Friday, July 1, 2011

Here We Go Again!

Has it really been almost six months? Sure doesn't seem like it! We have been so busy and with precious little time to be devoting to this blog, however I made myself a promise that starting July 1st (which of course would be today) I'd make a concerted effort to do better about posting. That said, I am not about to make any promises to anyone else about how often I'll find the time to update the blog!!

Things are moving right along, aside from the fact that I've not gotten a chance yet to update my website. Hopefully soon I will have added pages and a lot more information about ETI Corral 88, the farm at Rancho Indulto, new horses in training and our schedule. Thanks to everyone for hanging in there and continuing to look for blog updates. As always, please feel free to drop me an email and we'll go from there!!

~SFTS

Thursday, January 6, 2011

What Power Lies Within The Term Dressage?

Okay, so my blog or the Blogger software is acting up with my computer...we will hopefully be back to your regularly scheduled blog shortly and the posts will actually show up! :)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

It's That Time Again...

Website updating time. It's been over a year now, and there is much updating to do. So, I'll be busy with that for quite some time I am sure.

I'd originally intended to have the website done and uploaded by the time January 1st rolled around, but Mother Nature had other ideas. The weather wreaked havoc on my internet connection and phone line ~ apparently interference on the telephone line disrupts DSL...who knew?? ~ because of saturated ground. Apparently, the phone company had problems all over California and the West with our series of Winter storms and flooding. I was shocked to read that the Mojave River crested at 17 feet, more than a foot over flood stage! Mind you, this is a riverbed that's normally dry.

Plans are being made, the show season ironed out, ride schedules decided upon, clinics organized and so much more. Stay tuned for updates on a regular basis, I'm going to try to get some training tips and more horse related topics up here! Including our special Equine Affair Edition.

Until then, have great rides and stay warm!

~SFTS

Monday, January 3, 2011

To Wrap Or Not To Wrap...That Is The Question

One of the most frequently asked questions I get, not surprisingly, is about leg protection. Well, support and protection. Today I thought we'd examine what various types of wraps, bandages and boots available to us as horsemen and horsewomen. Just like about anything else related to horses, there are different options that work well for different purposes.

Personally, I prefer polo wraps for everything other than trail riding, longeing and turning out. For those purposes, I use good quality splint boots. I'm not a fan of sports medicine boots (or "SMB's") for several reasons. First, they tend to heat up and can blister a horse. Second, they tend to impinge the horse's movement below the knee as well as locking the fetlock joint. Third, it's rather easy for them to be pulled too tight and cause tendon (or ligament) troubles. Fourth, they do hold water more than any other form of leg boot or wrap. Those reasons alone make me shy away from their use.

For everyday use, a pair of high quality splint boots beats anything else. Of all the configurations, I like the interlocking velcro. I have some that use the metal links to run through, but they're a second tier choice. I like these, both by Professional's Choice:













Those boots pictured above above are very similar to my old Les Vogt Pro Equine boots that I used to swear by. I also like the Wrangler boots by Professional's Choice, and I have some Ed Bohlin boots that are my favorites these days.

My standby for most work are polo wraps, though I like them semi-thick and of good quality fleece. See a pattern here with that "Q" word? :) One of the reasons a lot of people shy away from wrapping are the tales of damage that can be done to a horse's legs. If you learn to wrap properly and never rush a wrapping job, you will never have to worry about injuring your horse by using wraps. For some folks I'll recommend using quilts under the wraps like a track or standing bandage. Doing so can help prevent binding and pinching, the most common means of injury in wrapping horses. As long as you don't tug the wrap, keeping steady pressure instead, and don't let the wrap (or quilt) bunch up, you should have no problem. Find a mentor who will teach you the correct way to wrap!

For some horses, I also use bell boots, which serve to protect the horse from over-reaching (thus they are also sometimes called "overreach boots") and can help prevent horses from pulling shoes off while our playing or working. These days the only kind I'll buy are those designed not to turn ~ even though they sometimes can and do ~ and with double velcro closures.

In all seriousness, wraps and boots offer far more in the way of protection than they ever will offer support. For all the studies done by manufacturers with claims of how well a boot or wrap supports the leg, much of that is merely a selling point to encourage the sensitive, sometimes gullible horse owner into thinking they are doing something good for their horse. In reality, it just feels good to the owner and does little for the horse in the way of support.

What should you do for your horse? If you're competing, you may well be limited on what you can use on your horse in the show pen or on course. Most high performance sports like Reining and Eventing allow for the use of protection, while Pleasure horses aren't able to do so. That doesn't prevent you from using protective boots or wraps while training, schooling or even warming up. Many of us do, as long as the wraps come off before you set foot into the show ring.

Hopefully this has been educational and you've taken something away from the advice offered here. Suggestions and input are always welcome!

~SFTS

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Weathering The Storm(s)...

This is going to be another short post, because my internet has been iffy ever since the series of storms back in December started around December 18th. Thankfully the phone company is coming out tomorrow (when it's supposed to snow) to fix the problem.

Yesterday a few of us went down to check out the Euclid Stockyards horse auction in Chino. Five registered Appys and a registered QH gelding, with virtually no one. We didn't stay to see them sell, but I suspect it wasn't pretty.

I'm working on topics for the blog while it's raining/snowing outside and too darn cold to be riding ~ though sometimes that doesn't stop me! :)

~SFTS

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!!

Well, we made it. Survived 2010. My New Year's Resolution is to finally devote time to this blog again after a roller coaster of a year.

Last week ETI Corral 88 elected our new officers and board for 2011, I'm really excited about our plans. I was re-elected President by a unanimous vote and could not be more humbled by all the support. We've got an AWESOME group. Working hand in hand with 4-H, so much is going to be accomplished for the local community.

New students, new horses in training and a full slate of shows, trail rides, clinics and other events have our plate full this year. Can't wait to get started!!

~SFTS