Stable Days

"THE CLOUD AND THE GREY CAT" BY AVERY

Once upon a time, the sun came up and it was a bright blue day, and puffy white clouds were floating in the sky.  And kids were playing in a big green field at the park.  Some were swinging and some were doing monkey bars, and some fell off and some stayed on.  Well, that blue morning a little grey cat was climbing up a tree.  While he was climbing up the tree, a dog started to bark at him and a squirrel followed him up.  When the dog stopped barking, the cat went down and got some food.  Then he took a little nap.  Then he went down the tree and went for a walk.  When he looked behind him, he didn’t see his house.  He realized he was lost.  He said to himself, “Why not go to the beach?  They might find me there.”  He thought it wasn’t that far because he had gone in the car, but now he had to go on foot.  So, he looked at the familiar green hills and started to walk up them.  They were so hard to climb, but in the car they had seemed effortless.  He realized he was a small little cat and he wasn’t that fast of foot.  He said to himself, "Maybe I'll rest on this tree and play for a while.”  So he dangled his front paws over the tree and swung himself back and forth.  He almost fell when suddenly something caught him.  He stepped on it and thought it must have been another tree branch but it was actually the very special cloud who was interested in this little cat.  She watched every little step he took … she watched him in the tree, climbing the mountains, every little step he took.  The cat walked on until he found the nice beach he was looking for.  The cat dug a little cave in the sand and the cloud followed him inside.  She said hello but the cat couldn’t hear her airy voice, because of course she was a cloud who lived in the air.  Then the cat jumped at what he saw … a little puffy cloud speaking to him with big blue eyes and big bushy lips.  When he saw the cloud, he was surprised because he thought the air would only keep him up, not down.  He carefully said, “What are you doing down here?”  The cloud said, “I saw you watching the kids playing, climbing up the mountains and I followed you everywhere you went.  And I knew you needed some company so I couldn’t wait for you to stop so I could talk to you.”  They talked for a while until a little girl came to the beach.  The cat cried, “My little girl’s back!”  He ran over to her and she stroked him on the head.  They went back home in the car and he was happy she came for him.  He climbed back up in his tree and he said to the cloud, “Good-bye, I will see you tomorrow.”  And that’s how the cloud and the little grey kitten met.

Q&A: HOW DO I GET READY TO OWN MY OWN HORSE?

Horse Pal, Nina asks a great question as she is about to own her first horse! Congratulations, Nina!  

Whether you are planning to own or lease your first horse, there is a lot to consider as it is a big commitment!  First, you want to make sure it is the best horse for you ... really consider how you plan to use the horse - are you looking for a show horse, one to trail ride with, etc.  Also, how long do you plan to have the horse?  Can you grow with the horse (both in size and abilities?)   I highly recommend asking a trainer or other horse expert for their professional advice.  Before you purchase a horse, it is wise to have a vet check so you know what you are purchasing.

Next, you want to make sure you like the stable where you are going to keep your horse.  Is it a safe facility?  Check out the location, meet the grooms, find out their feeding and mucking programs, etc.

It is important to budget ahead for your horse. Besides usual vet check-ups and farrier visits, you need to set aside extra money for any unforeseen expenses (i.e. injuries, etc.)

Next, it's time to get all of your tack and horse accessories.  You'll need a saddle, saddle pads, bridle and bit(s), halter, grooming box, fly mask, blankets, all of the goodies you and your horse need!!  Oh, and lots of horse treats!!  Your new friend will definitely want those! 

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, you need to be ready to make the time commitment. Are you going to ride your horse daily or have a trainer ride them?  Can you give them the time they require and deserve to groom and care for them, in and out of the saddle?  

Every horse deserves love and good care, so make sure you are ready before you take the step towards owning your own horse.  And then, enjoy every minute of it because it is a lovely thing!!

Nina, we look forward to seeing more photos of you and your new Quarter Horse Pony, Belle.

