Pretending to be an U-Boat - and battling separation anxiety

Saumur is back at school. I felt really guilty taking him away from his buddies. The three of them are getting along so well, it is really astonishing. But Saumur needs to get back into the swing of things, in two weeks we have the freestyle clinic with Karen Robinson, and it wouldn't be fair to take an unfit horse.

Our lesson focused on me truly 'sinking' into the saddle. This is rather difficult for me, I come from the school where slouching is considered a cardinal sin. So, in order to be straight (or what I perceive as being straight) I get stiff. Once I really let me weight sink into the saddle I can feel the difference in Saumur. We had some wonderful trot half-pass work, and then Sandy had us do a new exercise on the diagonal: half-pass - straight - leg-yield - straight - half-pass. That was really nifty. Saumur worked very well. I noticed, however, that he needs a haircut, as he got quite sweaty. In preparation of the Michigan Winter, Saumur already sports the beginning of his thick winter coat. So, next weekend we'll have to call on our expensive French hairstylist - JP!

Remy and Chambord didn't seem to mind being without Saumur. We took them on a road trip today, I wanted to see how Remy is loading and riding in our trailer. Of course, I saw that he was fine when we went with Valerie to the vet clinic for his pre-purchase exam; and also Bob told us what a great traveler Remy is. Still... our trailer has a ramp, whereas Remy is used to step ups. And here was the 'aha'-moment: Remy loaded fine, but was a bit confused about backing out on the ramp. Smart boy that he is he figured it out quickly. We also did groundwork and I rode him.

All three of them sure earned their deer carrots today - wonder where my carrot cake is??

What do Salad and Equine Digestive Health have in common?

Not much, other than I attended a SmartPak Webinar while munching on a salad for lunch.

 All in all, the webinar covered a lot of things that are –or should be- common knowledge, i.e. the importance of turnout, regular feedings, etc.

Here are the key points that I found interesting:

- Horses are hindgut fermentors, which means the fiber is fermented in the hindgut (large intestine)

-        As non-ruminant herbivores, horses are designed to graze 17 hours per day and need at least 1% of the body weight (or 50% of total ration) per day as forage

-     Horses salivate 5 – 10 liters per day, the saliva is very alkaline

-        The stomach is the “holding and mixing tank” and has a size of 2 – 4 gallons, food stays between 30 min. and 12 hours, the average transit time is between 2 – 4 hours. The horse has the smallest stomach in relation to size of all animals

-        The esophagus is 4 – 5 ft long and a “one way street”, no vomiting. Contrary to what a lot of people think, a choke is not an airway obstruction, it is caused by feed lodged in the esophagus

-        The small intestine is 70 ft long and the main function is “Digestion”

-        The large intestine (hindgut) consists of Cecum (4 ft long), and the colon (20 -24 feet). The total transit time is 35 – 50 hours

Important to consider:

-        Hoses produce 10 – 30 liters of gastric acid per day for the chemical breakdown of food. If there is too much time between meals the gastric acid erodes the stomach lining and can cause ulcers
-        Minimize levels of NSC (Non-structural carbohydrates = sugars and starches)
-        Hay in the winter is crucial to keep horses warm, the fermentation of hay creates body heat
-        It is VERY IMPORTANT to make feed changes gradually, that also pertains to hay
-        90% of racehorses and 60% of active show horses have gastric ulcers
-        Colic in horses causes more deaths than any other diseases
-        To prevent colic horses must have small, frequent meals, with hay or forage always available

Considering the above our boys are having a good chance of digestive health based on our feeding program. And… so should I, for that matter: I’m a fellow herbivore with a penchant for salads. If only I could figure out how to get my digestive system to keep me warm in the winter – hay, anyone?!

Tangled in the rules and regulations of year end award guidelines

It’s this time of year again – the deadline for the year end award applications is coming up. And, of course, every organization has to have different rules and regulations. At least the USDF makes it easy, the scores are automatically tabulated and the results are just a mouse click away.

 

Aside from the USDF, I belong to three organizations that offer year end awards, and here are their requirements:

 

1)      Submit top 2 scores from 2 different judges (but can be one competition), copy of front of test sheets.  Average of the 2 scores counts

 

2)      Submit top 3 scores from 3 different judges, 3 different competitions, copy test sheets, tabulation of tests, and membership card. Average of the 3 scores counts

 

3)      Submit top 5 scores from 4 different competitions, 4 different judges, copy of front of test sheets. Median score (the 3^rd out of 5) is the one that counts.

 

Jeez, I really had to think hard in order to keep track of who wants what, sorting and copying the test sheets several times over, tracking down membership numbers, registration numbers, etc. All that in the hopes of making the grade for a good year end placing. And yes, of course, I want first place! But I also realize that there will always be people that are better, or that some just have the luck of the scores lining up according to the guidelines. For example, one can have great scores, but if they come from the same competition, tough luck.

 

Nevertheless, this exercise just confirmed that "Team Saumur" did good, our averages according to the guidelines above are:

1. 65.125%
2. 64.745%
3. 65.122%

 The USDF has already verified that we are 2^nd in the All Breed Awards for 3^rd level, and 1^st in the Vintage Cup.

 

It’s nice to know that we have made progress over last year, but it’s even nicer to have it confirmed in black and white. Untangling the web of requirements really was worth it!

