Hello? It's me....

WOW!

I was doing so well on this blog, and then, silence.

In my defense, a LOT of things were/are going on.

Lots of changes, ALL GOOD.

Let me just start by saying Maxwell has been phenomenal! Things have been on the up swing for some time now, and he's just doing wonderfully!

Back at the end of May, I decided Maxwell could benefit from some "horsie bootcamp" at his Auntie Summer's house, to help with some ground work/manners road blocks I was coming up against with him. He did wonderful there for the 30 days, and I have to admit the thought of bringing him home was difficult. Maxwell had been integrated into a large group of geldings for his night time turnout, and he was thriving. Yes, he came in with some bites at first, but Maxwell is rather mouthy by nature, and probably deserved about 98% of what he got. He found his place in the herd, and the transformation that took place was amazing. His attitude changed. He finally had a "place". Prior to this, Maxwell was kept in a smaller paddock with one other horse for turnout. He had good and bad buddies, but would typically annoy them to death. You can only take so much of one "person" (or horse) before you get annoyed with them. Especially when they're as obnoxious as Baby Maxwell can sometimes be ;-) But being in the group of geldings helped him to understand his place in the herd, gave him a purpose, and a LOT of playmates to annoy. Maxwell was very happy with his arrangement.

Maxwell has never been what I would consider stall aggressive, but he was definitely stall "stressed".  He really hated having horses peering into his stall. The stall he was kept in prior to boot camp was wood boards about 1/3 of the way up, and then went to wire mesh from there up. Great ventilation, but terrible privacy for horses who require such. He spent most of his day biting the metal mesh, kicking at the wall, and generally just being really grumpy while in his stall. This is something that has significantly changed for him since moving to Summer's place. Her stalls are wood top to bottom. He can't see the horses next to him, and he likes it that way. He IS an ex racehorse. A horse who when stalled never saw the horses next to him. It's his safe place. His man cave. His fortress of solitude. It's amazing the difference in his attitude when something as simple as a more private stall is added.

The 30 days came and went, and I had a really hard time coming to grips with bringing him back. The facility I had him at was okay enough for the average horse. The things Maxwell was getting at Summers were things that just couldn't happen at this facility due to the way it was set up. I made the decision to keep Maxwell at Summer's. Two days later, I found out the facility I had him at prior was ceasing operations and closing down. Clearly, my gut instinct to keep Maxwell where I felt he belonged, was definitely a good one. We were finally home at Silver Race Farm.

Maxwell had a second round of Omeprazole treatment while he was under Summer's care for the first 30 days during boot camp, followed by a round of Sucralfate. His health is perfect, and his body is making some lovely transformations. Between a second stomach ulcer treatment, a hind gut treatment, and a reduction of stressors, my horse is finally flourishing.

I can't put into words the "thank you" Summer deserves. Without her, I would have a grumpy horse, at a facility that may or may not provide what Maxwell really needs. I am beyond lucky and grateful to be allowed to keep my horse at a facility that puts the horse's needs first. He's fed as much hay as he wants, is kept in a stall that keeps him calm and happy, and turned out with a bunch of mostly Thoroughbred friends to play with. Not to mention, the attention to detail. Every little detail. No stone goes unturned. Something most people can only dream of. I was so used to fretting over every single minute detail of my horse's care. For the first time since becoming a horse owner in Florida, I could relax a little. I could focus a little more on our training together. And boy is Maxwell progressing.

I've always been of the philosophy that slower is better. I'm not in any sort of a hurry to get Maxwell anywhere. I am taking my time to develop this horse as best as I possibly can. He's really starting to blossom. Everything is just starting to click. I've quickly become a better rider for myself and for Maxwell, and he a better horse, under the guidance and help of our new barn. I couldn't be more proud to say I'm a member of Silver Race Farm. That Maxwell & I are finally "home".

Our most recent photo together. Finally a horse and rider on the same page.

I just knew...

I'm going to be completely honest in saying it took me about 4 days to compose my words for this.

And even in those 4 days, I've been unable to completely convey into words what the last year has been like for me. That goes both equestrian-related and personally. But I'm going to try.


Every horse obsessed person who spends any amount of time online is guilty of spending hours scrolling through horses offered for sale. I'm guilty as charged. At the end of March 2015, I made the difficult decision to place my beautiful buckskin pony Bella up for sale. As much as I adored her, I'm a realist. I realistically knew her and I would not be a compatible match in the show ring. Finely boned large ponies and adult riders of average height just don't pin in the hunters. Bella was a blast to ride, spend time with, and especially to look at. But I yearned for something more. Something bigger, something a little better suited to my body, and more suited to what I wanted to do. So I put my selfishness aside, and posted her for sale. It's probably one of the hardest things I've done when it comes to horses. I still to this day wish I could have her just to have her. She's strikingly gorgeous and amazingly talented. After getting a couple of nibbles with the sales ad, I started to look into horses that I could see myself growing with; horses that complimented me as well as I could compliment them. Throughout this process, a certain horse kept popping up. Every single day, it seems, Baby Maxwell would show up on my Facebook news feed. Someone would comment on a photo his owner had posted, and that striking photo of his kind, gentle eyes would show up again. I would later joke that he was haunting me. He really was, I think. Someone somewhere somehow wanted me to meet this horse, and equally as important, his owner at the time, Summer.

I spent over an hour on the phone with Summer on that memorable Wednesday evening. Chatting about Maxwell, Bella, the whole shebang. Talking about Silver Race Farm and the gaggle of animals that call Summer "mom". I was scheduled to try two horses the following day, and made plans to come visit Maxwell the day after that. On Thursday during the drive to Lakeland, I spent most of the time gushing over Baby Maxwell. I managed to not utter "Baby Max" for the two hours we were at the farm trying the other horses, but the moment we were back on the road home, Baby Max came back out for discussion. I distinctly remember cruising down 301 as daylight disappeared chatting with my barn owner Kristina about this mysterious Thoroughbred. At one point she even said something along the lines of "It sounds like you already have your mind made up--and it isn't either of the horses we just went to see, is it? (Good job Kristina, perhaps you're a fortune teller, because you sure did tell the future!)

I got little sleep that night, impatiently awaiting my meeting with Maxwell and Summer the following day. I don't even remember my work day that day. All I remember is speeding down the road to get to the farm so we could head over to meet this beast. My heart was beating out of my chest, my stomach in knots. You would have thought I was going to meet a celebrity or the president or something SEEMINGLY much more official than a horse.

