Senior horsekeeping in the winter

As we head into winter, I've noticed some more signs that P is really feeling her age. During some of the short cold snaps that tell us winter is on its way, I've noticed that she moves a bit more stiffly. In my last post, I was considering putting P on a senior supplement to help with joints, digestion, and overall health. But when I actually started looking at supplements, I discovered that there are so many choices out there! I have to admit that I became overwhelmed and haven't actually tried any of them yet. So I need to be more decisive and get P on something soon. I know there are a lot of claims that senior supplements don't work - I plan to give one a try, and if it doesn't work, then we'll either stop or try something else!

I've also been trying to bed P's shelter with a thicker layer of shavings to help her get up and down more easily. I have to say that P is quite good at using it as a bathroom, so it's more expensive and it makes cleaning more difficult for me, but she also lies down more - and of course, it's all about her comfort!

P has also been quidding her hay a lot. The dentist did check her teeth this fall, and they're still okay but wearing down quite a bit. Therefore, I've been soaking more mashes and trying to find the softest hay and hay alternatives. We tried one brand of alfalfa/timothy hay cubes - and according to P, they were ABSOLUTELY NOT ACCEPTABLE! P wouldn't touch them! So recently I tried a different brand, and so far, so good. Let's hope P keeps eating them!

Winter is a tough time of year for any horsekeeping, and I think that keeping senior horses happy and healthy during the winter is an even tougher job! Keeping them comfortable and well-fed often involves a lot of extra work and expense - and I honestly can't imagine doing anything else during the winter! Keeping P happy makes me happy, and I hope we'll both get through this upcoming winter in good shape.

The senior supplement junkie

Hello, blog world! It's been ... well ... a really long time. I hope all of you and your horses are doing well.

P is doing great, although I have to admit that she has really continued to age over the past year (yes, that's probably how long it's been since I've blogged). She is still happy and healthy, but I do feel like there's a bit more stiffness in her on those chilly mornings, and her muscle tone and topline aren't quite what they used to be. (Don't worry - she gets routine vet care, and this is just normal aging.)

As I've mentioned before, her teeth also aren't great, so she eats a lot of soaked, soft food. Sometimes she also has loose manure which tells me that she isn't always digesting her food well either. So lately I've been considering adding some supplements to her diet. I have to admit that I've been perusing the SmartPak catalog - and WOW! - there are a lot of senior supplements out there. SmartPak even has quite a few combo supplements that are supposed to address everything from joints to digestion to vitamins to hooves to skin/coat to just about anything else you could think of!

Honestly, as we age, our diets change. We ourselves may even need supplements! So it's not unreasonable to supplement our horses' diets, too, especially since we have so many products available. I would like to add a digestion supplement and a vitamin/mineral supplement to P's diet to make sure she is getting all her nutrients as she ages. Are there any supplements that you would recommend, whether SmartPak or another brand?

Dreams and how they change over time

When I was really little, my dream was to ride in the Olympics and have a huge barn with lots of horses!

Well...as I grew older, reality set in. :)

The reason I was thinking about how dreams change over time is because I met another rider who's having trouble deciding what she wants out of horses. She seems to think that showing is something she should do, but she doesn't really want to show with her horses. But she's having trouble finding a purpose in what she *is* doing with her horses.

I wish I could make her see that you're allowed to follow your own dreams with horses, and sometimes those dreams change over time.

My own dreams and goals with P have definitely changed as we have gotten older. Let's face it - there is no way P and I are *ever* going to the Olympics!! As P gets older and our riding days become fewer and farther between, my real goal is to keep her happy, healthy, well-fed, and well-loved.

And isn't that what we all dream about for our horses? :)

A severe lack of blog entries - and rain

Apologies for not blogging for...well...all of 2016 so far. Yes, that's how bad a blogger I've been. Time just got away from me this year, I guess. I truly admire all of the bloggers who are able to work, go to school, ride, deal with the rest of life, and blog with such wonderful photos - I wish I were as good at time management as you are!

