Great Teachers

One of my goals on the horsemanship journey was to find a great riding coach that could help improve my technical riding ability. Last summer one of my former students/now friend, invited me to watch her lesson with Ruth Ratcliffe, at Moose Hill Ranch in Bragg Creek.

My friend Dar bought Echo as a 2 year old - Echo is a big, beautiful black mare who, as a youngster, was quite strong willed. There were times when Dar doubted that she was the right person for Echo. Seeing their harmonious riding partnership was truly magical and Dar attributed much of her success with Echo to her riding coach Ruth.

Just last week I started taking lessons with Ruth and have already acquired a better understanding of western riding after only two lessons. I've been fortunate to have many wonderful horse and human teachers along my journey and Ruth will be right up there for me. Ruth Ratcliffe is a truly gifted coach; compassionate, funny, knowledgeable and very accomplished. It came as no surprise to learn that Ruth has also been awarded Coach of Year.

I've never been delusional about my riding ability - while adequate I'm not a great rider. However, now that I am doing more rehabilitation work with horses that I want to re-home, I want to be able to bring them to another level under saddle. Not to mention I would like to bring my own personal horses, Dexter and Nevar to another level.

Leopold has also been a great teacher for me. Riding Leopold has been rewarding but his fidgety, nervous behavior in the barn was frustratingly irritating. I tried hard to stick to more traditional training methods with Leopold knowing it would likely be more in line with his future when he finds his perfect person. However, after one extremely annoying evening in the barn with him, I heard Linda Tellington-Jones in my head saying he doesn't know how to be any other way - so show him another way to be. Even trying to do TTouch on Leopold was irritating because the bugger simply wouldn't stand still so the other day I reverted to clicker training. The change in our interaction was profound. Instead of dreading another barn session with Leopold, I now happily anticipate playing with him and thinking of new things to teach him. When I read articles or hear folks saying that clicker training is a bad thing, I can only think they don't understand the power of operant conditioning and they haven't seen it done well, if at all. Just like any training method or tool, used badly, it can get ugly. Leopold is now standing quietly in the barn with his head relaxed and giving me each foot nicely without falling out of position. This may not seem like a big deal to some folks, but I do my own trimming and when a horse doesn't stand still and balanced, it makes the job so much harder.

Leopold's bravery is beginning to emerge now that he is relaxed and thinking rather than being fidgety and reactive. Anyone who has handled many horses knows that training a relaxed, curious horse is much more effective than training a tense, worried horse; as well as being much safer for the rider/handler.

Ruth is teaching me to be a more effective rider and Leopold is teaching me to trust what I know to help him be a calm, happy horse.

Tovie and Leopold

Is there a Difference Between a Horseperson and a Rider?

A horseperson has time, knowledge, and skill; or the desire to learn, to help a horse through an issue or prevent undesirable behavior before it becomes habitual.

A rider is somebody with a very busy life that simply wants to ride once a week on a safe, uncomplicated horse.

Determining which of the above realistically applies to you is important to know before buying a horse. Horses that do everything we want in any weather or circumstance; and can handle our mistakes are rare - if they exist at all. They are typically the older experienced horse that has been there done that; or they can be a younger horse that someone has put hours and hours of time into.

My experience with folks buying horses is they don't want to buy an older horse because of the potential for health issues, such as worn out joints and teeth, that can accompany them; and they don't want to pay the amount of money required for a really well trained younger horse that someone has put hours and hours of time and experience on. Although, even a young horse that has received hours of good training and consistent use can easily develop behavioural issues when mistakes are made by an inexperienced horse owner or they are neglected due to busy lives.

It is my belief that once we become horse owners, it is incumbent on us to become the best horseperson possible, for the horse's sake.

I went to see Fonzi and his new owner last Sunday after learning that things had gone from bad to worse over the past couple of weeks, due to an ill fitting saddle. Fonzi tried to tell her by not standing still for saddling and mounting; and when he wasn't heard, things escalated into him bucking her and the property owner off. When I saddled him with a saddle I knew was comfortable for him, he didn't disappoint and I was happy to discover that he hadn't learned to buck from this small incident.

However his new owner doesn't feel she can overcome her jitters; and then seeing how well Fonzi did for me, she is now convinced she isn't the right person for Fonzi after all. Fixing horses that are mistrustful of people is a far easier task than fixing people that mistrust their horse.

Since my mission in life is to help folks get started well with horses, taking Fonzi back was never a question. If I don't take him back, what would become of him. How can his new owner sell him if she isn't comfortable demonstrating him and he is way too good of a horse to become a pasture ornament.

Tovie & Fonzi

Life is Good

Since my last post I have managed to ride Leopold every day without incident. After the one episode of crow hopping with the saddle, he has never offered to do anything remotely silly again. Saturday morning we even progressed to a canter without incident. During the first few rides, I prefer to use the halter or side pull (bitless) but I found it difficult to soften Leopold at the poll for vertical flexion. Yesterday I decided to see how he goes in the mylar bit. Once again Leopold didn't disappoint. He responds nicely to the bit and flexed beautiful through the poll.

