Broodmares and loss of vitamins......

Over the time when broodmares are constantly breed they lose a key amount of magnesium and copper when they lose that their bone density is compensated and that is very hard to get back. A lot of broodmares if not being fed the proper diet when pregnant and expecting they give a lot of their nutrients and essential vitamins to the baby in order for them to be healthy. The essential vitamins to broodmares are calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium, which are needed for the healthy growth of bone tissues and bone structure. Since Betty has been a broodmare for most of her life she hasn't gotten the key vitamins and minerals that she vitally needs in order to have a healthy body, mind, and soul. So to replace what she lost I will be putting her on a 2 to 1 Vitamin and Mineral Mix in order to get back what she lost. The Dynamite 2 to 1 Vitamin and Mineral Mix is a key item to have when living in this area. The Copper and Magnesium are extra low in this area and animals tend to need more of it. For instance if you have ever seen your horse licking the dirt or sand it is because they need either copper or magnesium along with their necessary feed! Salt is a MUST for any horse owner out there, especially when living in PA! There has been a lot of debate over the past couple of years about which salt lick is better for horses and honestly I think you want to let horses eat as much of it as they want and have it be as quoted "free choice" if you buy the solid blocks for your horse especially for the equine it is extremely hard for them to consume the amount of vitamins and minerals they need but just sitting there and licking the salt block for countless hours. Also, since the salt block that you would buy at most farm stores come in huge blocks a lot of those companies use a lot of harmful doses to bind their products together! If a horse goes to bite down on the lick and takes too big of a chunk this can lead to chocking and also dental issues.

A Day Spent With My Girl.....

On a quiet day I will go out to the barn and spend time with my girl! She is very special to me and I love spending every minute with her, she loves the attention, and I love giving it to her! I was going through my photo album and found some old pictures of her during the Winter time when I was still working with her. She wasn't as good then but now she is doing a lot better! She was posing for the picture here!

On her way out the door, I always like to give her a treat and a big hug and kiss! Thank you for following Betty's journey and the work I cover with her along the way! Thank you for reading!

Bath Time........

On a hot day like today, I always spoil my girl and give her a nice COLD bath! She is kind of timid about the water so we are starting out slow and introducing her to the sponge first and then we will make friends with the hose! Since Betty is a bigger gal than the rest she tends to sweat A LOT especially around her neck and stomach areas. When I give her a bath since she can break out if I use any old shampoo, I usually buy for her the DYNAMITE ALL NATURAL SHAMPOO instead~ She tends to like that a lot more! Anyways, when I give her a bath I always start out with a new sponge and fill up a bucket of water to use and then rinse her off really good! Then of course she will go out and roll right after but at least she will look really good and be much more cooler! Fly Control: On a hot, sticky, humid day the fly's tend to be the worst pests ever (Especially when it comes to green-heads, those nasty little things) They can make your horse miserable and extremely unhappy! I mix 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup apple cider vinager (You can double the recipie depending on how many horses you have)! That seems to do the trick in keeping the fly's off, however for those nasty green heads I haven't found anything yet that does the trick in keeping them off! Fly Sheets and Fly Masks: On a hot day ALWAYS make sure that your horse has shelter that they can be under for a day if it gets too hot outside. If you have stalls that open up to the paddock make sure that the barn is well-ventalated and make sure that ample supplies of water are availible for them to drink! For all your horse owners out there that have older horses they tend to benefit from a fly mask to help keep the fly's out of their eyes. If you have a horse that tends to break out and have an allergic reaction when bitten they could benefit from a fly sheet. These extra steps will ensure that your horse has a GOOD summer and will enjoy its time outside! Pictures soon to come! Thank you so much for reading! Please check out the rest of my blog posts along with poll pods, and links to the right! Have fun!

We've gotten to that point.....

Betty hasn't seemed I'm sure to a lot of people the kind of horse that would be ridable to anybody and for anybody for that matter, but it takes the patience and strength to work with her through hard times and she gets better and to the point where you build a good relationship and trust with her enough to get on her back! I trust her completley and I know that she wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I sit with her in the middle of a field, lay down with her when she's napping, read a book out in the field on the end of a lead line with her, anything that you would be able to do with your horse I can just about do with her! Just not to the point of aids yet on mounted saddle but we are getting there! Sometime in the near future! Anyways, when I train/work with any horse I always like to do things the natural way and ride the natural way. I also train them to do both Western, English, and Aussie Stock for riders that prefer their horse to be multi-talented in different areas! This opens up their perspective and that way they don't get board with what you are doing with them! Since every horse is a different brain extrovert every horse learns differently than the rest! Betty still has a long way to go! Right now I am working with her with the aids and am teaching her a English discipline at the moment! Since she has never really been ridden before as of right now she still has a lot of learning to do but I'm sure that if I work with everyday she will get better! She still does not know the basic aids but she will get better with time!