One thing that has not helped this year has been lack of rain. We are in a bad drought and trying to conserve as much water as possible. It makes things hard, as it is amazing how much water you need around a horse barn. The ponies are of course getting drinking water, but they are NOT getting baths. P's tail is disgusting! Does anyone know if there is some sort of dry shampoo that would help clean and detangle a horse tail that can't be washed?

I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer and fall season with their horses. I will try to check in on Blogger more often but can't guarantee. I hope I'll be back before another year goes by, though! Have a wonderful day!

Happy New Year!

Hello to 2016! I hope everyone and their horses are well and had a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for the new year.

Apologies for disappearing from the blog world for the last few months of 2015. At the time of my last blog entry, I was having trouble balancing work, life, and horse care - I'm sad to say that it only got worse. Work consumed my life for several more months, and if I did have a spare moment, it was spent doing extra work to prepare for winter horse care.

P is doing well - she got very fuzzy for the winter. I'm also sad to say that I'm going to have to repeat all of my 2015 goals for 2016 because I did a terrible job of meeting them this year!

1. Ride more and have fun

I actually thought I was doing a better job until the last few months of the year.

2. Blog more

I also thought I was doing slightly better until I completely missed the last few months of the year.

3. Pamper P a little bit, especially as she gets older

Will definitely try to continue this in 2016!

4. Try to eat healthier and lose a little weight

Will keep trying in 2016!

The balancing act

Well, I haven't been doing a great job of balancing work, horse care, riding, and life lately. I've been pretty consumed with work and although horse care always gets done, riding sometimes gets put on hold. This isn't necessarily a good thing as the summer winds down and we start to prepare for winter where riding often doesn't happen at all.

Although I wasn't able to ride this weekend, I did get some other things done which made me feel better, but I wish I had gotten a ride in!

Speaking of balancing, I'm also trying to find a balance between too much bedding in the run-in shelter and not enough. I've always put a little bit of bedding in the run-in shelter, but as P has gotten older, I think she lies down in there more and could probably use more cushioning for her joints. However, she also uses it as a bathroom, so it's a little tricky to give her enough bedding to lie down but not enough to make a big mess!

How much bedding do you like to put in your stall or run-in? A few inches? A foot? What kind of bedding do you use? I've been using a mix of shavings and pelleted bedding which seems to keep things slightly cleaner.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Warm-up work and P's teeth update

Once again, apologies for not blogging for so long! I've been extremely busy at work and also trying really hard to put in more pony time. It's not easy and sometimes I just want to sit down and not do anything!!

But I think it's important to keep P moving as much as possible. She has 24/7 turnout but I think regular exercise helps her a lot. I've been doing a lot of warm-up exercises at the walk such as circles and serpentines and figure-eights. I do this on the ground or in the saddle and I also do a variety of leg-yield exercises on the long sides and the quarterlines. If anyone has any suggestions on warm-up patterns, please let me know as I'd love to try them out.

P has also been having more trouble with her teeth. She quids her hay more often, including chopped hay, so I've been looking into other forage alternatives for her. I tried one brand of hay stretcher in the past and didn't think it soaked very well - there may be other brands out there that work better.

I'd like to keep her on something as close to hay as possible. She's a pretty easy keeper, so I don't really want to feed a lot of alfalfa, but alfalfa cubes are really common around here. I know they make a nice soaked mash. I've also seen alfalfa/timothy cubes which would be less alfalfa. I'm not sure that I've ever seen straight timothy cubes. Does anybody feed straight timothy cubes? Has anyone tried any other forage alternatives for horses with bad teeth?

Tail care help!

As you may have read in previous posts, one of my goals for this year is to take better care of P's tail. I'm a bit envious of all the shiny, silky horse tails that I see in other blogs and I've been working on P's tail to get it in better shape.

