Some of you reading this may be under 30, so bear with me, and many of you that I know, are not.

I remember that saying so well from when I was young.  When we were young we thought that we had it all figured out.  Our parents, of course, were just so behind the times.  What could they possibly know about life today.  They were “Old”.  From a land and time so in the past.  Boy do I wish it was the past again.  Boy do I wish I was young and naive again.  Ignorance really is bliss.

I watched a girl in her mid twenties today speak with such confidence on a problem with one of the horses at her barn.  Symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.  The vet was not sure what was causing the symptoms, but this girl was undoubtably sure.  The vet was only out of vet school for about a year, and I don’t know how long she has been dealing with the strange things that Florida offers.  I had to admit, I pretty much agreed with the young ladies way of thinking.  She was on the right track.

She was hooking up a trailer for someone, and I told her good job, when she crossed the chains to the hitch.  I said I can see this isn’t your first Rodeo.  She looked at me with those eyes of patience you give to an old person, and I smiled.  I was her at one time.

I was the one who spoke with confidence about anything horse related.  I was well into my twenties also.  Training, jumping, I was on top of my game.  You couldn’t rattle me. I’ve seen this a lot in the younger horse generation.  That is until you meet a horse who doesn’t necessarily play by the rules.  And trust me, there will always be that one horse. Or your favorite horse which comes down with something that you’ve never heard of before.  Or the vet that stands there and tells you they have no idea what your horse got into, but he may not make it.  Then it feels like the rug has been pulled out from underneath you, or you took a direct punch to the stomach and all the breath has been knocked out of you.

I would like to be twenty and feel that confident.  I would like to be twenty again and not have seen so many of my favorite horses and dogs die.  I would like to be twenty again and know what I know now.  BUT – I would never want to be twenty again in reality. There is so much that I wouldn’t want to relive.  I’m glad I had the experiences, and the lessons learned.  Even though some of them were very painful.

Actually I would like to be fifty again.  I didn’t ache so much, I had a fine strong hunt horse, and probably had some of the best times in my life.  The nonsense of childhood was in the past and I was coming to an age where I could say anything and not care what people thought.  After all, I was old and you didn’t have to pay me no mind.

Enjoy every day of your life.  It’s a gift from God.  Even the bad stuff will teach you something.  Then you can look at a confident twenty year old and smile too.

You can make a difference in a life.

We go around doing things and probably don’t even realize that we are being watched. Whether it’s with the people we meet or the animals we work with, someone is taking notice.

This was brought to my attention on Friday night.  By now I’m sure you know that I am a Christian.  I don’t stand on a soap box at the corner telling people “Repent the day of the Lord is coming”, but I try to live as a Christian should.  The young lady told me she wants to find a Christian Barn.  I’ve never heard of a “Christian Barn” before.  I know horse people, being close to, and loving Gods creation, are more spiritual.  I also know that there is a lot of drama at some barns.  I have had mothers call me and tell me they want to get their daughters out of certain barns.  Now this young lady has gotten a very good job, at a very prestigious college in Nashville, and I’m thrilled for her.  I will miss her, but she has her whole life ahead of her and it’s going in a good direction.

I don’t do anything special here other than take care of the boarders horses like they were my own.  I try to help people when I can.  Take in lost causes.  I don’t make much money, but I can sleep at night knowing I’ve done my best.

I’ve loved my lesson kids as thought they were my own grandchildren.  Even though they have moved on with their lives, moving and growing up, I still hear from them regularly. Have lunch with them when they are in town and just keep in touch by text.  They don’t sit there and send me sappy cards, but they tell me in their actions and sometimes words that I have made a difference in their lives.

Yes I may help horses work through their issues, both physical and emotional, but I have also found that I’ve helped these young people find a better way and a better life.  This is done without a thought or sometimes, not even noticing it.

Whether we are instructing or just going about our everyday routine, we are making a difference in someone, or some animals life.

