Having the vet over for routine spring vaccinations is a good day that we always enjoy. I guess to some, spending two hours in an environment with dozens upon dozens of needles doesn't sound like fun. The 1200 pound beasties being stuck with them "surprise!" waking them from their cozy accomodations and naps and daydreams might agree with you. It is an important day for our herd's health. We have the vet there for routine work which is a low key visit, there isn't a crampy colic or cut needing stitches.
The enjoying part is that we get to chat with our vet about new science, and spend time going over each horse, sharing our parasite control rotation and latest feed strategies. We discuss their overall health and any concerns and questions about attitude, appetite, their job, and everything from their hair coat to their manure in the quest to keep them happy and healthy. He gives suggestions and shares new technologies, sports medicine advances and new studies that are out.
The most surprising thing I heard today from the Doc was that he just read a study in racehorses that shows playing a radio in the barn, even soft music, can contribute to ULCERS!
Nicholas smile brightened up the aisle with that news!
Nicholas 1, Radio 0.
Home of fine American Saddlebred Horses. Welcome to the farm blog! What's been seen & "herd"? Read on! Thanks for joining us.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
TGIF Musical Intermission- from The Corb Lund Band
"mighty neighborly...miiiiiiiiightly neighborly"
Since Sammy has the sniffles, & this is his favorite (knows it by heart) let's repeat this song for this week's Friday's musical intermission.
Don't ya secretly wish in Spring that MUD was a cash crop?
Since Sammy has the sniffles, & this is his favorite (knows it by heart) let's repeat this song for this week's Friday's musical intermission.
Don't ya secretly wish in Spring that MUD was a cash crop?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Well Said!
Ten Ways Horses Build Character in Children
by: Sean Russell
by: Sean Russell
1. Learn Responsibility - Horses will teach your child responsibility very quickly. Make sure that your child does all the work involved in caring for the horse. Everything from feeding, cleaning stalls, grooming, saddling and riding. Children will want to ride but they may not always be eager to do the work. However children almost always fall in love with the horses that they handle and they will want to take as good care of them. Once they know that the horse depends on them and that in order to ride they have to take good care of the horses, they will learn to be more responsible in other aspects of there life.
2. Learn Trust - Horses must be able to trust their handlers. One of the first things that your child will learn about handling and riding horses is to be trustworthy and dependable, because if the horse doesn't trust its handler it will not obey him/her. This can be a very valuable life long lesson for your child.
3. Learn to be Open Minded - Every horse is different and will have to be handled differently. A good horseman never stops learning, even experts and trainers will admit that they learn something new everyday from their horses. Horses will make your child realize that learning is an on going process that never ends. This can transcend into other aspects, such as school and relationships.
4. Build Confidence - Horses are large and intimidating, so naturally it takes a lot of confidence to be able to control one. Letting a your child handle a gentle horse will do wonders for their confidence. Most people are naturally a little bit timid, especialy a child of horses because they are so big. By handling a gentle horse children will overcome their fear and learn that they can safely handle and control the same animal that they were once had great fear of. The better your child learns how to handle the horse, the more confident he/she will become. When children do well with the horses that they handle, their confidence goes up and their self esteem improves. They now realize that this huge creature they were once afraid of is a beautiful and loving animal.
5. Learn Patience - Horses are like children themselves, and training a horse is much like teaching a child. When your child has become a confident and skilled rider, letting them help train a horse will be an excellent experience for them. Horses require a lot of patience because training a young horse involves a lot of repetition and time. This is a lesson that will follow them in all aspects of life.
6. Self Discipline - Horses take a lot of time and work, so your child will have to be dedicated to learning how to ride and handle horses effectively. I have found that dedication is rarely something that children lacks when it comes to horses. People, especially young people, have a natural attraction to horses and enjoy spending time with them. However, because horses are a lot of work your child will soon learn self discipline. For example, instead of sleeping in in the morning, they will be up and out feeding and cleaning. Horses must be fed twice daily and have access to fresh water at all times. Their stalls must be cleaned regularly and they must receive regular exercise. This will take a lot of time, but most people find that it is worth it for the time they get to spend riding, or just being with horses.