The moment we walked into the aisle of the barn and I saw that beautiful bay gelding standing in the cross ties, his gleaming caramel eyes shining at me, I knew. If I had any doubt in the few days leading up to this moment, I knew for sure now. I didn't even need to lay a hand on him. Summer actually had to invite me to look him over because I just stood there in awe of this creature. I've never felt that way about a horse. I'm not exactly sure why I felt this way about this one, but I've learned not to question gut feelings. We spent a few minutes together, as I got to know his "charming" personality. That would include swinging around to bite during grooming. Many people would have turned around and left at that point. But I knew. I knew his sour puss attitude was apart of what attracted me to him so much. Deep inside that big strong heart, I knew he liked it. He would never show it, and still doesn't, but I knew. We tacked him up, and off we went to an area where I could spend some time with Max under saddle. Up until this very point, Max had exactly 1 off the track ride. #2 started with Summer getting on first. Not because I was scared, but it's just my way of doing things when I try a horse, and typically it's pretty normal for the horse's owner to get on first. I want to see the horse "go" first. Summer hopped on and walked him around. At this point in time, obviously, that's about all he'd done post track. A few moments later Summer invited me to get on. Obviously we didn't do a whole lot, it being only his second ride, but I just freaking KNEW. I knew he was gonna be mine. He could have tossed me off and promptly took off and I probably would have still taken him home. His soul sucked me in and it was all over.

It's important to add in, now, that while I was gushing over this special horse, I was also taking careful note at the type of person Summer was. A professional, no doubt, who absolutely put every animal in her care first. Her quality of care, attention to detail, and her knowledge in the industry are paramount. This would be the perfect place for my little pony girl Bella. Good thing, too, as that evening once we returned to Kristina's barn and began turning out horses, I made that decision. In a few short sentences I told Summer that I just HAD to have this horse, and I really wanted her to be where Bella went. We worked out the logistics of it all, and by the end of the night Bella had a new mom, and me a new horse. It's safe to say I didn't sleep at ALL on that glorious Friday night, either.

I woke up extra early the following day. I got to the farm at about 7:30 in the morning and sat down in Bella's stall and sobbed. She didn't care. She was busy with her hay. But those few moments in the stall with her were so important to me. I brought her out and gave her a final bath. If you know Bella, you know that everything MUST be perfect for such a perfect pony. I groomed her up as best as I could. Summer hadn't yet met this beautiful pony, and I wanted her to look her best for her new mommy. As the clock ticked down and it got closer and closer to time to leave, that fluttering in my heart started again. Me and Bella had some special moments together before I loaded her up onto the trailer one last time. Tears rolled down my face. But I was truly happy. I had this overwhelming sense of peace. I would miss the little girl dearly, but the peace and calm resonating within really helped.

The drive was uneventful. Driving through Myakka is one of my favorite things to do. Until this point, I never had a reason to. I was getting anxious by the time we got there, partly to see my new boy again, and partly because I wanted Summer to see her new special pony!

Long story short, we exchanged food (horse, not human!), hugs, tears, smiles, and ultimately, horses. I wouldn't know it yet, but that was the beginning of an important friendship in my life. I guess the best friendships start with horses, hugs, tears, and smiles. Maxwell loaded up and we were on our way home.

Baby Max in his first few moments at home

A very special day, bringing home this lovely creature

I found the horse of my dreams that day. A year ago, today. I had always envisioned my dream horse to be a 4 year old Dappled Gray Warmblood monster. I came home with a modest 16 hand, 7 year old Bay Thoroughbred instead. And he couldn't fit the ticket any better for what constitutes "horse of my dreams." I see every obstacle, hurdle and challenge that we've worked through in the last year, and in each case we've triumphed, I've learned, we've learned, and grown together. I can't wait to see where myself and Maxwell can go.

The story doesn't end there, however. Maxwell and I have a bond I've not experienced with any other horse before. It's weird. I can't even quite put into words what he means to me, or how to explain that bond out loud. It's just there. The same can be said for the wonderful person that provided me such a magnificent horse, and who gives my favorite pony a wonderful home, too. I found a special kind of friend in Summer. I found someone who burns with the same passion that I hold. It's so hard for me to make "friends". It has ALWAYS been that way for me. I moved A LOT growing up. 3 states, 9 houses (while I was in school), and 8 schools. Needless to say, making a long-term connection to any human that wasn't family was rather difficult. At 7 years old back when the internet wasn't really a thing, it was infinitely more difficult to keep in touch with friends. At 12 years old, keeping in touch was more of a concept, but I had just spent the last 3 years befriending nature, animals, and perfecting my love of horses in Tennessee. I stayed in touch with the horse people. Keeping in touch was much easier as we moved around the 3rd state, but even still, deep roots are hard to grow when they keep getting pulled out of the soil. My oldest friend is the one I met on my first day of school in 6th grade. I'm grateful to still know her and call her a friend. Summer reminded me of deeper roots. You can meet someone once and feel that connection. Over the last year I've been lucky enough to see a friendship blossom. One that I believe can and will stand the test of time. The test that has failed me so many times in the past. I'm so thankful for Baby Maxwell, for Bella, for Summer. For the whole situation. There really are no coincidences in life. There was a reason I met Summer and found such a supportive, caring and loving friend in her. And Summer brought Maxwell into my life when I needed him and he needed me most. Summer came into my life right when I needed her, too, and has proven that over and over with her support in me both in horses and "life". I always thought I was a bit of a cold heart when it came to sappy stuff, but it's clear that when I get on the subject of good, important friends, and amazing horses, the tears are still able to flow, the heart flutter, and the face smile.

Summer & Maxwell, you are two beings in my life that mean a great deal to me. I wouldn't have one of you in my life without the other, and I feel like I need to acknowledge that often and express my extreme gratitude for both an amazing woman and an amazing horse <3

Celebrating a year together. He hangs his head in embarrassment of me, hehehe

Big smiles and a satisfied look for Max

OH HE LOVES ME. hehehe

My Muffin Rocks!

Today I'm just going to share something that I posted to my facebook on Sunday in regards to a wonderful ride I had on Maxwell on Saturday:

Yesterday something amazing happened. You see, Maxwell had one ride off the track before I brought him home almost a year ago. Yesterday, with the amazing support and help of one of my dearest friends, me and Maxwell reached a milestone. I was never sure what his capabilities would be as I restarted him, but kind of went with the flow and let him tell me how he felt. Yesterday we killed it. Maxwell jumped the highest he ever has. Which wasn't really that big at all, but was still a huge milestone for both of us, and opened the door to endless possibilities. He met that fence with such gusto each and every time. Summer spent a good portion of the lesson teaching me to set him up for these jumps, and by the end of the ride, the set up, distance and jump were pretty perfect. I learned a wealth of information about the horse I have. And I'm so happy to have finally reached that point. We may have taken the slow and steady approach, but it's my belief that we're building a more quality, athletic horse by doing so. I am forever thankful for the amazing support I find in Summer and the extraordinary heart I find in my horse. I honestly never thought we'd be past 18" by this point, but Max has clearly proven that he's game for this and therefore so am I. 