Sherri came out to ride Magnum while I was riding Leopold in the round pen. The weather was a balmy 20 above and Leopold was super calm and responsive and so we decided to see how he would do out on the trails and in the back hay field - FANTASTIC! Leopold was relaxed and confident and actually took the lead away from good ole' Magnum who got stuck and didn't want to go into the trees. Nothing is perfect and my only complaint is that the trees on the trails seem much lower when riding taller horses. We did some walk/trot transitions out in the field and we practiced our leg yields while riding down the road.

Hopefully this dry footing continues so we can get a few more rides in before the snow flies.

Tovie and Leopold the Great!

So Much to Be Thankful For

After The Fonz moved along, I hesitated to bring another horse in so soon; primarily because I wanted to spend some time with Dexter and Nevar while the weather is still good.

I am so grateful that I changed my mind about taking beautiful Leo after all. He has been an absolute joy to play with. Even though I sound like a broken record because I feel that about every horse I play with - it is so true. It could be the somewhat unconventional variety of training methods I employ to help horses overcome their issues that makes it all so much fun.

It is hard to know what groundwork exercises Leopold was exposed to before he came to me as the only videos I saw showed traditional lunge work and chute jumping him. Yet, his focus and relaxation make everything I ask of him seem like he has done it a million times before. Yesterday, I put a saddle on him and he stood quietly throughout the process and then quietly walked out to the arena. However, as soon as I sent him out onto the circle - he started to crow hop. His behavior was strangely odd in the sense that he didn't seem scared or mad - just crow hopped a few times and then we carried on with our business without further incident. The TTouch body exploration work indicated no apparent back pain and he wasn't cinchy at all as I gradually tightened the girth. Will be interesting to see how he responds to the saddle today.

Gord took video of Leopold yesterday showing how well he is coming along with the ground work; lateral flexion, parking at the mounting block, and w/t/c transitions up and down. He doesn't mind when I bounce the giant equine ball off his back and around him, nor does he mind my slapping the ground with the stick and string. He actually seems to become more confident every day. Once the video is ready, Gord will download it on You Tube.

Tovie, Gord, and Leopold

Big Mistake...

All my friends at our barn decided that Leo's name wasn't sophisticated enough for such a gorgeous animal and so we now call him Leopold.

Typically when a new horse arrives, I spend several days introducing the new horse to one or two of our geldings at a time. Occasionally we meet a horse that causes nary a ripple amongst our herd and we turn them out sooner. That was Leopold - clearly not challenging any of our "boys" over the fence and so I made the decision, early Saturday morning, to turn Leopold out to the large field with our "boys". Erika had told me that Leopold had been turned out to pasture with wire fencing so I mistakenly assumed he would be OK.

Naturally, Leopold was excited to run. Our 4 laid back "boys" didn't even bother to run with him; and Dexter, Skeeter and Navar ran with him for a short while before giving up. Leopold however, just kept running all by himself - looking like he was having the time of his life. It was glorious to behold until suddenly Leopold started running straight at the 3 strand barb wire fence. As I stood watching in horror, thinking he was going to jump it, he ran straight through it. It didn't even slow him down and now he was running through our hay field where the gates are wide open to our neighbour's field. I stayed calm and tried to call Leopold to me and just when I thought he was heading my way, doesn't he go through the barb wire fence again to get back into the field with the other horses.

Thankfully, our boys come to a call so I quickly put out several piles of hay and Leopold came in with them. I was sickened by the thought of what I would see when he finally came in as I have seen wire fence injuries and they are, more often than not, horrific. I quickly put Leopold back in the rail paddock with a hay bag and was shocked by what I saw. Aside from a couple of minor scrapes of hair missing on his chest, one superficial scrape on a hind leg, and one tiny little drop of blood on his front leg - he was absolutely fine. First I cried with relief and then I pondered how to tell Gord he would be fixing fence that day.

I had so much to be grateful for that morning, including the fact that our lazy stock horses had given up following Leopold because with all that wire down, it could have been catastrophic.

In hindsight, it may have helped to put hay piles out in the field first and then taken Leopold in hand around the perimeter of the entire field so he had an awareness of the fence line.

Needless to say, Leopold will be staying in the rail paddock for the time being. Not sure if I will ever be comfortable putting him out to the pasture again. It is a lot more work to have him in but he is definitely worth the extra effort.

