Urban Trail Ride II

For those of you interested in the June 4Th through the 6Th "Best of America by Horseback" event at the South Chagrin Reservation in the Cleveland Metropark system, here is a sample of clinics. Starting at 4PM on Friday there will be clinics on Horse Psychology and Communication, Equine Massage, Search and Rescue, Trailer Safety, and Obstacle Course Riding.

On Saturday, between 1PM and 5PM, there will be clinics on Therapeutic Riding, Biomechanics of Horse and Rider, Donkeys on Trail, Reining, Starting the Young Horse, Trick Training, Pasture Conservation, Carriage Driving, and of course the Pig Roast at 6:30PM.

See you there, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

"Urban Trail Ride"

Come ride with Tom Seay who will host the filming of "Best of America by Horseback" in the beautiful Cleveland Metropark system. You heard it right, the CLEVELAND metropark system, one of the best kept secrets in America. I have mixed feelings about "sharing" but will work to play well with others.

Base camp will be at the Polo Field of the South Chagrin Reservation. There will be primitive camping, free clinics, trail maps and trail guides will be provided, day riders are welcome. There will be Cowboy Church on Sunday. Preregistration is required.

The filming and the event will take place 6/4,6/5,6/6. The Friday ride will be at the Brecksville Reservation, Saturday, at the South Chagrin Reservation, and Sunday ride will be at the Bedford Reservation.

Save your appetite for the Saturday evening Pig, Beef and Chicken roast with all the trimmings, raffle, live music, and campfire.

For more information contact Ken Skoczen, skoczenkm@sbcglobal.net

See you there. Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Show Me

Whether you are a driving enthusiast or a riding enthusiast, there are all kinds of opportunities here in Ohio to show and to have fun.

There's an All Breeds Carriage Driving Show in Randolph, Ohio on June 26Th and 27Th. There is overnight camping available and 5 divisions to choose from. This is an entry level show so no sweat; don't worry about being fancy. This show is sponsored by the Ohio Welsh Pony Association.

For you Haflinger owners the Ohio Haflinger Association is sponsoring their spring drive May 8Th in Millersburg Ohio. Riders and drivers are welcome and the length of the drive is 15-20 miles long. Bring a lunch and a potluck dinner will follow at about 4 PM.

The Western Reserve Carriage Association will be having a Schooling CDE at Windy Knoll Farm in Sullivan, Ohio. Windy Knoll is a beautiful indoor and outdoor driving facility. This is so much fun for drivers of minis to drivers of warmbloods.

Check out the Ohio Horseman's Council website, ohiohorsemanscouncil.com for the schedule of exciting trail rides in Ohio.

Time to get out and have some fun! Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Lost and Found

We recently boarded our Springer Spaniel when we went out of town. It occurred to me that this might be a good time to consider getting him equipped with a microchip in case he should get lost. Although we have an invisible fence, I've seen him "cross over " when highly excited. We now call him our bionic dog.

That led me to start thinking about getting this done to my horses. Not a big fan of branding, this seems like an option. At Equine Affaire I saw flyers put out by owners of lost or stolen horses and this was heart breaking.
In this difficult economy I've heard of horses stolen for their meat.

Having photos of your horses may come in handy in the event of loss. Also be sure to label tack and keep your valuable equipment locked up. If horses are on your property install motion detecting lighting or an alarm system.

Not a pretty subject but one we need to address to protect the animals that we love.

Kathy, horsedrivensite.net

Fascinating Friesians

Friesian horses are what dreams are made of; damsels in distress and Knights atop their regal mounts coming to the rescue. The Friesian is a native of the Dutch Province of Friesland. Some believe the breed exhibits characteristics of the prehistoric wild horse that populated Europe. It is a warmblood breed used during the Middle Ages as a durable mount for knights in armor.

The modern Friesian was developed in the 1500s when invading Spanish bred their Andalusians to local Frisian mares. The result was a more versatile and a lighter horse. These horses were favored for High School dressage. During this time the Friesian developed its high stepping gait and its crested neck.

