It's a matter of Preference

When I get a horse that is coming into training, there are some basics that I want to know. Is it up to date on everything? Has the horse ever experienced any lameness? And what do you feed it? That's all I want to know. Seriously that's it!

The last barn I trained out of the owner would always tell the my clients, "She doesn't want to know ANYTHING about the horses training."

Now you can tell me she's "broke", or she doesn't clip, or she is bad with her feet. Those things I'm fine with. But I do not want to know anything about what the horse has done under saddle. Now why is that??

It's because I want to start every horse from ground zero. I want to experiment and test the waters and give the horse the benefit of the doubt! I don't want to know that your horse may buck or rear, all that will do is keep my mind concentrating on when she's going to buck, instead of me concentrating on actual training. I start every horse as if this is their first time being saddled, bridled, lunged, and more. Why? Sometimes, horse people LIE! Plus if I do it this way, then I know I'm taking every precaution in mine and the horses safety. I ground drive EVERY HORSE I have in training. I want to KNOW without a doubt that your horse, turns and has brakes! Then I go through the motions of first backing the horse as if it's his first time *and it may be* and then I mount up and go from there. If the horse really is what the owner said it was, then this process will go much faster. But if the horse isn't then I will know in advance what I'm up against. Most horses will give me tell tale signs of what their mommies and daddies have already done with them, and that is terrific! Some won't and that's OK too. If someone is hell-bent telling me that their horse is broke, then I tell them that THEY need to get on it first. Usually that helps me to weed out the liars from the honest.

What this really is for me is more of an evaluation. If I go through ALL the basics with your horse, then I'm also able to find any gaps in his/her training. So that way you really are getting your moneys worth in training, plus a very happy owner and horse! :)

Now while it's not always a fool-proof method, as sometimes your beloved horse just really needs to get that buck out LOL, it really does make my job a hell of a lot easier.

So my question would be, what methods do/would you use when first meeting a potential mount, training horse, etc?

You put that on Dreamhorse?

GOOOD MORNING!!!!! Happy Monday *ugh* So Dreamhorse is an EXCELLENT site for advertising your horse, tack, trailer, etc. But as of today I have seen it ALL!!! These are actually pictures taken from ads off Dreamhorse. I about split my sides open!!

You really couldn't have waited the 2 extra seconds before she got on this horse to take the pic??? Now they are advertising this horse as DEAD BROKE!! Hmmmmm kinda makes you wonder???

I hate these pictures on general principle that I think they are lame and irresponsible. Now I'll give you the fact they are both wearing helmets. I'll give you the fact that they actually are TRYING to prove that this old mare is dead broke and kid safe. But what I don't get is the reins on the ground... Now I've dropped my reins on the ground before, because I'll be "right back" and it always seemed to end up disastrous. I also know that dropping the reins is sometime a cue for ground tying. But in this case, if that sweet little mare got off balance and had to take a step forward or to the side, she'd step right on those dang reins...

YES!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU THINK IT IS!!! ROFLMAO!!!!! This is an actual picture that I found on Dreamhorse this fine morning. HE'S PEEING!! This right here is the epitome of great advertising!! *sides ache laughing to hard*

Things I wouldn't Touch with a 10 foot Pole!!!!!

Horse trainers are like snowflakes, no two are exactly the same. We don't all use the same equipment to get the same job done. We all have opinions on what works and what doesn't. BUT! I'm not sure that there is a person out there who would use this stuff.

5-Ring-Bit~ WOW!!! The chain link mouth piece sure looks comfy. Ooooh and imagine the leverage you could get. *eeeep*

This is called a Scourier Bit and this is how it's described. "Designed to ensure sharp turns, but can be very severe on the cheeks and jaw producing a pinching action" Geee, that's nice...

Oh-a-my-a-god! We've all seen the twisted wire bits, which IF the wire is thicker and is used properly can be a great tool. This, however, will decapitate your horse at the jaw. Ugh, just imagine if THIS Beauty fell into the mitts of a heavy handed rider.

This is a VERY high port bit with a 7 inch shank!!!!! Can you just feel the damage already!?!?!?!

*I just threw up in my mouth a little*

No comment *GULP*

I'm sorry, and WHAT type of horse requires these?!?!?!?!?

Keep in mind when searching for a bit or spurs, or any other aid for your horse to test it out on your hand first. Place the bit on the palm of your hand and pull down on it as if to simulate it in the horse's mouth. Same thing with spurs, roll them over your palm first!

There is NO reason for any "artificial aid" to make a horse suffer, bleed or be in ANY PAIN! EVER!