I jumped Bella 2'6 ONE time. ONCE. Prior to Bella, I hadn't ridden in 2 years. Prior to that, 3ft was a pretty comfortable height for me to pop over. But once you lose your Junior status, take some time off, and come back as an Adult Ammy, suddenly anything over 18" is pretty threatening for a while. I'll be the first to admit that my balls didn't come with me as I matured and grew up. I mean, they're there, but clearly they were sucked up or hidden somewhere for a while because once that fence gets over 2 feet, it makes my heart palpate just a little bit! WHY!? Possibly because as you move up the heights with a green horse, there's an extra level of uncertainty. I trusted my horse, my trainer, and myself on Saturday. This was scary at first glance. Once I realized how easily my horse sailed over it (let's be honest, he could trot over it or hop over at a near standstill technically), my confidence grew, and in that, so did his. Summer helped me find that sweet spot with Max. The pace that provided the power to the jump without the speed. The set up that allowed us to both confidently get to,over, and recover from, the jump. These are all foundations for jumping, obviously, but believe me, working your green horse on your own as an ammy with minimal outside help will quickly remind you that you DO need support. You CAN'T do it on your own. Even professionals require direction, support, and continued education. The first words that Summer blerted out to me while we warmed up that day: "why are you two going SO fast?! Why such a hurry?" When I didn't even realize how speedy we really were trotting around that arena. Once you set a pace and work on it day in and day out, you don't really realize, without eyes on the ground, that maybe you're a bit ahead of the speed you should ideally be at. Another simple example of why everyone needs someone. I'm so very proud of my Thoroughbred. He had SUCH a blast this weekend, and really proved to me that he DOES love this jumping thing. I'm not pushing him to do something that I enjoy doing versus what he actually wants to do (ask the same of the flat work, and he'll tell you that I'm pushing him to do something terrible, bahah). I've never seen a light in his eye quite like the glimmer every time I asked him to jump. I imagine it was the light he carried in his eyes as a race horse, when his heart was still in that game.

I love this horse. In case you didn't already know that!

Hehehe sorry for the weird music on the video, I was instructed to edit the sound out because Summer sounded like a little school girl squealing in excitement as me and Max took the leap and spread our wings. It's so special to have someone who feels the same passion and excitement as me, from the ground <3

OH! PS! Max has a birthday (and 1 year anniversary of ownership with me) coming up next week. I've ordered him oodles of stuff (not really). He's getting a pair of BOT quick wraps for his hind legs & ankles (and I ordered 16", so it's pretty evident I'll be having to return those when they get here tomorrow for the 14"...sigh.), a new dri-lex elastic girth (smartpak's), a new personalized fly mask (gotta wait a bit for that to arrive) AND! Smartpak's Plymouth Padded Fancy Stitch hunter bridle. That was an unexpected freebie due to a credit Smartpak issued me after removing a "guaranteed to work" supplement from Max's smartpaks. You get 2 months' worth of the supplement price credited back to your smartpak account. (more on that in another post)  I took that opportunity to finally upgrade Max's bridle. He'll be so happy with all his wonderful 8 year old Thoroughbred gifts! 

Rocky Raccoon

Okay, this is one of my jams. I have no idea why, but I love it. And it just so happens that I recently had an encounter with a real raccoon (not even remotely what the song is about), but I had JUST listened to the song, so obviously Rocky Raccoon became this little heathen's name. The song happened to come on just as I opened up blogger to write this post (long awaited, eh?) so what better than to outline my brief experience with Rocky, while listening to such a song.

Anyhow, Rocky and I first met last week. It was just dusk at the farm, the reflection of the setting sun to my far west beaming ever so slightly off the barn in it's last attempt to light the Florida sky. Then Rocky appears. Typically I don't have a problem with critters running around the farm. They were here first, theoretically, however I'm pretty sure the families at the surrounding farms have lived there much longer than Rocky, the hateful jackass thief he is. So Rocky shows up, of all places, scampering--no, no. Scampering is a great describing word, but it really doesn't describe what Rocky was doing...Meandering. That's better. So I see Rocky meandering out of one of the stalls that I had quite literally just pulled a horse out of. He stopped when he saw me, and naturally I just assumed he would scurry away at the sight of me. Oh no. Not Rocky. Rocky planted his striped ass right down on the dirt floor and just stared at me. I would have offered him a cigarette as he sat there pondering life's great wonders, but I don't smoke. I wasn't sure how to proceed with Rocky. Was he tame to humans because he lives near them? Was he rabid and just waiting to make his move on me? Is Rocky really Rockette and does she have a brood of little ones behind the barn that she's just waiting to defend? I just didn't know what to think of Rocky. His coy look just miffed me. I went about my business and pretended like his black beady eyes never met mine. Half because I wasn't THAT worried about him, and half because if he was rabid I didn't want to make any sort of threatening gesture at him that would insinuate I wanted to tango with a raccoon. I did want him to move along, as I had stalls to clean, the one he meandered ever so slowly out of and parked in front of, being the next on my list. I clapped my hands, banged some things around, but damn it, Rocky just sat there, watching me go back and forth. What an asshole, if you're going to watch me work, you could at least offer to help. I see those grimy little paws, you can hold a pitch fork, buddy.

Eventually Rocky grew tired of watching a human move senselessly in his mind, from stall to stall, picking out all the smelly stuff and leaving behind fluffy dry bedding. I caught a passing glimpse of him waddling around the side of the barn, and I thought that was the end of Rocky. He'd carried on, gotten bored with my lack of fascinating things to offer, and was on his way out. Not. By the time I got to the back row of stalls in this barn, in the general direction where Rocky took off in, the sun had long since gone, and it was dark now. The florescent lights flickered ever so slightly, as a banging noise was heard overhead. My first thought was something fell out of the tree and onto the barn's metal roof. My second, and correct thought, was that damn Rocky Raccoon managed to climb his fat self up to the roof of the barn, where he could peacefully watch me working below. I could hear each step he took. To put it nicely, Rocky was well fed. He wasn't hanging out because he was hungry, or if he was hungry, it was because his mom never installed good eating habits into his repertoire, and had nothing to do with being able to access food. I carried on, no longer worried that he might give me a zombie disease, but instead rather annoyed that this raccoon found it entertaining to sit on the roof and watch me work.

Anyways, he hung out on the roof for the entire two hours I was working out there, and by the time I left, there was no sign of Rocky any longer. Until the next day, that is...I noticed the tightly sealed and well stored container of electrolytes that sits outside of Maxwell's stall (hanging up, off the ground, in a basket) was missing. I thought perhaps the last of the electrolytes were used with that morning's feeding, as I knew he was getting low but thought he had a few weeks left. When my barn owner came out, she mentioned that it looked like something ripped off the lid to the electrolytes and strew the container and it's contents in front of my horse's stall. I knew right away it was that heathen Rocky. Was it his plan all along to wait until I left to raid my electrolytes? The world may never know. The mere fact of it is, Rocky, if you're reading this, asking is SO much better than STEALING. I see why raccoon get a bad wrap for being associated with criminalistic dealings. Your black mask and jail-bird black stripes sure help you live up to the title of HEATHEN. Your grubby little paws, to be able to open such an intricate lid that was sealed so well, proves beyond a doubt that you would have been more than capable of pitching in and helping me clean stalls the night before. You lazy, stealing bastard! I hope you ate those electrolytes. And I hope the terrible feeling of thirst followed close by. You didn't eat some kid's wasted sugar candy. You ate apple flavored salt and potassium. Glad to know you won't dehydrate anytime soon, if you ever made it to the water after consuming such an amount of them.

