Seven Years and Still Fighting

How many times I have thrown up my hands-beside myself, not knowing what to do.  After seven years, we are still fighting the same fights.  I'm tired and I want to go for a quick hack in the field.  "No," she tells me. "I just want to go hang out with my buddies and eat grass."  She begins grinding her teeth and rocking forward and back, forward and back; it's her way of dealing with things that make her anxious.   I sigh and decide to fight this battle another day. I return the saddle to the rack; hang the reins on the wall.  As I head home, I have a chance to collect my thoughts.

She and I are so much alike, it's uncanny.  Neither one of us expected the abuse we got.  And we've both spent our whole lives dealing with it, trying to make sense of it. I realize I am being very selfish, trying to force this beautiful creature into doing things that are completely out of her comfort zone.  At first, I thought I was trying to help her build her confidence, when all along it really was mine I was focused on.  "See? I have a thoroughbred-look how fantastic I look riding her!  She is so gorgeous!"

Was I thinking about how hard it was for her when I asked her to venture away from the herd for rides in the woods? Folks would scoff and tell me my horse should be obedient-no balking, no resistance.  I guess they weren't there the day she was being loaded in the trailer with six or seven others-headed to an auction that was know for it's share of meat buyers.  When she arrived, she had a better than fifty-fifty chance of ending up on someone's dinner plate.  Animals are smart-they sense things.  They know the difference between good and bad.  It's part of how they survive.

So, I have to remind myself that when someone comes across a living being that is damaged, it takes time to build trust again.  I need to show her that I love her, no matter how difficult she might be. No matter how long it takes.  It's been a long standing fact in our society that if something doesn't serve a purpose, it's time to get rid of it.  I had to show her that wasn't going to happen again.

There is this notion that race horses lead a pretty charmed life.  That is only true for a very small part of the population. And even then, it only lasts for a short time.  A lucky few will get to live out the rest of their days standing for sire at a farm or becoming a brood mare, but the rest, if they don't show promise, end up looking for homes. Thousands and thousands of them. They end up with well meaning folks who very quickly realize they are way in over the heads with this breed and they don't want to take the time necessary to retrain them or understand them. They are sold or end up at auctions.  Not many individuals consider how that must feel to the animals.  It's sort of like not wanting to know where that hamburger comes from that you are eating.  Out of sight, out of mind. No one wants to see the terror in their eyes or imagine how alone they must feel.

I used to get excited about the races, but now that I see how my girl is, and how I'm still picking up the pieces after seven years, I'm not so thrilled.  We humans are funny creatures; so selfish.

When I visit Dancer this evening, I will whisper in her ear how sorry I am and let her know how much I love her, no matter what.  I will let her know that it never mattered that she came in first when she raced because with me, she'll always be number one.








 

Beautiful Summer Breeze....

It was a magical evening.....the moon was full, and there was a soft breeze blowing out of the south.   As the sun was setting, the clouds were the most gorgeous mix of pinks, reds, yellows, purples and blues.  One of my daughters remarked that it almost felt like being at the beach at night-standing at the water's edge, feeling the delicious warm wind on her face.

I was just finishing up at the lovely little winery where I hold tastings and sell wine.  The girls had come up from the barn and kept me company up until closing time.  (I am so blessed that my boss lets us be together like this.)   The farm where I work  is nestled in between green rolling orchards that are filled with apple, peach and cherry trees intermingled with lush vineyards.  Our spectacular backdrop is Big Mountain, which looms up from the valley.  It is just breath taking and I can almost imagine being on the Tuscan hillside as I take in the view. 

Tonight is one of those nights where we realize it's not necessary to say much; each of us seems to understand and communicate perfectly without talking.   The fireflies dot the landscape and a couple bats are swooping for insects.

We decide to go see the horses for a quick visit on our way home.  As we pull up to the barn, we can see the herd is peacefully grazing on a hill, their outlines silhouetted by moonlight.  As I get out of truck, I can feel the warm breeze rush up to greet me again-filled with the smell of honeysuckle and mowed grass.  My mare hears the door as I shut it, and she nickers from the group. Curiosity fills her companions, and everyone raises their heads to see who the visitors are.  Snorting and breathing heavy, they cautiously approach us as we make our way to where they are.  It is light enough to make everything look like it is bathed in silver.  Dancer comes up to me and brushes her velvet nose against my cheek, releasing a sigh. She leans in to me and asks me to rub her withers.  Content, she drops her head and begins grazing again.  The girls and I are all standing with our horses, feeling the summer wind and enjoying the back lighting of the moon.  Stars dot the sky, and the trees that border the field softly swish their leaves with the breeze.  It's too early for crickets yet, but we hear a killdeer scolding us from a distance to stay away from her nest.  

