My life truly began at my first horse camp as a young girl. I never thought that I would be able to have a horse to call my own until I was old and grown up! One day, my dream horse arrived at the ranch where I rode. His name was Tucker.
Author: Rachel Long
The Story of Loki
I did not choose Loki. Lauren wanted a dog, so we visited the local shelter to look at them. We met a few and then we met Loki, who did not have a name. He had arrived at the shelter that very day, May 18th of 2013.
The Story of Thanos
It started with an intense desire to have a second dog. I tested the waters with Odin, who we rehabbed for a few months and rehomed. I wanted a dog that Loki could play with, and always have around so he was never totally bored. My heart had already been set on a pit mix, since the dog I had growing up was a pit mix. Knowing that black dogs are overlooked, I knew I had to seek out a black colored pit (though I wasn’t really going to select on color if it came down to it). With a lifestyle like mine, a dog needs to fit a certain set of criteria to make the cut. They must be friendly, with dogs and people! They must not be protective or possessive, and they must be accepting of horses. Having three cats at home only complicates the matter more.
Banana Oat Cookie Recipe
Are you ready to make some fun, wholesome cookies for your dogs and horses? I made this base recipe up as I went, and it turned out great! Depending on how long you cook them, they can be soft and chewy or crispy on the outside with a soft center. If you let them sit in the oven after you turn the oven off or bake for longer at a lower temperature, or make them extra thin, they will become crunchy all the way through! We like the chewy centers 😉
Natural Homemade Remedies for Horses
Safe and natural products are my favorite, but they are usually way out of my price range. I spent a lot of time reading up on what to use as a homemade remedy for thrush and white line, and discovered a mixture that has been proving to do wonders at a very affordable cost! Unrefined coconut oil as a moisturizer has been a favorite for almost a year, and lavender spray for calming is quickly becoming one of my go-to items!
Doggy Burrito!
Disclaimer: This isn’t related to horses. At all. But that’s okay because it is quite fun and who doesn’t love dogs?
3 Step Doggy Burrito
Sometimes, a normal bowl of dog food just doesn’t cut it. This is how I mix it up for Loki!
Beach Ride
We went to Grover Beach on Saturday, and it was a perfect little relaxing walk! We took Tucker and May, and they loved going in the water. May LOVED splashing in the water, and could hardly contain herself until after a good long splashing session!
Transferring Cues: Shaking their head for “No!”
Something that we refer to a lot is transferring your cues to a new cue. What does this mean? How do you do it? It is really very simple! Some things are easier to teach with a direct physical motion as a cue, possibly involving touching your horse to cue a certain behavior or trick. But usually we want our horses to do these things from a more subtle cue. For example, for the trick where the horse shakes their head “no” it can be fun to teach your horse to shake their head when you shake your head. The easiest way to teach this trick however, is to tickle the hair right outside their ear. So how do you get from ear tickling to head shaking?
Spinning
Part of the dream of horses is sharing a dance with them. A beautiful step towards this dance is the twirl, which can be done in both directions using the human’s spin as the cue for the horse’s spin. It is a great exercise for reading body language and developing greater communication between horse and human, not to mention it’s just plain fun! All our horses absolutely love spinning, and will throw in spins at random if you let them.
Jambette
Oh the jambette! Such an elegant word for an elegant movement. In the highest levels of collection, the horse can be conditioned enough to hold the jambette at varying speeds and turns. It can also be used as a segue to the Spanish Walk. For this post, we will be using it for the latter.