Today is my German Shepherd, Naiya’s, 10th birthday. I decided to write a post in honor of her today and also speak about the commitment of animal ownership, particularly with horses.


I was a bit reluctant initially to get a ‘family’ dog. After much persistence and their promise to take care of the dog, I gave in to my children’s request. On Memorial weekend of 2000, we had a family meeting to discuss what each of us was looking for in a dog. I wanted a small dog that didn’t shed much. The rest of the bunch had different ideas.

We ended up on the phone speaking to a German Shepherd breeder on a farm in Canada called Appleridge Kennels. Three hours later we arrived at the farm and were shown numerous pups. Naiya came bouncing out, the smallest of the group, and ambled right up as curious and friendly as can be. By late evening, she was home with us, getting to know our long time, laid back cat, Snowball.

Naiya has been great fun over the last ten years. She was even on the ‘Planet’s Funniest Animals’ due to some crazy game she played pushing her food bowl around the back yard. My daughter won $100 for that video. We took her to dog training school and continued on with agility classes. When my daughter went rollerblading, she would hang on to the leash and just tell Naiya to ‘go home’ and the dog would pull her all the way back home. The neighbors would get such a kick out of it. She can ‘search’ for any food that you might hide by letting her smell it first, then hide it and tell her to ‘search’. Finds it every time.



But I have to say, as my kids grew up, Naiya became more of my dog than the rest of the group. Although, they still love her just the same, it is more my job to do the care and feeding. What can I say; she is my baby and provides joy everyday.

Which brings me to my next thought – Owning an animal of any kind brings great responsibility and owning a horse is no exception. It starts out pretty exciting and unless you have a passion for horses, it can fizzle away quickly. It is a big decision to take on the care and feeding of such a large animal including the numerous health needs to be met.

Horses can live a long time, many for over 30 years. Often, leasing a horse for first time owners is the best way to determine if owning a horse and all that comes with it is the right path to take. A horse can become the love of your life so much so that the decision is some times based on emotion rather than a financial plan. So it is always good to do some research on how much horse ownership will cost before a decision is made.

Horse ownership far out weighs the daily requirements and long term commitment compared to any other animal. It takes years of time, training and patience, although, the rewards received are immense.

Food for thought – When you bought your horse, did you focus on the long-term financial commitment or was it based more on emotion?

I enjoy reading horse related blogs. I find it fun, fascinating and I just learn so many new things about the care and feeding of these grand animals.

I ran across one great horse blogger a few months ago that I want to share with you.   Her name is Ronaye Ireland and her knowledge about horses and the business of horses was immediately apparent as I began reading her work.

I particularly enjoyed a post called “What makes a good home for your horse … and what kind of care do you want him to have?” She vividly describes what to look for when you want the best boarding facility for your horse.

Ronaye uses the perspective of what a horse would want if they were to choose their place to live.  Who would they want to spend their days with and what would be most beneficial to them.  Rather than coming from the viewpoint of the handler or boarder, she helps us visualize through the eyes of the horse.

When you get down to it, the farm will be the horse’s home 24/7 so you might as well find a comfortable and accommodating atmosphere.  Which means plenty of fresh air, friends and activity.

Ronaye also keys in on what to look for in the person who will be handling your horse on a daily basis.  You need to feel confident that this person has the same horsemanship philosophy that you do.

Another area of focus when choosing a home for your horse is to be observant of your horse’s needs.  For instance, if you have a very large horse, make sure that your horse will have a stall that is larger than most standard size stalls.

Does your horse like being outside in the pasture most days or is your horse happier with part stall and part pasture time?

This article is actually one of the chapters out of her book “The Horse Owner’s Survival Guide to Horse Boarding” which is currently available as an eBook but she hoping to have the book published in print and available on Amazon before the summer.

Ronaye explains this much better than I, so I will leave you with a link to her post and website at horseboardingsecrets.com

What things have you looked for when you selected a boarding facility for your horse?

My daughter called me over the other day and insisted I watch this video about horse cutting. I had never heard of it before and was interested in what it was all about. I was amazed as I sat and watched yet another magnificent talent these wild beasts can almost intuitively maneuver.

After I watched the video, my curiosity got the best of me and I did a little research on the history of cutting and found some interesting facts. Back in the early 1800s when cows grazed the open range, very often cattle from one herd would become intermixed with other herds. So a couple times a year, the wranglers would go out and separate their herd from the herds of other nearby ranchers.

They would use their best cutting horse, those that seemed to have sensitivity to cattle. It was the kind of horse that would actually prick its ears toward a cow and connect with the cow’s eyes. The horse would instinctively separate the cow from the rest, even appearing to have fun with it.

As time went on bigger ranches gave way to the smaller ones by using trucks and machinery to replace the cutting horses. The National Cutting Horse Association has brought new sportsmanship to the cutting horse and has become one of the world’s most exciting horse events.

Here is a short video that demonstrates the intensity and talent of these fine cutting horses.

When someone purchases a horse, the bond that develops comes from deep within the heart. It is a decision based on the knowledge that this new relationship will be costly – a true investment in time and especially money.

