Thursday, July 29, 2004
Sanalac County Fair Tomorrow - Bummer I’m totally bummed because Duane is going with a helper to the show without me. I had originally taken the day off but recently was bumped because the other office girl had last minute eye surgery today and she most likely wont be in tomorrow. So I’m coming in to work and will be wondering all day about how Duane and the boys are doing. On the filp side of that at least it’s just a one day haul in/out show a ½ hour from our house so he should be home before I get home from work. At least I know they are in good hands, I know Duane cant braid a mane or drive the ladies cart class – now that would be interesting;-}, so Eve of Mischief Mannor Clydes is going to go with Duane to be his groom as well as drive the ladies cart class. Thank goodness for her being there, I think I would have a heart attack if he was going to try to braid on his own. I am taking time off for the remaining shows but only on show days so I know I’m going to be totally spent after this month. Well…. I am working on taking the entire week of the State Fair off so I can have some fun as well as show at that event. So anyway, I get to do a bunch of the work and then go to work the next day UGH. Talk about getting the wrong end of that bargain. I’m washing horses then wrapping legs as soon as I get home, then I have to make sure everything is in order equipment wise (everything but the wagon and cart). That’s my part of the deal with Duane; he is responsible for all the bedding, barn work and getting stuff to the shows as well as showing while I’m responsible for all the detail stuff. It usually works out well with him getting the heavy grunt work but this time I’m on the loosing end. Such is life. The Saginaw County show is around the corner and I will be taking time off for that one. Lauren will be home by then too so she will be going to the show to do the junior classes as well. I sure do miss her and look forward to her being home soon.The horses are training extremely well at this point. We are attempting to peak them for the State Fair and it looks like we are dead on schedule. Barney is really coming together and Doug is finally making some progress in his fitness level. It has been very slow going getting him physically right since his time off earlier this spring. He was a whole month behind Barney in his training level and because of that we pulled him out of 2 performance classes at the Fowlerville Fair which was our last show. It kind of sucked not having him ready as our go to horse for the junior and ladies cart classes but it was the right thing to do and I don’t regret it in the least. Doug will only see 2 performance classes at the Sanalac Fair so that will be fine. They don’t have any junior classes so we don’t have to worry about the extra work load for him. He should be starting to fire on all cylinders for the Saginaw Fair where he will see 3 performance classes and a halter class. That should be perfect scheduling wise for him then its Hell week… actually 2 weeks with 3 shows back to back with the last one being the State Fair. I’m looking very forward to it but it will be a daunting task.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 5:22 PM
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Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Babys got new pair of shoes Its time to reset our boys and it always is quite the production and I’m always amazed at the size of everything drafty which brings me to thinking about how draft horses often get a bad wrap due to the size of their shoes. A number of light horse people consider the way a draft horse is shod as cruel and outrageous because of the size of shoes our guys take. I get a number of people who come to fairs asking about the large feet that our horses have and the shoes that are used. Our horses don’t wear “large” shoes, they wear shoes that are correctly sized for their foot. Remember we are talking about 2000lbs of horse here and they would be cripple in no time if they had small petite feet. Draft horse breeders actually breed for large wide heels, and I’m glad it’s that way, I want my horses to be sound with good feet. There has been much controversy on the topic since you will commonly see what might be considered an oversized foot and it is assumed that this is a scotch bottom. INCORRECT! A scotch bottom shoe is a type of shoe (a type of horseshoe with an outer edge that is sloped down and outward from the hoof, at an angle to match the hoof) nothing more or less which can be used as designed or abused. Like with any breed you will see people take things to extreme and others that will do what’s best for their horse long term. This is nothing new in the world of competition and its seen world wide in every sport out there. From my vantage point the scotch bottom shoe is an excellent shoe and was way ahead of its time. Take a look at a new style of shoe called a “natural balance shoe”. It is amazingly similar to the shape of a scotch bottom and is extremely close in resemblance to what is considered a draft parade shoe.Natural Balance Shoe
Draft Parade Shoe
Draft Scotch Bottom Shoe
The goal in using this type of shoe is to better support the horse and to correctly balance a horse regardless of if it is a draft or light horse. Current research (late 1990’s) proved again that it’s most beneficial for a horse to have a somewhat squared off toe which goes against what farriers have been taught for the last 50 years. Interesting that draft horse farriers have been using this type of a foot/shoe on their horses for the last 100 years. Horses back then needed to be sound to pull the delivery/freight wagons. This squared off toe shape didn’t happen by mistake but was arrived at by trial and error and should be considered a tried and true method to caring for horse’s feet. While I’m sure that there is a place for what is considered the normal rounded horse shoe, it isn’t on a draft horse used for carriage, parade or show ring work. Using our drafts in this manner requires a very supportive shoe that will help maintain a balanced food and prolong soundness by distributing the weight evenly across a wide base which is exactly what a scotch bottom shoe will do. Just thought I’d share with you that interesting tidbit.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 5:08 PM
