All the Creatures

A few years back I was fortunate to help rescue a small shetland pony from it’s sadly knowledgeable owner. The owner lived across the street from us. Normally the pony would graze their 1 acre pasture until the bought an angus calf. Then the pony and calf would share the pasture. One day I saw the pony penned up and the calf had now gotten large. I thought nothing more about it until 6 months later. The angus ended up in their freezer and the pony still remained penned up.

My daughter was now 6 years old and had expressed an interest in ponies. I went across the street to find out where they got their pony from and ended up with their pony. You see the pony had foundered during the time the calf was with them. In order to fatten up the angus for the dinner table, they fed large amounts of alfalfa and the pony had enjoyed it too. Unfortunately the free feeding of alfalfa had caused the pony’s hooves to founder and the owners solution was to pen the pony up……………for months on end. They got their solution from another “horse expert” in the neighborhood and never had a vet look at the pony.  After hearing that story, I was only too happy to take the pony out of that situation.

After getting the pony home the first order of business was to get it’s hooves trimmed (they had them trimmed over a year ago!!!). After finding out the condition of the hooves from my farrier the next order of business was to balance the pony’s diet to encourage good and fast hoof growth. I added a good quality biotin supplement and powdered gelatin to the pony’s feed. After 5 weeks I had the farrier come back and trim the pony’s hoofs again. This time he asked me what I did since he noticed a marked difference in the amount of blood in the hooves. I told him and then another 5 weeks past and he came out for another visit. This time he was amazed…..no blood in the hooves at all!!! In just 3 months I had managed to improve that pony’s feet to the point they were no longer ouchy for the pony and the pony could now start it’s training for becoming a riding pony.

My daughter showed the pony in English classes and won a few ribbons with her. After my daughter outgrew the pony we found a wonderful home for her.

A friend of mine now owns that pony and she is a pasture pet and companion for her other horses. She continues to keep an eye on her hooves.

Give this post a thumbs up

You can now get All the Creatures delivered to your Kindle FREE for 14 days. Try it out.

I am picky about what I wear on my feet. Shoes have to be comfortable and riding boots had better fit correctly. I can’t tell you how many times I have shopped for English style riding boots and never find a pair that have fit me. My problem is that my calf muscles are too big. Even the extra wide tops don’t fit. I have had to settle for either short boots or the lace up type.

That being said, I have found one maker of riding boots that was founded by women and their first boots were designed for women. They are Ariat. They have since moved into mainstream shoes womens that is. My favorite boot made by them the Terrain a cross between a sneaker and a lace up western riding boot. It is the most comfortable boot or shoe I have. I must remind myself to get a new pair soon ’cause the pair I have are about 6 years old and worn almost out from constant use.

One thing I have found out about riding boots is never to buy a pair with a terrain or hiking boot sole. The bottom of the boot/shoe should be smooth, if not they get stuck in the stirrup and can cause your foot to hang at the dismount. Unfortunately many so called riding boot makers still make horseback riding boots that have soles on them that are made for hiking and not riding……..stay away from them. I have a pair of them sitting in my closet, they are great for hiking in the snow but I would never ride in them. They are made by Mountain Horse.

Give this post a thumbs up

You can now get All the Creatures delivered to your Kindle FREE for 14 days. Try it out.

When I started horseback riding over 30 years ago, I started riding in a western saddle. That was fine for many years until I got tired of lifting that 40 pound saddle on to the horse’s back. I also was interested in trying out English riding so I would need more horse tack. Tack, for those of my non-horse savvy readers, is another word for equipment. While I enjoyed riding an English saddle and even showed my mare in English equation and beginning hunter, I found out that the closeness that the English saddle gave me to my horse was what I was looking for. That lead me to my love……..bareback riding on a bareback pad.

There is nothing like the feel of the horse’s movement underneath you. When you can feel the horse’s balance and muscles you in effect can balance yourself better and thus I find, you can enjoy your ride better.

That is why I say “less is better” ……less tack that is.

Give this post a thumbs up

You can now get All the Creatures delivered to your Kindle FREE for 14 days. Try it out.