Where my horses live

My horses live outside year round.  They have an open run in shelter where we provide bedding and feeding spaces but they are free to come and go as they please.  They have a 3 acre paddock divided into 2 sections, upper and lower.  There are trees and lots of irregular terrain.  There is a watering station about 200 feet away from the shelter.

When we got our horses, we had very little idea of what was required.  We did have some observations however.  We found that most run-in shelters for horses were made too small, so we made ours bigger 24 ft. long by 14 ft. front to back(for 2 horses).   The shelter is 10 ft high at the front and 8 ft high at the back.  The front faces to the south and is open.

This is to take advantage of the sun in the colder months.  Our horses are large and the size of the shelter gives them plenty of room to move around and to stretch out when they sleep.  They have no problem sharing the space.  I believe that this is important to maintaining low stress levels and a healthier environment.  All of the trees that are shown at the front of the shelter are now gone as a result of a single ice storm.

The most difficult problem occurs in the winter months when there is a build up ice. This is the most dangerous situation for horses and humans.  To help with the problem the horses are fitted with special shoes that have ice grippers and pads that prevent the build up of packed snow in the horses hooves.  During icy conditions we also spread waste bedding on the pathway from the shelter to the watering station .  Over the past 12 years we have only had 6 really serious icing events.

The next requirement was a hay storage building and tack room.  For the first few years we made do with just a temporary metal and plastic garage.  After it was destroyed by wind for the second time we decided to build a permanent structure.  The following pictures show the project beginning, middle and end.  It has been worth the effort.

For anyone thinking about having horses you really need to consider what you will need, I didn’t so I hope this will help to prepare you.

Road to the Horse 2017 - The Year of the Cow Girl

This year’s event featured four female horse trainers competing for the colt starting championship.  It was outstanding.

There have been female competitors in 2 previous years but this was the first time that it was exclusively female.  The horses that they were presented with were, in my opinion, exceptionally challenging.  The result was a remarkable opportunity to observe horses with very strong personalities and trainers with a unique range of styles. 

I have already watched the DVD program three times and it is a challenge to see everything that is going on.

This year one of the competitors was a professional show jumper with tack and methods never before seen at RTTH.  When I first heard about this all kinds of questions went through my fuzzy old head.  As I should have known, horsemanship is horsemanship no matter how you dress it up.

Just to add another dimension to the event, one of these ladies dislocated her shoulder near the end of the first round pen session.  For most people, this would have been the end but, not so.  After a few minutes to put the shoulder back in this lady resumed the session and then went on to complete the event.  That is the picture of determination and strength.

For students of horses and horsemanship this an event you should not miss.  It is an educational opportunity that is truly priceless.  You will see some of the best examples of building trust in horses with high levels of sensitivity (skepticism and fear).  For me personally it reinforced it reinforced the importance of using my voice to communicate with and build trust with a horse.