Hi Horse Pals,
I loved this video and thought it was amazing and I thought you would like it too!
Hi Horse Pals,
I loved this video and thought it was amazing and I thought you would like it too!
I always love to hold and see Star Fish! One day last winter, my sister and I saw hundreds of them at one of our local beaches! It was such an amazing sight. I love how they all are different colors, sizes and even shapes.
Hi Horse Pals ~
With Spring here, we're having an awesome t-shirt sale at our store. Pick up your "It's All About Horses" tee at the lowest price ever!! We have super soft tees and stylish tank tops that are perfect for riding or just hanging out! And they make cool gifts, too!
To go to our store, simply click on the beautiful horse that says "Store" on the top right column of the blog!
Happy Shopping! Your Horse Pal, @raya
P.S. Whenever you buy anything from our store, you are also helping animals because a portion of all sales goes to animal rescue! We also have really cute peace t-shirts, too so check them out!
Striped hyenas live in Africa, Arabia, Asia Minor and India in savanna, thorn bush, and stony desert regions. They weigh from 55 to 121 pounds. Striped and brown hyenas are predominantly scavengers, though they do supplement their diets with small prey from insects to foxes.
The aardwolf, also, lives in Africa. It’s main food source is the harvester termite. They also eat insect larvae, and eggs of ground nesting birds. Aardwolf are smaller than other hyena relatives, weighing only 50 and 60 pounds and standing only 15 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder. Except when raising cubs, aardwolf are solitary animals.
Hi Horse Pals ~
I thought the kangaroo would be a fun animal to highlight, so here are some fun facts about the Kangaroo.
Fact #1 The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest surviving marsupial anywhere in the world. Fewer in numbers, the Red Kangaroo occupies the arid and semi-arid centre of the country. A large male can be 6 ft 7 in tall and weigh 200 lbs.
Fact #2 Kangaroos are the only large animals to use hopping as a means of locomotion. The comfortable hopping speed for the Red Kangaroo is about 13–16 mph, but speeds of up to 44 mph can be attained, over short distances, while it can sustain a speed of 25 mph for nearly 1 1/4 miles. This fast and energy-efficient method of travel has evolved because of the need to regularly cover large distances in search of food and water, rather than the need to escape predators. To move at slow speeds, it uses its tail to form a tripod with its two forelimbs it then raises its hind feet forward.
Fact #3 Eastern Greys can jump as well as the big Reds: up to 29 feet in one bound, and can reach speeds of nearly 30 mph.
Fact #4 Kangaroos are the only large animals that move by hopping.
Fact #5 The large and strong tail is used for balance when hopping, and as a fifth limb when moving about on all four legs.
Fact #6 All kangaroos are herbivores. The grazers or browsers eat only plant matter.
Fact #7 Kangaroos can survive on very little water; sometimes going for many weeks without it - most of the moisture they need is gained from their food - grass, young shoots and leaves from certain trees.
Fact #8 The Red Kangaroo has long distinctive ears, powerful back legs with long feet and a long thick muscular tail. Its front legs are smaller. The female has a pocket of skin called a pouch on the lower part of her stomach to carry her young.
Fact #9 Kangaroos are sociable and move in groups of 10-12 up to 100. There is usually one dominant male in the group. He will fight outsiders and younger males trying to take over the group.
Fact #10 When a kangaroo is born it is blind and has no fur. The 3/4 of an inch long Joey takes three minute to climb, without help, through the fur on its mother's belly into the her pouch. Once inside, the Joey clamps onto one of her four teats and sucks her milk. For the first four months it doesn't let go of the teat. Once it has a covering of fur the young Joey leaves the pouch for short exploring trips. The Joey stays out for longer periods returning only for milk, until it becomes independent.
I hope you learned as much as I did!
Hi Horse Pals ~
I love giraffes and had a lot of fun writing about them. Hope you enjoy these fun facts!
Your Horse Pal, @raya
One of the most beautiful wild animals in the world is the Giraffe! It is the Logo for Toys R Us ... Geoffrey the Giraffe! Here are some fun facts about the Giraffe:
Fact #1 A giraffe eats about 140 pounds of food a day.
Fact #2 At one time it was believed that giraffes were mute but they do make sounds. A form of communication used by giraffes is called infrasound and cannot be heard by humans. Giraffes do grunt, snort and bellow.
Fact #3 The color of a giraffe's coat tends to become darker with age.
Fact #4 A giraffe's neck can measure up to 5 feet in length.
Fact #5 Just like humans, giraffes have seven vertebrae in their necks. Unlike humans, however, each vertebrae is about 5 inches (11 centimeters) long. The neck of an adult giraffe is about six feet long (1.8 meters), and is extremely muscular.
Fact #6 Adult males weigh 2420 to 4250 pounds, females 1540 to 2600 pounds. Males are 9 to 11 feet at the shoulder and 18 to 19 feet at the top of their horns. Females are about 2 feet shorter.
