Van Bert Farms

Obstacle Challenge At VBF

2011-05-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

As many of you know we have built a nice obstacle course here for our horses to train on. You have either seen it for yourself or you have seen pictures on our website. We decided to host a Obstacle Trail Challenge here this past Saturday and utilize the trail course for a fun and challenging trail class. S.T. did a great job in putting the course together and after the ACTHA ride, several riders came to walk-through the course to see what it was all about. Some of the riders had been involved in other challenges before (even the one hosted at the Equine Affair), but for most, it was a new and exciting sport to do with their horse.

Saturday was a beautiful day as far as the weather was concerned and for that we were so thankful. We have had as much "record breaking weather" as we can stand. Dad changed up the trail map to keep the riders on the highest ground possible, and sometimes that made for a "meadow ride", but it was better than sinking into mud. I know there are several of you who would love to see rain in your area, but Kentucky has turned into a jungle. WE ARE TIRED OF IT! Of course today is 97 (another record for this time of year) and we are sweltering in the humidity.

The Pony Express was the theme through out the course and each obstacle offered little tid-bits of information that went along with the theme. Taking the mail from the mail box obstacle and reaching each station successfully were the challenges. Hopefully the riders learned a little about the pony express during their ride, which in my research I found very interesting.

Several people stayed a couple of days longer and rode some of the trails in the Red River Gorge with Mom and Dad. They were able to enjoy a beautiful ride that is full of natural scenic obstacles.

I hope all of you can add these rides to your agenda. We are hoping to offer another in October. I will keep you informed of the date. If you don't have a horse, please come and cheer your favorite on to the winner's circle.

Big News!

2011-05-03T08:57:00.001-07:00

I am lax in getting this news out to my blogger friends, it has been announced on Face Book and the ACTHA site, but I have been remiss in letting you know. Dad (H.T.) and Blue On Black were selected out of almost 1000 entries to participate in America's Favorite Trail Horse Competition, hosted by the American Competitive Trail Horse Assoc. One hundred riders will be filmed in Texas this coming week for 13 epoisodes to be aired on HRN and possibly on RFD networks. The program will air on T.V. in September. America will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite Trail Horse...much like the American Idol series. I will let you know more about the procedures as we know them. We need your vote, so please make an effort to vote when the time comes.

I was listening to the weather this morning and the weather man started out saying "For all you people that are weary of the rain".... and I thought, that is what I am..., I am weary of all this rain! I am tired of breaking records, with amounts of rain fall, amounts of tornadoes, size of hail, floods (especially) and wind. I am tired of being wet, the horses being wet and I so long to see the sunshine. True, we did get a little tease of sun Saturday, but this is Tuesday! I try not to complain, because I know as bad as we have it, there are so many people in total disaster. Then, I feel guilty and I make myself get out of bed and face the day. I know there will be a day the sun will shine and we will be in 90 degree weather sweltering in the hot sun, wishing for a little rain to cool things off.

Really, I am not that depressed, I just really look forward to beautiful Kentucky days in the Spring and when that did not come it kind of bums me out.:o(

Keep watch, we will let you know about America's Favorite Trail Horse and we will be asking for your vote.

The Mexican Horse

2011-02-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

I am sorry to tell you, but… I am in sunny Baja California, Mexico, away from the snow, ice, and cold! Larry and I left all of that behind, packed our bags and headed south. I am so thankful, to have the family that I feel comfortable leaving in charge during the coldest part of the winter. I am sorry they can’t all come with me, but maybe their day will come soon enough when they can leave all their worries behind for a little while. Even though I am a fair weather rider, I still miss seeing horses everywhere I look. I can’t believe how much I have them in my life until I leave them. The bright side is our neighbor has a horse and he is pastured right on the other side of the fence along with a big gelding and a burrow. He is the typical “Mexican Horse”, bay, with socks and a big white question mark on his forehead and down his nose. My neighbor Bobbie bought his mother, and rode her around the neighborhood and along the beach not knowing all the while she was pregnant until she started dripping milk. Low and behold a few days later a foal was standing by her side. Well, I am sure this is not unusual, because most of the horses down here run loose along with all the other farm animals. You don’t fence to keep your livestock in, but to keep everyone else’s out. Because of the big question mark and the unknown identity of the sire of course there were all kinds of suggestions for names, like Who’s Your Daddy, and Joker…but Bobbie thought she had hit the jack pot, so that is his name J.P. for short. He is just a year old but Bobbie has started working with him from the ground and he has excellent manners. I do feel sorry for the folks that have never rode a gaited horse. You just don’t know what a “comfortable ride” is. I am talking “rocking chair comfortable.” At any rate, I get my “horse fix” by seeing and hearing a horse just across the fence, it keeps my thoughts close to home.

Winter Is Here

2010-12-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

I left a couple of post here last year reminding everyone to remember how hard cold weather is on our equine friends, but I wanted to reinterate a few of things again this year. Personally, I don't care if I ever see a snow flake or feel the wicked fingers of "Old Man Winter" again, but our horses are trusting us to take care of them through the cold winter months, so we must pile on the cloths and trudge through the snow and freezing cold to take care of them. Horses, as with all warm blooded animals, must maintain their body temperature from dropping. A high forage diet is a vital part in helping to maintain the body temperature. Hay has a higher fiber content than grain. So please buy a high quality of hay and make sure your horses have access to this hay through out the day. Remember horses need to maintain their water intake when temperatures drop and with the increase in feed consumption this can sometimes lead to a higher incidence of colic. So please don't forget the water! You will need to check the water buckets/ponds at least twice a day to remove any ice build up, or to break the ice so that your horses are encouraged to drink during the day. You will also want to discourage the horses from walking out on the frozen waters and falling through. The Mountain Horses are a hardy breed and are accustom to the harsh winters, but the old and infirm need a little extra aid and possibly shelter during extreme temperatures. Their long winter coats give them extra warmth that is essential in helping to keep them warm, but if your horses are being kept in a barn, they may not have grown the hair that is needed. For these instances you may want to protect your horse with a blanket. Mother nature generally knows what is needed, but then again Mother Nature would not have them in a barn. :o) Just a reminder to remember your best friends during the cold winter months.

Oregon Bound

2010-10-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

The Frenchmen that came to Van Bert Farms and bought two Rocky Mountain geldings left our farm riding their horses bound for Oregon. They just called and said they are in Florence, Oregon and would like to sale their horses. So...if you know anyone that is interested in two well broke Rocky Mountain geldings, that have traveled by foot across the United States, please contact us and we will put you in touch with them. These are wonderful horses, that will be wonderful companions for any family. Please pass the word on because they will be at the end of their journey in 2 days!

From The Hills Of Kentucky

2010-10-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

By: Vera Patterson

An unknown author once wrote: HORSES – If God made anything more beautiful, He kept it for Himself.

When I read these words, I thought how perfectly this describes how I feel about the Mountain Horses. Whether the horse is registered Rocky Mountain, Mountain Pleasure, or Kentucky Mountain, they are the Mountain Horses.

For more than a century of traceable ancestry the Mountain Horses have been one of the best kept secrets of Kentucky. While the Mountain Horse registries/breeds were not recognized until 1986, breeders from the hills of Kentucky prized this horse and bred for their ability to adapt to the rugged, sometimes sparse terrain of the hills. They were bred for their smooth, even 4 beat gait and for their eagerness to please and be part of the family.

Seventy years ago a 5 year old boy was given a beautiful bay filly for his birthday. As the boy and the mare grew up together they became constant companions. She would carry him and his friend riding bare back to the river to fish and swim, ride the hills and meadows at a gallop and in later years carry him through the pastures to check the cattle. Some years she would be bred and produced exceptional foals, but most years she was just his friend. The boy in this story is my father. The mare is Dinah, a beloved Mountain Horse. I remember a few things about Dinah that was not told by my father. I remember her teaching my brother to ride and carrying him to his first blue at the county fair. I remember Dad saying she was more than 30 years old when she died, and then the real stories would begin.

Once, as a young boy, a man brought one of the first cars to the small town of Stanton, Kentucky. He bet Dad a “soda pop” at the general store that he could reach the store faster in his car than my dad could ride Dinah. My dad was so sure of his mare’s ability to run he took him up on the bet and off they ran… my dad and his friend riding double for 2 miles. Dinah stayed in front most of the way, but about ¼ mile from the store the car came up ahead. My dad was so worried about his mare because she was breathing so heavy he never thought about not winning the race. What a foolish endeavor of a boy learning one of life’s lessons. Then there were the stories of Dinah swimming him across the rain swollen river and him holding on to her tail, to safety. There were also stories of him spending the days playing in the forest with friends while Dinah waited and grazed patiently until the sun set and it was time to go home. However, every day was not fun and games, for they were too few and far between. Living on a farm in Eastern Kentucky, everyone and everything was expected to work or help produce food for the family. Dinah would pull a plow or wagon and many days were spent doing just that. Whatever the task, she gave her best effort willingly.

Today, Mountain Horses are prized for these same qualities. They are very appealing to the “Baby Boomer”, who is ready to enjoy their horses without all the work. They are ready to set relaxed in the saddle, cover ground, but not trot. They are ready to give their knees and back a rest and have found with the Mountain Horses, they can once again get back in the saddle and ride for hours. Their sure footed ability, their eagerness to please and learning ability makes them the all around ATV. Competitive trail riding, endurance, dressage, barrel racing and team penning are just a few of the venues riders are successfully competing in with their Mountain Horses. Their beauty is second to none and they show it in the show ring. Their main forte is riding the trails at a relaxed pace and being your companion.

While they are off of the endangered species list now, they are still closely monitored. The preservation of this breed is the main objective of the registries. Van Bert Farms, has been breeding Mountain Horses for many years and have been a training facility since 1965. A family owned and operated farm, 4 generations are currently working with the Mountain Horses. We boast of having the largest herd of Mountain Horses and pride ourselves in the quality we produce. Many World and International Champions were born and trained at Van Bert Farms. You will find the perfect mount here and we look forward to your visit and sharing the beauty of this wonderful breed with you. Give us a call or email us about your desire to own a Mountain Horse.

The boy in the picture is Conner (the great grandson of H.T.) and his favorite mare, Blue Jean. Another generation here at Van Bert Farms!

Where Are The Frenchmen

2010-08-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

I finally heard from Augustine and Marc (the Frenchmen that have set out on a ride across the United States from Kentucky). Guess where they are? South Dakota, close to Mount Rushmore! They are suppose to be sending me pictures of them at Mount Rushmore when they get there. They have not been in touch for awhile because they have not been close to electric in order to charge their phone. They said the horses are doing fine and Augustine and Marc are also doing good. I asked them if they were eating enough, because they packed so light. There main food was going to be rice. They decided it was a very versatile food and could be flavored any way or eaten plain. As soon as I get pictures in, I will post them.

On a different note...we have been very busy preparing for the World Show and are very eager to meet the competition and meet our friends. Many people have worked very hard to make this a grand show, celebrating the 10th anniversary of United Mountain Horse. I was at the Kentucky Equestrian Facility today. Everything is looking good and lots of work has been done mowing, cleaning and preparing for the crowd. Don't forget the Bluegrass Concert on Thursday evening after the show. Daily and Vincent is a many award winning Bluegrass group. So come by and spend the evening enjoying fine horses and good music.

They Love You Indiana

2010-07-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Larry talked with Marc and Augustin last evening. Since we were at the show in Tennessee over the weekend, we did not get a chance to stop long enough to give them a call, so we were anxious to hear how they were. Augustin said they were still in Evansville, IN. It seems that one of the horses got tangled in a line they were using to tie them with and received some rope burns on his legs. They have decided to stay until he is healed enough to travel without aggravating it further. They have ridden through the rain and storms and have suffered through some grueling heat, but they are still going. They are really impressed with how "horsey" people are so eager to help them and how everyone is ready to cheer them on. Well, of course we would like to see anyone succeed if they are doing it on horses!

Evansville, IN ...they are in your area

2010-07-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

I talked with Marcus last evening. They were close to Evansville, Indiana (by car that is close to 235 miles) and were doing fine. They had stopped in a nice field, were setting up camp while the horses grazed. He said the horses were doing well and he and Augustine were also fine. They were worried about the weather, it looked as if a storm was coming up. They do not have much for shelter, just a small tent and bed rolls, so that worries me. I know they will be facing a lot of bad weather in one place or another in the coming months, I just hope they are able to find shelter when they need it. This is a big endeavor, but they have experience of doing this sort of thing. Several years ago they rode across Mongolia on Mongolian horses. They said the strong point of the Mongolian is the extended time they can go without water. The strong point about the Mountain horse is their smooth gait and their stamina.

Keep checking the blog, I will continue to post their progress.

Looking For Two Cute Frenchmen

2010-07-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

I knew that title would catch your eye!:o)

A few weeks ago, we received a call from Augustin Blanchard. He explained his desire to ride from here to Oregon and was searching to buy two Mountain Horses for the journey. We told him we had several geldings to choose from, so he made the trip from New York to look at them. While he was here in Kentucky he visited several farms, but returned here and bought two nice geldings that we had on our website, Amigo Midnight and Blue Midnight. He left them in training with special instructions for us to prepare them for the trip.

Augustin returned with his long time friend Marcus Von Pelier, they spent 5 days here preparing for the trip and acclimating themselves to the HOT weather. There are no pack horses, there is no one meeting them on the trails. Everything they need is packed in a saddle bag and small bed role.

They left here and traveled to the UMH show grounds to overnight there. The next day they left and rode to the Clintonville area. From there they only went about 5 miles to FairWinds farm where they were able to spend the day letting the horses rest, graze, wash their cloths, and prepare once again for the next day ride. Their next destination was in the Georgetown area and then off to the Shelbyville area. They ran into a problem trying to cross the river, since they were not able to take the ferry. It took another day but they were finally able to find someone who would take them across to the Indiana side. They hope to hit the American Discovery Trail in St. Louis, and then later the Lewis and Clark Trail. Their goal is Portland, Oregon. I will keep you updated as they check in to the travels of this duo, but in the mean time, keep your eyes open for two cute Frenchmen on two beautiful Mountain Horses.