Tovie, Leopold and Leopold's Angels

Leopold the Great

July 10th I received the following message from Page Campbell of Westwood Warmbloods up at Spruce Grove, AB.:

I have been asked to help rehome a very special horse. (And this is an essay, so I apologize):
Leo is a 2008 Chestnut Warmblood Gelding, 16.2 (and we think he's still growing), with a ridiculously nice pedigree; by Der Lord (Hanoverian), out of a Hanoverian-Approved, Lord Vancouver (Thoroughbred) daughter. He is one of the last breedings by Rudiger Dupierry before he retired.
He is a friendly boy, first to greet you in the field. Reasonably easy keeper, he’s lived both inside and out, always kept on a regular farrier schedule, and has had regular handling. He loads and trailers well.
He is extremely athletic and talented, with very nice movement, free jumps four feet with ease.
That said, he is not an easy horse, and circumstances have not been in his favour.
He was born here at Westwood Warmbloods, but as I mentioned, is not of our breeding program - his mother (who is lovely) was purchased in foal. As a five year old, he was sent out to be started, and they had no issues with him. When he came back, he was added to a very long list of horses in training - and unfortunately, as it so often is in this business, triage is the name of the game - client horses first, maintenance on school horses, prospects with interested buyers, not to mention teaching ground manners to younger stock, and our trainer's personal horses. Leo tends to need more persuasion than most, and a steadier, consistent hand, so even among his very small group of age-mates, he was not the first in line.
Then he bucked under saddle a couple of times, and moved even further down the list - our trainer no longer felt comfortable letting assistant trainers ride him, and he had never progressed to being ridden by advanced students. Then, he was cut from the list altogether last winter due to lack of time.
He had a chiropractor look at him, had his saddle adjusted, and a new girth, but honestly, we think it was just high spirits. He has come back into work again this spring, and he hasn't bucked since, but his work has been very limited - he's been lunged in tack at all three gaits and over poles, but so far just walking under saddle working on promoting relaxation. The trainer who started him suggested we move him back into a western saddle because that is how he was started, but our trainer doesn't ride western. From what we've done, he seems to be much more mature than he was at five, or even six.
Here at Westwood, we practice Classical Dressage in the style of Legerete, which means we have not used side reins, draw reins, or a flash noseband on Leo. We focus on getting the horse to soften, move lightly and forward. We try to reward even the smallest amount of try, so that next time the horse tries harder. Leo tends to approach all sessions the same way;
1) OMG you want me to do what?
2) Yeah, I don't think so.
3) Okay, fine, if you insist, that's really not that awful.
Leo would very much benefit from someone who had time to earn his trust; he's naturally suspicious and takes care of himself.
Sitting in a field at the bottom of the training list is no good for Leo. Our priority still has to be our clients and their horses, fiscally, we can't afford to invest in Leo as much time as he needs. However, we've found it very difficult to market Leo; he may have ten thousand dollars of breeding, and ten thousand dollars of talent, but he needs five thousand dollars of training. And not only that, he needs to sell soon; being green at seven is acceptable, being green at ten is totally unmarketable. We've priced him ridiculously low, and have spent a long time weeding out homes that are just well, inappropriate. We're willing to keep him forever if the alternative is the meat truck, but Leo deserves better.
We've also done the worst thing you can do when selling a horse - we've been completely honest about him to everyone who has contacted us.
Let's be totally honest; we are willing give Leo away to a quality home. I would love to do a Dollar, or Fonzi deal with you; but would also appreciate any help, advice, suggestions or recommendations you can provide.
Anyone reading Page's message can feel how much Westwood cares about the horses in their care and while I was completely ignorant about Leo's breeding and warmbloods in general, I felt compelled to help. At the time I explained to Page that I couldn't take Leo until I had found Fonzi's perfect person. However, once Fonzi left, I decided to spend more time with Dexter and Navar and so I sent Page a message saying I couldn't take Leo after all. Only thing is, I forgot to hit send. The following week, Page emailed asking if it was still OK to bring Leo the end of September. After discussing with Gord (who has been as neglected as Dexter and Navar), we made the decision to take him to give him a chance. Leo was delivered by the owner of Westwood Warmbloods, Erika and her brother Colin, Thursday, October 1st.

Beautiful Fall and Not so Beautiful Fall

Now that Fonzi has moved along, its me and Dexter again and with the fantastic fall weather, we've been enjoying some beautiful rides. A couple of weeks ago, Dexter and I were cantering in the field when he stumbled on some uneven ground and fell to his knees. There I was catapulting through the air over his head. Thankfully I was wearing my helmet and got up relatively unharmed so I decided to get back on and finish the ride on a good note. While the potential for injury is the same whether the horse stumbles, spooks, bucks, bolts, or rears, a horse falling doesn't seem to take the same emotional toll.

Last weekend, my friend Lena invited Gord and I to ride with her and some of her friends down at Waldron Ranch. The Ranch is located south of Claresholm in the gorgeous Porcupine Hills and riding these hills has long been on my bucket list. The colours were spectacular, the weather fantastic, and the people we rode with was one of the best groups of folks we have ever ridden with. Connie and her husband Mike are the Managers of the Waldron Ranch and Connie and her gorgeous buckskin, Valentine, were terrific guides.

Can`t thank Lena enough for inviting us along for the ride with Ken & Peggy, Sandy and Connie. Hope we can do it again.