Know that to be true.  You may never know it, but it’s really happening.  Be the best person you can be, because someone is always watching.

That’s what my neighbor will say to me when I see her at her place of work.

When I was a teenager the “Hood” was something you looked under when you wanted to check the oil in your car.  Or it was what you pulled up from your jacket to stay warm. Then it became the fan above your stove, or something you placed on your horse’s head and neck to keep him warm after you shaved all his hair off.  Today it seems to be short for your “Neighborhood.”  A lot of words from years ago have new meanings.  Pot was something you cooked with, not something you smoked.  Seems weird to me.

Now the “hood” I want to talk about is one of the old-fashioned ones, the one you wear on your head.  I liken it to blinders on horse harness.  Seriously?!  One is to keep you warm and one is to keep the horse from spooking from something coming up behind him.  Well now, that’s just my point.

No we really don’t have a side or rear view like a horse, but the hood will do the same thing to us as the blinders will do for him.  You have your hood up and you are trying to stay warm, but you really don’t have any idea of what is going on along side of you or behind you.  This can be dangerous.

Sometimes I think, I think too much.  But it comes down to staying safe.

We don’t even realize how much we take in while we are working with our horses.  We are always scanning our surroundings.  Okay, now be honest –  When you were first learning to drive, and a plastic bag blew in front of your car, didn’t you grab the steering wheel tighter waiting for the car to spook?  Okay so don’t be honest and make me look crazy.  I think people who ride horses are more pro-active drivers.  And I do know that people drive the way they ride.  People who do sliding stops with their horses will also wait to brake their cars.  We have a tendency to look around our turns.  If you are into speed on a horse, guess what you are into with your car.

Enough of that.

So when it’s cold, yes even in Florida, I put my hood up on my jacket.  But what I have noticed, especially in a field with horses, I don’t want it up.  I want to see what is going on around me.  If one horse is going to chase another into me, or run me over, I don’t want to wait until I’m picking myself up off the ground to be aware of all that.  If a horse I am leading is going to spook, I want to see it coming.  And there is always the chance that someone is going to mug you for what you are carrying at the time.

In self-defense courses they will always tell you to be aware of your surroundings.  I think they learned that from being around horses.

So be wise grasshopper when working around horses.

See you around the hood, or in our case, see around the hood.

Which in my case can be very dangerous.

My long time friend, Nancy Forsyth, a highly knowledgeable, competent trainer who specializes in Handicapped Riding and Driving, asked permission to use something I said in last weeks post in her next volunteer training session.  I was not only surprised, but honored by this.

I really just put down what comes to mind in a situation, or drives me nuts.  Nothing that I consider outstanding.

But upon thinking about what she said, that’s what I am about.  Teach what you have learned and one less horse will suffer from ignorance, and never stop learning.    So when I put something out there, it’s meant to be used and/or shared.  If I keep it to myself, what good is it; what good have I done?

I know I’ve said this all before.

My first husbands grandfather was a walking book of knowledge and experience, but sadly, he never shared his secrets.  He would help with anything, but never give you his secret mixes of healing materials.  How sad that was for me.  A lot of good remedies went to the grave with him.

So many old good trainers would train a horse for you, or solve a problem but they would never let on how they did it.  And truthfully, the ones that did let you know, really didn’t have good methods.

In the horse business there are a lot of ways to do things.  Some are right, some are wrong, and some are just different. Somethings work well with some horses and with some horses it just makes them mad.

Store everything somewhere in the back of your mind, you never know when you will need to pull something out of your bag of tricks, but by no means keep the things you’ve learned to yourself.  Sometimes people will look at you like you’re crazy.  That’s okay. They may look crazy themselves to others.  Just know in your heart that your intentions are good, and backed by solid logic and experience.  Some people will take what you’ve said and turn it around so it bites you, but that is their misunderstanding, and therefore their problem.  The truth of any situation will always rise to the surface.

If someone doesn’t like what I write, they are free not to read it.  If I can help one horse or person, I’ve done what I set out to do.

