Horse Journal Veterinary Editor Grant Miller DVM said that it’s official that an FDA-approved brand of pergolide, which is used to treat horses with PPID, aka Cushing’s disease, is on its way to the U.S. market. Read what he has to say below and, if you have more questions about the drug or Cushing’s, let me know. You can e-mail me at hjeditor@twcny.rr.com.

Here’s what Dr. Miller wants you to know:

Many readers obtain pergolide for their Cushingoid horses from compounding pharmacies (read more about this in our December 2011 issue).  These purchases are common practices in the United States since Permax, the FDA-approved formulation was removed from the market about six years ago.  However, recent developments at Boehringer Ingelheim bring promise that a new FDA-approved form of Pergolide will be available on the market soon.  Called Prascend, this 1 mg tablet is a synthetic form of dopamine that will likely have a more uniform concentration and longer shelf life than compounded products.

For those readers who cannot afford Prascend, or prefer a flavored power or liquid form of pergolide over the tablet form, the compounded form drug will still be available once Prascend hits the marketplace.  For now, the FDA is allowing compounding pharmacies to make pergolide from bulk ingredients (a practice that they generally do not allow as a rule of thumb.)  The fact is, compounded forms of pergolide were always available, even before Permax was taken out of circulation years ago.  The compounded forms were a bit more expensive than they are now, but still far less expensive than the FDA-approved Permax was.  It is likely that if nothing else, the same trend will recur for compounded pergolide once Prascend is released.

A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a dear friend, one of my best friends. Her horse needed a new home, and she wanted to know if I would take him. Yes, I would love to take him, but I don’t have the room. My husband insisted that we build only a three-stall barn, stating, “If you build a barn with 20 stalls, you’ll have 20 horses in no time.” I guess he was right. So, I had to say no to this beautiful, kind gelding.

What stumped me, though, was when she said, “Do you have a friend you would trust to take this horse?”  Wow. One person immediately came to mind, but I knew she already had a full barn.  I thought of two others, but they, too, had all the horses they wanted/needed. Now, I know a lot of horse people, so I thought it would be easy. I couldn’t believe it wasn’t. Interestingly, my friend also knows a lot of horse people, and she couldn’t think of anyone else she knew either.

No, we’re not nuts. If you love your horse the way I love mine and my friend loves hers, you understand. A horse is a huge responsibility, and the condition was, “If you can give this horse a new home, ride him and enjoy him, I’d like to put him in your care. If it ever doesn’t work for you, I want to take him back.”  Nothing wrong with that, as it shows love and acknowledges responsibility to that animal.

The person you choose to take your horse has to be trustworthy, caring and experienced enough to properly manage a horse. Think about it. How many people do you know that you would trust implicitly with a treasure as dear as your horse? Look into your horse’s eyes, also full of trust, without a clue as to how horrible life can be for some horses, and try to not worry about his future and well-being.

When I bought my two dogs, I had to sign agreements with the breeders for the care of these dogs (and they didn’t come from the same breeder, it was simply similar contracts). I underwent an inspection to be sure I had the facility and background necessary to give the dogs a good home.  And I had to sign, stating that if I could no longer care for the dogs that they were returned to the breeder.

Last summer, we bought two horses, both of whom were sold to us for a small amount because the sellers knew we were offering a good home. That was important to them, as they were responsible sellers. In fact, neither horse was even being advertised for sale. Both were by word-of-mouth.

But it wasn’t that way with my precious Sally, whom we purchased several years earlier. The seller didn’t ask anything about us beyond if we were paying with cash or check. I shudder to think what could have happened had she ended up with someone who didn’t care.

I’m glad my friend is taking the responsible way with her horse, too, because her gelding is also a treasure. In fact, every horse deserves a chance, and none deserve to end up with someone who doesn’t care what happens to that animal when they no longer need, want or can afford him or her. If you’ve got a horse who needs a home, whether you’re selling him, leasing him or giving him away, you owe it to him to ensure that the new owner is deserving of something as incredible as that horse.

Yes, that time of year has arrived again, and even tack stores are brimming with gift ideas for the season. Well, I’m here to suggest that you get practical with your money and avoid the dumb stuff, like another horse trinket. One of our local horse shops is stuffed full of horsey junk that I know will be on sale for 75% off on December 26. That’s because the stuff isn’t practical, so no one’s going to buy it unless they’re desperate for a gift. You can think beyond these tempting purchases, if you try.

Instead, think useful, such as an inexpensive (but nice) saddle pad rather than another t-shirt with a horse joke on it.  If you’ve only got $5 to spend, consider a pen with horses on it or a journal or a nice new lead rope, maybe one of the newer designs to jazz it up a bit. A person will always use those.

Candy and food make great gifts, of course. If you want to do something for both horse and rider, consider holiday horse treat packets–maybe a festive-package designer brand instead of the everyday stuff or maybe one of the mash mixes with peppermint candies. You’ll make both horse and rider happy. Most of us avoid buying these things for ourselves, but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t love to receive it!

Have you found a great new brush, curry comb or other seemingly simple item that you love using? Chances are that your horse friend might like that, too. In fact, have you used the Ultimate Hoofpick yet? It’s a Horse Journal favorite for good reason. It’s the type of hoofpick you’d love to buy yourself, but talk  yourself out of it due to the price. But at $15 to $17, depending upon the size you choose, it’s at a great small-gift price. You don’t look too cheap, but you don’t break the holiday bank either (www.ultimatehoofpick.com).  I’m betting your friend will tell you repeatedly how much she likes that hoof pick throughout the year.

Of course, I think a subscription to Horse Journal would be just ducky to give, especially since we focus on saving money and do-it-yourself horse care. Who doesn’t need to do that?  Readers have told me countless times over the years that the information they gain in one issue alone pays for the cost of the subscription for the rest of the year.

