Going South for the Winter: Not Just for the Birds!

Note: I'm struggling with Blogger's layout issues so adding lots of photos into a post is a bit clunky. There are so many good photos I want to share so just keep scrolling down to read more after the poorly laid out photo sections.

It has been almost three years since I wrote my first post about going south for the winter. Our family felt pretty strongly that part of the bargain in having a horse was that our daughter had to stay and suffer through winter. It was perfectly appropriate if annoying at times and even with last year's goal of Training Level eventing, staying in Massachusetts was workable.

After a reasonably successful year at Training, Elizabeth wanted to consider a move up to Preliminary. It's really tough to move up to Prelim in Area I (the geographic designation assigned to New England by the United States Eventing Association) in the middle of the season. Our mid-season events tend to be tougher courses so riders like to move up in the spring or fall. Elizabeth didn't want to have to wait for the fall but to be ready for spring, she would have to go south to start training in January. Prelim requires some real fitness and preparation. She can't just show up at the end of April and hope it works out. Even with this trip south, a move up is not necessarily going to happen but she will get a head start on the season and see where it takes her.

We spent the fall working on finding a new trainer and barn for both our horses. For the next step in Elizabeth's riding we wanted to find someone who was close enough to us in Massachusetts that Elizabeth could get to their barn everyday after school but who also went south for a significant amount of time and would be able to help Elizabeth prepare for the coming season. Living in Wellesley, there aren't a ton of eventing barns within an hour's drive. We chose to work with a wonderful trainer based in Concord, Massachusetts and Aiken, South Carolina. We shipped into Concord for a few lessons in the fall to make sure everyone got along and started to make plans for Aiken.

To be clear, I had no idea what I was doing. We started looking for places to stay, working on a plan for Elizabeth to continue school in Aiken, and I hardly knew our new trainer, Erin and really had no idea what to expect. As it turned out, Erin didn't have anywhere for Elizabeth to live and Elizabeth is too young to drive. My husband and I talked it over and decided that I would go too and we would bring both horses. Well, talk about a dream come true! But it was also really complicated.

Finding a place to stay was not easy. There are some apartment complexes but they charge a premium for short term stays and then you have to rent furniture and everything else. It didn't help that it was pretty late in the game by the time I decided to tag along. In the end we found an AirBNB in what I was told was a good part of town. I had to trust other people, and in some cases strangers, in making some of our decisions since we had never been to Aiken. Our AirBNB is very tiny and was quite pricey but it's super well located, close to all the shopping and conveniences and at the edge of the equestrian district.

What, you may ask, is the equestrian district? I know I asked that about a hundred times. You have to see it and walk through it to believe it. The equestrian district is right in Aiken, walkable to downtown shopping and eating. There are little farms with gorgeous old homes, three race tracks, polo fields, a little public jump field and all the roads are sand so when I'm walking my dog there I see horses trotting by and horse drawn carts going out for a drive.

There is a "Track Kitchen" which is great for breakfast. It's not really on the track and you can't watch the horses go from there but it's quaint and old and full of history.

One of my favorite things about the equestrian district is the signs.  This is an area that puts horses before people. When in doubt, horses have the right of way. I'll be out walking and suddenly there are 8 baby race horses crossing the road to the training track and we all stop to let them pass.

Entrance to the training track.

One of the polo fields.

Bruce's Field - track and show venue.

A jump in the Hitchcock Woods.

Our house is also close to the Hitchcock Woods which is the most amazing place ever. It is 2100 acres of woods and trails with some beautiful jumps. I've explored about 70% of the trails with Bridgit and every area is a little different. The hunt goes through twice a week but the rest of the time it's a great place to go for a walk or to take horses for a hack. The footing is mostly sand and it can get quite deep so you wouldn't want to trot or gallop through most of it but it is stunning and very special. We go there as often as possible. Hacking through the woods makes Elizabeth and Quizz very happy so I try to take them on Thursday afternoons after Elizabeth goes to school.

From the equestrian district, one can hack to the woods. There are special crossing signal buttons that are mounted up high so that one can press them from horse back. They really have thought of everything to make this place an equestrian paradise.

Being down here has been an amazing experience. Elizabeth is a working student so she works about 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. My primary purpose is to drive her to work and feed her. On her day off she goes to school for 4 hours at the Visiting Equestrian Program which has worked out really well. She's down here for one school term and we've worked out a plan with her high school so that she can stay on track with all of her classes. She's working hard and taking a great deal of responsibility for her academic progress. She knows that she needs school to go well if she wants to come back next year.

E turning out horses.

When she's on the farm working, Elizabeth is most in her element. Having worked in a large boarding facility for a couple of years coupled with all of her Pony Club activities, Elizabeth was well prepared for life as a working student. She enjoys her co-worker and is lucky to have a great boss. She has plenty of work to keep her busy but is also fortunate to be riding at least 3 horses most days and sometimes more. She and Quizz are doing well and are preparing for their first show of the season. They plan to do two shows down here to be ready for the season up north.

E braiding at a show.

On reflection, I am glad we waited to do this. I am also glad we did this when we did. Elizabeth was very ready so that the experience has been a very positive one. She doesn't feel overwhelmed. She walked into work on the first day and hit the ground running. She knows how to make up grain, how to care for tack, how to pack the trailer, she's great at cleaning stalls, knows how to wrap (thank you Pony Club!), clip, braid, bathe, drive the gator and more. She is young at 15 but her experience having gone to a number of camps, competed for 3 seasons at overnight shows including 2 long formats and a Pony Club Championship prepared her for taking on a working student role.

And I'm having the time of my life! I'm building a relationship with my awesome horse and hanging out with my dog. Bridgit (my poodle) loves life on the farm and in the woods. I fear the return to suburban life in Wellesley will not meet with her approval. I'm able to do some sewing, writing, and complete some projects I never had time for at home. The time is passing too quickly. We are halfway through and I fear I will not want to leave.

As a sidenote, I finally found my horse. It took awhile and I had lots of help. In the end, this timid, beginner eventer found her perfect thoroughbred, chestnut mare. She is 14 years old and has done it all so now she will try to cart me around at the lower levels. 

What is that?: The things I now own that are still a mystery to me.

Elizabeth's tack trunk which she built with her father.

As a new horse mom you hear about all sorts of gadgets that someone assumes you have but that honestly you've never heard of and you wouldn't know what it was if it fell in your lap. So I thought I'd try to make a list of some of the things we've bought, what they are intended to do and whether or not we got very much use from them. I'll mention some things you vaguely recognize like saddles but tell you the tidbits that somewhat surprised me.

