When your horse panics, is he more likely to buck or run? Can you tell? If so, you can better prepare yourself to deal with it. What about if you have a new horse; how can you determine whether he is more likely to buck or run …before it happens? The History of Buckers and … Continue Reading »
I have not been riding much lately which always makes me grouchy but the bit I have been able to do has been a blast. My cousin leases my pastures for his goats and cows so the gat has been open to his 30 acres. I have been riding on this land on Cerise and … Continue Reading »
I remember the first time I saw Louie, a grey, barrel-racing quarter horse gelding. He had been running inconsistently, which was not his usual performance. When I approached Louie he tensed up and held his head high and rigid. This posture made it hard to evaluate his soreness so I decided to go ahead and … Continue Reading »
In developing the Five-Element typing system my intention is to help people better understand their horses and handle them in ways most suited to each horse. The obvious next step is to actually change the way we approach our horses once we have determined their type. Let’s look at this from the horse’s point of … Continue Reading »
I was watching one of my hens last night right before bedtime. I heard her making that sound they make when they are annoyed but I could not see any cats or lurking fox around bothering her. As a matter of fact she was all by herself stomping around outside the pen. This is the … Continue Reading »
The Yang Ming(Metal/Earth) horse temperament is prone to getting into trouble and getting hurt in the process. Whether it is a foot hung in the fence or puncture wounds from sharp objects these horses are accident prone. The Wood horse temperament will tear things up but it is done on purpose and they rarely get … Continue Reading »
I trimmed Remi’s front feet this morning and I am fairly happy so far with his progress. The cracks at his toes are almost grown off on both feet but I am still having trouble with him growing tough wall. He wears off the wall faster than he grows it and then he starts wearing … Continue Reading »
I love living on the same property as my horses. It allows me to be much more spontaneous in my interaction with them. Before if I went over to the clinic to ride that was what I did and I rarely went over just to pet or hang out with the horses. This morning it … Continue Reading »
I took Remi to the lake today but we did not have time to swim. I was looking to test my new approach to his spookiness. I had been coddling him when he got tense and trying to show him he could trust me to take care of him. That approach would have been perfect … Continue Reading »
In the Five Element horse temperament typing I focus a lot on picking the right match for a particular person or event. The horse typing test is designed to help people know what horse will be best for them or what kind of horse they already have. What I have not done so much is … Continue Reading »
One on the advantages of having Remi a barefoot horse again is that I can take him swimming in the lake without having to worry about him pulling shoes off in the mud. The temp has been over 100 for the past week so this morning my friend, Sharon, and I went to the lake … Continue Reading »
Bud is hanging in despite high heat and humidity. With 100+ temps and heat indexes up to 105 even my stomach is upset. I have found with Bud that he has the most trouble if he eats all he wants so even though he is not to the weight I want I am rationing his … Continue Reading »
I took Remi to a ranch horse versatility training last Friday. He is still acting real spooky so I wanted to see how he would do away from home. He was relaxed when I loaded him but when we got to the new place and he saw lots of riders with ropes he got very … Continue Reading »
Remi, my Yang Ming temperament horse, is very well behaved with one exception. At feeding time he puts his ears back and gets too much in my space. If I confront him he backs up and I insist he put his ears up before I put feed in his bucket. Lately he has been getting … Continue Reading »
I have learned the hard way that I can’t let my chickens run loose. I do let them out occasionally if I am feeding or working right where they are. The fox around here are not shy and will come right up to the house. Most of my hens are too big to fly out … Continue Reading »
My friend, Rita, has a real nice Earth temperament horse named Kate. Kate has had several health issues most of which involve excess fluid accumulation in her tissues. Over the last several years Kate has had several occasions when her udder has become swollen and sometimes Rita can milk some clear fluid from each teat. … Continue Reading »
I have been studying some of my Traditional Chinese Medicine notes about joint stiffness and pain. I am working on getting a list of products to use for each of the Five Element types. Ever since I started looking at the Five Element horse temperaments I have wanted to find the best ways to make … Continue Reading »
I had a great time at Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio. I went to present on the Five Element typing and had a good crowd at both sessions. I spent all day Friday talking with excited horse owners and sold all the Horse Harmony books I had brought. It seems there is real interest out … Continue Reading »
Spring has sprung so inevitably it’s time to talk about laminitis and founder! Spring grasses can cause many horses to tip over into founder. Because every horse is different it can sometimes be difficult to apply general information about holistic care to your horse. To make it a little easier for you, I’m going to … Continue Reading »
I saw a Metal horse temperament mare last week and it was interesting to see how she handled her first foaling experience. Ramona is a 16 year old retired Warmblood jumping horse. in preparation for her foaling her owner spent quite a bit of time handling her and making sure she is OK with lifting … Continue Reading »