For a temporary time, we’re offering a holiday special at two subscriptions for $36. You can extend your own subscription for a year for free when you give your friend a subscription.  However, it’s special, so you’ve got to call 800-829-9145 and mention code 71X2F1 in order to take advantage of it. Our website is www.horse-journal.com, but use the phone this time to place your order and get the deal.

Maybe your friend or trainer would like a new halter with a super personal design. Check out http://www.redhautedesign.com for more halter designs than you can shake a stick at, with the option of a breakaway fuse (the only way to leave a halter on a horse). If you’ve never visited this site, you’re in for a treat.

I’ve always been told that one of the nicest gifts you can give is something a person uses all the time, but just a little more upscale. For instance, if you know your friend is making do with a hairbrush from the dollar store to do manes and tails, she might think the Oster mane and tail brush is great! It’s about $10 to $12 at nearly any tack store. Or a whole new grooming set.

Most of us use the same brushes year after year without giving a thought to how much easier grooming would be with new tools. I have a $25 soft brush someone gave me that I would have never purchased on my own (too expensive!), but I would hate to be without it.  (I’d share that brand with you, but sadly, the company went out of business.  Probably because they were trying to sell $25 brushes!)

Maybe her shipping boots have seen better days . . . you get the drift. I’m just a practical sort of person, and I think the best gifts are the ones that don’t just sit on a shelf, especially when we’re all pinching pennies.

I just posted a link on our Facebook page about a fatal horse accident  (http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20111005/NEWS/310050030/Owner-dies-after-horse-panics?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage). It’s a reminder that a horse accident is always right around the corner, and often there’s little we can do about it.

This link is about Debra Lusk, a woman in North Carolina who was recently killed by her horse in a trailer. It sounds like the horse panicked for some reason, started kicking and didn’t stop. She was trapped.  It could happen to any of us, at any point, with any horse, whether a particular horse is silly or quiet.  My deepest sympathy goes to her family and friends, especially her fellow horsewomen who were with her when the incident happened. I cannot even begin to imagine the horror.

We all know we can get hurt riding. And, hopefully, we’ve all accepted that wearing a safety helmet and proper boots is the minimal effort we can make for our families and friends, as they’re the ones that are left behind to cope if we’re killed or seriously injured.

But, although riding increases the chance of injury, it’s not the only place you can be injured. I’ve been injured more times than I care to admit because I did something stupid – got on a strange horse without someone else riding it first, forgot to check my girth before mounting and jumping a course, handled a horse without giving my full attention to him – and I always said to myself afterward, “I knew better than that.”  I guess I’m lucky I was around to utter those words.

Horse Journal prints safety reminders each month. They’re not just everyday safety stuff. We look for situations that not all of us might recognize as potentially dangerous, such as not running our stirrups up properly, a saddle rack sticking out in the barn aisle, unattached halter hooks and straps, a longe line or lead rope wrapped around our hand.

If you’re like me, horses are as much a part of living as eating and sleeping. We accepted the risks as part of the sport long ago.  I imagine Debra Lusk did, too. But freak accidents happen. When they do, all we can do is offer sympathy to the family and friends mourning her loss and work hard to always reduce our own risks. Take no chances.

My niece is learning to ride on Kelsey, “her” horse.  It’s fun to watch her figure out riding and put our advice to work. She’s a real natural, and she’s improving rapidly on a very obstinate mount. We haven’t allowed her to canter yet, but I know she’s just aching to do it.

My sister and I, her “instructors,” constantly remind her of safety issues: Heels down! Tighten the helmet chin strap! Don’t let your horse run up on the tail of the other horse! You don’t need to put your face in front of the hoof when you pick out her feet  . . . Mackenzie’s mom, my other sister, was just as wild and crazy on horseback as the rest of us. She also knows those days are long gone and we have very strict barn safety rules, so hopefully she doesn’t worry.  

I’ll bet you remember those days, too, way back when we didn’t know any better. We only used a “helmet” (the old apparel things) when we showed, and we rode bareback as much as we did with a saddle. Those horses must have been quite fit, as we really only walked “the first 10 minutes and the last 10 minutes” of every ride.

I remember mounting our horses from the rear and trying other “vaulting” exercises. We crossed deep streams we knew nothing about and made daily trips to the “racing field.” We jumped anything we didn’t think was too big, including a snowmobile and even a dead cow—my horse was the only one who would get near it. 

We all developed very independent seats and an absolute fearlessness about trying anything on our horses, all of which must have been equine saints to put up with what they did and allow us to survive. Ah, but they were fun times. It’s no wonder my mom would pick us up at the barn–yes, we were basically unsupervised, another modern safety no-no–and ask, “Any incidents or accidents today?”  (Fortunately, kids instinctually know about that secret pact that keeps them from spilling the beans to adults unless absolutely necessary.)

Eileen standing in the pature on Just Plain Red.

What brings this topic up today is that I just found this photo of my sister Eileen, who turns 50 tomorrow (Sshhh! Don’t tell her I told you!). She’s standing on her Thoroughbred gelding, who looked like hell but was as kind and gentle as they come (clearly, my parents knew how to buy horses).  His name was Red, and Eileen got so tired of entering shows and having the secretary ask, “His name is just Red?” that she actually renamed him “Just Plain Red.” He might have been “plain,” but he was a classic we’ll never forget.

Although it’s not official until September 23, it sure is fall weather here. It’s my favorite season, except when I think about the horseback riding during the upcoming hunting season.

I’m not really anti-hunting, as I understand that deer don’t have many real predators anymore and it becomes very difficult for the large number of them trying to survive in our over-populated, over-developed area.  I also know most hunters use the meat, and possibly even more, from what they kill. How they do it, I’ll never know. I still cry when they stop drawing Bambi’s mother.

Molly notices that the other fawn has appeared in the paddock.

