tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66911122344032634242024-03-08T16:28:16.360-06:00Keep Your Heels Down!Keep looking straight ahead. After all, you land where you look.Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-15045590876309322132009-05-17T08:49:00.003-06:002009-05-17T09:04:03.642-06:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/corleyoni/3423872731/" title="Paparazzi - I by corley, on Flickr"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3360/3423872731_1cafbbb487_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Paparazzi - I" /></a> We had a rough winter. Faux Pas, my horse, had the worst bout of discomfort and lameness yet with the cold weather. I eventually switched up his supplements, and added devil's claw to the mix as an anti-inflammatory. It has helped a great deal, and now with warm weather and more regular work he's at about 98%. Again, I have changed our warm up routine, and now we trail ride first, for about 30 minutes to get some blood flowing before we move on to trot work. Since he's still out of shape I'm really only focusing on trotting right now. Once I've built up his strength and stamina we'll work on more.<div> I can't tell if this is just an obstacle to work around, or if I just have an older horse now with limited abilities. I suppose time will tell. </div>Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-68799424816812881832008-11-12T19:37:00.002-06:002008-11-12T19:44:27.679-06:00 I've never been known to keep up well with my writing, I apologize.<div> Like all of the others, the half-lease didn't last long. The woman leasing from me works in the financial sector, and when the shit hit the fan there her life got very complicated. I understand, but it still sucks. Just before that I had to move the horse to a new farm with very short notice when the woman I boarded with sold her property. We wound up returning to a place I boarded a few years back. I love it there, though previously (when I had two horses) I couldn't afford it. The horse is happy, but he is very slowly working his way up the hierarchical ladder within the herd. Right now I make it out to ride 1-2 times a week, usually just once a week. I am pretty disappointed in myself, but it is 20 minutes further out, so it's pretty out of my way to try and get out there after work during the week. I am hoping that once I settle into my new job, and get my finances straight I will be able to afford some lessons. It's been quite a while since I've had any, and I'm sure I am making some pretty sloppy mistakes these days.</div>Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-43306797568953754652008-08-04T23:41:00.002-06:002008-08-05T00:02:29.757-06:00Well... So I have a half lease. I have had a half lease for two months. Not the same person I mentioned last time, but a different woman who found the same ad. She has been wonderful, but she is currently unreachable. My horrible history with half leases makes me a little nervous right now. I know that she had mentioned that at some point she would be out of town in August, but I also figured that she would remind me, as I remind her when I'll be out of town for the weekend. It is a problem since board was due on the first. It is taken care of, for now, but this means I have zero dollars until the 15th. I'd like to pay my electricity bill, I'm sure the city would appreciate it, too, and I have two wedding gifts to buy. Since both gifts are needed on the 16th, it is going to be quite a challenge. <div> Since the half lease began, my horse has made some great improvements. She and I discussed options and treatments, and since then he has been on a joint supplement that has worked WONDERS, and we have changed his warm up routine. His right side has been the epicenter of all of the stiffness, so we work his left first, trot and canter, then canter and trot on the right. This seems to eradicate any problems that the supplement doesn't take care of. For a long time I have had problems getting him to pick up the correct lead tracking right, presumably of the arthritis on that side. Recently it has been much easier, and we often get it on the first try. This is a huge triumph, as the problem began to present itself at least eight years ago. He is even quick cantering right, and my horse has never been known for speed.</div><div> For a horse that just turned eighteen, he is doing very well, and is acting much more like a ten year old. The extra spunk he has does mean that I'll have to work him before I teach a kid's lesson, but the twenty pounds I've gained the last two years makes me think that is not such a bad thing.</div><div> Rain is supposed to come through my part of Texas tomorrow and Wednesday, so I likely will not ride again this week (I will be out of town this weekend). Normally she and I meet at the farm on Tuesdays to collaborate, but I don't know that it'll happen this week. Here's to hoping I hear from her soon. </div>Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-49601172506838743972008-03-12T22:10:00.002-06:002008-03-12T22:15:41.165-06:00Months and months later - about a year, actually - I got a call tonight from a woman who found my 'for 1/2 lease' ad posted on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">EquineHits</span>.com. Go figure!<div>I am going to call her back tomorrow night. Maybe ride, too to see how the Horse is doing. He's been a little stiff starting out lately, but he works though it quickly. Hopefully this doesn't douse her interest. I really believe that it is because he is an older horse who isn't getting regular work. If an older person lies in bed all day they don't move too well either. I make it pretty clear in the ad that he can only handle a light workload to begin with, and move into more strenuous work, so at least she knows what she is getting into. </div><div><br /></div><div>*FINGERS CROSSED*</div>Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-21982166030624738572007-12-26T12:10:00.001-06:002007-12-27T08:35:34.649-06:00Wow, I dropped the ball on this one.