What Would You Buy?

My dream horse was a beautiful palomino Morab named Glaze Donut. She'd nicker at me when she saw me and then would come running up to me. Her manners would be perfect, she'd jump over anything, and she'd take me on wild adventures.

I went on some wild adventures all right, but not with Glaze Donut. My junior year of high school, I decided that I was sick and tired of riding lesson horses. I wanted my own horse, and there was no stopping me. The very first horse that I looked at was about fifteen miles away from my house. I rode him once in a round pen, and he was everything I ever wanted until he came home. After that, we spent hours trying to get him on the trailer, he would take off with people across the field, he'd rear up if he didn't want to do something, and he and the vet were on a first-name basis...meaning I'd say the horse's name and the vet didn't want to come out.

This is the picture that came with the ad. The horse looks familiar, huh? That horse was Rusty, who is now my #1 horse. I knew nothing about buying horses. For the first time horse buyer, selecting a horse can be hard. Today, we're going to get interactive and test your horse skills.

Here's the scenario: You're a first-time horse buyer. You are mainly just a trail rider that enjoys a safe, fun ride. You aspire to go on long or overnight trail rides and try your hand at showing at the local, lower level shows. You plan to spend no more than $3000 on the horse, not including the vet check. Here are some links to horses for sale. Which one would you buy?

A.
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-3049213.html
B.
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-2955852.html
C.
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-3045753.html
D.
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-2925887.html
E.
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-3052024.html
F.
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-3052152.html
G.
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-3012271.html

In the comment box below, tell me, which one would you pick for the scenario and why? I'll post my answer tomorrow in the next blog.

Happy horse picking,
Kelsey

So You Want to Ride?

Let's face it. Most people that have an interest in horses have this dream of galloping bareback along the coastline of the ocean or riding a horse out in the Wild West with a ten gallon hat and big spurs.

Last night, I met a guy at AIB College of Business who argued that a horse show is comparable to a dog show, if dogs were big enough to ride.

In short, if you haven't had much experience around horses, these fantasies and ideas are often unrealistic. Most of us don't live close enough to the ocean to gallop along the coastline, and if we did, we'd have to find a place where they would allow horses. Most of us also don't wear ten gallon hats and big spurs in the Wild West; if we do, most of the clothing is well worn and not brand spanking new. As for the theory of a horse show being like a dog show...there's no explanation for that one!

 

Thankfully, we can still dream, and our dreams can still come true. But it takes a lot of work to get there. So before you start booking adventures to exotic riding locations and buying tricked out trail horses, consider some of the following:

• Take some riding lessons. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this to anyone that has not been around horses. Not only will you learn how to ride, you will learn how to work with horses safely. Your goals will depend on what kind of instruction you need. If you want to learn how to jump, for example, you want to take lessons at a stable with hunter/jumper instruction, not barrel racing instruction. But, for the purpose of this blog, if you just want to trail ride, any type of instruction will do. Just make sure that you check out the instructor, whether it be a friend or professional, before you start lessons. Make sure they are putting your safety and the horse's safety first. www.riding-instructor.com provides a list of instructors who have been tested and certified.
• Horses are dangerous animals. Yeah, they're beautiful and often kind, but they are also upwards of 1,000 pounds. They can hurt you very easily if you don't know what you're doing around them. Even if you do, they can still hurt you.
• Start out easy. If you're going on your first trail ride, don't pick the most difficult trail to start on. Challenging terrain and varied trail conditions require knowledge that beginning trail riders may not have yet. A big hill may not look scary, for example, but if you don't ride it properly, your horse may trip or lose its balance. It's better to start on smaller hills and more open areas so you can get used to how the horse moves in these areas and so you can learn to ride them properly. Also, you may want to avoid an all-day trail ride so you won't be super sore the next day!
• Don't go alone. This is a code that even the most experienced riders should probably follow. Riding alone poses bigger risks. If you were to fall off and get hurt, there would be no one there to help you or to call for help. And if you do decide to go alone, always, ALWAYS let someone know where you are going and what time you plan on being back!
• Ride an experienced horse. They say that green on green equals black and blue. It's so true. A beginning rider will not have the experience to control an untrained horse, and this leads to dangerous situations. It's better for a beginning rider to ride a horse that has been there, done that. If you give the wrong cue or ride a little sloppy, this horse isn't going to care. He knows what he's doing and lets you focus on learning to ride. Leave the spirited horses to someone that knows how to handle them.
• Guided trail rides do not equal riding experience. So often people tell me that they ride. When I ask how much, they'll tell me that they went to horse camp for a week or rode out in Wyoming once on a trail ride. The goals of these rides are fun and entertainment, not teaching people how to ride. You're not going to be able learn how to ride in one week at camp. You'll pick up a few skills, but the learning curve is ongoing, and it takes a lot longer than one week to master basic skills. Guided trail rides usually don't teach you squat. The horses are trained to follow the horses in front of them and have non-riders plopped on them daily. The crazy stories you hear about horses taking off or eating plants happen because the riders don't know how to control their horses.  By all means, if you're looking for a one-time, quick-fix horse ride, go for it; just don't expect to learn anything.

