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20 Ways Horse Riding Becomes Life Itself

May 22, 2013

Golden Spike Farm Farm Horses, Horseback riding , Leave a comment

Great blog post.  Horses and my farm is my life.  I pick out the one related to most.

“Horse riding becomes life when…

1. The patience you develop working with your horse becomes the patience you use with your friends and colleagues.

4. Heavy lifting/pulling/pushing/hoof cleaning develops your strength enough to allow you to fluidly function under heavy loads when needed.

5. Facing your fears while on another’s four legs teaches you how to have courage in the face of life’s many difficulties.

8. The self-confidence you develop from knowing you can influence a powerful animal seeps into every interaction you have with people.

9. You learn from horses that it’s okay for things to get worse, because after things get worse, they always get better.

12. Sometimes, you just have to let go (especially when the horse bucks and bucks)!

13. In general, riding (life) isn’t about brute strength – it’s about gentle technique and strategy.

14. There is no such thing as a day off – you begin to value the rewards that hard work reaps.

17. There is no such thing as instant gratification. There is only hard work and step-by-step development.

18. Perfection is always aspired to, but rarely reached!

19. The path is more important than the end result.

20. Although we all have our own “conformation faults” that might work against us, we can overcome almost anything with some time and effort.”

via 20 Ways Horse Riding Becomes Life Itself.

Save Nash Flyer

May 22, 2013

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Save Nash Flyer_v3 p2

I am so excited to announce the save Nash flyer is done.  It was a collaborative effort of many people.  Thank you all for your help. It looks great!

Save Nash Flyer_v3 p1

Nash update from New Bolton Center

May 22, 2013

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Nash update from New Bolton Center

I just got off the phone with Dr Eric Parente.  He was very nice, explained everything and took the time to look a the hernia pics that I conveniently posted here in the plog.  I took notes of the conversation so wanted to share with you the positive news.

Nash would be admitted to the hospital for 4 – 5 days. On the first day Dr Eric would ultrasound it to find the margins and how close the hernia is to the last rib.  He will use the ultrasound to figure out what to anchor the surgical mesh to.  If it is close enough he might even use the rib for anchoring.  

The surgery would consist of general anesthesia and the insertion of the mesh.  After the surgery he would have a belly bandage for support.  They would use IV antibiotics followed by oral antibiotics.   Once Nash is home he would have to be in the stall for 2 -3  weeks with only limited hand walking.  This will allow time for the important scar tissue to form.

The end result is that the mesh would provide support from it getting bigger.  The results would not be flat against the stomach because it will have a round shape as the scar tissue fills in.

I asked about the risks:

  • What are the risks of having the surgery?  There is very minimal risks to the surgery itself.  The only one would be infection.  This is a low risk as this site of herniation has never been exposed to the outside world.  The fear is that there would be a low grade infection inside the hernia now and that would be opened up in the surgical process.  If the does occur then the mesh would have to be remove and the surgery would have to be performed again. 
  • What if we didn’t have the surgery?  It would continue to get bigger and not necessarily rupture but get to the point where it could become traumatized.  Meaning that if it was big enough it could be accidentally cut open and risk infection.
  • What is the risk of the surgery not working?  If we stick to the recovery plan, the risk of reherniation 

So good news all around. Back to fundraising!

Something Different

May 20, 2013

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So this weekend was a wash – literally, it rained almost the whole time.  I should not be complaining because I heard we need the rain but it did mess up some plans:

  • I couldn’t let the horses out the pastures.  The 2 rotation pastures are finally ready for grazing. The conditions have to be just right. If the ground is too soft they tear it up and create divots with their hooves.
  • I had to cancel one of my lessons

But it did clear up enough to bring Heather over to the neighbor’s  for pony rides at the kid’s party.2013-05-18_13-50-55_437 2013-05-18_13-51-49_262As you can see the good ol’ Heather was an Angel.  She walked around the yard while the kids got their pony ride.  For many of them it was their first time on a horse.  They were so cute and in awe of the experience.

Part 2 of the weekend as all about Compost!  As you can see my manure pile is growing so I posted an ad on Craigslist for free fertilizer.  We delivered one truck load, for the price of gas and another gardner stopped by to pick up her own truck load.

 

Save Nash: Hernia Surgery Fund

May 13, 2013

Golden Spike Farm Farm Horses , , , , 3 Comments

Nash the rescue horse at Golden Spike Farm needs hernia surgery. I am seeking the help of Animal Lovers to save his life.

JFJR1_3690RT

Less than 1 month in and we are 1/5th of the way through our fund raising. A very BIG thank you to those who have supported so far.

Please visit the website and donate if you can. Every little bit helps so even the smallest donation will make a big difference.https://www.youcaring.com/save_nash

One other favor help me spread the word. Please share this on your wall and pages. I would be a great help to let more people know about this great horse that needs a chance to life a full and happy life.

Thank you!

Just another Saturday on the Farm

May 8, 2013

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This weekend was perfect for doing farm stuff.  We went on a trail ride

Gave a few of the horses baths. After which Apple promptly rolled of course

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Then there was the usual silliness and mayhem.

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Photo Shoot at the farm

May 3, 2013

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Photo Shoot at the farm

Yesterday evening was perfect. The sun was thinking about setting, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the air was crisp & cool. The back pasture was the perfect setting for Judy Reinford, photographer, to do her photo shoot of Nash and some of me.

You see after hearing his story (click on the picture) she offered to help raise money for Nash’s hernia surgery. The first being volunteering her time and talents to have professional photos in the website and flyers.

My boy Nash

April 26, 2013

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Word is spreading and the grass roots campaign raise funds for Nash’s Hernia surgery just passed it’s first week.  I realized I failed to show you how bad the hernia is and what the surgery will fix.  This week we decided to shave the spot so we could get a clear view of how bad it is.

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Then after taking these photos Nash and I had some quality time while he munched on some grass in between the spring blossoms.

Photo of the day (2009)

April 26, 2013

Golden Spike Farm Horseback riding , , , 1 Comment

Photo of the day (2009)

It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall. ~Mexican Proverb

Save Nash: Week 2

April 22, 2013

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Save Nash: Week 2

I would like to thank Nash’s supporters, after less than 1 week we are off to a great start. As you know every little bit helps, and your donation will go towards saving a wonderful horse. Please also share we need to get the word out. Thank you so much!

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