tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618Sat, 10 May 2008 17:02:12 +0000http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/noreply@blogger.com (EquiSearch.com)Blogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-4685110863585350036Mon, 05 May 2008 00:32:00 +00002008-05-04T20:38:58.885-04:00Popping up a note to let you all know I'll be in Texas all this coming week, doing conducting photo shoots and interviews on behalf of Horse & Rider. So--you'll have to talk amongst yourselves! (Or something.) My first stop: Cleve Wells. Then Carol Metcalf, then Andrea Simons. And finally, Charlie Cole. All are members of Team H&R, and when you see their articles in the magazine, it's because http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/05/on-h-assignment-this-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-6461508589825445370Thu, 01 May 2008 14:15:00 +00002008-05-01T11:25:04.675-04:00Here's yesterday's photo of Mister (click to enlarge), the yearling Appaloosa who's at our place for a spruce-up before becoming the summer live exhibit at the Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center in my hometown of Moscow, Idaho. He's come a long way in about 15 days! * First and foremost, he's now a gelding--with no complications from last week's surgery. He's also gotten all his needed shots. *http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/05/extreme-makeover-appaloosa-edition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-643696497431013674Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:42:00 +00002008-04-30T18:09:05.952-04:00This past weekend, I hooked up with longtime friend and H&R contributor Patty Brumley, for a girls' weekend in Walla Walla, Washington. We picked W2 for the meet-up spot for several reasons, not the least of them being that a Quarter Horse show was taking place at the fairgrounds. This, we figured, would give us a great opportunity to do a little incognito scouting of arena trends, show fashions,http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/with-truck-this-big-you-cant-be.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-2237809921690756350Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:04:00 +00002008-04-29T22:06:40.754-04:00Blog reader Kathy submitted this important info about dogs and horse dewormer, as a comment to a previous post. I think it's important enough to have its own heading, so here it is! ----------------------- I didn't know where to post this so you would see it, and I do recall a blog about horse people and their dogs, but since this is current I thought I would post it here to let others know http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/love-your-dogs-read-this-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-6710327780809392945Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:57:00 +00002008-04-23T10:46:18.945-04:00Photo at right: "Mister," an Appaloosa colt, is the only guy who'll be at today's gelding procedure at our ranch (click to enlarge). I don't know how many times you've been present for the castration of a colt, but I've been to a number of "gelding parties" over the years (one's taking place at our place today)...and I've noticed something. Guys would prefer, if possible, to be doing something http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/guys-at-gelding-party-not.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-6766879266098157002Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:54:00 +00002008-04-20T20:58:05.073-04:00Photo at right: My "cowgirl playhouse" is about the size of a two-horse trailer (click to enlarge). Last fall, after selling a yearling Western pleasure prospect, I used the proceeds to buy something utterly frivolous--a vintage travel trailer that's basically a cowgirl's playhouse on wheels. And of course, wouldn't you know it, camping weather more or less disappeared right about the time I gothttp://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/cowgirls-playhouse-com-on-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-8910850077370686018Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:02:00 +00002008-04-18T11:39:22.921-04:00Horses are capable of teaching you something new every day. My latest lesson is one in herd dynamics--especially between boy-horses! On Sunday, we brought into the barn the yearling Appaloosa colt pictured in one of my recent posts. On Monday, The Tankmeister--our super-senior gelding (age 29), and the self-appointed guardian of Tiffany, the yearling filly--discovered the presence of the http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/lesson-in-herd-dynamics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-2041669110803300794Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:42:00 +00002008-04-16T14:25:16.698-04:00Photo: Me with Tiffany, as she first shed from bay to gray last year. My previous post, with the photo of the Appaloosa, seems to have sparked a Comments discussion on likes and dislikes in equine appearance. We all have them, but they're deeply internalized most of the time. So I just got to thinking, in a more deliberate way, about some of my own internalized likes when it comes to equine http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/eye-of-beholder-what-floats-your-boat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-8674898764859598433Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:57:00 +00002008-04-14T20:01:30.803-04:00A high-pressure system hit these parts for the weekend, to prompt one of those horse-filled weekends that leave you falling happily into bed by Sunday night. I went to "Trainerville," half an hour south of here, to ride Riley and take him some lighter-weight blankets. (It got up to 80 degrees yesterday where he is, probably enough of a shock to his system as it was, without suffering under http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/weekend-update-return-of-short-lived.