TCJpart48 Cowboys of Hawaii

COWBOYS: ORIGINATING FROM MEXICO, THE COWBOYS OF HAWAII

We decided to go for a 'horseback ride', we mustn't call it a trek, because they think that's disrespecting their craft of riding and herding. We chose the first ride of the day since it was less likely to be too hot, and actually it was lovely, sunny and clear and windy too, but unlike Tom & Henry, these horses didn't mind the wind, I guess they are used to it.

The Parker Ranch is the oldest ranch in the USA, 198,000acres of grazing on the Big Island called Hawai'i.  A working ranch with Black Angus beef cattle and real cowboys to look after them. They breed thier own horses too.

So, we arrived in the hills of the Big Island, signed many wavers and disclaimers before our group met our steeds.  Ponies mostly, Quarter horses, bred for rodeos and trialling.  Small and agile, strong legs and small feet - all fully shod because of the lava rock on the ground.

Mine was a 14hh chestnut called Missy , and John had a 15hh bay called Freckles .  You can see from the shots that we stowed our phones in a saddle bag which hooked over the tall pommel at the front of the saddle, and the horses were so calm it seemed safe to hook the rein over the pommel and take photos with our phones.  We would definitely not try this at home!

Our 2 horses were the ones who hated each other, so we were not going to  be riding side by side on this adventure.  I had never ridden western before, the seat position is very different, and if you don't partake you could be forgiven for sitting rather than riding. Neck reining with a one piece plaited string rein was a new experience, I begun to feel a bit like a pedestrian rather than a participant.

We were soon out onto open planes with volcanic mountains in the scenery. A unique view of this incredible landscape form the back of a horse.  We were out for 2 hours, we had some uphill spurts of trotting and Missy wanted to be in-front, so I had the best uninterrupted vista of all.

Sure footed, those little ponies, navigated all the rough lava rock strewn about everywhere, but the 'between the ear'  photos speak for themselves, I strongly recommend getting out when your on holiday.  You might even see a cactus in the shape of a tuning fork like the old western movies.

I was of course, totally prepared to turn around and not ride were I not completely satisfied with the health, fitness and happiness of any of our mounts, but they all appeared to be well and stress-free. So I was happy to participate.

We had a wonderful time.  But it made me miss Tom & Henry.  I began to be glad we were nearing the end of our holiday, I couldn't wait to sling my arms around my own horses necks and give them big hugs.

We went straight to the only tack shop on the Island Wimea Country & Tack, and bought a halter for Jenny, and a strange short rope device all the cowboys use, I will attach it to Tom's headcollar to use to lead him in when I need to, instead of a leadrope, that way if he ever pulls away he wont have a long rope dragging around his legs as he gallops away, which of course he never does...

On horseback might be the only way to get some scenery in, and certainly beats driving about in a car!

TCJp47 Holiday Edition:

HOLIDAY: WE USUALLY DIG HOLES BUT THIS YEAR WE DID HAWAII.

WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ENTERTAIN LEAVING THE COUNTRY AT ALL UNLESS WE HAD THE APPROPRIATE GROWN-UP AT HOME LOOKING  AFTER OUR CREATURES...namely Jenny.

If you ever have to leave your horse, even if it's for the trip of a lifetime, with the man you love, and the person you're leaving them with is brilliant....and knows more about horses than you do...and you still worry....you are not alone!

John and I have been in Hawaii, the Big Island for 9 wonderful days.  9 amazing days in paradise, an exotic location with everything you could possibly dream of, or want to do, or eat.  Some time together, just us.  Time to relax and enjoy ourselves, and we did.

But, that meant leaving Tom & Henry, and Coco, Lemmy and Min...and someone had to feed the birds...

Jenny. Thank you Jenny.

Before we left I had sent Jenny 10 texts and had her over for a consultation, with a written document as always.  I told her all the usual things, left her all the important numbers.  I know it's silly, Tom & Henry love Jenny, she is good with them they are good with her.  But I can never shake that feeling that if something happened and I wasn't around to manage the situation, would everything be OK?  Would I ever be able to relax knowing someone else is looking after them...and the cats too?  The simple answer is: I try very hard to be, and that's where John comes in, because he has helped in a profound way - with cameras.

