Stall Rest

I wish I were posting to tell you I’ve had a week filled with riding, but alas, I have instead had a week filled with DayQuil and NyQuil and dragging myself out to the barn to clean stalls and feed my crew.  Animals don’t allow us to take a sick day; they still need to be cared for.

I am a bit annoyed at the whole being sick thing because frankly, I don’t have time for this. But then, who does?  I am hoping to attend Emmerson’s and my first show together in two weeks and losing a week of riding time is not going to improve my abilities, but I also realize that sometimes you have to make yourself take that time out if you want to improve at a faster rate.

So while I’ve been stuck on stall rest, I’ve been making use of my time coming up with an overnight show checklist.  I have the usual suspects on the list: show saddle, show bridle, working bridle, lunge line, grooming kit, etc.

What are the things you often forget and later wish you had packed?

If anyone has some suggestions on how to put together a good show checklist, I’d like to start one and put it here online for all of our readers use.  Drop me a note a Karyn@nwhorsesource.com or leave a comment below!

In the meantime, take your vitamins, stay healthy, and get out and ride!

Two NWHS advertisers partner for an outstanding opportunity for all horse people!

Thanks to Joan Deutsch of the Seattle Times Northwest Horse Forum for helping spread the word about this great program.  Check out Joan’s forum at www.seattletimes.com/horseforum 

Horses for Clean Water's Demonstration Farm & Outdoor Arenas

Saturday, April 25

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

17717 252nd Ave SE

Maple Valley, WA

Barb Apple & Alayne Blickle team up to bring you hands-on help and information about creating a holistic approach to managing your horse and horse property.

Build confidence with your horse and strengthen your horsemanship by understanding horse behavior with the Northwest’s own Natural Horsemanship Clinician Barb Apple. The morning session with Barb will be groundwork with your horse that will develop your horse/human partnership and strengthen horsemanship skills.

For the afternoon, join Alayne Blickle to tour her eco-friendly farm. Get tips and ideas on ways to set up and manage horse properties that are good for you, your horses and the environment. Learn about mud-free paddocks, composting horse manure, pasture management with fewer chemicals, and more "green" horsekeeping!

TENTATIVE AGENDA:

CHECK IN (Beginning 7:00 a.m.) Coffee, hot drinks and light refreshments

provided

MORNING (9:00 a.m. - noon) Barb Apple Ground Clinic – Build confidence with your horse through understanding horse behavior

LUNCH (noon – 1:00 p.m.) Brown bag lunch (refrigerator and microwave available)

AFTERNOON (1:00 – 3:00 p.m.) Alayne Blickle – Farm Tour/Natural Horsekeeping Presentation

BREAK (3:00 – 3:30 p.m.) Light snacks and drinks provided

FINAL WRAP-UP (3:30 – 4:00 p.m.) Alayne and Barb -- Q&A and wrap-up

OPEN ARENA (4:00 – 5:00 p.m.) Participants are welcome to ride in the arena or round pen

COSTS:

Horse and rider participants -- $195, limited to 10 ($95 deposit, checks payable to "HCW" and mailed to the address below)

Auditors -- $35

Overnight stabling -- Rider accommodations and guest horses available

REGISTRATION:

Alayne@HorsesforCleanWater.com

425-432-6116

To Learn More:

Barb: www.BarbApple.com

Alayne: www.HorsesforCleanWater.com

Reader Photo of the Week

Clydesdales at the Lynden Fair

Anonymous Submission

Want your photo to be our next Reader Photo of the Week? Send it to editor@nwhorsesource.com.

Spring Fever

by Karyn "K.C." Cowdrey

The sun has been out the past several days while I have been in the office, working.  Although I enjoy my job very much and appreciate the fact that the work I do enables me to pursue my favorite equestrian activities, I have to admit to a bad case of spring fever kicking in. I keep wishing I was outside riding instead of inside being a computer jockey.  Fortunately, it sounds like Saturday will be a nice day to go for a sunny trail ride.

Today our publisher, Karen Pickering, is out of the office working hard but she’s fortunate enough to be able to combine a meeting with a ride on a beautiful day.  Do you ever have an opportunity to combine work with pleasure?  Have you been able to have a meeting on horseback or at a horse event?

Drop us a note and let us know what kinds of opportunities you’ve had to work and spend time with your horses all at once.  

In the meantime, get out in the sunshine and, as always, ride!

Competition Season is Around the Corner

by Karyn "K.C." Cowdrey

For those readers who enjoy the chance to compete, regardless the discipline or venue you prefer, show season is fast approaching!

Maybe this is going to be your first foray into the world of Extreme Trail Challenge, or perhaps your first time showing at the breed level. Possibly, this year is the first year you are going to try a green-as-grass novice working cowhorse class.  From endurance to dressage and everything in between, we’re all gearing up for the promise of spring and the competitive events that herald the season.

If you are a rookie entering the open showing world for the first time, you might want to check out the Hobby Horse Rookie Program, where you can compete for great prizes on a level playing field.  For more information, check out Hobby Horse's news release by clicking here. 

Another thing you might find useful to help you keep track of the upcoming events is the NWHS Events Calendar.  If you have not visited recently, check out our new, easier to read format. It's easier to post events now, as well!  

In the meantime, drop me a note at Karyn@nwhorsesource.com and let me know what kinds of events you're looking forward to this year or use our handy comments feature.  As always, get out and ride!

Reader Photo of the Week

This week's photo comes from Jena Strachila, who sent the image of her colt with a heart-shaped star just in time for Valentine's Day.  Thanks for the Valentine, Jena!