Earlier this year, I started using Show Sheen while the weather was still too cold to bathe. Although I know Show Sheen can be drying to the hair, I feel like it helped start the detangling process.

Once it was warm enough to bathe, the bath alone helped even more. I ran out of Show Sheen and decided to try Cowboy Magic detangler. I vaguely remember not being impressed with Cowboy Magic several years ago and unfortunately, that was still the case. It did a good job of detangling but I felt like all the dirt stuck to it and it left P's tail rather dry.

So I'm on the search again for a good conditioning/detangling product! At this point, I think P needs more of a conditioning product to soften and strengthen the hair. What do you think, bloggers? What's your tail care routine and what's your favorite tail conditioning/detangling product?

A rainy weekend leads to organization

Unfortunately, this weekend did not involve a lot of pony time - partly due to my choice and partly due to the monsoon-like weather. I was overly tired from a busy week and didn't think I had much energy to devote to the pony - and then the weather really made the decision for me.

While the rain poured down and P and AP were snug inside their shelter with hay, I focused on getting stuff organized. I did some cleaning out of pony stuff - every so often I like to go through the supplies and clean out anything unneeded or old and expired. It helps me keep track of what supplies are needed, and I make out a pony shopping list.

I also got some other paperwork organized and cleaned a little bit. I wrote some e-mails and relaxed for a while - and I'm even writing a blog entry!! So while very un-horsey, it was a weekend that I really needed just to catch up on life. I hope that everyone also had a productive weekend, whether you were riding or just getting organized!

Off balance to the right

P and I went for a really nice little hack last weekend. The weather was very nice, and both P and I had fun.

One thing I noticed is that P was especially stiff to the right that day. I don't know if it's just aging or if it has to do with some past trauma. We do suspect that she was injured at some point but don't know the details. It's probably a combination of both.

In my 2015 goals, I had mentioned getting P some bodywork if I could afford it. I was thinking about massage at the time but am now considering chiro. What do you think, bloggers? Has chiro helped your horse? We do have a veterinarian in the area who does chiro work. The reason I'm considering it is because it sounds like it would have more of an effect. I'm less familiar with the massage therapists in the area and have seen some in the past who are nice people but don't seem to be very effective.

Remembering to schedule pony time

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been working a lot of extra hours lately. My daily schedule looks something like this:

1. morning horse care

2. work

3. evening horse care

4. work

5. sleep

Yes, I've been working overtime in the evenings. Right now other people are making my job extremely difficult - they're not meeting their deadlines, so I'm unable to meet my deadlines - unless I work overtime in the evenings. It's extremely frustrating.

It also means that I spend my weekends trying to catch up. There are often so many household and barn chores to be done that I forget to have fun with my pony.

I'm trying to be better about scheduling my time - including pony time! I keep a things to do list and try to organize it in order of importance and what time I'm going to do which task. It helps a lot, but I still feel like I get behind on things. I know it's important to schedule pony time, though - whether it's riding or just grooming.

What works for you? Do you have trouble finding time to get everything done? How do you make time for everything plus pony time?

Busy busy busy - and bugs

Many apologies for the lack of blogging - both reading other blogs and posting to my own. The last five or six weeks have been one thing right after another. I've been working a lot of extra hours and have also been doing a lot of extra horse chores. Spring is finally here and we're already on the cusp of summer, so that means a lot of maintenance around the farm.

I'm happy to report that P and AP are doing well. We do ride occasionally, mostly just a short hack. P is definitely not getting any younger, but it's good for us to get out and enjoy the weather.

What we don't enjoy is bugs! The bugs have come out in force this spring, and we do try to be careful about bug control on the farm. We keep manure picked up and put it in a pile to compost. Has anyone used fly predators? We've used them for several years and find that they do help a lot. We also use sticky traps for the adult flies and other kinds of flies. And of course P and AP wear fly masks and are sprayed with fly spray. If anyone has any more bug control tips, please share!

