I want to thank everyone for all the support. Those sharing personal experiences, helping me understand the treatments and care my dad is getting, and for letting me talk.

They have had to stop treatment. The MDS was too far along. They estimate 1-3 months. My mom wasn't sure if all that time would be spent in the hospital, or if he could go home at all. I know he feels he has left so much undone. I think he has known his time left was short; as ill and weak as he was he still made the trip to the jewelery store to make sure my mom had something to remember their last Christmas together.

I will go see him tomorrow.

Karen

SNACK EMERGENCY!

I need a replacement snack! For years now, I have depended on Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola bars as the cornerstone of my snacking needs....but I am fickle, and it seems they are no longer doing the trick! Perhaps I reached my lifetime Corn Syrup quota? Yikes, I hope not!

I tried alternating with other granola bars, crunchy, chewing, yogurt covered, chocolate covered....but none of them have the attention of my taste buds.

So many other snacks are salty and make me worry about too much salt. And remember I can't eat potato products.

Yes, I know, I could just pack a healthy lunch/dinner, or I could use the kitchen in the barn, but I like to have a selection of edibles that can be safely stored in my pocket.

I was enjoying Yops for a while, but it didn't take me long to tire of them. Same with Crispy Minis.

The little Clementine oranges have become my staple snack, but I fear those are seasonal...so then what?

I need ideas people! You don't want me cranky and undernourished when I teach you!

Karen

New years Resolution 2010

The Canadian Horse Journal recently had an article/interview with a couple of up and coming dressage riders, and in it they touched on cross training (for the riders, not the horses). I have always been a little lazy about exercise, using the theory that a) I am thin, and b) I ride/look after a barn full of horses and c) I am lazy.

But, I have decided to change my ways! Starting last week, I have started to run, with the goal being to run at least 5 days per week. I am taking it slowly, for now just trying to run long enough to really get my heart pumping...which sadly only takes a couple laps around the indoor arena, or a run from the hay shed to the end of the drive and back! But I figure taking it slowly will still help improve my cardio, while being less likely to cause weight loss. I usually run in the indoor arena at night while Dexter has his rolling time...having him trotting behind me is a good motivator to keep up the pace!

Ginger is less of a motivator; when I run outside she gets confused and tries to herd me by snapping at my mittens. It is sad that my dog thinks that my running is cause for alarm.

My next step is the purchase of actual running shoes, as those would probably be better to run in than my winter paddock boots or walking shoes. I have silly narrow heels, so it is tricky to find shoes that fit (excuse number 4 for not exercising!)

Once I have decent running shoes I can also use the treadmill that sits unused beside me as I surf the internet...

Health wise I am also trying to improve my sleeping habits as I have been a light sleeper for far too long, and I spend too many days trying to fit a nap into my schedule. One suggestion I received is to learn meditation. I think that is a great idea, not only for sleeping, but also for controlling show nerves. Clare2 apparently is a meditation supported so she has offered me some CDs to try, but if anyone knows a good book or course to take, it would be appreciated!

Karen

Show Schedule 2010.

I am trying to work on our show/clinic schedule for 2010, but the shows dates aren't all posted yet. I think we will try to hold two schooling Jumper shows this summer, but not sure of the dates. Likely June and August. They would be held at the Strathcona arena.

I will post the tentative schedule in the barn on Saturday, including theory dates. I think we will have theory classes on Feb 7, 28, March 21, and April 10.

If any riders want to go to the Gold Level jumping shows, please let me know and I can arrange a coach to help you at those shows! (Gold Level shows means your horse needs a passport and the owner/rider needs a Gold Level Equine Canada membership). Same with if you want to go to a jumping show that is in conflict with the dressage shows.

As usual, most of the shows are at Amberlea, but we also may go to Still Meadows, Hastings Lake and Eyeford for some more affordable/casual shows. The shows we may hold will also be casual/affordable and will be perfect for lesson horses and students as the levels will go from simple poles to 3'3". If anyone hears of local area hunter/jumper schooling shows, please pass that information along to me!

We will also try to have an "at home" fun show/barbecue again, as those are fun/entertaining.