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-4022166365744112213Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:32:00 +00002008-04-11T13:01:10.136-04:00There's nothing like a sunny-at-last Friday morning to get you in the mood for some weekend horse activity. Care to share your plans for gettin' out into the Nicker Zone? I have plans for a half-day ride/groom/graze session with Riley, for continuing the process of legging up Tank, That 70s Horse, and for creating a horsehair blizzard with the shedding tools. I'm also meeting up tomorrow with http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/ready-for-weekend-with-horses.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-7922313134652314772Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:37:00 +00002008-04-07T14:12:39.431-04:00After you've been writing (and reading) a blog for a while, you begin to recognize some of those who leave comments on a regular basis. And sometimes, in my case, you get to hang out with them in person. On Saturday, I got a chance to ride and go to lunch with Steph, shown here on her Quarter Horse that she shows in Western pleasure. Steph's from northeastern Washington and has her horse with a http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/blog-readers-say-hi-to-steph-regular.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-8898705125797498589Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:00:00 +00002008-04-18T14:30:51.863-04:00The other day, while out feeding the horses at the appointed evening hour, I got to thinking about a horse-world influence that's all but gone these days. It's the one that came from the old farmers and stockmen in my grandfather's generation--people born around 1900 or thereabouts, and who bridged the eras between the horse as utilitarian workmate, and the horse as recreational indulgence. Theyhttp://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/when-old-horsemen-also-were-old-farmers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-726030272405396Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:13:00 +00002008-04-02T14:18:04.004-04:00Stacy Westfall, the phenomenal horsewoman whose bridleless, no-saddle reining video's been sent around the world and back, appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres TV show a couple weeks back. She brought her champion reining freestyle mare, Roxy, into the studio, and let Ellen take a spin on her, too-literally. Watch Stacy on Ellen's show, the full version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMrtJWC7Bvk http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/04/in-case-you-missed-it-stacy-westfall-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-7611124947900078306Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:57:00 +00002008-04-02T09:22:04.635-04:00In the continuing saga of our yearling filly who needed joint surgery last December, and who didn't get a great prognosis for soundness after it was over, here's what's up with Tiffany. She's gone from total stall rest, to being allowed out into a small run, to finally being allowed to have full turnout. Naturally, she's run, bucked, squealed, and carried on the way you'd expect a yearling to http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/do-i-dare-to-let-hope-flicker.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-9212560946891537153Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:56:00 +00002008-03-27T11:24:15.481-04:00In April's issue of Horse & Rider--which came out last week--I used my "Just Between Us" column to openly discuss how the current economy's affecting my horse-related spending. Then I invited readers to tell me their own stories. I've been doing little but fielding their e-mails ever since. That sound we're hearing? It's that of belts being cinched tighter all across the country. That sloshing http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/latest-style-tighter-belts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-5359857637629144769Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:51:00 +00002008-03-25T11:49:04.176-04:00As cowboy humorist Baxter Black puts it, "We all have our vices--to chocolate, chewing tobacco, horse-training clinics...." I can exercise restraint over the vices named by Baxter. But the one I don't seem able to control is the urge to collect vintage paint-by-number horse pictures. I started with a 99-cent one scored at the local Goodwill store, and the next thing I knew, I was stalking them http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/we-all-have-our-vicesthis-is-one-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-3569245245633304277Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:04:00 +00002008-03-24T13:13:06.790-04:00Earlier, when I made some posts about the extraordinary winter we experienced in my part of Idaho, a blog reader or two responded by asking WHY anyone would want to live in such a place. Perhaps this photo will serve as a partial answer. It's of the view out my back door, looking north to some of the acreage we ride on. No houses, no roads, no fences, no developed culdesacs lined with http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/view-out-my-back-door.