Fun On The Trails

2010-05-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to hit the trails? We have a fun filled weekend planned for the 28th, 29th, and 30th here at Van Bert Farms. We have the clinic planned for Friday and the ACTHA ride on Saturday and the just for fun ride on Sunday with a cook out sponsored by Van Bert Farms. Some really neat, fun things going on here. If you don't want to enter the competition, just come out and enjoy watching and talking with other horse enthusiast. It is open to all breeds and we look forward to seeing you right here this weekend.

The Things We Learn Because Of Necessity

2010-05-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

My office windows face the inside of our barn. Because I have to spend so much time in the office, it is nice that I can at least look out periodically and catch someone getting on a horse and making a couple of rounds in the barn before heading out to the riding ring. Today, I watched as my Dad (who is 74 years old), get on his horse. I remember the days when "the boys", (since I have three boys who seem to always be into something, they are referred to as "the boys"), would be getting on their horses and they would do this flying mount thing. I would run out of the office and tell them, "if I can't get on that horse that way, then nobody is going to buy it until you teach them to stand still when you get on." My dad would agree, but even though he was better at it....he was never as good as I would like to have seen. They were not being slack in their training, it just came so easy to them, that they didn't even think about it. Much like teaching a horse to back. Such a little thing, that takes about 15 minutes to teach properly, but I have seen many horse show classes lost because the horse didn't back or backed poorly. Foundation is a must and backing and having a horse stand quietly while mounting is a couple of those things that sometimes get overlooked. Back to my story... Dad is having a time with his knees these days. He is going to therapy a couple of times a week and is getting better, and once he gets on his horse he does fine, but getting there has been difficult lately and he has been using a mounting block. As I watched from the window, I saw him bring the mounting block out and place it in front of the horse. He then stood on the block and motioned for Blue On Black to come over to him. Blue moved his butt very easy and quietly over to him and stood while Dad mounted, got his stirrups and ask him to step off. Now, why did he just now start teaching all of his horses (and my mother's personal horse) to move over to a mounting block and stand still while mounting?....because he is just now needing the horse to do this.

If you are interested in teaching your horse some of the fundamental things such as this, come join us on May 28th. Check out the schedule of events we are having here and make plans to attend....give us a call or email us. vera@vanbertfarms.com or 606-663-9070

Flood of 2010

2010-05-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

Tennessee and Kentucky got their share of rain this week. We experienced one of the worst floods this area has had in many years. Not quiet what we considered the "100 year flood" , which was a few years ago, but close. However, I am sure Nashville will tell you something different. Such a terrible sight to see with the waters up over houses and cars. We are thankful for the warnings and glad we took heed. We moved all the horses to high ground before the rains came. This is a two day task and something we try not to do because we do not have very much high ground, you never know if the weather man knows what he is talking about, and we have mares that are ready to have babies. Three mares had their foals while in the small lots and of course 2 of them were in with the ones that we thought would wait a few days, but they decided to come early. The good thing is everything went well and moms and babies are fine. Now, all we have to do is get all the trash out of the fields and off the fences, repair them and get everything ready for our Clinic, ACTHA ride and Fun Trail Ride, that we are hosting on the 28th,29th, and 30th of this month. If you would like more info on the things going on here and how you can participate, be sure and check out the menu button we have for our trail rides on the front of the www.vanbertfarms.com web page. Call us today and make plans to attend. The first 15 people to sign up for the ACTHA ride, will be given the chance to win a weekend at the Gorgeous Horse Cottage that overlooks Van Bert Farms. Check out the ACTHA site at www.actha.us It's easy to enter the ride and you will have fun in this competition. If you are interested in the clinic, or the Fun Trail ride that will benefit United Mountain Horse, call or email me. 606-663-9070 or vera@vanbertfarms.com or verapatterson@gmail.com Looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Spring Premier

2010-04-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

Great Show! Even though the weather was terrible the show was still a success. There were lots of obstacles to overcome from the tornado warning to one of the judges becoming very ill at the last minute, but we bounced back better than ever. I had a good time showing my weanling and my mare. Didn't place all that well, but we still had fun. Since I am a fair weather rider, I didn't practice very much this winter, I got my just reward so I won't complain. I had turned my mare out for the winter. Last year was the first year I did that and even though she came back looking fat, it was more of a grass gut than being heavy. Her hair was long and course and she took about 6 weeks to come back looking good and healthy again. This year...even though the winter was even more harsh, she came back as good as ever. She has only been up for about 3 weeks and is almost as good as when we turned her out. I think she is happier being able to take a break from the stall. I always feel that way too when we come back from a long trail ride. Anything to give them a break from the routine seems to keep them from souring from the show ring.

On The Road Again

2010-03-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is heading south (a little further south) to the horse show in Fletcher, North Carolina. At the end of show season, I am so looking forward to some time at home and just chillen, (not literally) but come spring I start getting that feeling of wanting to hit the road again. I look forward to seeing everyone, friends that we haven't seen for a few months, seeing all the new faces and horses. We have always followed a show circuit around since I was a small child. Our old family doctor always joked with my mom that we were just a bunch of gypsie, but I love the drives and seeing different places and people. Of course my husband says I miss so much scenery because I read the whole way. He is right on that point, but I love to read and because I stay so busy I do not have time unless I am confined to the point that I can't do anything else. :o)

Anyway, the Al Prewitt Memorial Horse show kicks off the season and this year the dates for the show are April 2nd and 3rd. This is a two day show, at the same place, but it will be treated as two triple A shows for the points. So, if you are interested in accumulating a title for your horse these shows are very important to attend. Make plans to attend, and I hope to see you there!

Are You Ready To Hit The Trails

2010-03-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

Have you got Spring Fever yet? Just a couple of warm days will usually start me thinking that I need to get my horse up from the field, so that she looks like something besides a muddy, woolly mammoth, (well a very small, woolly mammoth:o). Once the trees start to bud, I know the flowers and grass will be here soon. The trails are so nice during that time, because they have not had the chance to get overgrown with brush yet.

Due to the bad winter and not being able to get everything together as far as the trails, our ACTHA ride will be postponed until a later date, (which I will announce well in advance). However, there will be one held on April 17th at the Kentucky Equestrian Center, Winchester, KY. There will also be a big event at FairWinds Farm in Lexington, KY on the same date of April 17th, that is referred to as The Annual Spring Fling. This is a kick off to the show season, and will be lots of fun. There will be a big Corn Hole Tournament, a preview of stallions and 2-3 year old debut. They will host a small trail ride, and a children craft and game time, a big auction of horse related items and many other things, with concessions throughout the day. You can make it to both events, so if you want to spend a fun filled day with lots of horse enthusiast come on out. Check out our new calendar of events on the front page of our website. I hope everyone will be able to keep up with us and all the things we are doing at Van Bert Farms.

Keep your chin up, I am sure we have not seen the last of the bad weather, but it is looking brighter!

God Loves Stupid People Too

2010-03-05T07:06:00.001-08:00

I have a friend who has a coozy for her cans of diet coke that says, "God must love stupid people because he sure made a bunch of them". She lives in Cincinnati and is constantly encountering what she refers to as "stupid people" on her commute to and from work. Knowing what little I do about the traffic and drivers in that area, I used to sympathize with her until my recent trip to Mexico.

In my last post you heard me complaining about the cold weather and how I hated enduring the long days of winter. Well, my sweet husband got tired of hearing about it and took me to our little place on the Baja. Ahhh, sunshine and warm weather. No one to pull me this way and that. I don't care if it is a small trailer, with no electric, I love it! But getting back into the country is another story. By the time I got home, I felt so stupid. Morris, who works in my office, hates for me to use the word stupid, but insist I am ignorant. Well, I suppose I am...ignorant to being able to keep up with all the changing security measures of getting back into the USA after going out of it.

Back to my stupid people story. Going through customs has to be one of the less dignified things I have had to endure, next to the gynecologist.. and he rates second because he is nicer. I know that customs has to deal with a lot of "stupid people" asking 100's of stupid questions all day long, but I hate feeling like I fall into that category. Endless mazes that are suppose to be lines, taking your shoes off, your jacket or sweater, your belt, change, hat, phone, any meds you have in carry-on, your computer out of the bag, walking through the metal detector and hoping it doesn't ring for fear of a pat-down. Then you pick your dignity and your belongings up, put everything back on, all the while someone is saying..."people if you do not push your belongings into the machine, I will not do it for you and you will just miss your flight" or the lady that is standing in the corner of the line saying" I am not standing here to see that you make it to your connecting flight...I can not answer your questions...I am only standing her to keep you in line, so don't ask me anything". Humm, how much does that job pay? Then you are told to hurry to a different point, pick up your checked bags, and recheck them, then hurry to your next connecting flight on the other side of the airport via bus. It gave me a whole new perspective on herding our horses up. I totally felt like I had been on a merry-go-round by the time, I sank into the little seat on the little plane headed for Kentucky. Whew! we made it, but our luggage did not! Does anyone care that my whole daily routine is in those bags?? No! Remember .."I am not here to answer your questions". Do they have to be so rude to get this job done?... Well, there was the guy that checked my pass port that mumbled "welcome back"...yeah right!

Get Me Through This Winter!

2010-01-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

I may have said it before, but I will say it again. "I hate cold weather" I used to say I hate winter, but that is not a fair statement. It is the weather I can't stand. I feel so bad for the horses, but they seem to fair better than I do. We seem to spend our days, just trying to make the horses more comfortable and it turn we make ourselves more miserable. Right now the wind will cut you into and the water from the last flood is just going down.

OK, we have planned a ACTHA ride for March 27, 2010. Please go to their website and take a look at the rules and get your horse ready. This will be a simple trail ride, so don't be intimidated by it. Then we will be hosting, here at Van Bert Farms a more extreme competitive ride. This date is June 18, 19, 2010. This should give you plenty of time to have your horses ready. We will also offer a trail ride that is not judged, so everyone put this on your calendars and I will keep you updated with more info. as everything gets nailed down.

I took this picture this morning. Most of the water has drained from the fields, but you can see with a strong wind and temps in the low 30's we are coooollllda

I Ride

2009-12-29T09:24:00.001-08:00

I just received this email and I have seen it before but because I just love it, I want to share it with all of you too.

I ride. That seems likes such a simple statement. However, as many women who ride know it is really a complicated statement with power and empowerment. Being able to do things you might have once considered out of reach or ability. I have considered this as I have shoveled manure, fill water buckets in the cold rain, wait for the vet/farrier/electrician/hay delivery, change a tire on a horse trailer beside a busy highway or cool out a gelding before getting down to the business of drinking a tall glass of sweet tea after a long ride.

The time, the money, the effort it takes to ride calls for dedication. At least I call it dedication, my husband calls it "the sickness". It's a sickness I have had since I was a small girl bouncing my model horses and dreaming of the day I would ride a real horse. Most of the women I ride with understand the meaning of "the sickness". It's not a hobby. It's what we do and, in some ways, who we are as women and human beings.

I ride. I hook up my trailer and load my gelding. I haul to some trailhead somewhere, unload, saddle, whistle up my dog and ride. I breathe in the air, watch the sunlight filter through the trees and savor the movement of my horse. My shoulders relax. A smile rides my sunscreen smeared face. I pull my ball cap down and let the real world fade into the tracks my horse leaves in the dust.

Time slows. Flying insects buzz loudly, looking like fairies. My gelding flicks his ears and moves down the trail. I can smell his sweat and it is perfume to my senses. Time slows.

The rhythm of the walk and the movement of the leaves become my focus. My saddle creaks and the leather rein in my hand softens with the warmth. I consider the simple statement; I ride. I think of all I do because I ride.

Climb granite slabs, wade into a freezing lake, race a friend through the Manzanita all the while laughing and feeling my heart in my chest. Other days just the act of mounting and dismounting can be a real accomplishment. Still I ride, no matter how tired or how much my seat bones or any of the numerous horse related injuries hurt. I ride, and I feel better for doing so.

The beauty I've seen because I ride amazes me. I've ridden out to find lakes that remain for the most part, unseen. Caves, dark and cold beside rivers full and rolling are the scenes I see in my dreams. The Granite Stairway at Echo summit, bald eagles on the wing and the bobcats on the prowl add to the empowerment and joy in my heart.

I think of the people, mostly women, I've met. I consider how competent they all are. Not a weenie amongst the bunch. We haul 40 ft rigs, we back into tight spaces without clipping a tree. We set up camp, tend the horses.

We cook and keep safe. We understand and love our companions, the horse. We respect each other and those we encounter on the trail. We know that out there riding, you also shovel, fill, wait and doctor.

Your hands are a little rough and you travel without makeup or hair gel. You do without to afford the "sickness" and probably when you were a small girl, you bounced a model horse while you dreamed of riding a real one.

My treasures do no chink or glitter, they gleam in the sun and neigh in the night.

Happy Trails,
Vera

Merry Christmas

2009-12-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

I probably will not be posting again until after Christmas, so I just want to tell all of you Merry Christmas. I hope all of you receive the gifts you were hoping for and that you are able to spend time with your family. Remember those who are unable to be with us and enjoy the ones that are.

We had a little snow fall last Saturday (that left soon after noon) but Conner (my grandson) was so excited to see the snow, and for the first time he was able to get his sled out and take it down the small hill behind the house. The ground under the snow was not frozen, so he was hitting the mud most of the time, but what a beautiful smile he had on his face. I just had to share a few photos of him and S.T. with you. I guess you have to say "this is what it is all about".