<br /><br />I quit writing right about the time of of my students fell off for the first time. Of course, she was the one who needed to stay on as long as possible to build her confidence. One morning while we were working on steering Horse got just a little fresh and took a few trot strides. Though I told her how to respond she instead hunched over, tensed up, and screamed "I can't!" After the third round of this I finally weighed my options: He was going toward the gate and would stop when he got there. She would fall off at that point since her center of balance was so off. Or, I could try and cut him off ad she MIGHT stay on. Otherwise, she'd only hit sand. This is the option I went for, and The second I'd taken ONE step he cut the other direction and she popped off, unharmed only scared. She is terrified to ride him now, we'll be trying a new horse soon. She still loves him though when she's on the ground. It has been really hard to work around. A bigger challenge than I was expecting this early on. The other two girls are still gung-ho, and want to do more than they are able. Every time the other seven year old asks if she got trot on her own yet we work on our steering and she quiets down about wanting to trot. I think that she forgets lesson to lesson how hard it can be to work so many parts of your brain at once.<br /><br />Back to trying to find a lease, and back to work.Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-82047015043833492582007-09-30T09:28:00.000-06:002007-09-30T10:10:43.122-06:00whips and spurs When I write a "for lease" ad I am tempted to add to it the restriction "no whips or spurs."<div><br /></div><div>I feel that the two aids are misused a lot, though I realize that in some instances each is very useful. Though I haven't used spurs since I was a kid, I do carry a dressage whip occasionally. That is all I do though - carry it. I never have to use it. I have had to use a whip before I am small, my horse is very large, and sometimes he has a "you can't make me" attitude. If I do use one I use a crop with a very broad flap on the end so that it is more noise and less pain. </div><div><br /></div><div>I really don't believe in using spurs anymore. I did use them for a short time while I was in lessons as a kid. At the time Horse had decided he didn't want to move any faster than a trot at any time, and that didn't really work with the courses we were attempting. Eventually he got over it, and I used tom thumb spurs to make up for it in the mean time. I disagree 100% with my then-trainer's method. I feel like a lot of big show barns rush people though lessons to get them to the fun part - jumping - to keep them hooked and pouring money into the facility (At $45.00 + a hour it is quite an arrangement for them!). If it had been my student I would have stopped the jumping and gone back to basics and transitions for a while. If that didn't help I would have had the vet out to check for injury, because there was either something wrong with the way I was asking or the way he felt. </div><div>I have seen some very stupid people do some very serious damage to their horses with spurs. While I lived in Dallas I was training a horse who had been a general western pleasure horse. It took about a month to see some really promising change in him, and he even looked happier when we rode once he learned to be collected and really understood what I was asking him for. The woman who owned him had an incredibly stupid husband.He decided to ride this horse one night in a play day, and to put it lightly, he spurred the shit out of this horse. I didn't know about any of this until I arrived the next day to work with the animal to find tender egg-sized lumps on his sides, and a pocket of drained fluid on his belly the size of half a Nerf foot ball.</div><div><br /></div><div>He wasn't in the running for a prize since he'd only ridden that one night, so he'd abused that horse for fun. The horse was right back where it had started once it recovered. Angry and mistrustful - and do you blame it?</div><div><br /></div><div>I think that the root of my philosophy is this: You shouldn't go to use an aid until you have proven that you can get the animal to do what you are asking for. If you're asking wrong in the first place a whip isn't going to help.</div>Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-71600021023356734782007-09-24T00:36:00.000-06:002007-09-24T00:44:17.632-06:00 Months later - same boat. I had a half-lease for about two months. She mislead me in regards to her riding ability and I wound up giving free lessons. It wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind! I hung on though, because I needed the income. Then she and her husband "evaluated their budget" (which is the same phrase she used when sending me the first email about leasing) and she canceled. Now I am giving lessons, which is helping, but I'd like to have a half lease. I'm giving beginning children's lessons right now, if anything I'd like to have an adult student who is beginning/intermediate or returning to riding so that I have someone my age and like minded. If wishes were horses...<div><br /></div><div>This week there is no riding anyway. Power pack time! I should take this time to clean my tack and tack room, but most likely I'll just stay home and watch TV.