked diligently on our horses' training year-round.  We traveled in her truck and 3-horse trailer - nothing fancy, but we kept it clean and neat and maintained as best we could.

We always used to drool over the huge truck and trailer rigs that would pull into the various show grounds each weekend - we dreamt of what it would be like to drive a brand new F-350 and a 6-horse rig.  We admired the parking lots full of those rigs, and wished that we, too, could have all of those things.  We also dreamed of having living quarters as well, so that we could stay at the show grounds instead of limping to the nearest $25-a-night hotel just to shower and rest before the next day's events.

The horse I rode that year was extremely unpredictable in the show ring - one class he'd be just fine, and the next he'd leap into the air like a bronc if he happened to be off the rail when the announcer called for the canter (he snapped at the very thought of a horse transitioning to before he was cued to do so).  My travel partner's horse was often lazy and brooding in his classes - a horse you couldn't just smile and ride down the rail, you had to work to make him look pretty (and look good doing it!).  We struggled all year long, but got better with every show, learned how to bypass our horse's shortcomings, and actually accumulated quite a lot of year-end awards that year, as well as enough Jackpot money to pretty much break us even every weekend on gas and expenses.  To us horse show addicts, breaking even is like winning a million dollars.

Above all of the ribbons, jackpot earnings and blood, sweat and tears that went into showing those geldings that year, however, I think we learned a very important lesson that lives within me to this day.  For as much as we talked about the pretty rigs that other horse show enthusiasts somehow managed to obtain, we learned a very important lesson - it's not the truck and trailer sitting in the parking lot that takes home blue ribbons or accumulates points.  In the end, it's the performance you and your horse put on in the ring that counts the most.

There's a funny thing about horse shows (and other animal shows, I guess) - nothing else counts to a judge except what he or she sees in the show ring for that particular class.  There really is (or rather, should be) no difference between you (who may have driven onto the grounds in a rusty, barely-held-together rig), and the girl sitting next to you (who may have driven onto the grounds in a $100,000 truck and trailer).  What the judge sees is your performance, confidence and poise that you possess when you first hit the in-gate.  They aren't judging you by the truck and trailer you drove in with  - they are judging you by what they see now, when it counts.

So many of us get caught up in the politics of the horse show rings - trying to out-do one another with fancy trucks, trailers, stall curtains, and monogrammed halters and blankets.  The truth of the matter is that if you really want to win, and if you really care about the sport you are participating in and the goals you've set for yourself, how you got there is really not that important.  What's there at the time, in the show ring, in that particular class, is (and should be) really all that counts.

I have traveled all over the country showing horses, in fancy rigs and not-so-fancy ones, over the past 20 years.  I have competed with horses literally a fraction of the price of many of my competitors (in fact, one of my most successful show horses was purchased for $500 out of a field back in 1988, with no bloodlines or show background to speak of).  That year I struggled to show the black and white gelding (who, by the way, turned out to be one of my favorite horses to ride and show, because I learned so much from him about patience, thinking ahead, and working with an individual personality to the best of his abilities), I learned that whether you drive onto the grounds in a beat-up rig or something everyone turns and looks at as you pull in, it's what's inside that rig that truly matters.  

That is, after all, what we show for, right?  The horses we're proud of and worked hard on to present in the show rings, not the rigs we drive...

~ Deb

Miniature Horses - The New Showing Rage!

I have been showing horses for over 20 years now (seems hard to believe!).  When I was younger, my initial focus was on pleasure horses - Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Showmanship, Western Riding, Hunter Hack and Trail.  And, like all young riders, I was a fierce competitor, but had no idea that, eventually, I wouldn't bounce back up quite as quickly from injuries as I once did.  

When I was 21, I had a pretty bad accident when the horse I was riding slipped on some hidden ice underneath the arena footing while running around an end pole during a fun weekend barn show (my show mare was pregnant at the time, so I had borrowed a friend's horse).  He fell right on top of me - more importantly, my right ankle and knee.  When he scrambled back to his feet, I was briefly hung up and still attached to him, so when he took off running, he managed to dislocate my right hip to 'finish the job'.