I also worry terribly about our resident deer, Molly. She was born on the property and has remained here ever since. She’s very recognizable as she’s such a tiny deer.  This year she had her first fawns, and my husband caught a photo of her and the babies outside our paddock the other evening. Much to our amusement, a fourth deer, also a fawn, joined in the fun. This baby has visited inside the paddock nearly all summer, frequently grazing with the horses and licking the salt block. There’s nothing I can do to protect these gentle creatures, except pray that most hunters avoid our area due to the heavy population.

Still, I also worry about the horses, as our field is surrounded by woods (mostly that is, as there’s a huge new development on the other side of the woods that should slow things down). We put brightly colored halters and masks on the horses during turnout.

The three fawns and Molly gather together, despite one fawn on the opposite side of the fence.

In Horse Journal’s October issue (www.horse-journal.com), we’ve included information about a number of companies that make some great blaze orange and/or reflective gear for horse and rider.  If you’re planning to trail ride during hunting season, this might be something to make room for in your budget. Both you AND the horse need to be protected!

And make noise when you’re out on the trail–whether you talk, put bells on your horse or sing. In fact, if you sing badly, sing even louder! Maybe the hunters will move on to quieter areas more quickly. Stay safe!

On another note, have you seen the trailer for War Horse? It’s going to be released on December 28. It looks incredibly heart-wrenching. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810159454/trailer

The other day after a ride, my sister asked how my hips were doing.  They’ve been hurting for quite some time now (after sitting, but not riding, thank God!), and I finally went to the doctor. She said I have trochanteric bursitis, and she offered me cortisone injections or, if I prefer, I could try a course of exercises to see it they help.

That was an easy decision, and I’ve done the prescribed exercises every day.  I’m noticing some improvement, too.

My sister was stunned that I was doing the exercises.  “Why wouldn’t I?” I asked, thinking that was bizarre reaction.

“Well,” she said, “I learned in vet school to expect most people to not take your advice.” She went on to say that she sees it over and over again. Sometimes, she’ll tell a new client what’s wrong and what to do, only to be told, “That’s what Dr. Jones told me, too.”

Apparently, there are people who don’t like the treatment advice Vet 1 says, so they go to Vet 2 to see if it’s easier. Not a second-opinion type of visit, but a full new workup without letting on about the other vet to the new vet.

My turn to be stunned. “Why on earth would you pay someone for their opinion and then not take their advice?” My sister just shrugged.

Then I thought back to Dr. Grant Miller’s Veterinary Viewpoints article in our September issue. In that piece, Dr. Miller wrote about 10 ways to make your veterinarian happy. One of them said:

“Follow our advice. Many times I’ve been befuddled to learn I prescribed a treatment that the owner didn’t follow correctly. When vets make recommendations, we expect the horse to respond in a certain way. If you call a week later to say the horse is no better, we assume our treatment didn’t work. 

“The consequences are a prolonged problem for your horse, more expense in time and money for you (since we have to do more work), and frustration for us because we have to figure out why your horse didn’t respond.  If you’re uncomfortable with your veterinarian’s recommendations for whatever reasons, please say so immediately. It’s better in the long run.”

That doesn’t mean don’t get a second opinion if there’s question over the diagnosis or the suggested treatment is extremely invasive or expensive. But if you do want a second opinion, be up front about it to both veterinarians. It’ll save you money in the long run, and you might be surprised that they may collaborate on the case, giving you even better suggestions. No good veterinarian will be upset by it.

We’re finally working inside the barn, getting the staining done, stall mats down and phoning footing manufacturers. Trying go to the DIY route is tough to do when you also have to earn a living!  Plus, you want to ride, too. It’s worth it, though. 

We're delighted with the finished product.

I’m finally convinced we have a good base for the arena. We need to add four inches of compacted stone dust, and we need to pound that (that boggled my mind a bit until I learned you can rent something to do that). Next comes the two to three inches of real footing, and that’s proving to be expensive.  At the moment, I think we’re looking at $6,000 for the actual footing for our 60 x 80 indoor.

We did save on the electric, as my husband tackled the job himself. The worst part was running the underground electric line into plastic conduits and then burying it. It sounds much easier than it is, and we now understand how labor bumped the electric-installation bids to $12,000.

Notes to anyone looking planning to build a new barn:

1)    Figure on spending at least 25% beyond the bid for the actual building. In fact, if you get away with that, you’re lucky. Be prepared. If you spread yourself too thin financially, it won’t be as much fun.

2)    Check everything on the building contract thoroughly before you sign. Look for really specific items like,  “install water lines and connect to existing water, three faucets, electric installation and hook up, three aisle lights, three loft lights, number of doors and location, all rocks required for the base, concrete aisle and sidewalks, three stalls with grills with feeding hole and doors” – in other words, if it’s not in that contract specifically the way you want it, you may not get it.

3)  Trust only what’s written on the contract, because that’s all that will be done.

4) A new barn is worth the sacrifice, frustration and stress you go through during the building. But don’t rush into it. Plan carefully and know exactly what you need.

There are signs of autumn everywhere, and I love it. I’m also on the alert.

When I go to the barn in the morning, I wear my rubber boots because the dew is too heavy for other footwear (I can deal with wet socks in the warm summer months), and I’ve been raking quite a few fallen leaves out of major horse walkways, like the barn entrance, for more than two weeks now. (I routinely clean up leaves, manure and other debris because keeping the area clean makes it dry out more quickly, which helps it not turn into a deep boggy mess.)

Sally’s been losing her summer coat for several weeks now, and today I noticed that Paz is beginning to grow a winter coat. Kelsey’s a hold out, apparently, but since she tends to sweat standing still if the thermometer reaches 80°,  I don’t blame her for waiting.