Holiday Shopping

2009-12-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has their shopping list finished. If you do then you are not like me and just now thinking about it. Now, the weather man is forecasting rain and snow and that will probably knock out the last minute shopping trip :o).

Don't forget your animals during the busy time of the holidays. With traveling, the snow, and just plain miserable cold sometimes we would rather just snuggle by the fire and not get out, but remember you have animals that depend on you for their life. We enjoy their company in fair weather, (if you are like me, I call myself a fair weather rider... in fact I have turned my mares out until spring :o) so let them know you care, by being there for them when it is so cold out. Plenty of good grass hay will help keep them warm. The more they eat and utilize the energy the warmer they will be able to keep their body. Also, just because it is not hot out and they are not drinking as much water, you still need to make sure they have plenty of fresh water. You may have to break or dump the ice from the bucket a few times a day. Take care of your animals and they will make better, more healthy companions.

I hope everyone has a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I am thinking positive and really feel 2010 will be better than ever! Enjoy your families during the holidays, as a friend once told me "make memories".

09 High Point Award Pictures

2009-12-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

I finally was able to get the pictures from Saturday night to a place everyone can view them. Most of them were taken by Brooke (my daughter-in-law), but they all turned out very nice. You should be able to copy them, but if you have any problems, just email me and I will email them to you. If you are not in any of the pictures, then you just didn't make it to the presentation area :o). Congratulations to everyone, I know you worked very hard to achieve the awards. I look forward to seeing everyone back on the show circuit next year. Go to our website www.vanbertfarms.com and click on Digital Images By Vera and it will take you to my page where you need to click on Horse Events. Enjoy the photos.

A Mountain Horse In The Movies

2009-12-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

The Greening Of Whitney Brown is a family comedy movie about a little girl, played by Sammi Hanratty, that has to move from the big city life to the country. Her parents are played by Aidan Quinn and Brooke Shields. In the movie she meets her estranged grandfather played by Kris Kristofferson, a rusty old rancher with horses. One of the horses used in the film is our very own VBF's Dr. Feel Good, a beautiful gelding sired by Choco Dock. The movie will not be released until sometime in 2010, but we are all very excited to see him there. Watch for the movie and VBF's Dr. Feel Good and Tommie Turvey The Equine Extremest.

UMH High Point Awards Banquet

2009-12-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

The 2009 UMH High Point Awards Banquet was held this past Saturday night. Much preparation and planning was done in advance by members of the show committee and it made for a very successful event. Since the last show was in September it had been a couple of months since we had seen some of our old friends and show acquaintances. It was nice visiting with them and seeing how lovely we all look when we "clean up nice". :o)

I am attaching some pictures from the event, but I am also at this minute downloading all of the pictures that Brooke and I took this weekend, onto photobucket.com so go to our website and click on it and you are welcome to download any you see there for your own use. I have run a few through photo shop, so if you really like something and you want me to do that for you, just email me and I will send it to you through your email. It may be tomorrow before it all gets posted as there were several and it is taking a lot of time. One of the pictures attached to this post is of the awards table and one of the high money bush (Judy Brummer made that and I personally thought it was a very nice piece of art, the flowers are made out of dollar bills!), the other is of Mary Lipginski and S.T. Congratulations Mary!

Massachusetts Equine Affair

2009-11-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

We just returned from the Massachusetts Equine Affair, where we spent 4 days spreading information about the Mountain Horses. Mike Charles and Adriane Esquivo were the sponsors this year for the United Mountain Horse Booth and were responsible for the really nice presentation of the Mountain Horse demo. Their objection was to show the versatility of the Mountain Horses. In the short time that we are given they were able to show the horses going through obstacles, jumping, cantering, showing in western, and english, a cart and even had a beautiful yearling doing all the obstacles. I want to say thank you to Mike and Adriane for all the hard work, money spent, and dedication in showing and educating the public about the Mountain Horses. I hope each of you are thinking of ways to promote the horses in your area and I hope you will volunteer for some of the committees and get involved in keeping the Mountain Horses in the for- front of the pleasure breeds.

S.T. was a competitor in the Versatile Horse Race. He exhibited V.B.F. Diamond Venture and did very well. He did not make it to the Championships, but out of 30 exhibitors he placed 14th. Once you consider he was riding a 3 year old stallion that makes him move right on up to the front in my eyes. (Of course I'm his mother and may be just a little prejudice :0) The competitors this year were top of the line and really made you want to go home start to work on those trail horses.

Whew!

2009-10-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

My friend in Baja Mexico has been on watch for the warnings of hurricanes and keeping me posted. I heard from her today, telling us they are expecting some high winds on the Baja with lots of rain. I told her we were experiencing a whirl wind here also, because September just blew through! I know the days are suppose to seem shorter as we age, but at this rate I will be 100 in another year!:o) I can not believe we could have put any more events into the days of September. We finished a very successful 2 weeks with the championships of the World Show and the International. Because of the construction and the planned 2010 games coming to the Horse Park, the International was moved up a week causing the two shows to be back to back. That was two full weeks of early mornings and very late nights (and sometimes ending in the very early morning) shows. Somewhere in all of that I also worked in a photo shoot of our farrier's wedding! Needless to say we were totally ready for a break. I think we have finally recuperated from the shows, but we are into something else...Competitive Trail Rides! Jamie and Dad went to TN last weekend to compete in the ACTHA rides. Jamie won first in his division and Dad won third in his! This is a new venue for us to show-off the Mountain Horse. We have been working on our obstacle trail course and adding new obstacles. S.T. and Alison were working with Duke to teaching him to ride in a sleigh. They were doing this with a 4-wheeler, hoping to be able to switch to a horse later. ( Teaching one animal at a time. ) S.T. has been accepted to compete in the versatile horse challenge at the Equine Affair in Springfield, Massachusetts, so we have lots of challenges ahead. Keep watch for more news on the competitive trail ride we will be hosting at Van Bert Farms. It is in the planning stage, but will be coming soon. Get your horses ready.

Mary Is On The Soap Box

2009-08-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Things are moving fast here at Van Bert Farms. We are all pushing to get our selves and our horses to the World Show. It is going to be a very nice show and I look forward to seeing everyone there. We have had a nice long time to work on everything since the last show was the 4th of July. We are looking forward to seeing some of our clients that live far away and hope all of you have a safe trip in to see your horses. I think over all, the group of horses that we are showing and selling here at VBF are the best we have ever had. Our clients have some outstanding Mountain Horses and we appreciate your trust in us to care for them. Now is the time to buy, buy, buy. We will be offering some really good deals on many of our horses, so stay in touch with the website and check them out. WORLD SHOW SPECIALS????

Last week we hosted the annual Farmer Banker Field Day. A long time tradition to our little county. We worked very hard to get everything in order and clean for the 300+ people. This is the first time we have hosted the event since my grandfather died back in the 60's, but there were still several people who attended and remembered being here then. Things like this event always gives us the drive to repair and clean and see things from a visitor's eye.

We had a nice visit from Mary and her sister Elanor (or as Mary calls her Elner). We talked about the blog and how remiss I have been in posting and so I decided I must get back here and tell everyone all the news that is going on here. I am a member of Mary's blog so I checked out some of her entries. I couldn't help but smile because I could really feel the steam in her entry about the car. Of course I got it, the car was just the straw that broke the camel's back, and it pushed Mary onto the soap box. Sometimes we just have to vent..:o)

On a good note Mom is doing well, but on a bad one Jamie had a kidney stone so he was in the hospital for two days. On a good note, he is home, feeling better and he doesn't have to worry about that anymore.

I have posted a couple more videos... check out our website and see what you think. The juvenile 11 and under classes for trail and country trail are on there from the Summer Celebration and I also have put some video of Diamond Venture and Dressed For Success. S.T. is taking them through the obstacle course. They are trained by Dad and are really push button especially to be as young as they are. It really takes a lot of patience to do the obstacles, but these horses are so willing to learn they work really hard at pleasing the rider. The classes in the shows are always well attended and the competition is very stiff.

I have posted a picture I compiled from the Field Day. Kaylee took the pictures, I thought she did an excellent job, what do you think?

Summer Celebration

2009-08-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

Whew! We just finished the UMH Summer Celebration at the Kentucky Equestrian Facility in Winchester, KY. While Kentucky has had an unusually cool winter, summer came back with a vengeance. It was very hot yesterday and today is even worse. The show started at 1:00 with lots of classes. It was a very long day, but the classes were big and the quality of horses was wonderful, so staying interested in the show was easy. We received our share of blues, but of course would like to have a few more. S.T. seemed to be stuck on second. We walked out of the Pro-Am class with a second and I laughed at him and said, "well, it looks like you are always the bridesmaid and never the bride". Sure enough the show seemed to continue right on with several seconds. He did receive a first with Mary's filly Flair For Fury. This is the second straight blue she has gotten. She has really grown into herself and is even more beautiful with every passing week. We are recouping today, and hope to feel like getting back to work tomorrow. We are hosting the annual Farmer's Banker's Field Day this year for the county. Then is will be a concentration on the World Show. It has been a very busy summer and I don't look for it to let up until the end of September. I hope to be able to start writing some more training tips for you. Dad has been feeling pretty good these days, so he has not been spending as many hours in the house, so he has not written anything for awhile. Keeping checking we will be back up to par soon. I hope to see everyone at the World Show, I think it will be a good one!

She's Home

2009-07-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know...My mother had a bad horse accident and was in the hospital for a few days. She is home now and there is really nothing anyone can do for her except let her heal. She had several broken ribs, collapsed lung, head and back injuries. She is 70 years old and still rides some pretty competitive trails. She and my Dad have some very close friends that enjoy riding 3 and sometimes 4 times each week. I am thinking she will be a little more cautious now and will practice what she preaches and wear a helmet. I guess they are like seat belts...and car seats. We don't even think about getting in a car now without buckling up, but years ago, we would not even think about it. I think helmets are like that in that soon everyone will be wearing them and we won't feel so out of place when we appear on the trails with them. I would like to see it become the "norm" for everyone.

Thank all of you for your phone calls, emails, thoughts, prayers, and concerns. She will be back in the saddle soon.

Long Time Coming

2009-07-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

The summer has brought about a whirl wind of activity around our farm. Horse show season of course is always busy. We have had a good time this year with lots of new faces on the circuit we have met more wonderful friends from all across the country. We just got back from the UMH Kentucky State Championship, and even though the rain was not fun, the show itself was very nice. I have made a short video clip of the show and posted it on youtube. You have a direct link from our website www.vanbertfarms.com I hope everyone checks it out, it was fun making it, and I hope you enjoy it.

Larry's Mom is not well and she requested we take her to Cades Cove Park in Tennessee. She wanted to spend some time with Larry and see some of the sites there. I have heard of the park, since my parents went there several years ago trail riding. It was one of their most favorite places to ride. It is full of wild life and Larry's Mom wanted to see the bears she had heard so much about. I was not looking forward to the trip, because we were also going to spend some time in Gatlinburg (which to me is a tourist trap), however I got some wonderful photos. I love taking pictures of horses, but old barns and roads really catch my eye as well. I know I usually post horse pictures here, but I thought you may enjoy seeing a couple of the barn photos.

Don't forget to go to our site and check out the new video of the Kentucky State Championship.

Stanton Show

2009-06-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Stanton show was this weekend, and since we did not have far to travel and the show started and was over early, I had a little time to take pictures. This is a picture of one of my mother's students. Triston Curtis, loves horses and does a wonderful job showing them. I have sent some of you pictures from the show that I took from the rail. Sometimes I get some shots, but don't have an email address to send them to, so if you think I have taken your picture, let me know your address and I will be glad to send them to you.

This show was more of a fun show for us. It is literally in our back door, if we could go the way the crow flies. Since it was a one night show, there were only 24 classes. Some of you were not able to make it out, but I wish we could get everyone to support all the sanctioned shows. This is one of the resources that keep our breed strong, so support all the shows you can.

S.T. carried the flag at the show on Blue On Black. I thought they turned out real nice, so I have added one for you here. Please continue to check out our website www.vanbertfarms.com Since the sun has been shinning, I am not straying too far from the camera, so I will have lots of new photos up soon.

Trail Rides

2009-06-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

I hope all of you are enjoying this beautiful weather and are out on your horses. After a long and frightfully awful winter, I know everyone is ready for some me time with your horse. Even if you are like me and only get to grab a few minutes sometime during the day, it gives a little reprieve from the stress of the day. My mother and father are spending lots of days on the trails. It has always been a life long dream to spend lots of time on the trails and to see as many different trails as possible. They are spending a lot of time close to home and have decided there are no prettier trails anywhere (there's no place like home). I am enclosing a couple of really neat pictures a friend of theirs took on one of their last rides.

I hope everyone is checking our web site frequently as I have spent a lot of time posting many horses on there. I just finished yesterday adding 6 more so check them out. I know you know someone who has been looking for that special horse. www.vanbertfarms.com

Is everyone ready for the next show? It is here in Stanton on Saturday night. I look forward to seeing our friends and their horses, so come on out.

Total Horse Makeover Part 2

2009-05-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

It is hard to show you the big difference in a well groomed horse and a horse that has been left in the unkept state through photos. Just know that in the show ring, parades, photo shoots, or having the prettiest horse on the trails, following these small tips will make you so much prouder of your horse. I have been in the show ring with horses that still have sawdust in their tails, whiskers and ear hairs, with manure stains on their hips, and tack that has not been cleaned. Then I hear them saying as we exit the ring that the judge did not even look at their horse. If you expect a judge to take a second look at your horse you must make them want to. It is not hard to give the over all appearance that is appeling to anyone looking at your horse. While it does take a little time, that is what horse showing is all about. Take the time to add that little bit of edge that will send you to the winner's circle. Don't forget yourself. In the show ring you do not want to distract from your horse by presenting a sloppy, unkept self. Your apperal must be clean and pressed, your boots shined, hat clean, tie properly tied, hair neatly groomed. Stand or set correctly, with shoulders back and head up, telling the judge (through your body language) you have something you are proud to be presenting. My husband tells me to take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves. This is another horse Vickie worked with, we wanted you to see the difference in her also.