1) Saddles are sold without stirrups and girths. After you buy a saddle you need to get stirrup leathers which are the leather loops which hang from the saddle and hold the stirrup. Buy good leathers. These take the bulk of the wear and tear from daily use and need to be in good shape. You need stirrups. There are lots of options on the market. We didn't get too gimmicky. We bought basic stirrups for dressage and safety stirrups for jumping. The safety stirrups have a thick rubber band called a peacock that attaches to the outside of the stirrup with little leather end pieces. The point of safety stirrups is that the peacock will break before the rider's leg in case of emergency whereas a basic stirrup has steel on the outside.

2) Bridles come in many forms. Some are sold with reins though pretty much every time we have bought one with reins we have bought a separate set of rubber reins which my daughter prefers to ride with. Bridles do not come with bits. Your trainer will be helpful in determining which type of bridle and bit to choose. Bridles are sized by small pony, pony, cob, horse or large horse. These sizes are not always consistent from one brand to another so tack shops are very good about letting you try things on your horse and return them if they don't fit. The basic bridle is called a caveson. Dressage bridles have a flash noseband which is a second loop of leather that goes around the horse's nose below the bit. Figure 8's are often used by eventers and have a lower nose band and another one higher up than that of a caveson. The newer Micklem bridles have a more fitted strap around the jaw rather than a throat latch, a nose band below the bit and are designed to work with a horse's anatomy. Bit's come in inch sizes. The size corresponds to the measurement across the bit inside the cheek pieces. Our pony was a 4 1/2 and our horse is a 5 1/2 or 5 1/4, depending on the bit. There are literally hundreds of bits out there. You need to work with a trainer to determine which type is best for the horse you ride and the sport you pursue. We use a different bit for jumping than we do for dressage.

Quizz donning 5 point breast plate, Dalmar XC boots, safety stirrups,
Micklem bridle, Wonderbit and Mattes pad over an all purpose pad

3) There are lots of specialty reins, martingales and other specialty items out there. Here are the basics.

• Standing Martingale - this piece of tack has a loop of leather that goes around the horse's chest and has straps connecting it to the girth and the noseband. It basically prevents the horse from lifting it's nose way up in the air.  We used these on the ponies at the hunter barn my daughter used to ride at and they are used in jumping classes but not in flat classes. I think. Don't quote me as an authority on that. I can tell you they are not allowed in dressage or eventing.
• Running Martingale - this piece of tack is similar to a standing martingale but rather than attaching to the noseband, there are two straps at the front which attach to the reins. It is also used to keep the horse from throwing his head too high. These are often used by eventers when jumping.
• Breastplate - this is a piece of tack used primarily to hold a saddle in place when jumping.  It shouldn't be necessary if a saddle is well fitted but it looks cool and if you are taking huge jumps it's probably a reasonable piece of tack to use. They come in 3 points and 5 points. 5 points look cooler. Just Sayin'.
• German Reins or German Martingale - similar to other martingales this is a loop of leather which goes around the horse's chest, has a strap connecting it to the girth on one end and two straps at the front. Different than a running martingale, the two straps on the German martingale loop through the bit and connect to metal rings on the special reins. These are a training tool and help encourage the horse to work with his head down, raising his back and bringing his hind legs under him. They are considered less severe than side reins (see lunging equipment) and are not used in show situations.

4) There is a whole world of boots for horses and apparently we need all of them. I'm resisting but we have already bought quite a few. The equine brands do a great job of marketing so you think you need more than you really do. Here are a few types that come to mind:

• Bell Boots - these are short little boots, usually made of rubber, which cover the hoof. Horses generally wear them on their front feet though I have seen them on the hind as well. The purpose is to protect the front hooves and especially the shoes of the front hooves when the horse is "tracking up" during movement. Tracking up refers to the hind leg coming forward toward the front leg and sometimes horses over track. If they over track (or overreach) you have some issues to work on but the bell boot falls over the heel just enough so that the hind hoof connects with the boot instead of pulling off the front shoe. We put them on our pony but we actually only put them on our horse during Cross Country.
• Polo Wraps - these are long, narrow lengths of fleece with velcro at one end. They are wrapped around a horse's legs to provide a bit of warmth and protection during flat work. Honestly, they really aren't used all that much these days. You would never want to use them while jumping or out galloping in case they came undone and tripped the horse. They come in fun colors and patterns and it is easy to make your own. The real value in using polos is in getting practice with wrapping. Wrapping a horse's legs is a delicate process. Pony Club introduces polo wrapping early on as a means of teaching wrapping with something simple the kids can handle before tackling stable bandages.
• Brushing Boots - these are protective boots used during any type of work. We use the neoprene Woof Boots which come in lots of fun colors and are reasonably priced. We use them on the front legs when lunging and on all 4 when jumping.
• Open Front Boots - open fronts tend to be more expensive and are popular with jumpers. They have a hard core and are very protective of the sensitive parts of a horse's lower leg but they leave the front portion open. The theory is that you want your horse to feel the pole or the jump as they go over if they aren't tucking up enough. If you put too much protection on their leg some people think they won't really care about brushing and dropping a pole on a jump course.
• Cross Country Boots - these are super protective. Cross Country obstacles are solid so if your horse's legs hit them, it will hurt. We bought a pair of Dalmar boots for our horse which is a bit over the top but I was so very very glad we did. At my daughter's first show with Quizz they had trouble at the 4th or 5th fence which was a table. I was in the next field but I could hear the hard plastic of her boots hit the jump. The horse was totally fine. The boots did their job. Once Elizabeth was certain Quizz was OK they continued on course and finished a solid round. This is a pair of boots I would buy again. I had thought we didn't really need such fancy stuff at the lower levels but if it protects the horse while she and my daughter are making mistakes together then it is well worth it.
• Shipping Boots - these are tall, padded boots that protect your horse during transport. They are super awkward for the horses to move in. Our pony hated them. We don't always use them but if the horse is going to be in the trailer for more than an hour we like to do what we can to protect her from herself. The trailer is safe but if she kicks or if we have another horse in the trailer, anything could happen.  
• Hoof Boots - there are actually many different names for these boots but none really distinguish them sufficiently from other types of boots. We call them sneakers or Quizz's tennis shoes. Most often these shoes are worn by barefoot horses when they go out on a trail ride to protect their hooves from rocks and sticks. We recently bought a pair when Quizz had a hoof bruise. Our vet pulled her shoe so she wore one of these boots for a week during turnout so that she wouldn't have to stay in her stall all day.
• Soaking Boot - this is just what it sounds like. You buy a size that will fit on the horse with a bit of space left over for the water or whatever it is you are using to soak the hoof. We used one to soak Quizz's hoof and try to tease out an abscess.  I've seen taller versions which people use to soak or ice a horse's legs after hard work such as a big cross country run.

