The Novice Horseman Blog

The weather in Oklahoma has been wet. . . no it has been reeeeaalllly wet . . .  no it’s monsoon season!!!!  It rained 21 days straight recently this last month.  There were days the rain was close to 4″ in a 24 hour span.  That caused some flooding in the low areas, but generally just made everything sloshy & extremely muddy.  The mud in places was over ankle deep.  This type of weather is not conducive to riding.  So, my horses have had a 3 week vacation.

Fortunately, Mother Nature graced us with dry & rather hot HUMID weather this past week.  The pasture & arena dried out.  The weather this morning was absolutely beautiful.  I couldn’t wait to get out the barn to ride.

Dollar was not covered in mud, so grooming him was easy.  After saddling-up, we were off to take the first lesson in over a month.  For being off for so long, we actually had a good ride.  He was a little rusty in bending his body into the turns, so I had to school him a little.  Dollar is the lazy , almost bomb-proof type horse.  He wanted to do his lazy toe dragging walk and didn’t want to trot at all.  That was way too much work for a horse that thought he was still on vacation.

We managed to get through the entire lesson with only one small incident.  He actually spooked at his shadow or it could have been the goose nearby . .  I don’t know.  He only crouches down to the ground a little when he spooks, which is hardly ever.  We worked on backing, small & large circles and the gate.  He did all of this pretty well.

Me on the other hand . . .  my legs were getting tired.  My ankles felt like I was trying to break them.  My thighs & seat felt like I had been sitting on a rock for an eternity.  This was only halfway through the lesson.    I knew then that I had been off my horse too long.  By Monday, I’m going to be very sore.  

The worst of the pains for me is my knees.  I have moderate arthritis in both knees.  When I’ve had a layoff from riding, my knees tend to get extremely painful & a bit swollen.  I guess I need to find some type of exercise that will keep me in shape.  It’s really amazing to me just how short of time your muscles and joints forget things.

Maybe, I should just teach my horses how to scuba or water ski when there is rainy weather like this.  At least that way I won’t get so sore from not being able to ride.

This is just a reminder that as I write this in early April, show season is around the corner.  You can’t show your horse in even the smallest of shows without a coggins test, which must have a negative reading.  Coggins papers are good for one year and are accepted within this time line for most instances.  Some of the larger shows may require a coggins test that is no older than six months.  Check the show rules for what is required.   If you haven’t done so, schedule a visit to the vet to get your horse’s vaccinations & coggins.  Now is the time to do it.

There are basic shots you should give your horse.  Different areas may suggest different combinations of vaccinations.  For instance, I give my horses flu/rhino, West Nile/EE/WE/VE/tetanus, and rabies shots.  If you are unsure of what vaccinations your horse needs for your area, ask your vet.

I would also suggest that if you have a new horse, have the vet give the shots.   One reason is that you may not know how the horse acts around the vet.  The vet & the vet tech handle all temperaments of horses every day and are better equipped to handle a rowdy patient.  Also, in case the new horse has an allergic reaction to one of the shots, the vet is right there to handle the emergency.

Keep your horse’s vaccinations & wormings up to date.  I know this is not the “fun stuff” but vaccinations are not the place to skimp on your horse budget.

It’s the last weekend of March.  Mother Nature has teased us more than once with beautiful springtime weather.   This weekend did not qualify for that in Oklahoma.  We have had one doozy of an early spring snow.  In my area, that has been 4″-6″ of the white stuff.  The farther west you live has turned into as much as 26″-28″ of snow.  I know, some of you from the north are saying “Waaaaa, whiners”.

My horses have been shedding their winter coats for about a month now because of the warmer weather and lengthening daylight.  So, how much effort should be put into to removing the winter coat?  I have been grooming cautiously, using the curry comb as sparingly as possible so as not to loosen too much hair.  Then, I remove only what winter coat is already loose & laying on top of the coat.  This leaves your horse’s winter coat mostly intact for these late snows & low temperatures.

On the worst days, they also stay in a stall or in a paddock with overhead protection.  This gives their coats time to dry out.  Cold blustery weather & a soaked winter coat are not a good combination.  A thoroughly wet coat does not give much protection.  A drier coat provides a better thermal barrier against the elements.  My horses are not real happy about being penned up for very long.  But I now they are better off staying dry as long as possible.  As soon as the snow stops, they are allowed to go back out to the pasture to romp & play.

Is your area prone to late snow fall?  Is the temperature steadily rising or does it resemble a roller coaster?  You need to judge these for yourself.  Groom cautiously now.  Protect your horse from the last of the winter elements.  There is plenty of time to put the springtime shine on your horse.