LAST CHANCE = AHP survey

LAST CHANCE: AMERICAN HORSE PUBLICATIONS HORSE-INDUSTRY SURVEY!!!

This shall be my last chance to badger you about the American Horse Publications' online industry survey. As I mentioned in a previous post, the deadline was extended to January 31...meaning you have 4 days to do your part!

We at Horse & Rider really do encourage you to participate. It took me no time at all to complete (less than 5 minutes!), and your input has the potential to make a positive impact on the horse industry. And we all know our industry needs it!

I would suspect we ALL want a better 2010 for our horse lives. We ARE the heart and soul of the equine world...as horse owners, lovers, breeders, trainers, teachers...the list goes on and on!

To participate, go to HorseandRider.com, and type Equine Industry Survey American Horse Publications into the search box at the top right of our home page. This will direct you to a short article, detailing the goals of the study and it provides a direct link to the survey. Or, you can go to www.horsesurvey.org.

Thanks H&R friends!!! You guys rock our horse world!

Alana :-)

Help for Haitian Horses???

Help, fellow horse lovers! I haven't heard a lot of coverage about any organizations assisting in the rescue of horses in Haiti after the unfathomable earthquake. Of course, we all understand that humans are the rescue groups' first priority, but I just wanted to put some feelers out there to see if any of you guys were aware of rescue groups for equines? I know the HSUS is assisting in the rescue of dogs and cats, but I couldn't find much information on horses.

Thanks for any information you can provide!

Alana :-)

Thank you! Thank you...for the cold-weather advice!

I just wanted to express my sincere gratitude to all of my H&R blog friends for their comforting words and smart solutions to my previous post, expressing my immense concern for the horses at my barn, who are outdoors 24/7...even when it dipped into the low teens a few weeks ago. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! You guys really put my mind at rest. Here, I'll share a few of the comments, concerns, suggestions, and great words of comfort you guys offered (like my shades of cold blue?):

Did they make it through the cold?  I have a photo of our horses one morning when the temp was -29F. Yes, MINUS 29F. They are standing OUTSIDE the run-in lean/shelter they have access to, just hanging out/dozing.  When I went out to feed, none were shivering or in distress at all. If they are used to being outside 24/7 and can stay dry, you shouldn't feel bad about your horse being outside. That is when he belongs. It is better for him in soooo many ways! 

Your horse situation sounds much like ours, and as long as ours have hay and water they are fine, even in the minus 28 actual/minus 55 wind chill we had the other day. 

I would be concerned if it rains, other than that the extra hay will get them through.  There is a reason they grow that winter "fluff." 

They're fine!!  My horses are out in negative degree wind chill, they have a 3 sided barn to get under and they chose to stay out in the pasture.  Horses are tough! 

I cannot thank you guys enough! You really eased my mind. For those of you who live north of the Red River, I'm sure the following will entertain you. (Please don't laugh! Keep in mind, this IS, in fact, Texas. Even in North Texas, the teens, in terms of temps equate to eminent death/demise for all!)

Once the temps hit the late 30s, the ice succumbed to its fate.

Fortunately, our extremely kind and thoughtful caretaker, made sure our water troughs didn't freeze over. (Can't imagine how NOT fun a job that was.)

We put out lots of extra hay to help keep their body temps up.

And, here's my boy, Memphis...seemingly not caring about the cold in the slightest.

Thanks again to all who contributed! And, if you'll reread the first blogger's comment, above, I completely agree that it truly is SO much better for our horses to live in such an environment. My horse will often be muddy, accumulate minor cuts/scratches, will always have a semi-wooly winter coat (he's a TB), because he lives within an outdoor herd. But the horses at my barn have always seemed a happy bunch. When not being ridden (their day jobs; of course they earn their keep), they're free to live as nature intended them to. And, that makes for happy horses!

~Alana

Sigh...Erin's romantic horse-date saga!

While Erin's office is an entire three feet from mine, I was on the floor wailing in laughter this morning while reading Part 2 of her horses-included dream date. It sounded like one of those moments in which you either succumb to crying, or die laughing. 

However, I have to admit I'm a little jealous. My husband is NOT a horse person. While he's supportive in attending some of my shows and assisting me in photo shoots, horses are definitely not his thing. Our one-and-only ride together was a beach trail ride during a vacation in Padre Island (off the very south tip of Texas). Pre-ride, we were sunbathing on the beach, and I managed to doze off. 