Purebred Friesians almost disappeared in the 19th century when, because of their popularity as carriage horses, it was used to develop other breeds like the Morgan, the Hackney breed and the Orlov Trotter. Post WWI Europe almost saw the extinction of the breed, but by the 1960s, with improving economies the breed was rescued.

US Friesians were brought to New Amsterdam (New York) in the 1600s by the Dutch, however they were crossbred out of existence. Post war immigrants reintroduced the Friesian back to the US and thank goodness for that.


Enjoying all breeds, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Ohio Trails

There are almost one hundred places to trail ride in the state of Ohio. Hard to believe because we are not that big a state. The parks range from 8 miles of trails to almost 60 miles of trails. The interesting thing about Ohio trails is that you may be riding on flat sandy soil one day and within a days drive, ride across a river with walls of rock rising from the riverbed.

Riders are encouraged to track their miles and report them. There are patches for riders who have ridden 200, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 miles. There are also awards for the Top Ten Overall Riders, Top Youth Trail Riders, Top Ten First Timers. There are "Saddle Hours" for people who show and awards to match sponsored by the Ohio Horseman's Council. So saddle up.

See You on Trail, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Balancing Act

It doesn't take long when you're riding a horse to realize that a large part of the sport is a "balancing act". My 'Aha" moment happened when I came to conclusion that my Achilles tendinitis may have resulted from an imbalance in riding; putting more pressure in my right stirrup.

At Equine Affaire this weekend, I had the opportunity to watch a seminar by Colleen Kelly, an exercise physiologist, now a biomechanics expert, who lectures all over the world. Colleen did a great job illustrating the effects of imbalance on your horse's performance. It made me more aware of foot and knee placement as well has how I align my body in the saddle.

Being mindful of bad little habits we may have developed and correcting them can make a difference in how you feel and how your horse feels while working. If Colleen comes to your area, be sure to take time to see her. She's also pretty funny and makes learning fun.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Getting Trail Ready

Equine Affaire was lots of fun, with many opportunities to learn something new, and some new product on the market that make allot of sense. Our Ohio Horse Council sponsored a booth dedicated to trail riding, because there are so many awesome trails in the state of Ohio.

I snatched up material that caught my eye as I prepare to fully enter trail riding season. Some of these rules sound obvious but they are worth reviewing.

1. Be sure that your horse is trail ready. Not all horses make good trail horses. Some horses don't really enjoy trails and the hard work involved. Others act out or may be potentially dangerous to their riders or to other horses.

2. Learn about the trail you will be riding before the ride, or ride with someone familiar with the rail.

3. Leave the dog at home. Maybe your dog and horse are buddies but this may not be true for other horses.

4.Nonriders using the trail are supposed to yield to horses if possible.

5.You may need to instruct bikers or hikers to keep a safe distance from the horse. I've found that if I greet the other person on trail and they respond, the passing goes more smoothly. If they shout out they are vegetarian, the horses really relax.

6.Carry a first aid kit, cell phone, ID on you and on your saddle in the unlikely event that you become separated from your horse.

7. My personal bias is that riding is like swimming, you should always have a buddy. Besides, you'll want to be able to back up your story when you find Big Foot on trail.

So get out there and have safe fun. Helmets are IN.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Time to Watch for Founder

I am on patrol and on special watch for founder this time of year when the pastures are bright green and high in sugar content. I want to avoid this condition like the plague and try to slowly introduce my horses to the back pasture after winter closer to the barn. Founder, or laminitis is a painful inflammation of the foot. It may occur just in the front feet or in all four feet. In a nightmare worst case scenario, the coffin bone, without the support of the laminae, can rotate down through the bottom of the sole. This vision keeps me in enough fear to watch my little herd like a hawk.

Besides standing in an attempt to get weight off the affected feet, horses may exhibit heavy breathing, glazed eyes due to the pain. The feet will feel hot and there will be a pounding pulse in the digital artery over the fetlock joint.