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Thursday, July 22, 2004
I Wish I Was There Where you might ask, but if you really knew me you would know that it’s the 2004 World Percheron Congress in Brandon Manatoba. I wanted to go so much but alias I have to work a day job to pay for my horse habit. We so wanted to have Barney compete in the Men’s cart class there because we truly feel that he has the ability to compete with the big guys. I just couldn’t let my boy go, its so far and if something would have happened to him I would have been heart broken. So he’s out in the pasture enjoying the afternoon with his good buddy Doug. No regrets here, we know he’s a “big” horse – but it would have been nice to see him go head to head with the best in the world to see if he is really as good as we think he is. I think that we will get a good indicator of his ability at the Michigan State Fair and the Great Lakes International later this year so till then he’s just our little biscuit.In looking over their website it appears to me that the Manitoba Percheron-Belgian Club really has gone out of their way to put on one heck of a World Congress which makes me even more remorsefull that I can not physically attend. I have visited their web site a numerious amout of times checking out the updates and most recently the results. They sure have their act together to get all that information out there. Kudos to them for a job well done!
I am looking forward to the 2006 Congress which is to be held in Lexington Kentucky at the Kentucky Horse Park which will be great. I have always wanted to visit the park but as of yet have not been able to make the time. I’m going to go to this one come hell or high-water even if it means just as a spectator.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 11:46 AM
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Monday, July 19, 2004
Drawing to an end Life is full of ups and downs. Caring and tending to animals that depend on you for their care and welfare can sure force a person make some hard choices. A number of years ago I had a draft cross mare that colicked. I could afford colic surgery at the time so that’s what I did. The mare ended up living thru the procedure but developing a huge hernia and after a years worth of care we ended up putting her down at the recommendation of our regular vet and a top vet with Michigan State University. The mare was only 5 and it was devastating to me to lose her after raising her from a yearling. Bailey was miserable and would never be comfortable even in a pasture as a pet. I think I cried for a whole week for my friend that I had chosen to destroy in her best interest. So many hope and dreams of future years together I had envisioned all swept away. I know in my heart it was the right thing to do but it was one of the hardest decisions that I have personally ever had to make.I now am faced with a similar situation and again my heart aches as I recall the last 20 some years I have had with my faithful Arabian, Hawk. I found Hawk at a barn where I went to look at a good-sized white ½ Arabian gelding. He was in a paddock all by himself after being recently castrated. He had a terrible sunburn on his nose and the back of his pasterns that had crater sized cracks with puss oozing out of them. I was told that he was nutty and too much for a teenager to handle but there was something about him that drew me to him. His eyes followed me wary of what I might do but waiting to decide if I posed a threat to him. He had been a Champion in Halter and Western Pleasure classes not many years before. How he had dropped from grace was beyond me but there he was looking sad and distrusting at us. I picked him up the following week and after many months of working with him he emerged into a confident playful and even humorous friend. He has been with me ever since and he has taken many a beginner for a pleasant after noon trail ride, taught many youngsters to ride correctly and instilled respect for horses in all that have had the good fortune to have known him. He taught me the finer points of horsemanship and its Hawk that has made me the horsewoman that I am today. I write this entry cherishing many fine things about my friend and my sorrow that he appears to be declining this year. Hawk is 34 years old this summer, in human years he would be 102. He did not make it thru the past winter as effortlessly has he has in the past and we are fighting to get weight on him. His life with us is winding down and we are faced with the prospect of putting him down before the next winter hits if he doesn’t put sufficient weight back on to make it thru the impending winter. I don’t wish to see him suffer and shiver out on the cold Michigan nights so I am faced with a decision in the not so far future. Time is on my side at this moment and I am cherishing every moment I can with my buddy and am so thankful to have had him in my life. As I’m loosing one great horse another is emerging and I think to myself that I am the richest woman on the earth having been fortunate enough to have both of them in my life. To the past I salute Hawk and all that he has taught me, to the future I embrace my time with Barney and while he will never fill Hawks shoes he in his own way will make a significant mark on my life as we blaze a new trail together.
