Pony Questions....

These are questions from a survey of Simply Horse Crazy.  She stole it from somewhere, now I've stolen it...it's a blog thing.  Feel free to grab these questions and answer on your blog.  Been out of commission lately so this will fill the void until this weekend.

1. What is your favorite breed/s of horse, and if you could purchase a new horse what breed would it be?

Morgans are quickly becoming my favorite breed! I've always loved Arabians but from my experience the type of horse they are has very inconsistent. You have some breeders that breed for useful horses and brains. Then you have others that breed for halter and looks and then you end up with a flighty horse. If I were to look at Arabians I’d want to find a well-trained older Arab from endurance or western work horse lines that has been exposed to a lot! Everything else seems a little too high strung for me, though they are gorgeous.

I love Fjords! Thought they were the cutest darn things and great little beasts to ride! Also Friesians! Love, love, love though I’d need to vault in order to mount one. Haflingers….love um! What would I buy right now. If I could find the perfect temperament and training…..and of course affordable price, what horse would I choose? Um, a Friesian….hands down. My man would look so handsome on one and they are some of the gentlest giants. So gorgeous. Sigh.... 

2. What is your favorite personal tack item?

My favorite tack item I would have to say is my halter bridle. All I have to do is remove the bit hangers and boom, it’s a halter and Dani can graze if we are on the trail taking a break….hypothetical of course since we haven’t gone on a trail yet. I've had compliments about how nice an ensemble it is as well. It matches her saddle and she looks fantastic wearing it!

3. Horse products you swear by?

My Riders Rasp is awesome. It’s very easy to use and if used regularly I can stop little splits easily and keep the hoof edges round. It’s a great tool for in between farrier visits.

I'm also loving Mane and Tale Detangler. I use it to keep Dani's locks nice and smooth....and long. It does a good job without having to be obsessive like braiding her mane and putting her tail in a bag to keep the hair from breaking.

4. Rider products or items you swear by?

I just bought some Mud Ruckers. I had some simple rubber boots but they weren't that comfortable. The Mud Ruckers are awesome and warm. They are great for working in the barn especially now that it’s so muddy from all the snow. I just bought some for the hubby but Shhhh! He doesn't know yet. He doesn't read my blog often so with Amazon Prime he'll get them before he has a chance to read this!

5. Favorite tack catalogs to shop from?

Dover Saddlery is cool, SmartPak is awesome since I can get free shipping if I combine something with my SmartPak standing order. I also tend to like Valley Vet since I can find items there that I can’t find as easily elsewhere. 

6. Is your home decorated "horsey", as in western or equestrian-themed?

Nope. I have a couple items. I have a cool metal art piece (in the living room), a trotting horse print (hung as you first enter our basement) and then some pictures I made into “paintings” with a metal horse head piece that are hanging in my bedroom. I like clean lines so have the rest of my house decorated with similar frames with photography of mine. 

7. Do you wear horse, Western, or equestrian-themed jewelry?

Sometimes I’ll wear a necklace with a horse or horseshoe on it. Daily I wear a horseshoe CZ ring that I bought two years ago at the horse expo. Love it. Wear it on my right hand with my celtic ring. Everything coordinates with my wedding set...well except little Stubs kitty scratches!

8. A style of riding you'd like to try sometime?

It’s not really a style but I want to ride a gaited horse like a Peruvian Paso someday. I’d love to see what it’s like to be on the Cadillac of horses with a really smooth gait.

9. Biggest lesson you've learned about horses?

You have to be patient and understand how a horse thinks. You have to be the leader the horse can trust so that they immediately look to you when there is something scary. You have to be firm when they want to be reactive and act instinctual. You have to be firm but gentle in showing them it’s better to think things through instead of just reacting. This all stems from trust and time spent with that horse. If they realize that you won’t steer them wrong they will do anything for you because they see you as a trusted leader. It all comes back to patience. You have to accept little successes. The big ones will come eventually if you are patient and persistent.

10. Is your significant other a rider too?

Not really. We've done some trail rides together. When we get a second horse I know he’ll ride more often and I can teach him some ground work, since I feel that has helped me a ton in working with my horse. He’s a horse husband and cares for Dani when he’s home. Mucking her stall, grooming and feeding her…..and also giving her big hugs!!

11. What horse issues bother you the most?

Uneducated breeders. I think there are too many breeders that don’t breed for the right reason. They breed too many horses and then sell them with no care about the final outcome for that horse. We have too many horses with not enough homes and then we have a ton of horses that are bred for halter or something not useful to the average rider and you end up with a pretty horse with dainty hooves and navicular....or a brain the size of a pea. It’s all too common in Quarter Horses and I fear it’s a trend that is extending into other breeds like the beloved Arabian. Some breeders just want the blue ribbons and don’t mind how many horses are thrown away in that process. 

Please don't get me wrong, we need breeders. We have wonderful breeds that should be continued and lines within breeds that should be developed further. We just need educated, well intended breeding vs. indiscriminate breeders who think they know what they are doing. If someone won't take the time to go full throttle with all the time it takes to research, then purchase, breed, raise and care for these animals they shouldn't get into breeding even one horse.

12. Favorite horse magazines to read, or do you just read blogs/online sites?

Equus and The Horse. They have a lot of informative articles about horse care and health care. I always look forward to these magazines. I want to re-subscribe to Trail Rider...it was also a great magazine with a Julie Goodnight column to boot!

13. String along some thoughts that summarize your involvement of horses......

Can I have a pony? Can I have riding lessons? I love Chug-a-boom! BC is cool too. I love chestnuts. Breyer horses are fun since I can’t have my own horse. Hmm, okay now I need to pay for my own lessons. Off to college, got lots of things going on. Let’s go on a trail ride friends! Real world sucks, back to Grad school! Got a job now...lets start planning. Hmm, I need to get back into riding full time….let’s take lessons again. Sweet let’s lease a horse! .....Um, dear hubby...can I have a pony? Yippee I’m horse shopping! This one’s perfect I think I’ll take her home. So happy I have a wonderful pony I can love and ride anytime. Hmm….I think we need to buy a second one…..TO BE CONTINUED

14. Do you ever look on Craigslist or Dreamhorse or Horseclicks.com for horses or tack? For fun or real?

Right now for fun but with the potential if I see a nice trail horse that would be a good horse for Steve. I especially like to find the inexpensive horses where someone is just looking for a good home for their horse. Dani was on Horseclicks and Craigslist I think. Obviously a great place to start when looking for a pony friend. You don’t need to pay a lot to get a great horse!