Happy Fall!
Tovie, Dexter, Gord and Magic

The Fonz is Soooo Cool

Fonzie has been reliable and consistent so I felt the time was right to start advertising to find his perfect person. Fonzie will give you his heart and soul if he trusts you but he is not an easily trusting horse so not for everybody - definitely the sort of horse that needs a relationship with his person.

Last weekend we were invited to join Rob Kroeger for a ride at Wareabouts Ranch - near Mesa Butte. Rob is one of my favourite horse people - he is a professional horse trainer and all around nice guy.

I decided to take The Fonz on the ride to see what he would be like in a group, around mares and on the trails and he definitely didn't disappoint. It all starts with loading into the trailer and even without a lead rope, I just point at the trailer and Fonz jumps right in. In my books that is a great start.

Despite the chaos of showing up at a training facility where there are a bunch of anxious youngsters and horses out of their element, Fonz was brilliant. I was a bit worried about going with a group, especially because there were mares going with us. All my worry was for naught - Fonz wasn't just OK - he was exceptional. If nobody knew his past, they'd never thought he was anything but a gorgeous, well mannered boy. We did a grueling and challenging 3 hour mountain ride and I can honestly say, I've never felt more comfortable riding any horse. He was sure footed and completely focused on the terrain. We came across some cattle and so I decided to see how he would be and just like everything I've asked of him - he was confident and trusting.

At Wareabouts, they have what I call, the bridge from hell. The bridge crosses Wareabouts Creek and is a steel grate bridge that you can see through. Aside from being quite high with no sides and terribly noisy, the horses can see the creek flowing underneath the bridge. It is not a bridge for the faint of heart and Fonz went across that bridge without hesitation. I couldn't have been prouder of him than I was in that moment. At one point I was about 1/3 of the way across the bridge when Gord announced he wanted to video us so I backed him off just as easily as that. I LOVE THIS HORSE!

Needless to say, I was a little more than skeptical when I came home that evening to several messages from a gal named "Tina" who was very interested in meeting The Fonz. We arranged a meeting for Sunday and it is with mixed feelings that I have to say, she was his perfect person. Everyone falls in love with a black horse so I didn't really care how she felt about the horse. Instead, I was watching how The Fonz responded to her and it was magical. I ended up telling Tina that I would cry if she took him and cry if she didn't. She left telling me she had a couple more horse to meet that afternoon and would let me know by the end of the day.

She came back twice that day and the deal was made. To my delight, she loves what I am teaching and asked if they could stay until the end of September so she could learn some of the "moves" Fonz already knows. If you don't already know how I sell a horse; I sell him with a money back guarantee. The horse leaves me happy, sound and healthy. If it doesn't work out for any reason (could be a cranky pasture mate you have no control over), you bring him back sound and healthy - I can always make him happy again. Happy Person = Happy Horse and Happy Horse = Happy Person!

Talk about six degrees of separation, Tina will be boarding Fonz at a facility where our good friends, Chris & Uli, keep their horses. Gord bought Magic from Chris and we often tease him that he sold the best horse he ever owned. Chris admits that for some reason, he and Magic simply didn't click. Another great reminder that just because a horse doesn't work out well for you, doesn't make him a bad horse. I whole heartedly thought Uli and Fonz would make a wonderful pair and Uli's horse Hank is having stifle issues. However, I completely respect the fact that Uli isn't ready to give up on Hank just yet by replacing him.

Now that The Fonz is moving on, I will finally have some time to get back to Nevar and Dexter. Nevar is starting out so well and my beloved Dexter has been terribly neglected this year. That alone makes the sadness of Fonz leaving bearable; as does the joy I see in Tina's face - she was absolutely vibrating with excitement.

Another Happy Ending - Tovie & Fonz

Nevar's First Rides

Nobody will dispute that I am not a breed or colour snob and that I absolutely adore every horse that crosses my path.

As a young girl, I used to go to my then, best friend's, Auntie Sis's farm and she had this old grulla mare named Topsy. By the time we were done grooming and pampering Topsy she shone like a fancy schmancy show horse. We doubled her bareback until at least one of us fell off - usually landing in a cow patty; and then laughed so hard we nearly peed our pants.

It must have been the joy of being with Topsy that I developed a love for the colour grullo (male) and grulla (female). After many years of learning and practice, I finally felt I wouldn't mess up a youngster too badly so I announced to my husband that I wanted to have a baby. He quickly reminded me that in my 50s it was highly unlikely to happen. I persisted and told him that if the baby lived to 30 I would be 80 and my biological clock was ticking. He was so relieved I meant a baby horse, he quickly agreed. While browsing Kijiji in 2012, there he was - my perfect little yearling and I called him Nevar - the hero in my favourite movie Ladyhawk.

I finally started riding Nevar this past week and I know some folks think starting a horse at 4 is too late. However, after making the painful decision to put down my beloved Nugget at 12 due to unmanageable arthritis, I chose to wait until Nevar was at least 4 before starting to ride him. I wanted to make absolutely sure his joints and ligaments were good and strong and would stay that way throughout his life.