Night temperatures are getting noticeably lower and soon, I know, the grass will be covered with frost in the morning. Those cold temperatures cause the grass to increase its fructan production, meaning it holds more sugar.

None of our horses are really high-risk for insulin resistance, nor do they seem to be genetically prone to founder, but I monitor things carefully anyway because, well, you never know.  I know a lot of folks have been taken by surprise by fall laminitis. I wait to let the horses out after the sun has warmed the grass and the frost is gone. Fall laminitis isn’t really the gorging-on-young-grass type of founder you might think of in spring. In the fall, it’s more the higher levels of fructan, or sugar, that’s in the grass when it’s cold that’s the culprit.

I learned decades ago, when I worked on Thoroughbred farms in Kentucky, not to let horses out when the grass was covered in frost. The reason wasn’t really clear then. Some grooms said colic, and a few farm managers said founder. Even the veterinarians didn’t seem certain, but everyone agreed that turning horses out on frost-covered grass was risky.  Now, of course, reliable research has proven the problem is mainly the fructan, although horses have colicked from frosty grass, too.  I’m just not willing to take the chance.

In our August 2011 issue, Dr. Deb Eldredge wrote an article on eye care.  Since Horse Journal’s purpose is to “provide practical solutions and hands-on information our readers can take into the barn and use,” she included specific instructions on how to care for an injured or irritated eye, as well as specific product choices to use. We want our readers to be able to confidently handle much of their own horse care.  Sally came into the barn last night with an eye that looked like she’d gone 10 rounds in a boxing ring (and I don’t think she’d have been the victor).  Boy, was I happy we printed that article on eye care!

I felt guilty about Sally’s eye, as we were supposed to get rain all day so I opted not to put her fly mask on in the morning. Just dumb. It had poured rain the day before, too, and the horses came in like they could barely see due to the water on the mask, which made my decision for that day, but I won’t make that mistake again.

We noted that clearly the eye itself wasn’t harmed. No drainage, no wounds, just really puffy all around the outside. It looked irritated, not injured, according to what Dr. Eldredge said in her article.

Sally had clearly been rubbing a lot, probably due to pesky flies or possibly because she got into the taller parts of the field. We decided to wash the eye out and, thank goodness, we had one of the products Dr. Eldredge recommended for eye flushing. Must have felt good to Sally, as she initially objected then changed her mind after the first flush.

This morning her eye is normal again.

That’s what I love about doing Horse Journal. We try to discuss the everyday problems we all encounter with our horses and finish with clear recommendations on what to use, why and how.  It also reminded me why so many subscribers tell me that one article a year more than pays for their subscription (a visit from our veterinarian would have cost a lot more).

I’m concerned, though. In September’s issue, Dr. Eldredge is talking about diarrhea . . . I sure hope Sally doesn’t find out.

I came across an interesting comment, stating that if we purchased premium grain instead of less-expensive choices, it would be cheaper in the long run, as we wouldn’t spend so much money on supplements. I sighed, noting that the comment appeared to have come from a major horse-feed producer.

Our horses eat a high-quality feed.  However, they get about a pound of it each night during grazing months, just enough to mix supplements in it (much more in winter, of course).  And two of our three horses are fat; the other is normal weight.

The package recommendation is that we feed about a half pound per 100 pounds of body weight just for maintenance (light work is even more).  At maintenance, that would mean the fattest horse, who should weigh around 900 lbs., would be getting  over four times as much as I’m giving her now. About 4 ½ pounds.  That’s way more calories than she needs! And this product is designed to be fed with hay, which she gets in addition to pasture.

We’re blessed with excellent hay, and the pasture is good. However, we live in a low selenium area, so I know they need a little boost, and I supplement selenium with vitamin E. 

Because of her high-risk profile for insulin resistance and laminitis (she’s Morgan), I also supplement magnesium (which seems to keep her neck from getting too cresty) and a joint nutraceutical.  (By the way, Horse Journal’s September issue starts a new series on equine arthritis by Dr. Grant Miller, including Adequan, Legend and joint supplements. Good stuff.)

Since very few commercial concentrates/grains add joint nutraceuticals (way too expensive!) and few add magnesium, as most horses don’t have a magnesium deficiency or requirement for extra supplementation, I know I have to supplement both these things, too.

All our horses also get a good hoof supplement, as I’ve learned that it also promotes healthy coats and general health. Just as an example for my point of this blog (that is, we do need to feed supplements), I want to talk about biotin, a main hoof nutrient we’re all familiar with.

The product I feed contains 107 mg/lb. of biotin. The serving size (a half cup) provides 20 mg to the horse.  Horses need a minimum of  15 to 20 mg per day of biotin, so I know I’ve got that well covered. (Grass and hay contain very low levels of biotin.)

My feed contains .45 mg/lb. of biotin.  That means the pound of feed she’s receiving provides less than half of a mg of biotin.  To get her to 20 mgs of biotin, I would have to feed 40 lbs. of feed.

The fact is that most horses don’t need much grain or any grain at all. Unless your horse can’t hold his or her weight on hay/pasture alone, the amount of grain you feed should be just sufficient enough to hold your supplements or to give them a “prize” for coming in the barn. You could just use wet beet pulp as a carrier for your supplements, if you prefer.

There’s no reason to go crazy over supplements, but for the basic needs, they’re an easy, efficient route. That’s one of the reasons Horse Journal covers so many different types of supplements and makes specific recommendations of the best ones throughout the year. Our horses need supplements.

Last week, I picked up Sally’s left front leg and, rats, I felt some fluid in the back of the cannon bone, tendon area, right below the knee. No pain, no heat, no lameness—which made me feel better. But it did mean some time off for her and giving her lots of TLC, which takes extra time and effort.  It wasn’t her fault, of course, and I was thankful it wasn’t more serious.

But, for no reason at all, I got grumpy.