We have CCTV covering every inch of our land, yard and stables.  John has designed a website with password only access which I can use anywhere in the world.  I can log on on a computer and of course my phone.  I get a snapshot of 9 selected cameras and in 1 of them, I will get an image of Tom & Henry, usually eating grass, since that's what they seem to spend most of their time doing.  If they're in the yard at their haybars I get a real close-up and can almost count the hairs in their manes!

I am not checking up on Jenny to be clear, I have every confidence in her, and her relationship with my boys.  Rather, it's to relieve my extreme paranoia where those horses are concerned, and John has set this all up to accommodate that. 

It works too, I log in every day to get my horse fix, and sleep soundly knowing they are still fine, and if I'm very lucky, I might catch a glimpse of a cat too!!

I can refresh the page, and depending where in the world I am, whether data roaming has to be switched on or I can link into a WIFI network, the only downside is the cost. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper than therapy for a neurotic horse-lover!!

Cameras also have another use, you can watch your horses in private, at work even like I do, and have a window into their worlds without you around.  Which can be quite revealing.  Watching them go quietly about their day, doing horsey things, communicating with each other, it is truly amazing the views on their lives you can see if you care to look.  I wholy recommend a similar system if you can.

Of course, home now it all seems so silly to ever to have worried, when will we holiday again?  in 10 years or so, there'll be more holes to dig soon!!!

phew!

TCJpart46 Special Feline Edition:

THE CREW:
...not every creature with 4 legs has hooves at WW, cats are a perfect accompaniment to a stable yard, they keep the critters at bay and are very entertaining...

You have already met the cats, furily intermingled amongst the horse blogs, slinking their way through Tom & Henry's legs and always being about when stuff happens.  Now it's time to share some recent shots of each of the players, with a short bio and list of characteristics.

We have 3 cats: so lets see the so-called 'mog shots'

LEMMY:

Lemmy named of course after the famous Lemmy of Motorhead, loves Countryfile, Springwatch and anything on Animal Planet, and typical of a boy, loves control of the remote, and the snugly blanket!

His friends call him 'vintage' because his fur has a smoke grey tint near his skin, and it's black at the tips, giving him an unusual colouring.

Rescued off the streets as a kitten, far too young to be separated from his Mum, spent a week at the vets, looked after by Sam, and re homed with us....

Lemmy also likes puffa jackets and anything soft he can sleep in/on/under....you know cats!

John and Lemmy enjoy shopping on-line and  playing Halo Reach on the x-box.

Lemmy jumps on the table when you're distracted by food and when you're not looking will lick all the butter of your bread...he prefers lightly salted!!

He will stand on his back legs with his paws around your neck or on your shoulders and but you in the nose with his nose...we call it the 'nose-but'

COCO:

Coco 'the stealth' Rand.  Black as the soot in our chimney.  She's big, but you'll never see or hear her coming.  She sleeps in a comfy cat bed on the fridge in the feed-room, making certain no little critters try to sneak a nibble of Tom & Henry's dinner.

Left on the streets of Leigh on Sea as a kitten of 5 weeks old, rescued by MediVet in Southend and re homed by our vet's assistant Sam in Danbury with us.

As Coco's full name suggests she's a ninja, you can never spot her and real tangible evidence of her existence is rare.  Photos are few, in fact, no-one but John and I have ever seen her...but here are a few shots.



...a rare sighting, the mini beast of WW, a glimpse and then she's gone.

She's fast, and can catch a sparrow in mid flight.

MIN:

Min likes the daredevil life of tree climbing, bath edge perching and the ultimate in feline adrenaline fulled activity, running between Tom & Henry's legs in the yard, even when they're walking...very tricky timing-related problems easily tackled by this speed-demon.

Min named after my Grandma, ('Min' was her nickname). Min was born in Burnham, and came to us via the wireless Internet mast installation man...from Burnham.