Recalling my first rides on Dexter; after the 4th ride we were riding in the mountains crossing bridges and creeks. Just like my first rides on Dexter, riding Nevar this week has been rather uneventful - exactly the way I like it. This is why I am such a strong advocate for effective ground work. By the time you put your bum in the saddle, the horse has been well prepared for the saddle and bit, and already knows lateral and vertical flexion, one rein emergency stop, moving off leg pressure for lateral work, transitions, and halt.

Good preparation on the ground prepares young horses and rehabilitates older horses by developing mutual respect and trust. Trust is so important when riding a young or rehabilitated horse for the first time because trust translates into confidence and horses feel your confidence or lack thereof.

Folks often feel if their horse could just get more miles, or if they were better riders; they wouldn't keep falling off. I am definitely not the best rider nor am I the bravest rider but effective ground work has changed my riding experience completely. If you are coming off your horse, I encourage you to improve your ground work.

Fall is the best time of year for riding - bringing cooler temperatures, no bugs and spectacular colours. This year make fall about the red, orange and yellow; not the black and blue - improve your ground work!

Tovie and Nevar

Calgary Stampede Heavy Horse Pull

This year I had an opportunity to be involved with the Heavy Horse Pull competition in a very surprising way. Earlier in the week I agreed to help out with the sponsorship auction. The heavy horse pull competition runs the lightweights Friday (keeping in mind these are draft horse lightweights and not puny in the least), the middle weights on Saturday, and the heavy weights compete Sunday. Due to the slump in the local economy, attendance of registered bidders was way down from the past couple of years. I learned that in previous years, the bids are upwards of $4,000.00 to sponsor a team; however, this year they were having a hard time garnering $500.00 for a team.

My impulsive nature took over and I soon found myself with a bid card and visualizing my "Just Horsing Around" banner displayed for all to see. By the time I got organized with a bid card, the light weights had all been sponsored. I really didn't think I had a chance once the really big horses started coming up for auction but it was so much fun bidding on everything until they went past $500.00. It was funny to see the relief on tourists' faces when you explained the horses weren't being auctioned off for these ridiculously low prices; but rather sponsorship.

Then 10 teams of heavy weights came into the ring. The first highest bidder had their choice of all the teams and then each team was auctioned off separately. There was a beautiful team of percherons that I simply couldn't take my eyes off. Bubba and Jake looked happy and relaxed, had gorgeous draft horse feet (not something I see enough of), and shone with good health. I accidentally bid past my $500.00 limit and paid $700.00 but it was worth every penny to support this beautiful team. Ron Martinson was the Teamster and he was so appreciative for my support of what I considered to be a measly bid; considering the half he receives doesn't even pay the cost of special traction shoeing required to compete.

With my winning bid, Gord and I were invited to the VIP lounge for dinner and drinks prior to the event; VIP seating to watch the spectacle; and then a VIP Award Reception afterwards to celebrate with our Teamster.

Bubba and Jake came in a respectable 3rd place; pulling 11,000 lbs 22 inches. Ron said that was the most weight Bubba and Jake had ever pulled and he was so very proud of them. The second place team was disqualified for stepping out of boundary at 12,000 lbs. The winning Belgian team were from the Airdrie area, and pulled an impressive 12,000 lbs - 14 feet.

Given that Bubba and Jack lost nearly 100 lbs during their 3 days of travel from Oregon, combined with the altitude difference, I was bursting with pride to be associated with them in such a small way.

Our friends Mark & Sherri and Lena also came to cheer on Bubba and Jake. Not knowing there is such a thing as competition etiquette, I was shushed a couple of times for cheering. Then I learned that you are not to distract the team by cheering until the team is completely unhitched after their allotted two tries. The ladies who educated me were most helpful and it turned out their two teams were my competition and we had a great time cheering for each other's teams.

Teamster Ron Martinson and his daughter Shanah were so gracious and made an already special experience that much better for Gord and I. We traded contact information so Gord can put our footage of their pulls; together with Mark and Sherri's footage, on a DVD that we will send to Oregon.

At the reception after the event, awards were presented to all the winners and Ron Martinson was awarded Class of the Class; recognizing his exceptional horsemanship and sportsmanship throughout the competition. Ron was presented with a beautiful 2015 Stampede buckel, as well as a monetary reward; and we were delighted to celebrate with him.

53 Stampedes now and they just keep getting more fun!

Jack, Bubba, Ron, Shanah, Gord and Tovie
Ya Hoo!

Fonzie is so Brave

About a week ago, Fonzie got into some trouble over the fence while visiting with the nieghbours mares and scratched up his front left fetlock. Nothing serious and mending nicely but it was a bit swollen and tender for a few days.

It is Stampede week here and last Monday Gord and I went to watch the Cowboy Up Challenge - one of our favourite events. Jim Anderson from Strathmore took first place with a beautiful palomino mare. It definitely got us inspired to create some more scary obstacles around the property.