For anyone wondering, I really don't wish harm on Rocky, ever. He was never aggressive towards me, even though I had my reservations in the beginning, as any person should when coming in contact with a wild animal, no matter how small (or fat.)...and Rocky is alive and well. And still causing trouble in the barn. Someone left a SEALED metal tin full of peppermints for their horse right next to their stall. Last night I saw hundreds of little coon prints, many empty wrappers, and maybe only a handful of peppermints still intact in the container which originally contained close to 100 pieces. The moral of the story is this: Leave nothing for this fat coon. He needs a diet and an insulin shot at this point.

Okay, so that was my week....there's really NO point to that story at all, but the song coming on just cracked me up, reminiscing about my ridiculous new friend and his insatiable hunger for sugary items.

Maxwell has been working his tail off over trot poles and poles placed throughout the arena. We've been simulating jumps with poles lately. Not because he's not capable of jumping anything more than those, but really just to help us get a momentum, build a pace, and stick to it without getting excited. Maxwell is never out of control in any situation, he's a pretty level headed dude. Heck, there is this black duck that resides at the farm this time of year. He's another jackass. He doesn't have a name. Because I hate him. This time last year, he was the cause of my pony mare spinning in a complete circle top speed with me on top of her (reining is NOT in my future, guys) and flung me promptly on the ground. It was that duck's flapping wings that caused the chaos. SAME duck yesterday. Max and I were working in the dressage ring (more about that below), and this duck shoots out of the water (from underwater, either of us knew he was there) and takes off full speed, trying to fly, but skipping over the water, likely because his stupid duck wings are full of water. Obviously Max wasn't expecting that to occur, and neither was I. I spooked, and he saw the duck, took four steps sideways, and looked at me like WHAT THE HELL is that STUPID duck's problem, mom?! That's the extend of my horse losing his cool, for the most part, unless you're asking for an argument with him. Such a simple man he is. Oh, the duck is a Cormorant, for those wondering, though the local fishermen call them some pretty colorful words other than what they truly are called, because these guys, in addition to terrifying horses and causing scenes, steal bait right off your hook while fishing, too. Jerks.

So yeah, we were working in the dressage arena. Really, what it is, is that at one point we had a boarder out there who rode dressage, and wanted to have a ring to work in. They measured it out, and built 4 wood corners and put steaks around to help outline the ring. I decided to ride Max within the confines (no real fencing) of the arena to both test how well he's responding to my direction via leg, and also to start having him work in a more condensed situation. He went wonderfully well. He might have a future in the sandbox when all is said and done. (maybe.)...

Max has been going very well overall for me lately. We've been back in the hackamore just because he seems to stretch down and over his back the most while working in this setup, so for now, we go without a bit. We'll be implementing some jumping back into our routine now, as we've really got to start nailing that down if we ever want to get anywhere with it. Being an ammy on your own is tough, sometimes. I need that yelling but helpful voice on the ground to help me maneuver myself and my horse through mistakes and sticky spots.


Anyhow, that's about all I have to offer right now. Hopefully I'll have some great rides to report on after this weekend, and maybe some photos? It's not often I have anyone else in the arena with me while I ride, but I'm going to have to start begging people to come once in a while, because I'm really curious how me and the muffin are looking together!

Mr. Sandman last night after a good roll.

Winter Spring Summer or Fall

You know the song. I've discussed it here before. I've discussed it's meaning in regards to Maxwell. But what I haven't discussed is how that very song re-verbs back to me every time I see Maxwell. I'm pretty sure if he could sing, he'd sing me this song.


You see, I've been going through a rough patch lately. My health hasn't been the best, and I've had more miserable days than good. The one continually positive correlation in my life though, even throughout this awful patch, has been Maxwell.

Maxwell has kept me accountable. Maxwell has kept me active. Maxwell has reminded me that even on my worst days, when I'm lashing out or I've completely removed myself from everyone and everything, that I still have that one goofy friend who manages to make me crack a smile. I have that friend who relies on me constantly. I have that one motivator that keeps me active. The one being on this earth that I've promised to NEVER EVER let down.

If it weren't for Maxwell, I'd probably have stopped traveling to the barn, stopped being physically active when my body aches and stabs me in the gut. But I made a promise to Max. I promised that his needs would always be met, and that his care would always be above and beyond what should be expected for a horse. This includes his training and exercise. There are days where it literally feels like the inside of my body is dying. It takes me an hour to get out of bed and ready to walk out the door. If it weren't for Maxwell, I promise you most of my weekends would be spent laying in bed groaning. Instead, though, because I promised my best friend all of these things, I get myself together, whether it takes me 10 minutes or 2 hours. I pull my breeches on, figure out what cocktail of medication I need to make it at the farm for a few hours, and I get in my car and drive. I usually spend the first 5 minutes cursing the morning. Reminding myself that if it weren't for this "needy animal", I could be at home relaxing, maybe not feeling so badly. All those negative feelings, even the physical ones, seem to diminish, however, when I pull down that driveway and see my pretty bay's head poking out of his side window, ears as far forward as they go, staring intently at my little red car.

Time stands still when I'm with my best friend. The healing that takes place when in the presence of these animals is astronomical. I know I'll regret saying this, because it is quite possible that it's all a coincidence (I AM a realist, sometimes, after all)...but it's rare that my symptoms get to the point of limiting me while I am with my horse. They seem to be so much less intense when I'm at the farm. I'm not sure if it's because while there, my mind is focused 100% on Max, and therefore I'm not busy worrying about how badly I feel, or if he does, in fact, carry some magical medicinal property in his coat, slobber, or sweat. But I do know that it's a rare occasion that I feel so terribly as to have to stop what I'm doing, while in his presence.

There are days where riding sounds like a terrible idea, as most of what ails me is right in my stomach. But I still climb into that saddle. And we put down some fantastic rides. I don't even know how my body manages, to be honest, for there are times when I am doubled over in pain, unable to handle the discomfort my body at times produces, but I manage to put in some amazing rides, still, and Maxwell, my best partner, always tries his hardest for me. Don't get me wrong, he still tries to get away with things. He still acts silly, he still makes mistakes. But his trying attitude makes up for it. He might not perform each maneuver I ask of him perfectly, but he sure does try so very hard to figure out what I'm asking of him. That's the most I could ask of any horse. I especially love his imagination. I've never been on a horse who has such an idea about the world as Max does. He truly looks at new exercises and really tries his best to figure out what it is I'm asking. We tried raised cavaletti over the weekend for the first time. It was a hilarious fail, but once again, it gave me a wonderful glimpse into the mind of my Thoroughbred. He didn't give me the correct answer the first time through, but GOD did he TRY. It was a one side raised, to a fully raised, to an opposite side raised cavaletti. He managed the first and last perfectly, as we'd been working trot poles like monsters lately. But that middle one? Well, when he sees a solid obstacle in front of him, he's been told to JUMP! So JUMP! he did, even though the spacing was clearly for that of a larger trot step over. But by god, this horse managed to trot the first, jump the second, and find his body with enough time to properly trot over the third. We only went over it three times, and when I realized he just wasn't ready for the entirely raised cavaletti, we stopped. But his continued effort to figure it out, and put together the two pieces of the puzzle that he did know, speaks VOLUMES for the mind that he has. He has such a brilliant mind. Just because he thinks differently than a human, doesn't make him stupid. I think people really need to remember that when having a difficult time with their mount. These animals are pretty brilliant, and deserve far more credit than many give them.

