All Aboard!

Here is Northeast Ohio we are blessed with the Cuyahoga National Forest, and running through that forest is the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad. A ride on this train is like stepping back to the 40's and 50's, when we moved a little slower, and enjoyed the scenery a little more. Several horse trails either cross or parallel the railway tracks and it's always a treat to hear the whistle blow, up close or at a distance.

I met some women on trail today who had the same experience I had had last year. Horse and train encounters are relatively rare as a rule, but in the Brecksville Reservation, one of the horse trails crosses tracks by the train station. Today one horse crossed the tracks, but his buddy wasn't sure about track crossing. Whistle blowing, the train arrived separating the two horses. Many people disembarked, several brought their bikes to catch the towpath at that point.

The horses did what any good trail horse will do, they stood and calmly watched the whole commotion. I'm sure the riders had the same doubts I had my first encounter on horseback, with that huge chugging piece of steel. Having a trusted trail horse is a blessing beyond belief.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Checklists

Every time I see a checklist of what to bring camping with your horses I remember all of the reasons that I don't like to camp. The latest checklist I saw included about 125 items, everything from soap to a snakebite kit, toilet paper to tack, paper towels to playing cards. I guess I'm just lazy. It seems like an awful lot of work unless you're going to be away for a month.

This is why I refer to myself as the Marriott camper. I absolutely love the outdoors, maybe because it helps me to appreciate my bed and my shower at home. The few times that I have camped for horse events, the distractions of dog's barking, horses calling to each other and the sound of trailer generators were not my idea of relaxation. I was hoping to hear crickets, owls and tree toads.

So forget the checklists. Right now day trips are my cup of tea.

Bless all campers, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Kid Magnets

There have been so many occasions in local parks, when we are just tacking up or finishing a ride, a parent and a child approaches the horses. I remember that feeling as a horseless child, what it was like to be able to see and to touch and to smell a horse close up. The experience still feels to be at the core of my existence, too difficult to explain to people who don't share that love.

For all of the above reasons I try to spend as much time as I can with kids who are interested in horses. I love to see their faces as they pat a nose or are sniffed over for treats. I reassure parents who see only dollar signs that I was in my late forties before I actually owned my own horse, but loving horses is free and there are many ways to be involved without owning the animal.

And so from toddlers to teens they come, drawn by an inexplicable feeling that horses evoke; and I am thrilled to be part of that experience.

May Trail Angels be with you, Kathy, horsedrivensite.net

Wait Watchers

Overweight people are an epidemic probem in the US, but according to our vet this may be true of horses as well. We all get very upset about seeing photos of malnourished horses, but what vets may be seeing more of is the opposite. I was told that each of my horses could lose about 50 lbs, which isn't awful for a horse, but is still an issue.

Part of the problem this time of year is that the pastures are high in sugar content, so hopefully this weighty issue will resolve as sugar content declines.
We are restricting pasture time and have cut back some on grain. We may need to muzzle the Haflinger who gains weight looking at food.

We will maintain our schedule of riding and hopefully the weather will cooperate. That's about all we can do. We will WAIT to see if all these strategies help.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Keep It Simple

I've always been really confused about worming schedules. They are complicated and I've seen and I've heard varying theories. The photos of intestinal worms of various species are so disgusting, it's hard to make a rational decision. Today we took the horses to the vet for their immunizations. As I suspected they each need to lose about 50 lbs, but otherwise they are in great shape.

This year I happened to bring along manure specimens because I really feel uncomfortable about the chemical worming of horses, and the sometimes regular and rigorous schedules that are suggested. The vet was glad that I brought the samples saying that there have been some recent concerns that organisms will build resistance to these chemicals. It happens with bacteria and antibiotics. It even happens in the plant world. Believe it or not many farmers can no longer use Round Up because weeds have mutated to resist it.

So I'm keeping it simple and will use manure samples as my guide. Goodbye worming charts and and all the hype.

Happy and Healthy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Trust Me

Our Haflinger Club was sponsoring a trail ride at Salt Fork State Park here in Ohio. Other breeds were allowed for members to bring, so our Haflinger and our Fox Trotter both got to go. This State park is vast, at its center a large horseshoe shaped lake. We met the group at their campsite and were told that just before we arrived there had been a major downpour.

I was excited to try these trails because I'd heard so much about them and because this park was first last year for the most miles logged by riders. After some initial photo ops, we headed out on trail. The trails are single file only and what I would consider to be primitive. There were many obstacles from trees that had fallen across trail which made our horses have to pay close attention.

The most challenging part was from the condition of the trails after the downpour. There was significant mud making hills a special challenge. My primary goal always is to keep my horse and myself safe on trail. Luckly we had a skilled and thoughtful guide who kept the pace appropriate for the conditions.

As we rode, and as my Fox Trotter negotiated some very slick conditions and some very challenging obstacles, I reminded myself that horses have spent millions of years refining their survival skills, and as she chose where to step with very little guidance from me, I was grateful for that fact.

May Trail Angels be with you, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Bag It

It could be my imagination which is surely possible, but I think that the water bag trick is working. Maybe it's too early in the fly season to know for sure. Certainly my fly predators have been busy doing their jobs, eating larvae off manure, but the Ziploc bags with water and shiny pennies in them may also be repelling flies.

The whole idea sounded a little crazy when I first read about it. The theory is that flies avoid the reflections created by the water and by the pennies. I have two bags placed atop poles near my barn and pasture. I warned my neighbor about the experiment so he wouldn't think I'd totally flipped.

Surrounded by cattle, we can grow a pretty healthy fly population in our area. I'll keep you posted on our progress. I have lots more poles and Ziplocs to add to the battle.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net