What a beautiful evening to enjoy just for the sheer beauty of it all.  The herd is peaceful and in harmony, and inside each of us is a feeling of pure joy and contentment.  It is the feeling of knowing that nothing can ever buy this beautiful stitch in time and that God is giving this gift to us with infinite love and care.  It is a moment like this where you just know that no matter what, everything will be okay; it's a moment of glorious love and peace and clarity and assurance for whatever may come to us; it is a message to have no fear, because our Glorious One is always there.

Here's wishing you all many a peaceful summer night to share in similar revelations.  

XO Andi and Dancer

Quote of the Day

A true horseman can relate and communicate with a horse in an effortless manner and with mutual respect. 

He understands the horse and is sensitive to where the horse is mentally.
He has a total commitment to understanding the communication that takes place from the inside out between horse and rider.
I have only met three of those in my life; Bill and Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt.
They each had an understanding of each horse that they came in contact with.
They knew what the horses were feeling on the inside and they dealt with each horse from that perspective." - Buck Brannaman.

Image is of (Left to Right) Bill Dorrance, Ray Hunt & Tom Dorrance at the Rancho Cienaga del Gabilan, San Juan Bautista, CA.
Image is by Julie Baldocchi and is from the book 'Tom Dorrance, More Than a Horseman' by Margaret Dorrance & John Saint Ryan.
The book is available for purchase from here - http://www.tomdorrance.com/

Buck's quote is from an article which appeared in the 'Arabian Horse World' and is by Annette Venteicher -

Your Daily Dose of Laughter....

July, Good Wine and Fantastic Equine Course!

So here we are in the middle of July......it is hot, hot, hot and while I always have looked at summer as a time for slowing down and recharging, it appears there is no break in sight.  What have we been up to?  Well, for starters, our town was awash with visitors for a 10 day period to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg; approximately 4 million!  I have the honor of working at a local winery, and the place was hopping!  It's great to be in a place where most of your job involves spending time with happy people. People + Wine = Happy!

For me it's Horses + Me = Happy!  And taking it one step further, it's Dancer + Me=Bliss.  Now that the whirlwind of the sesquicentennial is over, I am able to focus on a few other things, one of which is a course Dancer and I are taking with an extraordinary woman I was turned on to by a good friend, Hannah Rivard over at Cambria Equine. 

The course we have embarked on is called "From Your Horse's Heart" and is taught by Jenny Pearce.  The wonderful thing about this great teacher and her class is that it affirms what I have been working with on Dancer already without realizing it.  It has thrilled me to no end to discover I have been heading on the right path with her.  It has always been my wish to have a deeper connection with my horse and this is truly a wonderful medium to achieving this goal!

I invite you to follow along with me as Dancer and I begin our journey.  If you wish to learn

more about this wonderful course, I will be happy to fill you in on all the particulars.  Until next time, keep cool, Cheers and Happy Trails!  XO Andi and Dancer

Slow and Steady Wins the Game and Being Cost Effective

I have been using Dynamite products with all of my animals and some of the animals at the farm where we board for a few months now. We are very pleased with the results we have witnessed.  My initial concern was the cost involved, but the old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" made sense to me.  In other words, if I can prevent a problem from occurring in the first place, it will save a great deal more in time, effort and vet costs down the road if I am proactive.

Dancer can be a hard keeper, and requires a close eye at all times.  Being a thoroughbred, her metabolism is different than other breeds.  I have also long suspected she may have ulcers.  

Ben, on the other hand is an "air fern."  He can look at a blade of grass and gain weight!  

And Katie-Cat is a sweet little Arabian who in her 20-ish years is slowing down a little bit with a few joint problems and a constant sore back.  We all know what happens as we age,; our metabolism slows down and we often pack on the pounds!  She is quite the plump thing....