After giving Fonzie a few days off I decided to use the opportunity to set up my playground of higher learning in the arena to see how Fonzie would handle "scary" stuff like small jumps, a pile of pool noodles, large horseman's ball, bag of tin cans, large orange tarp and the dreaded hoola hoop. Must say for all the work it took me to set everything up, Fonzie's response to everything was boring - just the way I like it. At first he tried to jump the noodle pile but once he realized nothing was going to hurt, he trotted through them confidently. He jumped the small jumps with the large orange tarp and pool noodles on the other side and even jumped with the large tarp on his back blowing in the wind. I set the horseman's ball between two black barrels and had him push through it with his body. Couldn't find one single thing to worry him so Tuesday night I saddled him up and rode him through all the obstacles; again boring - just the way I like it.

I do find he is OK leaving the herd but then starts to get anxious at a certain spot. That's when I start moving his feet very intentionally and purposefully. It really doesn't take him long before he relaxes and starts to focus all his attention on me.

Care is obviously a huge consideration and so as his leg heals, I am careful not to ask too much of him.

This summer has been amazing, albeit a bit too hot for my liking. Fonzie always enjoys a nice cool shower after his workouts. The silver lining to our drought conditions is the lack of mosquitoes this year. It has been wonderful to spend so much time outdoors without those irritating little bugs.

Happy Stampede!
Ya Hoo from Tovie & Fonzie

Not Always About Horses

Near the end of October last year, Sherri was out walking the trails around our property with her horse Magnum, when a beautiful tabby cat walked onto the path in front of her and started rolling over on her back. Turned out there were 4 cats dumped near our place. Two adult females and one of the females had 2 kittens we guessed to be around 8 months.

Since my daughter has moved to Italy and I will have to go there every year to visit, I decided to learn Italian through Rosetta Stone. When we found the kitties, I decided to give them appropriate Italian names; Boccia and Pippa are the two adults and Tino and Tenero are the two kittens.

Pippa and Boccia were people friendly but Tino and Tenero were completely feral. Since October, and much effort, I have been able to partially socialize (and only recently) Tino, the male kitten, however I have never been able to get near Tenero, even with the yummiest food.

This morning I went out to the kitty shed to check on their food and lo and behold, there was Tenero with her one orange kitten that appears to be approximately 7-10 days old. I know for a fact that kitten wasn't there yesterday so I'm guessing Tenero moved it. I have no idea if there are more and can't wait to check again later. Hopefully she won't hide it again because I would really like to socialize the kitten to people.

This tiny orange kitten makes me smile even more because it reminds me of my beloved Clover that died suddenly and mysteriously on New Years Eve a couple of years ago. The Italian word for surprise is Sorpresa and typically I don't like words with r's because I simply can't roll my r's - suppose it will force me to practice.

Tovie, Tenero and Sorpresa (maybe there will be others when I check later)

Feeling a Bit Like a Horse Theif

What can I say - I adore The Fonze. Last Sunday, between bouts of rain, I decided I simply had to saddle Fonzie up and go for a ride. Obviously, I did some ground work first to make sure he was relaxed and that I had his undivided attention. Then we went into the barn and he stood quietly for saddling. To me this is a very important first step for my safety. If my horse won't stand still and relaxed for saddling or mounting, those are clues that he isn't ready for me to get on his back.

I chose to use my orthoflex endurance type saddle with English style billets and girth; the moveable panels readily adjust for a variety of backs and Fonzie has a lovely broad back. Next, I decided to use the TTouch lindell sidepull with joined rope reins. I didn't want to use a bit until Fonzie's vet visit next week where he will have a good check up and get his teeth checked to make absolute sure his mouth is comfortable.

Fonzie took on everything like a pro. It is considerate to tighten the cinch/girth incrementally; initially, I tighten it only snug enough to prevent it from slipping if he jumps and then I check it once more before leaving the barn and then once more before mounting. I never tighten the saddle completely in one go.

Fonzie was a perfect gentleman and parked at the mounting block for me to mount. Some folks see using a mounting block, log, or rock as a sign of weakness, however I see it as an act of consideration. I am not an agile spring chicken anymore and heaving my carcass up there creates twist and torque on the saddle, making the horse have to brace for balance. Perhaps that is why all our horses are happy to park at anything for mounting.

Once mounted, I asked Fonzie to walk, trot and canter, halt and back up and he did everything very well. In fact, he had the most beautiful rocking chair canter that I could have cantered forever. If my recollection is correct, Fonzie hasn't been ridden much if at all for at least 6 years so I was pleasantly surprised how relaxed and willing he was.

Fonzie's head carriage is perpetually up in the air and because of this, his neck muscles are extremely stiff and I'm certain this stiffness transfers throughout his body, which I believe is a contributing factor to his previously explosive reactions under saddle. Currently, it is nearly impossible to bend Fonzie's neck for lateral flexion or even to bend his head and body around a corner. I am doing lots of TTouch on him, and wrapped him with tensor bandages to give him a new awareness of his neck. He is gradually starting to lower that head to a more relaxed position which I believe will improve his movement under saddle tremendously. I am also going to ask Janina Zabel of TLC Equine Body Work to work on him; and my vet, Dennis Rach is an equine chiropractor so I'll have him check Fonzie next week.

