Foxhunting

Frank O’Connor, the Irish writer, tells in one of his books how, as a boy, he and his friends would make their way across the countryside, and when they came to an orchard wall that seemed too high and too doubtful to try and too difficult to permit their voyage to continue, they took off their hats and tossed them over the wall–and then they had no choice but to follow them. ----John F. Kennedy in his speech at the Dedication of the Aerospace Medical Health Center, San Antonio, Texas, November 21, 1963.  It all starts with commitment: When you throw your hat over the wall you are committing to getting it back. Sometimes, people can be stuck for several reasons. Often, this can be fear; fear of change, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, etc. When you are fully committed to getting your hat back and you throw it over the wall you start a momentum. Now, it is about finding out how to get the hat back. Or how to get oneself over the wall to the hat. Equestrians have adapted this saying to, "Throw your heart over the fence before you approach it." So whether it's your hat or your heart, be committed before you jump and don't let fear hold you back, trust your horse. _________________________________________ On Being A Field Master Others have said, "The Field Master’s job has five simple rules: first, have a great pack of hounds; second, have a great huntsman; third, have a great horse; fourth―getting serious now―know your country; and fifth, make it fun." -Foxhunting Life

As fox hunting season is start and polo season is wrapping up, this old print seemed appropriate to post.                

The Truth About Bran from Erica The bran mash is milled wheat bran ... the stuff the they make bran muffins out of. The electrolytes I use is actually SUPER simple and vet recommended ... its a 50/50 mixture of lite salt and iodized salt. The bran keeps the "pipes" or intestines flowing and also acts as a carrier for the salt. It also takes a long time to digest and horses stay warm from the inside out. Then the salt keeps them drinking. Just like us when the weather changes or gets cold we/they don't drink as much which makes for all sorts of problems. Mix the bran and the salt together with warm water. Make it the consistency of minestrone soup. You'll find some horses like it more soupy. I find that the ponies are totally fine during the storms but it's the before and after that you will see something if they do get sick/colicky. It's also a good idea to do it in the heat of the summer too just with cold water. by Dr. Jessica Dunbar, Littleton Large Animal Clinic, as previously featured in the Arapahoe Hunt Hunting Horn Some horse owners commonly use bran mashes (wheat bran) as a supplement feed for their horses.  Bran is known for its high fiber content, but most of it is indigestible plant fiber including cell-wall lignan, cellulose and hemicellulose.[1]  Used indiscriminately, wheat bran may cause mineral imbalances contributing to orthopedic problems, as well as digestive upset.  Horses require more calcium in their diet than phosphorous.  Bran provides approximately ten times the amount of phosphorus over calcium. [2][3] If used regulars, the excessive phosphorus will cause the body to take calcium from

Blanket Size Examples Snickers 13.2 hands = 63" blanket Debon 15.3h = 74" blanket Dash, Rosa 76 Yukon 78 Reilly/River 16.3h = 82" blanket Blanketing 101 - Adapted to Colorado's Requirements, Mostly Taken From a Dover's Newsletter Here, in Colorado are the answers to these most commonly asked questions to help you make your horse comfortable this season.  For blanket repairs and cleaning, we think that Kerry Martin, KLM Blanket Cleaning and Repair is the best that we have ever found and reasonably priced at (720) 341-4955. 1. Why so many blanket weights? Horse clothing manufacturers offer a range of weights in their blanket collections to allow the perfect choice for every horse based on its personal needs and its environmental conditions. The weight of a blanket refers to grams of poly fill between the inner and outer layers. The fill insulates a horse from the cold by trapping its body heat; the higher the number of grams of fill, the warmer and heavier the blanket will be. Lightweight turnout blankets from some manufacturers have 100 grams of fill in the center. Other manufacturers refer to their turnout sheets as lightweights, so be sure to take note of fill when shopping for a light blanket. Mid-weight or medium weight turnouts have 180 to 200 grams of fill. Heavyweight turnouts typically have 300 to 440 grams of fill. For Colorado, we recommend that you get a turnout sheet and a heavy weight waterproof turnout blanket.  You can double layer them when it is really cold. If you don't have a groom that lives on site, the Horseware® HorsePal Monitor and App, exclusively FREE with a Rambo blanket purchase, can help you understand and predict your horse’s blanketing needs

  Click this link for the full story:  Short Legs Big Fun - Paradise Valley Beagles, Covertside Summer 2015