Horse Healing Takes Time ... Lots of It

My horse ain't jumping right now ... that would be Fezzywig I'm referring to, the giant roach-backed horse who recently sprouted wings and was jumping great. Alas, as the title of the post suggests, horse healing takes time and Fezzy is currently taking his sweet time in his horse healing process. Fezzywig's major complaint has been his roached back, and he has made pretty good progress toward a normal-looking back for a long time. With a lot of bodywork (some of it by holistic veterinarian and osteopath Madalyn Ward), excellent equine nutrition, and a job he enjoys (jumping), Fezzy's horse healing has been continuous.

But one day recently Fezzy simply refused to jump. Although he is fairly opinionated he wasn't refusing out of stubborness. He definitely felt 'off' ' and would not jump because his body was uncomfortable. I couldn't understand what had interrupted Fezzy's healing process. After doing some diagnostic bodywork and consulting with Dr. Ward, we decided that his stifles were bothering him. Apparently this isn't unusual as roach-backed horses develop straighter backs, since the angles on their joints keep changing. In addition, Fezzy has been in heavier training, and also jumping higher jumps.

To keep Fezzy on track with his horse healing process, we decided to stop his jumping program and instead build up his hindquarters. To that end I am doing the following with Fezzy -

1. Focusing on long trotting and loping to build up muscles and wind

2. Adding much more lateral work to increase flexibility and build strength

3. Doubling his dose of horse goo to provide more antioxidants plus joint and muscle support

To get the Horse Goo recipe, send a blank email to horsegoo@stephanieyeh.com.

The Good News and the Bad News

The bad news is that we don't get to jump and that makes both of us rather restless. Fezzy, being a Wood type temperament, expresses his displeasure by knocking over his jumps and chasing his pasture mate, Samantha. Oh well ... that's a Wood horse for you.

The good news is that Fezzy is doing extremely well with his current program, and his body continues to look better as we are allowing his stifles to become stable. He has only held up traffic once when we have been long trotting, and only laid down in the driveway once because he was itchy and wanted a roll. On the whole he has been an entertaining companion on this horse healing journey and he makes me giggle every day. No zen cowgirl could really ask for more!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!

Adopt a Mustang: 5 Things to Think About

Another BLM online mustang adoption is happening now, which is always an exciting event for zen cowgirls like me. You can check out the online adoption here.

Having adopted, trained, and placed multiple mustangs (the picture is of Samantha, my current mustang) I highly recommend mustang adoption to anyone who is a capable hand with horses and is looking for a new adventure. Anyone who has been through the process of gentling and training a mustang knows exactly what I mean! Even those who have adopted previously trained mustangs can probably tell stories of how mustangs are just, well, different.

5 Things to Think About Before Adopting a Mustang

If you are thinking of adopting a mustang, three cheers for you! Not only are there over 30,000 mustangs in captivity who need good homes, but you will find some of the most unique horses in the mustang breed ... not to mention part of the American West.

At the same time here are 5 things to consider before you adopt:

1. BLM Adoption Requirements

Before you adopt you will need to meet BLM's requirements for housing and transport of your mustang. In short, you need to have a 20' x 20 corral at least 6' tall (5' tall if you are adopting a mustang under 18 months of age or a gentled mustang). The fencing needs to meet BLM approval, and you also need a shelter of some sort. Finally, you need a stock trailer or a trailer in which the dividers can be folded back to bring your mustang home. Get the specific requirements here along with the terms of adoption.

2. Wild Means Wild

When you adopt a mustang you are adopting a wild horse, and wild means wild. Even a mustang who has spent significant time at a holding facility is still wild. What does that really mean? In my experience that means that a mustang's main goal is to survive while a domestic horse generally tries to get along. Be prepared to take more time in the beginning to help your horse transition from wild freedom to a life of domesticity. When gentling or training your mustang, think through each action and take your time. Mustangs have lightning-fast reflexes. When they feel trapped, they tend to kick and whirl first, and ask questions later. Survival tops the list of their priorities so it is important not to allow your mustang to feel cornered.