My girlfriend's Sherri and Lisa were out on Sunday with their horses so after my ride in the outdoor arena, I asked them if they'd like to come with me for a ride through the trails to see how Fonzie would be outside of the arena. We tried him behind Jack and Magnum, between them, and then leading them - he never took one misstep - even with deer wandering about.

I admit to not being an overly confident rider which is why I believe so strongly in effective ground work. Fonzie's lack of suppleness throughout his neck and body restrict my ability to disengage his hind end if something were to happen so won't feel completely confident with him until I find a way to teach him how to carry himself in a relaxed manner. Having said that - couldn't be happier with the changes I am seeing in him so far.

Reflecting on the horse Wendy dropped off to the horse he is quickly becoming - this is my current evaluation of what I know. Fonzie's previous pasture mate was a mare and some geldings still have stud behaviour that make it very challenging to take them away for a ride. I think it is definitely helping him to be in a herd of geldings only. After a few painful falls, it became difficult for Wendy to trust him and then it is nearly impossible to sell a horse you don't trust. I tell all my students not to ever get on a horse if the owner of the horse won't get on first. If Wendy had wanted to sell Fonzie - selling him cheap could mean a one-way ticket to the meat plant. She kept him all these years because at least she knew he was safe and cared for.

This experience with Fonzie has been so rewarding that I can't thank Wendy enough for trusting me with him. My agreement with Wendy is that she surrendered her horse to me and I will take whatever time it takes to turn Fonzie into a happy, safe, reliable riding companion. Whenever I feel the time is right, he will be sold with a full money-back guarantee that he leaves my place happy and sound. If, for any reason, things don't work out the buyer is welcome to bring him back - no questions asked. Sometimes, it simply isn't a good fit and that doesn't make anyone wrong - not the horse, the seller, or the buyer.

Thank you Wendy and Fonzie for another wonderful horse experience!
Tovie

"The" Fonz is Pretty Cool

This past week I have been able to play with Fonzie every day - even if only for a few minutes. After a couple of fairly intense round pen sessions, he started to get a little cagey about catching so I completely changed my strategy. The next few times I went out to the pasture, I just haltered him, TTouched, gave him a treat and either let him go or asked him to do a few circles at the walk and trot before turning him loose. That seemed to make all the difference because he now walks right over when he sees me coming. It is encouraging to think he is enjoying our sessions. Skeeter and Dexter for the most part seem to be calmly moving out of Fonzie's way. Aside from Skeeter letting out the occasional squeal, he seems happy enough to let Fonzie be the new herd boss.

This week Fonzie and I have been improving our round pen communication with regard to transitions and changing directions and every day he gets better. Never once has he exhibited any ear pinning, kicking out or general disrespect when I increase the pressure. He is still very uncomfortable with me being on his right, or off, side which is very common to many horses I encounter. Needless to say, I do twice as much on that side to help him become more emotionally balanced.

Fonzie had a chance to come into the barn to play with the toys; large horseman's ball, bag of tin cans, hoola hoop, and tarp. Definitely showing more curiosity than fear which is something I didn't expect - he is showing a lot of courage. The barn is my playhouse and the arena is my sandbox and I am too darn old to grow up now.

When Fonzie is not grazing, his head is very high in the air. While he looks very proud, his neck muscles are extremely tight. He is enjoying the TTouch and it is definitely helping him relax and lower that head. Clicker training has not been a useful tool for Fonzie because he is not treat motivated and will often not take a treat when offered. He does like his itchy spots tended to though so if I do mark a behavior with a click, I will skritch him instead of treat him.

Yesterday I asked him to park at the mounting block because I am old and stiff and it makes it so much easier to mount. On the left side, he is fantastic but still very wary about parking on the right side. Once he was consistently standing quietly at the mounting block, I jumped up and laid across his back. Then while standing on the mounting block, I lifted my leg and rubbed it all over his back and butt. This morning, after a very nice round pen session, when he parked at the mounting block I couldn't help myself and just had to get on him. We walked around the round pen and then practiced halting and steering. He did everything extremely well.

It is now pouring rain and while we desperately needed it, I hope it will stop soon so we can continue this wonderful journey. I am totally pumped to get him saddled this weekend.

Happy Friday
Tovie and The Fonz

Life with Fonzie 10 days in...

When Fonzie first arrived, we put him in a wooden rail paddock and had our very easy going gelding Jack, in the paddock beside him for company and they quickly became friends. My only interaction with Fonzie the first couple of days was to go in and scoop poop, hang hay bags and observe. Fonzie was extremely standoffish toward me and showed very little interest in food which actually started causing me concern.