As you can imagine therefore she already embraces the country lifestyle!



Min is a lunatic!

She will launch herself from the windowledge in our bedroom onto us lying in bed to wake us up, a cat moving at terminal velocity will do that - have you ever seen a kitten moving at 130MPH?

She slept in John's hood when she was small enough, and now she's not...sleeps on his shoulder like a wrap, compare the photos below: one as a kitten, and one now (she's not 1year old yet).

She jumps on our heads in the morning to get us up, I feed them before I go out to do the horses every morning, but at the weekends I have a lie-in.  Min still wants me up at 5.15am, and 7.30am is just not good enough!

It really doesn't get cuter than that xxx

WW cats:

favourite places to sleep: on us and anything we're reading, looking at, concentrating on, typing on.....on top of the wardrobe, in the wardrobe and boxes particularly if they contain tissue paper

favourite food: mice, tuna in brine and Felix fish menus...yogurt lid lickers include Lemmy and chewers of cardboard club members include Min

favourite music:  they all like 80's stuff particularly Soft Cell, Depeche Mode and Yazoo (well, who doesn't?), some Nickleback, Korn and Green Day too

favourite TV stars: Bill Oddie, Spike Milligan and John Craven (they just love him in Countryfile)

favourite colours: anything light, they love jumping on John the most when he's wearing a light shirt in the mornings when they have muddy paws, thus forcing him to change...they can't do it to me I've  only worn black since 1982 (hence the music taste)...well black, and some shades of dark grey if I'm feeling wild!

favourite book: A Street Cat Called Bob, a recent read, this is a very moving story about friendship, the cats loved it...and anything written by Assimov, they love science fiction

hero's: anyone who works at the RSPCA or Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Sam the cat rescuer/rehomer and James Bowen.

Have tissues at the ready.

TCJpart45 ...another windy day

MONDAY MORNING & THE THUNDERING OF HOOVES:
YOU GUESSED IT, JUST ANOTHER DAY WITH TOM & HENRY!

 Picture this:  today the weather is warm, about 12degrees, quite windy and the grass seeds have germinated where I sprinkled them.  It smells wonderful out here and the birds are singing.  It's raining, not 'proper' rain, but the lazy type that gently makes the air wet.  Tom & Henry are enjoying their breakfasts...when Colin drives past with his noisy trailer...

 

Colin our neighbour drives a Defender and tows a very large, noisy trailer.  He owns a livery yard at the other end of the village, and must drive that Land Rover with trailer past our house, past the horses, down the lane several times a day in all weathers (Land Rovers laugh at extreme weather).  This morning was no different, only this time Tom & Henry took a faked exception and spooked into the field!  Pretending they were scared as a trigger for playing.

I believe horses and cats share a common interest: cats play to practise catching and killing prey, horses play to practise running away.  And that's exactly what they did this morning.

Charging about, Tom letting out one of his loud snorts (that has at least once given him a nosebleed), Henry extending in trot, with his nose near the ground, swaying and swinging his head from side to side, twisting and turning, heads up, tails up and perfect in-sinc galloping.  Manes blowing in the wind behind them. I must remember to trim Henry's tail, it's getting long again...kicking up, rearing, Henry squealing and off again.

It doesn't matter what starts it, the result is always the same, a playful thundering of hooves, and a perfectly choreographed escape from invented foe..

Then it's all over as quickly as it began, and back to munching.

Oh, Happy Easter!

TCJpart44 Riding

GETTING OUT & ABOUT:
...when you might feel worried about getting on and getting out...don't think you're alone, we all suffer from the heebie-jeebies at some point, just take a deep breath, remember all the times you've ridden and had a great time, and take it one step at a time...tack up, go for a short ride, go further each time, until you're back to normal...enjoy xx

Starting to ride again after winter, especially if you've given your horse and yourself some time off, can be quite daunting.  In fact if you don't just do it, you can make all sorts of excuses not to.  But once you start, (that first time is always the hardest), you'll wonder what all the worry was about! 