The baby needs clothes - and has to deal with a bit of separation anxiety

What a beautiful fall weekend! We had a great time introducing Remy to neighbors and friends yesterday. The boys really enjoyed the sunny pastures, but even more they were enamored with the treats everybody brought them. Another telling observation: there was no fighting over the treats!

So today I planned to get Remy introduced to our outdoor arena, longe him, and then hop on. The good news is that Saumur's snaffle bridle and KK bit fit Remy. My saddle looks to fit reasonably well with a Thinline pad, but I have to see how it feels when I ride in it. Unfortunately, the rather skinny youngster is wearing a different girth size than the big boys -- guess I need to buy another girth (I only have about six already...).

Our outdoor footing is still pretty 'mushy' from all the rain we had, and there was lots of commotion going on next to our outdoor arena: the neighbor on a noisy lawnmower, cars, trucks, people riding bikes, four-wheelers, hayrides... you name it. I thought it more prudent just to longe. Remy was pretty jumpy and clearly not ready to relax. I longe my horses in a cavasson, not off the bit, as it has been proven that longing off the bit is harsh on their mouths. Remy settled down after a while and I walked him down the road to show him a bit of the neighborhood.

Then came the next test for him, staying home alone! JP and I took Chambord and Saumur on a trailride. While getting them ready in the outdoor Remy started to run and scream and I was VERY tempted to say "let's just stay home" -- But then, nothing would have been gained, other than Remy learning that screaming gets him results. The boys didn't care about the Remy's antics, they were happy to go out. And sure enough, we hadn't even gone down towards the park entrance yet when we saw Remy quietly grazing.

Chambord was quite the star today, a piece of Kudzu got wrapped around his hind leg and trapped him. JP got off and pried the stubborn growth away from Chambord's leg, who patiently waited to be freed. Then JP had to climb back on from the ground (we always use a mounting block) and again, Chambord stood like a rock. All the while Saumur, who doesn't have much use for the word 'patience'  stood next to his friend, without fidgeting. Good boys!

When we came home Remy was still quietly grazing, and the 'big boys' were eager to go into the barn, one to use the bathroom, the other one to search for food. Easy to figure out their priorities!?

The difference a childhood makes --

Today I turned out all three boys together, with some major anxiety on my part. Not to worry, it was like they've been all out together forever. Even "Macho-Man" (Chambord) was fine. And Saumur and Remy acted like long lost brothers, immediately sharing a pile of hay.

Having Remy here really makes me realize the difference a childhood makes - on one side Saumur, treated harshly and 'trained' with methods I don't want to dwell on... on the other side Remy, who learned respect and manners in a positve environment.

As we all know, plenty of people and animals survive horrible childhoods to become happy grownups, but it takes years and patient help... With Saumur it took years to get him to overcome his extreme fright - and we are still not there. He will always be worried, ready to take off from the demons of his past. And here now the contrast, Remy, who exudes self-confidence and curiosity. How I wish that everyone could grow up without any demons!

Finally - the big day!

After four days on the road Remy finally made it. I was rather anxious about the logistics, i.e. unloading, having him settled etc. Well, I needed have worried: Remy stepped off the trailer onto the road, followed me down the driveway into the barn, and settled into his stall. He went right for the food and water. The excitement was when both Saumur and Chambord came to the stall (it has a door to the outside) to check out the new kid. Some squealing and kicking, and then I took the older boys to the pasture away from the barn to give Remy time to relax.

Susanne came at noon and we turned Remy out. Well, this is one cool horse! There was some more squealing and a bit of striking and kicking through the fence, but nothing major. No tearing around, or bucking and kicking fits. I am working from home today so I can keep an eye on everybody. It is wonderful, I can see them all while working. Everybody is happily munching.

It sure is a good start for our extended family!

To much time to second guess --

And the wait continues – I spoke with Bob (the driver) yesterday and he said he should be in Michigan sometime this afternoon. I got a bit worried because he asked me which horse was mine, and where exactly in Michigan I was… After it was established that Remy is the right one, Bob said he would like to have him at his own barn “he is so sweet, follows me like a puppy dog, and he eats and drinks well”.

That was good to hear, because I am getting panic attacks about all the things that can go wrong. In addition, this time lag gave me plenty of time to second guess my decision. It is interesting the reaction I get when I tell people about it. It’s almost like some are waiting for a sort of justification. JP always points out how similar Saumur and I are, that we both are constantly construing scenarios in our heads with things to be worried about. Right he is! I currently have a nervous twitch to prove it.

George gave a clinic at Sandy’s this weekend. It was strange not to ride, I get restless ‘just watching’, I am much better doing. But really, I didn’t have much choice due to the meetings all week. I asked George about coming with both boys to Ohio in the Spring, and he said we could arrange it. Sandy is planning to take two of her horses, so we could have a fun training week together.  I actually applied for a Scholarship from the Morgan Dressage Association, it sure would be a big help. It’s a bit daunting to think about the expense of training and showing two horses.

Next month we’ll do a freestyle clinic with Karen Robinson, hopefully this will kick us off to get the 3^rd level freestyle together. 3^rd time is a charm, right? The other times we attempted a freestyle clinic Saumur was almost uncontrollable in the strange arenas. He got nicknamed “Bumble Bee” because he was wearing yellow leg wraps and just buzzed around.