Every couple of days I switched out the horse in the neighboring paddock to give Fonzie a chance to get to know each horse away from the herd. Finally it was time to introduce Fonzie to Skeeter and let these two dominant horses get acquainted safely. The paddocks are situated near my open bedroom window, giving me comfort that I will hear any commotion. Early one morning I was awakened to Fonzie racing around the paddock and whinnying loudly and Skeeter had pushed the gate open and was long gone. Since Fonzie's introduction to the other horses had been uneventful, I made the decision to turn Fonzie out to the pasture with the rest of the herd and watch them closely.

It was a breathtaking sight to watch Fonzie race around the perimeter of the 14 acre pasture with head and tail held high; and the other "Boys" racing close behind him. After a couple of laps and a couple of squeals however, the excitement died down and they all went back to grazing peacefully. I was actually quite surprised how welcoming our "boys" were - even bossy Skeeter.

Every now and then I notice Navar going over to check Fonzie out but Skeeter and Dexter, side by side, run interference between Navar and Fonzie - quite fascinating. It is almost as though they are protective of Navar.

Knowing that catching Fonzie had been a challenge on occassion, all my efforts to date have been to create draw. Even after putting the halter on him, all I have been doing is scratching his itchy parts, giving him a treat and then taking the halter off and leaving. That strategy is working well because every day he is showing more interest in me and other people. Now I am starting to ask him to move hips and shoulders without a halter and he is yielding nicely without feeling the need to leave.

Wendy wasn't sure how often Fonzie had been inside a barn so the last couple of days I have been bringing him into the barn for grooming and goodies. It helps that he and Jack have become buddies; and Jack is always happy to come into the barn to keep Fonzie company.

I worry a lot when introducing new horses so it is a huge relief to see the herd settled for the most part, and without any injuries.

Fonzie seems quite content to be one of the "boys".

Tovie and the "Boys"

Aggie Days 30th Anniversary - April 8-12, 2015

As a Stampede committee member of Draft Horse Town, I decided to help out with Aggie Days this year and had an absolute blast. Many thanks to Gord, friends and past students who came down to volunteer - it wouldn't have been as much fun without you.

I was asked to read a story and one of my friends recommended a little book about Farmer the Horse. It is a true story about a draft horse, named Farmer, that lived on one of the Magdalen Islands in eastern Canada in the 1920's. Farmer was sold to a man from one of the other islands and one day someone left the gate open. Farmer managed to find his way down the entire long island and then swim 4 kms across the ocean to return to his home on the smaller island. We thought it would be fun to have Magic be there for the reading. Although we ended up getting bumped from the reading corner for lack of time, Magic was a huge hit with kids of all ages as he patiently permitted them to pet and feed him little bits of hay for 5 days straight.

The two igallop machines we are also very popular with the "Kids". If you've never seen an igallop - it is an abdominal/core exercise machine that simulates a horse walking. Ellen DeGeneres has a funny YouTube video about the igallops. We thought it would be fun for kids to feel what it would be like to ride a horse and we were right - the kids loved it!



Draft Horse Town featured a trivia contest throughout Aggie Days and the prize for the contest was an opportunity to come out and enjoy an afternoon with our "Boys".  Melissa Malejko won the contest and is very excited to come out with her family to spend some up close and personal time with the "Boys".

Tovie, Gord, and Magic

Spring Fever Outbreak...

Since my last entry, so many wonderful things have happened in my horse world that I've wanted to share. My only excuse is that I am technologically stunted and last year this blog site changed drastically. I would login to write something up only to shut it down in frustration because I couldn't navigate the page easily anymore. Here at Just Horsing Around, last year was our busiest year yet and so taking the time to figure out new technology was easy to forego.

For those of us that don't have access to an indoor riding arena; it is easy to ask too much of our horses too soon. Our horses have been happily hanging out with their buddies over the winter, with little to no interaction with us. Combine that with the high sugar content of new spring grass and preparing our horses to do our bidding can sometimes be a daunting task. The amount of work required varies from horse to horse but effective, purposeful ground work will connect you and your horse before you mount up - saving you a world of hurt.

Every spring you will hear stories from folks that pulled their good 'ole reliable horse out of the pasture, saddled-up, and as soon as their horse lost sight of its buddy or something spooked them - all hell broke loose.

Several years ago, I attended a Jonathan Field clinic in May with my horse Nugget. It was during that clinic I learned one of the best lessons of my life. Jonathan taught me how to read my horse - when he wasn't ready to ride, but even better - when he was. Nugget had been my primary riding horse for a couple of years, without any major problems; but that day it took me 3 hours of intensive, purposeful ground work to get Nugget's mind in the game. The good news was that I never had to work that hard with Nugget again.

Whether it be neglect due to busy lives, or weather, or too much sugar in the new spring grass; learning to read your horse and knowing what exercises you can do to help them get in the game with you will boost your confidence the same way it did mine.

The only cure for spring fever that works for me is to get outside and play with my horses - safely!

Happy Spring
Tovie