Karen

Pictures from today

I took the dogs for their noon walk to check on the horses...and what did I see? Magnus and his best bud Kokanee hanging out in the sun shine. If you look closely at the first photo, you will notice that Kokanee's blanket is firmly in Magnus's mouth...and his eyes are closed! As far as I could tell he was asleep like that.

Then I called Kokanee's name, and his head popped up and he came trotting over to see me. Magnus did not look impressed that his security blanket had left him!

I went around to the other side of the arena....and there was Coregel, dead to the world, napping in the sunshine. When I approached she quickly got up as if to say "who me? I wasn't sleeping!"

A few moments later she got up, and all the fillies decided to prance around in the snow. The photo on the right shows (from right to left), Piper, Carma, Coregel, and Tia. Bliss did not want to hang around the chestnuts apparently and she remained sunbathing in the shelter!

Karen

Dad update

Thank you for keeping me and my family in your thoughts.

Dad is doing much better and I think that is making it easier for my mom to regain some semblance of normalcy.

On Saturday they said Dad could leave ICU, but there are no beds available in hematology, so he is still there, just without a dedicated nurse.

Today I was there in time to see him out of bed and walking which was great! I was allowed to guide the IV thingy along with him. This is not a small pole like I see on TV...this is a fairly large wheelie thing, with a row of monitors and a steering wheel to maneuver. As we started to walk, I was suddenly hit with the responsibility involved! Not only did I have to keep it close enough so as to not pull the IV out of his arm, I also had to make sure I didn't clip his heels as we squeezed by the desks.

This made me realize it is a good thing for all concerned that I am not a nurse. I could not have a job where mistakes have so much of a potential ramification. So here is to the nurses!

Karen

Over Zealous Advertising

Have you seen the television ad for the fabric sheet bar you stick in your machine? Apparently it changed the life of the lady in the ad! Apparently adding a fabric sheet was costing her time, effort and stress! Cleaning products and home products seem to get the most over the top advertising, with women dancing joyously, unable to contain themselves once they were given the wonder of this new product!

Horse advertising is not immune to the over the top verbiage. Amanda, who is apparently addicted to horse advertisement reading, pointed out a recent Kijiji ad for a :"Once in a Lifetime horse!". To me a once in a lifetime horse is a Big Ben, or a Monopoly. Maybe even a Pax (now deceased Palomino lesson horse at Whitemud that was the best horse EVER!) or a Rocket...one of a kind as they are so great to learn on.

What this ad showed, was a barely started 9 year old mare. They didn't list any outstanding or rare bloodlines, any show record, nor any unique traits. The photos were poor quality and didn't show anything special in either build or colour. The ad did say she has "strait" legs. She may indeed be a very nice mare, and worth the amount they are asking, but the ad does nothing to show what makes her so special. Is the hope that the viewer of the ad won't go beyond the heading?

Amanda missed another ad though; this one starts with "The Sporthorse that will take you to Nationals!" How? Can he drive? No mention on breed or height...no pictures to show anything other than a big headed fluffy paint...but he is a dressage super star because he trots pretty in the field! Maybe he is a good horse, but again, the ad gives no evidence that the horse is anything more than a flashy coloured paint. Not even so much as a conformation shot to back up their claim as to his future stardom.

There is also a Horsetopia ad, for an FEI dressage Prospect. ALL horses are "prospects" I suppose, so they aren't lying, but if you watch the video, you will see a slightly above average TB gelding. Not a bad horse, but nothing to say "wow, that is a fancy dressage horse", so after the heading the horse comes as a dissappointment...when he is actually a decent looking horse...just not something that screams FEI dressage to me.

Do these types of ads actually work?

Maybe I need to work on my verbiage for the horses we have for sale...

From now on, they are all Olympic contenders!

Karen

The rules of the road

Well, actually the rules of the hallway...

I am not the most patient walker. I like to walk at a brisk pace. I have long legs, wear sensible shoes and am usually on a tight schedule. Ambling through crowds is not my thing. If I were a horse, I would have a free walk of "10".