The purchase of a horse is probably the smallest amount of money that will be spent. The biggest chunk of change will come from the daily maintenance and care. Even those that live in a farm environment and have a barn for their horse still need to attend daily diligence to keep their horse healthy.

Many horse owners choose a horse boarding facility to care for their horse. The boarding experience generally includes the various responsibilities that come with the care and feeding. Most horse owners know about the overall health costs from veterinary check ups, farrier and routine dental visits. In addition, there are the extra feed supplements, tack, lessons and training. And last but not least, the cost of participation in horse shows such as trailering, show fees and show attire.

Wouldn’t it be ideal if every horse boarder had one place they could go to find the most updated information about their horse’s daily activities? For instance, the farm owner and staff could keep one another informed on all the various horse related tasks and events. The horse boarder would be able to see the related tasks that had occurred on the farm for their horse. And their horse information would always be readily available for viewing.

What if you could see at a glance if the farrier came out and trimmed your horse’s hoofs or if the dentist had a successful visit, how everything went and were there any issues? Imagine being able to send your farm owner a quick message to let them know that you wanted fly spray applied today. Or what if you wanted to know how lessons were going for your child and where improvements could be achieved.

Imagine if you sent your horse off to a training facility that was several hours from your home? Wouldn’t you just love to be able to find out how your horse was progressing on a regular basis? What if you could view short videos that provided glimpses of improvements? Very often, it takes several months for training to be completed. How thrilled would you be to follow the progress?

Wouldn’t it be sweet to have this on-line, open communication between all the farm staff that connects regularly with your horse? There are occasions when you just can’t get to the barn due to work, inclement weather or personal appointments. The ability to have ready access to the daily activities and maintenance of your horse can decrease the stress of not being able to know what’s going on.

There are times when you might be at the barn, but the farm owner is not available. The owner may be giving lessons or assisting in other farm related necessities. Imagine being able to know that all updates are at your fingertips so that it doesn’t matter if you get a chance to talk in person. No more phone tag or misunderstandings.

What if you could receive an email notification that your monthly invoice was available for your viewing? And in that invoice you would receive a breakdown of every charge billed to you for the prior months care of your horse. All lessons, training, vet, monthly board and show fees would be listed as completed on the dates the service was rendered. And the invoice would be viewable by you, including the date when it was submitted to you and the date you paid it.

How cool would that be to know, truly know that your most beloved investment, your precious friend was cared for and worth every penny you spent each month to feel that peace of mind.

How would it feel if you were to board your horse on a farm that kept you informed on a regular basis how your horse was doing using the latest in web-based computer technology?

For me, it would be a no-brainer – where do I go to sign up! Can you just imagine how good that would feel?

At LaRaedo, we can provide you with exactly that – Click here for more details…

Here are a few quotes that I found which I especially resonate with:

There’s nothing so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse.
- Ronald Reagan

A horse doesn’t care how much you know until he knows how much you care.
- Pat Parelli

Horse sense is the thing a horse has, which keeps it from betting on people.
- W. C. Fields

If the horse does not enjoy his work, his rider will have no joy.
- H. H. Isenbart

A pony is a childhood dream; a horse is an adulthood treasure.
- Rebecca Carroll

God forbid that I should go to any Heaven in which there are no horses.
- R. B. Cunningham Graham

It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall.
- Mexican Proverb

Many people have sighed for the “good old days” and regretted the “passing of the horse,” but today, when only those who like horses own them, it is a far better time for horses.
- C.W. Anderson

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.
- Sharon Ralls Lemon

If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong.
- Pat Parelli

Horses – if God made anything more beautiful, he kept it for himself.
- Author Unknown

Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of Solitaire. It is a grand passion.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Horses are predictably unpredictable.
- Loretta Gage

Riding turns ‘I wish’ into ‘I can’.
- Pam Brown

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I found these off of a horse supplies forum and really got a chuckle – hope you do too!

Ten Ways To Get In Shape To Own A Horse

1. Drop a heavy steel object on your foot. Don’t pick it up right away. Shout, “Get off, stupid! Get off!”
2. Leap out of a moving vehicle and practice “Relaxing into the fall”. Roll lithely into a ball, and spring to your feet!
3. Learn to grab your checkbook out of your purse/pocket and write out a $200 check without even looking down.
4. Jog long distances carrying a halter and holding out a carrot. Go ahead and tell the neighbors what you’re doing. They might as well know now.
5. Affix a pair of reins to a moving freight train and practice pulling it to a halt. And smile as if you are really having fun.
6. Hone your fibbing skills. “See hon, moving hay bales is fun!” and ” I’m glad your lucky performance and multi-million dollar horse won you first place – I’m just thankful that my hard work and actual ability won me second place”.
7. Practice dialing your chiropractor’s number with both arms paralyzed to the shoulder, and one foot anchoring the lead rope of a frisky horse.
8. Borrow the US Army slogan; “Be all that you can be…(add) bitten, thrown, kicked, slimed, trampled.”
9. Lie face down in the mud in your most expensive riding clothes and repeat to yourself: “This is a learning experience, this is a learning experience…”
10. Marry Money!