Quizz modeling the 1/4 sheet I made for her from a blanket
called a Chappy Wrap

5) I wrote an entire post on blanketing but I think it is worth mentioning a few of the blanket types you might consider buying.

• Sheet - a sheet could be anything but there are basically two kinds. First is the stable sheet which is just a thin layer to be worn inside or in the trailer. They can be cotton or wool or anything really. Then there are rain sheets which are, in theory, waterproof. There are also dress sheets which just implies you keep it relatively clean and only use it when going somewhere and trying to look good, sort of like a cocktail dress or pretty high heeled shoes.
• Stable Blanket - really the same thing as a stable sheet but this one is soft cotton or wool and makes you think blanket. Baker blankets are very popular items in the equine wardrobe.
• Medium or Heavy - these are insulated like your North Face winter coat. They can be waterproof or not. Heavy or Medium refers to the weight of the fill inside. If you plan to use it for turnout be sure to find one that is waterproof. They can come with high necks or you can buy neck covers to attach to them.  
• Irish Knit - this is a cotton netting blanket that is great for a wet horse. You put it on a sweaty horse after heavy work or a wet horse after a bath on a cool day to keep the horse a bit warmer during drying. It also absorbs some of the water.
• Fleece - just like the human version, a fleece is just another layer. Every brand is different but most of the fleece layers are pretty thin. They're great because they don't cause as much blanket rub (the hair on a horse's shoulders and chest can get rubbed off from the pressure of blankets).
• Surcingle - this is the name of the weird hooky things on the side of most blankets that connects the webbing around the belly to the hook on the side of the blanket.

6) Rope Halters and nylon ropes with "poppers" on the end are tools used in natural horsemanship. The rope halters have knots on them that use natural pressure points to encourage the horse to work with you rather than against you. The popper end of the lead rope can be "twirled" to encourage the horse to move in the direction you determine. We have found the use of natural horsemanship and these tools to be very valuable.

Quizz being lunged with Pessoa and Surcingle

7) Lunging is another area filled with gear. You can lunge a horse with a bridle, lunge line and whip. But there are other tools out there as well.

• Lunge Line - a lunge line is a long, flat line made of cotton or nylon with a clip on one end which attaches to the horse's head via a rope halter or a lunging caveson. It is sort of like a leash and keeps the horse connected to the person lunging.
• Lunging Caveson - this is a leather halter that fits like a bridle and has metal rings on the noseband for connecting the lunge line and training tools.
• Surcingle - not to be confused with the connecting mechanism used on many horse blankets, this surcingle goes around the horse's belly and can be used to connect other tools to the horse for training.
• Side Reins - these are leather straps designed to connect from a saddle or lunging surcingle to the Caveson or bit. I personally don't know how to use them so have no better explanation. The purpose is to encourage a horse to keep his head down, use his core and bring his hind end under him.  They can also be used under saddle but the saying goes that anyone who is actually qualified to use side reins doesn't need them. Still, they can be a useful training tool.
• Pessoa - in addition to being a brand of saddle, this is a rope contraption that resembles a torture device. It connects to the bit and surcingle and has a soft tube that sits at the back of the horse's hind end. We use this on our horse and it has been great for her rehabilitation. It encourages her to stretch her head and neck down and to bring her hind end forward under her body. With this device her canter transitions engage her hind end much more. It has helped us build up her strength and the muscles on her top line. This is all good.
• Lunge Whip - these are much longer than even a dressage whip with a string on the end and are used to drive the horse on the lunge circle.
• Carrot Stick - this is a shorter whip than the lunge whip with a longer string on the end. Carrot sticks are often used in natural horsemanship. My daughter prefers this to a lunge whip because it is much easier for her to manage.

8) Then we have all the grooming tools.  

• Curry - plastic, used to loosen dirt and hair
• Pulling Comb - metal, best with a long, wooden handle, used to pull a horse's mane (rather than cutting the mane to the desired length, you can actually pull the longer hairs from areas where the hair is too thick)
• Flick - long bristle brush that flicks the dirt up from below the surface
• Hard and Soft Brush - pretty much what they sound like!
• Hoof Pick - metal hook with a handle used to pick dirt, ice, sand, etc. out of the horse's hoof. I like the kind with a brush on the other side so you can brush and pick at one time.
• Cowboy Magic - fabulous conditioning gel that makes it possible to brush a horse's tail

9) Saddle pads are all about personal preference. Size, thickness and materials used in construction are the important factors.

• All Purpose Saddle Pad - this is the rectangular pad most people use under their saddles. We like the kind with moisture wicking fabric on the underside. The pad should be big enough that the saddle doesn't sit on the horse anywhere there isn't a pad and small enough so that it isn't in the way of the girth.
• Dressage Saddle Pad - these are much larger since dressage saddles have longer flaps.
• Hunter Saddle Pad - these are sheepskin pads shaped like the saddle.
• Shim Pad - these pads have pockets for shims which can be added to adjust the fit of the saddle.
• Mattes Pad - one brand of sheepskin pad. They come with or without shim pockets and in full or half pad.  A full pad would go underneath the entire seat of the saddle.
• Thinline Pad - a thin gel pad that comes with or without shim pockets and in full or half pad. You can also buy them built into the rectangular saddle pad.
• Back on Track - this is a company that makes products using ceramic technology in its fabrics. The ceramic retains the horse's heat and reflects it back to the horse helping to increase blood flow. We like to use a Back on Track saddle pad to help warm up tight muscles in the winter.

10) Stable bandages are leg wraps used either after heavy work to prevent swelling in the legs or after injury to protect the legs.  As the name implies, they are worn in the barn or trailer or while tied after a cross country run. They consist of a quilted pillow like wrap held in place with a firm but stretchy ace bandage type wrap called simply stable bandage. They are also called standing wraps or standing bandages. They can be done with flannel or cotton batting. Everyone has their preference and in the case of injury a vet may have a reason for choosing one type over another.

Elizabeth jumping on Sabrina who is wearing a Quiet Ride

11) Ear bonnets and face masks are items used to protect horses from flies and bugs in the summer. The face masks are made of heavy mesh and stay on all day. They go over their heads and have mesh ear covers. Face masks make a big difference in keeping horses comfortable during summer turnout. Ear bonnets are worn during work. They are usually knit or crocheted and have ear pockets made of breathable fabric. Covering the horse's ears during buggy times can really help them pay attention during work. Ear bonnets are available in fun colors and you can have custom ones made as well. There are also face masks called quiet rides which are lighter weight than the ones we use for turnout. We use them for trail riding in the woods so that the horse doesn't spend the whole ride annoyed by a bug in his eye.