When I visit the hospital, I have to go down a fairly narrow hallway to get from the parkade to the ICU. It is a boring walk, past offices and the dentistry area. There are no horses to look at, so why walk slowly. Plus, once there, I am eager to see my dad, so not interested in dawdling.

Sometimes there are stressed families walking with a typically elderly loved one who hog the width of the hall. I am ok with that. I can see that they are a unit who walk together for strength, and understanding that gives me patience. But there there are people like today: on the way in, there was a lady who managed to take up the entire hall...not because she was overly large, but because she was walking dead center in the hallway with elbows jutted out. And she walked slow...like she was on her way back to a job she hated and wanted every moment of her walk to last. I think she was a nurse. I really wanted a horn to honk or to yell out "slower traffic keep right!"

Then on the way back, there were two people who were obviously together as they were talking loudly to each other about the person they had come to visit...yet the man was about 5 meters in front of the woman. Not only did I want to pass them so I could walk a normal speed, but I also did not want to listen to what I considered to be a private conversation. Only they were walking so far apart from each other, that passing one of them, and then yielding to oncoming traffic, would have meant I would be between them. That would have been odd. So I waddled along while they discussed why Tim wasn't awake yet.

Walking in Malls, particularly around Christmas are enough to send me over the edge. Particularly if I go when the "Age Challenged" are there....walking shoulder to shoulder in a group of chums hogging the entire hallway as they chit chat about who likes who like no one else in the mall matters. I vastly prefer shopping during school hours! Malls are also famous for people who just stand around in the middle of the hall, chatting or gazing about lost. Pull off to the side if you have stalled!

It just makes sense to me to pass left to left, that slower traffic stay to the right, and that teenagers be banned from public places. These few simple rules would make walking in public so much nicer for those of us who have places to go and people to see.

Karen

A sense of self

We all define ourselves in one way or the other. We likely have one definition we share with others, and then many definitions we keep to ourselves; too insecure or embarrassed to share.

For example, I define myself in part by my weight. Less so now than as a kid, but if I was to describe how I think of myself, my weight would come into it. If I woke up tomorrow and was even a pound over the ideal weight for my height, I am not sure I would be able to reconcile myself with my body. Yet at the same time I don't judge others for being chubby...this is part of who I am, it doesn't need to be part of who everyone is.

(and it is not like I don't eat...so please don't read into this that I diet to keep my weight! I just know that if I did start to pack on the pounds I would have great emotional difficulting with it even though I realize I would look better with another 20 pounds or so!)

I could just have easily come to identify myself as being tall, or having a big nose, but it was my weight people made a big deal about when I was a kid, and it was my weight that led to attention and nicknames, so it is my weight that has stuck with me as something that is "special" about me.

I do not think this is a good thing, and consciously I know that gaining weight would be a good thing...but it would be hard to loose something that I feel has defined me for my life.

I also like to think of myself as clever. I think this is a more positive trait, and one likely instilled in me mostly by my parents who encouraged thinking and logic. When I am out of my element, outclassed, or shut down by someone and I feel I am not able to be clever, I feel empty and frustrated. It is easy for me to become addicted to computer games that allow me to feel clever, like Sudoku or Scrabble (I am good at scrabble!). On the dark side of clever comes sarcasm though...I have tried to loose that side of it.

Growing up I also defined myself as someone who had to have a horse. Throughout school I worked hard to be able to have a horse, and I have not been horseless since I was 14 or 15 years old. For some reason this became an important thread in my life. In hindsight, not having a horse while in University may have been beneficial overall, but I could not do it. Having a horse gave me purpose, drive, and it was part of who I was.

So three different sides of how I define myself. One that I think is unhealthy, one that I think can be positive, and one that helps me focus.

All things that were somehow set when I was younger. I am adding new definitions to myself as I grow up, but I think the self I created as a child will remain with me for the most part.

Parents have a large responsibility in helping a child create a good sense of self, but we all contribute to someones sense of self whenever we make a big deal about something regarding someone else. The big deal can be positive or negative, it doesn't matter...if someone feels that is something that is unique or key about them, they will integrate it into their identity.

