Practical Yet Spiritual

Living with horses is a constant balance between the spiritual and the practical. That’s why I want to talk about a little of both here.

First, the practical: I am getting my first shipment of fly predators next week. Last year, I was very successful in keeping the number of flies down to a minimum. My neighbors couldn’t believe how few we had when they would come to visit. So, I thought I’d share my method of dispersing the little buggies.

I always put the plastic bag of un-hatched eggs in a warm place for several days and waited until there were a lot of fly predators crawling around in the bag. Then, I made very small piles of fresh manure in the places where I was going to “seed” the bugs. I put one in the front and back of each stall. I placed other piles in the corrals and at the gate of the pasture. I also made several piles on the edges of the pasture. The fly predators will spread out about 150 feet from where you leave them.

I’d deposit small groups of fly predators at each spot I’d prepared, as well as the compost/dumping heap. After I was done, there were always some left in the bag, so I’d put the bag on the compost heap with a rock on it so it wouldn’t blow away. I’d leave each of these piles for about four days before I cleaned them up. I could see when the fly predators began moving around and doing their job, so I’d wait until they were established. I get double shipments at the end of June and the beginning of August because that’s when the flies seem to really have a party. I also added an extra shipment this year to be delivered at the end of September since it stayed warm into October, and I was wishing I had one more batch last year.

My fly sprays of choice are “Nature’s Defense” and “Equisect”. They are both organic, and I alternate them. I never spray in the stalls because it will kill the fly predators and hurt our nesting birds.

Now, the spiritual: I was sitting at my husband’s desk yesterday, and I noticed a little book that a friend gave him years ago. It was “The Art of Peace” by Morihei Ueshiba. I discovered that Morihei was a legendary Aikido martial artist. This book is a collection of his beliefs. These were a few of the most meaningful for me and my horses:

"To practice properly the Art of Peace, you must:
Calm the spirit and return to the source.
Cleanse the body by removing all malice, selfishness and desire.
Be ever-grateful for the gifts received from the universe,
your family, Mother Nature and your fellow human beings."

"When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way."

"The techniques of the Way of Peace change constantly; every encounter is unique, and the appropriate response should emerge naturally. Today’s techniques will be different tomorrow. Do not get caught up in the form and appearance of a challenge. The Art of Peace has no form - it is the study of spirit."

Does this remind anyone of Mark Rashid?

THANKS FOR THE AWARD!

I am so pleased to receive this award from Arlene at Grey Horse Matters. It is hard to choose from all the other great horse blogs, but I know that this is being spread around by other horse lovers whom I respect. So, I will pass along the award to these dedicated horse moms, and encourage everyone to visit their blogs:

Linda at The 7MSN Ranch
Nancy at Cliffy's Mom's Blog
M.C. Valada at Out of the Darkroom
Lynda Polk at Hoofbeats
The Trail Riding Cowgirl at All Things Horses

No! Not Gnats!

After a day and a half of cold, gloomy weather, the sun brought out some unexpected little devils this afternoon. The horses were suddenly under attack by gnats in the pasture. Siete spun in circles, shaking her head like crazy. Silk rubbed her ears against the fence post. At first, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. As I came closer, I couldn’t believe that there were flying insects already attacking my horses less than an hour after the temperature crawled up to 60 degrees.

I raced to the tack room and dug out the almost empty bottle of fly spray. Fortunately, it seemed to discourage the gnats for at least a half an hour. Both horses stood at the gate, practically begging me to let them go back inside the barn. I felt really bad, since the sun was shining and the air was so warm. As the gnats began dive bombing their ears again, I gave in and led the girls to safety.

Mysteriously, there were no gnats in the stalls, only fresh pine shavings and an early dinner. I’m taking this as a warning that I should double my order of fly predators and stock up on more fly spray tomorrow.

What Kind Of Horse Are You?

In case you haven't seen it, Lynda Polk's Hoofbeats blog has a fun quiz to take to find out what breed of horse you would be.

Silk and Siete were not surprised to learn that I was a Quarter Horse. Duh, Mom, what did you think you were?


What breed of horse are you? Find out!

My Challenge

Yesterday, Siete was all fired up. The weather was perfect for a horse. It was brilliant blue and sunny, but cool in the 50’s. She ran around kicking and bucking, full of joy. As I was cleaning the corral, she came over to the fence in the pasture asking me to play. I fooled around with her for a few minutes, but my schedule was really busy. I had to get back to work.

I hurried into the corral, filled a muck fork and tripped backwards over the bucket. As I landed on my butt, Siete stopped and stared at me with great surprise. “What the heck are you doing on the ground?” She came over to the fence and put her nose down, trying to reach me. I began laughing, and she trotted away to bug her mother.