Overweight horses are particularly vulnerable, overloading on grain, or drinking large amounts of water when overheated may also trigger founder. Founder requires quick veterinary intervention.

So happy spring, have fun, but watch what your mounts are eating.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Horse Rescue

Between 2008 and 2009, there was a 400% increase in reports of neglect or abuse of horses according to the website, amillion horses.com. Dr. Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation, and her team of leaders in the horse industry, have formed the United Organizations of the Horse. One of the goals is to help the horse industry, which like many business has shrunk considerably( some reports state up to 50%) during the recession. The other objective is to stop the suffering of horses whom are no longer wanted.

The plan is to rejuvenate horses that have been neglected, evaluate and retrain horses and for those who need it, a quick, painless and humane death for those where there is no recourse. As tough as this is to think about, it cannot be any other way. Owners my designate that the horse meat be donated to hunger centers.

A wannabe vegetarian and horse lover myself, this is a sad scenario, but better to deal with the reality than to turn the other way and ignore so many animals leaving this world in a slow tortuous way. Knowing that Dr. Temple Grandin is involved is very comforting. Her book, Animals in Translation is a must read for all animal lovers. It will cement how various animals perceive the world and how different their brains are from ours.

There is a National Do Not Slaughter Registry which will provide horse owners with the option to recover previously owned horses from slaughter by paying costs. The Registry uses microchip technology. There would be scanning equipment at processing plants. Owners or previous owners would be given a 72 hour window of opportunity to recover the horse.

This reality of horse neglect and abuse predated the recession and has now reached alarming numbers. In any way that you can, try to support these valiant efforts to bring kindness to these animals.

Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Passive composting

If you own a small farm (1-5 horses), this method may be right for you. According to my new favorite book on going green, "Eco-horsekeeping",by Lucinda Dyer, this is the method for you.
It involves forming small piles of manure (heaven knows we have lots of that), 5-7 feet at the base and and about 3 feet high. This is easiest done if the manure is placed in a bin or container (with spacing in the sides to allow for airflow).

Fill the first bin, then move on to the second bin; by that time 2-4 months will have passed and the first bin will have composted for use. The piles should be covered to prevent the pile from getting too wet or too dry (like Goldie Locks porridge, just right). Turning the compost will get the outside manure to the middle where the heat will kill parasites and weeds.

This sounds like a recipe I can handle.

Happy piling, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Packin It

Now that I'm back in gear to head out on longer trail rides, I've been thinking about what to pack in my saddle bag. I've seen several recent articles about what is essential to carry, but my "pack light" mentality is in direct conflict with what I've read. Yes, I think a cell phone is essential, assuming you're not in a "dead zone". I say yes to sun screen, fluids, a compass, a first aid kit, snacks, and a multipurpose tool. I do forget that I should carry identification on me and a description of my horse should we be "separated" (heaven forbid). Actually this did happen once when a wild turkey surprised her in the grass and she bolted, without me.

Everyone has priorities. I've seen riders prioritize other essentials like hair accessories, changes of clothes, make up, gourmet lunches, and designer water. As for me, a lead line, duck tape, my bee kit, and a sponge (during hot weather), and I'm good to go. I'm thinking of buying one of those pocket raincoats you see at the dollar store and I think I'll be ready to roll.

See you on trail, Kathy Horsedrivensite.net

Mud Fight

Spring brings rain and rain brings mud and mud brings a challenge because horses love it so. My current strategy is to keep the horses in, let them dry out and start chipping away. I have a variety of grooming tools. One is shaped like a flower, another looks like a messager, and another is a rubber mitt with nubby bumps to loosen hair and break apart those dried up chunks of dirt. I use them all and sometimes with one in each hand.

I wear a dust mask to prevent back lung, so I look like a surgeon in a very dirty operating room. I then brush, starting with the most course brush to the finest, with "cookie" breaks for the horse because getting clean can be stressful and usually unwanted. Without hot water in my barn, I utilize a waterless shampoo as the final step.

I then rest up to do it all over again the next day.

Happy grooming, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net