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

WELCOME NEW HORSE PAL, NINA FROM MICHIGAN! :)

Hi Horse Pals ~

Please help us welcome our newest Horse Pal, Nina who is on her way to a horse show soon!!  Good luck, Nina!  We know you'll do great ... check out our post on preparing for a horse show!

Hi my name is Nina. I am 11 years old and I live in Michigan. My birthday is on the 29th of this month and I am going to have my first horse of my own. I am so happy.  I am going to get a quarter horse pony. She is really sweet. 

I have been riding for four years. I ride English style riding. Here is a photo of me and the horse I am going to buy, Belle. This photo was for my 4-H poster last summer. It was really bright out that day.

I am jumping a lot. I love jumping. I will send you some pics. of me jumping. Thank you so much Araya.

Nina

P.S.  Nina, the horse I rode in my movie was a Quarter Horse Pony; her name was Laurel.  You can see more of her at www.stabledays.net.

FUN HORSE CRAFT ... HORSE TEES!

Hi Horse Pals,

As you know, one of our favorite things to do is design and create new horse shirts!  It is such a fun craft and we always have a blast doing it!  

We started out with blank white shirts (you could use any color you want).  We used fabric paint and glue and Avery also used ribbon and sequins.  Our friends, Kane and Destiny made one too.  Here are a few photos of them: 

 

 We're really happy with how they turned out and look forward to wearing them lots!

If you make a fun horse craft, send us some photos, a story and what you used and we will post it on the blog.

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

WELCOME NEW HORSE PAL, EMMI FROM IDAHO! :)

A big welcome to our new Horse Pal, Emmi and adorable Ava!! She is so cute!!  We wish you the best in your training.  We can't wait to see some photos of you riding her! 

Hey everyone!  My name is Emmi, and I am a seventeen year old girl who has a passion for horses.  I live up in good old Idaho and have been for ten years.  I've have been riding on and off for about five years but since now I have my own horse and participating in 4-H I am riding much more often.  For now I am riding my 4-H leader's horse, his name is Tuffy, a twenty-six year old chestnut Quarter Horse gelding.
  I adopted a two year old(she is three now) Paint Horse filly last year from some wonderful people who rescued her from slaughter.  When Ava first arrived at my barn she was barely halter broke but after months of me training her she was finally coming around.
  In the spring of this year I moved her to a better stable and it has just been so much fun to stay at, a lot better than the last place.  They are taking much better care of her and she seems so much happier.
  It has been a joy training my little horse, I enjoy it so much and eventually I would love to become a horse trainer.  I have learned so much since the first day I got her, it is amazing how much information is out there.
  I have even shown her in a few showmanship events.  In 4-H we won Grand Champion and qualified for district, we won third there.  I was so proud of her those days, it had really shown how far she has come from when I first got her.
  I am sorry that I didn't send a riding picture, I couldn't locate any, I need to get some more recent ones anyway.

 

Q&A: HOW DO I GET MY HORSE TO STOP OVER JUMPING?

Horse Pal Nina wrote and asked the following question:

hi araya i was wondering my pony jumps a small ,little cross rail like it is a two foot jump how would you make it so she would jump a little smaller?

Great question, Nina!  I asked my trainer, Lisa and here is her advice ...

Begin by putting separated trot polls on the ground and walk, trot and canter over them with your horse every day until he goes over them easily without over jumping them (this should take about 2 weeks).  Then pile a few logs together and jump that again every day until your horse is going over them easily.  Next, add standards at both ends of the logs and do the same exercise.  Now it's time for a small cross rail, again doing the same exercise.  After your horse goes over those easily, make your jump a 2' cross rail with a trot poll in front.  This should all take a month if you work on it daily.

It is not uncommon for green horses to over jump but with a lot of patience and practice, your pony will learn to jump just the right amount for each jump he encounters.

Thanks for the question, Nina!  Please let me know if anyone has any other questions they'd like us to share with our Horse Pals.

Happy jumping! @raya and Avery