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-58827094278939628202007-05-11T18:09:00.000-06:002007-05-11T18:12:29.467-06:00How do you get rid of rats?Over and over again board bills have notes at the bottom, "Make sure you remove all trash from the property. It will give the rats less to munch on;" "Take home your blankets, it will keep the rats from snacking;" etc.<br /> I have a great idea of how to get rid of rats. When you spill oats in my tack room clean them up instead of leaving them all over the floor. I know that the rats are enjoying these as tasty treats because I found the husks on top of my saddle next to the rat droppings. THANKS.Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-45370325013938117312007-05-10T17:48:00.000-06:002007-05-10T18:08:35.451-06:00When It Rains It PoursOh, what an appropriate pun!<br /><br />MORE rain last night and more expected today. Seeing Horse's feet makes my stomach turn. The thrush is rampant and he still doesn't want to go in to his run, which is the only way access to his stall. I am thinking of buying some sand this weekend and filling his run myself. It is only $2.50 a bag or so. I can get 400lbs for $20.00.<br /><br />And the punny (ah-ha!) part? I finally have someone interested in the half-lease, we set up an appointment for Sunday the other day, and since I have had several inquiries. I'm just trying to set appointments as I go, keep the people updated on hi availability. Who knows, maybe I'll wind up with two half-leases, and I'll wind up only riding once a week! I don't know if that is good or bad? On one hand, it will save me tons in gas money. My fitness might not keep up with him, but then again I am about to begin commuting by bicycle. It defeats the purpose of owning a horse, but I do not see this as a long term arrangement, just one to carry me through my impending financial transition.<br /><br />Oh, I don't know!Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-55401609098736119872007-05-08T19:08:00.000-06:002007-05-08T19:09:00.880-06:00Will it ever stop raining?Do I live in Florida? I could have sworn this was Texas. As far as I can remember we usually live drought to drought. WHAT IS GOING ON???<br /> This is causing some problems with Horse. He is EXTREMELY thrush prone, and all of the mud in his run is trashing his feet. He is also becoming a basket case with all of the time he is spending "up." The other day while I was lunging him he spend a spell bucking - which he NEVER does - and the other night when I went to put him back in his run he pulled away and took off the other direction bucking. After I got him into the run he tried to push his way back out, and I don't blame him! I want him turned out as much as he does!<br /><br />Also, I may have a possible lessee. She called and e-mailed - super promising! I am going to try and call her in about half an hour. *fingers crossed*Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-8585821286726827542007-05-02T20:05:00.001-06:002007-05-02T20:06:00.546-06:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/corleyoni/481686831/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/481686831_430fac0991.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /></a><br /><br />This is my horse.Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-15658113286520725802007-05-02T19:11:00.000-06:002007-09-25T06:38:23.002-06:00I Must Rant -because I am not going to dignify this person with a response. So I'll tell you about it!<br />Here is the chain of e-mails:<br /><br />Subject: <em>Horse for ½ lease $165/mo</em><br />From: <em>MarthaFaith at mailprovider</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>He Looks interesting, what is this cross??<br /><br />How are his basics?</em><br /><br />Subject: <em>Re: Horse for ½ lease $165/mo</em><br />From: <em>EquineInquiry at gmail.com</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Horse is a Belgian Draft/Thoroughbred cross. When I began riding him he was a school-horse, so his basics are solid. He is very responsive to rein aids and voice commands, but is still a little slow to respond to leg aides. I am working on this with him in conjunction with suppling exercises.<br />He ties and stands quietly for grooming. He does not easily spook and stands still for mounting. He is a calm and trustworthy mount!<br />Is there anything else you would like to know? If you don't mind, I would like to know where you saw my ad posted? If you have any more questions, would like to see more photos, or would like to discuss a possible test-ride, feel free to contact me via phone or e-mail.<br /><br />Thank you,</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Rider</em><br /><br />Subject: <em>Re:Horse for ½ lease $165/mo</em><br />From: <em>MarthaFaith at mailprovider</em><br /><br /><em>hello rider,<br /><br />it is very interesting to me when a horse responds to the greatest sensitivity to his face...A rider's first question really should address the horse hindquarters and go forward..<br /><br />I am very empathic towards the type of horses that are bred this way. it is always curious to hear how do they RSVP to the rider.... they are after all the subject in the focus of the event....<br /><br />I do not want to lease him, only to know that he is there and cared for to ride forward...<br />MarthaFaith</em><br /><em></em><br />I have a couple of problems with these e-mails:<br />1) What exactly about my horse's breeding requires empathy?<br />2) Perhaps she should have done some proof-reading before sending this.<br />3) I know that I may be the exception when it comes to my concern for punctuation and capitalization, (an English degree will do that to you) but - My God, her capitalization and punctuation!