So when we make a big deal about a child not eating enough, they may decide that is part of their persona. Or if we laugh about how bad their math skills are, then they may relish the attention, and continue to be bad at math so that they can look for a repeat of that attention. Give them the label of bully without working to help them create a new, better label, then they will be the bully. It is important to find good identifiers and to stress those; hobbies, kindnesses, skills. Allow those things to define them.

One of the hardest things about growing old, has to be that you can start to loose the things that define you; your appearance changes, your mind slows, you retire.

No wonder men struggle against balding despite the fact that most women think bald can be sexy...men have to redefine what they think of how they should look.

Some medications that can save your life, can also change your image; make you gain or loose weight, slow your brain, or silence the voices. I can totally see how this would be hard to take. Do doctors help their patients redefine and adjust their sense of self?

If you take honest stock of how you define yourself, how much of that definition is healthy? Is it holding you back or causing you to make the same bad decisions over and over? Is it the same definition someone on the outside looking in would give you? Is there someone in your life you pick on about something? Can you see that maybe you are causing them to define themselves by that same trait?

I am working to redefine myself. I am taking stock and trying to do away with the unhealthy images that are holding me back, and to create a new sense of self that will impower me to get where I want to go. I need to loose my fear of failure that makes me reluctant to give the things that are important to me my best shot. I need to find peace with who I am and what I look like. I am not sure what the steps are to give yourself a core makeover, but life is good and it is time I gave myself a sense of self to go with who I am now, and who I could be if I just put myself out there that little bit more.

Karen

It looks like Buddy (and Pilgrim) won't be leaving today after all; it seems Buddy needs a coggins before he can leave so Meagan is coming out today to pull blood and get it done. His new owner is eager to get him home, so it is too bad she wasn't sure about the coggins earlier, but oh well.

Karen

How to get a job 101

I have a job posting up for someone to come work part time as a groom/barn assistant. The ad is fairly specific as to the hours and requirements, and also specifies how to apply.

So...

Hint 1: make sure you more or less work the schedule specified As much as I appreciate the keenness of a 14 year old, I would rather not encourage dropping out of junior high.

Hint 2: Have relevant skills and outline them. Sending me your resume with absolutely no mention of horses is unlikely to get you a job.

Hint 3: Use a keyboard with all the letters. "R U still hiring?" isn't going to get you the job. How hard is it to type those 4 extra letters? "4 me 2 call" was another interesting abbreviation.

Hint 4: Don't tell me you have your own business training horses, and then get pissy when I tell you I think it may present a possible conflict of interest to have you assisting me with my training horses. Getting pissy won't win you any friends, and it certainly won't help change my mind!

Hint 5: Have you heard of spell check? Or research? Don't tell me how you have worked with Stalions, and Shetlons and then be shocked when you don't hear back from me!

The fun of hiring.

On the same note, later this week there will be an info sheet posted in the barn: we are looking for boarders and students who are interested/able to assist on a casual basis should the need arise, such as during horse shows, or in case of an emergency.

Karen

Update

My dad is doing much better! Still in ICU, but no longer wearing a breathing mask, so he can now talk and see. I was there while he got a blood transfusion...I admit to being a little squeamish at the sight of the big bag of blood.

His main nurses are great; quiet and efficient, which is a relief after hearing Amanda's horror stories.

I was able to have a nice lunch with my mom in the cafeteria too, and she was able to show me how to get back to the parking lot without taking the convoluted route I had been taking! Apparently I just had to go down some stairs and through a short corridor, rather than that giant horse shoe shaped path I had been taking. That place is confusing!

Thanks for your well wishes.

Karen

Bye Bye Buddy!

Buddy is set to leave on Monday for his new home.

Buddy has been here since pretty much the start of Hillside. Laureen bought him soon after, as his owner was looking to sell him, and has since learned a lot from Mr. Grumpy, as have many other riders who had to opportunity to work with him.

My favourite Buddy moment was when Nicole was putting him down after buying Shawn....and Buddy bit her :) Laureen in her Peter Pan costume was pretty special too; Buddy looked cute dressed as Tinkerbell!

Buddy picked up jumping well, but his forte was dressage. He was like two horses in one: he could be the lazy trail horse who would hardly go...until you picked up a crop and then he set off like the show horse he could be.