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-9192378007765147375Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:36:00 +00002008-03-21T20:30:31.243-04:00OK, that May '08 issue of Horse & Rider is out the door, and before I stop to catch my breath, gotta thank everyone for all their questions in response to the last post. The door's still open to further Q's. If I can come up with the A's, I'll post 'em right back at ya! Meanwhile....TGIF!!http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/thanks-for-all-great-questions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-2801193091733063450Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:28:00 +00002008-03-19T12:12:06.808-04:00Ordinarily, I'm the one in this blog-relationship who gets to ask all the questions. Today, to celebrate the official last day of winter (BIG CHEER!!!), I'm reversing the tables--YOU get to ask ME the questions. About horse stuff. About magazine stuff. About personal stuff. Or about any other subject of your choosing, as long as it's not politics or religion. So. We're seated across the table http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/lets-make-this-q-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-5115973129084247579Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:39:00 +00002008-03-18T16:14:08.017-04:00It's a regular work day at Horse & Rider magazine, with the intensity dial turned to High. Our May issue's in its final production throes, which means all staff members are at screen and keyboard, trying to help the process along. I have no way of knowing what you picture in your mind's eye when you imagine us getting the magazine out, but I'll bet it doesn't match the reality. A http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/backstage-at-horse-rider.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-8280669257446515695Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:19:00 +00002008-03-13T17:25:12.298-04:00I did a bit of ranch patrolling yesterday, soaking up a little vitamin D from sunshine, and discovered a souvenir from the record-snowfall winter we had. Snow and gravity seem to have had their way with several sections of the pasture's board fence. I guess we'll be going to the lumberyard before turning any horses out for the season. Naturally, the fence-busting drift didn't land on the sectionhttp://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/as-our-glaciers-recede.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-8724552112814708585Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:07:00 +00002008-03-11T08:21:35.162-04:00Since Saturday was the last day before this year's early start of daylight savings time, I designated it as the Unofficial End of Winter, and celebrated by taking my Quarter Horse gelding, Riley to a local horse show. (Riley's real name is All American Choice--note his American-themed horse blanket hanging over nearby stall door.) Ordinarily, I don't go to horse shows unless I'm figuring on http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/life-of-riley-part-1-end-of-winter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-7998011580630384630Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:09:00 +00002008-03-07T10:59:49.115-05:00Here's a spring-cleaning storage tip I thought I'd pass along: Use Zip-Lok's super-sized see-through bags to store horse blankets after you've laundered them. These giant bags will hold a quilted horse-sized blanket (that's a lot of bulk), and have a carry-handle for ease of transport. They come four to a box, and of course can be used to store/transport any number of other things. Like flakes http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/03/spring-cleaning-storage-tip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-7301164019953125979Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:38:00 +00002008-02-29T12:40:30.937-05:00There's something to be said for having had parents who were brought up as farm kids during the Great Depression (and for having had close relationships with the grandparents who did the bringing up). You learn a waste-not/want-not mentality, and don't throw anything away before asking what else you could do with it. I've never been able to get rid of the Depression-era mindset that shaped my http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/02/finding-ways-to-be-frugal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081618.post-6831031613329899903Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:07:00 +00002008-02-27T14:10:24.955-05:00If my late grandfather (a horseman born just after 1900) were to have seen this photo of a flower-print garment, he'd have had no idea what the item was for. And if I were able to tell him, "Grandpa, this is a piece of horse underwear"--well, I probably wouldn't dare to print what he'd have said. In Grandpa's earliest days, horses wore harnesses. And pulled buggies or harvesters. Even later, whenhttp://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsetalk/2008/02/horse-underwear-one-of-my-favorite.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Juli Thorson)