3. Opinions x 10

Mustangs are sort of like mules when it comes to opinions. Having worked with horses, mules, and mustangs, I have to say that mules and mustangs run neck and neck in holding strong opinions. That means that if you are adopting a mustang for a specific job, you will need to allow for a mustang's strong personality and choose carefully. For instance, my mustang mare, Samantha, is a Shao Yang temperament type (see Dr. Madalyn Ward's Horse Harmony typing system for more info). That means she doesn't like to be touched and has two speeds: fast and faster. No amount of sacking out and ground work changes her opinions, and working a trail course at a versatility horse show is usually a disaster. She does them at top speed and puts all her attention on steering clear of objects like gates ... which makes it difficult to score points! On the other hand, she is an excellent jumper because she never touches a single rail. It's never a matter of changing Samantha's mind but more a matter of finding a job that matches her particular temperament.

4. Room to Roam

Each mustang is an individual but one thing almost all mustangs share in common is the need for plenty of room. Mustangs are accustomed to traveling up to 25 miles per day and find confinement difficult. While it is necessary to confine ungentled mustangs in the beginning, it is important to offer gentle horses generous space to romp. The need for space is one of the main requests mustangs have for their humans, as transmitted through animal communication (check out Leta Worthington's excellent animal communication website). If you don't have access to pasture, plan to spend plenty of effort keeping your mustang well exercised!

5. Horse Health Care of a Different Kind

Any new horse can present unanticipated health challenges, but mustangs need a special level of horse health care. The stresses of being gathered, transported, kept in holding facilities, vaccinated, wormed, and eventually adopted can throw a wild mustang into a health care crisis. Prepare to really support your new mustang's digestive, nutritional, and emotional needs. I have found that my special Horse Goo is cost effective way to bring stressed mustangs back to full health during the transition to domesticity. To get the Horse Goo recipe, send a blank email to horsegoo@stephanieyeh.com.

Well that's it. That's my plug for adopting a mustang along with some possibly helpful tips that adopters can use to ease their mustang's transition into their new home.

Again, check out the BLM online adoption here and enjoy!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!

Horse Training: Sometimes Slower is Faster

With my slow horse, Fezzywig, going faster is better because he needs to have enough "oomph" to get going. On the other hand, with my speedy Shao Yang temperament mare, Samantha, slower is better.

Samantha (picture to the left) is apt to hit Mach-1 with a light tap of my leg on her side. I fact, if I just wiggle my leg accidentally against her side she tends to take off. Everything is fast with her-her feet, her mind, her soul.

Getting Samantha Low and Slow
Jumping is no big deal for Samantha. Even though she is technically a large pony (around 14 hh) jumping 3'3" is nothing for her. She can do it without a second thought. It's the loping in between the jumps that is sometimes troublesome. She wants to GO!

Asking Samantha to slow down by pulling on her face is ridiculous because she just goes faster. About the only thing that works is to sit down deep in the saddle and sort of wiggle your booty. That slows her down but takes a lot of effort and isn't always possible in complicated in-and-out jumper lines.

Instead, I want low-and-slow to be something that comes more naturally to Samantha so we don't spend much time jumping. We spend a lot more time walking and trotting, with me encouraging her to stretch out her neck and body long and low. We also do lateral work with the focus also being long and low.

The funny thing is that Samantha always tries sixteen ways to get out of slow work at first, but after a while she settles down into it. She drops her head down low, licks and chews, sighs, and breathes deep. Her stride gets longer and slower. And then we quit.

In between, when we do a jumping session, Samantha is a lot less spooky and tends to bolt a lot less. She remembers to breathe between jumps, and it all works out a lot better.

Two Supplements for Getting Low and Slow
For horses like Samantha, who tend to be like speedy Gonzalez, there are two supplements that tend to get them slow and relaxed. One is Eleviv (see the link at the end of this post), an herbal supplement that keeps horses and humans out of their "fight or flight" nervous system. The other one is Relax Blend, which also keeps horses relaxed, especially if they are high-strung and have to be kept on stall rest or otherwise confined.