Buddy is the only lesson horse here that I have never ridden.

I will miss Buddy, but I know that as he ages he will be better off in a home that isn't interested in jumping and that will work him regularly as his body allows. He is far too young to retire, but he deserves to slow down a bit.

His new owners seem to be the perfect match; knowledgeable, kind, and patient. Buddy seemed to appreciate all their attention last night, and I hope he does well in his new home.

He will be leaving on Monday afternoon if the weather cooperates.

Karen

Life

I admit that in many ways I have lived a fairly sheltered life. I have not lost a loved one (human), nor have I had to spend much time as a visitor in the hospital. In part this may be because I don't get close to many people, but I think also it is in part that we didn't have any relatives close by growing up, so I was never that close to my grandparents or uncles who passed away when I was a child. I didn't attend the funerals, and I never saw my parents grieve openly for their losses. Losses that I had no way of understanding at the time.

But then maybe nothing can prepare someone for seeing their parents age, and their health give out. My dad has been sick for a while. Being kept functional with regular blood transfusions, but still able to be at home until this week. It seemed to happen so fast; one week he and my mom were traveling the world attending conferences and meetings, and then he started to get tired. Seemingly out of the blue he went from a very active man who made being in their 70's seem young....to being old. Not his mind though. As tired as his body seems, his mind is still my dad. Maybe you never feel old in your mind though. I know as I kid I thought 36 would feel old...but it doesn't. Maybe it is just the body that fails and the mind that struggles to comprehend.

Dad was admitted to the hospital this week. Today I felt my cough was under control enough to be allowed to visit, but by this time he was moved to the ICU, and wearing a mask that made talking almost impossible, and unable to wear his glasses to see. I still wanted to go, but to be honest, I wasn't sure what I would do, or how it would be when I got there. I thought the time would drag carrying on a one-sided conversation. I was wrong. Time flew, and leaving there was the hardest thing I have ever done.

My dad wants to reminisce, and so do I, but I couldn't without crying, and I didn't want him to feel guilty that I was crying, so the conversation barely ventured beyond the mundane.

I want to tell him all the gifts he gave me that will be with me forever. Not the items, but the parts of me that I attribute to him and mom. The quest to learn and to question would be the biggest one. Dinner at our house was spent in the kitchen with no TV and we would talk about random events and curiosities. (So if you ever wonder why we get into strange conversations at the barn...it is my dad you have to thank!) Even as the youngest I never felt silly for voicing my opinion.

My mom and dad made sure we got to travel and I remember the trip to Mexico the most; we drove there in an unairconditioned station wagon in the heat of summer. We didn't stick to the tourist roads, and the sight of people living in make shift tin shacks and the dead dog on the side of the road left a lasting impression. Going to East Berlin and talking with one of their scientists about how he was stuck on that side of the wall, while his family was on the western side...seeing the still bomb damaged building he worked and understanding that his fear of being overheard saying the wrong thing was very real. These were trips that opened my eyes and helped me see and try to understand from another view point.

I want to tell my dad how proud I am of him taking up Karate as an adult, and then going on to teach it. For looking after his foreign university students during holidays. For setting a good example always. For being patient and reliable. For having a profession he enjoyed and sharing that with his kids. With dad, work didn't have to be work. Yes, it required effort, but that effort had its rewards.

These are things that I want to say before it is too late. Eulogies are wasted at the funeral.

My poor mom too; I can see she is tired. All the medical mumbo jumbo. All the tests and test results she is trying to understand. Being home alone while he is at the hospital and trying to distract herself from the inevitable so she can function. They have been together for about 47 years. 47 years. She is a very independent woman with a life of her own, but I still cannot imagine what she is going through.

It is hard too, to not turn it inward, and to imagine myself in his place. Who will be at my bedside while I gasp for breath and want my pillow fluffed? Will I have the same strength he has been showing in the last few months?

Dad is breathing well enough to be off the face mask now, I hopefully when I go back he will be able to talk and see. Maybe then I will have found the strength to say what I want to make sure I say. To both him and my mom.