If you take a look at the Dover Saddlery catalog or the SmartPak website you will see there are plenty of items I haven't mentioned. However, this list should help you get a grasp on the basics. There is an endless supply of fun items for the horse obsessed. Equine pursuits are a great choice for gear lovers!

My Horse is Lame (and not in the middle school sense of being uncool, I mean lame, unable to do what I want him to do!)

So here's the thing: everything with horses is complicated.  Once in awhile you get an uncomplicated horse or maybe, if you aren't really doing a whole lot, the horse is able to go along with your plans pretty easily.  But if you are competing in any of the many equine sports out there, at some point, your horse is going to have some issues.

When we say our horse is "lame" it reminds me of when my kids were babies and we called them colicky if they cried all the time.  Colic in human babies is not in any way a specific diagnosis.  It basically means I have a crabby baby who cries all the time but we can't find anything that is actually wrong with him so we think maybe he has a permanent stomach ache and basically I never get to sleep!  So it goes with a lame horse.

The generic term lameness covers just about everything.  A horse can be lame from simple soreness from a bad shoeing, or maybe the saddles aren't fitting properly.  Often older horses who have competed heavily have arthritic changes in their joints, most commonly their hocks but just as likely their SI or their back.  Lyme can cause stiffness that presents as lameness.  A bone spur, an abscess, ulcers, you name it.  There are as many possibilities as bones in the horse's body.  If your horse is unable to do his job, he's lame.

Photo by Amanda Sylvia

My daughter got an awesome new horse a few months ago.  A 10 year old mare, Quizz will be Elizabeth's partner for at least the next 6 years.  She's big, athletic, talented and has the greatest attitude of any horse ever, not that I'm biased or anything.  Sadly, shortly after we started working with Quizz, something wasn't right.  It was never not right all the time.  But sometimes, you could swear she took a funny step.  Then it all seemed fine again.  Some days she couldn't seem to pick up the canter without bucking but the next day she would be amazing.  We brought in a masseuse, a vet/acupuncturist, we refit saddles, bought a fancy new saddle.  Then we thought maybe it was a stone bruise (a bruise or soreness in the hoof) so we gave her some time off and poulticed her front hoof which seemed to help only to have her go lame again a few weeks later.

This seems to be a pretty typical scenario.  We had several people look her over.  Everyone had a different idea about what might be wrong.  This is also pretty typical.  The thing is, the horse can't tell you with words what is happening.  For a horse like Quizz to refuse to canter, you know something is wrong, she's telling you that much, but figuring out what is like a great whodunnit mystery.  Even with the best available diagnostics (we took Quizz to Tufts for a bone scan) you don't really know what's going on with the horse.  In Quizz's case she had inflammation in her bones in several places but none of it severe enough to be the cause of her issues.  Just because it shows up on the scan doesn't mean it bothers her.  So it's all guess work.  The best we can do is to gather experts we trust, accept their best guess and come up with a plan of action.

In Quizz's case we decided to be pretty aggressive.  We injected her neck, back and SI (it's like your sciatica) to get the inflammation under control.  The vet came out and administered a course of Tildren which is an old human drug now being used as a fancy new equine drug the purpose of which is to inhibit the growth of new bone in order to prevent old bone from decaying, at least from what I can tell.  In humans it's used to treat osteoporosis but in horses it's used to treat just about everything and the consensus is that the horses feel better but honestly no one really knows why.

In addition we will be changing farriers and giving Quizz new shoes.  When all is said and done, almost everyone we have consulted agrees her issues probably started in her feet.  And let that be a lesson to you.  If their feet aren't comfortable, it throws off everything else and eventually (within a very short period of time really) you have a huge mess.

And then there are the saddles.  Through all of this I keep doing what I can to make sure the saddles are fitting her as well as possible.  Quizz has as super long back and her withers go to the middle of the saddle so she's tough to fit.  The challenges are numerous. When she's in pain she moves funny so the saddle doesn't fit.  She's lopsided so the saddles don't fit.  As she gets back into shape her body changes and the saddles don't fit.  I have had several people examine our saddles.  Among them there is absolutely no consensus.  Each says something a little different, approaches fit from a different angle.  Unfortunately, none of them feels the expensive new jump saddle I bought is a great fit for her but the hope is that when her feet feel better, the saddles will too.  For now I'm taking that on faith and trusting my experts because I'm exhausted by all of this and just need to believe it will all resolve.

Now we are starting down the road toward rehabilitation.  So far, it's been great.  Quizz is definitely doing better than she was before all the treatment and the expectation is that it takes 4 weeks for the benefits of the treatment to be fully realized.  We expect even more improvement as her new farrier makes her more comfortable.  We are spending lots of time with her on the lunge line and lunging her in a Pessoa (a fancy contraption which resembles a torture device but isn't) which is great for several reasons.  Firstly, it's great for the horse, her condition and strength, and building the muscles in her back which is difficult to do with a rider on board.  Secondly, it's an important skill for my daughter to learn and one she will be required to demonstrate proficiency in for her pony club rating a couple of years from now.  It's also one of those things that not that many people really spend time on and even fewer really know how to do it properly.  It's really super amazingly great for the horse and they can often do better work on the ground than they can under saddle.  I'm sensing an entire post on lunging in my future.  So we are taking advantage of this opportunity to make lunging a major part of Quizz's routine moving forward.

At this point, that's all the personal experience I have with lameness.  For the most part this experience has served to illustrate the challenges of parenting a horse kid with limited personal horse knowledge.  I'm actually pretty lucky.  We have a phenomenal trainer, Erika, who has been involved with horses for over 30 years.  She's amazing and incredibly generous with her time and support, guiding us, introducing us to professionals who may have something to add, helping us sift through all the information, loaning us her gut feeling when ours is inadequate and working to keep our emotions in check and help us understand that with horses, these things take time, lots and lots of time.  We also have the world's greatest pony club.  The other pony club families are a phenomenal resource of experience, information and moral support.  Even so, with the best people by my side every step of the way, I panic.  Did I do something wrong?  Did I make some mistake that another person would have known not to make?  Should I have known we needed a different farrier sooner (actually I think we all knew this a few months ago but changing farriers is often a complicated business)?  Should I have been more patient about buying a jump saddle?  Did I just waste thousands of dollars on useless tack?  Is my husband going to divorce me as a result? Did I wreck my daughter's horse?  Did I just do a bunch of crazy expensive treatments when a new set of shoes was all the horse needed? Some of these questions sound totally irrational but I'm telling you every one of them has run through my head and kept me up at night.