Fact #7 Besides being prehensile, a giraffe's tongue can be 18 inches long.
Fact #8 The Giraffe is the tallest living animal and can reach vegetation that other herbivores cannot. Giraffes eat foliage (broad leafed deciduous and evergreen), grass, shrubs and fruit, and don’t require a lot of water. Their favorite food is the acacia tree. A giraffe browses most of the day and at night they lie down to rest and ruminate.
Fact #9 When giraffes walk they move both right legs forward and then both left. When running they use the back legs first and they move on the outside of the front legs.
Fact #10! Baby giraffes are 6 feet tall and weigh an average of 150 pounds when they are born.
Thanks, Darby! If anyone else would like to share interesting horse facts, feel free to email us at arayastabledays@gmail.com and we'll post them for you.
Hi Horse Pals,
I wanted to tell you all about this really great site! It is called ZooBorns! It shows you all the baby animals born at zoos from around the world!
It is very cool. You can see many different types of animal babies that you may have never seen before!
Here is a great post from ZooBorns:
The seven Lion cubs born at the National Zoo are now sporting seven names. Just before the cubs made their debut in the Lion yard yesterday morning, the Zoo announced their names: John, Fahari, Zuri, Lelie, Baruti, Aslan and Lusaka. “We were touched to receive so many thoughtful name suggestions for the cubs from so many different sources,” said Dennis Kelly, director of the Zoo. “Each of the seven final names has a special meaning or connection that the cubs will carry with them during their time here at the National Zoo.”
Photo credits: Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian’s National Zoo
More [PHOTOS] below the fold...
The names of Shera’s cubs, which were born Aug. 31, are:
John: The sole male in the litter is named after John Berry, who was the Zoo’s director from 2006 to early 2009 and is currently director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Berry helped to bring the cub’s mother Shera, aunt Nababiep and father Luke to the Zoo in 2006.
Fahari (fah-HAH-ree): The National Zoo advisory board chose Fahari, which means “magnificent” in Swahili, for this cub. Keepers say that early in life she was the big eater among both litters and for a long time was larger than all of the other cubs, including her brother. Although that has changed recently, keepers are confident that she will continue to be bigger than life.
Zuri (ZUH-ree): The Friends of the National Zoo board chose the name Zuri for this female cub. Zuri means “beautiful” in Swahili. The lion keepers say it is a fitting name for a cub whose coat is thicker, plusher and redder than the others in the pride.
Lelie (la-LEE-ay): Lelie is the winning female name submitted by a first-grade classroom at Marshall Elementary School in Manassas, Va., in the Name a Cub: Cam Contest, which the Zoo hosted with the Washington Post. Lelie is Afrikaans for “lily,” and the students selected it because lilies are common at Kruger Park, which is the largest national park in South Africa and provides refuge to about 2,000 African lions.
The names of Nababieps cubs, which were born Sept. 22, are:
Baruti (ba-ROO-tee): Baruti is the winning male name submitted by a daycare class at Bright Horizons Child Care & Education at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., in the Name a Cub: Cam Contest. Baruti is an African name meaning “teacher,” which the class thought was appropriate for a lion that keepers describe as “quiet” and “calm.”
Aslan: This cub received his name Dec. 10, when Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes, actors in The Chronicles of Narnia movies, visited the Zoo to reveal that the cub would be named Aslan after the lion in the films.
Lusaka (lu-SAH-ka): The name Lusaka holds a special place at the Zoo—it is the name of the beloved 18-year-old lioness that died at the Zoo last January. The lion keepers decided it would be a nice tribute to the lion who they considered the matriarch of the lion/tiger house and describe as having an “overload of personality.” Keepers picked this cub in particular because she was Nababieps’s sole female cub, and sometimes they see the older Lusaka reflected in Nababiep’s disposition.
Both litters were sired by Luke, who was the Zoo’s sole male lion until the birth of the cubs. The two litters are the result of years of careful research and observation and the first for the Zoo in more than 20 years. Starting Dec. 20, lion keepers will decide on a day-to-day basis whether the cubs will spend any time in the yard, how long they will be out and when. This decision will be based on weather and how the cubs adjust to being outdoors.
Lions are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as the result of climate change, hunting and habitat loss.
I love love looovvvveee Lions! :)
Every so often I will put a post from Zooborns and put it on my blog for Horse Pals to see.
Your Horse Pal, Araya
Hi Horse Pals ~
We just received this email from another Horse Pal and wanted to help spread the word! Please let other horse lovers know about this!
Thank you, @raya and @very
EMERGENCY RESCUE - FUNDS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY TO SAVE 96 FOALS/MARES
96 Mares and Foals being sold to highest bidders in Fallon, Nevada Livestock auction. Need $100 per horse to save from slaughter.
Please help right now!
http://www.wildhorserescue.org/
No time for photos, or descriptions.