Language Barrier

Off Topic: Briefly not horsey -related

Golightly keeps reminding to half-halt my thoughts, and mind when I get on a rant! LOL!! Please keep in mind I will TRY to minimize my insane cursing outbursts! I do want this to be an everyone friendly blog, but sometimes I may let a few "bombs" squeak out. While I don't and will NEVER censor this blog, I will censor myself more often :):)
I'll still say EXACTLY what's on my mind as should ALL OF YOU, but I will try to curb my own @#$%^ LMAO!!
I really love and appreciate every one's comments, input, everything! You should be able to come here to laugh, disagree, amuse yourself, and SPEAK FREELY!! Thank You So much EVERYONE!!!!!

We May Have Found it!!!

OK, so in the post I put up yesterday, about advertising 101, I received an interesting challenge from one of the posters, who wasn't quite convinced that the riding was that terrible in the photos I chose (which I do agree with). So I was challenged to find a genuinely HORRIBLE rider, on a kick-ass horse. Well we've done it! Holy CRAP!!! So, Golightly and I have probably never laughed so hard, so I figured what the hell let's share it!!!! This mare RULES!!!! Would kill have a horse this nice! But...the riding??? Well just check out the youtube videos and see for yourself... Allow me to point put the obvious though. Her stirrups are WAYYYY to long and as my good friend Golightly put it, "And the girl could do a few hundred hours without stirrups, in two-point, oh, on a really springy-dingy horse."

It's been awhile since I've laughed that hard!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDJDQB6Clt0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqYyG1MfUjs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VKNwmDrDAg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGumaGs-h3Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p89y5SbNRU0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxL-tqdUkoU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh7sQTmc_2k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5kMJH9P3Zc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KCjP91QxZw

When Life's Not Fair

As we all know, especially lately, people have no qualms about abandoning their horses, or letting them starve to death. Times are tough for one and all and local rescues everywhere are being stuffed to capacity with the unwanted...

Here in the PNW we have had abuse and starvation cases one right after another. It's like once we have taken down one abuser two more pop up in their place. The auctions are crammed with neglected, thin, bloodied horses, with raunchy feet and a dead look in their eyes. The kill buyers are certainly hitting their quota aren't they??? There are so many of us who try to buy and save the ones we can without a second thought. We'd go broke trying to save just one more...

The hardest thing for me personally is when it hit me that NONE of these horses were ever asked to be born. WE bred them. We bred the grades, the bad conformation, the ill-tempered. We did it, and now because times are tough they suffer and we toss them away like garbage without a second thought.

Our economy has been suffering for quite some time yet people still insisted on breeding their horses... or not being careful enough with their stallions and mares and oooooops here's another badly bred baby.

I just wonder when WE as people will start to accept the responsibility of these living creatures?? When people will quit with the piss-poor breeding, and get out there and train and work with their horses so they are useful to next person they may be sold too. Not only is hard to re home a poorly bred grade horse, but especially one with no experience under it's proverbial belt.

Life's not always fair, and we as horse lovers understand that. The midnight colic's, the beyond repair injuries, but when we actually could have total CONTROL over a situation, yet we don't. That's the hardest to accept. Some of us turn a blind eye, some of us break our banks to help, some of us volunteer at rescues, some of us have no choice but to send our horses down the road.

I perceive the situation to be getting better in the future, but have we actually learned anything???

It seems for the 99.9% of us who love and care for all horses, that the .1% of abusers and negligent owners set us back another 10 paces. Yet we keep pushing on for the greater good.

Someday soon, life will be fair again for our dear friends.

Advertising 101

I do NOT understand why if you are going to sell a horse, ANY HORSE for more than $10,000 why in the HELL you post the world's shittiest pictures in existence!!! Let alone a horse for $80,000 *woosy*

So as usual I have scoured the Internet for these gems, so away we GO!!!!

For the love of...!!! WTF is this shit?!?!?!?!?! OH yes, and they would like $80,000 for this gem... The horse looks great, nice bascule, tucks those legs up nice and tight. But um hello!!! Heels up much???? Helmet???? You would be better off photo shopping this douche-bag OUT of the fucking picture!!!

Hey! Quit Cluster-fucking your god damn ads up with all the nonsense! It's Obnoxious. I want to see 1 thing and 1 thing only the horse!!! $30,000 for this guy!

WHOA!!! Fucking Back Lit much!?!?!?!?!? This horse is a private treaty, so you can guarantee he's way too much money!!!

For $50,000 do you think we could hold the camera straight????

Is a camera with flash to much to ask for???? No? Can't do that? Are we asking too much???

All these horses are really nice, and probably well worth the money, but the pics just crack me up!!!! I mean the photos are the very FIRST thing that you notice in an ad and this is the BEST you can do??? LMAO!!!