Total Horse Makeover

2009-05-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Whether for show or fun, spring is a great time to jump start your grooming program with a Total Horse Makeover. The basics are the same but, for show, you can get noticed with extra attention to details or, for fun, zip things up with new hair style or accessories. As you can see from the before and after photos, even the best of horses can be helped by some simple grooming steps:
1. Start with a good rub down with a rubber curry comb, avoiding the horse’s face and legs. Working in a circular motion to loosen old winter hair and dirt. If the coat is thick, you may want to try a shedding blade, being careful to not pull hair too hard.
2. Use a brush to remove the excess hair and dirt uncovered by the curry comb. Starting at the top of the neck and working toward the rear of the horse and down.
3. While the horse is dry is a good time to use the clippers to trim muzzle whiskers, ears, bridle path and fetlocks.
4. Pick/Clean your horse’s feet – noting any issues that may need attention by a farrier.
5. Next wet the horse all over (except face) with the spray from a hose using comfortably warm water. If you do not have warm water available from the hose, you can use warm water from a bucket. Start with the front feet and then back so that the horse becomes comfortable with the water. Avoiding the head, work from the neck down and then to the back and down and the rear down. Lastly spray/wash under the body and then the tail.
6. Add shampoo suited for your horse’s coat type and/or color to a bucket and add comfortably warm water to make suds. Using a sponge or brush, dip into the suds and make circular motions with and against the grain of body hair ensuring that you get down to the skin. Again working from the neck to the rear – avoiding the face.
7. You may want to use a different shampoo specifically formulated for mane and tail when you have completed the body shampoo. There are products which can enrich a horse’s tail and mane true color. You can squeeze shampoo directly into mane and tail, working through with your fingers to the roots. If you find dandruff or fungus, be sure to apply a product specifically suited to dealing with the condition before you rinse your horse.
8. Rinse the shampoo off with a hose or sponge from bucket. Again starting with the top of neck and working down and back toward rear, be sure to rinse well around the base of the tail and under the tail/between the legs.
9. Wash face with a sponge or towel that is wrung out – being careful to not get water in eyes. You do not need a lot of shampoo on the face a small amount on the rag will be sufficient. Wipe out the nostril area, lips and ears with water and soft rag.
10. To start drying, use a scraper starting with the neck to rear and scraping down with the grain of the hair.
11. Before your horse is completely dry, spray or wipe on conditioner. Do not apply to saddle area if you are going to ride because it can be slippery.
12. As a finishing touch, wipe a towel over the horse's coat to make it shine.

Extra touches:
1. For relaxation, your horse may appreciate a massage. With your fingers together, start with making small circles along the spine. Start out with light pressure - watching your horse's reaction to ensure that it is not too much. Work from the neck to the rear on each side of the spine and, if you and your horse want to continue, move down the body and to the legs - continuing with the same small circles. To learn more there are a number of good equine massage books available.

2. For show, paint hooves with a hoof blacking product and add a little extra shine product to the muzzle and above eyes.

3. For fun, braid or curl your horse’s mane and tail and add accessories to complete your total horse make over.

Extreme Makeover

2009-05-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

My good friend Vicki Smith and her husband Mark, (you will know them as the owners of Sudden Impact) came in from Washington state this past week. She is very good (because she really likes to do it) with grooming horses. She thought since she was here and they love to hang out at the barn during the time they are here anyway, that she would take a couple of our horses and do an extreme makeover and over tips on good grooming of your horses. We had fun doing the before and after shots and thought you would enjoy seeing the difference too. I will be posting them here this afternoon, so keep in touch.

Birth Of A Rocky Mountain Horse Foal

2009-05-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

I have just put a new video on our website, it is of one of our mares foaling. We allow our mares to breed and foal in the pasture, and since they are usually born at night, I have never been able to get video of them before. You will love this video! Go to our front page www.vanbertfarms.com and see it from there.

Enjoy

Still excited about the show

2009-04-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

I finally got the video on that I told you about yesterday, you will see it to the left here. I have also worked on another one today. It is the entire class of the trail championship. We didn't win, (but I thought my mare should have) :o) Oh well, that is why we have another show coming up. Anyway, check it out you will see all the horses that were in that class. This class was the only one I really had enough time to video, but now that I know how to edit these things I will try to have more in the future.

It is time to go trail riding, so if any of you are interested give Dad a call. He and Mom go about 2 -3 times a week and they are always looking for buddies. Speaking of trail rides, do you have a good horse this year? If you need one go to our site and check out our horses under saddle, we have a really good group right now, ready to hit the show ring or the trails.

Show Season Keeps My Head Spinning

2009-04-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

Boy, I have been remiss in posting here and I apologize (again) :o) Show season has opened with a bang and we have been very busy. Now that the weather has cleared a little everyone is ready to hit the trails and show ring. The great thing about these horses is that they excel in both. I made a video of the show, (just a some short teaser clips) to give you an idea of the fun we have. On it you will see my mare, Autumn Venture. She is the red chocolate with the white mane and tail, on the last part of the clip and going out of the show ring. She is wonderful on the trails and great in the ring. You can't go wrong with the Rocky Mountain horses if you are looking for the "The Very Best of Both Worlds" Check out our web site too because we are posting new horses for sale every few days. There are some really nice ones on there right now. You won't find better anywhere else.

I'm Back

2009-04-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

I know....I didn't post when I said I would. First, I want to clear up a couple of things....I, Vera post for the blog, my Dad, H.T. has been writing for the blog. He is not much on typing or working with computers, so I do that for him. Sometimes I refer to I as him and sometimes it is me. (Is that about as clear as mud)? :o) Anyway, I, Vera am the one that went to the Equine Affair in Columbus, OH, Dad and the rest of the gang went to NC to the first UMH show of the season. Both places were very successful. I hope everyone has signed onto Mary's blog. It is real interesting and she has already told everyone about the show. Our farm took some really nice horses and many ribbons came back home. S.T. won the Classic and Park Championships. :o)

Heather and I had a good time, talking and talking. Since that is what breed fairs are all about, we did our share. We met many nice people and hope we shared good information about the Mountain Horse breeds. I am posting a picture of our booth. I hope to some day soon, sponsor a fund raiser that will bring in enough money to be able to purchase a professional booth for the United Mountain Horse Assoc. It would be great to have something that is easy to transport and easy to set up, and looks professional. This is such a wonderful horse, and I want to be able to share it with everyone catching their eye is the (mane thang).

It's Horse Show Time!

2009-04-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

I have been negligent in writing for the last couple of days and I apologize for that. We have been very busy preparing for the 1st horse show of the season. It is being held in Ashville, NC and will kick off the show season with a lot of anticipation as to what will be gracing the show ring this year. We always look forward to seeing the new stock that will appear this year and the new clients that have found their way to the Mountain Horse breeds.

I, on the other hand will be heading to Columbus, Ohio for the Equine Affair Breed Fair. I will be representing the United Mountain Horse Association and promoting the 3 phase Event. That event will be coming up soon. Everyone needs to come out and enjoy another venue for the Mountain Horse Breeds.

I will be coming back Monday and reporting to everyone all the news, so check back in Monday for a full update :o)

More On Crossing Water

2009-03-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of different methods to teach a horse to cross water. If you are riding with other horses let a horse that is not afraid of water go in front, most of the time your horse will follow. If he still does not want to cross then I will try to get him to the edge without getting him hyped up, let his head down to check it out and then lightly encourage him. If he wheels and turns, make him turn all the way around so he will be facing the water again. Repeat the process over and over. It is similar to the method you use when getting your horse to load in a trailer. Another way is to get someone with a well broke horse to pony your horse. When you get to the water, stop make your horse circle the other rider while he is holding the lead. He will turn his horse as you circle him. He will gradually move his horse to the waters edge so when your horse circles him he will be in the water. This may sound difficult but it works for me. Be patient keeping your horse calm. Sometimes if you let all the other horses cross ahead of you and ride on down the trail it will make your horse want to cross to catch up with the rest of the herd. Once you get your horse in the water try not to let him rush through. Try to get him to stay calm, and if possible ask him to stop. This will show him that there is nothing to be afraid of. Go back and forth several times across the water. This will help to desensitize him. Hopefully, the next water he sees he will not fear it as much. If this ride is a training time for your horse make sure you have the time to teach. Before you go on a ride with other riders (that will not want to waste their time waiting while you teach your horse to cross water) have your horse (as much as you can) used to the normal obstacles on the trail. This is one of the obstacles you are most always going to face, so work with your horse at home or on a ride with a friend that understands this is a training session so you and your horse will be ready for the time you can go riding in a group and not be faced with these issues.

Crossing Water

2009-03-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

I have been ask how I would teach a reluctant horse to cross water. I have never found this to be a problem. I suppose if you live in an arid region that it might be. We get a lot of rain here and there are always puddles and ditches with water. We also live on the river and there is a riffle or shoal that you can cross. Running water is more of a problem than still water. The most trouble I have had with water is when we ride on the ocean. When waves are coming at your horse it is frightening. We never had any trouble getting our horses into the ocean, but when the waves came at them they would want to retreat to the shore. With patience and coxing we were able to get them to accept it. I remember one woman that wanted to get her horse in the ocean so bad that she ask if I could help her. I told her to ride her horse between my horse and my son's. We formed a wedge with our horses on each side. We let our horses heads almost touch, keeping her horse's head slightly to the front of our saddles. Then we rode to the edge of the water, when the wave came the water came up on our horses feet and because horses are herd animals her horse felt secure. As the wave retreated we followed a little and as with most things repeating it several times prevailed the fear. She was very happy. However, I do not recommend this for everyone. All the riders in this scenario were experienced riders. The proper way would be to pony the horse without a rider until the horse got used to the waves and the water, keeping the rider safe.

Spurs or Whips?

2009-03-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

We all hope we have a willing horse, but we have to play with what we are delt. If you have a lazy horse, you will find they are quick to learn that they would rather be poked in the side with a tennis shoe than to speed up. You will also find it is hard to set a lazy horses head, because you are releasing the pressure on his mouth hoping to try to get him to move forward. The first thing I suggest is, do not ride in tennis shoes. It is not only dangerous, but they are not at all affective in stimulating the horse to move forward. If you are a novice, I suggest you use a riding crop instead of spurs. Spurs are not bad if you learn to use them correctly, but you should never use them if you are trying to hold yourself on the horse with your legs. Wait until you have learned your balance. When riding with a whip or spurs never use them on the same side all the time as this will get your horse going sideways and not tracking straight. When I am riding in the ring, I will put my whip toward the center of the ring or use my spur on that side. Most horses have a tendency to want to go toward the center of the ring for several reasons. Most of the time that is where we stop and talk with our friends or where we stopt to rest. When a horse wants to shy away from the rail, most riders will try to pull the head back toward the rail. This will cause the hind quarters to swing toward the center of the ring. If you use your whip or your spurs on the side next to the center of the ring it will encourage him to keep his hind quarters on the rail along with his head. Therefore keeping him tracking straight. If a horse is not tracking straight it will make him take a longer stride with one side. Therefore, he will not be level in his gait.

Bits

2009-03-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

All the things I have been telling you to do up to this point are with a snaffle bit. I do not recommend that you change to another bit unless you are not getting the horse to respond the way you want him to. If he is progressing then you should give him more time. If you need a curb bit in order for him to gait properly or set his head then you could change. You should select a bit for what it is intended to do. There are thousands of different bits and one size or shape does not fit all. I will attempt to explain different bits and what they are used for in another post. I will be glad to explain to individuals what I would recommend for them to use on their horse for certain situations. Just send an email and explain what you would like to have help with. We might have to try different things but most of the time we can come up with a solution. Sometimes we will ask our horse to do things that they are not capable to do. Then on the other hand we are not asking in the right way. All horses are different and they can not be treated alike. Lazy horses and hyper horses are the hardest but they certainly cannot be treated the same. A smart horse can also be a problem as he will try to figure out things on his own. A dumb horse of course is bad to try to teach anything. If we can all have a willing horse...of course that is the easiest.

According To H.T. Part 14

2009-03-17T16:34:00.000-07:00

If you are only using lite pressure in your reins, it should never cause your horse to toss his head or throw it sideways. If your horse does this it is because he is hurting somewhere. It is up to us to figure out where. It could be in his mouth especially horses under the age of six years. Young horses are constantly shedding and growing new teeth. Always look in the corner of his mouth for a rub place or a sore. Most of the time it will be caused by a ill fitting bit. You should check the width of your horses mouth and the bit should be about 1/2 wider, giving a little room on each side when you pull the bit up in his mouth. If you have a wider mouth piece the post will not be in the center and it will aggravate him. If you have a snaffle bit it will pull back and forth and where it breaks in the middle will be rubbing across the roof of his mouth. I do not like to ride a horse with a chain curb. Often this will cause irritation which will also cause head tossing. If your horse is in pain he will be thinking more about that than what you are trying to teach him. The less pain you cause the faster your horse will learn.