These are Paiute reservation wild horses. They brought 363 horses to the sale. We can't save them all - but we can try to save the babies and their moms.
Please help NOW!
Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue
Hi Horse Pals ~
Here's my latest story for the newspaper ... thought you might enjoy it! Had a great jumping week with Dandy ... hope you did, too!!
Your Horse Pal, @raya
I have always loved wild animals! They are all so different and have a special way of life! But my favorite of all is the lion! They are all so royal and magical! I espcially love the males with their manes! I wanted to learn more about lions and here are some interesting facts I found:
Fact #1 --- The Lion (Panthera leo) is the only big cat that lives in social groups. These groups are called prides and consist of 3 to 30 lions. The females are often related and share care of the cubs, including suckling. The lionesses do the majority of hunting with some driving prey towards an ambush of other waiting lionesses.
Fact #2 --- Lion cubs weight about three pounds at birth. By age 2, they are good hunters. They are full grown at 5 to 6 years of age. A litter usually is 2 to 3 cubs. Adult male lions weigh 330 to 500 pounds, females 265 to 400 pounds. Height is 3.5 feet (females) to 4 feet (males). Length 4 ½ to 8 ¼ feet, with the males at the higher end of the range. Lions are the second largest feline. The tiger is actually the biggest wild cat.
Fact #3 ---- Male lions begin to grow their manes at about 18 months old. It continues to grow until they are 5.
Fact #3 ---- The Swahili word for lion is simba. It also means king, strong, and aggressive.
Fact #4 ----- Lionesses are more agile and faster than male lions. Both male and female lions roar.
Fact #5 ---- Lions lie around for 21 hours a day.
Fact #6 ---- Lions can go 5 to 6 days without drinking water.
Fact #7 ---- Lion cubs have spots at birth that disappear with age.
Fact #8 ---- Lion is known as the king of beasts for his bravery and fighting skills!
Fact #9 ---- The average lifespan of lions in the wild is 15 years but they may life up to 25 years or beyond in captivity.
Fact #10 --- White lions were found to exist in the late 20th century. The pale color of their coats is due to a recessive gene.
There is also a big cat called a liger. It is the world's largest big cat. An average male liger weighs over 900 pounds and stands almost 12 feet tall. Ligers have a mane like a lion and stripes like a tiger. The reason that they are called a liger is because the father was a lion and the mother was a tiger. If the situation was reversed and the mother was a lion and the father was a tiger, he would be called a tigon, and would be a dwarf instead of a giant. A fully grown tigon is usually less that 350 lbs. Ligers are not sterile, and they can reproduce. If the mother was a lion and the father was a tiger it would be called a tigon.
Hi Horse Pals ~
Here's a story I recently wrote for my friend's newspaper. Hope you enjoy it!
@raya
One day when I was dog walking, I saw a cat in the road and I tried to get her off the road and she ran! She was an all grey cat and was very scared! I had never seen her before and I wondered where she came from!? She was very wild!
And then one day when we went out to feed our cat, Keyoh, we saw her again! She was looking at us as if to say "Can I have some?" So we put another food bowl out in our yard for her so that she did not have to be so close to the house so she could feel safe. We tried to pet her many times but every time she would run! Every day we would just put the food bowl closer to our house and then one day she came up to it and laid on the porch. We slowly opened the door and she stayed! We sat near our door for a few minutes and then we tried to get closer and she still stayed! We sat there for a few more minutes and then she came to us! She let us pet her and then she went back to the food! And from then on, she has let us pet her! We tried to come up with a name for her and then we came up with Misty! We thought it was the greatest name for her! She is a small cat and has long gray hair. She has green, yellow eyes and is very beautiful! And now she runs up to us and meows for food.
We love helping animals and I think that we helped Misty find someone who will always make sure that she is OK, and that is what animal rescues do! I have always wanted to help animals and love to donate money and other things that the animal rescues need! You can go to any animal rescue in your neighborhood and donate things that your pets don't use - food, money and some animal shelters have a list of things they need! With the holidays around the corner, remember to add animal rescues to your holiday giving!
Hi Horse Pals,
Hi Horse Pals ~
We want to send out a warm welcome to our newest Horse Pal from England, Hannah! We look forward to hearing more about your riding adventures.
Your Horse Pals, @raya and @very
My name is Hannah. I am 12 years old and I love horses when I grow up I would love to be an equine vet so I can work with world horse welfare. I live in england and love Stable Days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1) This is Toby. He belongs to my riding school and I love him so so so much. He is bright bay with a blaze down his face. Toby is a cheeky pony always looking for treats!! He is 12.hh so I have grown out of him but I still love him and would love to see him in the stable days blog.
2) This is Missy. Missy also belongs to my riding school and I love her. She is great at dressage and she is an ambitious jumper. She looks after her riders well although she can come off the track if you are not careful. Missy is dark bay and it would be great to see her in the stable days blog.