If lameness has found its way into your horse experience, my sympathies are with you.  The best we can do as people newish to horses is to hire good people.  Find experts you can trust.  At a minimum you need a great trainer, vet and a great farrier.  Your trainer is sort of like your general contractor.  She will find the subcontractors you need if you run into trouble and she will be the guiding hand in your program.  It is useful to have a saddle fitter and I found our masseuse to be a font of valuable knowledge.  We also now rely on a back up vet who specializes in lameness.  She has quickly become an important member of our team.  Make your experts communicate with each other.  I like it when I have several of my experts together.  I like to hear them talk things through.  It makes me feel good and I always learn something from the experience.

And try through it all to keep a sense of humor and remember life is long and horses are worth it.

I hate to sound silly, but what does my pony eat?

It may sound silly to some people but honestly, if we hadn't left our first barn and joined pony club, I don't think I would have any idea how to answer this question.  The day we changed barns, the owner of our old barn gave me a great list of everything the new barn would need to know and that was when I realized how little I knew about our pony.  I had no clue what any of it meant.  I'm pleased to say I now know exactly what our pony eats and I am the one who decides what to feed him (with lots of help from people who know what they're doing).  It isn't that difficult once you get your head around the basics.

The most important component to a horse's diet is forage or roughage - grass or hay.  Some horses in some climates live outside in grassy pastures all the time and graze.  That is often their only form of sustenance.  Lucky horses!  

Because we have developed an artificial lifestyle for our horse athletes, we usually need to supplement their forage with concentrates - usually grain.

Succulents are the fun, "healthy" treats we like to give horses such as apples, carrots and fresh grass.  They are a treat and should be given to reward good behavior and not given in excess.

And lastly, just like humans, our modern, artificially kept horses often take supplements - think of them as vitamins.  Technically, supplements fall under concentrates but I order them separately and for beginners like us, they are easier to comprehend on their own.

So those are the basics.  Now for the nitty gritty.

Horses have enormously long intestines and food takes about 3 days to make it's way through their bodies.  It is important that they eat very little, very frequently.  Horses need more food than ponies.  Concentrates can be high in sugar and make ponies very excited - just like a child gets hyped up on cupcakes and ice cream at a birthday party.  

According to my pony club daughter, roughage feed includes hay (varieties include timothy, clover, bermuda, alfalfa), grass, hay pellets, range cubes and sugar beet pulp.  Hay pellets, range cubes and sugar beet pulp must be soaked before feeding.  They expand in water so if you feed them dry, they will expand in the horse's stomach and can cause their stomach to explode.  Which leads me to inform you of the fact that horses cannot vomit.  Therefore, what goes in stays in unless removed surgically. 

Horses eat hay all day and all night.  They need this to keep their digestion moving.  How much they eat depends on size.  Hay is given at our barn first thing in the morning (6am?), they are then turned out with hay after their grain (if they get grain), given hay again around noon, 2:00, 5:00 and 9:00pm.

Horses have very sensitive systems.  When there is a change in hay, they can react badly.  Therefore, when any change is made, it should be made slowly.  When we go away for a couple of days we travel with our own hay.  If we are away for a week we may bring 2 bales and mix it with the new hay for a few days before changing over completely.  Then we have to do the same thing in reverse upon our return home.

Concentrates are the means we use to control our horses weight and nutrition.  Depending on your hay, your horse may not be getting all the nutrients he needs.  There are a million different products out there to combat this problem.  Many brands have comparable grain products and most barn managers know a reasonable amount about the grains they feed.  Grain is usually fed twice a day, morning and late afternoon at our barn.  Our pony didn't get any grain or supplements prior to living with us but we now feed him a tiny amount of MVP in the morning.  MVP is a pellet form vitamin.  It gives him some nutrition and something fun to eat in the morning.  It also gives us something to mix with his supplements which come in powder form.  We give him supplements for his digestion because he's kind of gassy.  There are so many products and it is all incredibly confusing.  Find someone who really knows what they are doing to help you figure out what your pony needs.  He likely doesn't need anything!

On the topic of supplements, for people like us who have one pony and embrace convenience,

SmartPaks are a great thing.  You can choose whatever supplements you feel your horse needs, determine the quantity (they are very helpful with this, professional vitamin salespeople) and whether you want them in the am or pm feed.  The company then packages the supplements and ships them, usually free of charge, to your barn so whoever is doing the feeding at your barn just opens a pack each morning or evening and adds it in.  If you instead choose to buy supplements in bulk you can make up your own packs using ziploc baggies.  This is what we did with our first two ponies.  It takes quite a bit of time and was tedious.  SmarPaks are just easier for us.  That said, not every supplement is available.  Again, this is whatever works for you and your horse!

Another extremely important component of your equine diet is salt and water.  Your horse should always have a salt lick in his stall.  Take note of whether or not your horse is consuming the salt.  And horses always need an ample supply of fresh water.  This is something your barn should be providing throughout the day, especially in winter when the water buckets freeze over and need to be broken open with a hammer every few hours.

I'm sure you've heard the terms colic and founder but may not really know what they mean.  Colic refers to a twisting of the intestines.  With so much intestine floating around in their big horse bodies, horses are prone to this issue.  How you feed them can contribute to or reduce the risk of colic.  Horses should not eat concentrates just prior to or just after hard work.  A little hay is OK but if you plan to ride around grain feeding time, ask the barn to hold the grain until after you ride.  You should not ride for at least 30 minutes after grain is fed and should not give it to your horse after work until they are fully cooled down and have first consumed a little hay to get their digestive system going again.  If the weather is good and you have time to graze your horse after riding, make sure that he is fully cooled down first.  And be careful about how much grass you let him eat.  Especially in the spring time the sugar content of the grass can be very high and too much sugar can cause him to founder.

What is founder?  It is a condition of the hoof in which the coffin bone pulls away from the hoof.  I don't fully understand it but this is a pretty good article if you would like to learn more.  The thing you need to know is that too much sugar can seriously damage a horse's delicate system.  It seems strange that sugar can cause huge issues in the hooves but that is exactly what happens.  Horses' hooves are complicated and connected to their nervous systems.  Unfortunately, once a horse has these hoof issues caused by founder, or laminitis, a different but equally horrifying hoof issue, there is little that can be done for them.