Maybe it was the frustration of a mid-summer injury. Maybe it was because I know the leg’s going to be a problem from here on out. Maybe it was just a horrible week. There was a ton of work to do (horse and non horse work), and I was stressed.

My wonderful husband was struggling with installing the new-barn electric, since we were too cheap to pay all that money to have professionals do it (pay $85 an hour to hang up lights and screw in light bulbs? Not us!). Maybe I felt “guilty” about chiming in that we can do it ourselves, since I haven’t helped a bit.  

Maybe it was because I couldn’t release my frustration by riding Sally.  (I did ride Kelsey, but that seemed to make me more frustrated—a story for another day.)

All I could think was, why’d we sink all that money in the new barn? Too make matter worse, I calculated how much it was costing per year, assuming I kept riding till age 75.  Ugh.

I fretted as to how three horses can go through so much bedding so quickly. I vented that a saddle sitting idle in a tack room shouldn’t get dirty all by itself, but it did. I screamed to know one in particular, “Why can’t I just leave the hose out in the field, in the water tank, and just turn the water on when I need it instead of dragging a long hose in and out day after day after day?”

Fortunately, my pity party ended two nights ago. The air had finally cooled and the humidity was down. The barn was clean, and a nagging deadline that was bugging me was past.  The atmosphere in the barn was peaceful that evening. Serene. Comforting.

I was dragging in that hose for the millionth time, when I saw Sally was watching me. She had her head over the stall door and was chewing a big chunk of hay. Strands of hay were dropping all over the barn aisle, making a mess. And she looked as content as a horse can be. 

All at once, I realized that I don’t want to do anything else, no matter how much my body aches, no matter how the chores seem endless at times, and no matter how many times I swear those 50-lb. bags of feed weigh more than they did 10 years ago.

I’m lucky to have a barn in which to spend after-work hours, doing whatever I please. I can’t imagine just going to the gym, or a movie, or baseball game or doing whatever non-horse people spend their evenings doing. (TV all night? Yuck.) When I return to the house, tired and dirty, I’m also deeply happy.

I guess there’s simply something about horses, horse care and horse barns that do me good. I know you understand. Without our horses, our lives would be empty – even if we have to remind ourselves on those bad days.  

Oh, and Sally’s leg is looking near-normal as I write this. Life is good.

Have you visited the new website www.myhorsedaily.com? I’m one of the editors helping with it, and although it’s still in its early stages, we’re pretty proud of what’s going on.

Managing editor Amy Herdy describes it as “packed with tips from experts on anything and everything having to do with horses . . . I think it’s fair to say that while it’s authoritative, it’s also fun, and recognizes that we’re all drawn to horses because we love them.”

Check it out. There are a number of free informational downloads there for you, too, on subjects like fencing, bits and deworming.

My topic for this blog (sometimes I think I should call it vent session) is catalog/Internet orders gone awry.  The first order involved a stain for my new barn. I found exactly what I needed and, although the website was rather unprofessional and didn’t fill me with confidence, I was familiar with the product from about 15 years ago.

After a pleasant phone conversation with the company to verify that what they were selling was what I wanted, I placed the order online.  I received immediate confirmation of the order via e-mail, and my credit card was immediately charged. Great, I thought, I’ll have this quickly, since I know that Visa and Master Card both require retailers to not bill a credit card until an item actually ships.

I e-mailed the company 12 days later to find out where the product was, and I received no response. I waited another week and was told that they think the item shipped the previous week.  She said they normally ship within a few days of order, but they may have been out of stock on this item; she’d check on that. (It’s a two-day UPS shipment between me and the company.)

Three days later, I asked for a refund. The refund was issued immediately, and I was told the item was shipped but UPS was returning it them due to damage. Never, ever was I given a UPS tracking number, which is the norm for most companies. Wouldn’t you think sending a complaining customer the UPS tracking number would have been step 1?

I honestly don’t believe the product was ever shipped. This was just a lesson that unprofessional handling of inquiries is probably an indication of a haphazard company.  But the next incident, which (lucky me) was around the same time is mind-boggling.

On another order, from a different company, I received the package quickly, but it was missing one product, a bag of plastic tops for metal fence posts we needed to get in around the new barn.

Of course, it was the one item I wanted immediately (I had ordered non-critical items also to qualify for “free shipping”), but we’re all human. Mistakes happen. I called the company and explained the situation.  I was asked to:

1)    “Please check the box to be sure you didn’t overlook it.” The bag of tops would be too big to overlook, and the box was upstairs. Still, I was raised to do what I was told. I ran up the stairs and checked again. No product.

2)    “Please look inside all the foam filler to be sure you didn’t overlook it.” But, I said, this item is too large to be caught in foam. “Please look,” the customer service person insisted. “This is protocol.” I’m actually embarrassed to admit to you now that I stupidly, again, ran up the stairs and looked through all the foam, but I tend to be a nice person. No product.

3)    “Please check to be sure the packing slip says the item was in the box.” I already did, I said.  That’s why I’m calling you. “You must check it again,” the customer-service person said. Thinking that there’s definitely a reason some people equate “nice” with “stupid,” I ran up the stairs and looked at the packing slip.

Now very much out of breath—nice/stupid me, I didn’t want to waste too much of the customer-service person’s time so I ran up and down the stairs—I went back to the phone, packing slip in hand, and said, yes, the item is supposed to be in there.

“Well,” she said, “the item was in the box.” (I am not making this up!)

What? No, it isn’t! I checked everything.

“The weight on the package indicates that the item is in the box, and UPS would have notified us if the weight was incorrect.”

No they wouldn’t! If you’re dumb enough to pay more than the actual shipping charge, that’s just fine with them.  They only notify you if it’s underweight.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. The item was in the package.”

Shocked—and thankful the item was only $10—I hung up.