According To H.T. Part 13

2009-03-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, I taught riding at the University Of Morehead. I found one of the first things that I had to relate to my students was my every move. Sometimes, I would forget the student may not understand certain things I was trying to teach simply because I had forgotten to go over the basic things, thinking these things should already be understood. I want to at this time, go back just a little. I think I touched on developing a pattern before I ride my horse. After I get my horse turning left and right, I will pick out objects and ride toward that object trying to stay in as straight line as much as possible. Then I will start turning around objects/cones and do figure eights. These exercises will help my horse to guide and will also make him more supple. After I have gotten him to do this at a walk, I will then ask him to step up in gait doing the same thing. Always remember to make your horse stay on the rail unless you are practicing turns. If you are riding in the hallway of the barn do not let your horse turn short of the end. Do not stop in the same place each time that you mount and dismount. Try to keep your horse moving at a consistent speed. Never let a horse turn the direction he wants to go even if it is the direction you want. In other words we want to be the one doing all the thinking, we want the horse to only think about the things we are asking him to do, when we ask it. Your horse will learn the pattern very quickly so you will want to mix that up a little each day.

According To H.T. part 12

2009-03-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

I am going to continue talking about the proper way to ask our horse to make turns, without getting into a tug-of-war.

Once my horse responds to the pressure I put on his face, then I will start putting pressure on his side with my leg. This will be on the same side that I am asking him to turn toward. I am wanting him to bend around my leg. This is also enforcing my command to also move forward rather than just turning his head. If you ever watch western movies note how they jerk their horses in the mouth, they will be throwing their heads up and their mouths open. This is not what I want to happen. I will be very easy but firm in my actions, giving my horse time to think and respond to my hands and legs. After starting my horse in the turn I will start releasing some of the pressure, rewarding him for his response to my hands. Sometimes you my have to encourage your horse to continue forward as most horses will slow down or stop when you start the turn. Practice this at a walk (most everything needs to be taught from a walk).

According To H.T. Part 11

2009-03-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

Directing Your Path

When You are riding your horse the two most important factors are getting your horse to go in the direction you are asking and the other is STOP. I once heard John Lyons say that he thought his horse Zip, could sense what he was thinking and would respond. I also know that Stacy Westfall rides her horse without a bridle or saddle and her horse responds to her ques. These are exceptionally well trained horses, but all of our horses have the potential to give us the same thing, if we are able to communicate with them. At the beginning we use all the aids we can to get our horse to respond. After he is doing what we want we should be able to drop off some of our aids and be more suttle with our request. Our horse will be more relaxed and less resistant when we are able to do this. With a good rider and a well trained horse your should not be able to detect hardly any movement from the rider. At one point in my life I was part of a very good group of riders that made up a drill team. We had some very successful performances with our Mountain Horses, but the best compliment we had was a lady that said she worked very hard to see the ques we were giving our horses to perform the different patterns and she could never see us do anything. She could not believe we could get the horses to perform the patterns without movement from our hands. Of course we were using our legs, which is not as easily detected by the audience. This is what we all strive for.

Now, how do we do teach this? We start by using direct reining and using a snaffle bit. In the picture you will note the direct reining, even though we have graduated to a different bit. We will actually be putting pressure on the horses face by pulling the reins in the direction we want him to go. Our horse should respond by turning his head in that direction because we taught him to respond to pressure from the ground lessons we did in the beginning of our horse's training. Later in the horses training, you should be able to lay the rein against the horse's neck and get the same response as shown in the next picture.

According To H.T. part 10

2009-03-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

OK, you thought I wouldn't make it didn't you? :o) Please enjoy part 10 and remember to sign up to our blog. We encourage your comments and if you have any questions or topics that you would like for us to cover, please feel free to post them.

I know you are tired of hearing me say this over and over, but don't forget to do your basic ground exercises before you start riding your horse. You will find your horse will pay more attention to you and will not be near as spooky when you ride him. I will assume our horse is gaiting at a certain speed. I will now start asking him to increase or decrease this speed gradually, but never to the point where he will break out of gait, or loose his rhythm. I like to guide my horse as much as possible with my legs. I have found that a pacy horse (a horse that has a tendacy to want to pace) will fall out of gait and into a pace if you let his head move from side to side instead of keeping it straight. If I have been doing my flexing exercises then I will be able to control his face/head/eyes by supporting his head with the opposite rein in pointing it one way or the other. I recently read a article that said if you over do your flexing exercises, and let your horse flex all the way back to your stirrup then you will have a problem of the horse going straight to the stirrup everytime you ask for him to flex. Like I said, you are in control, so only ask your horse to flex as far as you are asking for by using the other rein for support. Pacy horses are better riden in a straight line as much as possible. Keep a pacy horse away from small circles and figure eights until he is locked into gait better. I have also found that soft ground will encourage a horse to pace. What is a pace compared to the Mountain Horse gait? A pace is a 2 beat gait with both feet moving at the same time on the same side. This is not a smooth gait and is not desirable in the breed. I have put a picture of my horse pacing on this blog and notice the rein. See what happens when I am not supporting his head. I am riding him with a loose rein and allowing him to flex in his neck back and forth. Then note the picture of him in a 4 beat lateral gait, with the reins in contact with the mouth. We want to keep a soft, responsive mouth on our horse, so again, don't pull, but have enough contact that you support him and don't leave him hanging out there alone.:o)

What The Blog?

2009-03-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

I have a friend that emails me when I am negligent in writing on here and she will say, "What the blog?" I had the opportunity to make my annual trip to Mexico (after I didn't think I was going to get there) for the past 3 weeks. My duties were suppose to be picked up by other family members, but as you can see that didn't get done. I apoligize and will try to post longer entries to make it up to you. My brain seems to still be in Mexico, and with the weather change I wish my body was to, but I will take a reality check and post part 10 of According To H.T. this afternoon, so check back.

Vera

According To H.T. part 9

2009-02-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

Now that I am beginning to be able to control his speed and getting him relaxed in the walk I will begin working him in his gait. If you notice I am progressing his training as he allows me to. Your horse may need a little more time to respond and stay consistent in his gait. At this time I have not tried to control the type of gait he does other than by speed. If your horse is trotty you will need to work him different than if he is pacey. The definition of a trot is a two beat diagonal gait. The pace is a two beat lateral gait. The gait I will be working for is exactly between the two and it will be a four beat gait. Let's say our horse is trotty. The first thing is...you do not want to put any shoes on the front feet. I will keep his foot trimed short in front. If this does not help in getting him to a four beat gait, then I will try other things, but for now I will try my riding skills to get him started. If I can get him to hit (meaning to travel in gait) for one or two steps, then I know that I will probably be able to get him to hit all the time, in a short while. I will try to adjust his speed to where I felt him "hit" and then work him at that speed. Sometimes this is fast, sometimes it is slow. Consistency is what we are aiming for.

According To H.T. part 8

2009-02-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

Each day I try to add a little more to what I expect from my horse. You want to have a planned idea in your head as to what your exercise will be for the day. Such as yesterday, I asked my horse to step up into a faster gait. Today, I will also ask him to do that and I will try to hold him there until I ask for the walk. I will go around the ring 2 times to the left, reverse and go 2 times to the right, stop, back my horse 3 steps, ask him to go back to the rail and walk slowly back to the barn. Once I have this pattern in my mind, I set out to stay the course as much as possible. I mostly ride Mountain Horses of which are bred to have a four beat gait but, at this time I am not concerned about his gait. My main objective is to regulate his speed. I will ride him next to the rail so if he tends to drift toward the inside I will apply pressure on the leg opposite the rail to push him back to the rail, so that he follows it in as close a line as possible. You will find that when riding in a ring your horse will know right away where the gate is. To avoid my horse trying to exit before I want him to, I will never let him just walk straight out of the ring. I will ride past the gate, stop, turn toward the center go back past the gate, turn toward the center in a small circle riding straight out at a walk. Always ride back to the barn at a walk. Not as much fun, but your horse will learn patience. :o)

According To H.T. part 7

2009-02-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

I want to take a minute to thank all of you for visiting our blog. I would like to know that you are out there, but if you are like me you are a little intimidated by all of this. I see I have some followers, but I know I have more than the ones that are showing on this blog. If you are viewing us through our website, please place your mouse over the title and click. That will take you to our actual blog page. Go down to followers on the left and click on some of the people that have already joined this blog. You will see their profiles and things they enjoy about horses. Some have not written anything in their blog, but I encourage you to, we can all have a lot of fun sharing things that go on with the day to day events and care of our horses. The more people who join the blog the more fun we can have sharing our ideas. I encourage you to sign up and follow the blog.

We always start our session the same way (from the ground). Today we will ask a little more from our horse. After we walk him off and ride him over the obstacles we will ask him to pick up his pace (speed not the gait). The reason I have not ask before is that I have found, if a horse is going to cut up it is usually at the higher speed. In the beginning I always ride with my hands close to the saddle horn (or where the horn should be). I am not too proud to grab some leather or mane if the horse jumps. Always pay attention to your horse by watching his neck and ears. You can usually tell when a horse is getting ready to jump by the feel and his demeanor. If your hands are close to the saddle, you can grab the horn with one hand and lift the reins with the other. Usually this will void the jump. If he tries to speed up on his own, flex his head to one side. This will disengage his hips and will limit his power making him unable to jump or run. When he stops let him walk off or back him up, then walk off. Cluck to him and proceed at a faster pace. Repeat the above process until he does as you wish. If you don't feel comfortable with his behavior, don't be afraid to go (if you think you need to) back to the round pen for a refresher course with your horse.

According To H.T. part 6

2009-02-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

Again, don't forget the ground preparation before you mount. After mounting I will set still for about 1 minute, then I will ask my horse to back, in hopes that he remembers everything from yesterday. My next step will be to flex his neck in both directions. These drills help to keep him relaxed and his mind on me. I will then cluck if needed and squeeze with my legs just a little, (never more than nessasary) to ask him to move forward. Walk your horse in a relaxed manner for about five minutes directing him in the path you would like for him to go. Ideally, you have planned your riding exercise for the day, so you know where that is. :o)

Today, we are going to ask our horse to do some obstacles. We have already prepared him from the ground and familiarized him with the obstacles, so he should not be afraid of things like water, the bridge, etc. As you approach the obstacle, don't think of it being any different than you did when you were working with him on the ground. Horses are very receptive of our seat, hands and legs,.. the way we convey our messages to him. Look how easy you are getting him to move to the left or right. You will find all you have to do is look in the direction you want to go and he will understand the que. I have watched John Lyons with his horse Zip. He found that Zip would move if all (he thought) he was doing was thinking about moving. If John "thought" he wanted to move to the left then Zip would move to the left and the same for the right. Now, I know that Zip did not read his mind, (and so did John) but the point is...his que for moving to the left was so subtle that Zip was able to pick up on it. I couldn't see John give Zip a que and John did not think he was giving Zip a que, but we both knew in the smallest way he did. So eventually we want our horse to be as in tune to us as this. My point being don't think about the object being scary and you will find your horse will not pick up on que that this is a scary object. Is that as clear as mud?

According to H.T. Part 6

2009-02-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Once again, don't forget to go through your ground exercises before you mount your horse. Once mounted our horse should be getting accustomed to us being in the saddle. He is getting more responsive because his mind is not just thinking about us on his back. Today when we mount we are going to ask him to back. Before we ask him to back we should make sure he has his feet up under him. It is very difficult for a horse to back if his legs are in a stretched position or if his legs are not under him straight. There are several different ways to ask a horse to back and I have tried several of them. I will not go into all of them but will try to give you one that works well for me. First remember how you ask him to back from the ground. Start with saying the word..back...take the slack out of your reins...keep the reins low on his neck...add a little pressure in the reins. Do not pull back quickly or severely as it will cause him to throw his head back as he will try to get away from the pressure in his mouth and will forget everything else except getting away from you. We want to keep all of his experiences happy, so that he does not associate backing (for instance) with pain. It is not important at first to get him to take more than one step. As soon as he takes the first step release the pressure (the same as we would from the ground) He may step to the side, but that will be O.K. for now, we just want him to move his feet back when we ask. After a few times of asking for one foot to move...ask for two steps...this will be over a period of time. I don't like to dwell on one thing for long periods of time. I don't want the horse to become aggravated with the same thing over and over. So, if I get a little bit of what I want from the horse, I will move on to something else, and come back to the backing later. Since I don't want to put the horse up for the day, this lets him know that I was happy with what he gave me because we moved on to something else. If you have played with your dog, after a few minutes he will become bored with running after a Frisbee, but if you move on to a nice walk on the trails, and come back to the Frisbee later, he will go right back at it again. This is what we want to do with our horse also. Notice when he becomes aggravated or bored with something you are teaching, be prepared to move on to something else he knows and come back to it later.

According to H.T. Part 5

2009-02-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

Our electric is back on, and we are starting to get things lined out around the farm. As Kentucky is noted for...if you don't like the weather today, wait until tomorrow. Today it is 55 degrees. While we have lots of mud, we are out of the ice age. :o)

We should have our horse moving well enough to start asking for direction. I try to guide my horse as much as I can with my legs. I try to stay out of the horse's mouth and keep my hands as steady as I can, with little pressure in the reins. Remember, we have already gotten the horse to guide with just a halter and lead, by teaching him from the ground. The pressure we applied during our ground sessions was in preparation for the time we would mount our horse and ask him to change directions and all the other things we have covered with our ground work. My methods may differ from what a quarter horse trainer would tell you, but it works for me on my gaited horses. If I want my horse to side step to the left, I put pressure on his right side with my leg, just to the back of the girth, the same as I would if I were asking from the ground. If I want to turn to the left, I extend my left arm just a little to the left, therefore putting pressure on his head or mouth and then squeeze with my left leg just behind the girth. This is asking my horse to bend around my leg. Once our horse starts responding we should start releasing the pressure. Remember your horse has learned to yield to pressure and once he has done what you asked, we always release the pressure as his reward. The less you have to get into your horses mouth, the better. We always want to keep the horse's mouth soft. We do not want to develop a habit of throwing or tossing the head, or pulling against the pressure. Don't ever try to force your horse into turning his head by trying to out pull him.

According To H.T.