3) I do not have a pic of Summer. She is a 14.2 connemara cross, she is not mine but I ride her and look after her when her owner is at work. She is good as gold and if you fall off she will stand by you untill you are ready to get back on again.
Hi Horse Pals ~
Here is another article I wrote for the newspaper that I thought you might all enjoy!
As you know, I am a HUGE dog lover, along with the rest of the world! Did you know that it is the most popular animal in the world? And our U.S. Presidents agree! Throughout history, Presidents have owned and loved dogs making them famous during their White House years and beyond.
Here are some fun facts about Presidents and their canine companions!
The first U.S. President George Washington owned 10 Hounds called Mopsey, Taster, Cloe, Tipler, Forester, Captain, Lady Rover, Vulcan, Sweetlips and Searcher.
Abraham Lincoln owned at least 2 dogs and their names were Fido and Jip.
Theodore Roosevelt owned a Pit bull Terrier named Pete, a Chesapeake Retriever named Sailor Boy, a Terrier named Jack, a mongrel named Skip and a Spaniel named Manchu.
Calvin Coolidge owned at least 12 dogs:
A Terrier (Peter Pan), an Airedale (Laddie Buck/Paul Pry), 2 White Collies (Oshkosh/Rob Roy and Prudence Primm), a Shetland Sheepdog (Calamity Jane), 2 Chows (Tiny Tim and Blackberry), a Brown Collie (Ruby Rough), a Yellow Collie (Bessie), a Bulldog (Boston Beans), a Police Dog (King Kole) and a Bird Dog (Palo Alto). That is a lot of dogs!
President John F. Kennedy owned the following dogs:
Welsh Terriers - Charlie and Pushinka,
German Shepherd – Clipper,
Irish Cocker Spaniel – Shannon,
Irish Wolfhound – Wolf,
Terriers - White Tips, Blackie and Streaker.
John F. Kennedy was the first President to request that his dogs meet the presidential helicopter when the President arrived at the White House.
Soviet Premier Kruschev gave him a dog named Pushinka who was the offspring of the Russian space dog Strelka. Pushinka had 4 puppies of her own puppies who JFK called “pupniks”! Pushinka often made the President laugh by climbing up the ladder to Caroline's tree house. The Prime Minister of Ireland gave JFK the Irish Cocker Spaniel, Shannon.
Richard Nixon owned 4 dogs:
Spaniel (Checkers), an
Irish Setter (King Timahoe), a
Terrier (Pasha) and a
Poodle (Vicky)
When he entered the White House a member of his staff gave him the Irish Setter, King Timahoe, which he named for the little village in Ireland where his mother’s ancestors came from.
Gerald Ford owned a Golden Retriever named Liberty who gave birth to nine puppies at the White House.
George H W Bush owned a Springer Spaniel called Millie and her puppy named Ranger. "Millie", the Springer Spaniel, is the subject of a book that has sold more copies than the autobiography of George Bush himself.
President George W Bush's dogs include a Scottish Terrier named Barney and an English Springer spaniel named Spot. Spot was named after Scott Fletcher, a former Texas Rangers baseball player. President Bush's dog Spot is the only dog to live in the White House during two administrations. Spot was born to Millie, George H.W. Bush's dog, when George H.W. Bush was President. Spot was given to his son George W. Bush who returned the Terrier to the White House for his term of office.
And President Obama and his family have a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo who now calls the White House home. Bo was a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy, who owns three dogs of the same breed, known for high spirits and said to be a good fit for kids with allergies.
It doesn’t matter what breed or age or name a dog goes by; it is clearly man’s best friend!
Horse Pal Shanae sent us these beautiful horse photos and we thought it would be fun to have Horse Pals vote for their favorite! Just leave us a comment and let us know what you think.
Hi Horse Pals ~
Horse Pal, Shanae has sent in this test for our Horse Pals to take. Answer the questions below in a comment and Shanae will tell you what color horse you are!!
Thanks, Shanae!
Your Horse Pal, @raya
1. What is your favorite color?
2. What type of horse rider are you?
3. How long have you had horse/s?
Hi Horse Pals ~
Avery and I are so excited to launch our own Stable Days Store! Click on the store button located on the right column at the top of our blog to check it out.
We have created a "Live Your Passion" line of products that go with our motto of 'playing hard and living free'. We helped design these t-shirts and tote bags and hope you all like them.
You will also find our Stable Days DVD for sale in our store.
The cool thing about buying any products in our store is that you are also helping animals because we donate a portion of all of our sales to animal rescue.
Our t-shirts and tote bags make great gifts for all your family and friends.
Happy shopping, @raya and @very
P.S. We are in the process of designing a dog tee so check back soon!!
My name is Jazmine (AKA. Jaz!!) I have just found your site! I love horses!! My name is Jazmine. I'm 13. I live in Austin, Texas.
My Mom breeds Arabs and I will take over the job after her.