Karen

Entitlement Rant

I belong to a few different horse forums, and one thing I see over and over again, is a sense of entitlement with respect to horses. People feel it is their right to have a horse, to ride that horse, and that the world should provide that for them.

One recent example, was someone complaining that their board was about to go up $70 per month if they didn't take part in the barn lesson program. They didn't want to move though, as the barn was well run, and even with the increase was more affordable than the other barns in the area. People responded to this complaint with comments such as "it is just a cash grab, you should move" and "I would be so pissed off...you should move". Huh? The barn is increasing rates and still cheaper than the other similar facilities? Why shouldn't they price their services competitively? Oh...because it means you have to skip your morning Latte, I see....

Another example is people wanting a well trained horse for free or cheap (but not too old or unsound!), because they love horsies and deserve one for going through the effort of typing the want ad, or replying to an ad. Who cares that someone has put time and effort into training and caring for that horse, and who likely paid good money for the horse...this person deserves the horsey, so you must sell your horse at a price they can afford...and deliver it to!

You wouldn't believe the number of requests I get for a free horse to ride, yet when I suggest they work off a part lease by helping with chores/grooming, I never hear back. Because I should pay to feed and care for a horse so they can ride when convenient rather than let my students have an extra horse to ride?

Or they think 1 hour of their time working in the barn should equal 1 hour of lesson time...um, I don't think so!

And then there are people that try to talk me down in board rates because they can't afford my rates. Again, they are unwilling to work to make up the difference, but they don't want to board somewhere cheaper as they like the heated barn/arena, so I should just give them cheap board because they deserve it.

The other side of the entitlement coin is the people that think because they have a horse, they should be able to ride it. Or if you have a horse, you should let them ride it. It doesn't matter if the horse is unfit, old, or that the rider is extremely overweight, they own the horse, so they should be able to ride it. And god forbid I turn down a student because I don't feel I have a horse able to adequately support their weight without undue risk of injury. If you want to ride and you are overweight, at least go to a gym and work on your fitness before climbing on a horse. The horse does not owe you a ride, and not all horses are suited to carrying extreme weight. Some people get this and limit their activities on the horse until they loose weight, and they join a gym to help them along...but then others just call themselves "fluffy" and say that riding is their exercise...and claim prejudice if they are not allowed to ride or are judged for it.

Horses are expensive, living beings. People who own them have to work to pay for them, (or be lucky enough to be born/marry rich!), work to maintain them, and owe the horse the best chance of long term health/soundness. Boarding stables do not owe it to you to be within your budget; they are a business like any other. Horses do not owe you a ride; they owe you nothing. It was your choice to buy them and to agree to care for them...they had no say in the bargain.

It is sad that not every horse crazy kid can have a horse, but many programs exist to at least allow kids the opportunity to ride without owning a horse, and opportunities are always there for those willing to actually work to achieve their dream....so take responsibility for achieving your dream and stop blaming your parents, the horse seller, the boarding stable, or prejudice against your weight. You are the only one who owes you anything!

Karen

It just had to wait until AFTER Rob went back up North...

Anyone who came out to the barn this afternoon would have seen the excitement that comes every winter on the first warm day...the snow sliding off the roof. It started slowly with the occasional "thump"....which was enough to make Carma almost sit down in the barn when it thumped right outside the door. Coregel and Piper were less concerned by the sound and more concerned with their proximity to a cookie. Later, as Laura was riding Zander and I was riding Bliss, the thumps progressed to loud thundering swooshes as snow cascaded past the windows. Zander was not impressed. Bliss did not seem so concerned with the snow as with the crazy saddlebred who kept careening her way.

Most of the other horses that were ridden tonight were good about the snow falling, with just a few startled looks, but no serious issues.

When the snow started falling off over the barn in huge sheets, the horses in there would call to each other like a roll call to make sure each horse has survived the moment.

I can only imagine how loud the sound of snow falling would be if our arena/barn wasn't so well insulated!

Of course all that falling snow isn't just falling nicely out of the way...so this is what I had the joy to discover when I openned the North door:



Larry was not impressed with the wall of snow as it prevented his escape to the great outdoors! He pecked at Milo as he managed to crawl out.