I then put the package together again with everything in it that I received. The UPS label was marked “14 lbs.” The items and the box weighed less than 9 lbs. We ship out a lot of test products for Horse Journal, so this was routine for me.

I called back and asked to speak with a manager. I told her what happened. She apologized and said the customer-service rep was following instructions, but she clearly pushed it too far. (You think?)

I told her it would make more sense to track that I called about this problem, so if it’s repeated frequently you might suspect that I wasn’t telling the truth, but the way the rep sounded, I was a horrible liar. (Actually, at this point, I was livid, and I’m giving you the G-rated version.) I also told her that clearly her shipping department was not weighing individual boxes, but instead was pushing in whatever code the first woman used to estimate the weight and slapping on a shipping label.

The company overnighted me the missing item, which I appreciated, but when that catalog comes in the mail, I just toss it.

Well, I feel better. Do you have some horse-item shipping horror stories to share?

Once the loft is full of hay for the year, I let out a huge sigh of relief. There are precious few folks in our area that do small square bales anymore. Actually, there aren’t all that many farmers that do hay at all. It’s just not as lucrative as soybeans or sunflower seeds. So on Monday (Happy 4^th of  July to me) I cleaned out the loft to make room for this year’s hay and, yesterday, my wonderful husband helped put 400 bales of hay up for the year—at least we hope it will last a year. Much of that depends upon the winter.

I love our hay lady. She is truly a gem. She’s a horse person, too, actively involved in things in our horse community, and she knows what we need in horse hay. It’s really good hay, and our horses devour it.

But, like us, she’s no spring chicken, and I worry about the future years. This year’s load was $1400 (that’s $3.50/bale), and I don’t know how she was able to sell it to us at that price with the cost of gas and labor going up, up, up, but I am certainly relieved. Keeping horses is getting tougher financially every year (one of the reasons Horse Journal focuses its content so heavily on money and how to keep costs low), and my retirement plans include paying for horses.

But I don’t just worry about finances. I also worry about who’s going to grow the hay, who will be willing to do the work and, very much where the grass is going to grow. It’ll all sift down to dollars and cents, of course, as the laws of supply and demand take over. (Note to self: More retirement funds needed.)

Like a lot of people, I take that comments like, “Across the country, we are losing 6,000 acres of agricultural, forest and other lands each day. Conservatively, we need 36,000,000 acres to feed the estimated 9 million horses in the U.S.” with a grain of salt. That’s directly from the ELCR, or Equine Land Conservation Resource (www.elcr.org). It’s difficult to imagine that we could be losing 6,000 acres per day. However, if it’s actually even half that amount, it’s enough to give you pause.

John Strassburger, Horse Journal’s Performance Editor, is a board member of the group. He’s been a close friend for nearly 20 years, and I know him well. He insists that the statistics show this great a continued loss of open land is really true, and that worries me. He’s a straight talker, not prone to hype and hysteria.

Folks, we’ve got a problem on our hands, maybe not in this decade, but surely during the next.  Go to the ELCR.org to see if you can do anything in your area. If you hear about a group protesting a development or someone trying to do something to preserve open land in your area, think about lending a hand. I don’t know about you, but filling the loft with expensive bags of hay pellets, shipped in from some distant country,  just won’t be nearly as satisfying as traditional, healthy hay bales.

There’s a reason Olympic-level riders take lessons and even great instructors pay to ride in clinics: Bad habits sneak up on you.

I took lesson upon lesson as a kid, and the experience riding different horses was wonderful for enhancing my riding skills. As an older adult, I didn’t go back to lessons until I decided to switch from hunter/jumper  because, umm, 3’6” jumps have gotten bigger since my younger years and the idea of jumping didn’t appeal to me anymore (actually, it sort of made me nauseous).   

Needing something to focus on, I settled on dressage. It looked challenging enough so I wasn’t bored, and my horse’s feet would stay on the ground. I wanted to do it the right way, though, because one day I might compete again. So I found the best dressage instructor in our area and rode with her for over five years on lesson horses. I learned a lot. In fact, much of what I learned I wish I had known back when I was doing h/j.  I soon became a much better rider (not braver, though).

Sally was improving, too, because of those lessons. All was going well until my “cheap side” hit and I decided I’d learned enough to go it alone. Why pay to ride a horse that wasn’t as talented as my own? Plus, I was so tired after a full day’s work that driving 40 minutes to her barn became a chore. I decided to watch videos, read articles and ask for advice from my expert friends.

That was dumb, dumb, dumb.  Over the last two years, bad habits snuck into my riding, and the only way I knew something was wrong was because Sally had taken full advantage of the situation. Bend? Forget it. Collect? Dust maybe. Adjust the stride? Not unless you mean walk, trot, canter.

We now have a dressage instructor willing to come to our barn for lessons, which means lessons on our own horses. Hurray! We just had the first one Sunday, a real eye-opener. Of course, like everyone, I wanted New Teacher to think I was “good.” I sat up as straight as possible, checked my leg position (not difficult, as the only natural gift I have is that my legs have always dropped beautifully from my hips in the saddle), and tried to ensure Sally was on-the-bit and connected.

Sadly, the first thing out of the new instructor’s mouth was, “Having a perfect position isn’t going to do you much good if you’re not effective.”  Pop! Balloon burst. Rats! So much for looking good. But, just in that one first lesson, I became aware of the bad habits that I’d formed. Sally had to actually work, too! We were both sweating!

New Teacher even caught why I was struggling to not be so forward in the saddle. I thought it was my old h/j roots (or just ”old”). She said it was the saddle. No way! I bought this saddle new, and it was perfectly balanced then (about eight years ago, I realized). I took it off the horse and looked at it with a fresh eye. Sure enough, the pommel sat noticeably too low compared to the cantle, and it caused me to be constantly thrown forward. I’m working on that problem now.