At the direction of my equine health practitioner, Carrie Eastman, we started the horses on a simple program of Dynamite supplements.  My advice when starting any new program is to remember SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE GAME.  You don't want to overload your horse with too much, too fast.  Introduce things slowly, one at a time.  The other point to remember is to give things  time and be patient. While results can certainly and often do happen faster, the body on average needs about 30- 60 days to adjust.  The routine we currently have our gang on right now is as follows:


Dancer:

• a handful of PGR  (Pelleted Grain Ration*)
• one small scoop of Dynamite

Ben:

• a handful of Standlee timothy hay pellets (available at Tractor Supply, so he feels like he's eating something)
• one scoop of Dynamite**

Katie:

• a handful of PGR 
• one small scoop of Dynamite

*PGR is a clean, high-quality grain ration consisting of chemical-free oats, corn, barley, Dynamite Plus™, and an additional pellet containing a special high protein compound (Dynamite HES). Fat is provided in the form of whole extruded soybeans, which are not GMO by the way.  You can read more here about Dynamite's soybeans if you are skeptical. The cool thing about the PGR is it comes in a 50 pound bag which with one or two horses will last 40 or 50 days. It is very cost effective.

**After having Ben on the regular Dynamite, I have decided to move him to the Easy Balance which 

aids in supporting normal blood sugar and thyroid levels as well as maintain strong endocrine and nervous systems.  I suspect he may be insulin resistant (IR) and after doing some research, this appears to be a better choice for him.

***Katie will be moving to Free and Easy to support the joints, cartilage, and ligaments. It contains a unique blend of targeted nutrients, aloe, Ester-C®, glucosamine, chondroitin, and associated catalyst elements.

 A little bit about the Dynamite program:

 For more than 27 years, Dynamite has manufactured an entire line of nutritional products whose quality and effectiveness are unsurpassed.
The mission of Dynamite and each of its distributors is to improve the lives of all living creatures, extending from people and horses to dogs, cats, ferrets, alpacas, birds, zoo animals as well as plants and crops. The cornerstone of our success has been and always will be quality. Our manufacturing process is done with careful detail to ensure each finished product meets the Dynamite standard. Because of this, Dynamite guarantees the quality of our products 100 percent.

Dynamite is unusual in the industry because of the inclusion of human-grade materials, organic ingredients and chelated minerals in our animal supplements. All Dynamite supplements are top-of-line and utilize cutting-edge technology-leading the industry.

You simply won't find a company more committed to excellence in nutrition, balance of nutrients and quality of ingredients. We want to help you, your animals and your plants reach new levels in health.



Here is my Dancer girl after about three months of being on the new Dynamite regimen:

 Look at those dapples!  I don't know what it is, but I have noticed a shift in her mood, too.  She seems calmer, and happier!  Can it be a coincidence that it happened right around the same time we started the Dynamite program?  Wink, wink!

I can't tell you how many countless articles and forums discussing various feeds, supplements and  remedies I have poured over through the years.  It seems everyone has different advice.  It is important for me to have concrete, tried and true evidence to support what someone says it does.  I am feeling confident enough that I am now ready to put my name behind these products.

I have so much more to share with you regarding the many issues and concerns that we as horse owners often share.  Weight issues, lameness, EPSM ,Lyme's Disease and Herpes.  Feel free to email me at theaminfamily@comcast.net with any thoughts or questions.  I am so excited for you to join me on this wonderful journey! XO Andi, Dancer, Ben and Katie.

How Far We've Come....

Dancer and I had a really good time yesterday.  You know those days when you really connect?  We were just standing together in her stall while she was munching on her big pile of hay having a nice conversation.  Again, I am reminded that I need to be present in the moment and really focus.  It's hard, because I keep thinking back to when we first met and our early days together.  We were both nervous, sort of like a first date.  We were unsure of each other, wondering where things were going to lead.  It's taken us five years to get to a point where we can finish each other's sentences.  I guess you could say it's like being married.

   And, as in any relationship, there will be good days and bad days and disagreements  Most of the time we agree that there are at least two ways to view everything and we try to meet each other half way.  We've both been through so much, sometimes it is just enough to be together.  "We are both really the same, you know", Dancer tells me, in between mouthfuls of hay.  "At this point in your life, maybe you should just be happy with who you are and stop trying to change it.  Everything that has happened to you and I over the years makes us who we are today.  You want to help others, Andi?  Just keep on being who you are and that will be enough," she says.  "It's okay."

My horse is so wise.