So thank you, Baby Maxwell. You really needed a human when you retired from the track. You really needed your person. You had a rough last go of it, and deserved someone to build you back up to the horse that you've always been. I like to think you found that in me. But in return, you've been better than I could ever ask you to be. For keeping me going when I want to give up, not because of anything you've done, but because that's the easy way out, and I just don't feel good sometimes. Thank you for being the driving force that keeps my body moving. Thank you for giving me so many hours of bliss when I'd otherwise be in pain or discomfort. Thank you for holding up to your end of the deal, being the best friend a girl could ask for. I promise to keep up on my promise too. That's why you're back in 4 times a week work. No complaining, Mister. I know you like that firm round rump you've already started to define in the last 4 weeks. I'm sure your back feels it's best when it's strong and filled in with muscle. And I'm sure those harder weekend rides feel much easier now that you're working more regularly again. It's Spring now, Baby boy, and this is our year. I can't promise that I'll always feel my best, but know that you, being you, that silly silly Thoroughbred I fell in love with 11 months ago, is enough. It's enough to keep me going, to keep me working, to keep my motivation up.

I often wonder where you would be, without the good people at the track, Summer, and myself. But maybe I should start wondering where I would be, at this very moment in time, if it weren't for you.

Sorry I've been lacking so much in posting! It's been a rough go of it lately. I'm suffering with some pretty interesting stomach and GI issues. Now you all know why GI health is so important to me for my horse! I've started to live the pain! I'm going to try and make a better effort to post more. It feels good. I don't even know if anyone reads these...but who really cares? I'm perfectly okay with talking to myself. At least if no one is reading these, there's no one to make fun of me for talking to myself, right?? :-D Check back soon. I promise another post, not gushing over the amazing animal I own, will be forthcoming! 

The Man, The Myth, The Legend....The Retired

I have a very important announcement to make!!!

Baby Maxwell has officially been retired from racing for ONE WHOLE YEAR!

Okay, let me admit something really quick. His actual retirement anniversary is tomorrow. I'm writing this today, Friday February 26th because I don't intend to be on the computer for an extended length of time over the weekend and I wanted to get this important post done today for all to share in the joy :-D I'll be busy spending time with Max!

Baby Maxwell ran his last ever race on February 27, 2015 at Tampa Bay Downs in Race 5, A Claiming race for 4 year olds and up who have never won 3 races. Baby Maxwell ran 9th out of 9 the entire length of the race. Race notes state he was "outrun" which probably wasn't a surprise, considering his odds were something like 59-9. His heart just wasn't in it any more. Various notes from his last few races clearly paint the picture that Maxwell was ready for a new career. I got to watch a few of his races, including the last one he ran, online, and if I'm being completely honest, I thought it would be a little comical, to see the horse I've come to know so well run around the track and flat out lose. But it actually was quite emotional and my heart broke for my Baby Maxwell. He's number one in my heart, so to not see him being celebrated as #1 those days really tore at me. But his race career, while not the best, did yield two winning runs. Let's celebrate those two moments in time that Max was toted as top Horse for his race. Those are the two runs I want to always remember. Because he truly is a winning horse, in many ways other than racing, and that's how he should be celebrated!

I probably shouldn't post these, because I didn't buy them and they have a watermark on them....but I'm totally linking them to their proper owner. I do want to buy them, but just haven't gotten around to spending $22 per print. At some point I will! And I'm sure they'll be shared again!

© Coady Photography

© Coady Photography

This win photo was taken May 4, 2013 at Calder in Race #4. It warms my heart a bit to see Maxwell in the winners circle making owners and trainers very happy, just as he makes me very happy every day now!
















This win photo was taken August 3, 2013 at Calder in Race #10. I absolutely LOVE his finish photo, you can see he was ready to give even more to get his jockey across that line in the lead. I also love to see the winning photos with him covered in mud. If you know Maxwell, you know he thoroughly enjoys splashing around in mud puddles. Perhaps he should have run on a sloppy track more often, and could have yielded some extra wins ;-)












I feel making a big deal about the first year of retirement from racing is important. You see this athletic beast go through so many changes, peaks, valleys, and eventually perfection if you're careful and lucky. I'll have another bigger brag post on April 4th, when I celebrate a year of ownership with Maxwell. But for right now, I really just want to celebrate the horse he's always been. A dedicated athlete; bred, born and raised to be a winner. To always try his best. To put his heart behind everything 100% even when his heart might tell him no. Maxwell always tries. When he says no to something, there's usually a DAMN good reason why he's said no. His can-do attitude may not have won him as many races as his owners and trainers had hoped, but it sure does speak for the horse that he is. I've never had such joy in my typically monotonous rides throughout the time. He's always a pleasure. Always a joy. He's the horse I'd pick over and over to cart me around. I'm so proud to be Maxwell's biggest cheer leader, his #1 fan, his biggest supporter, his advocate and friend. There's nothing like the heart of a Thoroughbred.

Maxwell spends his time in a roomy 12X12 stall during the day, munching on hay in front of his 3 speed fan, casually swatting flies. By night he grazes the grass of a paddock that he shares with an evenly tempered mare who keeps his silly tendencies in line. I see him between 4 and 6 times a week and he's ridden between 2 and 4 times a week, always making progress and moving forward in his new career. Maxwell picked one of the TOP places in Florida to retire, the Bradenton-Sarasota area. He's a Florida retiree now!

Here are two photos from Summer, the wonderful woman who connected me to this wonderful gelding. These were taken while Maxwell was still residing at Tampa Bay Downs, and below that, two recent photos of Maxwell being Maxwell. More photos of this beast will be included in our 1 year ownership post ;-) 

© Summer Thurber

© Summer Thurber

Recent Photo of the sweetest boy ever!

With a HUGE personality <3

A day with the girls

While I try to plan out some more 'interesting' posts outlining products, things I've found to be helpful, or whatever else I end up blabbing on and on about....I thought I'd leave another post about "what's been going on lately" with some photos as well!!!!

Not this past weekend, but the one prior, I had the amazing pleasure of riding Bella (yes, the wonder pony, the dappled buckskin queen) AND a beautiful baby filly fresh off the track. It was an amazing day. It's been several months since the last time I rode Bella, and even then I just took her on a quick spin around the arena. This time I actually spent some time riding her and while some of the same antics were present (she IS the queen after all, and has to make sure her rider knows....) I was SO very happy, almost crying on the inside, to see the amazing work Summer has done with her at the trot. Gone is that snappy pony that is always in a hurry to trot everywhere. I love that little pony so very much. It just made me feel so complete to get back on her yet again. She's quite special.