<br />4) The definition of RSVP is :<br /><br />RSVP RSVPed or RSVP'd, RSVPing or RSVP'ing, noun, plural RSVP's.<br />–verb (used without object)<br />1.to reply to an invitation: Don't forget to RSVP before Thursday. –noun<br />2.a reply to an invitation: He sent a lovely bouquet of flowers with his RSVP.<br />3.(used on an invitation to indicate that the favor of a reply is requested).<br />Also, R.S.V.P.<br />[Origin: 1895–1900; < class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">épondez) s('il) v(ous) p(laǐt) please reply]<br />Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.<br /><br />Her use of the term does not make sense. Actually, much of the e-mail fails to make sense.<br />5) Finally, what about ANYTHING I wrote suggests that I am a bad rider, as she assumes, or that I am not doing all I can to encourage my horse to "ride forward?" True, I mentioned that he is most responsive to rein aides, that doesn't mean that they are they only aides I use! I followed that with information on how I was trying to improve his responsiveness overall so that less force would have to be used no matter what the command or aid. To get him to be "forward" I must get him to be responsive. Otherwise, I am only forcing him into postures that he finds uncomfortable, causing him to tense and possibly injure himself.<br /><br />I am not trying to say that I am a flawless rider. I make mistakes and I will always have something else to learn. However, I <em>am </em>an empathetic rider. I know the definition and can use it correctly. I know what my horse is capable of, where he needs improvement, and what he deserves. Some person who has never seen my horse move and has never seen me ride has no right to try and preach.Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-39270522906340937732007-04-28T17:48:00.000-06:002007-04-28T17:57:38.099-06:00No Luck!I have posted 4 ads now. Two are on Craigslist, the others are on the top search results for "free equine classifieds."<br />To help myself just a little bit here are links:<br /><br /><a href="http://austin.craigslist.org/pet/316267571.html">The first, from a week ago.</a><br /><a href="http://austin.craigslist.org/pet/320256694.html">The "re-post" from today</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.equinehits.com/horses_show.php?id=140791">The third</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.thehorseexchange.com/search_equestrian.htm">The fourth</a> (keyword: fauxpas).<br /><br />I really hope this works.Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691112234403263424.post-37152158623598261472007-04-20T16:50:00.000-06:002007-04-21T22:33:44.382-06:00Here's the Deal:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/corleyoni/467909493/"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/221/467909493_6a0c57de45_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><p><span>A couple of weeks ago I saw an ad on <a href="www.craigslist.org">Craigslist</a> placed by a woman who was looking for a horse she could exercise for free. It all seemed really too perfect: I needed someone to help me work my horse regularly and she wanted a horse to ride; neither of us had the extra cash to pay for a lease or an exerciser. It seemed perfect until she called and cancelled our first meeting. We re-scheduled for another day, but it turned out to be vaccination day for Horse, so I called and left her a message offering to 1) let her meet him anyway though it would not be possible to ride, or 2) try and find another day. I didn't hear back by the day we had agreed on so I went out to the farm anyway, in case she hadn't gotten my message. I sat in my truck in the rain for 45 minutes to make sure she wasn't coming and then nearly got stuck in the mud on my way out. I left her another message letting her know that if she was interested she could contact me.<br /><br />I'm over it. I am looking for a real half-lease now.<br /><br />You see, I have a 17 year old draft-cross gelding who has basically had the past 4 years off. Since I started college my time for riding has become scarce and he is very out of shape. If I don't begin to improve his fitness now it will only get more difficult to improve. I don't have as much time as I would like to work with him, so I need to find help.<br /><br /><strong>Here is what I think will make this a challenge:</strong><br /><strong>The barn I board with is primarily Western, my horse is trained English.</strong> Lessons may be difficult to come by if necessary for the possible lessee.<br /><strong>I will not let anyone use him for jumping.</strong> He has some leg damage from being over-jumped. Though it is now only cosmetic it was very painful as it formed.<br /><strong>No spurs!</strong> He can be a little challenging in the "forward" dept. Actually, he'd rather not move at all. Still, I manage to ride without spurs - anyone else can, too! It builds leg and character.<br /><strong>He is very out of shape.</strong> Right now our rides are 15 minutes of trot-work and then a brisk "trail ride" of about the same length to cool down. If really working hard we may canter once around the arena in each direction. We are doing this or some variation of it 3 times a week. Next week I am increasing that to 18 minutes. </span><span><br /></span><span></span></p><p><span>Getting this worked out will be a challenge. Ideally some patient adult rider who wants to return to the sport will contact me. That person will have English riding experience, a good sense of what my horse is capable of, and will work with him appropriately.</span></p><p><span>Yeah Right! I'll never find the person I need. </p></span>Corleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992572603983465noreply@blogger.com0