I know, I know, I blew it in my attempt to start making blog posts regularly again. There just aren't enough hours in the day!
Yesterday our ETI Corral 88 group took about a dozen or so horses to the Mustang Spirit Horse Rescue 3rd Annual Playday, plus we had a booth there to let folks know who we are, what we're all about and how to become a member of our fabulous group. We had so much fun! Thanks go out to all the folks who helped man the booth talking to everyone and a very special thanks to Tania and all connected with Mustang Spirit. What a wonderful day!!
Between the four horses we brought, the tally was six first places, five second places and two third places in nine classes. My daughter competed on a beautiful relatively green buckskin Quarter Horse gelding and won a couple of second place ribbons (Gelding Halter and Walk/Jog Western Pleasure), and I took home the blue ribbon on the same horse in both the In Hand Trail and the Advanced Trail classes. These were timed events with a plethora of obstacles, some of which our horses had never seen before.
A couple of weeks ago I had also been asked to judge the Western and English Pleasure classes, which was a very tough call. I was extremely impressed at all of the horses, though the divisions were small. Many were rescue horses, and they all represented the quality available in rescue.
All in all we had a great time and the success was just icing on the cake. :)
~SFTS
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
We're Back
I think. :)
It's still been so hectic around here I am just not sure how I'm going to have time to continually update the blog, but I'm sure going to try this time!
We're busy getting getting horses ready to show, getting new horses in training and I am going to be judging a show next weekend. In other news, ETI Corral 88 (our local horsemen's club) is busy planning a tack sale fundraiser, a breakfast trail ride fundraiser and a series of Summer playdays.
Upcoming topics for the blog include training gimmicks and having an understanding of them; tips for barn building; choosing leg protection for your horse; trail building and maintenance; revisiting ground manners ~ specifically as they relates to wash rack training, hotwalker training and standing for clippers; putting together a horse show checklist and delving again (for the first time since the beginning of the blog) into Arabian bloodlines.
Check it out beginning tomorrow! Until then, have awesome rides and go get 'em in the show ring!!
~SFTS
It's still been so hectic around here I am just not sure how I'm going to have time to continually update the blog, but I'm sure going to try this time!
We're busy getting getting horses ready to show, getting new horses in training and I am going to be judging a show next weekend. In other news, ETI Corral 88 (our local horsemen's club) is busy planning a tack sale fundraiser, a breakfast trail ride fundraiser and a series of Summer playdays.
Upcoming topics for the blog include training gimmicks and having an understanding of them; tips for barn building; choosing leg protection for your horse; trail building and maintenance; revisiting ground manners ~ specifically as they relates to wash rack training, hotwalker training and standing for clippers; putting together a horse show checklist and delving again (for the first time since the beginning of the blog) into Arabian bloodlines.
Check it out beginning tomorrow! Until then, have awesome rides and go get 'em in the show ring!!
~SFTS
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Dropping By...
Thank you so much to all who emailed and expressed sorrow for this blog being on hiatus as well as the well wishes in regard to the attack suffered by the horses of Sunlit Farm in January. We greatly appreciate all the kind words and support.
Things are so hectic around here (and have been for a long time now) I just have had zero time to even think about the blog. Hopefully beginning tomorrow I will be able to find a little time to begin putting up all the topics I have in the vault for this blog!
A bit of news to catch you all up:
*Noble Lord JP was named Champion Stallion and Supreme Halter Champion at the 2010 Sierra Empire Arabian Horse Association Show in late January, then named Top Ten in both AOTH Stallions 5 years and older as well as Open Stallions 8 years and older at the 2010 Scottsdale All Arabian Horse Show in February. A very hearty congratulations are due to owner McShane Arabians!!
Our local ETI Corral, Corral 88 the Tri-Community Horsemen, has a new website at www.Corral88.org and we've got a lot of really great events and fundraisers planned. If you're in the area please plan on stopping by and getting involved, we would love to have you.
More later!
~SFTS
Things are so hectic around here (and have been for a long time now) I just have had zero time to even think about the blog. Hopefully beginning tomorrow I will be able to find a little time to begin putting up all the topics I have in the vault for this blog!
A bit of news to catch you all up:
*Noble Lord JP was named Champion Stallion and Supreme Halter Champion at the 2010 Sierra Empire Arabian Horse Association Show in late January, then named Top Ten in both AOTH Stallions 5 years and older as well as Open Stallions 8 years and older at the 2010 Scottsdale All Arabian Horse Show in February. A very hearty congratulations are due to owner McShane Arabians!!
Our local ETI Corral, Corral 88 the Tri-Community Horsemen, has a new website at www.Corral88.org and we've got a lot of really great events and fundraisers planned. If you're in the area please plan on stopping by and getting involved, we would love to have you.
More later!