We have cared for three ponies.  All three had significantly different diets and all three stayed nutritionally healthy.  All three taught me something about feed.  Our second pony had to have her hay soaked to remove dust - she had allergies.  She also had monthly allergy shots.  And she loved to eat.  She is a prime example of ponies who just love to eat eat eat and it is up to us to help control that tendency.  Our first pony on the other hand tended to be rather slim, unusual for a pony.  Our current pony is super easy.  I think he's pretty psyched to have morning grain.  We don't give him afternoon grain and unlike the horses who know it's feeding time and start making noise around 3:00pm, he is happy to eat a little hay and do some work in exchange for a yummy treat.  We've given different supplements to each pony as well.  I'm not sure if any of them do anything but it makes me feel like a good caregiver.  There are supplements out there for marsh behavior, for old age, to make their coat shiny and for anything else you can think of.  They can be very expensive and some probably are worth giving.

As with everything, make sure you have someone who can help you with knowing what to feed your pony and when.  That's the most important thing.  If you can, spend a day helping out with feeding at your barn and learn from the people who work there.  With 40 some horses at our barn it's fascinating to see all the different feed.  Some people bring in their own hay because they like feeding alfalfa or timothy.  Some horses have serious issues and need really special feed regiments.  Some guys like ours just eat what they're given and seem to thrive on anything.  Once again, horses are a lot like people.

If you care to read further on the topic, the pony club manuals have great information.  The D Level Manual is a little shorter and more simplistic and starts on page 199.  The C Level Manual is longer and goes into great detail starting on page 167.  I highly recommend reading these books if you can find the time.

Happy eating!

Kristie

My daughter is obsessed with horses. What books might she like to read?

This post has the most hits of any post I've written in the years I've been blogging so I thought it called for an update. I once again enlisted the help of my voracious reader of horse books, my daughter. 

My daughter devours horse books. We've got them all. So I thought I'd try to give you a list with a little something for every age. Most of the comments come directly from my 11 1/2 year old daughter (now 13 1/2 as I update this blog) since I haven't read most of these books. Many we originally found at the library. The Wellesely Library has a great horse book list. Others we stumbled upon through Amazon recommendations. At the end I've included my favorites for grown ups. Some of them you will love wether you are a horse person or not. These are just plain good books. And reading a good book about horses will help any non-horse obsessed parent relate to their horse obsessed child a little more. All titles are linked to Amazon. Several of the books are only available as eBooks.

Early Readers

Keeker by Hadley Higginson - Pre-reader to early reader.  Fun bed time stories.

Pony Pals by Jeanne Betancourt - These were written awhile back.  There are at least 20 books. Similar to Keeker, pre - early reader.

Horse Diaries - 10 books, each written by a different author.  The books are not related to each other, each being about a different horse.  My daughter's favorites are #2 Bell's Star and #10 Darcy.

Elementary School

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry - Marguerite Henry wrote many wonderful horse novels starting with this one which won the Newbery Award and was originally published in 1947.  My daughter enjoyed all the Misty books but didn't really like her other books.  Elizabeth recommends Misty of Chincoteague, Stormy: Misty's Foal and Misty's Twilight.

Wildwood Stables by Suzanne Weyn - There are 6 books in this Scholastic series and was the first series Elizabeth really got into.  She thinks these are good for 3rd grade and up even though the main character is a 13 year old girl.  It takes place in a hunter lesson barn.

Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan - This book is about an orphan girl who lives in an orphanage with a barn.  Elizabeth says it's a really good book.

Running Horse Ridge Series by Heather Brooks - There are 3 books in this series appropriate for 4th grade and up.  The main character's mother died when she was a baby and she lives with her dad.  She's a dressage rider.

Chestnut Hill Series by Lauren Brooke - There are 6 books in this series which, while appropriate for 4th grade and up, is about bratty girls.  This was not one of Elizabeth's favorites.

Middle School (Elizabeth read many of these in 5th grade)

Heartland Series by Lauren Brooke - There are 20 books in this series which Elizabeth says are more sad and realistic.  The main character ages from 12 through high school during the series.  Her family owns a horse rehab center so it's about caring for the horses.

Thoroughbred Series by Joanna Campbell - 59 books in the original series and 15 books in the sequel Ashleigh series.  These are nice books about a girl whose family raises race horses.  Appropriate for 4th grade and up.

Canterwood Crest Series by Jessica Burkhart - This series has 20 books and has been Elizabeth's favorite for awhile.  It's a little Dana Hall (local boarding school with equine program) meets eventing.  There is some basic teen content - romance, social stuff - but appropriate for 5th - 8th grade.

Timber Ridge Riders Series by Maggie Dana - So far there are 8 books in this series.  Elizabeth wrote an email to the author last summer and she wrote back!  The stories are about two 15 year old girls who are eventers.

Horses of Oak Valley Ranch Series by Jane Smiley - These are excellent books.  There are 5 of them so far starting with The Georges and the Jewels.  Jane Smiley is a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist who has always owned horses.  Her editor asked her to write a young adult horse series since they are in such high demand.  If only all series were of this caliber.

Indefensible by Rebecca Frankeny - I read this one to make sure it was OK for E.  The writing isn't the best but even I enjoyed the story.  It's about best friend eventers and their horses.  Good for 5th grade and up but the older the girl the more she'll really get the story.

Bittersweet Farm by Barbara Morgenroth - There are 6 books in this series for horse lovers.  There is definitely some boy girl stuff in these books so better for late middle school.  The girls live on a horse farm, they start off doing hunters and eq then one ends up doing dressage.  Elizabeth is hooked on these books.

The Shadows Breathe and The Shadows Fall by Kathleen Marentes - These books focus on training show horses, primarily Saddlebreds and Arabians.  There are story lines which include horse abuse and drugging and people who work to stop the abuse.

Turning on a Dime by Maggie Dana - By the same author as the Timber Ridge Rider series, the main character travels through time to the Civil War era.  Another favorite of Elizabeth's.

Show Jumping Dreams by Claire Svendsen - This is a series of over 20 books. They're all good and flow one to the next. A girl loses her sister and mother and ends up living with her father and accumulates 4 horses. There are some mean girl dynamics, boys in the later books.

Young Adult

Shadow Horse and Whirlwind by Alison Hart - These are definitely young adult books, again, according to Elizabeth who read them at age 11.  The main character is a teenaged girl who ends up with a foster family who runs a rehab center for animals.

A Circuit by Georgina Bloomberg - Young adult, 8th grade through high school.  I bought one of these for Elizabeth and made the mistake of not pre reading it.  There was a scene with a keg party and some heavy boy girl stuff.  My sons discovered the problem and we pulled the book.