I mean seriously, stop it. Are we not the cutest? Not to mention I squished myself into a 15 or 16" pony saddle. Gosh I miss her. I'll be out again soon to take her for another spin. That special pony has quite the magnetic pull...

As for the fresh off the track filly...Summer lunged her for maybe, MAYBE 3 minutes before getting on her for the first ever time, post track life. The filly couldn't even throw up a buck or play on the line. She was all business and cool, calm and collected from the get-go. This little girl quickly stole my heart with her photos, and meeting her made it VERY hard not to bring her home. She's going to make someone a phenomenal mount, and I don't see them having a very difficult time bringing her along with her can-do, relaxed attitude about it all. At the very tender age of barely 4! It would be really fun to see her go to a RRP situation. I think she could do it! Anyways, I need to stop gushing about her, because I'm sure if I get to hang out with her again before she does sell, It's going to be a sad day when it happens!!!!

She's seriously beautiful. Her name is Royal Lady. And she sure looks like Royalty to me! If anyone in Florida is reading this blog (or elsewhere and willing to ship) this filly is available to an outstanding home, and again, she's RRP eligible! Someone snatch her up so I don't get any more temptations to do so myself!!!!!

It's days like the one I'm writing about that really make me realize what is most important to me. A great friend, great mares, and of course my Maxwell. I had ridden him first thing in the morning before heading over to spend some time with Summer and these two lovely ladies. I can't wait to get over there and do it again.

And, to add on to the last post with the video of Maxwell working his hiny off, I've got a couple of still shots from the video (so excuse the quality). I just love to admire the horse that Maxwell is becoming, one ride at a time.

Starman

Okay, I promise I'm not going to start singing Starman (...there's a star maaaaaaan waiting in the sky...) but I decided to use that song title as the title to this blog post because it got Maxwell into such a stretchy big trot that I assume he must have enjoyed the song.


Over the weekend Maxwell upgraded back to the large arena. The last couple of rides have been in the front paddock which is much smaller, as we'd been working on upward and downward transitions, staying straight, staying responsive, etc. This weekend I wanted to work on some trot poles so we moved back to the big ring.

On Saturday I had my phone on my hip while I rode alone, and decided why not play some music? Just as we got done with our warm up and started to tackle the trot poles for the first time in several months for Max, Starman by David Bowie came on, and you would have thought Maxwell was the biggest Bowie fan in the world, because his stride got big, his trot floaty, his ears forward. I only wish I had video from that day of trot work, because it was really quite entertaining to see him move while that song was on! But Sunday, day two of trot pole work, I set up the Go Pro for the first time and caught some clips of his trot poles. (I'm angry at the gopro. What a pain in the ass, and after all the work I did with the clips, it still wouldn't upload in 1080. I think I need a new computer!) The horse has come far in his trot and trotting poles in general. I've focused a large portion of our riding this winter on trotting. He used to hop over trot poles, not really sure exactly where his 4 feet were supposed to land, but he finally has that forward moving swinging trot, versus the short choppy racehorse prance trot of times past.

The video is nothing spectacular, but I thought I would share it, as I am very proud of the progress (slow but steady) that my horse is making, and I love admiring him as a spectator, which is something I never get to do, so video is my only measure of our progress from a different view. I'm so excited for the horse he is becoming. I am still trying to figure out what bit would be best to try and transition him back into, but so far I've got nothing, so we've been cruising around in the hackamore still. Which he loves, and doesn't complain about. And yes, it absolutely IS possible for a horse to properly carry themselves in a hack. They aren't "on the bit" but they can use themselves and round their back just the same with the right encouragement. Love this big goofy bay. The video is kind of boring, just trot poles and more trot poles. I truly cherish every mini hurdle with this horse.

Stay tuned, I know I've been lax on this blog yet again. I'll have another post shortly, I'm sure!

Frugal Friday: Mastitis Schmastitis...

Today's Frugal Friday is part a way to save money, but also part good tip for chronic thrush sufferers.

If you've been around horses for any extended amount of time, you've learned a thing or two about their needs, their ailments, and how downright expensive these animals can really be sometimes. One thing that almost everyone familiar with horses has either experienced or at least heard of before is thrush. But did you know that sometimes thrush isn't as obvious as you think it is? It's not all about a rotten frog and rotten craters besides the frog in the collateral grove....It's not ALL about that distinct rotting flesh smell. Sometimes it can be really severe but really subtle at the same time. And extremely painful.

Maxwell has had his fair share of foot whoas...I've not even owned the horse a year and we're on our third (and hopefully last!) farrier. But overall his feet aren't the worst, that's for sure, and now that they're on track, it's much easier to keep them healthy. But he HAS struggled with deep sulcus thrush for several months now. We live in Florida. It's almost inevitable that at some point or another, you're going to be dealing with some infected thrushy feet. The severe dry-wet cycle that gulf coast of Florida weather brings us in the Summer will surly keep you on your feet when it comes to horse foot and leg care. Anyhow, in Maxwell's case, he developed this nasty deep sulcus thrush because his right hoof was wrapped for about a month's time in the deep humid moist summer we had this past year. He was battling a monster of a summer sore right at the coronet band (look way back on my posts for some lovely photos of that) which required constant sanitizing and wrapping to prevent a reinfection (thanks, fly larvae!). The easiest and most functional way for me to keep a wound on his coronet band covered was to wrap his entire hoof. I tried to leave at least part of the sole of his foot exposed for some ventilation, but his heel bulbs were completely covered by the vet wrap.

To the left is what a healthy foot and frog look like. The central sulcus of the frog is that little thumb print indentation that the line points to.

To the right, we see a foot battling severe deep central sulcus thrush. On the surface you don't see anything that screams thrush, or severe. But that crack shouldn't be there. Look above, see, no crack. The bacteria and fungus runs rampant in the frog undetected and then one day you wonder, HMM why is my horse so tender to hoof picking? His feet look okay....until you realize that crack isn't supposed to be there...and boy is it deep. The first time I stuck something in there during the course of treatment for Maxwell, I cringed. So did he.


My horse's cause of the thrush was due to the constant wrapping and exposure to moisture. It was kind of inevitable because it wasn't something I could change until wrapping was no longer required. Little did I know that the months I spent treating it conventionally could have been cut down to weeks if I had gone the cheaper, alternative route from the beginning.

My farrier at the time swore by Thrush Buster. I went through 3 bottles from August to Christmas. He had me putting it on every little blemish in Max's hoof wall and white line to help keep all the crud that can turn into anything, from getting through. It's been said that the Gentian Violet in the Thrush Buster has some medicinal effects on all things hoof microbial. I didn't discount his claims, and I applied the stuff religiously to both the clefts around the frog, any off looking spot of his hoof both sole and wall, and deep into that sulcus to try and eradicate the infection within. This stuff just wasn't cutting it. Not to mention, it's purple and purple sucks to get out of anything. 

