Ten Easy Steps to Get in Shape to Own a Horse

Ten Easy Steps To Get In Shape To Own A Horse:

1. Drop a heavy steel object on your foot, don’t pick it up right away, & shout “Get off! Get off!”
2. Leap out of a moving vehicle and practice “Relaxing into the fall”. Roll lithely into a ball, and spring to your feet.
3. Learn to grab your checkbook out of your purse and write out a $200 check without even looking down.
4. Jog long distances carrying a halter and holding out a carrot. Go ahead and tell the neighbors what you’re doing. They might as well know now.
5. Affix a pair of reins to a moving freight train and practice pulling it to a halt, smile as if you are really having fun.
6. Practice your fibbing skills. “See, moving hay bales is fun!” and ” I’m glad your lucky performance and multi-million dollar horse won you first place!”
7. Practice dialing your chiropractors number with both arms paralyzed to the shoulder, and one foot anchoring the lead rope of a frisky horse.
8. Borrow the US Army slogan; “Be all that you can be’…(add) bitten, thrown, kicked, slimed, trampled.”
9. Lie face down in the mud in your most expensive riding clothes and repeat to yourself: “This is a learning experience, this is a learning experience .”
10. Marry Money!

Thanx to Lexie of Junior Rider News Group on Facebook for this great read.

Karate on horseback???? Really????

My dear friend Diane Clark called me today, about a dream that she had about me, 2 days ago.  She recounted it to me in distinct detail, and I will try faithfully, to reproduce her dream, in her words.

You and I went to a karate seminar.  I was listening to the Sensei as he was talking about a challenge.  He was asking,  "who will take up the challenge",  and there were no takers.  Suddenly stepping forward,  from the back of the crowd of people, was you, wearing your white western straw hat and your gi (pronounced gee) and you said "I will take the challenge".  The Master expressing full confidence said, "You are well qualified".  He showed all the certainty of his declaration, with a commanding voice and a firm stance. He felt that you could teach such a class, a class that was heretofore unknown in this modern world. 

The challenge was to teach Karate on Horseback.  Remember this is a dream and I am not truly qualified to teach Karate on horseback with only one or two semesters of Shorin-Ryu Karate instruction under my belt from college.  I am sure that my teacher then, never thought of my doing such on the back of a horse.

The dream that preceded this one, was of her palomino horse Bob, who had turned bay just for this dream. They were crossing a river, Diane on his back, where the current was so strong and the water so deep, that he went underwater and all his horsie clothing, from bridle to saddle, girth and everything was swept from his body.  Even Diane for a brief moment was unhorsed in the current and her horse Bob was completely invisible to her in the rapids.  But Bob rose up beneath her before she sank.  They reached the waters edge on the other side of this river, and he climbed up the bank, still unclothed except for Diane, who still clutched the remains of the reins in her hands.  On that other bank of the wild river,  a man came to them and said, "whatever you need I shall give you".  Diane said, " I need a saddle, bridle and stuff to ride my horse", and  then materializing on her horse, like it always was there, and had never left, was a mohair breastplate, saddle, bridle, and all had appeared as if nothing had ever happened.

I have of late, corresponding to the exact date of this dream, had some challenges in my life.  Things that were not in my control that I handled badly.  But this dream and some other things that have come up, have been working in my life to inspire and give confidence to, the dreams message.  I could do what I have to do, and do it well.  God has confidence in me and my abilty to teach, instruct and learn, and furthermore God will provide.  I do thank my friend Diane, who on a conscious level, had no idea of my pain or struggles, for sharing the gift of her dream and it's message of hope.  I share it with you and hope it brings you a message of hope as it did for me.

Below is her response, to my request for a proof of her dream. 

Hi Joyce,

Everything reads great and is accurate. Thanks for taking the time to write down the details.  I will keep you posted if any other dreams come along.  I will also pray for God's guidance and favor among men as you move forward with whatever challenge you face in the days ahead!  Remember - the Master in my dream said, "You are well qualified!"