2009-02-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

While staying in a controlled area repeat the steps you took before mounting....ask your horse to back, move left and right front over front and rear over rear, flexing, mounting/dismounting. I have found that if you always do a little ground work before mounting your horse will pay more attention when you do mount. If I take a stick with a plastic bag tied on the end and touch him all over before mounting he will not spook near as easily once mounted.

O.K. we are back in the saddle and we have been able to get our horse to move his feet. It is not so important to move in any particular direction at this time as it is to keep him moving. You have already heard us say that we do not start a horse with a bit in his mouth until we have taught him to yield by turning left and right, go forward, back and most importantly to stop and after the horse has seen the dentist. At this point we use a D-ring snaffle or ring bit with a broken port. Today, as you will from now on, we will ride our horse a little longer and ask a little more from him, but you will want to continue to stay in an enclosed area.

Just because we have gotten on the horse and we are riding him, does not mean you can forgo the beginning excercises. Those need to be quickly run through every time you ride. Tomorrow we will ask a little more from our horse by asking him to change directions.

Winter 09

2009-02-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

We (Van Bert Farms) still does not have electric, but with a generator I am able to spend a little time on the internet, and thus write to you. I will be starting back with the next post in "According To H.T." tomorrow. I hope you will continue to check our site and our blog for the new things we have to tell you about the Mountain Horses.

There is going to be a lot of clean up after this winter, but that is what keeps us moving forward:o)

break

2009-01-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

I am sorry that I have not been able to write for a few days. We (in Kentucky) are having major weather related problems. We (Van Bert Farms) have been without electric now for 3 full days. During that time we have had a bad ice storm, a flood, and snow. We have been spending all of our time trying to keep everyone (including the animals) warm and dry. I am including some pictures of the first flood in 2009. This one really sneaked up on us, because the ice was making a natural dam in the river. We had a lot of rain, but not the amount that would have caused this much damage. It is all much better now, we still do not have electric, but we are surviving. :o)

According To H.T. part 3

2009-01-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

You are now in the saddle. Yesterday we got in the saddle today after placing both feet in the stirrups...sit still for a few seconds and then dismount. We want the horse to be comfortable with this before we ask him to move on. Now, we don't want to make any sudden moves, but at this time we want to ask the horse to start flexing his head to one side. We have been working with the horse doing this on the ground, so if we have done our homework right, this is what he will do from the saddle. Try this by putting your arm in a straight position to the left or right. If you have his head turned to the right ask him to step over by putting pressure on his right side. This will start his feet moving. Cluck at the same time. Remember, you have to get his feet moving. If he takes a few steps you are on the right track. The secret that I have found in getting a horse to do something is not to get him excited. You can also praise him when he does what you ask. Before you put him up for the day, I like to walk him around for about 3 to 5 minutes then dismount and put him up for the day. Tomorrow when you start your horse again, be sure to do the ground work with him first before you get in the saddle.

According To H.T.

2009-01-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

After you have gotten your horse familiar with the bit, I would now introduce the saddle. If you have done all the preparation for this you should not have any trouble. When you put the saddle on for the first time, you do not want to tighten the cinch very tight. Just enough so that it stays on then send your horse out on the rail. Let him move around the pen with the saddle for a few minutes, call him back, tighten the cinch a little more and send him back on the rail for another minute or two. Continue doing this until you have the saddle tight enough that you feel comfortable mounting.

Before you start to mount the horse, take your lariat or stick and rub all over the horse, under his belly and down his legs. This is a very soothing thing for your horse and just a way of telling him everything is OK. Move through the exercises you have been working with him on now. Such as stepping over with his front feet and then stepping over with his back. Ask him to back up, then circle you by holding him close with the reins. Do all of this from both sides. With the lead over your left arm and the reins over his neck start slapping the stirrup leathers making a popping noise. Pull on the stirrups and have them gently hitting the sides of the horse. If he is not happy with this you need to send him back on the rail so that he continues to get used to the saddle moving around on his back. If he is OK with all of this, then you can feel comfortable mounting. Turn the stirrup so that the opening is facing you. Place your foot in the stirrup and begin putting pressure in it, just a little at first, more of a bounce. Again, if he is not happy with you doing this or moves around, send him back on the rail. We want the horse to be more comfortable with you and what you are doing than he is running around the pen. When you think he is ready to listen, call him back and try it again. Move to the other side and do the same thing. When he stands perfectly still, start straighting your leg out... putting all your weight in the stirrup. Still do not mount, but stand in the stirrup for a few seconds, come down and reassure the horse that this is all you want. Be sure and do this on both sides until you and your horse are comfortable. You will know when it is OK to swing your leg across and mount. Again, only for a few seconds and then dismount. Be prepared to use your leg muscles on this day, because it is a lot of repetition.

Part 2 by H.T.

2009-01-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

When a foal has been handled like Vera wrote about in her previous post, there is seldom a problem when you decide to put them under saddle. They are broke to lead, and they have been desensitized, they yield to pressure, they know verbal commands (Cluck and Whoa). The only thing they have not had is actual weight on their back.

I would suggest, before you put a saddle on a horse, to have a Equine Dentist to look at your horses mouth. We have the wolf teeth extracted, floated and anything that the dentist feels needs to be done, before we put a bit in the horses mouth. I urge you to call a Equine Dentist. There are very few veterinarians that have enough education in the dental field to be as good as a Equine Dentist (the same with people doctors). I know we like to keep our expenses to a minimum when we can with our horses, but this is not the place to do that. An Equine Dentist is the best money you will spend on your horse. After you have had your horses teeth checked, then tie a ring snaffle bit onto a halter and put it in your horses mouth. Leave it in for about 5 minutes and then take it out, increasing the time each day until your horse is comfortable with the process. This will introduce the bit slowly to the horse, and will keep him from fretting with it when you get ready to introduce a saddle and rider.

My Experience In Starting A Horse

2009-01-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

My daughter Vera in previous post talked to you about a horse that had never been handled. I think she did a great job in those post, but I would like to talk to you about starting a horse that has had some ground work and has been handled from birth like she talked about in some of her first post.

As I said in the beginning what I relay to you is from my experience and what I have learned from others over the years. On a news program this morning the commentator was asking a political figure a question. When the party answered, the commentator said, "let me read what you said 20 years ago," then he ask," why is your answer different now than then?" The political figure answered, " I hope I have learned something in 20 years." Don't ask me how I started a colt 50 years ago, because it was a lot different. I usually mounted a horse a whole lot quicker than I do now, and I also, usually dismounted quicker than I wanted . There is a better way!

Before you begin working with your colt with the objective of riding him, I suggest you have available to you a round pen. The first one I built by the standard John Lyons had at the time and I made it 60 ft. in diameter. I found that I can accomplish the same thing in a 50ft diameter pen and I don't have to walk as much to make contact with my horse in order to keep him moving. It doesn't take a horse long to realize you can't reach them from the center of a 60ft round pen with a lariat or lunge whip. I also used the John Lyons technique of a lariat (and it works), but I have also found I have better control of a "carrot stick" (fiberglass rod with a knotted leather popper tied to it). However, don't throw the lariat away because there are several times you will want to use it later. Of course you will need a halter, lead, and later a saddle, pad, and bridle with a snaffle bit.

Please Welcome

2009-01-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

For the next little bit you will be reading some postings from my Dad. I want to let him introduce himself to you today, so that those of you who are not familiar with him will somehow be able to relate to the topics he will cover in the next few post.

My name is H.T. Derickson, I am a very young 73 years old. My wife Wilda and I have been married for 53 years and have raised 5 children. We are fortunate in that they, their children and grandchildren all enjoy and love horses. My wife and I started our training facility in 1965 and all of our children, grandchildren, and now great grandchildren have been involved at sometime or other, some more than others, and some just keep hanging on with me, as they say, "for the love of the horse." :o)

My post on this blog will come from my experience and knowledge that I have learned over many years. I have always said, "if there is a better way to teach a horse or a prettier place to ride it, I want to learn it or go there." I was once told by an old horseman that if you are green, that means you are still growing, I like to think (even at 73) that I am still a little green.

I was sent an email yesterday. It seems an old trail rider was out in the forest riding his horse along a trail when he decided to get off his horse and rest a spell. He looked down, and there on a stump, set a frog. The frog yelled at him, as he bent closer to hear what he had to say, "kiss me and I will turn into a beautiful woman". The old horseman, just stuck the frog in his saddle bags. The frog yelled in a muffled voice, "did you hear me?" "Kiss me and I will turn into a beautiful woman," she repeated. The old horseman smiled and said, "that's alright, I don't need a beautiful woman, but now a talking frog is something else." ......so they tell me "with age comes wisdom", and I hope I can share some of that with you over the next few weeks.

Pasture Breeding

2009-01-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

Friday, I told you I was going to start giving you some information on breeding. Since then I have received a email from Jerusha who is a student doing a report on pasture breeding. She is requesting information from us on this subject, so I thought this would kill two birds with one stone and write it on the blog. I am sorry I did not get this to you yesterday, but the "bug" has hit us here at the farm. It seems to be a 24 hour thing, but it kept me from posting yesterday. I hope all of you are staying well this winter, because it is not fun to be sick.

Pasture breeding stallions is something we have always done and with very good success. Like I said in previous post "no matter how much we spoil our horses and take them out of the environment they know, they still know how to be a horse". This works several ways for us. Since we have so many mares it is a easy way to get our mares bred/pregnant. The stallion does all the work for us. We don't have to worry about getting the mare up 3 times a week and teasing her, or having the vet come to ultrasound to see where she is in her cycle. Jerusha ask me how many mares we put in with the stallion. Now, I am not saying you can turn your mares and a stallion out and not have to check on them because you do. If you notice there are several mares cycling at the same time, then your stallion may not be able to get them all pregnant. With each breeding in a single day the sperm will become less and less. If you see the stallion breeding one or two mares on Monday, you may want to take them out of the pasture until Wednesday, so that your stallion will have the opportunity to breed the other mares, and then rotate them out. The sperm will live inside the mare for about 24 hours, so it is a waste of time to breed everyday or more than once a day. We try to stay on a schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Friday with our live cover and A.I. Sometimes a stallion just falls head over heels for one mare and will breed her several times a day and not get to the other mares. Again, you will want to move this mare out after she has been bred. So to answer the question from Jerusha, the number of mares we put in with a stallion is not as important to us as the size of the pasture. Here in Kentucky the rule is 2 horses per acre.

Her next question is, do they stay in when wet and dry? After the mare foals and has about a week with her baby, we will put the mare in with the stallion that we are wanting to breed her to. We have never had a stallion be mean to a foal. They are always very protective and you will sometimes see them babysetting for the mare. The mare and foal will stay in with the stallion until we know she is in foal or if there are not many mares in with the stallion we will leave her there until she is ready to foal again. Most of the time we put the stallions in the barn away from the mares in late July or early August. It is just as hard for us to have a foal in the extreme heat as it is to have a foal in the winter.

Jerusha wants to know what the conception rate is and is it easier to get a problem mare in foal by pasture breeding? We have found that the mares have a much higher rate of conception if we let them do pasture breeding. Sometimes a nervous mare or a maiden mare will have all the signs right, but no matter how many times we breed her, she just will not conceive. We have found if we turn her out with a stallion and let nature take its course, this will usually work.

When do we put the stallion in with the mares? Since it takes 11 months plus 5 days for gestation of a horse, we plan our foaling time around the weather. Ideally, we do not want to have a foal before the end of March, so we will put the stallion in with the mares in April. For showing purposes a horse is considered another year older Jan. 1st so, if we have a late baby, he will always be the youngest in the class and that sometimes does not work when it comes time to start a horse. Some people will shoot for a early January baby if they think it will be something they want to show. We allow all of our mares to foal in the field, so this just does not work for us, but if you want to put the mare up and watch her for a few weeks until she foals, and be able to provide a safe, clean, warm environment, then that is up to you. We have found our mares and foals do much better foaling in the field in the spring.

Do you ever add mares later on and if so, how does the stallion react? Yes, we do add more mares and take mares out as I have said above, depending on when they foal and how many mares we are wanting to breed to that particular stallion. The stallion generally does not have a problem with this, but sometimes, especially if they are not from our farm, the stallion will not accept the mare into the band for a couple of days. This is natures way of keeping out disease. When this happens, we will put the mare in a catch pen or adjacent paddock for a couple of days, so that the stallion can get used to her, and after a few days, he usually takes her right in. I will caution you about putting mares from other facilities that you are not familiar with in with your stallion, unless they have been checked by a vet for STD's. If they have a foal on their side, this is not as much a concern, but it is always a good rule of thumb, to have the owner have the mares checked for STD's and where she is in her cycle. You will not want to run the chance of infecting your stallion and therefore infecting the whole herd. I have had clients think they can bring their mare and leave it for a couple of weeks and think they should be pregnant when they come back to get them. If you don't know where they are in their cycle, and it is not the right time... a couple of weeks will not be long enough. Mares cycle much like a human woman, and they conceive much the same way.

I will be posting for my Dad in the next few weeks, so I am sure he will be covering some of these things for you, but since Jerusha is needing the information for school right away, I wanted to cover this as quickly as I could. Jerusha, if you have any more questions regarding our breeding program, please feel free to contact us.

Mountain Horses and Winter

2009-01-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you are remembering not just your horses, but all your outside animals this winter. It is so easy to stay indoors, stick our heads back under the covers and think all is well with our animals. I have already told you what I think about winter, but it is here and we must deal with it, and it does not seem to be going anywhere very fast. Remember to keep plenty of hay and water in front of your horses. If you don't have automatic heated waters, ice will need to be broken several times each day. Keep up the good work, everyone enjoys their horses and they totally depend on us for their every need.

In the next few days (until Dad gets a little rest) I want to bring in some things to think about before we start breeding your mares. Check back again tomorrow, for some helpful hints.

