There is no such thing as a sterile barn cat.

No one ever notices how you ride until you fall off.

The least useful horse in your barn will eat the most, require shoes every four weeks and need the vet at least once a month.

A horse’s misbehavior will be in direct proportion to the number of people who are watching.

Your favorite tack always gets chewed on, and your new blankets gets torn.

Tack you hate will never wear out and blankets you hate cannot be destroyed.

Horses you hate cannot be sold and will outlive you.

Clipper blades will become dull when your horse is half clipped.

If you approach within 50 feet of your barn in clean clothes, you will get dirty.

The number of horses you own will increase to the number of stalls in your barn.

Your barn will fall down without baling twine.

Hoof picks always run away from home.

If you fall off, you will land on the site of your most recent injury.

If you are winning, then quit, because there is only one way to go. Down!

I got these funny quotes from the back of my farrier’s business card. Thank you Walter!

Do you take your dog(s) when you go riding? Why or why not?

Riding horses and taking your dog(s) along I have found has some very differing opinions. There are some stables that do not even allow dogs on the property. Perhaps it is because of the different types of riding that is done. There were no dogs at the riding school I attended years ago. Plenty of cats, but no dogs. Whereas, the livery stable where I worked for years giving trail rides to tourists had multiple dogs.

Here at Blue Rock Horses, we like riding with dogs. We ride in the mountains where there are not many people nor riders. Rather we see deer, turkey, quail, snakes, turtles, and other wildlife. Although we have never knowingly run into bears. Our dogs are what we call our “scouts”. That is because they run in concentric rings around us as we ride. They see many things before we do, thereby alerting us of our surroundings. They will run the wildlife off long before we arrive. This is very helpful. Flushing a flock of big, wild turkeys can spook the stoutest of horse and rider. Thanks to the dogs though, this is rarely an issue.

Even if your horses are accustomed to dogs on the trail with them, they can still be spooked by their sudden appearances from nowhere. It is good to keep an ear and eye out on their whereabouts so as not to catch anyone off guard. Horses watch the dogs with their eyes and ears. They are aware of them, and some horses “look” for any excuse to spook. Know your horse. Riders need not only their “horse brains” on, they also need their “dog brains” on!

Water can usually be found in the mountains by thirsty dogs. If the ride is not too long they will be fine until the end of the trail. If the trail is a long, hot one everyone will need water, plan accordingly. We have carried water in our saddle bags many times. Water should always be part of the regular gear packed in the trailer when heading out for a trail ride. Breakdowns and/or other problems could arise.

Stay alert, keep an eye and ear out. There are amazingly wonderful sights and sounds on the trail. With care and attention it will be a ride to remember, while looking forward to the next.

Happy Trails!

“It is interesting to know that all over the world horses are measured in hands. The dollar changes everywhere, and gallons and weights vary too. But in India, China, England, America, everywhere horses are measured in hands.
And it is exciting that no matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower–even in this space age. The first rocket that lifted the first American into out space had a weight-lifting booster of nearly a million horsepower. Horsepower has become a world term, translated into French, German, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, and Yiddish.
And the feeling which man has for his horse in universal. He respects machines. He knows they are tougher than horses, can stand heat and cold better, and they do not have to be watered and fed when they are idle. But with all their efficiency they cannot give one vital thing, companionship.
The jeep or automobile doesn’t whinny in gladness or in anticipation of breakfast when you come out to the garage in the morning. And you can’t smack it on the fender and tell it to move over. And it doesn’t care whether you ever take a ride or not. And it doesn’t lip carrots from your hand or nip your jacket in fun or slobber water over your clean shirt. Machines have about as much warmth as a refrigerator. And that is why the horse is still a part of our lives and will live on…”

Quote taken from Marguerite Henry’s book, All About Horses;@1967, Random House.

Even 45 years later, her words still ring true! Don’t you think?

How close are you to your horses? Can you see them from a window in your house or must you drive to the barn where they are boarded?

Our horses live here on our place and I feel blessed. My twin sister puts their horses on winter pasture where they live out west. She does not get to see them during the long winter months at all. At least not without effort and a 40-50 minute drive. How about you?

But, you know what? It also is a burden having our horses right outside the window. I see them everyday, and most of those days they are doing very little. I do not ride anywhere near like I’d like. Do you?

So, what do you do with your horses to “stay in touch” with them? I sure would like to hear from you. Would you like to know what I do?

Most everyday (except Sunday) when I go out in the morning to feed, I groom them. It settles my spirit while I talk to them and listen to them contently munching their sweet-smelling hay. I also pick hooves.

Also, I split up their ration of hay throughout the day. Really, just because I can. So when I go feed those couple flakes (or bricks, what do you call them?) of hay, I mess around with them. I call it “groundwork”. That makes me feel like a “big” horsewoman!!

It is fun and the horses, I know, enjoy the attention. I’ll take anything I think they need to make them more bombproof, i.e., opened umbrella, plastic bags, bells, flag, Christmas garland, etc. I hope you enjoy these pictures of us just messing around, and enjoying the company of one another.

Enjoy your time—all of it—with your horse!

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.
George Washington Carver

This is an interesting thought.

Do you have an example you would share of experiencing this and being tuned-in to God’s Voice while spending time with your horse? We would like to hear it.

And the hoofs of the horses as they run shakes the crumbling field.
-Virgil, The Aeneid

Walter Davis came as a recommendation to us when we were looking for a dependable farrier for our two adopted/orphan foals over six years ago. We have also recommended him every time. He is that good. He is that dependable. We asked him if we could post an article about him on our blog. He agreed. He is a man of few words. When we told him on a recent trail ride his horse talks more than he, his quick witted response was, “That’s because she’s a mare!”
Well, he may be right, but he will talk horses and horseshoeing.

Walter is a Virginian. Born in Winchester, Virginia, he was seven years old when he got his first pony as a Christmas gift. Riding horses has been a part of his life ever since. While attending school at Ferrum College, he rode English on the Intercollegiate Riding Team on the flat and over fences. Extra time was spent working in the stables. He earned his B.S. in Biology from Ferrum, but turned his attention to farrier’s school as his life’s occupation. After twelve weeks of study and graduation from Eastern Farrier School in Martinsville, VA, he returned to Winchester. There he began his professional career running his horseshoeing business for nearly thirteen years.

He works Monday through Friday and spends the weekends with his wife and children riding their horses. His clients range from mules to minis to drafts and pleasure riding horses like ours. He does not work with, “heavy shod gaited horses or racing thoroughbreds.” He says,”I feel that the horses best interests are often put aside in favor of performance for those two groups.”

“Working with the horses, being outside, not having a boss,” are the best parts of being a farrier he says. When we asked if it is easy to shoe a horse he replied,” The concept of trimming the foot and applying the shoe is relatively simple. The practice of doing so is not so easy. Dealing with 1,000 lbs that may or may not want to stand still is difficult. Adjusting to the size range of horses from Drafts to minis works every muscle in your body.”

We asked about being hurt. His matter-of-fact reply,” Stitches from nails going through my hand after they were nailed in the hoof, cracked ribs from a horse that pulled back and broke the hitching post which sent the rail flying into my side, but that’s really it in thirteen years of shoeing.”

Walter says the best hoof care we can give our horses is to keep them on a regular trimming or shoeing schedule.

Although he has changed his own shoes, no more English boots on thoroughbreds but Western boots on his breeding stock paint, he rides and still spends as much time as he can in his barn.

Have any question you would like to ask him? Direct them here, we will get them to him!