Again, horses can be dangerous animals.

 

 

I'm going to give you my example to stress the importance of your safety. I was not even riding a horse when this happened. I was loading my 19 year old Arabian, Knight, into the horse trailer. Normally, Knight loads very well with no fuss. Because he had not been out in quite a while, he became very attached to the other horses, causing him to be jumpy and nervous. I loaded him into the trailer, locked the divider, and then ducked under the divider to unclip him so he could eat hay while I went to grab my other horse. My sudden appearance spooked Knight, and he kicked me at least twice before I was able to tuck and roll. Fortunately, I was not knocked unconscious, but I got six stitches to the chin, multiple bruises, and a very sore jaw that, even months after, sometimes is still stiff and sore. What I did was very stupid and thoughtless, and I was very lucky that I was not injured worse.

I'm not trying to scare you, but I am trying to make you more aware of the risks you take by being around horses. If you take the time to learn proper riding and safety skills, you will be well on your way to attaining your goals and becoming a great rider. When you know how to ride and how to follow proper safety procedures, you can have a lot more fun.

Ride Safe,
Kelsey

-PS: Look for the posts from our first big overnight trail ride after October 13th! Stay tuned for more tips and topics!

Let's Hit the Trails!

Calling all Midwestern trailblazers!

Do you constantly wonder where to trail ride? Do you go to the same location week after week? Want something different but don't know where to go?

Maybe you've never even been on a horse. Or maybe you want to start trail riding but don't know where to start.

That's where I come in. My name's Kelsey, and I'm going to be your trail guide. I started riding English when I was in the third grade. When I was in my junior year in high school, I got my first horse, Rusty.

 

Rusty will be our primary escort and our mascot on these trail rides. When I bought him, we dabbled in a bit of everything, from western pleasure to barrels to equitation. Turns out my 12 year old Quarter Horse is only talented in two areas: trail riding and jumping. In one year, I trained Rusty up enough to go to a B rated hunter/jumper show where he jumped everything in front of him. He placed in many of his classes, and we were the only ones from our group to finish the hunter derby. Rusty was truly talented in the hunter classes and loved jumping. With a little training, I think he could have gone farther and higher, even if he doesn't have the greatest conformation and is only 15.3 hands (in comparison to those huge Warmbloods!).

 

Alas, a break in the top part of his hind tibia from a freak accident ended Rusty's jumping career. He's now my best trail horse, my best teacher, and my favorite companion.

 

My 19 year old Arabian will also be along for some of our rides. He's had trail and ring experience but has only been started back into work recently due to significant weight loss last year and finally finding a diet that works for him. Knight is almost a pony at 14.2 hands and prances through all the trails. In this picture from last year you can see his deterioration a bit even.

 





 

Last, but definitely not least, is my current show horse and a trail horse in training, Casper. He's 12 years old, has been ridden in an arena all his life, and is part Thoroughbred. This is his first year doing the trails, and he's definitely a handful. At 16 hands, I'll willingly admit it seems like a long ways down.

 

 

 

Look early in the week or maybe even on weekends for trails being covered. During the week, I will post different trail tips, horse tips, training updates, and maybe even stuff from you! Don't be afraid to drop me a line on here! I would love to hear from you, whether it be suggestions, tips, or just to say hello! You can also follow me on Twitter @anutterblonde.

 

Just a bit more on me: I'm a sophomore at Iowa State majoring in journalism and considering a minor in animal science. My home is in north central Iowa where most of the early trails will be featured. As springtime comes along, I hope to have destinations not only all over Iowa but in the Midwest too!

 

Happy trails,

Kelsey