Thank you to all that write or call and tell me that they appreciate my writings and humor, even though Bob says that I don’t have a sense of humor.  I have been asked to put these posts into a book. (Not mentioning any names Louise.)  I don’t think that’s my destiny.  I don’t think what I say is book worthy, but thank you for thinking I’m better than I am.  There are so many books out there, and so many people who are more knowledgeable than I am.  I’m just a simple horse owner that has been doing this for fifty-four years, and counting.  I just want to put my experiences out there to try to help a little.

Share your experiences, not necessarily your opinions (although I do when I get mad). Whenever possible back it up with facts.  I’m always surprised when the facts agree with my experiences and thinking.  I’m glad they finally caught up to me.

Thank you Nancy.

I love when a horse tests me.  It’s like waving a red cape in front of a bull.  Each horse has their own method and style.  Some hold out longer than others, but it is all a mind game. It’s them against me, one on one.  We both stand there and look each other in the eye and send out the challenge.  Who will give in first?  Who can outsmart the other?  I love it.

What makes me even more challenged is when someone tells me I can’t do something. Now this has been a problem for me ever since I was small.  Must be something in the DNA.  Don’t know much about that stuff and it’s okay.

Most people when challenged by a horse, get flustered.  They just don’t have time for this nonsense.  The horse picks up on this and they send out a message “Let the games begin!”  Some horses are really good at this game.  They’ve been practicing it for years. Sometimes with several people.  They have nothing better to do, so it’s fun, and gives them entertainment for the afternoon.  Look at it through their eyes.  Here is a human running around, screaming, throwing things, chasing them.  How fun!  They know that you can’t catch them and they love seeing you get red in the face, out of breath, and the next thing they know, the person gives up and they win.  How great is that.

Just like any other sport, you must know your opponent.  You must study their game plan.  You must know their strengths and weaknesses.  You must know their attention span, and their will.

I was called in to catch a horse for a farrier today.  Not one of mine, nor one of my boarders or customers.  A neighbors horse. The horses at my barn come when I whistle. They know there’s a treat in it for them.  Now I have dealt with this particular horse before, when she had to go to a vet and needed to be trailered, after a really bad trailering experience. Nothing bad about this horse, just people who lacked knowledge, and patience.  These people did not have the right energy to deal with this horse.  She needs someone with quiet confidence, and patience.  She doesn’t get violent, just quietly doesn’t want to do something.  Took my time, stayed quiet, and she walked right on by herself.  Of course she was following a feed bucket, but there was no bad experience at all.  Horse was just the perfect lady, she just wanted to be heard and understood.  So armed with a carrot, I’ve caught this horse before, I figured it wouldn’t be that hard.  I was told by the barn owner that I wouldn’t be able to catch the horse.  Yay, a challenge, both human and horse.  Walked out to the pasture and we both sized up the situation. She almost let me get to her, she knew me and knew I had a carrot, but she thought she’d test me.  No problem.  She trotted a few feet and stopped, I started chewing on the carrot, she knew it.  We did the trotting away in a small circle several times and I could tell she really just wanted the carrot, but wasn’t ready to give in.  The circle got a little bigger.  The challenge was there.  Okay, you want to run, go ahead, I can wait.  So I sent her out to trot around me.  Well that lasted for a short while, she really wasn’t in the mood to have to work.  So she stopped, faced me and gave me the look of “I can have that carrot now.” I walked up, gave her the carrot, snapped the lead line on and off we went to the barn.  I told the barn owner who challenged me, I’ve been doing this for 53 years, it’s really no big deal.

I guess we were both winners.  The horse got her carrot and her feet trimmed, and I got the satisfaction of being successful.

It’s all a matter of attitude you know, so “Let The Games Begin!”

It’s a good stretching exercise for you and your horse.

All of her life, my grandmother could not only touch her toes, she could place her palms flat on the floor.  Me, on the other hand, could never touch my toes, except when sitting in the saddle.

