saddlebred

Show Season is coming, SOON!!!

So, our first show is less than a month away. KASPHA May Classic, we will be showing Friday night in the Novice Rider Country Pleasure and the Novice Country Pleasure. Novice is defined as not winning more than 5 blue ribbons at a rated show, which, neither Cindy, I, nor Fiz have. Don’t judge us, it’s a very competitive sport!! Anyway, we have begun serious training to prep for show season, and show shoes will be put on very soon, prior to show numero uno. The winter hair has been shaved off and the shedding blade is being used before and after every workout. We are very excited about show season this year! In the mean time, enjoy some random videos of Fiz from this winter.

Science Behind Training Aids?

We have visited training aids and their uses before under here, and have talked about the use of light chains and other devices on horses feet as a method of helping develop a desired gait. Again I want to state that there has been a lot of controversy over the use of these and some people call it cruel. I disagree, noting that proper use of devices can be safe, and also beneficial and helpful in training. I recently read an article on TheHorse.com associating “leg weights” with rehabilitation, physical therapy, and assisting with building muscle. A study has been conducted proving that the use of such devices indeed do not harm the horse. I could have told you that, but there’s never really been any documentation to back this up. Now, there is!

Read the article on TheHorse.com and see for yourself! Leg Weights And Rehabilitation.

That said, I reiterate that you MUST apply the chains/weights correctly or you are going to cause your horse harm. Do not apply them so tight that they dig into your horses skin, and don’t apply them so loose that they get stuck around your horses hoof/coronary band/heel bulbs. They should freely move around the top of the coronary band and pastern, but not so much they sink down and get stuck.

See there, us Saddlebred people are not so cruel to our horses after all with our training aids. Most of us actually pamper our horses and treat them better than we do ourselves. We live for their well-being and safety. Just remember that!

It’s a new day

After a really long weekend, Fiz and all of his stuff have finally gotten settled in at his new home at Hunters Brook Farm. At Hunters Brook, many things are going to be different from his old home. Instead of being out on pasture 24/7, only getting fed hay in the mornings in winter, and not having an option of being inside, there are many new amenities we will enjoy at the new farm. Fiz will be fed as much hay as he wants to eat, he will be fed grain twice daily, he will be inside in a stall during bad weather, he will be outside as much as possible when the weather is nice enough, and he will enjoy working in an indoor arena as well as outdoor. He will have complete full care, and he deserves it.

He will also be surrounded by many other animals that he did not get to see at the old farm. There are chickens running all around the farm. There are also goats, cows, and mini horses. He seems most interested in the chickens and the goats. Once the farm owners see his personality, they will decide who they should try and turn him out with. Hopefully he will find some friends on the farm. I am sure there is at least one horse on the farm that he can get along well with. He needs interaction with other horses, and it will be very good for him once a good match is made!

We are very happy about our decision and look forward to spending more time at the new place. So far we have been very pleased with them. They purchased the hay we bought at the old place, and they let us bring our cabinet full of Fiz’s stuff (bridles, saddles, harnesses, and equipment) and our jog cart to the farm. We are grateful for the new farm and are happy we found such a nice place for our boy to live. We are very happy he is getting the daily attention and care that he is very much deserving of and we are looking forward to seeing if and how this type of care will change his appearance and demeanor. I am sure there will be plenty of pictures in the future of him at his new home.

It’s a new day, a new adventure, and a fresh start. Again. It’s a good thing. 🙂

Here are some pictures of Fizzy at his new home!

Dental Day!

Most people don’t realize, horses need dentists too. Their teeth never stop growing, and the way they eat causes their teeth to develop jagged edges and different issues, making bridling and riding them painful if it’s not taken care of. It also makes chewing difficult if the teeth get really bad. Horses with bad teeth will not be able to chew well and they can lose food out of their mouths, causing them and their owners to have to work much harder to get the amount of nutrients needed to maintain a healthy weight.

We wanted our guy to be pain free, and have no excuses to be angry in the bridle or develop any weird issues due to trying to compensate for his mouth hurting. So, we had a dentist come and float his teeth. It’s called floating, but it’s essentially filing down all the jagged edges where the teeth are smooth and even inside the mouth. Equine dentists also remove teeth that are troublesome. Fiz did not need any teeth removed, but his teeth were pretty sharp. Dr Adrian Robertson of Bannon Woods Equine came and floated teeth for us. Here she is with her assistant, working on Fiz! Fiz thanks her for his smooth, pain free mouth and so do we!

What a weirdo

This horse is SO funny. He has such a personality. He is the sweetest, most affectionate horse. However, he does some really weird things sometimes. I’m not exactly sure why, but he throws his head back to where his neck and head are literally in a straight line. I have never seen a horse do this before in my life. He does not do this when you ride him, only when out in the field or in a stall and sometimes while standing in crossties. Pay attention, one day, you might catch a glimpse of this craziness!!! Check it out below. Seriously!?! What is this!?!?!

*****UPDATE***** We now have VIDEO evidence of this strange quirk our horse has!!!

First Western Ride

JUNE 6, 2013. Primarily Saddleseat girls, we don’t pretend to know much about anything having to do with western. However, we were able to get a western saddle rigged up on Fiz and we each got to take him for a spin! He seemed receptive to everything, and didn’t mind the squeaky western saddle all too much. Doesn’t he look good in teal?

Happy One Month

After we had Fiz for one month, we decided to take a comparison picture to evaluate his condition. In the month we have had him, he’s been given the world, considering he is the only horse we have to worry about. He has had personalized care, private pasture, hay, grain, and veterinarian care. A picture speaks a thousand words, so here is that comparison shot. In the bottom shot, you can still see where the hair is growing back after it was shaved to do an ultrasound on his “bulge” that we had previously written about. He is on the right track to where we want him to be. 🙂

Twisted Sisters Saddlebreds

Two AOT's and Saddlebreds