Send your horse photos to editor@nwhorsesource.com. You could have our next Reader Photo of the Week!

Sunshine, Horse Trailers and Fun!

This is our hectic week at the magazine where we all  burn extra hours and energy working hard to make the next issue of  The Northwest Horse Source appear at your local distributor on time. Things are looking great for the March issue with some wonderful articles on farm and barn care and management, so watch for it in a few weeks! 

And now the sun is shining and I have lucky Friday the 13th off to spend the day with my best friend (human best friend that is!) and our horses and trainer.   I am very excited for this afternoon.  Remembering to get out and have some fun with our horses and our human friends is how we can keep ourselves balanced; the day to day stresses of life can melt into the background for a while. 

On my ‘chore’ list for today is to pull my well-worn but still useful horse trailer up to the shop and start the task of cleaning it up and preparing it for sale so it can find a new home that has need of an affordable and safe trailer.  As I prepare for the sale, I have time to think about all the adventures I've had with this trailer, including hauling my wild Mustang to his first training session, driving to Calgary, Alberta and back to bring home my Arabian gelding, hauling my Arabian mare and her 5-day-old filly home to my farm, and my first schooling show with my mare. Then there was the trip home after a scary fall off a steep bank on a trail ride. I remember how thankful I was to still have my horse alive and not too injured.  So many memories and all of them good as I look back. 

While I'm walking down memory lane, I will also be busy planning for the new trailer that is going to lead me to new adventures along the way.   Do you have a favorite trailer adventure you’d like to share with us?  Drop me a line at Karyn@nwhorsesource.com or use the handy “comments” feature here at the blog. 

In the meantime, get out and ride!

Wednesday's News Links

Hi everyone,

Just in case you haven't been by the news pages lately, remember that we now have links to help you find Northwest news by state.  Check out a few of the latest news samplings from our Northwest region:

From Oregon:

Three Treasures Farms has a new pony program for 3- to 5-year-olds

From Idaho:

Custom Appaloosa license plates are available for Idaho residents, and part of the proceeds go to benefit youth.

From Montana:

Plan now for the Runamuk Benefit Trail Ride

From Washington State:

Washington State Animal Response Team had a busy month in January

We'd love to see even more local news from these areas and from British Columbia and Northern California. Check out our press release guidelines by clicking this link. 

Reader Photo of the Week

This week's photo submitted by Jeremy Law.

Submit your horse photos to editor@nwhorsesource.com to be considered for the next Reader Photo of the Week.

For the Love of Animals

The Northwest Horse Source staff loves animals.  Of course we love horses, but we also love dogs, cats, and for me personally, sheep.

My passion outside of horses is dogs.  I breed and show Belgian Tervurens,  a herding breed.  My passion for doing things with my dogs led me to purchase sheep for them to 

herd since I figured they needed a job to do. The breed of sheep I fell in love with was Highland Scottish Blackfaced sheep, aka "Scotties."

Last year I gave reined cow horse work a try. I really enjoy it, and once I get my mare, Dancer, healed up I hope to pursue the sport further...which means I will probably be looking into owning a few cows so my horse can have a job.

How many of our readers have gotten pets for your  pets?  Drop me a line at Karyn@nwhorsesource.com or use our comments section here to share stories of the animals you love.

In the meantime, have a great weekend and get out and ride!

Put it on your calendar! Plus, National Geographic on Wild Horses

This week I’d like to share some information about an event to help benefit unwanted horses. The organization arranging this event works hard to make life better for these horses in need, and they do it using the premise of educate, not alienate.

If you can make it to the Tacoma area, they’d love to see you and share the talents of our local artists and photographers as they capture the spirit of the Heart of the Horse. Help horses and own a piece of wonderful art for yourself as well!

Save A Forgotten Equine (S.A.F.E.) presents...

Heart of the Horse ~ An Equine Art Exhibit & Auction to benefit Equine Rescue

DATE: Sunday - April 5, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm - 7:00pm
LOCATION: The Abbey Ballroom - 1901 South Fawcett Street, Tacoma WA 98402

S.A.F.E. is a 501(c ) (3) non-profit organization whose focus is to make a difference in the lives of forgotten and at-risk equines through direct intervention, education and community outreach. We currently have 25 horses in various stages of rehabilitation. They range in age from 7 months to distinguished older horses in their 20s. Many of the horses have recovered from their neglect and are ready to be adopted; others are still struggling and need extra care.

This event will showcase local equine artists and photographers who celebrate the Heart of the Horse in their work. Our goal is to raise awareness for equine rescue.

In addition to exhibiting their art/photographs, many of the participants have donated pieces and/or services to be auctioned off at the event. The auction will also include other non-art parcels to benefit S.A.F.E.

Tickets go on sale March 1st and may be purchased online at www.safehorses.org. Please contact Jet Parrett at hellojet@comcast.net for further information.

***

I also received this letter from a reader:

Dear Karyn, 

I just wanted to let you know that the February issue of National Geographic Magazine highlights the plight of wild horse populations in the western U.S. and the effects of federal regulated herd management and shrinking protected ranges. Could our romantic image of the West with wild horses running free across the range soon vanish before our eyes? I thought that this might be of interest to the readers of The Cyber Saddle. You can read the story and see a gallery of mustang photographs at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/02/wild-horses/fuller-text 

Kind Regards, 
Ann Barrett 
National Geographic Society

*** 

If you know of other great organizations that work hard to enrich the lives of horses and/or horse people, drop me a line at Karyn@nwhorsesource.com. In the meantime, get out and ride!

Reader Photo of the Week

More mustangs!

Photo taken at the 2008 NW Washington Fair.