How much is too much?

How much is too much, when it's stuff for your horse?

Yes, there are six different containers in the photo, and yes, they are all filled with horse equipment. That's a bareback pad and a stable blanket in the truck bed, and I didn't drag out the two trash can containers that have more blankets or include the saddles and saddle blankets/pads that I have. Oh, and there were three more horse blankets hanging on the arena fence drying from being washed.
Is it too much?
After going through all of this stuff, I came home and put three items on craigslist for sale: an English saddle, a western saddle and a stable blanket. I can't justify keeping any of these items, because I have a better English saddle that I ride in; the western saddle has a 14-inch seat that my rear won't fit in; and I purchased a stable blanket with a belly band last fall that I like better then the plain old stable blanket with straps. Might I mention, I put the "old" one on my horse perhaps 6 times? It's in brand new condition so hopefully someone out there can jump on getting a great blanket for a $20 discount.
That purple tote on the pickup's tailgate is full of first aid and health supplies, like wraps, hoof ointment and weight builder.
The silver tote on the ground is what I call the "show tote." It contains the things I use for the horse when I show, like clean Sleazies, towels, a separate grooming kit with all the essentials, and a clean halter for show day travel.
The blue tote has numerous cinches, a helmet, saddle blankets, about six bridles, and several sets of reins. The box sitting on the gray tote has two sheets; the container next to it has leg gear (think polo wraps, splint boots) and extraneous bits; the similar container on the ground has halters (so many halters!!).
Not pictured is my beloved western saddle, my husband's saddle, my English saddle, the bridles I do use, and those blankets I mentioned. Now, here's the kicker: I OWN ONLY ONE HORSE.
To excuse some of my horse clutter, I was given many saddle & horse blankets by my trainer, who retired at age 86 from riding. But the rest of it? All came home under my purchasing premises that I'd need it some day.
Of course, my mother and I share stuff, but she's horseless at the time. So, do I try to get rid of the stuff I'm not using? My immediate answer, of course, is no! Because I might someday need those halters for the herd of horses I'll own when I'm rich.
I do find solace in the thought that now that my daughter will one day have her own horse, I can find a use for those bits and blankets. Maybe then I can also convince my husband to start riding again, too, so I'll keep that saddle around.
In the meantime, I'll be honest: I'm not getting rid of any of my horse clutter, because there's not such a thing as too much horse stuff. :)

Baby's second ride

My daughter, Meira, was on a horse with me at 13 days old, and here she is at a little over 5 weeks for her second horsey experience. These "rides" consisted of posing for the photos and then taking a few steps with Dad or Grandma hovering protectively with a hand near a rein, but they count! I like to think I'm starting what will be a lifelong enjoyment of our equine companions.
{The horse above is Jo, my mother-in-law's 6-year-old Paint gelding.}
And when I think of a life spent with horses, I pray that it means she will always get to enjoy horses from the saddle. I write this because today my husband's fire station responded to a medical call of a 58-year-old woman who was thrown from a horse.
I can't say whether the lady who was injured will or won't get back onto a horse, but I've known other older women whose confidence in the saddle was severely diminished after being thrown. Even at 28, I know I wouldn't do things that I would've when I was 18 horseback, because every year I age, a little bit of fear, or maybe just a bit more sense, changes me as a rider.
Now, when I think of my daughter horseback, I'm sure I'm experiencing the same apprehension my own mother probably felt—but that certainly won't stop me from letting her ride. It also won't stop me from hovering when she starts learning to ride independently, or insisting on a helmet, or worrying when she heads out on a ride that I won't be on. However, I've got a few years to go before I'll need to start worrying!

APHA's baby toys!

Thank you, APHA, for not posting anything about these items on Facebook before I actually had my daughter, because I might've purchased every single (girl) baby item available!!


APHA General store

I really love the rattle, and I actually have a large paint stuffed horse, if only I could get it back from my mother!!

How would you move your horse if...