I also wanted to mention that Show Sheen has done a pretty good job on P's tail. I've used up almost all that was left in our bottle and I've decided to try Cowboy Magic detangler next. I think I tried it in the past and wasn't impressed - but I'm thinking that I just didn't use enough and P's tail required a lot of help! Cowboy Magic is a lot more expensive, but maybe I can use it more sparingly after the Show Sheen.

Hope everyone in blog world is doing well and having fun with their horses!

Spring and Show Sheen

Sorry I've been missing from the Blogger world for quite a while now. Life has gotten extra busy as spring has arrived, and I really don't have enough hours in the day. What time of day do you usually blog? I've been trying to be extra careful with managing my time, but I still feel very crunched!

After snow season is done, we immediately enter mud season, so we're still waiting for things to dry out a bit before riding here. I checked the ground today, and it's a little squishy but improving quickly. P and AP are enjoying moving around without dodging the snow banks, and I'm sure they're perfectly happy to delay riding for a while.

And they've been shedding a lot, so we've been grooming a lot. It's that time of year when all hair coming off the horse somehow ends up on the human!

In an effort to make both of their tails more manageable this year, I've been spraying some Show Sheen every week or so. They really need a couple of thorough washings, but I thought the Show Sheen might at least start the detangling process. I've heard both good and bad reviews about Show Sheen and we just happened to have a bottle in the barn, so that's what I'm using for now.

I may eventually try a different detangling product with P. The Show Sheen seems to be working on AP's tail but P has a really thick tail and it's pretty tangled. Any recommendations?

I hope everyone is doing well and having fun with their horses!

Doing some horsey reading

Since the weather has been very uncooperative lately, I've been spending some time reading about various horse topics and products. Not only am I finally catching up on reading other blogs, but I've been reading some of the online horse forums. Both are really good sources of information from real owners and real horses.

Blankets

I think that P may need a new blanket next year, so as this year's winter comes to an end, I've been reading about people's experiences with different blankets. There are so many brands and styles of blankets now - it's overwhelming! And they all seem to fit a little differently depending on your horse's size and shape. I don't even know what to try first! I may borrow an older Weatherbeeta just to see how that fits P. Luckily she is fairly easy on her blankets, but I do want to purchase one that will last for a while.

Allergies

With winter ending and spring on the horizon, that means it's almost allergy season. I have trouble with allergies myself and I've been reading about different supplements that are supposed to help horses with allergies without resorting to steroids or other prescription medicines. There's quite a range of supplements out there - from spirulina to MSM to various herbs. I just read recently that antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E also help. Again, it's hard to know what to try first!

I guess the end result from all my reading is that the old saying is true - ask two horse people their opinions, and you will get three different answers!

Failing miserably at blogging

I'm sad to say that so far I've failed pretty miserably at my goal to blog more this year. I've been really busy over the past few weeks. I feel like I just haven't been able to get out of the routine of horse care/work/eat/sleep - there isn't time for anything else!

Winter weather also makes things more difficult with the snow and ice. P and AP get a very extended vacation during the winter and have been spending their days munching lots of hay. I think they're actually a bit bored and I wish I could do more with them.

I hope all bloggers are doing well and having more horsey time than I am!

Grooming

Since riding is completely out of the question right now due to weather, I decided to work on one of my other goals for 2015 - grooming!

P actually got a pretty thorough grooming this weekend. I usually just use a curry comb and soft brush, although I also have a softer curry for the legs. I don't know how P manages to get her legs so dirty! It's hard to get all the mud and manure off the legs at this time of year.

It's also hard to do anything with the mane and tail right now. P's mane and tail could really use some detangler, but first I think they need to be washed. Unfortunately, horse baths are also out of the question due to weather.

So I ask fellow horse bloggers - are there any products out there that can be used to clean and detangle dry hair? I wouldn't want to get the hair really wet in the cold weather, but if I could use it on a few spots on a warmer day, that would be nice.