The only reason I even tried No Thrush was because my local Tractor Supply doesn't carry Thrush Buster and I was out of any and all thrush treatments. The idea of a "dry" thrush treatment sounds great. It's one of the fundamentals of getting rid of thrush in the first place, removing all moisture. The idea is there, and I think even the formula is good, too, however, application is a little dodgy.  Powder doesn't sit well where you need it to on a dry surface. The moment Max put his foot down at least half of what I had just applied came flying out with it onto the concrete. 

I'm going to go out on a limb here and be truthful (seriously, I'm always truthful, I just used that line because it sounded good)....I had known about a potential "cure" for quite some time at this point, but I just wasn't buying what was being sold to me...The idea was there, the first-hand testimonials (my favorite reference on a product!) were there, but yet, I hadn't purchased the miracle cure...Why? Because my Tractor Supply only sold the HUGE quantity at $40 a box. Clearly that's not a frugal and effective way to treat thrush.......

HUH????? What the heck is this stuff???? Dry Cow Mastitis treatment???? If you've only ever delved in Horses, this might be foreign to you. Mastitis in cows is an inflammation of the udders often caused by an infection from various organisms. This nifty little tube (with a flexible long delivery tube on the end!) contains Cephaperin Benzathine which is a bactericidal that helps eradicate gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, giving it a broad range of working ability. Some genius realized that some of the organisms that cause thrush were also affected by this bactericidal and started squirting it on their horse's severe thrush. 

I wouldn't break out the Tomorrow at every sign of thrush, that's only going to decrease it's effectiveness over time, but for a stubborn case or a more severe infection in the case of deep central sulcus thrush, this medication is paramount. I kick myself for waiting so long to try it. My local Tractor Supply only sells this in a box, full of them. We all hope to never need a full box of this stuff to treat thrush, especially on a single horse. So I kept putting it off, until I took a quick stroll through the Cow aisle at my local non-tractor supply feed store and saw that they sold it by the tube! $2.99 later, and Maxwell's deep sulcus thrush is healing beautifully. I've actually gone back and bought two more tubes, because the problem isn't completely gone, but we're getting there and this stuff is showing MAD improvements over thrush remedies past. It's important to realize there is a similar product called "Today"....This is for the cow that is lactating and contains a different set of medications, if I had to guess, to keep the milk from being tainted with antibiotic type contaminants (speculating here, I'm not a dairy farmer nor do I play one on tv). I can't comment on it's effectiveness, and research online hasn't given me any result with it, so just stick with getting the "Tomorrow" medication, labeled for a DRY cow (a cow not producing milk). 

Moral of the story is....check the cow aisle before turning your back on a treatment. I didn't want to spend $40 on a box of this stuff when many traditional treatments are under $20. Turns out, at $2.99 I could have possibly completely eliminated this problem before it got to the point it did, had I done a wee bit more research and found that I could buy it by the tube somewhere else!  You live and learn! But the point here is, even if it were in fact $40, the amount of money I spent between 3 bottles of thrush buster and a bottle of No Thrush would have bought me that $40 box of Tomorrow anyway. 

I've still got my No Thrush and Thrush Buster in my groom bag. No thrush goes on after I've applied Tomorrow deeply into the crack. It does a nice job of holding the liquid in. I also poof it around Max's frog and over top of it to help keep everything dry, healthy and happy. Thrush Buster still gets applied to some funky looking spots as they come up, and all is right in the world of hooves around here. Seriously, save the $16 and go buy a tube of this stuff if you're battling something rank in the hoof. Save the traditional medications for maintenance treatments and  mild cases. Bring in the big guns like this when you're having trouble or have a bad case going on. You'll thank me. I promise!

Messy Mooses

Is mooses a word? 

Life hacks!

We all love them. Some are stupid and don't really work, but others actually save us a lot of time, money, and energy in the process. Today I want to talk about something that SO many horse owners struggle with, but only those who actually do the dirty work probably relate to. Messy Stalls. Messy Horses. Disaster Zones. 

Maxwell isn't a particularly messy creature, but he DOES consume 15 gallons of water and roughly 20 pounds of hay, and 14 pounds of alfalfa pellets for the 12 hours that he is in his stall during the day. All that hay and all that water gotta go somewhere, right?! The sheer volume of manure makes his stall a bit difficult. He drinks a healthy 15 gallons of water per day, thanks to his alfalfa diet. This also causes an excess amount of urine, due to the extra protein he gets from the alfalfa. Pee city!!! I'm lucky because he does have a dedicated pee zone, and he's not much of a stall walker, so he doesn't do the toss and serve that many other geldings do in their stall. I clean stalls twice a week at Maxwell's barn, and clean his stall every single day I go out there. (yes, all the stalls are done every day, I'm just on the hook for it twice a week)... I'm a bit of a perfectionist with the stalls, and therefore it takes me a little bit longer to get them done than the average person. However I've implemented a couple of techniques which really help me breeze through stalls, and save a bit of money (shavings) in the process. 

The first piece of advice I have for a messy horse is to get to know their pattern. Figure out where they go (most have a preference and go in the same places each day). I can tell you where every horse in the barn enjoys peeing. It's important to identify the pee location prior to clean up, so that you don't accidentally scoop a pile of pee and mix it with clean shavings. Maxwell's stall can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, so I usually start by picking up all the obvious piles of manure. Max doesn't poop perfect poop balls (never has) but he has a well formed "pile" for each manure movement he makes. Sometimes they get rolled up underneath some fresh looking shavings and it requires some extra attention (more on that below). I remove all the big obvious piles I can find in the stall, while taking care to remove hay remnants that might be left-overs or mixed in with the shavings. 

Once we've removed as many obvious piles of crap that we can, I go to the pee spot. For most stalls (including Max's) I rake back the top layer of "fresh" shavings on top of the pee, since it soaks down and seemingly disappears (if you're bedded deep enough with an absorbent bedding). I take my time carefully removing all the urine before I perform the next steps. 

There is one particular horse at my barn who is a poop shuffling monster. He DOES poop perfect balls, so he really has no excuse, but we just can't seem to figure out what in the world he does to create such a mess in his stall. He doesn't stall walk, but it sure looks like he might based on the way his stall looks at the end of the day. For these difficult stalls where everything is mixed in, or once you've removed obvious piles and urine, this is the best thing I've done....BANKING. If you've ever taken up professional stall cleaning ( I don't recommend it), you've probably learned this neat little task before. I drag all the bedding away from a back wall of the stall to start. Then? Simply take a pitch fork full of shavings and kind of fling it against the wall. It's awkward at first, but once you have the flick of your wrist down, it's amazing. The shavings form a nice little mountain, and the poop rolls down the mountain to be collected at the base. It's one of the most gratifying things I do with my time, building those shaving mountains and watching poop roll down them and separate from the shavings so nicely for me. I continue until I've banked the entire stall. Sometimes you have to move down the wall, or pick another wall, depending on how deeply bedded the stall is. But it's SO worth it, especially if your horse poops everywhere, or you have a hard time leaving a stall with all those little specs of poop that somehow separate themselves from the rest of the pile. PLUS this gives you the opportunity to do a 'fluff and refresh' of the bedding. All the bedding gets turned over, and some fresh, unused bedding that built up along the sides of the stall is mixed into the tired bedding, prolonging it's overall life. 

