So really, what is the answer.

We have had an unbelievable year for lightning strikes.  Yes it’s Florida.  Yes we’re the lightning capital of the world.  (This is such a great thing to be known for)  But how do you deal with it.

There are two schools of though.  Neither of which I can believe in.

One says – Put the horses in the barn.

The other one says – Leave them out.

Well I’ve seen horses killed in the barn and out of the barn.  It’s really a crap shoot.  Here we go, Russian Roulette.  Do you feel lucky today?

I was always told that if your horse had shoes on they’d be dead.  Two shoes, injured.  No shoes, okay.  Well that’s not the truth.  I’ve known horses with no shoes on, and they are as dead as the ones that did.

Do I have the answer to this?  Not at all.  I guess it’s all a matter of what you can do, and what you can live with.

Have you seen horses that have been hit by lightning directly or indirectly?  You don’t want to.  Some have the skin pull away and gas forms under the skin and the skin actually crackles.  They can be paralyzed on one side of the body.  It’s like a person who has had a stroke.  They can be perfectly fine on the outside and their internal organs and intestines can be cooked on the inside.  It’s just plain horrible.  You want to talk about the walking dead?

I’ve never seen this, but if they take a direct hit, their feet can blow off.

I can’t tell you how to handle a lightning situation with your horse.  I don’t know what to do with mine.  All I can tell you is that if they get hit, pray that they die instantly.

They used to advertise a program and say “Only The Shadow Knows.”  Well I’m putting a new spin on it.  “Only The Nose Knows.”

I think I border on Obsessive Compulsive.  I can be dirty as anything, but I can’t be sticky.  When I was a kid, if I had Ice Cream, and it got on my hands, I would walk over to where there was dirt, and rub my hands in the dirt.  No more sticky.  I’m still like that about sticky.  I don’t do sticky.

There are just some things in my life that I’m very intent on (putting it nicely).  One of those things is a clean barn.  My house can always use a dusting and vacuuming (I have no idea where the dirt comes from, but it’s there), but the stalls have to be clean and the floor swept.  Now that I have a 14 X 96 foot long aisle way, it’s not swept twice a day, but it’s usually clean.  I am a fanatic about clean stalls.  They have to look and smell like there has never been a horse in there.  Now we all know that is not an easy task.  Since my horses spend very little time in, it’s easier for me, but still drives me nuts.

Have you ever just finished the barn, stripped stalls, limed, new bedding, and you walk down the aisle and you can still smell it.  Yup, it’s stronger than ever.  The strong odor of urine/ammonia.  Well one day I decided that I had to find out where it was coming from.  Sniff, sniff, Aha! My corn broom.  You know those golden-yellow brooms that everyone has.  It was holding the urine along with that ammonia smell.  Well ever since then, after I’ve finished doing the barn, I take the broom, manure fork, and shovel out, and I hose them off.  Voila!!  Odor gone.  Urine, as we all know, will eat up anything if left long enough.  I’ve also found that by cleaning it, my broom lasts longer. When you put your broom away, put the handle down and rest the broom part against a wall upright.  Rotate the side and it will keep the broom like it was made.  Straight.  My friend suggested that, but it also kept the puppies from chewing on it at the time.  As Martha Stewart would say – “It’s a good thing.”

Urine and horse trailers, a big No No.  Before horse trailers were made of aluminum and had rubber mats, urine was the prime culprit for rotting out floors.  It’s still a good idea to hose out your trailer after every use and let it totally dry.  Don’t forget to clean under those mats.  It’s also the perfect time to check and make sure your floor is good and sturdy.  I’ve seen many horse trailer floors with holes rotted through.  It was cute on the Flintstones, but does nothing for a horses legs.

Now for the next thing.  Your wheel barrel.  I’m not kidding!  In the “good ole days” they were metal, and they rusted.  Back then I discovered that hosing them out made them last longer.  Yes they would rust once the paint was off them, but we had more productive years together.  Now I just hose them out to keep the smell at bay.  This way I can multi-use them without thinking.  If I want to throw a bale of hay into one, it’s already clean.  If I want to cart blankets or anything else I want to wash or hang out, it’s already clean.  If I want to tip the handles to the floor and use it for a seat with a nice back rest, it’s clean.  If my husband wants to use it to mix concrete in, yup, you guessed it, it’s already clean.  Not to mention if you are having a Wedding or Baby Shower at the barn, they make great Wishing Wells to hold presents.  My horsey friends would decorate them.  We’ve done this for years.  It even makes it easier to move the gifts to the car.  I don’t go to Showers unless they are held in a barn.

It only takes 60 seconds to hose everything out or off, but it makes a world of difference to your sniffer.  It’s a breath of fresh air, it’s a good thing!

Not so much here in Florida, but summer is half over, and fall is coming into view.