I have 6 horses but my favourite is Chelsea; she's a chestnut Arab!!!! Chelsea is a bit hard to take a picture with because shes always running!!! Here she is running her heart out!!
My Dad is a photographer; he takes awesome shots of all Mom's horses.
All the other 5 horses include Benny a Shetland pony gelding, Salsa a chestnut Australian stock horse mare, Tino a black Arabian stallion (Mom uses him for her breeding!), Angus a Shetland mare and Roxi a Chestnut Mini!!
I ride mostly English but my favourite is endurance and just free riding i call it!!
I've been riding ever since i can remember and am absolutely in LOVE with it!
Here are some pics of my horses!
Benny
Hi Horse Pals ~
You may remember a while back when our cousin Kyla came to our barn and fell in love with horses. Since then, she has been taking riding lessons in Northern California and she LOVES it!!
This week she visited us at our stable and we had an awesome day! Kyla and her brother Jake helped me run Dandy before our ride and we made a great grooming team. Dandy was very spoiled.
After my training session with Lisa and Dandy, I trained Kyla on Dandy and she had a blast!! It was a lot of fun. She rode in a round pen and trotted and posted nicely. Dandy took very good care of her.
After, we gave Dandy a bath together and some of her favorite treats. It was a perfect barn day!!
Your Horse Pal, @raya
Hi Horse Pals ~
I wanted to welcome our newest Horse Pal, Erica who I've had a lot of fun corresponding with!
Erica plans to contribute to the blog, too so keep an eye out for her posts!!
Your Horse Pal, @raya
Hi, my name is Erica.
I found out about Araya's site last summer and we have been E-mailing for a while. But now I am excited I can join the Horse Pals Club, because it seems like a lot of fun. I have been riding since I was about 8. I ride English style and I just started jumping last winter. Jumping is awesome!!! I don't have a horse of my own, but I take lessons. Right now I am riding a Quarter Horse named Charlie. He is awesome and lots of fun to ride.
Have a great summer!
Your Horse Pal, `~`~*Erica
Hi Horse Pals ~
Meg and Claire have been following the Stable Days blog for a while and just joined our Horse Pals Club. Here is what they wrote to share with you all:
Here is some info about us ...
We are cousins and are best friends! We live in Perth, Western Australia.
We are both 12 years old and we share a welsh (section A) Pony called Clyde.
We have both been riding ever since we can remember and my mum used to have an Australian stock horse called Fancy but she died of old age a couple of years ago...
We are both BIG fans of Stable Days and wanted to be a part of the growing club!
Your horse Pals Meg and Claire
Sadly my friends dont really understand why we love horses so much and they are more into shopping and netball and things.....
Only people who share the love understand!!
Hi Araya! I have another couple of tips about training, if you want to post them. :) Darby
#1: After you work with your horse, and it is a new horse, freshly getting trained, tie it up and let it sit for 30 minutes, so that the horse can think about what it has just learned/did.
#2: Always do groundwork and desensitizing, even if your horse is bomb proof, it is always good to keep the horse up to date.
#3: If you can't ride a horse that needs riding due to an injury or whatever, take your horse on walks, so that it still gets normal exercise.
#4: It is a fun and good idea to keep a horse log. That's what I do, I list the horse's names and show names, and what I did with them that day, and I date it with the day that I did it. Today I wrote that I put Patches' bangs up in a ponytail, lifted her feet up and filled her water trough. Just keep a diary on your horses, like brushing them, today I didn't brush the horses, because they don't need it every day because they are going to get dirty anyway, so I wrote that I didn't brush them.
Thanks for the tips, Darby! I love the idea of keeping a horse log. Sometimes I feel like the blog is my log! If anyone else has any training tips, feel free to send them our way and we'll post them for all of our Horse Pals.
Hi Horse Pals ~
We got this exciting email from Darby that we wanted to pass along. If anyone has any name ideas, please post a comment!! Keep us posted, Darby. BTW, love the drawings, they're awesome!! He looks like a beauty. Araya and Avery
P.S. Darby's great drawings reminded us that we would love to see any of your animal art and share it in our Stable Mates' Art where we just added Darby's artwork. Check it out!
I might get this new horse, that is a QH and he is a line back dun, but I don't know what to name him. I am thinking about Buddy. I drew a picture of him on paint, and I attached it to this email. Have a look and tell me what you think! It's not a very good drawing, but I don't have any pics of him yet. He is a champ roper! He tags along like a dog too, and he is kinda red colored, but a dun, and he has a completely red blaze, and white socks under black points!
Hi Horse Pals,
Avery and I have both been riding Jimmy a bit lately. I have been having a lot of fun jumping with him. He's been really good! We jumped a line and a bounce! It was so fun. I feel like I learn a lot from jumping him.
At first he was a little spookish, but after we jumped some more, he was fine. The bounce had three jumps and the line had four strides. Jimmy is aa Arab/Clydesdale cross.