The combination of her playfulness and her immediate empathy keeps coming back to me, leading me somewhere new. As I came out to feed the horses their dinner last night, Siete began romping around in the corral. She’s trying to tell me something, and I think I’m beginning to get the message. She wants us to have fun, to build a relationship that is based on not just work but enjoyment. Obviously, she tests the limits with me almost every day, and I insist that she show respect. At the same time, she challenges me to lighten up.

I know that she senses what a strong bond I have with her mother. Silk and I are moving at the same pace and take comfort in each other. If I only had one horse right now, I’d just mosey along. taking it easy. With this five-year old ball of energy running circles around us old mamas, I face a big commitment. When Siete was born, I had intended to sell her. I didn’t because I loved her so much. I chose to breed Silk, and Siete is our gift. I am responsible to give this little horse a good, happy life. At each step along the way, as she reveals sides of myself that I’d rather not deal with, I am forced to push myself to succeed and do what’s best for her. Of course, it ultimately proves to be what’s also best for me.

So, I am promising Siete that I will carve a solid place for her in my schedule. Along with writing, giving my daughter the attention she needs, caring for my aging mother, keeping my family and animals well fed, maintaining a comfortable and happy home, and last, but far from least, spending time with my husband, I will find the extra energy to build my relationship with this little horse. At first, my thought was, “When will I have any time for me?” Now, I understand that being with Siete is the best way to learn more about myself and give myself what I need. She helps me become more of the person that I’d like to be.

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
Goethe

Spring Cleaning

I should be doing some Spring cleaning inside my house, but as usual, I’m more interested in horsekeeping than housekeeping. I pulled out my white vinegar, soft chamois cloths and Oakwood leather conditioner. My beloved old Bob’s cutting saddle and my bridles need some attention.

One problem that I have on the East Coast that I never encountered in the deserts of Southern California is mildew. The easiest way I’ve found to remove it is with some vinegar and a soft cloth. Then, I use my tube of Oakwood. It’s magical stuff, making the leather soft and shiny without being oily or sticky. It doesn’t change the color or stain clothes, and I’ve had this tube forever.

I also changed out my funky, beat-up stirrups for these never-been-used new ones that I bought for five dollars at a barn sale this winter. One of my neighbors was moving and had sold all her Western gear now that she rides dressage. The stirrups match my saddle perfectly.

I hosed my Supracor Cool Grip pad and set it in the sun to dry. Over at Midwest Horse, Callie was talking about saddle pads, and I commented on how much I love this one. It’s made from the material they use for padding in wheelchairs and hospital beds to prevent soreness. There are little holes that allow air to circulate, and I just clean it by rinsing it off after I ride. Silk had a sore back when I bought her, but the combination of a saddle that really fits her and this amazing pad make her very happy. After many years, the pad looks just as good as when I first bought it.

Finding a saddle to fit Silk was a real challenge. She has a long back and pretty high withers. When we were living in North County San Diego, it took me almost a year before I was lucky enough to acquire one of Warner Ranch’s well-used saddles. It doesn’t look like much, but it sure is comfy.

It always surprises me how many people ride in saddles that don’t really fit their horses. Then, they wonder why the horse is irritable and won’t cooperate. I check Silk’s saddle every six months to be sure it still fits properly. When I first bought Silk, the saddle I already owned was too narrow. I had no idea how to tell if the saddle was good for the horse. The trainers and old timers at the barn weren’t any help. They acted like they were some kind of mystics or visionaries who could divine whether it was right for the horse.

Eventually, after working at a great tack store and meeting some incredible saddle-makers, I learned how to measure and fit a horse. It’s no mystery. If you want to learn more, take a look at Dave Genadek’s website and video. What I do to check Silk’s saddle is place it on her back without a pad and put my hands between her back and the tree of the saddle on each side where the withers are. I can feel if it’s too tight or pinches her. I also check the back, reaching under the saddle to be sure it isn’t putting pressure on her. Obviously, the saddle should sit well and not pop up in the back. It only takes a few minutes, and as a horse gains or loses weight, what once was the perfect saddle could be the cause of a major problem. Your horse will thank you.

Now, I’m going to clean the rocks out of the arena, and it will be time to ride. Yahoo!

All the Girls Are Good

My horses are such good girls. Even though there was a light misty rain, they stood patiently for the farrier today. He took off their winter shoes, and they are running barefoot again. You can tell it feels good. It helps that the temperature is almost
60 F degrees.

The air is softer and sweeter. The lilac bushes are sporting big fat buds. It feels like we pushed through the hard part and can now float happily into April. I’m watching Silk and Siete roll around in the dirt and shake off the last grip of winter’s hand.

I realize how ready I am to walk barefoot too in soft green grass. On this quiet gray day, all three of us girls are good.