Will he be fresh?,  forgotten how to stop?, forgotten what the countryside looks and sounds like...but actually, that's just you - your horse remembers everything.  Which is why it's the little things like: when a hedge has been pruned, a crop is at a different stage of growth, or the flowers are out...this wasn't there before, these are the things that will make him look again.

This time of year, most of the hedgerow and trees are at small budding stage, which means he can see everything when your out riding: into fields, across the land, into gardens - nothing is hidden, and I don't think that's a bad thing at all.  Expose them to everything you can, be safe about it, have someone walking or cycling with you the first few times, just so you feel safer, and he will feel that.  and if there's anything spooky, your companion can go first - it's surprising how many times John had 'led' them past something that without him there, I would have had to dismount to lead them past, also not a bad thing.  If I can make my boys feel happier and safer, I will.  When they really don't want to move, I won't make them.  I just sit still and give them time as long as it's safe to do so.  Eventually they'll make up their minds whether somethings worth getting into a froth about - and most often it's not, so tentatively we walk past.  Give your horse time.  No horse is perfect.

Even if you don't have to, practice stopping an getting off, find a place to get back on.  Because you never know when you might need to, and if you've already practiced it, there won't be any problem.  Repetition is key to relaxed horses.

If something goes wrong: don't be hasty or judgemental.  Stay calm and remember he's likely scared if he plants himself to the spot.  If your on your own, try to keep his shoulders moving, even if it's sideways as long as it's safe.  If he falls out through the left shoulder, lift the left rein for example.  If he's stopped, sit still and wait. But don't feel defeated if you have to get off, I never do, use it as practise to find somewhere you can get back on - and the ride is different but no less impressive, because you overcame the 'foe', just you and him.  You have to behave like a team, because most often it's just the 2 of you,  you have to work out a way to get by.

Tom having an after bridle head scratch, it's what the body protector is also for.

Fittening-up: (both your horse and you),  start by doing lots and lots and lots of walking.  Walk at different speeds, across lots of different terrains.  Uphill and down.  This will help build a core strength and fitness, and hill-work will give your horse an amazing arse too - never underestimate how important walking is.  Then I trot for very short bursts, and if I'm on the road, I do a slow up-hill trot for a very short distance, because I don't like trotting on the roads, I worry about the effect hitting the hard ground has on their legs and feet.  So, go slow.

After a few weeks I begin lengthy trotting, I only ever do this around a field I am familiar with, on calm days, never ever on the roads.  I can ask for a trot that lasts for 5 minutes or more, I vary the stride lengths, go up and downhill and round bends and corners too, slowing down and speeding up where necessary.  All these things ask your horse to listen to be relaxed and ultimately get fitter.

Go to the woods.  Bend and swerve around trees and stumps and other objects.  Walk instead of jump over felled logs for a change, walk around them, back-up next to them, it'll make your horse think.

Give your horse something to think about, take him places when stopping and thinking is all part of the experience.  You don't just want a horse that only goes forward and never stops, you want a horse that's always listening and is used to you asking him new tasks.  Stop, turn, go sideways, go back, change your mind, go forward, get off, lead him, get back on and repeat.  All these things mean your horse won't know what to expect and everything will be much more interesting for him and you.  One word of caution though, as this photo could demonstrate, always walk the path first, because there are tracks too narrow for even the best horse to back up from or turn.  I have walked this path, so we did get through, but bending over double to duck under trees and branches is also good practise, and gets you fit too.

Remember, everyone else's view on riding is different, some like a perfect test, or a clear round...me?  I like happy, healthy horses that get me back to the yard in one piece!

Happy hacking xx

TCJpart43 Yoga

EXTREME YOGA FOR HORSES:
You may do excersise like yoga, but have you ever thought your horse might benefit from some stretching too?

It's very important your horse stays supple, especially as he gets older, even if the most lively he gets is chasing his friends around the paddock!!  To be able to bend and stretch easily are beneficial under saddle as well as at rest.  If you find yourself halfway down a narrow path and a fallen tree blocks your way, if your horse is bendy, he will be able to turn, twist, back up.