You never realize how much 3 seconds of your life can really, truly change everything, until it happens to you.  The injury that began that day (I was 21 years old - I'm now 32) has since turned into 6 massive ankle reconstructions and two nerve surgeries on my knee, hundreds and hundreds of hours of rehab, procedures and injections I wouldn't let my horses endure, and thousands of hours dragging myself around on crutches in various casts.  It hasn't been fun.

Through all of this I tried to keep riding and stay competitive.  I was even breaking horses and riding the 2-yr-olds and 3-yr-olds, and competed with my APHA mare at the World Championships in several different events (Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Showmanship, Horsemanship, etc).  

I was introduced to miniature horses when a friend of mine was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer.   I started making very frequent trips to visit with her, and during that time was introduced to a little miniature horse stallion that I fell in love with.  At the time, I said (in all seriousness) 'What can you do with these little things?'  Boy, was I surprised.

Showing miniature horses was not exactly something I ever would have sought out on my own.  I ride 'the big ones', and had most recently gotten my feet wet in the fast-paced world of barrel racing.  How could I possibly get any kind of adrenaline rush out of showing a 31" midget horse?  With a severe injury still plaguing me and facing still another surgery, I decided to give it a try.  And I learned something very important - miniature horses offer an amazingly excellent alternative for those who are injured, unable to ride 'the big horses', or simply have a smaller space to keep horses and a smaller budget for their care.  Or, in my case, I was just genuinely intrigued that you could show them!  ;)

Miniature horses offer a variety of activities for horse enthusiasts - driving, jumping, halter, trail (obstacle), and even a versatility class.  They are compact enough for even the smaller children to safely handle, and generally have a pretty good attitude about being toted around the country to different events.  If showing isn't your main interest, they are excellent trail companions to drive through the woods as well, either alone or in tandem.  They are also always a crowd-pleaser at fairs and parades as well.  

I must say, I was pretty surprised at how fun and fulfilling showing miniature horses can be.  I have shown at the World level 2 years in a row now (AMHA) and have brought home 3 Top Fives and 2 Top Tens in Hunter, Jumper, and Showmanship.  I also drove a miniature horse to his Country Pleasure Driving Hall of Fame in 2007, accumulating all of his points and championships as a one-horse, one-driver team.  I also have several Regional, All-Star and Hall of Fame Top Ten placings as well with several different horses.  I'm hoping to head to Oklahoma this year to compete at the AMHR Nationals with a few new prospects.  I've sold several of my 'big horses' to concentrate on showing the minis for now as my ankle and knee continue to heal.  

(It's addicting, I'm telling you....)  

However, I must caution anyone thinking of 'downsizing' to miniature horses to try your hand at 'their world' - the little buggers are definitely addicting, and you can't have just one.  ;)

You can find out more information about the two main miniature horse associations by visiting the American Miniature Horse Association web site or the American Miniature Horse Registry web site.  But enter at your own risk - you'll be hooked in no time!  

~ Deb

Clipping Tips For Your Miniature Horse

Showing miniature horses can be an extremely fun activity for the entire family.  Whether you choose to embark on the performance path of Trail, Obstacle or Jumping, or try your hand in the Halter arena, the sport of showing minis can be a fun, challenging, and rewarding endeavor.

One of the interesting differences between showing miniature horses and showing full size horses is the clipping involved.  While large horses are often shown with just their heads and legs clipped for competition, miniature horses are shown with their entire bodies clipped from head to toe.  This can not only present an extra amount of pre-show grooming involved with miniature horses, it can also prove to be a disaster if a few simple steps aren't followed.

One of the most important grooming practices before clipping your mini is to make sure it is completely clean before you begin.  Use a high-quality, equine-specific shampoo, and scrub deeply into the skin with a circular motion and rubber curry comb.  Rinse thoroughly to make sure there is no shampoo residue, and make sure your mini's coat dries completely before attempting to clip.