My goal for the next lesson? I just want to be effective.

There was a sentence in a sidebar of Performance Editor John Strassburger’s May 2011 article, “How Do You Know What Job Your Horse Will Do?”  that upset a number of Morgan lovers.

The article itself, if you don’t subscribe, was about the challenge we face, as riders, in determining whether our horse is capable of, or more importantly, happy, working in our chosen discipline. For example, is your sluggish dressage horse trying to tell you he hates arenas and wishes he was a trail horse?

If you subscribe, you can download the article at www.horse-journal.com. If you don’t subscribe and want the article, full PDFs of every Horse Journal are available for $4.95 at www.horsebooksetc.com.

It was a thought-provoking article, and the sidebar, aka the center of controversy, was about breed suitability. It urged readers to look at horses as individuals and not to typecast them by virtue of their breed or a stereotype. 

The apparent problem paragraph in the sidebar said, “But that doesn’t mean these breeds are limited to these disciplines. Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Arabs and most warmbloods can often do just about anything. (Well, a 100-mile endurance ride might be a bridge too far for many of them.) While Saddlebreds and Morgans have largely been bred into show-ring caricatures of their former type, you can still find ones that, by virtue of their willing brains, can step outside of their normal physical limitations.  You can start your look with a specific breed, but keep an open mind and don’t discard one breed based on a generality.”

John was saying, correctly, that one shouldn’t discount a Morgan (or Saddlebred) just because you think the entire breed only does saddle-seat showing, as that’s far from the case. And, obviously, the “former type” John was referring to was Justin Morgan, a small strong horse who was not a high-stepping show horse.

Unfortunately, some people were insulted by the statement and complained that we didn’t understand Morgans. When I said that one of our main contributors is a Morgan sport-horse breeder, I was told that the sport-horse Morgan people weren’t true breeders of Morgans. And there was more bashing, including of Quarter Horses, a breed some people don’t find as versatile as we do.

All but one of the letter-writers settled down when we explained that the sentence was taken out of context and then sent them a copy of the entire article to read. And, ironically, one Morgan lover wrote a letter praising the exact same statement others took offense at. (It was the first comment I’d gotten on the article; boy, was I in for a surprise.)

The letters reminded me of the dangers of the Internet and the speed with which it can spread gossip and ugly rumors, which I despise.  Folks were slamming us without knowing what they were talking about or, in several cases, without knowing anything about the article or the publication itself. The letters also reminded me that people can be very narrow-minded.  Fortunately, no one at Horse Journal can be called “narrow-minded.”

For me, the hysteria made no sense at all. I love horses. Period. There isn’t a breed on the planet I can’t say something good about, nor is there a breed I would “refuse to own,” as one Morgan person told me about another breed. There may, however, be some horses that I don’t need or can’t use, but that’s different.

So, if you’ve got a vaulting horse for sale, I’ll admire his talent and poise, but don’t expect to purchase him. The time of my life when I might actually be able to vault on and off of a horse is long gone.  But if you’ve got a quiet Zebra doing Grand Prix dressage at a price I can afford, I’ll take a look . . . you never know. He might have a passage to die for.

It’s so easy to get frustrated! I’ve seen it a million times, and I’ve experienced it probably more than that. Despite your every effort, strict attention to “how to,” listening to your trainer, and communicating with every aid imaginable, still, you cannot get the horse to do what you want!

For me, it’s getting Sally’s head nicely vertical, as it should be. For others, it might be picking up the correct lead the first time. Or sustaining the canter. Or getting a few steps of piaffe. Maybe it’s finding your spot as you approach a jump. It can be anything!

But, while it’s easier said than done, you need to let it go! Tomorrow’s another day. For me, the harder I try, the worse things become, and the more irritated, frustrated and downright angry I become.

Just the other day, I was struggling with Sally to get her head where I want it, all the while being reminded by my helpful riding buddy to half-halt, half-halt, do this, do that. I was trying everything when Sally began to prance and shake her head, saying on no uncertain terms, “You figure out what the heck you want me to do and let me know, otherwise, I guarantee we’re going to ‘part ways.’”

Whoa! Message received. Sally is an unpredictable firecracker few others will ride, and I take her threats very seriously (I probably shouldn’t be riding her either, but I love her and after nine years we “get” each other). To be fair, she had a point. I had so many things going on and was holding her with everything I had that she absolutely became confused and . . . you guessed it . . . frustrated!

Sadly, though, those few seconds she was incredibly connected, paying total attention to me (albeit not in a responsive way) and felt awesome! But I relaxed the rein and gave her a break for the rest of the ride. The next day, things went much better. Thank goodness horses are so forgiving.

When you’re trying to improve your performance or your horse’s, remember that life’s too short to go overboard. Tomorrow’s another day, and it is better to simply enjoy whatever fleeting “moments of brilliance” you can get, those times when you feel a collected, responsive—and happy—horse working perfectly with you.

I try to remind myself that I’m training, not breaking, my horse.  If I’m patient and consistent, she’ll give me an increasing number of those brilliant moments, and neither of us will be frustrated.

Technically, it’s still spring (summer begins June 21, which is also the longest day of the year), but weather-wise, we’re all in the summer mode. It’s upposed to be 97° today.

For us, heat means a lot of attention to horse care. I watch the horses for skin fungus, as it’s so much better to head that off quickly. My favorite early-detection weapon is the DermaCloth from Kinetic Technologies. It’s easy and effective at this stage, but it’s not cheap. That said, the right choice of a supplement has helped tremendously in not battling the summer crud. Apparently, it’s the intake of trace minerals that helps here. I was using a coat supplement, but I’ve switched to a great hoof supplement, and it’s getting the job done well.