The wind of heaven is that whichblows between a horse's ears. -Arabian Proverb
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 9:10 PM
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Friday, July 16, 2004
Ahhhh Relief......... It’s finally cooled down a bit here. That near 90 degree weather with 100% humidity was killing me and the horses as well for that matter. We are currently at a balmy 75 degrees with a very nice breeze. We are working the horses at a festival this weekend then its a couple days down time and then back to the grind. Doug is still out of condition – looks good but is short winded so we will work on cardio for him prior to Sandusky which is looming in the near future – 2 weeks off. Our house it totally trashed and we have a ton of washing to do on everything under the sun ranging from clothes to harness.On another note, it took us 3 trips (actually 2 trips with 2 trucks) to get all our crap to the Fowlerville show. That sucks for a couple reasons. First off it takes up a ton of time. The second is that the horses are crammed in the stock trailer with the harness boxes and all the other crap that has to go and the wagon is on a flat bed trailer which is reason number 3. We have to break down and buy a semi to house all our show equipment as well as make it easier on us to travel to the shows. We have been putting it off but now that we have a nice show wagon, cart and harness we really need to make a switch and soon. So that will be our next purchase! Never in a million years did I ever think that I would hear myself say that I want a semi truck and trailer. What have I become?
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 2:14 PM
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Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Fowlerville Fair Results
Here is Doug in all his glory posing for Grand Champion Gelding at the Fowlerville Fair. I cant thank enough the people that helped us at Fowlerville and those that gave us our start. Nancy, Robin and Jim at Sunshine Farm, Les and Sandi at Lesansha Percherons, Jim and Sharon at Crawfords Belgians, Ralph at Warby Belgians and those that have supported us as ground crew - Sam, Barb & Joe. With out all those people there is no way we could have even entered the ring let alone finish in the ribbons. Our complete placings at the fair are as follows:
- Sr. Gelding 1st Place - Doug
- Sr. Gelding 3rd Place - Barney
- Grand Champion Gelding - Doug
- Mens Cart 1st Place - Duane & Barney
- Ladies Cart 5th Place - Chris & Hank
- Youth Cart 2nd Place - Sam & Hank
- Team Class 5th Place - Duane with Doug & Barney
- Youth Team 1st Place - Sam with Doug & Barney
- Unicorn - Scratched
Here are a few pictures of the days events Barney in Full Flight in the Mens Cart Class, Hank and Chris in Ladies Cart, Doug nd Barney in the Team Class moving in unison, Doug and Barney in the Team Class lined up, Sam and Hank in the Youth Cart Class lined up and Sam at the lines with the Unicorn Hitch prior to entering the ring.
posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 8:39 AM
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Sunday, July 11, 2004
All Settled in The geldings are all settled in at the Fair. It sure is HOT! The Michigan Percheron Breeders Futurity was today and there was also a pot luck dinner and fund raising auction. It was a great afternoon visiting with people that we don’t get to see all that often. We got to work the boys in the ring after the show and it sure was a good thing. Hank really didn’t like the people in the breezeway and it took him a few laps to settle in but he did and worked great. We knew that he didn’t have much experience in the show ring so this was new to him. Barney impressed the heck out of us with his maturity in the ring. Last year he was a nut case with people on the rail and looking into every isle way off the ring but this year he is all business. I'm so proud of that boy and feel so lucky to have him. We washed both Doug and Barney after working them lightly in the ring, that water sure felt good. Got to head back to the fair to wrap legs - its halter tomorrow and then hitching on Tuesday!posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 9:05 PM
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Friday, July 09, 2004
Off to Fowlerville Its time! Were packed, or as well packed as we can be prior to a show. Got the hay, straw, grain, equipment and the camper all packed. Whew, load off my mind. Seems that I keep thinking of further things that need to go – you just never know what your gonna need. We will be there from Saturday thru the end of the day on Tuesday/Wednesday morning. They sure are putting pressure on us to get out by 9am on Wednesday so we will be hustling to say the least. I’m going to try to get as many pictures as possible. Speaking of pictures. My employer brought in a really nice scrapbook of their trip to Italy and I think that is what I’m going to do… make a scrapbook of our shows. It will be fun to look back in the years to come so that’s on my agenda now too. For anyone interested, here’s the link to the Fowlerville Fair.posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 10:25 AM
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Monday, July 05, 2004
Time to get back to work The holiday weekend is closing now. Back to work tomorrow. It sure was nice having an extra day off over the weekend. We sure have been busy working horses. Today’s task was getting all of our show equipment into the trailer so that we don’t have to worry about it later in the week. Getting the camper ready to go has proved to be the biggest chore. Saturday morning we haul out for the Fowlerville show and will be there all week. I'm getting excited because all of our stuff is finally beginning to come together. I will have the stall drapes finished by mid week. I don’t think that I will be able to get our logo or farm name on the valance but it could happen. Duane is busy all week shoeing horses so not much else will happen on the farm other then the usual, which means today is the last full day we have to get "ready". Thank goodness the move in date is a Saturday and we have till 3pm to have the horses in which means that we can move in the camper after that if necessary. I’m sure this week will fly by now that its already begun.posted by Chris @ Real Horses @ 4:04 PM
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Friday, July 02, 2004
To all the Great Horses I was reflecting the other day on our horse Barney as he munched contently on the hay in the pasture and thinking about what a pleasure it is to own a horse as great as him. It occurred to me that I would consider Barney to be a once in a lifetime horse for us. I remembered as a youngster my grandfather sitting me on his knee telling me about his "Brian" horse and how he was a once in a lifetime horse. Grandpa loved that horse and would tell me stories about their adventures together while living on his parent’s farm in New Brunswick Canada. His eyes lit up and there was a softness that came over his face as he retold stories about life on the farm and working with the horses. Brian was a great horse to grandpa, it wasn’t that he was a top athlete, had outstanding bloodlines or was the smartest horse ever. In fact I believe that he was a draft cross of undetermined blood out of his dads favorite grade draft mare June. Grandpa was given Brian as a gift on his 10th birthday as a very green 2 yr old. There were many stories told about training Brian and his exploits running away, bucking and breaking tie ropes and there were many more stories about first dates with Brian pulling the sleigh or cart, adventures of going to town riding him and working him in the fields. Which brings me to Barney.Barney came to us as a 3 yr old when we purchased him at auction. He was a small and scruffy looking youngster but he had a real sparkle in his eye and a kind inquisitive nature about him. There were a number of people who wondered what the heck we were doing buying such a plain and small gelding. I debated very hard on actually bidding on him but am so glad that I did. He was 16.3hh when we got him and looked more like a warmblood then a Percheron. Over the last two years he has really bloomed and far surpassed all expectations we had for him. His skill and animation in harness are a sight to behold as he stomps proudly around the ring. Barney has so many more qualities then I can even begin to write about. He is so many things to each member of our family. We all love him and are rewarded with his trust in us and his genuine will to do our bidding to the best of his ability regardless of the task asked. He is an amazing horse and one that will have a home with us for his lifetime on earth.
To all those out there that have a Barney in their barn… cherish that horse and enjoy your time with them. They don’t come along too often!