2015 goals

I've had a lot of fun reading everybody's 2014 reviews and 2015 goals, so I decided to write down a few goals for the coming year:

1. Ride more and have fun

Sometimes life gets so busy, or I get so caught up in just getting everything done to take care of P - and we run out of time to ride! We do have a lot of weather-related issues (bad weather, bad footing), but we definitely need to make more time to ride and have fun in 2015.

2. Blog more

I'm a terrible blogger, and I'll try to be better!

3. Pamper P a little bit, especially as she gets older

This goal actually includes a few things:

- Start P on a joint supplement. I'd like to see if a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and hyaluronic acid help her at all.

- Be more diligent about grooming, especially mane and tail care. When I get busy, I tend to slack off on grooming. I would like P's mane and tail to be a little less tangled.

- Possibly schedule some massage sessions for P - if I can afford it. I've seen bodywork do a lot of good for horses, and I think P would really like a massage!

4. Try to eat healthier and lose a little weight

This goal could actually be for both P and me - but it's mostly for me! Because I'm so busy, sometimes I don't eat healthy foods, and I always eat on the run. If I eat a little better and lose a little weight, I think it would help my riding.

I think that's it for now. Thanks, bloggers, for inspiring me to write down some goals. Happy New Year!

The holiday season, hay, and joint supplements

Hello, bloggers! Apologies for the lack of blogging - I have to say that I am a pretty bad blogger. The holiday season has been busy, and it feels like the month of December has just flown by.

P and AP are doing well, although the weather has not been particularly nice lately, so I think they're a bit bored.

They're standing around and picking at their hay more. We currently have a decent batch of hay, not overly sweet and green but also not stalky and yellow. I'm pretty picky about purchasing hay because it's so important to find hay that P is able to eat. But we've had some tough hay seasons recently with a lot of rain, so it's not an easy task!

I'm also considering starting P on an oral joint supplement for the winter. I know there's a lot of controversy over whether or not oral joint supplements actually work. There are many people who believe that they don't, and there are quite a few anecdotes from people who think they do. I feel like such a supplement junkie between considering ulcer supplements for the ulcery horse and now a joint supplement for P!

I've been comparing different supplements and ingredients but haven't made a decision yet. SmartPak has a lot of different supplements with a lot of positive reviews. I think it's a matter of finding a high quality supplement with different ingredients and giving it a try with the individual horse.

P does not have bad arthritis, but she's getting older and occasionally shows some stiffness which may actually be from some sort of past unknown injury. She's not a high-level athlete by any means but I figure it can't hurt anything but the pocketbook.

I hope everyone and their horses had a happy holiday season!

Extremely busy, finally some pony time, and considering SmartPak supplements

Hello, blog world! Sorry I haven't been around much lately. Seems like it's been one thing after another around here, and just when you think you're done, something else pops up!

Finally got some quality pony time in this weekend. P needed a good grooming, and we went for a very short hack. The weather was finally cooperative, and the footing seemed fine. Really wish I had more time for quality pony time like this!

In other news, the ulcery horse has been on the aloe vera, slippery elm, glutamine supplement for about six weeks now. It seems to be helping a little bit - the horse's attitude is a little quieter, although I'm not really sure how much of a difference we're supposed to see or how long it takes to get there. I think I would like to see a little more progress.

The supplement is actually not from SmartPak, and there was talk of switching to one of SmartPak's SmartGut supplements. I don't know what the final decision was.

I try not to feed too many supplements, but I do think they have their place, so this might be one of those places. I think SmartPak does a lot of marketing, but they do have quality supplements with quality ingredients.

Not much to blog about

Hello, blog world! I haven't written in a while, as there just hasn't been that much to write about. With the lack of daylight and uncooperative weather, I've only been getting regular horse care done and not much else. Life has also been busy, so I haven't even had much time to read blogs. I hope everyone and their horses are well and enjoying better weather than we are!