The real life hack, though, is HOW you bed the stall. Every person has their way. I've tried to under bed, over bed, and tried different materials to bed with. Your preference might be different than that of mine or my barn owner's, but honestly, I think it comes down to the individual horse and it's specific bathroom habits (and health needs in some cases). 

Probably the 4 most notable types of bedding for a horse's stall include Fine Flake Shavings, Flake Shavings, Pelletized Bedding, and Straw.

Small flake shavings are my top pick. Easier to sort through than the larger flakes, they make stall cleaning go a little bit quicker. I have a love-hate relationship with Tractor Supply's brand, as the consistency of the flakes varies by batch, as does the weight of the bag. Sometimes Max only requires two bags in a 12x12 to achieve sufficient bedding coverage, and sometimes it takes 4 bags. It's very inconsistent. The reason I choose to stick with this brand, is that they've done nothing to offend me to the point of NOT using them, especially when they're averaging $1.00-1.50 less than any other brand of fine flake shavings in the area. 

Flake, or "Large Flake" shavings are my pet peeve. I've actually been recommended them by more than one vet and farrier, but I just can't bring myself to bed my horse's stall with them. Much harder to sort between flake and poop, these suckers get my blood pressure up every time I clean a stall bedded with them. The vet makes a great point, however, that the larger flake bedding provides the least amount of dust. If your horse has respiratory issues, or you worry about the dustiness of your bedding, larger flake bedding might be an option for you. Two past farriers also recommended large flake shavings, especially on top of mats, because there is more absorption flake per flake verses that of fine flake or 'sawdust' type shavings. I totally get that. It's super important to not allow your horse to stand in his urine all day, and if bigger flakes help that, by all means, use them. I just cannot stand them, and go through them MUCH MUCH quicker than I otherwise would. They have their place, but their place is NOT in Max's stall!

Pelletized bedding is my second favorite choice. It used to be my first, but there are two reasons why it makes second on my list. The first reason is just the ease of use. To use this bedding *properly*, it requires a wheel barrow (or dumping in the stall if you fancy all that) and water. I put one bag in at a time, soak the appropriate amount of water with said bag, dump into stall, spread, and repeat. 4 times. It takes at LEAST 15 minutes for me to bed each stall using 4 bags of pelletized bedding. That being said, I actually really LOVE this bedding when it has been put down properly. It does a phenomenal job of absorbing moisture while maintaining its integrity a lot longer than that of traditional flake shavings. The kicker, though, is making sure you turn the bedding every day. Some people don't do this, and I will never understand why, but if you don't turn this bedding and actually MIX the messier portions with the clean, it won't work out for you very well. It's designed to hold a little bit of 'yuck' and when you mix it into the clean stuff, it's like magic. The reason this gets another mark off, though, is again thanks to my farrier. Because this stuff does such a phenomenal job of absorbing moisture, it also holds that moisture for a lot longer before becoming unusable. This means, that while the bedding may not look actively wet, it's got a lot of 'wet' inside, and a horse standing in it for an extended period of time could suffer an adverse reaction via the hoof. I found this to be true with my own horse, and once I removed the pelleted bedding from his stall and swapped back to fine flake, his feet held up a LOT more, and a LOT less moisture damage was seen in his feet at each visit. 

Straw is probably the oldest type of bedding. I've actually never used it myself, because I loathe it, but it does have its place, and is still commonly used in places like race tracks. While it absorbs quite a bit, I can't even imagine trying to sift through all that to get those magical poop balls out. Not to mention, how do you identify soiled straw (urine soaked) from not? It's all yellow is it not? I dunno. I hate it. And it drives me insane when Maxwell is a bit low on shavings, and makes it a point to drag his hay to his urine spot to achieve the same goal as straw bedding would serve...Icky. Straw is also a great choice for a low dust option, however, for horses who require special attention to that. It's also SO nice to take a nap in.

The most exciting part about this post is coming now. We've explored that magical banking maneuver to breeze through stall cleaning....but what about those messy misters (and some misses, too believe it or not!) that mix it all together into a chopped salad for you to pick through? This is something my barn owner started doing with her two draft horses, and I've adopted the idea, modified it a bit, and implemented it in my own horse's stall last week. Take two of the bests, and make the magnificent, no? In my barn owner's situation, she takes two bags of pelletized bedding and spreads it (unsoaked) around her horses' stalls as a base. Then she'll take 4 bags of fine flake shavings and place that on top. It works really well for those two horses, and seems to keep her super messy (that poop shuffling monster I spoke of earlier) horse's stall fresh for ALMOST a week. This works well for her guys because they're huge, with dinner plate sized feet. The little pelletized bedding pieces (look like pelleted feed, maybe a bit thicker) gets crushed under their feet, and becomes a wonderful absorbing base layer for the stall. I bed Maxwell's stall a little bit differently, and it's something you guys should consider as well:

For Max, in a 12x12 stall on mats, I lightly soaked the pelletized bedding in the wheel barrow first. The reason I soak my pellets instead of just tossing them in like my barn owner does for her big guys, is because I have a Thoroughbred. A Thoroughbred with sensitive soles. I don't want to make him walk around on pokey pellets all the time. I also do it because I think the pellets last a bit longer when they've been expanded (believe it or not). I spread ONE bag of pelletized bedding as the base layer on the mats, taking extra care to ensure that a sufficient amount covers the areas where Maxwell is known to pee. Then I take 2-4 bags of fine flake shavings and place them on top. 2-4 because it depends on the "volume" of the bags. This past Sunday I did 1 bag of pellets and 2 bags of fine flake shavings. By Tuesday, the stall still had that "fresh shavings" look to it, and smelled great too. I still do my banking movements to sort through the shavings, allowing the pelleted (which looks more like saw dust once it's expanded, or crushed in the case of the draft horses) bedding and fine flake shavings to mix. When I redistributed the shavings around the stall (every stall needs the shavings flipped and fluffed, c'mon!) it STILL had that wonderful fresh shavings look. Today is Thursday, and I'll be interested to see how the stall cleans up tonight. Usually I can get away with 2-4 bags of shavings a week, the stall needing to be re-bedded by Saturday or Sunday most weeks. We're already ahead of the curve as of Tuesday, so I'm hopeful we might get a week and a half out of these suckers....I'll be sure to clue you all in later on. But seriously, this technique really does help absorb excess urine that otherwise ruins countless shavings, and leaves many horses standing in urine.

What are your stall bedding habits? What's your favorite technique to cleaning a stall?