I was not impressed with all the shovelling required to get the door to open easily and to clear a path to drive the Mule into the barn...if any parents/spectators get bored tomorrow, I am sure there will still be snow to shovel!

Karen

If you ask a parent if they would pay $1000.00 to keep their kid from likely harm, most would say yes. If you ask a parent if they would pay $5000.00 to keep their kids from permanent scarring, they would likely say yes. So why is it I see so many want ads posted by kids for horses under a $1000.00? Or for horses they can train themselves? I loved the want ad for the pony for a 9 year old to train themselves. Because that seems like a good idea....

Of course the kids wants the horse to be old enough to ride, but not too old (apparently 9 is old for a horse when you are a kid). Big enough to feel cool on, and able to jump/barrel race or whatever. What sort of horse do the parents think their child is going to get for this price? You may get someone responding to the ad who just wants to make some kids dream come true...but far more likely is you are going to find someone who is going to read SUCKER all over the ad, who is going to lie about their horse's age and/or soundness and perhaps even drug the horse to make it seem safe to unload their mistake on this hopeful child.

The parents likely don't know enough to know better, and the child sees beauty and potential in every horse...until that horse plows them into the ground time and time again shattering the illusion.

And of course the parents will chalk it up to a learning experience and move on, never thinking to go back to the seller and expose them as the lying cheat they are...because horse people seem to be the "bend over and take it" kind for whatever reason...loath to pursue the liars and the cheats...which in turn just encourages them to put the next hopeful child in danger.

And the horse they bought? It is unlikely it will meet a fair and just end.

Sometimes I feel people should have to have a license to buy a horse. Something that forces them to be aware of the scammers out there, the risks, and what to look for. Advice as to what they should expect to pay and what level of training the horse should have for their child's experience.

Karen

I realize I have let my jumping skills slide in the last couple years, so poor Blissy is getting to be my jumping lesson horse to get me back up to skill! This oxer looked big to me...but apparently it looked even bigger to Bliss's hind end as she flipped it way up to clear it by extra!

Bliss has a tonne of heart when it comes to jumping and is never looking for a way out. Now I just need to work on adding some finess to the ride and doing actual courses and then she should be ready to take someone to the winner's circle in hunter/jumper or even equitation classes.

Karen

I am still keeping an eye on the horse ads for a new lesson horse, and wow are there ever some cute mini ponies for sale right now! If we were a mini pony barn, we could fit 4 times the horses in the barn, the trailer could become a double decker and fit like 12 ponies, and the hay in the hay shed right now would last all year!

Not too long ago there was a very cute appy coloured pony on Kijiji advertised as being bomb proof and simple to ride/jump...and then you click on the photo to enlarge to see that on either side of the jump the pony is jumping there is a person standing with arms outstretched to create a jumping chute so the pony can't run out. Hmmm....

I think I am going to hang on to Piper after all, and not sell her. I am still considering trying to find Diesel and Rocky new homes, although I haven't done much to advertise them. Laureen has also decided that it is time to find Buddy a new home that will give him more attention too. I have appreciated using him in lessons, but as he shouldn't jump much anymore, and I don't have many non-jumping students, so he isn't getting used enough to keep him in shape...and as a few of commented, he is fat!

Buddy needs a home that will keep shoes on him year round, and that will trail ride with him, and/or do basic dressage, so if anyone knows anyone that would offer this trustworthy gelding a great home, please let me know!

Karen

Why I don't ride two year olds....

I often get people trying to convince me to take their two year old into training and who try to argue with me about my policy about not riding them at that age. (Equally though I get people praising me for this policy.) I know that race horses are started that young, as are futurity horses, but that is not my market and I prefer to train for the long term, and follow the principles of classical training which have found that horses train better, and last longer if allowed to mature and develop unencumbered by a rider until 3 or 4 years of age.

My own horses are lightly started at 3 and a half, and then brought into regular work at age 4, but if a customer wants their horse started at 3 I am ok with that, but I do not find that those horses end up any more ahead than the ones started that little bit later by the time they are 4 or 5.