Samantha is a picky eater and turns her nose up at anything that isn't "good for her" in her opinion. She eats both the Eleviv and the Relax Blend easily, and I trust her to know what is good for her. I give Samantha a couple of Eleviv capsules when we have a jumping session, and before hauling out to a show. It seems to work well. Samantha, a short little pony mustang, has been known to beat six to eight fancy warmbloods in the hunter ring, even in a hack class!

I like it ... and so does she!

The stuff I use and recommend in this blog works for me. Want to learn more? Go HERE!

When a Moose has Wings!

The usual expression of disbelief is, "When pigs fly!" but I have to say that it is just as amazing to watch a Moose fly ... in this case, Fezzywig (named Moose by his former mother). Yup, that's right, he can fly.

If you have been following my blog then you know that Fezzywig is my roach-backed warmblood gelding. He suffered an injury when he was quite young (he is now a coming 5 year old) and developed a roach back as a result. Although is very well-bred for dressage or jumping, his injury has limited his athletic ability during the time he has been with me.

Now he has wings!

From Stuck to Soaring

How did Fezzywig learn to fly? Literally via "trial by fire." Although I had done a lot of bodywork on him, and equine veterinarian extraordinaire Dr. Madalyn Ward had done a deep bodywork session on him last September, he was still stuck.

When I rode Fezzy he was stuck in his feet and could not move out well. He walked and trotted slowly, and getting him into the lope was a challenge. Internal adhesions and his funny roach-backed posture seemed to be hindering him.

I decided to try jumping him over some significant jumps to see whether stretching his body over jumps would break loose some adhesions and free up his gait. It turns out that jumping Fezzy is no easy task. He knocks over every movable jump and delights in taking them apart and dragging them into the ditch at night.

The solution? Jumps made of concrete blocks, barrels, heavy poles, and other similar immovable objects. Aha! Now here are some jumps that Fezzy has to really try to get over since they don't come down so easily!

The result? He has learned to soar, and his gaits are getting much freer with each jumping session. Being a pretty big galoot, it took some good-sized jumps to get his attention. We started at 2'3" and moved up to about 3' because he didn't bother picking up his front legs over the 2' jumps.

What's Next for Fezzywig?

Now that jumping has freed up his body, I am going back to doing a lot of the lateral work that I could not get him to do previously. He simply didn't have enough "steam" to do side-passes, leg yields, or haunches in. Now, after having jumped quite a bit, he does.

The ability to move freely forward at the walk has made those lateral flexing exercises so much more possible!

In addition, Fezzywig continues to be on his program of Horse Goo (made up of blue-green algae products and this healthy juice) to keep him limber. I've been giving him double doses on the days I jump him so his muscles and joints don't tighten up. It seems to be working well for him, as he moves better after every jumping session.

Stay tuned for more on the Flying Moose!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!

Don't You Want to Kick Some Pro Horse Trainer's Butt?

How many times have you seen this scenario:

There is a show pen full of professional horse trainers plus a single little girl riding her pony. The pony doesn't have a lot going for it. Sure, he's shiny and groomed within an inch of his life, but he's not fancy, not a great mover, and he does not have anything close to perfect conformation. And yet, when the class is over and the show results are announced, big surprise! The little girl and her pony kick butt and win over all the pros in the show pen.

Shocker!

Well, it may be a shocker, but I've seen it happen over and over again, especially if the class is judged according to the actual rules, which focus on the horse's behavior and appropriateness for the class.

How Does the Little Girl Kick Butt?

So how doesthis shocker happen? Actually, it's not that difficult to figure it out. The girl and the horse have a secret weapon: a real relationship. Yeah, a relationship. On any given day, the little girl is "messing around" with her pony. She's grooming him, hugging and kissing him, climbing all over his back, standing up on his back, and sliding off his butt. They have this "deal," this understanding of each other ... they trust each other and they love each other. The "get" each other. The little girl would probably walk through fire to save her pony, and her pony would probably walk on coals to save the little girl.