Here are some photos of Jimmy and me jumping:
P.S. I rode him again yesterday! He was so good! We worked on flatwork and he did great!
Horse Pal Darby has a question and she would love our Horse Pals' feedback. Maybe some of you who live on a farm can help with her dilemma.
Question: Okay I have a Quarab horse named Denali, and her companions are 2 miniature horses named Patches and Latte. I also have a Tennessee Walking Horse named Salsa who is at my uncles so that doesn't help, but any way, when I take Latte out of the pen, Denali totally forgets that Patches is there and goes crazy. I think that it is separation but she runs the whole length of the pasture which is about 6 or 7 acres and she ends up covered in sweat and one time she had a bloody nose from it. I don't know what to do because I need to take the miniature horses out to train them better, but I don't want Denali to run through the fence or hurt herself. Do you have any advice?
P.S. That's so awesome you're training Latte, Darby! I love training horses, too!
Hi Horse Pals -
Here's my latest article for our friend, Michaela's newspaper. Avery and I are SO excited about our new business! Check it out!!
Your Horse Pal, @raya
My sister Avery and I, have started a dog walking business. We wanted to help dogs with dogs and we thought this would be the best way to do that. A portion of our profits is going to Seeing Eye Dogs of America. We came up with the name of our dog walking business, Fancy Paws, and then we made flyers that described our services. We distributed the flyers in our neighborhood and the next day, we got a call! It was from our neighbor. They have a Boxer dog and he is ten years old. He is white with brown dots and his name is Sparky. He is SO cute! When we first walked him, he was so good! We went around out neighborhood and when we brought him home, he tried to follow us home! The next time we walked him, he was so happy to see us! He ran around and we when we were on our way, he lead us to where we went last time! It was too funny! We now walk Sparky every Saturday and Sunday.
Here are a few pictures of him:
Hey Araya, you probably know mostly about English riding, so I wanted to make a post telling more about western riding. That way everybody can learn about both riding styles, although there are more styles like Australian. So, here it is:
In Western riding, you use a western saddle. A western saddle is very different from the other saddles because of the horn on the front of the saddle. To some people western saddles are so comfortable because of the horn. Western saddles are a very good saddle for beginning riders because it has the horn to grab onto, even though that doesn't help the balance part of it. :). The most famous western riding horse is of course the Quarter horse. The first pure Quarter horses were sired by Copper Bottom and Steel Dust, so if you ever ask a rancher what the first pure Quarter horse studs were, they will probably tell you those two horses, but infact the first sire that ever helped make the quarter horse was a thoroughbred stallion named Janus. Dan Tucker is also one of the first pure quarter horses, he sired the great Peter McCue and he was the grandsire of Joe Hancock. There are 3 different types of Quarter Horses: Bulldog, Thoroughbred, and Intermediate. The Bulldog type has massive muscles, large hindquarters and shoulders and a belly that is large also. The Thoroughbred type is the sleekest type, with muscles but they are the fastest, they are very lean, they have fine bone, and their legs are sleeker than the other types as well. The last type has large muscle, good bone, a short back and deep body, the head is short, broad and full at the jowl, the ear small, and the neck full. The quarter horses are found in most colors, although in National Registry paints, pintos and appaloosas are not permitted. In Western RIding you can do reining, western jumping, cutting, trail riding, competitive trail riding, extreme cowboy, racing, barrel racing, pole bending, cowgirl chick, mounted shooting, parade, bronc busting, bareback bronc, saddle bronc, western pleasure,goat tieing, roping, branding, dragging, bulldogging or steer wrestling,penning, cowboy polo, hide and seek, and flag game.
Dictionary:
Reining~Reining is when you are doing a show, your horse will do rollbacks, spins, left lead circles(big and small), right lead circles(big and small), sliding stops, flying change, rundown, backup, and pausing.
Rollbacks~Rollbacks are after your horse does a sliding stop, the horse does the sliding stop, and turns around its hind feet staying where they are and their front feet in the air turning with the horses body.
Spins~Spins are when your horse is at one place, the horse turns much like a rollback. The horses hind feet stay where they are but the front feet jump up and down so that the horse goes in a very fast circle. This movement has to be done both right and left ways.
Circles~The circles in reining are when the horse goes from walking to loping on the right lead, without trotting. If a horse is going to do a right circle the horse must extend its right leg farther than its left leg, and it must start out walking but start loping on the right lead without trotting. The horse will do this in both big and small cirlces, and in both leads.
Slidin Stops~Sliding Stops are when the horse gathers speed going faster every stride that it takes until it reaches a full gallop, then it will stop and slide. Before doing a rollback to turn the opposite direction.
Flying Changes~A flying lead change is ussualy seen in English riding, during dressage. A flying lead change is when the horse changes leads in mid stride.
Rundown~A rundown is when the horse gallops somewhere along 20 feet from the rail and then does the sliding stop. The rundown is just running down the fence.