Big hugs,

Diane Clark

Mill Swamp Indian Horse Views: Transfusion

Mill Swamp Indian Horse Views: Transfusion: Our program has succeeded entirely because of the way that the families of so many riders over the years have thrown themselves into everything that we have done. Those hard working families are being joined by a new crop of riders and their families that are coming out of the wood work everywhere. We have more riders than we have ever had and we have people that want to just work with us to be part of the effort. This is one of the most gratifying parts of what happens at our horse lot. Participants have a strong sense of ownership in everything that we do. It was a telling moment a few years ago when KC made the off hand comment that "we" have three Shacklefords at the horse lot. He did not say "Steve" has three Shacklefords. He said "we."I am not being modest when I say that I could not keep this program growing and succeeding. I am not being unrealistic when I say that what "we" can achieve is nearly limitless. This colt is Legacy, the son of Tradewind and a modern Appaloosa mare. He belongs to Samantha but it will be great fun this summer when "we" train him.

I will say this is very strongly my feeling about our little program here in South Florida. So much of what is going on at our little barn and points beyond is due to the humans and the horses who currently participate and our past participants of Choyce.

Costs of Leasing a horse in South Florida

Costs of Ownership vs Leasing, again in our wonderful South Florida!

In my last blog I covered ownership and the number that I arrived was albeit very low at under $10,000 a year.  You got to watch your wallet get smaller and your Roth get a small hit. 

The example I will use is leasing at my barn and riding 4 times a week out of the barn.  Other examples will come in later installments.

If you do this and schedule your rides around the calendar of when the horse is working otherwise, this cost is $300 per month.

Base price of $300 per month times 12 months this is $3600 per year to ride in an arena and down local trails. 

If you add shows to this equation for hauling 10 months a year to the least expensive show locally this is $500 per year. 

Show fees are $25 per show and a $50 membership per year.  This calculates to $300 per year.

Add coaching at the show at $40 per show and this is $400 per year.

If you lesson you are probably improved enough now that you will want to take privates.  If you take one private lesson a month at $55 and practice your homework between that is $660.

You can still spend $500 per year on tack.

You can still own all your own tack at this price point and if you lease on an annual basis you are still spending $6000 per year. 

This is a savings of roughly $4000 over owning your own horse.  And this is an a la carte menu so you can pick and choose what you want to do.   This is for the average adult who wants to ride.  Junior riders are not often allowed at the barn without supervision as they are not always as far thinking as the adults.  I know they think they are.  So for that reason if you are leasing and your parent is not watching you (which is required at most barns if you are under 16),  you may then be required to do camps lessons, etc., so supervision is provided and safety is maintained as much as can be because they are still children with free will, working with horses with free will, and not always will that work in tandem!

Leasing a horse is a great plan for someone who can work this angle.  We are down the street from 400 acres of trails to ride on.   We have 2 riding arenas and a round pen to school if needed.   We have great instructors here. If your horse is injured for any reason we have other horses to pick from so you can still ride and not just be grounded.

No board, shavings, hay, grain, veterinary because you are "sharing" the cost of the horse and for many other reasons.  You can choose to not be at the barn or be at the barn.

When you own your own horse, unless you pay someone to be there when your horse is sick, you are the parent. That baby comes to you. Kinda like your preschooler when they are sick, they come home. And you don't want your sick 4-legged barn baby trying to be underfoot,  when you are in the house. And they are not usually sick at your convenience. It is usually at 8 pm when you are ready to sit down and relax for the evening. And can you bring them home?   Not usually.   Usually, you are at the barn at all hours sleeping on bales of hay, or waiting for the vet at 2 am, or walking your horse for hours on end, and praying for the latest colic to pass. Not ensconced in your warm bed.  You can choose to stay in bed at night. If you come to the barn to nurse the sick horse it is your choice as a person who leases a horse from a facility.

If you chose to pay a little extra for the occasional vet bill it is appreciated but you are not under the same obligation as ownership.  My dear friend just spent days and hours hosing her horses wound,  from getting kicked, that got infected.  There was a concern of the possibility of having the horse put down, or requiring surgery, on top of the hours and hours spent treating the horse and dealing with infection, pus and blood.  At this point the horse is not out of the woods but is substantially better.  2 years ago, I had a $1200 vet bill with a horse with a fungal eye infection that had to be treated with 4 different medications, 6 times a day, for 3 months!  Just like when you have a child, the responsibility does not end.

The example above is for a person who wants to trail ride, barrel race and maybe jump some but not at a show.  The costs go up from here.  My next installment will be the sample costs of having a horse at a at our barn and showing hunter/jumpers here,  as opposed to a couple of local show barns that specializes in local schooling shows right up to top end hunter/jumpers barns,  because we are in South Florida and that is what everyone thinks we do here!.