There are gentle on-the-ground exercises you can do with your horse, similar to pulling their legs once the girth is tightened.  My favourite is the carrot trick.  Offer your horse a carrot that asks him to bend to his outside knee, on both sides.  Then if you can, between his legs.  The carrot will be his reward, and if you are gentle and go a bit further every time over a course of a week, he should become supple in his neck, and this muscle will pull all the way to his back, and you can try some of these before you ride too and see how it makes a difference.

You can encourage him to bend his neck using treats.

They bend naturally just getting on with life.

Here I am asking Henry to bend his neck, using a carrot.

Asking him to move is also a handy thing to become good at, not only is it beneficial to have a large horse that moves in the direction you ask, but to be able to move a horses feet demonstrates good leadership, since that's how they behave in their groups at liberty, the horse that gets you to move, is the boss. 

Here, Henry demonstrates the 'ear scratch'

Tom is just flicking away a fly on his chest, but you can ask him to bend his neck by using a treat. Please only do these exercises if your horse is calm and well-behaved, and best done in an enclosed space like a small yard too. Always remember safety first - I was a Brownie.

To ask a lateral/sideways move I simply add pressure to my fingertips onto their shoulder and bum,  pushing slightly harder to ask for the shift in the direction I want them to go - I am pushing them where I want them, it's as simple as that.  Eventually your horse will get so good at it, you just have to gently lay your fingers on him and ask him to move and he will, and if he forgets, just increase the pressure slightly until he remembers.  This is very handy if you're trying to sweep around their feet. Work it both ways of course. 

Horses are naturally athletic, especially if they're Trakehners!

Here I am giving Henry a treat from the saddle.  I like both my boys to behave this way out on a ride. To be able to stop dead in the middle of an open space  - complete a task not related to getting home or going faster - it makes them think.  And you can see even with me on his back, Henry can bend his neck all the way to my knee - and both sides too - and so can Tom.  Again, only attempt this when your horse is relaxed and calm.  When they are preoccupied out on a ride, and I want them back with me, I ride multiple and varied transitions to get their attention: 10 strides of walk/sitting trot/trot than back again, and repeat or mix it up as needed.

For backwards:  I do the same thing as a sideways, but I stand in front of him.  I put my hand on his chest and ask to back back back, first I was pushing with my closed hand - obviously you're never going to be able to actually 'push' a 17hh Trakehner anywhere he doesn't want to go, but it works if your horse respects you, because all he wants to do is escape any pressure - that's what horses are like thankfully, that's how we can ask them to do things like move.  Again the more you do this the less you actually have to touch your horse.  I just flick my fingers at their chest and they back up. This is also handy when your out and about.  You never know when you'll need to ask your horse to go backwards or sideways, it might get you both out of a tricky situation.

Horses have to bend in their normal routine too:  to scratch behind their ear with their back leg, to itch themselves...here are a few great yoga-positions I bet even Madonna couldn't do!!

John bought them a yoga ball, assuming the boys would treat the item as deeply suspicious I was surprised when Henry went straight up to it bit it, and put his foot on it.  hmmmm, it lasted a week. The boys kicked it about their fields, Tom likes putting everything in his mouth, we suspect he bit it and it deflated!

Not a big fan of lunging, I get bored, so I can only imagine how boring it is for a horse to go round and round in endless circles, Henry clearly paying attention to something far-off above...having said that, bending a horse in ever decreasing circles for a very short time in a slow walk or trot could be a good way to stretch your horse.  If he drops his head low too, that can stretch the whole back and help keep him supple. 

My philosophy is don't do any one thing a lot, keep it varied, keep it interesting, keep your horse engaged and with you.

Once he starts to get bored, stop immediately, because he won't be receptive to any new task in that mood, and all you'll do is make him not want to be with you.  Use treats, use toys and props: yoga balls, jump blocks, cones, poles, logs, stumps...anything to back him through, ask him to manoeuvre around, walk over..all these things will help his mind and body stay supple.

Happy Horsing around!