~SFTS
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Arabian Horses Attacked in Pinon Hills, California
Some time during the night of January 21st someone scaled our five foot fence and went after at least two of my horses with scissors or a similar cutting instrument. Our property is completely fenced and secured with a locked gate at all times. This happened between the hours of 7:30 pm 1/21 and 7:30 am 1/22 during a Winter storm.
My 25 year old grey gelding had his tail hacked off at the tailbone, a beautiful tail that dragged on the ground taking years to grow, and his mane was chopped off to a couple of inches when it was originally 8-10 inches long.
These vandals also tried to hack off my 12 year old black gelding's tail, which was done up in a tail wrap and now just hangs by a few strands of hair. They also chopped off the black horse's forelock and tried to get his mane. There are two places missing in the mane, but he apparently broke away from them and could not be caught again.
Fortunately, they could not catch my bay mare or my bay gelding to mutilate them.
All of the hair hacked off these horses was left behind strewn on the ground, except the grey horse's tail. That was taken as a "souvenir".
Both horses are Regionally titled and National Championship quality show horses who are now rendered unable to be presented in the show ring until their appearance can be restored through months of hair growth. This is resulting in a tremendous monetary loss in addition to the obvious loss of security in our own home and coming with that an intense feeling of helplessness in keeping our horses safe and secure.
As a result of this crime, the Sheriff's Department was called, a report was taken and an investigation has begun. All leads will be aggressively pursued.
We believe this to have been a deliberate act of violence and not a random act of mischief. Nothing was stolen or missing, nothing else was disturbed.
Photographs will be posted as soon as we are able.
Keep your horses safe.
~SFTS
My 25 year old grey gelding had his tail hacked off at the tailbone, a beautiful tail that dragged on the ground taking years to grow, and his mane was chopped off to a couple of inches when it was originally 8-10 inches long.
These vandals also tried to hack off my 12 year old black gelding's tail, which was done up in a tail wrap and now just hangs by a few strands of hair. They also chopped off the black horse's forelock and tried to get his mane. There are two places missing in the mane, but he apparently broke away from them and could not be caught again.
Fortunately, they could not catch my bay mare or my bay gelding to mutilate them.
All of the hair hacked off these horses was left behind strewn on the ground, except the grey horse's tail. That was taken as a "souvenir".
Both horses are Regionally titled and National Championship quality show horses who are now rendered unable to be presented in the show ring until their appearance can be restored through months of hair growth. This is resulting in a tremendous monetary loss in addition to the obvious loss of security in our own home and coming with that an intense feeling of helplessness in keeping our horses safe and secure.
As a result of this crime, the Sheriff's Department was called, a report was taken and an investigation has begun. All leads will be aggressively pursued.
We believe this to have been a deliberate act of violence and not a random act of mischief. Nothing was stolen or missing, nothing else was disturbed.
Photographs will be posted as soon as we are able.
Keep your horses safe.
~SFTS
Friday, January 22, 2010
Just Checking In!!
Thought I would drop in and post a quick hello ~ things are hectic around here, not to mention swamped (literally!) as we get ready for the show season to begin. We are all really excited about 2010 and the promise this year holds.
Thank you to all who have been so supportive, there are so many of you and I am so thankful. What a wonderful thing to know my words have a profound effect on such a broad spectrum and the numbers who read here daily...well, when there is a daily post. :)
I promise to be back every day with a new post, or as close as I can manage during our always busy show season, soon. There is just so much preparation, not to mention so much clipping, to do it takes up an incredible amount of my time. Inclement weather? No problem! Clean show tack and show clothes! The list goes on...
Have a great weekend!! :) :)
~SFTS
Thank you to all who have been so supportive, there are so many of you and I am so thankful. What a wonderful thing to know my words have a profound effect on such a broad spectrum and the numbers who read here daily...well, when there is a daily post. :)
I promise to be back every day with a new post, or as close as I can manage during our always busy show season, soon. There is just so much preparation, not to mention so much clipping, to do it takes up an incredible amount of my time. Inclement weather? No problem! Clean show tack and show clothes! The list goes on...
Have a great weekend!! :) :)
~SFTS
Sunday, January 10, 2010
On To Bigger And Better Things...
...well, for now at least. And I had been doing SO well!
As you may or may not have noticed, I missed putting up a blog post for yesterday. And a couple of days before that, I only put up a quickie post to keep up with having a post for every day. Now, I do have a ton of post topics I want to cover and many are already written, just waiting there to bring to you all.
However, things are just getting so hectic around here with the impending start of the show season coupled with all of my club and committee commitments that I just do not have the time right now to devote to making sure I get this blog updated every day. So, I have decided to go on a little bit of a hiatus, without having to be concerned about the blog and therefore making things easier on myself.