Keeping your clipper blades well oiled throughout the clipping process, as well as regularly sharpening or replacing blades as needed, will go a long way in making sure the hair is clipped evenly with no clipper marks.  Clip in the opposite direction that the hair coat grows, using short, even strokes.

Generally speaking, you should clip your miniature horse with either a size 10 or a size 30 clipper blade on its body, using a shorter blade on its face and legs.  If you're new to body clipping, experiment during the off-season or several weeks before your horse's show to find what works best for your horse's coat, skin condition, and hair color.

Clipping can be a tedious process, but will definitely be worth the effort you put into it.  Give your mini frequent breaks during the clipping process to walk, stretch its legs, and relax.  Be patient with your mini, as clipping can be a scary or ticklish experience.  Take your time, and become familiar with what techniques make your mini's coat look its best.

Showing horses is a lot of work, especially if you are doing all or most of it yourself.  Presenting your mini with a freshly clipped and clean coat will give you the edge you need to be your best!  

~ Deb

Murphy's Horse Laws

Hoof picks always run away from home.

Horses you hate cannot be sold, and will outlive you.

No one ever notices how you ride, until you fall off.

The least useful horse in the barn will eat the most, require shoes every 4 weeks, and need the vet at least once a month.

A horse's bad behavior will be in direct proportion to the number of people who are watching at the time.

There is no such thing as a sterile barn cat.

If you walk within 50 feet of your barn door with clean clothes, you will get dirty.

The number of horses you own will increase to the number of available stalls in your barn.

Your barn will fall down without baling twine and duct tape.

Your favorite equipment will always get chewed on, and the equipment you hate will remain perfect forever.

Clipper blades will become dull when your horse is half clipped.

If you fall off, you will land (hard) on the site of your most recent injury

You Know You're A Horse Person When...

1. Your horse's hair is in better condition than your own.

2. Your 'nice clothes' are the ones with horse hair all over them.

3. Your house is a mess, but the barn is neat as a pin.

4. You're excited when a friend tells you there's a huge sale at the local bridle shop, then you are disappointed when you realize they meant 'bridal shop'.

5. You  have the vet's number but not your kid's pediatrician on speed dial.

6. You refer to your car as 'my portable tack room'.

7. Your spouse can track dirt into the house all they want, but God help them if they muddy up the tack room.

8. You have to go to your friend's wedding in your riding clothes because you took too long at the barn.

9. You cluck to your car as you go up a hill.

10. Your horse gets new shoes more often than you do.

11. You choose your significant other partly on the basis of their attachment to your horses.

12. Your parents, who have no grandchildren, get cards on holidays and birthday addressed to 'Grandma and Grandpa', signed by the horses and the dog.

13. Your secretary does a 'hay check' on your clothes each morning, and your first stop in the office is in the restroom to remove all shavings from your shoes.

14. You buy about 15 lbs. of carrots a week, but wouldn't eat a carrot if it was the last food on earth.

15. You say 'whoa' to the dog.

16. You hate posing for pictures unless you're on your horse.

17. Most of your social life is with other horse folk, because 'they understand'.

18. All of your stock has 4 legs.

19. You know more about equine nutrition than human nutrition, and it shows.

20. You live with portable electric fence tape around your lawn, just so your horses can mow it for you.

21. You don't try to figure out your equine expenses at the end of the year, because you really don't want to know, and it doesn't matter anyway.

22. After it snows, the first pathway cleared is from the barn to the manure pile - then the front porch and sidewalk.

23. You aren't at all interested in watching the evening news, but you have to, in order to catch the weather, so you know if you need to leave the barn doors open for the horses or not.

24. You giggle when the horse you're driving farts in your face.

25. You go on a diet, not to be more attractive, but to help make yourself be a better/stronger rider.

26. Your first sign of spring isn't seeing a robin, but seeing a fly.