Dancing with Horses by Toni Mari - There are currently 3 books in this series about a college aged dressage rider trying to make it to the North American Junior Young Rider Championship.

Alex and Alexander by Natalie Keller Reinert - This is a 4 book series about life at the race track. Alex, the main character, is in her mid-twenties.

Ambition by Natalie Keller Reinert - This is the only book currently available in this series focused on eventing. It takes place in Florida and the main character has always dreamed of having her own farm. She is trying to make her way as an event trainer.

Nadia and Winny by Rachel Eliker - This two book series (Headed for the Win and Road to the Ragalia) is about an event rider moving through the upper levels who changes places with her horse (think Freaky Friday, equine addition).

Great Books for High School Kids through Adults (ranked by how much I enjoyed them)

Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley - This is my all time favorite book.  I reread it every year.  I don't know if I love it because I love horses or just because it is such a great book.  She writes about the horses as though they were human characters and it is awesome.  It's about horse racing but really, it's about horses and the people who live with them.  So well written and I learned a ton about horse racing and training.

Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts - This is one of those random books I bought having no idea what it might be about.  I wanted to read it to make sure it was appropriate for E and I got totally hooked.  It's your typical - and true - underdog story about an amazing horse saved from the slaughter truck who went on to win many times at Madison Square Garden.  Again, maybe I loved it because I love horses but I think anyone who loves a good, well written story would embrace this one.

Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand - I'm guessing you've read the book or seen the movie.  The book, as usual, is WAY better than the movie.  Another great underdog story.  Super well written non-fiction tale of the triple crown winning race horse.

Horse People by Michael Korda - Another book I randomly picked up because it had a horse on the cover.  I was so pleasantly surprised by this book written by the editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster.  He tells numerous stories about his interactions with horses and horse people.  A rider himself, he has some good stories to tell - from fox hunting in the South to riding in Central Park in New York.  I've read criticism of this book for being more about wealthy people and their lifestyle rather than about the connection between people and their horses but I enjoyed it anyway.  I think it's a horse book non-horse people can enjoy.

Falling for Eli by Nancy Shullins - This was a lovely memoir about how a horse can come into a life and completely change it. Nancy Shullins tells her story with sensitivity and humor. I don't know if a non-horse person would get as much out of this book but it would probably be a valuable read for anyone with a horse person in their life. It might give you some perspective on the depth of the relationship between horse and rider.

And that's my list! Happy reading for you and your horse obsessed child!

Kristie

Pony Club: What is it? Should we join?

I first heard of Pony Club when I took my daughter to a great dressage barn up in Maine for lessons a few summers ago.  The barn owner made an obscure reference to having jumped 4 feet without stirrups and all that other crazy pony club stuff but she was done jumping.  I was mystified and wondered what she meant. 

When we decided to change barns, we soon found ourselves out of our depth.  Our first barn, like most hunter/jumper barns, took care of everything for us.  I had no idea what the pony ate or when, or any idea what to do about veterinary and dental care.  They arranged all of it and I wrote a check.  On show days the instructors loaded the ponies into their trailer and drove them to the show.  It was great!  Then again, I like knowing all that stuff and doing it for myself.  When we switched to eventing, our new trainer (a past pony clubber herself) was willing to show us what to do and stand next to us as we learned but she wasn’t going to do it for us.  This was just what we wanted but it was also a little intimidating.  We needed more support, more education.  Enter Pony Club.

I often describe Pony Club to non-horse friends as Girl Scouts but you bring your pony. The United States Pony Club is divided into regions which each contain a number of clubs.  Clubs can take 2 forms.  A Center is one in which a barn, and often one particular instructor, runs a pony club at their facility for the kids who ride there.  The advantage to this model is that kids who may not have access to their own mount can participate easily.  The downside can be that the education is less broad, coming primarily from the instructor they ride with each week.  In contrast, ours is a traditional Pony Club, meaning that it has no single location.  Many of our members keep their ponies at home (any equine animal being used by a pony clubber is known as a pony, regardless of size) and most of the mothers ride as well.  We have several barns in the area that host us and one that hosts our annual August camp.  The advantage to this type of club is exposure to many instructors from multiple disciplines and the presence of experienced horsepeople in the ranks of our sponsors (what they call the parents of pony clubbers).  I suppose the downside to this model is that it’s difficult to participate fully without your own pony or your own trailer but I’ve been really impressed with the horse community in our area and how much they have done to keep kids in the program.

Pony Club provides an enriching program of education in both horse management and riding.  Over time, members achieve “Ratings” based on their proficiency in these two areas.  Pony Club originally emerged from the eventing discipline so the traditional path is heavily influenced by the skills and riding style of the eventer but there are now other paths one can take through pony club at the higher levels.  Ratings are conducted once or twice a year depending on the number of participants and the levels they are testing for.  You can think of it like a karate test for a higher belt.  The candidates are being tested against a standard.  All can pass or all can fail or there can be a mix.  Sometimes candidates pass one portion such as horse management but not another, such as the riding portion.

The ratings are as follows:

Unrated – What we call a pony clubber prior to their first ratings test.

D1, D2, D3 – D1 is the first rating attained and is pretty basic.  By the time a rider reaches the D3 they are jumping 2’3” both in an enclosed space and in an open field as well as having a pretty hefty knowledge of tack, horse anatomy, veterinary care, etc. The D3 level is the first to require a record book which includes a good deal of information about your pony - farrier and vet visits, training, costs of everything.  My daughter is a D2, hoping to do her D3 next fall. 

C1, C2, C3 – This is pretty serious stuff. I observed a C1/C2 rating conducted by a national examiner and was seriously impressed with the young women who tested (and all passed).  The C2 is jumping over 3’.  The C3 gets particularly serious with candidates switching horses for part of the riding portion.  The young women in our club who are C2’s are juniors and seniors in high school. Ratings C3 and above are conducted on the national level.

HB – This rating means you have achieved a B rating in horse management but have not yet rated a B in riding.  Some candidates prefer to do their HB first and their C3 after. 

B – The “traditional” B rating is both horse management and riding and includes all possible riding options.  There are paths that allow a person to focus on dressage riding or hunter style riding in an enclosed space without jumping in the open.

HA – Similar to HB but at a higher level of knowledge.

A – The “traditional A rating” is the highest level in pony club and must be attained by the age of 25.  It is extremely rare that a rider makes it through this rating.  Not only does the rider need to be extremely knowledgeable and capable, they need to have a horse that can jump high for them as well as for a fellow pony clubber who has never ridden their mount before.