The same probably can't be said of the professional trainer and most of the horses that he trains. On any given day, the trainer rides eight or ten horses, and usually focuses on "training" specific maneuvers. You probably won't see the pro sliding off his horse's butt unless he's a pretty strange trainer. He probably doesn't feed his horses about five pounds of carrots or hand out hugs and kisses by the bushel. He gets the job done for sure ... but does his build love, trust, and that "I'll work through a burning building for you" kind of relationship with his horses? Does he know every single one of his horse's loves, hates, needs, wishes, and desires?

Probably not.

He's not paid to do that, and he usually gets the job done in the show pen or he won't stay a trainer for long. He develops a records with more wins than losses, and that keeps him in business.

But every now and then a little girl shows up on the circuit with her pony and kicks his butt. And then she keeps kicking his butt. She kicks the butt of just about every pro in the show pen because she knows her horse. She loves her horse. She knows his every quirk and she loves him the way he wants to be loved. That's how she kicks the butt of every pro in the show pen.

Now About Me, The Zen Cowgirl ...

So why have I spent almost a whole page telling you about the little girl and her pony who shows up and kicks the heinies of all these pros?

'Cause I want to be that little girl. I'm not so little anymore (I'm a few decades past that) but I do like to do stuff unconventionally. I love mustang pony jumpers who can clear the moon. I love potentially unfixable roach-backed warmbloods who become show champions. I love chronic runaway horses who learn to love standing still. I love all of that.

Now that I'm in California, I'm glad that I love unconventional ways of working for horses. Here in Redwood Valley, Northern California, I am experiencing some very challenging situations if I want to show my two horses, Samantha and Fezzywig, in the spring in Santa Rosa, CA. For instance:

- Monsoon-like rains every single day

- Rivers running through my pasture

- No convenient indoor arena

- A single (yes – one) jump

- A horse (Fezzywig) who puts every piece of the jump in the ditch every day

- No buddies with whom to ride

- Squishy hooves and slippery footing, so no fast work

Can you see my dilemma here? But not to worry. I LOVE challenges like this, especially when it comes to horse training and horse health care under adverse conditions. I'm one of those people who do exactly what people tell me can't be done. So, if you think that it won't be possible to successfully show my two horses in the jumper division in the spring in Santa Rosa, then prepare to be surprised!

In upcoming blog posts I'm going to be sharing some of the innovative ways that I'll be conditioning, training, and relating with my horses under these adverse conditions so that we'll actually be ready for the show season when it stops being monsoon season!

More to come ... stay tuned!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!

Colorado Zen Cowgirl Moves to California - Yikes!

Having put down deep roots in Olathe, Colorado for more than a decade, this zen cowgirl is now looking at ripping those roots out and moving to the big bad state of California currently governed by ex-Terminator dude ("I'll be back!") Arnold.

Wow ... that's a lot to swallow.

If you have ever owned a farm, even a small 5-acre spread like we have, then you know that pulling up roots and moving 1,100 miles across the country is pretty close to insane. You see farms, even micro-farms, have tons of outbuildings, and after a decade most of those outbuildings are overflowing with stuff (mostly known as junk).

The thought of going through all that dusty, dirty, cobwebby stuff is about as appealing as swallowing a spider whole. Ick! And yet it's got to be done, and in 60 days, no less. That's the stressful news.

The good news is that we are moving out to a fabulous four-acre horse property in Redwood Valley, CA with quick access to trails, roping, hunter/jumper, and possibly even some ranch sorting and team penning.

