Still excited about the show

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

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

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!

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

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

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?

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.