Backup~The backup is when the horse backs up very quickly in a strate line for 10 feet and then pauses before going onto the next activity.
Pausing~The pausing is stopping for a few minutes before going onto the next activity.
Lope~A lope is the same gait as a canter.
Walk~The walk is when the horse is in its most relaxing gait, and the slowest gait.
Trot~The trot is when the horse does the next gait after the walk, and before the lope, usualy riders post when trotting, even if they are riding western or english.
Gallop~The gallop is the fastest gait for the horse.
Right Lead~Right lead is when the horses right front leg and back right leg are extending farther than the horses left legs.
Left Lead~Left lead is when the horses left front leg and left hind leg are extending farthar than the horses right legs.
Western Jumping~Western Jumping is a lot like Cross Counrty English Riding. The horses and rider jump over trees, and other obstacles that you might find if you were working cattle.
Wading~Wading is when the horse goes into a lake or pond or river etc. that the horse has to swim or is deep enough that the horse can tough or barely tough.
Gait~A gait is a horses natural speeds, trotting, walking, loping, and galloping.
Posting~Posting is when you sit up and down in time with the horses movements, when trotting.
Cutting~Cutting is when there is a herd of cattle and the horse cuts one out of the herd, then follows it, stopping shortly every time the cow stops so that it cant get back to its herd.
Trail Riding~Trail riding is a favorite for all riders, trail riding is a relaxing ride through the forest, mountains, valleys, canyons etc.
Competitive Trail Riding~Competitive trail riding is when riders go through a trail trying to stay in their own time limit, not under or over.
Extreme Cowboy~Extreme cowboy is when you and your horse go through a series of obstacles, curtains, wading, penning, shooting, circles etc.
Racing~Western racing is racing another cowboy to the finish to get a free rootbeer.
Barrel Racing~Barrel racing is when you go through a cloverleaf pattern, trying to beat everyone elses time and trying not to knock any barrels.
Pole Bending~Pole bending is weaving throught the poles trying not to knock any over and trying to beat evveryone elses time also.
Cowgirl Chick~Cowgirl chick is standing on the horses back or saddle loping around, doing tricks with your horse such as saddle spins, and side riding. You would weave VERY close to another person and then separat VERY far apart.
Mounted Shooting~Mounted shooting is going through a maze shooting targets, such as bloons, and getting to the finish with out missing any bloons and beating other peoples times.
Parade~Parade is just as it says, parade, you ride around town all dressed up with your horse.
Bronc Busting~Bronc busting is training a young horse.
Bareback Bronc~Bareback bronc is riding a bronc bareback and holding on tight for 8 seconds and beating everyone elses time.
Saddle Bronc~Saddle bronc is riding the bronc with a saddle and holding on tight for 8 seconds and beating everyone elses time.
Western Pleasure~Western Pleasure is a show that you just ride freely, or riding freely anywhere.
Roping~Roping is divided into: Breakaway roping, tiedown roping, heeler and header in team roping.
Breakaway Roping~Is when you rope the calfs head with no other teammate.
Tiedown Roping~Tiedown roping is roping the steer than jumping off of your horse to tie the steers legs together, the steer cant get up until 6 or 8 seconds, depends on the show.
Team Roping~Is when you have a teammate and you are either a header or a heeler.
Heeler~Is when you rope the steers back feet.
Header~Is when you rope the steers head.
Goat Tieing~Is when you race up on your horse and tie the goats feet together, it cant get up for 6-8 seconds again it depends on the show.
Branding~Is when your horse drags steers to the branding iron.
Dragging~Is when a calf is roped then dragged to the branding iron to get branded.
Bulldogging~Is when a horse runs up along a cow and the guy jumps off the horse grabbing the steers head and pins the steer to the ground.
Penning~Is when you drive a steer from pen to pen with your horse.
Cowboy Polo~Is polo with a western saddle.
Hide And Seek~Is when you and your horse hide while a group of riders and horses try to find you.
Flag Games~Is when one team has a flag and hides it and the other team doesnt watch. then the other team tries to find the flag while your team tries to defend the flag, blocking it from the other teams hands.
Hi Horse Pals! Our Horse Pal, Nina wrote this beautiful poem in honor of Sonny, a horse she recently lost.
Hi Araya,
I just heard today that one of my school horses was put down today. He broke his shoulder and there was no way to fix it and he was really old too. His name was Sonny and here is a poem that I wrote for him:
Sonny, We love you. You were such a great horse. You still are a great horse. I know that you are in a much better place now. You were so fun to ride. I miss you so so so much! You were the best horse in the barn. I LOVE YOU SONNY!!
Hi I'm Delaney from Roosevelt, Texas.
I have three horses. There are Roany,Dollar,and Blaze. Roany is a 21 year old roan Quarter Horse. We have been working with him and we are supposed to be doing competitive trail riding, barrels, and poles in the summer. Dollar is a Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse mix and Blaze is a Shetland/Welsh Pony mix.