7. Teaches Sensitivity - Horses can be very sensitive creatures. They have keen senses, and can sense if someone is afraid, angry, happy, etc. They communicate with body language and are very sensitive to their handler's body position. Because horses are so sensitive, the handler must be also. The handler must be able to tell how the horse is feeling and why it is behaving the way it is. The handler must learn to interpret the horses body language and to communicate effectively with the horse using its own language. When a horse misbehaves, the handler must decide whether or not the horse is doing so out of fear, stubbornness, anger, pain etc. and must respond appropriately.
8. How to Learn From Our Mistakes - When your child first starts learning to ride and handle horses they will make a lot of mistakes and will learn quickly not to make the same mistake twice. That is what horsemanship is all about. When a rider makes a mistake he/she cannot deny it. They must acknowledge the mistake and correct it. The rider must move on after correcting the mistake and not dwell on it. Handling and riding horses will teach your child to use their past mistakes to improve their future horsemanship skills and this will tanscend into other aspects of your childs life.
9. Learn Respect - Children will learn to respect their horses and themselves. Horses are large, dangerous creatures and they demand respect, yet in order to be handled safely they must also respect their handlers. By learning how to handle a horse, children will become more respectful of there horse and its nature. By being trustworthy, confident and responsible your child will earn the respect of there horse.
10. To Have Fun - Last but certainly no least, your child should have fun and enjoy being apart of the horse life style. You don't want to put too much demand on your child, you need to let them have fun with there horse as well as know when its time to be serious.
I hope the information provided here will help you realize how important it is for you to find a creative yet fulfilling way for you to teach your child all aspects of owning and caring for a horse.
2. Learn Trust - Horses must be able to trust their handlers. One of the first things that your child will learn about handling and riding horses is to be trustworthy and dependable, because if the horse doesn't trust its handler it will not obey him/her. This can be a very valuable life long lesson for your child.
3. Learn to be Open Minded - Every horse is different and will have to be handled differently. A good horseman never stops learning, even experts and trainers will admit that they learn something new everyday from their horses. Horses will make your child realize that learning is an on going process that never ends. This can transcend into other aspects, such as school and relationships.
4. Build Confidence - Horses are large and intimidating, so naturally it takes a lot of confidence to be able to control one. Letting a your child handle a gentle horse will do wonders for their confidence. Most people are naturally a little bit timid, especialy a child of horses because they are so big. By handling a gentle horse children will overcome their fear and learn that they can safely handle and control the same animal that they were once had great fear of. The better your child learns how to handle the horse, the more confident he/she will become. When children do well with the horses that they handle, their confidence goes up and their self esteem improves. They now realize that this huge creature they were once afraid of is a beautiful and loving animal.
5. Learn Patience - Horses are like children themselves, and training a horse is much like teaching a child. When your child has become a confident and skilled rider, letting them help train a horse will be an excellent experience for them. Horses require a lot of patience because training a young horse involves a lot of repetition and time. This is a lesson that will follow them in all aspects of life.
6. Self Discipline - Horses take a lot of time and work, so your child will have to be dedicated to learning how to ride and handle horses effectively. I have found that dedication is rarely something that children lacks when it comes to horses. People, especially young people, have a natural attraction to horses and enjoy spending time with them. However, because horses are a lot of work your child will soon learn self discipline. For example, instead of sleeping in in the morning, they will be up and out feeding and cleaning. Horses must be fed twice daily and have access to fresh water at all times. Their stalls must be cleaned regularly and they must receive regular exercise. This will take a lot of time, but most people find that it is worth it for the time they get to spend riding, or just being with horses.
7. Teaches Sensitivity - Horses can be very sensitive creatures. They have keen senses, and can sense if someone is afraid, angry, happy, etc. They communicate with body language and are very sensitive to their handler's body position. Because horses are so sensitive, the handler must be also. The handler must be able to tell how the horse is feeling and why it is behaving the way it is. The handler must learn to interpret the horses body language and to communicate effectively with the horse using its own language. When a horse misbehaves, the handler must decide whether or not the horse is doing so out of fear, stubbornness, anger, pain etc. and must respond appropriately.
8. How to Learn From Our Mistakes - When your child first starts learning to ride and handle horses they will make a lot of mistakes and will learn quickly not to make the same mistake twice. That is what horsemanship is all about. When a rider makes a mistake he/she cannot deny it. They must acknowledge the mistake and correct it. The rider must move on after correcting the mistake and not dwell on it. Handling and riding horses will teach your child to use their past mistakes to improve their future horsemanship skills and this will tanscend into other aspects of your childs life.