One of my boarders, the other day, came to visit her old retired horse.  He’s been here since March, but she’s only come several times to see him.  She’s so involved with her children and their new horses who are showing pretty much every weekend.  It’s either that or lessons.  She lives over an hour away, so we’re not around the corner.

Well she was amazed in the change in his body.  He came in with a big hay belly, but not a top line.  We think he’ll be 24 this year, but it could be 25.  He now has a top line, slimmed down the belly and just looks fantastic.  Coat bright and shiny.  Attitude, alert and happy.  He is a pasture ornament, there is absolutely no work involved in his day, other than napping, eating, and an occasional romp around the pasture.

She couldn’t believe it.  How could it possibly be?  I told her what I tell everyone.  There is a peaceful energy here.  They are turned out and allowed to be horses, and they get good quality feed and hay.  She didn’t understand, what being turned out and being allowed to be horses truly means.  So I explained.

I’ve said this many times, but stay with me.  A horses body is meant to be in continual motion, grazing.  Every system in a horses body is made to be in constant movement.  They were created to eat off the ground. This requires stretching of the neck and use of the back and stomach muscles.  So when a horse eats from a natural position, all this comes into play.  He had been eating in a stall with a manger at shoulder level and I assume a hay rack.  He wasn’t using his body at all.

With this being said, I decided to search the internet to see what was out there and if they agreed with me.  Surprise, they did.

Can’t remember what site it was, but it was a reliable study.   This is what they came up with –

Feeding off the ground is a natural feeding position.

1. It slows consumption of food – It is a more relaxed position.  They eat smaller mouthfuls.  They chew it better.  It is better mixed with saliva.  It helps reduce choking or impaction.
2. Improves nutrition – They chew more and with their head down there is more saliva and the food is better prepared for digestion.  They have more intake of vitamins and minerals and more nutrients are absorbed.
3. Reduced Irritants – They inhale less irritants with their head down.  There are less irritants that will get in their eyes.  A lower head promotes airway drainage and the flushing out of inhaled dust or hay particles.

I never gave it this much thought, but it all makes sense.  I just looked at for what it is, a natural position, and God knew what he was doing when he created them.  That was good enough for me.

People get crazy when you feed a horse off the ground.  Oh they’ll ingest sand.  Their heads are too close to the bedding, they’ll inhale the dust.  Well I try to sweep the bedding away from their buckets and 98% of the time they’re eating out in the pasture. Do I worry about sand colic?  Yes a lot since I moved to Florida, but I give them Psyllium the first week of every month and don’t worry about it.

I really can’t explain why I do some of the things I do.  I just look to what is natural in the real world of horses, and go from there.

So now I have solid evidence to back up what I have been doing for years.

The reason his top line improved – I let him be a horse.

In fifty some odd years of being involved in horses, the one thing I’ve learned is that the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.

Everything to do with horses is a different category to be learned.  From feeding, to breeding, to handling, to different disciplines, to various tack and training items, they are all like a diamond with different fascists.

So I’m on Facebook the other day and a friend, who is a knowledgeable horsewoman and horse business woman, is ranting about some group that is critiquing pictures of people and their horses.  From what they were saying, they didn’t have a clue what they were talking about.  Some of the pictures were taken out of context.  What really put her over the edge was that these people had gone to other people’s Facebook pages and taken pictures from them without their permission and criticizing their abilities.  A beautiful picture of a professional barrel racer was criticized for how low to the ground the horse was turning a barrel.  A picture of a horse with his ears turned back to listen to his rider was criticized that the horse must be in pain.  No wonder my friend was so irate.

What is wrong with people?  Who do they think they are just taking people’s private pictures and making an issue on social media without asking?  What makes these people think they have even a clue as to what they are talking about?  Don’t they realize they are opening themselves up for legal actions?  This site is not monitored by any knowledgeable, responsible horse person.  However, people are going to buy into this nonsense.  It is ruining some of the accused people’s reputations.  I think they call that slander.