Oh those beautiful crisp mornings to take your horse out for a romp.  They are slowly approaching.

Now is the time to think about what will need to be done.  Yes it’s my yearly wakeup call.

While the days are still hot, and hopefully dry, get those winter blankets out.  Dislodge all the bugs and rodents who have taken up residence, and get them washed and hung out to dry.  (The blankets, not the bugs and rodents.)  Let them dry in the beautiful fresh air and sunshine before the weather turns cold.  You don’t want to be cold and wet doing this sort of job.  I hate when that happens.  You still have plenty of time to send them out for repair, or do it yourself.  This needs to be done before everyone and their brother sends their stuff in, and you are stuck trying to put your husbands thermal underwear over that shaved neck, and your brand new comforter strapped around their bodies with duct tape.  Don’t ask me how I know this.

It’s still too early to worry about the other winter preparations, but blankets need a little more time.

Posts like this one are more of a reminder to me, rather than anyone else.  Although I am getting better, I do have a habit of waiting until the last minute.  When it’s in the 90’s I certainly don’t mind using the pressure washer on blankets.  It really feels good when the breeze blows the mist back on me.  Not so much when the temperature starts to drop.  I did move to Florida for a reason.  No blood = always cold.

Just make sure you put the clean blankets somewhere where the previous occupants don’t move in again.  I’ve never known a bug or rodent to send a note to housekeeping and say, “thank you for cleaning my apartment.”  They are just so ungrateful.

But most of all, enjoy the rest of your summer.  Winter will be here way to soon.

As a rule we don’t have “Rainy Days” in Florida.  We have showers that come and go in a short while.  But we’ve been locked into this pattern that is bringing winds off the Gulf, and we’re having numerous showers early everyday.  Thank you God that we are, because we’ve been in a drought like pattern in Trilby, as of late.  We watch the storms come, part, and go around us.  The pastures have been crying out for rain.  When you have hard well water, the ground doesn’t like it, and won’t absorb it as well as soft rain water.  When the rain falls, everything celebrates its arrival.

But do watch for rain rot, or foot problems caused by too much wet ground or grass.

So here we sit, waiting to get on our horses, and wait, and wait.  But use the time productively.  You know the tack room or feed room that needed cleaning and sorting?  Now is the time to jump into it.  Throw out all that old moldy stuff you don’t use anymore.  Get rid of ripped blankets and leg wraps, that you were going to get around to fixing two years ago.  Set aside the things that need cleaning, and repairs (then in two more years you can throw them out too).  Rainy days are great to do anything that will stir up dust, because all the moisture in the atmosphere will keep it at bay.  How about that tack that you just didn’t get cleaned or oiled.  But with all the moist air it will take a little longer to dry.  It’s also a good time to clean, and clip horses.  Of course you need to dry them out first, if they’ve been outside.  Take down those cob webs.  Clean off light fixtures.  When you clean bulbs they do shed more light on things.  Scrub out buckets with some bleach.  You’re wet anyway.  There is always something that needs to be done.

There are just so many things that you put off because you’d rather be riding or doing other stuff outside.  Don’t just sit there and whine, use the time wisely, and when the sun comes out everything will look a little brighter.

Oh I loved that movie.  Actually I like any movie that has dancing in it.  I like dancing period.  Dancing always seemed to be apart of summer for me.

But it’s summer,  wonderful, glorious summer.

Remember the feeling of the last day of school?  How you had the whole summer to look forward to.  Stay up late, sleep late, no homework.  “Roll out those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy, Days of Summer (Nat King Cole 1963).”  Great year.  Don’t know if the wine was very good that year, didn’t do wine, still don’t do wine.

Okay, enough of those warm fuzzy feelings, now back to reality.

Summer can play havoc on your horses feet.  Depending on where you live, and how the weather is cooperating, you have different challenges.

Too dry and hot, and feet dry out and crack.

Too wet and mushy, and you get soft feet, and foot rot.

Don’t overlook your horses feet this summer.  Use the appropriate hoof shield or dressing to make his tootsies into happy feet.  Sore feet will make him unhappy, which will make you unhappy.  This is so easy to prevent.

If you’re wearing flip flops or sandals you’re doing your toe nails, make sure he has his pedicure too.

Happy Feet = Happy Horsey = “Happy Trails”  Miss you Roy and Dale.  “‘Til we meet again.”

Spend any length of time with a group of people, whether it be friends or relatives, and it turns out to be one big drama.

Some people live for drama.  I don’t do drama anymore.  I’ve reached the age where I realize “Life Is Too Short” for nonsense.  It may seem like real problems, but they are usually in our minds.