Recently I had someone email me wanting to come to Hillside for lessons to prepare her "mare" for dressage showing this year. Her goal was training level and perhaps some first level in 2010. The age of her horse? Not even 3 years old yet! When I replied that I didn't feel comfortable asking that much of a young horse she came back with "I understand if you don't feel qualified". Yes...that is what I said...

But I digress.

The common justifications are typically: "My vet ok'd its joints" or "race horses are started younger" or "he's big, he can handle my weight".

First off, vets don't take a "when to start young dressage/jumping horses 101 class". In fact, almost all the research North American vets study, and almost all the cases they follow are based on the racing industry! An industry where people are thrilled to have the horse last until 7 years of age!

Some owners just ask the vet if the knees are closed and use that as the test to see if the horse is physically ready to be ridden...but the horse matures from the bottom up, so the knees may be mature, but the upper joints and spine are not....and you sit on the spine/shoulders, so perhaps it makes sense to wait until they are closer to done growing to put weight on them. And if you think about it, the bigger the horse, the more the joints will be "open" so the more risk to them, so the more the taller horses should be held off training until older.

You can read more about how horses mature in this wonderful article:
Dr. Deb Bennett's Article

The excuse that race horses are started younger is another annoying argument. Race trainers need to start their horses young as the money is when the horse is 3 years old...by 4 they are past their prime, and not that many horses race past 5; usually they have either earned a spot in the breeding shed, or have gone on to other careers such as riding horses or dog food.

There was a study funded by the racing industry a little while ago to try to justify the early starts. They looked at a number of horses and looked at when they broke down vs when they started racing...and found that a high percentage of the horses that were racing past age 7 were racing at age 2. Some people took this to mean that racing at 2 was GOOD for them. The problem with this study was that they didn't take 100 random horses and start some of them for the track at 2, and some at 3, they just studied them after the fact, and didn't take into account when their training started, just when it was they first raced. Gee, isn't it possible that the reason most of those horses that didn't race at 2 where still trained to race at 2, but broke down mentally or physically and that is why they didn't race that year?

People can always find facts to justify their position, but I think it is important to question those facts if the position offers them financial gain.

So...why don't I ride 2 year olds, or ask 3 year olds to do 1rst level dressage? Because at that age they are physically not developed enough to support the weight of a rider without tensing their back (gee, maybe this is why I don't have horses buck when I first ride them...). At that age their joints are more prone to injuries and damage to the cartilage. Damage that people often turn a blind eye to as it tends to not affect the horse until its early teens, but it isn't it better to wait a year and have a sound horse an additional decade?

Maybe if people stopped training their riding horses so young, people wouldn't look at a teenage horse as old and we could save money on joint injections.

Karen

This week in lessons will be quiet I think....as I seem to be loosing my voice! I have had quite a cough for a few days, and now my voice is starting to give....so don't be insulted if you phone me and I don't answer either!

Karen

Amanda rode her new horse today; he is VERY sweet...in the arena. In the barn...perhaps not so much. NO FEEDING EDGAR in the barn at all. Not even a scrap of hay. He is fine in the barn when he is not thinking of food or attention from Amanda....he is a very smart fellow and already definitely knows she is his person and demands her complete attention and adoration!

I need to get a picture of her on him...after seeing her on Ri it is hard to recognize her on the big boy, but they do look good together and I can't wait to take them to shows. (in part because I want to see that mane tamed!)

We tried Rosa western today, and she seems to know a thing or two about it. I wish I had better western bits and an arab style western saddle, but we seemed to go ok.
http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd89/HillsideStable/Rosa/?action=view&current=Rosa_western.flv

Karen

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! Have you planned your goals for 2010?

Dexter and I are aiming for second level, and I am going to work to find more confidence at shows and over fences.

Some changes to start the year:

Jerry left for his new home today:

Jerry and his new "jockey!"

and Amanda's new horse "Edgar" arrived!

Edgar is a monster who eats small children and arms, so do not hand feed him or leave children unattended in the barn or near his paddock. Joan, there is a $5.00 fee if you want to brush is mane or tail.

Chance will also be coming today and will be here for the next few months.

Stay warm!

Karen