Coming to you from Sunny Kentucky (Susie) at a balmy 7 degrees! :o)

Starting a Young Horse Part 14

2009-01-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

I feel like I am in a deep freeze, and much of the country is feeling the same way. Winter is not my favorite season and for the last 3 years I have managed to spend them in sunny Baja, Mexico. Due to several reasons, I am not going to be able to do that this year, and this winter is reinforcing my attitude toward cold weather. I just don't do well when the thermometer reads 1 degree!:o) Oh well enough about that, I have lived here all my life, so you would think I should have adjusted a little better.

Back to the subject.....In just a few days the owner came back to see his horse. He walked into our stable very friendly, and asked, "well I see my horse is no longer in the round pen, how is he doing?" I told him he was doing great, would he like to see him? Of course he did, so I went to the stall to get him. The horse walked slowly out of his stall by my side and into the crosstie, (ever the gentleman). I saddled him and led him back to the center of the barn. I mounted him as he stood perfectly still. I asked him to walk off and then to come up into gait. Without a glitch his horse made a perfect demonstration for him. I then rode him outside and around the barn, back inside and then out again. The owner seemed unexpectedly surprised. (I really think he had both barrels loaded thinking I would still have the horse in the round pen.) He was afraid I would be the only one able ride the horse, but I had covered that too, by having my Dad work with me. I told him he would be fine and asked him if he wanted to ride, but he declined. I think he was worried that there would be the same unhappy ending as he had before. He told me he would be after his horse in a couple of days, and I just wilted. I had developed such a bond with this horse. He had taught me so much. I asked him what he was going to do with him, that I really felt with a few more months of work he would be great in the show ring. That is not what he wanted to do with the horse, his objective was to trail ride, and I assured him he would be great for that also.

After a couple of days the owner came for the horse. I thought so much of this horse that I offered to buy him, but the owner wouldn't put a price on him. I had to be happy with that because I knew that he would be well taken care of, as far as being fed and clean, but I knew I was going to miss him greatly and I did. I asked about the horse often, and was told several times that no one ever rode him. The owner took him home, turned him back in the pasture where he had started from a couple of months before. It always felt like such a waste to me, but I will always remember some very important lessons from this experience.

On a different note....My Dad is recuperating from an operation, and with the weather being what it is, I think this is a great time to corral him long enough to put a pen to some of the experiences that he has had with horses. Believe me when I tell you he has had several that are worth reading about. A few people over the years have asked him to write a book. He is just much too active to set that long, so now may be the perfect time. I am giving him a couple of days to rest and then.... be sure to come back and read the blog, because you won't be disappointed.

starting a young horse part 13

2009-01-14T07:44:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to think we had gotten this far in such a short time. Reading this blog you may have thought it was going to take forever at the rate I was going, but look at where we are. This horse listens to what I am asking him to do, he responds to pressure, he leads quietly without walking ahead or behind me, he saddles while standing freely, he stands quietly while mounting and walks off when asked.

I led him to the round pen from the stall, (which he did like a pro) and went through the exercises. After a brief review of stopping, turning, following, and pressure points. I led him back to the barn and to the cross tie area. I gave him a few minutes to look around and see the "goings on" of the cross tie area, and then I started tacking him up. This horse stood there quietly like he had been through this dozens of times.

When I first started riding this horse, it was only with a halter and reins attached. I put a small driving bit in his mouth only after he understood turning left, right, and stopping (don't forget that). :o) Normally, I would not put a bit in his mouth until a equine dentist looked at him, but I knew the owner was not going to spend the money for this and I also knew my time with this horse was limited.

I led him to the center of the barn aisle and mounted him while he quietly stood there. I asked him to walk on and he slowly walked on. I then asked him to increase his speed and he accepted that also. At the end of the barn aisle, I asked him stop, turn and resume speed again. I could not believe where we were and where we started. I knew this time I would be ready for the owner when he came back to see his horse.

starting a young horse part 12

2009-01-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

Whew! I know... I am sorry for not posting yesterday. I have come to realize the weekends are not going to be posting days. Yesterday, I spent the whole day trying to download software that will allow me to edit and post movies. That will be fun! One of these days...coming soon...

O.K. I wanted to get this stallion out of the round pen and into a stall. It was time he learned all about the "barn life". I worked with him, with a lead, walking at his side (as we talked about in previous post). This seemed easy enough, but what if I take him out of the pen and on the way to the barn, he spooks and then I will have a stallion running loose on a farm with 100 brood mares. I have always felt good about the fact that I recognize my limitations. My request was two fold, I wanted someone else to be able to work with this horse and I wanted someone more experienced to take the chance of him getting loose :o) so I asked my Dad to work with him a little and lead him to the barn. I walked along beside him letting him know he was a good boy, and as I had hoped he never pulled, jumped, or lunged the first time. He went straight to the stall and walked with me into it like he had been in and out of it many times. I didn't want to just stop there, we went in and out about 4 times stopping and petting each time. This was a good day and I was happy. Tomorrow I would take him out and introduce him to the cross ties and a shower in the wash bay.

Starting a Young Horse Part 11

2009-01-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

I was so glad that the unhappy experience had not set us back too far in what my goals for this horse had been. I still had not put a bit in the horses mouth, so I hooked a set of reins to the halter and after going through the exercises for the day, I again mounted the horse, but this time I ask him to step off by shifting my weight just a little forward. One step was all I was asking, but if we got more that would be alright too. He stepped off slowly, a little unsure of exactly what I was asking, but I was reassuring him that everything was going well and he did not mind me being on his back. Once he reached the rail of the pen, his step came at a little faster pace, but then he quickly decided this was a comfortable place to be. I changed directions with him, went around the pen this way for a couple of laps and asked him to stop. Again, verbally saying whoa and shifting my weight slightly toward the back. Then I got off, walked to the center of the ring, ask him to come to me, and took the saddle off. Again, we stopped on a good note.

This horse had followed me around the round pen, and come to the center when asked, but I had never really led the horse. There was one more thing I wanted to accomplish this day and that was to get him out of the round pen and into a stall.

Starting a Young Horse Part 10

2009-01-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

I put myself together, and then set about the task of putting the horse back together. I could not let this day end on a bad note. Back to the round pen I went, letting the horse start over with all the preliminary things he had learned. Going one direction and then turning when asked and coming to me, with lots of petting and reassurance. Once he got into doing the things that were easy and familiar to him, then the more settled and trusting he became. Surprisingly things went very good and I quit on a good note.

The next day we ran through the same exercises, but I also added the saddle. I flopped the stirrups around and once again, if he moved out on his own, then I would send him back to rail having him change directions until he was ready to come to me and allow this. Once I felt comfortable with his efforts in accepting the saddle and the movement of the stirrups, then I put my foot into the stirrup. He did not seem to mind. I went to the other side and did the same thing. Then I added a little weight, popping up and down like I was going to mount, but not moving all the way up. Always making sure to do the same thing on the other side. Finally I was able to come all the way up in the saddle and swing my leg over and into the saddle. Now, there have been times (with other horses) that I have done this and thought everything was going to be fine, when all of sudden the horse seems to realize something is out of the ordinary and takes off like they are shot out of a cannon, so be prepared. You do not want to be stiff and nervous about mounting, but in the same sense you do want to be prepared for the unexpected. This horse stayed very calm and I very calmly dismounted. I went to the other side and repeated the process. I did this about 3 times on each side and then called it a day. I wanted to convey to him that this was all I wanted and it was not bad at all.

starting a young horse part 9

2009-01-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

I had just finished working with my horse for the day, when his owner drove up. "How is my horse doing"? I was very happy with our progress, but I could tell right away the owner was not. Nothing meant anything to him other than, I had not gotten on the horse yet. "I'll do it", he said. I tried to explain what we had accomplished and why I was going a little slower with this horse, but that just did not seem to have an impact on him. However, it was his horse and he could do what he wanted. Out in the round pen he went with a very determined look on his face. He took the lariat and right away the horse started moving around the round pen. Only, the horse was not used to anyone hitting him with it, so instead of making him calmer, it was sending him into a flight mode. The owner was trying to catch him by throwing the lasso around his neck! He caught the horse and finally, after a time pulled the horse into him. Of course, all of this was new to the horse and he was totally freaked. The owner tied him to a post in the round pen and started putting the saddle on. I had introduced him to the saddle so that was not so bad, but you could tell he was very worried and scared about what was happening. I was beside myself, watching 3 weeks of hard work on this horse go down the drain in a frightening way. I was afraid the owner was going to just forget the training part of this horse, take him home and nothing would ever be done with him. I watched him mount the horse, have someone turn him loose and off they went. Literally, the horse one way and the owner the other in about 5 seconds. This happened 3 times before the owner gave up, picked up his hat, dusted himself off for the last time, and without saying a word, got in his truck and left. There I stood in stunned silence watching the horse I had worked with for so long revert back to the scarred, wild looking horse that had first came to me. I did not know if I would ever win his trust back again. I was devastated.

Starting a Young Horse Part 8

2009-01-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

So, back to the round pen...except this time I wanted the horse to stop and come to me. We continued with what we had learned in the past with changing directions, stopping, turning and now... being more exaggerated in my request, by pulling him into me. He was a pretty quick study and got this rather quickly and I was able to have him come to me and follow me around the pen. Now, to put the halter on my be a little more than I bargained for, but if we had done this all right then it should be a snap...and it was! O.K. we have the halter on with a lead...I took the stick and rubbed on him with it instead of my hand, being sure to rub down the hind legs (which are always a little scary for me to do with my hand). By this time, he really trusted me and I him. We appreciated each other for what I was asking for and what he was giving me.

I know many of you are shaking your head and thinking why doesn't she just get on with it. Like I said this is not the way I would do this in a trainer's challenge, but then I don't like to hit the ground and I didn't want to push the horse further than what he was ready for, and I didn't want to fall back at any time.

At this time, we had worked on this for about 3 weeks. I had the horse standing freely in the middle of the ring allowing me to rub all over him on both sides, he has taken to his halter and I have been putting it on and taking it off every day, he is following me around the pen, he is yielding his front, rear and will back when asked. I am now able to pick up all of his feet for the farrier, we haven't used the clippers on his ears, but he will allow me to rub in and around them. He has accepted the saddle and is used to the stirrups clanking about. My next goal will be to go ahead and get up in the saddle, but I was not ready for the next coming event....

Starting a Young Horse Part 7

2009-01-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

While I know this was meant to be a daily log, I am having a hard time getting this out to all of you on the weekends. I really appreciate you checking in with us daily, but please bare with us until we get this established and a routine set for me so that you will be able to enjoy the blog on the weekends.

Now, like I said my horse has been living in the round pen, because I have not been able to have him come to me and put a halter on. I could have taken 3 or 4 people out there to corral him and catch him, but that would defeat the purpose I had planned for this horse.

My goal for the 4th day was to have the horse turn to me and wait for me to walk to his shoulder and today, I wanted to be able to rub his nose, ears and around his eyes. I wanted to be able to put a halter on him in the next couple of days, so I wanted all of this to be a happy experience. I continued with the same daily routine and pushed on from his shoulder toward his head. I was able to let him have a pleasant experience with the gentle rubbing, ever inching closer to his eye and down his nose. The ears are always a little more touchy, but it is very important to be able to rub these gently so that they are not afraid when you put the halter on and then later when you want to trim the ear.

Over the next couple of days we worked in this manner until I was able to rub the horse all over his body. This is really a enjoyable time for you and your horse. You will really establish a relationship with your horse during this time. Now, I wanted to have the horse turn and come into me, if he was going to get the rub down he liked so much, I wanted him to come to me to get it.

Starting a Young Horse Part 6

2009-01-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

I continued to work this horse every day for the next couple of days always working a little closer to the horse. Keep in mind I had still not caught the horse, put a halter on him or moved him from the round pen. On the 3rd day my goal was to have the horse turn into me and allow me to walk up to him. I turned the horse as if we were going to change directions, but I didn't ask him to step off. As soon as he turned I dropped the lariat and stood still. He looked at me as if asking what do you want me to do? I walked forward a couple of steps, keeping my head bowed and my eyes on the ground. When I sensed the slightest muscle movement from him for flight, I backed up. I continued this dance of going forward and stepping back. I didn't want to push him into flight, but I wanted to inch my way up to him. If he broke into running and the security of the fence, I sent him back into the routine we had established of running, in one direction and having him change...doing this until I had his eye back on me again. Then I would ask him to stop and we would start over again of moving forward and backing up. Finally, on the 3 day, I was able to touch this horse on the shoulder, and that is where I stopped for the day. This was all very slow, not what you will see in the trainer's challenges but, this was my first time for working with a horse totally unaccustomed to any influence besides what he had known in his pasture. My goal for tomorrow would be to touch and work around his head, ears and nose, and to be able to rub the entire body with my hand.

Starting a Young Horse Part 5

2009-01-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

It took a little while for the horse to calm down from just having me in the pen with him, but once he understood that I was not asking for anything, he began to calm down and really look at me. I let him do this for a little while and then I asked him to move forward by tossing my lariat (as I mentioned in the other post.) Looking at his shoulder and pushing him forward, not enough for him to panic by running into the fence, but just enough to get his heart rate up. Once I saw him looking at me from the corner of his eye, I gave him the signal to switch directions (as talked about in the other post). We worked for about an hour on just switching directions only when I asked him to. Once he achieved this I wanted him to understand... that was all I was asking and we had achieved this. I stopped pushing him and just stood in the ring for a minute or two and then I walked out of the ring, letting him know that he had done what was asked and had done it well. You want to always quit on a good note. Try not to push for a little more once you have achieved your goal. Sometimes it is hard to stop, but after an hour of work you will loose it all, if you keep pushing for more. I was determined to take my time, so that I would not have to back up and start over.

starting a young horse part 4

2008-12-29T07:58:00.000-08:00

While I don't claim to know all there is to know about round pen techniques, I do want to share with you an experience I had with doing round pen work.