Betty... The Dynamite Horse......

For years I have always wondered what to give my girl that is high in fiber and protein but does not include all of these other harmful products that some of these other feed mills use to preserve their product. Instead I found Dynamite! Dynamite is a company that is "innovation guided by nature, backed by science!" Dynamite is for all breeds of animals and also for humans to provide the best in everything that your body needs! Right now I am making the switch to Dynamite and am putting both my girl on it, me, and my cat all on Dynamite products! Here is what Betty is getting right now in the Summer time! Betty's feed: 1 handful of Stanlee Hay/Timothy Pellets 1 scoop of Dynamite suppliment 1/8 tsp/100lbs* Dyna Pro Here is some history behind the products..... They have a wide variety of suppliments for both equine, feline, cannine, human, exotics, livestock! You name it they have it! Dynamite Suppliment "It is a complete balanced formula containing enzymes, coenzymes, biocatalyst microrganisms, amino acids, cultured gut bacteria, vitamins, and bioavailable minerals." This suppliment is for horses that demand the extra nutrition in their diet. Knowing that the grass is not at its highest nutrition factor then some horses like Betty demand the extra vitamins and minerals in their diet! Dyna Pro I put Betty on this suppliment because of her constant upset stomach and Diaherria that she has been having ever since I first saw her. In order for that to go away I saw the label on the Dyna Pro and thought that this would be a good idea for her to go on! "Equine health depends on a thriving population of beneficial gut microbes.Factors such as stress, diet changes, chemical wormers, vaccinations, and antibiotics will cause a horse's gut to become and unfriendly environment and will force microbes to go dormant. Dyna Pro is designed to create the ideal conditions for good microbes to come out of dormancy, multiply, and thrive so your horse gets optimal utilization of food and suppliments, resulting in a vibrant animal!"

The Way of Groundwork.....

Groundwork with Betty has changed the way that she first was when I first started working with her! I think through groundwork I have been able to connect with her in a way that I am able to be her leader through her life! Every time I walk over to her she comes up to me and lays her head in mine! I think of the first day that I started working with her and how much she has changed over the past couple of years that I first laid eyes on her! I have taken her on trail rides by herself and walked her through the middle of a corn field with just me and her and she has been wonderful! This is her first off the property trail ride! When I walked her for the first time! There has been no riding yet but hopefully one day that will happen and she will be great. I have practiced with her both English and Western discipline to make sure that she is multi-talented in different areas of both strengths and discovering her weaknesses. She has been great in everything that I do with her. I mainly do a lot of liberty training with her. I practice a lot of Clinton Anderson methods with her and have been inspired by Stacey Westfall! When I ride her I usually like to ride Miss. Betty bareback and without a bit or bridle. I love riding with a halter that would be my favorite part! She has come such a long way and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to work with her each and every day!

Why I fell in love with Betty!!!!!

When I first met Betty she was very shy and timid and wasn't the first one to approach me in the field but after a couple years of groundwork our relationship started to grow even better! When I took at least five minutes out of my busy day to work with her each and every day she started to come right up to me in the field. But people need to realize that this start off relationship with your horse is not an easy one to reach. This takes time and patience, especially working with a difficult horse like Miss.Betty! Betty has been abused in the past and earning her trust is extremely hard to do. I have found though that she does not like Men handling her and is more friendly towards Women handling her. When I am working with her I find that since horses feed off of your energy that you give off, horses feed off that and that contributes to your emotions! Betty has to have a strong leader that she can look to for guidance and direction! When I am able to do that with her she feels confident that as long as I am leader that she will be okay and that nothing will harm her! This is Betty being her sweet self! Betty is such a unique horse and I feel like me and her have something very special between the two of us! Even though she isn't a special breed or has unique markings or is the most prettiest she is very special to me indeed! She is the most hardest horse to get along with and work with but for me there's something about our special connection that makes it really easy to work with her when we are together! After working with her for a couple of years and she started to get better I got extremely attached to her and decided that I would eventually buy her! I taught her how to give hugs! Here comes the kisses! She is one of the most special and unique horses that I have worked with! There is just something about her that I find very interesting and special that you can't find in a lot of horses!