My husband, Matt, is a volunteer firefighter, and he gave me some food for thought regarding a potential article topic. But as a start, I thought it might be valuable to talk about it here. That topic is what to do with your horse in an emergency?
Matt told me about two horses that had been near a brush fire that his department had handled just a few days ago. They had been running around in the smoke, not quite knowing what to do. So I'm going to look at this from my perspective if I needed to move my horse (which, by the way, is the stunning American Paint named Docs Gold Olena, Lena for short, in the photo below). 

First, I'd ask myself, "Is my horse trailer broke?" There would be nothing more frustrating than needing to move her in an emergency and finding out that when push came to shove, I couldn't get her in the trailer (because I certainly can't push her into it!). This actually brought up a concern, because the last time I loaded Lena, she stubbornly refused to load the way I know she can and should.
Lena was last trailered out to have her feet trimmed at my in-law's place. She loaded that first time beautifully, stepping onto the trailer exactly the way I expect her to. She stayed a few days there, then when I went to return her home, suddenly, my perfectly behaved mare decided that she did not want to leave her pals, Jo and Soxs, and that getting on that trailer was not her priority.
This would be a huge problem if I needed to load her in a hurry!
So after she finally loaded and we returned home, Lena was subjected to several more practice rounds, getting into and out of my trailer. And I promised her more practice sessions until she never refuses, ever again (and I am that serious about it!). If there were a fire and she had to move immediately, I could not have her refusing to load.
Next, would I know where to go with my horse? Often, I see horses being taken to the nearest fairgrounds for temporary housing, so do I know where the nearest fairgrounds that can accommodate my horse are? Considering the size of the Denver metro area, I would actually have several choices. Even at this moment, I don't actually have addresses or specific directions to any of the nearby fairgrounds, so I guess I have my own homework!
Or, if I decide not to take her to the fairgrounds, what's the next option? I would have my in-laws place to take her to, which honestly would be my first choice because it would limit her exposure to other horses that may carry contagious diseases. I also have friends that have property where I could house her, so that would be another option.
The idea of communicable diseases leads me to this: Are Lena's vaccinations up to date? This is an easy "Yes" because I am religious about her shot schedule. She sees the vet twice a year, no questions asked. However, since I'm not showing or using her on a regular basis, her Coggins is not up-to-date, so I guess that gives me something to think about!
{As a side note, my mare also gets a yearly visit from Dr. Scott Marx, an equine dentist who I highly recommend!}
In my humble horse-owning opinion, those three things would be the first things I'd want taken care of in an emergency. And since I now hear my daughter waking up from her nap, I think I'd better leave it at that!
Happy trails, horse lovers, and have you hugged your horse today?

Let's get it started!

Since there likely will be a limited audience (read: none) for at least this first post, I'm going to start by listing my objectives in starting this blog:

1. To keep my writing skills up to snuff.
2. To keep myself and other Colorado horse enthusiasts up on what's going on in the horse business in our beautiful state.

That's about it, so here goes. With the start of September, the biggest agricultural event in Colorado is the Colorado State Fair, which continues through Sept. 5. Anyone interested in working cowhorse, reining and cutting should make it down to Pueblo the 3nd through the 5th, when the brand new NRHA/AQHA Special Event Horse Show takes place in the Covered Horse Arena. {Refraining from comment on the title of said arena.}
There's also the Horsemen Team Challenge, an NRCHA futurity, and a youth freestyle reining event, and who doesn't love freestyle reining? There's a complete list of events on the website.
Later this month, High Plains Paint Horse Club is putting on a show in Loveland Sept. 9–11, while the RMQHA hosts the Fall Classic and Futurity in Denver. Premium books can be downloaded here. Not a Paint or Quarter Horse fan? The Colorado Horse Park is holding the Summerfest CHJA (Colorado Hunter Jumper Association) horse show.
Thank goodness the EHV-1 outbreak didn't ruin the whole summer show circuit!
If you're still in need of hay, head over to the Colorado Department of Agriculture's site for their news release, "Looking for hay?"  and click their link to download a list of Colorado hay producers.
Now, since I have a beautiful month-old daughter to take care of, I'm bidding good night to the blogosphere! Here's to a good start and what I hope turns into something read by the public!