I know that Equus used to have a section where people sent in their pictures and George Morris used to make professional comments about their form, tack, turn out, horses ability, and suitability of horse to rider.  But the people did this knowingly, to a person who was the best in the business.  Even then, Mr. Morris would always say something like “from what I can see in this picture.”  He knew that without actually being there, knowing the full story of the horse or the person, sometimes what you see is not what it really is.

Professionals know not to volunteer information unless you are asked and usually paid to do so.

What I can say to these people is “Your ignorance is showing, and you are opening yourself up for a lawsuit.”

Oh my, stupidity runs rampant these days.

I guess I say this every year, but where did this year go????

I hear my mother in my brain telling me “As you get older the time goes faster.”  Okay I get it, now make it stop.

There are days that I have so much to do I feel like I’m on a Carousel spinning out of control.  The other day I just sat in my pasture, with the horses, and became still and grounded once again.  It’s kind of like when you go to the amusement park and you get off a ride that is spinning faster and faster and you have to get off and sit for a while before moving on.  You’ve got to wait for your inner ear and brain to settle down.  That’s one thing I love about spending time with my horses, they can bring you back to reality. Sitting there and just watching them eat.  It’s so simple.  Why hasn’t the medical field tapped into this.  No, they just prescribe another pill.

Peace, contentment, grounding.  That’s what horses bring to our lives.  We’re onto something here and we don’t even realize it.

I know they are using dogs a lot in various therapy venues.  They are finally catching on to what we’ve known all along.  Animals are healers and teachers.

Wake up world!  It doesn’t come in a bottle or by laying on a couch telling someone who just sits and nods as you pay them way too much money.  It comes with four legs and a tail.

I’m not going to go into the whole New Years Resolution thing.  We all know what we need to do, but don’t.  We all know what we would like to do, but never get around to. So all I’ll say is have a safe Happy New Year and we’ll try again starting right after that.

Oh a word of caution.  Don’t bring your horse in the house for the party, it’s not their bag.

Speaking with a teenage friend of mine this past weekend, she told me she went to a show.  I think it was her first.  It was just a backyard fun show, but to her it could have been the Olympics.  The smile on her face was beyond description.

Also this weekend one of my students mothers posted a picture of her daughter on one of my lesson horses, at one of her earliest shows.  I also saw a picture of her this past summer jumping her new horse over a three-foot spread with no bridle.  She moved away several years ago, but we still keep in touch and I am so proud of her progress.  It’s a little sad to see them growing up, but so wonderful to see and hear of their progress. The feeling of satisfaction knowing that I gave them their start is the best feeling in the world.

Do you remember your first ride?  Your first show?  Your first hunt? First time jumping or turning a barrel?  Think back and grab hold of that feeling of excitement.  It was such a high.  It totally sucked you into that black hole of total bliss.

I’m sorry, but making contact with a golf ball just can’t give you the same feeling.  Yes it’s nice when you hit that “sweet spot”, that’s what keeps you coming back again and again, but the endorphin release you get on the back of a horse just can’t compare.

Sometimes life gets in the way, or we just change and we no longer do those wonderful things we did when we were younger, or first started riding.  When things we used to love to do become a chore, we let them slide.  We get burned out, just like with everything else.  It’s such a shame.

My girlfriend who had several horses when we were young got out of it when she started having children, and her horses got old and crossed the “Rainbow Bridge”.  Going through 20 years of raising her family, she missed it but not enough to fit it in her life. She just closed that chapter and moved on.  Her children have grown and have families of their own and her husband just lost his battle with cancer.  Now she was dropped kicked into an empty life.  So what does a horse person do?  Pick up where she left off. She went and got back on a horse.  She was one of the “Blood and Thunder Riders”  you know, one of the kids I grew up with that did many stupid things that could have got us killed, but didn’t.