I just read a quote from “In Praise Of Horses” by Ronald Duncan.  I think I’m going to look into more of his writings.  He really has his finger on the pulse of truth as he speaks of the Horse.  “Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity?  Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined.”  Emphasise mine.

So much of the problems between family and friends are based on pride, envy, and vanity.  No wonder we love to spend our time with our horses.  They have none of this.  They are true in their hearts.  If they are angry, they say so.  They are open, and upfront.  They have no hidden motives (well except when they want to go home).  They sense energy and the true spirit of who we are at that moment.

If people learned from the animals they live with, they would have much happier lives.  We wouldn’t hold grudges, be jealous, or hateful.  We wouldn’t hold on to past offences.  We wouldn’t stand around and talk about others.  We wouldn’t criticize others lives.  We would live in the now, and accept people for who they are. We wouldn’t be angry and look for revenge.  Think how freeing, and wonderful that would be.  Horses just deal with it, and move on.

No wonder animals are so alive and free.  They don’t carry baggage like we do.  Who would you rather deal with, someone like your horse, or someone who holds grudges and talks behind your back?

So live each moment, follow the example your horse sets, life is too short.  Leave all the baggage behind, carrying all that weight will make you miserable, and kill you sooner.

I always tell people, that if you just accept the fact that Horses Are Born Suicidal, Then You Go From There, you’ll understand horses.

I told that to a friend the other day.  I didn’t know she had horses when her children were young, but she still looked at me as though I had four heads.

Really, think about it.  You can put a horse in a padded stall, have horse safe fencing, and they can still find a way to get hurt.  There isn’t a horse walking, on God’s green earth, that hasn’t had an injury.  Every single one of them have scars, lumps, bumps, or swelling somewhere on their bodies.

Okay, take a newborn foal.  If you’re lucky they come out clean, with no problems.  BUT, give them a couple of weeks, and they will get into something.

Actually, they are much like us.  Each scar comes with its own story.  Sometimes they are badges of honor.  Most times that are sign’s of stupidity.  Same thing with horses.

When looking to purchase a horse you have to know what you are willing to live with, and what might interfere with what you are planning to do with him/her.  Something’s are an unsoundness that will count against you, and something’s are just blemishes.

Bottom line is there are no clean horses on this planet.  If they are, they won’t stay that way long.  No matter how hard you try to protect them, it just won’t happen.

Accept it, and go from there.

This is just something that has been bothering me for years, and it still grosses me out when I think about it.  So easy to avoid, and so horrible not to.

There was a horse that had gotten down in its stall and bashed its head against the wall.  It was left untreated and the flies laid eggs in it.  By the time someone noticed it, the maggots had gotten into the sinus cavities, and under the remaining meat and skin.  It was the most horrific thing I had ever seen.  Yes you could say, neglect, abuse, and basically it was.  I was asked to help with treating this poor creature.  We treated her for a week or two and thought we were getting somewhere.

That’s not my point.  My point is simply that with a little cleaning of the wound, and the proper treatment this did not have to happen.

If your horse gets a wound, treat it.  Don’t think, oh I’ll do it later, or tomorrow, or it will heal.

Every time a see maggots on some dead thing I think of that poor horse and the horrible stench from the rotting flesh.  If you’re wondering if the horse made it, no she didn’t.  She got down in the stall again and bashed her head up more and they put her down.

So in memory of this poor animal, don’t let it happen to another.  It can happen fast in the heat, and bugs of summer.

Be a responsible horse owner and “Just Do It.”   Now!

Okay, so that’s really not the name of the old rock group, but it did get your attention.

Here in Florida we are in full summer weather.  Having spoken with a few of my friends from other parts of the country, they are still stuck in spring.  Which for horse people is usually a good thing.  My one friend said two weeks ago that they were expecting a frost that night in MI.  My girlfriend in N.J. was pulling out her heavy winter blanket last night.  June 2nd, that seems really impossible to me.  But as in Florida, summer will come.

What I really want to impress upon everyone is to be aware of what is going on with your horse, the sweat part especially.

Keep aware if they are sweating, or not.  You may think, well I guess it’s just not that hot today, or boy he’s really taking the heat well this year.  NOT!  His body may have just shut down on sweating.

Know what is normal for your horse.  If he would usually be wet under a given circumstance, and he’s not, “Houston we have a problem.”

When my Clyde was a baby her thermostat did not kick in and we had to body clip her at two days old.  It’s common with Clyde babies, and if they are not kept cool, they will die.  So will your horse.

Here’s where the beer comes into play.  In the old days they used to give horses beer to get them to start sweating again.  No, not light beer, or the fancy beers they have now-a-day.  Beer with real hops and all the real ingredients.  Then I had a vet that recommended Potassium Chloride, but it’s a pain to pound the little rocks into a powder.  It worked, but it took a little time.  I’ve used acupuncture and Chinese herbs that worked well, and you do have products on the market that also work well.