What are some of your favorite quotes?

Yesterday I had my first booth at a horse expo – Great Lakes Equine Classic. I brought my table with computer and handouts and set up my little corner on the horse expo floor along with all the other vendors. I know, I know – from the photo it looks like this picture could have been taken anywhere. I can attest to it that Teresa from Amberado jewelry (very nice amber jewelry by the way) took the photo on Saturday morning.

Many of the more experienced vendors had glamorous and visually enticing booths for their bountiful products. I enjoyed a few moments to take my own tour around the area and viewed the various horse breeds for the clinics as well as a multitude of equine products available for everyone.

And I might mention, the glorious smells of freshly roasted pecans with cinnamon and brown sugar, hot dogs, popcorn and pulled pork sandwiches filled the air.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking with everyone that stopped by even if they were just curious about my display. Let’s face it, a web-based horse farm management and invoicing software isn’t the most common vendor attraction. I was delighted to see how farm owners’ eyes would light up as I described how easy this software product is to use and how it will enhance their horse boarder’s experience.

I especially liked observing all the activity. So many horse loving people coming out to watch the very informative clinicians speak about their craft. Everyone dressed from warm winter jackets to glamorous western attire were enjoying the plentiful products for sale. It appeared from all the bags and boxes being toted by the attendees, that horse expos are the one-stop shopping place for everything equine.

I look forward to attending and participating in many, many more events of this type. What about you, what horse expos do you plan to attend this year?

We have a winner for “My Horse-Boarding Farm is the Best Because…… Contest”.

Stacey is our official winner with her appreciative comment about the farm she board’s her horse at – Foxfire Stables!

Congratulation, Stacey! You will receive the horse salt block from Himalayan Horse Salt very soon!

Thank you everyone for all your comments. We all enjoyed reading each and every one of them.

Did you know that a horse’s teeth up until the age of 9 years could accurately determine its age? Then the horse becomes ‘smooth mouthed’ and it is a bit harder to determine. A horse gets all its teeth by five years old and after that they just get longer.

Here are a few horse records –

• The tallest horse was a Shire at 21.2 hands. His name was ‘Samson’ and was born in England in 1846.
• The oldest horse was an English barge horse named ‘Old Billy’ and lived to the ripe age of 62 years, from 1760 to 1822.
• A horse named ‘Huaso’ who jumped 8 feet, 1 and ¼ inches on February 5, 1949 in Chile made the highest jump on record.
• The record for the longest jump over water is 27 feet, 6 3/4 inches, by ‘Something’, ridden by Andre Ferreira in South Africa on April 25, 1975.

A mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse. Mules are usually sterile.

Horses can only breathe through their noses, not from their mouths.

Most foals are born late at night when the herd is most likely at rest.

Horses cannot vomit.

Horses have the ability to lock the muscles in their legs so they can sleep while standing up.

The hoof of a horse, like human fingernails, grows continually and must be trimmed.

Horses produce around 10 gallons of saliva each day and drink approximately ten gallons of water. What goes in; must come out.

Appaloosas come in many patterns and are often born spotless. The spots develop over the first year of life.

Horses are not colorblind but have a limited range of color vision, seeing mostly the warm colors of brown, yellow and green.

Camargue horses are completely white as adults. Their foals are pure black when born.

Appaloosas come in many patterns and are often born spotless. The spots develop over the first year of life.

Horses need about an ounce of salt per day and most will voluntarily consume between one and two ounces from salt blocks.

Draught Horses are the world’s strongest animals apart from elephants.

These are just a few little tidbits that I was able to gather. Do you have more to add?

Horse Expos are always exciting for the young and young at heart horse lovers. Whether you come to learn something new at the various clinics or just to browse around the vendor displays, having fun is the name of the game.

Michigan is preparing for another horse expos from February 12 through 14 at the Great Lakes Equine Classic formerly known as Mid-Michigan Horse Expo in Birch Run, Michigan.

There is a tremendous list of talented clinicians starting with Ryan Gingerich who has developed a training program called Connective Horsemanship. Dorothy Mueller who specializes in training young riders up through Grand Prix will also be presenting. Check out the clinicians list to read more about the vast array of horse professionals.

And for those that want to shop and peruse the latest in horse related merchandise, here is the link to the vendors. I spoke to one vendor in particular – Brian from AmberWay Equine Solutions. He is prepared and ready to display a variety of equestrian products for every horse farm owner. This year’s show is under new management and he is looking forward to a great turn out.

I plan to attend quite a few horse expos this year and will be selling my horse farm software product, LaRaedo, at a few of them.

What horse expos are you planning to attend this year?

I could watch videos like this one all day long. To me the discipline of dressage is simply elegant. To watch the rider and horse perform is like a graceful waltz between to beings that are tied together through a connection of the mind.

This is one of the many reasons why I love to watch horses perform in all the various disciplines. Although they are one of the largest animals to train; they appear so poised it is almost as though they are floating on air.

Do you have any favorite dressage videos that you would like to share with us?