Make no mistake and mark my words, I will be back. :) I just need to concentrate on making sure we have horses and riders/handlers ready to set foot in the show ring by the end of this month along with everything else on my plate with the local Equestrian Subcommittee on Parks, the ETI Corral and the Arabian Horse Association affiliate club along with the other two organizations I am involved with.
Until then, may your lives prosper and may all your rides be National Championship quality!!
~SFTS
As you may or may not have noticed, I missed putting up a blog post for yesterday. And a couple of days before that, I only put up a quickie post to keep up with having a post for every day. Now, I do have a ton of post topics I want to cover and many are already written, just waiting there to bring to you all.
However, things are just getting so hectic around here with the impending start of the show season coupled with all of my club and committee commitments that I just do not have the time right now to devote to making sure I get this blog updated every day. So, I have decided to go on a little bit of a hiatus, without having to be concerned about the blog and therefore making things easier on myself.
Make no mistake and mark my words, I will be back. :) I just need to concentrate on making sure we have horses and riders/handlers ready to set foot in the show ring by the end of this month along with everything else on my plate with the local Equestrian Subcommittee on Parks, the ETI Corral and the Arabian Horse Association affiliate club along with the other two organizations I am involved with.
Until then, may your lives prosper and may all your rides be National Championship quality!!
~SFTS
Friday, January 8, 2010
Planning Your Dream Ranch
We all pretty much have in our minds the horse facility of our dreams. When we imagine our ideal ranch, we know what we want, we know what it looks like. But how best to develop your imagined fairy tale farm?
Okay, let's assume you already have the deed to that property (after meticulously ensuring that you've bought a piece of land well suited for your purposes). Your search complete, papers signed, a loan secured and now you are ready to begin building. You thought the acquisition was the hard part!
For me, safety and convenience are of paramount importance and I take into consideration how best to utilize the entire property, too. If there is an existing home or other structure(s), the challenges increase. Deciding where your barn, arena, turnout paddocks and other amenities should be all relate back to those two factors mentioned above.
First, safety. I want decent latches on stall doors, I prefer v-mesh or welded wire panels on my pipe paddocks for mares with foals, I do not like chain link fencing used as an enclosure for horses and the footing must be decent (excavation may be necessary before bringing in soil or sand for your arena). Another thing to think about is drainage... including for your wash rack.
When it rains it sometimes pours and you want to be prepared for potential flooding. This means taking a good look at how your property sits and determining the route water takes across the landscape. I've seen barn aisles with tiny rivers running through them and pipe corrals with several inches of standing water during and after a rain storm where it was necessary to wade out in rubber boots to dig trenches so the puddles can be drained. Not fun, especially during the storm itself.
Another point to keep in mind will be convenience. For instance, the proximity of your arena to where your horses reside, and more important how close your feed room is to your horses.
Also, my preference is sliding stall doors as opposed to those of the Dutch variety, which can present a hazard when they're left standing open into the barn aisle (so that one can be classified under safety and convenience both). Having at least one set of cross ties, preferably two, is another major convenient point and should be in lose proximity of the tack room.
There are literally millions of ways in which to build your dream ranch. Taking the time to lay out what you want, where you want it in the beginning saved an awful lot of headaches later.
Once you get that far, congratulations!
~SFTS
Okay, let's assume you already have the deed to that property (after meticulously ensuring that you've bought a piece of land well suited for your purposes). Your search complete, papers signed, a loan secured and now you are ready to begin building. You thought the acquisition was the hard part!
For me, safety and convenience are of paramount importance and I take into consideration how best to utilize the entire property, too. If there is an existing home or other structure(s), the challenges increase. Deciding where your barn, arena, turnout paddocks and other amenities should be all relate back to those two factors mentioned above.
First, safety. I want decent latches on stall doors, I prefer v-mesh or welded wire panels on my pipe paddocks for mares with foals, I do not like chain link fencing used as an enclosure for horses and the footing must be decent (excavation may be necessary before bringing in soil or sand for your arena). Another thing to think about is drainage... including for your wash rack.
When it rains it sometimes pours and you want to be prepared for potential flooding. This means taking a good look at how your property sits and determining the route water takes across the landscape. I've seen barn aisles with tiny rivers running through them and pipe corrals with several inches of standing water during and after a rain storm where it was necessary to wade out in rubber boots to dig trenches so the puddles can be drained. Not fun, especially during the storm itself.
Another point to keep in mind will be convenience. For instance, the proximity of your arena to where your horses reside, and more important how close your feed room is to your horses.
Also, my preference is sliding stall doors as opposed to those of the Dutch variety, which can present a hazard when they're left standing open into the barn aisle (so that one can be classified under safety and convenience both). Having at least one set of cross ties, preferably two, is another major convenient point and should be in lose proximity of the tack room.
There are literally millions of ways in which to build your dream ranch. Taking the time to lay out what you want, where you want it in the beginning saved an awful lot of headaches later.
Once you get that far, congratulations!
~SFTS
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