Bottom line isn’t the products, it’s noticing that there is a problem, and doing something about it.  If a horse doesn’t sweat, it doesn’t cool itself.  If a horse gets overheated, it could die.  Break out the cold water and ice, (not for your drink) and get that body temperature down (theirs, not yours).  After you get theirs down, you can work on yours.

The next time you break out a beer for yourself or someone you know, think – has my horse been sweating like he should?  Actually when I walk out in the morning I look to see who’s sweating and who isn’t.  Whenever I pass during the day I give a quick look, and then again in the evening.

Once again, know what is normal and what isn’t.  When you go to buy a six-pack, just say, it’s for my horse, he’s of legal age, and he’s not driving.  You can show them his Coggins along with your photo ID or proof of age.  Bottoms up!

I never wanted to be a big show stable.  I never wanted to be a show stable at all.  All I ever wanted, when I was young, was to have my horses in my backyard.  To love, care for them, and enjoy what they had to offer.  I had always taught.  First at a large stable, and then privately.  The people I learned from loved horses, and children.  I too fell right into their passion.  I wanted to share my love and knowledge with others.  With the children who would never have the money or horses to make it to the “Big Time.”  That’s pretty much what I have done for the last 52 years.

The other day a client asked if I took Credit Cards.  My reply was, no I’m just a small operation.  She looked around at the property and said “this is not a small operation.”  I have to admit, not when you mow it isn’t.  I have a few boarders, and a few lessons.  Isn’t that what retirement is supposed to be?

It’s funny.  When you look at things through other people’s eyes how different they look.  I looked around at the beautiful green pastures, the long white barn.  The fencing with the new boards my husband had just replaced, and saw things from her point of view.  Yes it was beautiful, and somewhat impressive to someone who doesn’t have a barn of their own.  When you see things everyday, you really don’t have a clear impression of what you have.  I see an isle way that needs to be swept.  I see trim that needs to be painted.  Stalls that need a fresh coat of stain.  I see a lot of grass that needs to be cut.  But the picture is rather pleasing when you really take things in.

My barn is a good working barn.  Nothing fancy or beautiful like my barn was in New Jersey.  I loved that barn.  It was over 300 years old.  It was there during the American Revolution.  Troops had kept their horses in it, according to the Historical Society.  (Not sure whose troops.)  Battles were fought down the road, and all around us.  The barn had varnished wood planks on the front of the stalls with wrought iron and brass.  We, of course, did all of that when we bought the place.  It was just open space at the time.  The barn was three stories high, and a beautiful barn red color with white trim.  Oh did I ever love that barn, and the old farmhouse that was the same age.  I registered it with the Historical Society before I left so that no harm would come to it.  I still miss all of that.  What I don’t miss are the winters.

I kept my first horse in a little one stall barn with an 18 x 24 paddock, in the back of a trucking company.  From there she went to a barn made out of a shipping container in my backyard.  It wasn’t a permanent structure so it was legal.  Then we bought the farm in New Jersey with my beautiful barn.  Through all the different places that my horses called home, there was one thing that I made sure of, their home was always painted, clean, and decorated with flowers.  I have a couple of large pots with flowers as you enter my barn now.  The window boxes have flowers in them.  There are flowering bushes in front of the barn with Palm trees. ( We thought they were palmetto bushes when we planted them.)  Surprise!  They are now taller than the barn.

Cob webs.  That’s another story.  I work at keeping them under control, but spiders certainly work harder than I do.  In the old days they left cob webs up.  You were supposed to take a hand full and put them on a wound so that the blood would clot.  There’s another one of those myths that I’m not sure about.  Well that worked until the Fire Marshall would come in and write you a summons for a fire hazard.  They burn real good.

It doesn’t take much to be thought of as a “Class Act.”  It doesn’t matter if all you have is a lean-to and a small pen.  Take pride in what you have.  Always put your best foot forward.  Clean up any debris (you know, those things that you keep because you might need them someday).  You don’t have to get rid of everything.  Just neatly store things out of sight.  Give a quick coat of paint.  Put some flowers in a pot or hanging basket.  When you take your horse off the property make sure he/she is clean and neat (no manure stains, brushed mane and tail).  Also keep your tack clean and in good condition.  Make sure that your appearance is clean and neat (don’t look like the stable help that you were 15 minutes ago).  Ride with pride in what you have, and who you are.  I once knew a girl who thought that, because of where she lived, people would all be envious of her.  Well I certainly wasn’t envious of her dry, moldy tack, or where she lived for that matter.

People will look at you as though you have it all.  And truthfully, you do.  It’s all a matter of what you do with it, and how you present your horse and yourself.

Think of yourself as a “Class Act” and others will look at you as though you are.