I do barrel racing and poles. Horses are actually my favorite animals. My favorite breeds are Quarter Horses,Paints and Appaloosas. Roany is actuallly a heel horse. I ride Western but I like hearing about English news!!!!
And I love your guys' website. Did you know that I actually am very close to the world-famous roper Ollie Smith?!?!? And I know Houston Power who's dad was a winner in the NFR!!!!!!!!!
Your Horse Pal, Delaney
Araya~
The show season is aproaching, and Snickers and I are going to a show next weekend. Lots of times when i go to a show, i get nervous and forget a lot that i have learned, and then i can't do my best. people always tell me "just ride!" but it doesn't help. any tips? ~Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth ~
That's a great question and one that every rider feels at some point. I think we can take inspiration from watching the Olympic athletes - when we are in the show ring, that is our time to keep complete focus and know that we have been working hard to get to this moment.
I noticed when I was watching the skiers how they went through the entire course on top of the hill before they even started skiing and that is what I do when I have a jumping course. This way you can work through whatever issues you or your horse may have at a certain turn or jump before you even get there.
And deep breathing comes in real handy to overcome nerves! Remember, each course is an opportunity to do your best and have fun!!
Hope this helps. Here's to a wonderful show season!!
Your Horse Pal, @raya
Hi Araya,
I just found these photos and I thought maybe you could put them on the blog.
In the one photo where it looks like i am laughing, my friend was behind the camera because I didn't want my pic taken.
the palomino is a lesson horse named Cheerio.
The black is a lesson horse named Buck and that was my first horse show(at the barn) where I did jumping.
thank you so much. write back. Nina
Thanks for the great photos, Nina!! We always enjoy seeing Horse Pals riding!! Happy jumping!!
Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery
P.S. The black horse is really pretty ... what breed is he or she?
Hi Horse Pals ~
Please welcome our first new Horse Pal in 2010, Avery!! We look forward to learning more about you and seeing lots more photos of you and Honcho.
Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery
Hi, my name is Avery. I live in Michigan, and I ride English, and every thing from dressage to showmanship except jumping, cause my horse is too old. I have been riding for several years, and my horse's name is Honcho. Sadly, I will probably have to buy a new one soon, because he is like, 24. However, he is still in great health.
(This is Honcho being ridden bareback with a halter by me!)
I have another pic of him in a jester costume at a Halloween fundraising event, with another horse, Bubbles!!! I can't find it though! ;p
Hi Horse Pals!
We want to wish you all a very happy new year and a decade filled with lots of love, happiness, joy and HORSES!
Thank you all for being a part of our horse community and a special thanks to Darby for all of her great contributions to the blog! We look forward to seeing more of you in the new year!!
LOTS of LOVE, Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery
P.S. I love these paintings... Which one is your favorite?
Hi Horse Pals ~
Nina has a great question along with some fun photos to share with you all. Feel free to give your advice, too!! Good luck and have fun, Nina!
Your Horse Pal, @raya
Hi again,I was wondering if maybe you could give me some advice.
Tomorrow for winter horse camp we are going to be doing a jumping course and there are going to be some tall jumps and I sometimes get nervous about big jumps.
Do you have any advice for me? Thank you so much. Your the best. Write back.
Nina
Belle and I
Palamino lesson horse
Hi Nina ~ I think the best advice I can give in jumping is to stay relaxed and calm into the jumps and trust your horse. When you ride with confidence, your horse feels it. Also, ride your best so your horse can do her best jumping. And reinforce her good jumping by talking to her and petting her after the course. I also like to go through the entire course in my mind and see myself jumping well before I even start the course. This way you have the course in your mind and you can let yourself focus on the riding.
Have fun at winter horse camp and let us all know how it goes!
Happy jumping, @raya
Hi Horse Pals,
I love the idea of questions and answers and I had so much fun answering Horse Pal, Darby's, that I've written my own. So I am going to do a post about that. Here are my Q's.
1: Do you plan to have your own barn some day, and if so, what would it look like?
2: Will you have dogs at your barn, if so, what breeds?
3: What are your favorite breeds of horses?
4: Do you have a horse now and if so, what breed?
5: What is your favorite breed of farm animal (not including horses)?
6: What is your favorite sport besides horse riding?
7: What is your favorite holiday?
8: If you had to live in one other place, where would it be?
9: What is your favorite breed of dog?
10: Where do you live?
11: Does it snow where you live?
12: Do you like this post:)
I love this idea and I hope you like it too.
If you have any questions that you would like to ask Horse Pals, you can send them to me at araya@stabledays.net and I will post them on the blog.
Your Horse Pal, @raya
Thanks, Darby
P.S. Great idea, Darby! I can't wait to hear what our Horse Pals would like to see posted! I know Avery and I would love for you to do a post or 2 on famous jumpers!
Araya and Avery are young equestrians and entrepreneurs with a passion for life!
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