So that wow factor that got us hooked in the first place still exists in us somewhere.  I guess I’m just too comfortable to be wowed anymore.  It’s just too much work to get up early and go somewhere.  How sad is that.  I guess I’ll just settle for giving others the chance to experience the joy of it all.  I just loved seeing that smile that I saw this weekend.  It means I’m passing on a legacy that was passed to me many years ago.  But then, I could very easily be wowed again.

How about you?  Have you been wowed lately?

It’s just a block of wood.  It’s just a lump of clay.  It’s just a chunk of granite.  But to a wood-carver, a potter, a sculpture, it’s so much more.  They look at a block of wood and see things in it you and I could never imagine.  I’ve seen people with chain saws attack a block of wood and make beautiful creations out of it.  A lump of clay can become a beautiful piece of pottery.  And a piece of granite can become a beautiful statue.  They say that the creation was always in there just waiting to come out.

According to the Bible man was formed from the dirt (clay) of the earth and on most days horse people still look like that.  Many years ago I heard some one say “Ashes to ashes dust to dust, well there’s someone either coming or going under my bed”  or at least a few dust bunnies rolling around under there.  But really, they don’t eat much and they don’t make any noise.

Now as potters, sculptures, or wood carvers, that’s what I feel like when I look at a foal, green horse or even an older horse.  You have raw material and you look to see what lies beneath the surface as to what you can possibly bring out of this amazing creature.

With the new horse trainers of today it’s starting to look like an assembly line at a factory.  I don’t see the horses being treated as individuals.  It seems to be a one size fits all sort of training.  Follow these steps and you will have the perfect horse.  Well I’ve met a few horses over the years that haven’t read the brochures.  To me each one is different, will react differently, and needs his own special program done in his own time frame.  You can get yourself in a lot of trouble trying to put a square peg in a round hole, or push him through in your time frame not his

I’ve been reading a book titled “Jingle In The Horses” by Jeff Gore.  It’s a wonderful tale about a young boys journey into manhood with an old cowboy as his mentor.  He’s taught to break colts for a cattle drive, among many life lessons along the way.  Many of us horse people have had someone like Buster in our lives, but what amazed me is Buster’s way of breaking these colts and fillies and their typical reactions to the handling and beyond.  He gentle breaks them.  This was so uncommon in the old western ways, even in the 60’s.  You did have trainers like John Lyons emerging and showing that there is a difference.  The book takes place in West Texas in 1968.

The back cover reads – Buster Hogan has spent his whole life around horses, preferring them over most people (we can relate).  After his own childhood was wrought with pain and loss, he finds in a young preacher’s son a friend and a chance to pass on a wealth of knowledge about horses to an eager student.  The journey it takes them on changes their lives and the lives of those around them.  The remuda of horses, life at the wagon for spring branding, and the front porch of the small West Texas Baptist Church parsonage serve as classrooms for the education that is in store for young Charlie Baker. Through it all, it becomes obvious that some friendships last a lifetime, but some last forever.

I know in previous posts I’ve spoken on many of these things.  Gentle breaking,  passing on our knowledge to others, but mostly the friendships that come from our love of horses.

This book is a fast read that holds your attention.  Touches you on many levels.  Bullying, abuse, poverty, unusual friendships, mentors, dreams, and horses.

When you look at your horse, what is really hidden under what you know to be true?  Do you leave it hidden, or like the chainsaw person, do you free it from within and let its true beauty surface?

One last question.  How many of you know about the Jingle in of horses?  I didn’t, but I do now.  Such a simple but smart thing.  One of the many horsey things that have been lost over the years.

So many of the old ways have disappeared, or  are simply forgotten.  I know I’ve misplaced many of the things I was taught or shown.  Did you know that bells were used on horse-drawn sleighs to keep collisions from happening at intersections. (Horse drawn sleighs travel without a sound and are not heard in the snow).  And the Jingling in of horses – a bell was placed on the lead mare in a remuda so you could locate them in the dark. When she was found and led back to camp the other horses would hear it and follow the sound.

Just a little romantic nostalgia.