9. Learn Respect - Children will learn to respect their horses and themselves. Horses are large, dangerous creatures and they demand respect, yet in order to be handled safely they must also respect their handlers. By learning how to handle a horse, children will become more respectful of there horse and its nature. By being trustworthy, confident and responsible your child will earn the respect of there horse.
10. To Have Fun - Last but certainly no least, your child should have fun and enjoy being apart of the horse life style. You don't want to put too much demand on your child, you need to let them have fun with there horse as well as know when its time to be serious.
I hope the information provided here will help you realize how important it is for you to find a creative yet fulfilling way for you to teach your child all aspects of owning and caring for a horse.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Nicholas harnesses a different kind of horsepower!
Happy Easter from the 45th parallel! Fun visiting the family farm in the snow belt.
Friday, March 21, 2008
A TGIF musical intermission
Besides this was filmed in Devon...........the other Devon, in Alberta, Canada-a roughneck anthem that can't be far from horse training on general principle... Enjoy more of the Corb Lund Band, simple truth.
"It's 35 below or its 98 above...
And he's workin' thru it all, cuz baby this is what he loves
Drives a hundred-fifty miles make sure his kids are doin' fine...
And he sees 'em when he can but he's married to his iron...
He got the power in his heart and the dragons in his chest
Yeah."
Besides this was filmed in Devon...........the other Devon, in Alberta, Canada-a roughneck anthem that can't be far from horse training on general principle... Enjoy more of the Corb Lund Band, simple truth.
"It's 35 below or its 98 above...
And he's workin' thru it all, cuz baby this is what he loves
Drives a hundred-fifty miles make sure his kids are doin' fine...
And he sees 'em when he can but he's married to his iron...
He got the power in his heart and the dragons in his chest
Yeah."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
AHCC Winter Tournament March 2008
Congratulations riders! Check out these happy smiles. The Arabian Horse Club of CT does a fantastic job with this series: helpful staff, wonderful judges, educational opportunties, and classes for all! Our riders placed in the top ribbons all day long and we had a blast supporting each other and celebrating the milestones we made.
Call Villa Stables today to find out how you can get involved in riding and showing. You do not need to own your own horse to show! Riders showing in the Academy and Tournament levels start out with an abbreviated and economical riding habit and equipment and great fun is had by all. Most importantly, we learn and have fun together. Call today! 860-599-1990
Saturday, March 15, 2008
More from Bert the Chimney Sweet, I mean SWEEP!
What a SUPER trail horse he would make (see his first blog appearance a few days ago, below)! To adopt Bert or another horse from Saddlebred Rescue visit www.saddlebredrescue.com or call Pat Johnson @ 908-304-3560.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
SUPPORT SADDLEBRED RESCUE
At Villa Stables we partner with and support Saddlebred Rescue, Inc- a 501c3 non-profit breed rescue that saves American Saddlebreds from slaughter and human consumption. Saddlebred Rescue needs continued support from the Saddlebred community to continue to do their good works. This beautiful fella is one of the lucky ones and he's available for fostering or adoption.
Please meet: Bert the Chimney Sweep
American Saddlebred gelding 17ish, 16 hands, Chestnut. Walks and trots with a very, very cute way of going. Kind, kind, kind.
Check out his picture! http://forum.saddlebredrescue.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=154
And here's a VIDEO! Watch him in action- http://www.saddlebredrescue.com/jmolback/Videos/bert.wmv
Traffic Jam in Clarks Falls
From the "Things you have to see to believe" department...
What's worse than the sight of a herd of cows loose galloping up the road scattering willy nilly while the farmers try their mightiest to contain them?
The well meaning but 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' roadside surveyor with her fingers in the corners of her mouth WHISTLING and running behind them in an attempt to help- thereby making them run scared-er and fast-er-in the wrong direction!
Honest to Pete.
Saw it with my own eyes out the kitchen window!
What's worse than the sight of a herd of cows loose galloping up the road scattering willy nilly while the farmers try their mightiest to contain them?
The well meaning but 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' roadside surveyor with her fingers in the corners of her mouth WHISTLING and running behind them in an attempt to help- thereby making them run scared-er and fast-er-in the wrong direction!
Honest to Pete.
Saw it with my own eyes out the kitchen window!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)