Animals Gone Wild
Our two horses, one cat, and five horses have, of course, picked up on the fact that something is up. One dog has gone lame and is hobbling around on three legs. The horses are stressed and showing it; I recently took Walker, my good rope horse, to a team sorting event and he totally fried his brains. Reyacita knows she isn't going to California with me and has started coughing a bit as a result of her stress and uncertainty. I keep telling her I will find her a good home, but she is taking this abandonment personally. So here's what I'm doing to keep the "stress vibe" at a minimum during our packing and moving:

Dogs: Both dogs are getting double-doses of Simplexity Essentials daily, plus Stemplex and ImmuSun. The probiotics in the Essentials will keep them calm, while the blue-green algae will provide a strong nutritional foundation. The Stemplex will help the three-legged dog heal while preventing further injury. Finally, the ImmuSun will kick-start the dogs' immune system in preparation for entering the flea-ridden state of California. We don't have fleas here in the high country of Colorado so the dogs will definitely need more protection.

Cat: Ditto the dog's program, just without the Stemplex because she doesn't like the taste.

Horses: Every horses is getting double doses of the horse goo. Reyacita is back on a regimen of 2 Eleviv of day to relieve the cough. She will also be getting the homeopathic remedy Ignatia to help her adjust emotionally to the changes of having a new home. During the actual hauling from Colorado to California, the horses who are going will get extra horse goo, enzymes and probiotics, plus Eleviv to help them handle the stress.

No doubt the entire journey, from packing to moving to finally arriving in California will be a real adventure. But with the strong nutritional support and occasional homeopathic assists I believe all the animals will settle into their new homes, whether here in Colorado or off in California, in fine fashion. This has always worked well for me in the past, and I don't see why it shouldn't offer the same great results this time.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!

Photo credit: Mapquest

Zen Cowgirl: Neither Old nor Young but Stuck in the Middle

They say that youth is wasted on the young, and in many ways I have to agree. The young are bursting with health, vitality, and enthusiasm ... all traits that they seem to take for granted with nary a second thought.

Those of us with a few years under our belt (not to mention a few colt-training "incidents") view such carefree physical exuberance with a bit of envy. We think to ourselves, "If only I had that much energy ... if only I so easily stacked 50 hay bales while barely breaking a sweat!" The "if onlys" could go on forever ... our bodies do not.

A Young Brain Stuck in a Questionable Bod
Lately I've been pondering the strange juxtaposition in which I find myself: I seem strangely ensnared between the mental callowness of youth and the lesser physical fitness of age. Mentally and emotionally, I am the same crazy impatient cowgirl I have always been--forever chomping on the bit that "things" are not getting done fast enough; colts are not progressing well enough under my care; my roping training is lagging somewhere between "sucky" and pre-novice.

And while my mental and emotional state currently reflect the that of a seven-year-old, my physical state shows every year of my almost four decades of physical exertion. Starting with swimming, gymnastics, and progressing to horseback riding along with a passion for starting raunchy colts, my body is feeling, well, just plain tired. I look at the horse's hooves and think, "Uggh, they really need to be trimmed but am I really up for this?" I look at the foxtail in my pasture (see the pic for an example of this gnarly weed!) and know I need to pull them out ... but some days I don't seem to have the physical reserves to get out there and do it ... right now!

Nike's famous "Just do it!" slogan just ain't doing it for this zen cowgirl anymore. I can no longer rely on sheer physical force to just do it.

Zen Cowgirl and Time Travel
So this zen cowgirl is off on a new time-travel adventure. My goal? To draw my seven-year-old mental and emotional state toward my thirty-something body. Hopefully both sides of me will meet somewhere in the middle.

It's gonna be a challenge. How will I do it? I have a few clues but no definite ideas. The clues involve taking the mind-bending and emotionally-relaxing supplement Eleviv, which keeps me somewhat sane despite my schizophrenic age split, as well as realizing that the world is a little messed up right now, all the way around. That means I'm crazy but I'm not alone. Somehow that's comforting in the wee hours of the night (which it is right now). It's not much but it's a place to start ...

Stay tuned for more crazy experiments in zen cowgirl time travel! And puleeze let me know if you have any great ideas!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/genbug/3558085102/