By a stroke of luck I woke up, just in time to get ready to head to the stables on the opposite end of the island. And when I did come to, I looked over at Tread on the beach chase next to me. He was happily sipping a beer, listening to our iPod (and yes, he was wearing a watch). "Uhh, were you just going to let me sleep through our ride?" He tried to look innocent.

Alas, we made it to the stables on time, and I think he had a better time than he let on. He just didn't want me to leave him, when they allowed some of the more experienced riders lope along the ocean front. I have a photo somewhere...if I ever find it I'll share. The look on Tread's face is priceless. But, hey, he was a good sport overall.

So, Erin, consider yourself lucky that at least you and Tanner can share the whole horse "thing."

Cheers,

Alana

Horseback Date Night: Part Two

If you missed Part One of this enchanting tale, you can read it here.

This whole idea for a romantic horseback picnic originated with a wicker picnic basket I received at my bridal shower in Katy. For some reason, I always imagined a perfect picnic would include homemade fried chicken, potato salad, and pie, all wrapped in wax paper and tucked away in such a daahhling basket as the one I was now a proud owner of. But, because the picnic basket came already packed with assorted cheeses, crackers, and other goodies, that was gonna work juuuussst fine.

Tanner (my husband) and I had been talking about this picnic for a while, but actually decided to do it on the spur of the moment one boring evening when we realized that it would be winter pretty soon and picnics are not so fun when it's 38 degrees. We were hoping to time the actual picnic for sunset, so we rushed outside to get the horses ready. I stuffed my saddle bag full of multiple blanket choices and an assortment of gloves, sweater, vest, and jacket options; ya know, in case the plates shifted and we were thrown into alternating hemispheres at random. I rolled up a pallet, mounted up, had Tanner tie on the picnic basket, and we headed off down the road for the short walk to our neighbor's pasture.

That, is when I realized that with every step Stetson took, that precious picnic basket was going to whack me not so gently in the leg. That is when I began wondering if wicker crosshatch motifs imprinted in the skin might come in fashion. That is when I realized Stetson and I could go no faster than a leisurely walk, to prevent my shin from breaking in half. And, that is when I realized that Pepper and Tanner were doing everything BUT walking at a leisurely pace.

You see, Tanner had not worked with Pepper in quite some time, so Pepper was understandably fresh and full of vigor. I quickly realized that holding hands as we piddled down lovers lane was apparently not an option. Instead, as we headed down the dirt road toward our neighbor's pasture, I was left in a cloud of dust.

Tanner took off with Pepper, half the time schooling, and the other half of the time just plain letting him "release his energy", as Tanner calls it -- aka, RUN. They zigged, and zagged, and circled, and galloped, and backed, and side stepped. I sensed the romance dwindling as Tanner's face, red with heat and exertion, led our mismatched party through the pasture like a beacon. Me casually plunking along on my horse and Tanner and Pepper rapidly burning a trail trail straight to.... well, ya know.

So we headed toward our neighbor's pond, because I thought that would be a romantic spot. We all made it there in one piece, unpacked out gear, and hobbled the horses so they could graze. Both horses were safely trained to hobbles, and have been hobbled many times before.

It was looking like things might calm down, as Tanner was starting to cool off and unwind. So we plopped down at our spot and opened up our treasure trove of goodies. After taking turns screaming at the dogs, begging them to stay out of the pond, and then after they didn't listen, employing mixed martial arts techniques to keep them from tracking muck all over our blanket, we started eating.

That's when I realized that we were not the only lovers who found this particular picnic spot enticing. We were joined by hoards of mosquito lovers, and apparently all of their resulting offspring. While biting into an olive, I notice a dingy halo hovering above Tanner's head.
"Ummm.... Tanner. Is that a thought cloud?"
"What?"
"Are there a bunch of mosquitoes circling my head?"
"No."
"Well.... there's like a whole mosquito situation thing going on above your head."
"Hrmp."

Although he claimed he was not being bitten, the little bug cloud stayed perched above his head, and only his head, for the rest of the evening.

As it turned out. We perfectly timed unpacking the picnic basket with the sun setting. It was a beautiful sunset. Magestic. Awe-inspiring.

And it lasted about 2 minutes.

Then, it was pretty much dark. I mean, we could see, but barely. I could see just enough to witness Pepper's head pop up in the air, ears alert, eyes buggin', nostrils flared, etc. Who knows what he saw, or thought he saw, or might have heard. But he was gone in a flash.