Now that you are thoroughly confused, I’ll tell you a little about why we LOVE Pony Club.  Elizabeth and I have both made friends in Pony Club.  In the beginning I called our new friends almost daily with questions and they were always there for us.  Our club conducts 2 mounted meetings per month April through November which means Elizabeth and her friends are taking their ponies places together on a very regular basis.  The impact this has on my daughter’s connection to her pony and her confidence is enormous.  The camp our club does in August was the greatest week of Elizabeth’s life.  As horse camp goes, it’s incredibly low cost.  Parents provide the supervision and the kids do all the work.  They muck their own stalls, take turns coming early to feed and late to do night check.  They ride twice a day and have a multitude of instructors.  They even completed a 3-phase event within camp.  I loved it so much I’m in charge of camp for next year.  We love pony club because we feel like a real part of our community.  We know people now anywhere we go – to a horse show, another barn, the tack shop.  Elizabeth is passionate about horses, not just winning ribbons.  For her Pony Club is as exciting as showing, maybe more so since there is no pressure during a mounted meeting, and her ratings mean a great deal to her.  On a practical side, your Pony Club rating means something to other horse people.  When you tell someone you are a C3, they know what it means.  Your rating is a clear indication of your knowledge and your capabilities as a rider.

Pony Club is also about leadership.  The older girls in our club conduct the lower level ratings, teach unmounted meetings and mentor kids who are working on a rating.  They also act as stable managers at rallies and as such go to bat for their riders over the rules when they deem a ruling unfair – this is sometimes amusing for the adults to watch but also gratifying to see typically shy horsey girls handle themselves with strength and determination.

Did I lose you at rally and stable manager?  The other major thing we do in Pony Club is rally.  There are 5 - 6 rallies in each region each year.  A rally has a theme – dressage, show jumping, eventing, tetrathalon (don’t ask, but it involves swimming and shooting and is super fun), quiz (tests horse knowledge).  Clubs form teams of 4 – 5 riders.  Each rider is considered and scored based on their own rating so a team can have D’s, C’s and B’s all together.  There is a written test in addition to the scored riding portion of the rally which resembles a horse show.  There are also inspections of each pony and rider team and of the teams’ stabling areas.  The stable manager is a member of the team who does not ride in the competition.  The stable manager makes sure each member of the team is where they need to be and is doing what they should be doing, that their tack is clean and in order and that they are doing things in the proper order.  Awards are given for both riding and horse management.  Some rallies are "qualifying rallies" meaning that competitors can qualify for nationals and compete in a bigger pony club arena.  Every three years nationals takes place at the Kentucky Horse Park so it's pretty exciting!

My favorite part of rallying is “turn back” in which each team must clean all their tack and reorganize their stable area to absolute perfection for one final inspection before they pack up to go home.  This is a GREAT life lesson!!!!  It is so wonderful to get home to unload and be all ready for the next day because the work was done right away, especially since it is usually very late at night by that point and you've already put in a 16 hour day.

What is the commitment?  Well, like all things with horses, pretty big, but in my eyes manageable and well worth it.  I’m sure every club is different but we have one “sponsor’s” meeting a month (skipping August and December), mounted meetings in the good weather, unmounted meetings in the winter.  A member is really expected to attend most of these meetings and a parent is expected to accompany them.  If a member is working toward a new rating there will be rating prep meetings to attend as well as the rating itself.  This can be extremely time consuming.  Rallies and camp are optional but add greatly to the experience.  As kids get older and have more commitments outside pony club or are more focused on showing, they will sometimes choose not to go to camp.  Many of the rallies fall on days we have a horse show so Elizabeth only rallied once in 2013 but we hope to rally much more in the year ahead!  Financially, Pony Club is a bargain as horse activities go.  We pay dues to our local club and our national organization.  We fundraise, requiring every member to do 3 - 4 shifts at a horse show concession stand in the summer and for one parent to join them for each shift.  Each mounted meeting usually has a fee – in our club the member pays the facility use fee and our club pays the instructors, making the fundraising well worth the effort.  Rallies cost about as much to enter as a schooling show.  The big expenses are the horse and transportation which is why I bought a trailer.  I can’t imagine being in pony club without a trailer.  I have friends who do it but it would drive me crazy to never be 100% certain how I was getting anywhere. 

Pony Club teaches kids to be independent and responsible.  They learn the skills and knowledge required to be good horse custodians.  Because of the heavy parent involvement, we learn about being good custodians as well.  Since having a horsey child can take over a good portion of your time, it’s really nice to find a group of non-competitive parents to bond with on the topic.  I can’t say enough about how healthy and productive the Pony Club experience has been for us.

One of my favorite things about Pony Club is the interaction between kids of varying age groups.  Our club has kids from age 8 - 18 and you are as likely to find an 11 year old and 16 year old chatting as you are to find two kids of the same age together.  My daughter has more in common with a pony clubber two years older than her than she does with most of the girls in her class at school.  The older girls are wonderful mentors and good friends to the younger girls.  As parents we love watching them build relationships built on more than just their age or grade in school.

I could go on all day and still only scratch the surface so if you would like more information here are a few links.  Pony Club's new website has a great page for parents with some basic information.  This D Level ratings flowchart will give you an idea of what is required both in knowledge and riding skill at the first 3 levels of pony club ratings.  Whether you join Pony Club or not, if you buy or lease a pony the D Level Manual is a great resource.  We have actually found the C Level Manual to be of even greater use.  It doesn’t take long to need that little bit more information about horse management issues when you have your own pony.  Both manuals are also available from Amazon for the Kindle.  There are other awesome Pony Club books, especially if you already know a good deal about horses and just want to expand your knowledge.

For our family, the idea of having a pony and just riding it doesn’t quite work.  A pony enables our daughter to do a sport but it's not the equivalent of a lacrosse stick or hockey skates.  A pony is not just a pet but another member of the family.  Many days Pumba is Elizabeth's best friend.  They are a team and sometimes they get along and sometimes they don't.  A pony needs constant care and attention. Fortunately Elizabeth loves everything about having a pony from mucking to tacking, from riding on the flat, to going over jumps in the field (which sometimes scares her but she loves to do it anyway).  She's passionate about learning about horse illness, dangerous plants, how to wrap her pony's legs properly.  And she loves to just spend time talking to him, grooming him and giving him treats.  Buying Elizabeth a pony was a great decision and Pony Club has contributed a great deal to the happy circumstances we now find ourselves in.

Happy Pony Clubbing!

Kristie