We had a man drive into our farm with a trailer and on it was a beautiful black and white spotted stallion. This stallion had been raised to the age of 3 years without ever being touched by a human. The man had herded the horse into a stall, backed the trailer up to the stall and made the horse jump into the trailer, and then brought it to our farm.

We had the man back the trailer up to our round pen and unload the horse. For awhile I just stood and observed the stallion and thought, "what did I get myself into". I had wanted to start a horse with this type of back ground just to see how far I could get with him, but this seemed to be a huge project. The horse did not seem to be afraid of me, and being a stallion I did not expect him to be, so this was a plus on my part, but being a stallion I knew I would not have the attention span I was hoping to get from him either. I had to meet him in the middle and at least be able to obtain his respect, by giving him mine. How was I going to go about doing this?

starting a young horse part 3

2008-12-27T08:10:00.000-08:00

I am not going into the business of teaching round pen techniques. There are far more qualified teachers on this subject than me out there and I suggest you visit their web sites or attend their clinics, and buy their tapes. The round pen is by far the best teaching tool you will arm yourself with, so educate yourself on the technique.

The Mountain horses are easy to work with so yes, you can have someone hold the horse the first time you mount, turn you loose and the biggest part of the time, they will just walk off, but the horse will not know anything. It will be like trying to drive a car with a 6 inch steering wheel! You want the horse to know how to go forward, back, and yield to pressure by moving the back end and the front on command. There is no need to spend the time working with the horse from his back when all of this can be taught from the ground in a much safer situation. As I have said before, the time you spend with your horse is always teaching. You want to always be the teacher! I even tell the grooms that work here, "I want the horse to always behave, even if they are only coming from the stall to the cross ties and back." I want to always see them lead with a halter AND a lead. When they are put in the cross tie, I want them lead in and pressure applied to move the back end over, rather than just pulling their head around to their butt until they have to move it. This will only reinforce the things you have taught from the beginning, and will make your ques (once you get on the horse) easy for the horse to read.

Learn the round pen techniques, because you will be mounting your horse in just a few days, and this will be a tool you will use frequently throughout your relationship with your horse.

Starting a Young Horse Part 2

2008-12-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

We have our horse moving around the round pen in the direction we asked for, now we want to change direction. How? I am going to tell you how I would do this by using the stick. Say we are moving clockwise. We have our right arm out (like we are directing traffic) pointing to the right..we have the stick in the left hand and have it toward the back end of the horse....keep your eye on the shoulder of the horse. If we get too far in front of the horse, it will make him stop and turn...if we focus too far toward the rear of the horse, it will get too far ahead of us and not be able to focus on us. The horse is moving and we are moving along with the horse....now bring your hands in toward your body...bow your head slightly and step back about three steps. This will have the look of you drawing the horse into you. As the horse turns toward you (because he will also feel the draw) switch hands...point toward the left with your left hand and with the stick in the right send the horse back out on the rail. This all needs to be done with very fluid motion. Practice the movement when you are not working with the horse. It will almost make you feel as if you are dancing a ballet :o) well sort of...

Starting a Young Horse Part 1

2008-12-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

Some people start their horses as 2 year olds. Some people think they are not ready for this kind of strain on the body and mind and wait until they are three. There are pros and cons to both sides of this idea, and I will leave that up to you. If you have done the ground work that we have talked about in the previous sessions then you can continue this until you think your horse is ready for the saddle. If you have not had the opportunity to work with your horse from a foal on up, all is not lost. I would suggest you start by putting your horse in the round pen and starting from square one. I have seen (as I am sure many of you have), clinicians start working a totally untouched horse, such as the wild mustang in the round pen and start riding it in a couple of hours. While this is impressive and fun to watch, it is a lot of work and the horse is really getting a crash course. Most people are not able start a horse like this, so we will start working a little bit slower.

The first thing we want is for the horse to move forward. You may laugh at this, but it happens quite often and it is one of the hardest things to work with. The horse for some reason just stands there and will not move. After you have turned your horse loose in the round pen, move to the center of the ring and ask your horse to move forward. Throw your rope (if you perfer the John Lyons method) or use your stick if you are using the Parelli method. If you are lucky your horse will start moving around the round pen. We want him/her at this time to move in the same direction. If they stop and change without you asking, then you will want to stop them and send them back out in the direction you asked for. After you are comfortable with the fact that the horse is moving in the direction you asked and only when you asked, then ask the horse to change directions. How do I do that you ask? Stop by tomorrow, we will talk about that.

Yearlings

2008-12-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

Yearlings are just as fun as the weanlings and you will really enjoy seeing how quickly they will learn. The yearlings are very proud of their independence and really show nicely. The only problem I have had is about the time the World Show and International Shows are scheduled is about the time the colts are realizing they are "pre-stallions" :o). Now is the time all that ground work will pay off. Attention spans are a little smaller for the colts, but if they have been taught right.. from the beginning they will hit that show ring like they own it and you will love "showing off" the new up and coming breeding stallions.

part 6 training your foal

2008-12-18T11:32:00.000-08:00

Patience and Persistence, I can not say this enough when you are working with your foal. Remember...they are babies! The first thing a foal will learn is flight. This is really their only source of defense. Even though our foals are not endangered in anyway by predators, it seems the mothers know the foal still needs to learn this defense. When foaling season is in full swing and we are expecting 10 babies in one month, the first thing we do in the morning is look out the window into the "maternity ward" to see if any new foals have come in the night. One sure thing that will tell us there is a new one born, is the mares will be running around the field. We think the other mother-to-bes want to see the new baby and the new mom is just not willing to let that happen yet. However, I also think it is instinct to get that baby up as soon as possible and get it moving. With all the "new and improved" monitoring of foaling that so many people do to avoid all the calamities that we can, it is comforting to know that a horse still knows how to be a horse.

O.K. back to where I started, patience and persistence. This is what it takes to work with a horse, particularly a foal. For a long time all they can think of is getting back to mom and if you restrain the foal from flight, then they are going to give you all the "fight" that they can. This by no means is an act of aggression but done out of fear only. I will stress again... do not try to "out pull" the foal (you will not win) and you will cause a lot of physical damage if you are not careful. However, you will not want to let the foal get away from you. You don't want the foal to learn that all he has to do is pull on the lead and he can get away. A couple of times doing that and you will have some real trouble on your hands. I suggest you keep the foal in a closed area such as a round pen until they learn to lead without really getting away from you. This way you can give them some line, but you always have contact. You usually do not have any problem with foals that you have worked with from day one, but if you are starting a foal that is a couple of months old they can be pretty big and strong. Keep safety first always stay to the side of the foal/horse. Don't let them get ahead of you or behind you. Both can be dangerous places to be.

part 5 of Starting Your Foal

2008-12-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

Someone ask that I touch on the training of teaching a foal to load in a trailer. We love to watch Larry work with the little ones. He is very patient and animated in his training. He walks them around and talks with them and sympathizes with them. He says they (Larry and the foal) are constantly looking for the foal's mother, and he is helping them. He takes them over the bridge and over the logs, around the barn and through it. All the time he is asking them, is momma in here, or is momma over there?" What he really is doing is making a game out of it. By talking to them he is constantly reassuring them that if they keep looking they will eventually "find" momma, and they always do. So, up on the trailers they go, looking around in different places. Why would a trailer be any different than looking in a stall, or crossing the logs? After they have gotten comfortable with being on the trailer, he will take them for a short ride and then always back to momma. Never tie your foal up in a trailer. Allow them to find their balance in the trailer without having to deal with ropes/cross ties. This even goes for yearlings. We never tie our horses in the trailer until they are totally comfortable with crosstieing, and being away from the mother and other horses.

Winter on the Farm

2008-12-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

You really have to love your horses to go out in the winter weather to take care of them. They are totally dependant on you so don't forget them. I could not believe how the snow hit us last night! We went to bed thinking all would be fair today and then boom, all this wet, cold snow was on us. Like I tell everyone, when I am asked if Kentucky gets much snow, I say, " yea, but it is usually gone by noon", and so it goes the same for today. It was pretty while it lasted, but I am not a winter person, so all I want to do is go home and get back in bed. I really don't care how pretty it is! I hate being cold, I hate the mud, and I miss the sun! I did get a chance to take a few pictures of horses outside running and playing, (like the one on the front page of our website).

Make sure your horses have plenty of hay (that will generate body heat) and plenty of water, and then go home, turn on some nice music, make a fire and curl up with a good book. Yea, right!

Part 4 of Starting Your Foal

2008-12-11T12:58:00.000-08:00

After a few days, the foal and the mare will get used to you coming and removing the foal for a few minutes and seem to actually look forward to being with you and the mare seems to like the "baby sitting service". This is a step we also use in weaning our foals. Each day we remove the foal for longer periods of time letting them go back and nurse three times a day and spending the night with the moms but staying in a paddock or stall with other piers when they are not with the mom. When we finally decide to keep the foal away permanently then it is usually a piece of cake, they are used to being away, and used to eating on their own.

If we are going to show a foal, we continue their training through show season. We consentrate more on getting them to lead (staying in step) and standing still while people walk around them and even touch them. We enforce them to do this by asking them to do it for longer periods of time each day and rewarding them by moving on to something more "fun" when they do it until we ask them to move on. We always give the foal a seperate signal to move on from the "show stance" than we would by just pulling on them. Pulling on them would be to tell them to "park" so you would not want to use that signal or they would just keep parking further and further. I have had people try to lead our babies by standing in front of them and pulling and they will not respond, but just stand still. When I tell them to go the foal/horse's side and ask them to move forward then they step right off. Everyday, no matter what you are doing with your horse or foal you are training. Good or bad it is training.

Part 3 of Starting Your Foal

2008-12-09T08:48:00.001-08:00

How do I remove the foal from the mare without the mare or foal going crazy on me? That question is asked very often, so I will let you know how we start doing this. In the beginning, after we get a halter on the foal someone will lead the mare and someone will lead the foal. Basically, the foal is just following the mother and we are just following the mare, along side the foal. You need to stay in step with the foal, walking along side of his/her shoulder. This is the safest place for you, and should be a consistant part of the foals training. Always keep the foal between you and the mare. The mare will not kick her baby, but you are fair game. After we have done this for a few days and we have gotten the mare and foal accustomed to us, we will confine the mare in a stall or paddock that is safe and one that she is not able to push her way through. We walk the foal far enough away that she will not be able to hear the foal call for her. This is a good time to give the mare some hay to keep her busy while we are gone. If you will loop a long lead rope around the rump of the foal, it will give you a little more leverage to urge the foal forward. When you pull on the halter and get resistance you will also be able to pull the "rump rope" and this will give her a nudge to move forward.

Part 2 of Starting Your Foal

2008-12-08T11:00:00.001-08:00

O.K., we talked about getting our new babies started in a halter and for how long. Most of the foals will only be handled 8-10 days until the mare/mom is starting to come back into her foal heat. They will then be moved to the pasture with the stallion we intend to breed her to. Since we breed most of our mares by putting them in the field with the stallion this makes things a lot easier on our part by using a lot less man power. Our stallions have always been very considerate of the foals and we have never had any problems by doing this. After the mare is confirmed in foal, usually a couple of months later...we will then move them to a field where the confirmed mares and babies will be kept until time to deliver. The foals that we think will do well in the show ring will then start their training again. We will teach them to lead from both sides, reinforce the obstacles and teach them to stand still in order to be judged. They will slowly become introduced to the cross ties area, water for baths, and standing still for the farrier. Never cross tie a foal. The one thing I will caution you about is to never try to out pull a foal or confine them to where they feel they have no way out. Nobody wins by doing this. I have heard of foals rearing and falling over backwards and causing permanent and even fatal injuries. You will really enjoy working with your new foal and spending about 30 minutes a day with them. If you live on a road that you feel safe walking on, take a trash bag and pick up the garbage on the way, this introduces something new to the foal and makes you feel really productive too.

How do you separate the mare and foal while you do the foals training you ask? Stop by tomorrow and we will cover that.

Starting Your Foals

2008-12-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

Here at Van Bert Farms, we start working with our foals the day they are born. We have a nice pasture we have dubbed as "our maternity ward". We are able to watch the mares from the barn and each of our houses. The mares that are within 45 days of delivery will go into this field. After the mare has her baby, and after the mare has had time to bond with the baby, we catch her and the foal. We iodine the foals navel, and worm the mare with ivermectin. This gives us the opportunity to "handle" the baby, picking up the feet, and rubbing all over the body. Mare and baby are then moved to the "nursery". There the babies are handled every day for about 9 to 10 days. We start for short periods of time (5 minutes) and moving up to about 15 minutes. We introduce the foals to a halter, but we never leave a halter on the foal. I will give you some ideas on the things we introduce to our foals and how we teach these things on a different day.

December 2, 2008

2008-12-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome and thank you for visiting our blog. This is a first for us, and we are so excited over another form of communication and camaraderie between Mountain Horse enthusiast. Many of you know us here at Van Bert Farms, but for those who don't please read our introduction and know that even though we have been in the business of raising horses since 1965, we realize there is always something new to learn. We will bring to you news from our farm, other farms and other Mountain horse enthusiast. We are asked many questions about training, breeding, and other horse related topics through email, but we have not been able to get the news out to everyone that is interested this way. We want to reach as many people as possible and that is why we are excited about starting this blog. So many of your questions are very interesting and we believe that many people will be interested in the answers we have for you and the interesting thread of conversation this will bring. Please feel free to "ask a trainer" questions. I will be starting this blog with ways that we start our horses and will be including pictures. Some will be used as a learning/teaching tool and some will be for the beauty of the horse. Enjoy!