If you've never seen a horse run with hobbles on, it can be terrifying, despite their bizarre proficiency at it. Their two front legs become one, and they paw forward, with the hind legs following behind. It's a lumbering spectacle to say the least. And Pepper wasn't just hopping along, I mean he was booking it -- and managing it remarkably well. And of course, Stetson had no choice but to follow suit. I'm not sure why, but Tanner retrieved the horses, brought them back closer to our picnic site, and sat back down, hoping to continue our picnic in the dark. Of course, they thundered off again a few minutes later, running even deeper into the farthest corners of our neighbor's property, before resuming their grazing happily.

So, in the dark, we stuffed our faces with the last of the hummus, gathered up all our junk in our arms (including my wardrobe options), and trekked through the hay looking for our trustworthy mounts.

On the way home, there was a fleeting moment when Tanner and I stopped to share a kiss. And maybe that's why, after it all, I started planning our next horseback picnic. Mind you, there will be some adjustments for the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of animal and human participants alike!

Answers from Al

As promised, Alana and I have some answers for y'all from our semi-recent Dinner Date with Al Dunning. Where else to take a cowboy, but the Uncle Buck's Steak House attached to the massive Bass Pro Shop (hunting, fishing, and outdoor sports) in Grapevine, Texas? Just to make y'all jealous to let y'all know, we had a great time with Al. Some people with big names get big heads, but not Al Dunning. He's friendly, humble, sincere, and full of knowledge. He was more than happy, in fact quite eager, to answer the several questions readers posted on our blog and on our Facebook page.

Judy Falzon: How do you see new trends in training and competing these days and in the future? Better? Worse? Interesting? Troubling?
Al: I see trends for what they are -- just trends. There will always be fads in the horse industry, whether they're in fashion or training. The thing about trends is, they come and go. So, I don't really concern myself with trends. I stick with what I know best, what's worked for me, and what's right for the horses.

L.A. Pomeroy: OK Al, I'll put my 'classic icebreaker question to ya. Do you remember your first horse (or pony), and what did that horse teach you as a rider and as a horseman, that you have carried with you to this day?
Al: My first horse was Roxy, an older bay mare. We bought her in 1958 when I was 10 years old. I had no saddle, and I had to learn to ride bareback. She took the fear about riding horses away from me. She was a cool horse.

April Fingerlos: When are you coming to the Denver metro area for a clinic in 2010?
Al: I'll be at CSU in June!

April: Do you mind if a super well broke horsemanship/western pleasure horse shows up, and wants to use basic reining skills to start scoring higher in pattern work without actually stepping toward a reining class? Or, is that too distracting to your reining-focused participants? (this horse couldn't do a sliding stop to save his life--his back is WAY too long to get his hocks that far under him!) We wouldn't show up at a cattle clinic, though I have used this horse to hold the herd in the cutting pen before.
Al: Actually, this happens all the time. What I do, is use basic reining fundamentals to make a better-broke horse. The horse will stop, turn, and maneuver better; he'll rein better, with out actually being a reining horse.

April: What did you ask Santa for, for Christmas? I imagine a LOT of riders asked for a clinic with Al!
Al: I just ask for my family to be together--for the people around me to be happy. I believe it's always better to give people happiness, rather than give them "stuff."

I NEED some consolation!!!

OK ~ I know there are those of you who will laugh at me, and I perfectly accept it. Actually, it's rather encouraging. But, you see, I was born, raised, and still live in Dallas. Texas, that is. It's not supposed to get cold here. I'm accustomed to 75-degree Christmas Days. Strappy sandals in October, November, February. If it get below 60 here, we bust out our ski-wear. If a snowflake is within a 100-mile radius, the news anchors chase it like the Holy Grail.

But this year, it is C-O-L-D!!! I'm not talking wimpy-Texas cold. It's like 17 degrees, with a wind chill of 6, or possibly below 0. NEVER has it been this cold in Texas since I've owned a horse. 

So, here's where I need your help. The place where I board my horse (beloved farm/ranch that I've been riding at for almost 20 years): Our horses are turned out 24-hours a day, unless working, etc.; they don't have much wind shelter besides trees and a valley. We had a loafing shed at one point, but all the horses destroyed it and hurt themselves on it. 

We give them extra hay, they have good winter haircoats (our barn managers don't allow us to blanket our horses for fear it would cause worse injury than without), and they all huddle together with their butts facing the wind. BUT, I can't help but wanting to cry when I know Memphis is out in this, and I'd prefer him to be munching hay by the fireside with me.

What do you guys think? Is this OK? I know I'm an over-protective horse mother, but I just get so worried about the cold...even though, my rational side knows that horses much prefer cold over heat.

Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated!

Alana, distressed!