Frequent bathing helps, too, as it gets all that sweat and grime off. The hose-attachment shampoo bottles are wonderful for a quick bath, but we always curry, too, so that we know the dirt is lifted from way deep down on the skin. (Not sure which product to choose? Go to www.horse-journal.com and search for “One-Step Horse Bathing Kits” it’s free if you’re a subscriber.) If you don’t like the spray-on solutions, just choose a gentle shampoo.

Yes, I know, you’re saying, “Use dollar-store dish-wash soap.” Well, although we use original Dawn Dish Wash Soap in our barn for about a zillion different things, we don’t use any type of dish-wash soap for baths anymore. Sure, it was the staple shampoo, but it’s simply not formulated for the horse’s hair, and it can be drying to the skin. A gentle horse shampoo doesn’t have to be expensive

Plus, with all the work involved in giving your horse a bath, it just makes more sense to me to use the right product for proper skin pH and coat conditioning. (Want a neat little tool for bathing? Go to Schneider’s Saddlery and check out the Ultra Rapid Scrub II at http://www.sstack.com/Horse-Care_Grooming_Curries/Ultra-Rapid-Scrub-II/ — it’s just $9.95, and it combines a sponge with a curry, and it fits comfortably in your hand.).

With three mares and very tall grass, we have a lot of “itches” to control. (My husband won’t mow the pasture because he’s convinced that two does—one of which is our Molly—have had fawns that are hiding in the grass, and he’s worried he might hit one. So the ridiculously overpriced mower gets a summer vacation until he’s convinced they’ve moved on!) But I’m a getting little off track . . . the mares’ udders get very gritty with smegma (those grimy, greasy dirt clumps) and sometimes bug bites and irritations, all of which make them scratch their tails terribly.

Enter clear, pure aloe gel. We put on a plastic glove and clean the udder area, using a big dab of gel. It’s soothing, too. We practice this routine a few times a week.

Sunburn can be a problem, too, and we have a long fly mask—the kind that extends down to the nostrils—on the horse with a snip and pink skin. When she finally figures out how to keep getting that off (it takes her a few weeks to get into the swing of things), we’ll use zinc oxide.

We’ve got a salt block in the field, but we still add salt to our horse’s feed every day, to ensure proper hydration and electrolyte levels. Our horses aren’t worked hard by any stretch—I think this place is actually a horsey spa—but they sweat in the field just due to the heat.

The rule of thumb is to add two tablespoons of table salt (plain or iodized, we usually opt for plain) to their feed every day, as that’s the minimum amount of salt a horse needs to consume. However, we’ve found that they won’t eat their feed if it’s too salty.

Right now—since they’re all already looking like Jenny Craig candidates—we’re only giving them half a scoop of extruded feed, just so they consume their supplements. With that small an amount of feed, I’ve had to cut the salt down to a half to 1 tablespoon. During the winter, when I want to encourage them to drink water (of course, you know that salt encourages thirst), I fed 1 to 2 tablespoons, depending upon the horse.

We round out our summer care with fly masks for all and fly spray when things get bad with biting flies and they’re stomping, or when we’re riding. If their faces are masked, their tails are swishing and they don’t look uncomfortable, we don’t waste the spray. We’ve yet to find a fly spray that lasts at a level that’s protective to our satisfaction the amount of time the bottles claim. And repeatedly spraying your horse with fly spray means you have to give even more baths. Yup. The summer circle of horse care on the farm.

My fearless niece, Mackenzie, is learning to ride on Kelsey, and she’s doing great.  Kelsey is a beautiful but stubborn little Quarter Horse, and she’s smart. Too smart. Mackenzie has to be proactive rather than reactive when she rides. Kelsey will stop dead when she’s decided the ride is over, and she’ll begin backing up if you urge her forward.

We remind Mackenzie,  “OK, we’re getting close to the barn (aka the out-gate in the arena), and you know Kelsey’s going to stop, so turn her early and urge her forward before she has a chance to stop.”

“She stopped. Now circle her and ask her to go out, then forward.” Mackenzie stares blankly at us. “Press your heels on her and pull the rein so you direct her to go in a circle.”

The first few times, Kelsey won, and my sister got on to ride her through it. But Mackenzie watched the two of them closely, and now she knows how to use a wide, gentle, leading rein—naturally putting pressure on Kelsey with her inside leg—and keeps Kelsey going. We’re so proud of her!

We’re not quite as proud of ourselves. It’s not easy to teach beginning riders. All the things that we do without thinking when we ride—seat, leg, reins, voice—work together and you really don’t “think” about it.

They’re tough to break it down, and I admire instructors who accept beginner riders into their riding programs. I know of a few stables that don’t. There’s so much to do when you ride, and a beginner doesn’t even understand the jargon, making explaining the process that much more difficult.

“Use more leg!”

“No, don’t grip with your thighs! That tells her to stop. Use your calf.”  

“Shorten your reins!”

“No, you don’t need scissors!”

I don’t remember learning to ride. In my mind, there wasn’t a day in my life that I didn’t ride. My first ride was at the age of 4 months, 3 days, and I’ve included the photo here as proof. Mom didn’t believe in wasting time, and she clearly wasn’t going to accept a few tears of protest. 

My first ride was at the age of 4 months, 3 days, according to my baby book.

Mom was a tough teacher. I remember hours spent riding without stirrups, and even more hours riding bareback. We learned to ride English, Western and to drive the pony cart. I recall falling while going over a jump because I forgot to tighten the girth. She helped me up, reminded me to check my girth before mounting, and told me to get right back on that horse. I would have, too, but I couldn’t lift my arm (turned out to be a broken shoulder). But, thanks to Mom’s perseverance, I now have a good seat, and I often receive compliments about my “kind hands.”

I want to help Mackenzie achieve that, too. The problem is, I don’t know how it actually happened. I guess Mackenzie’s going to have put in a lot of miles, and we’ll have to let Kelsey help teach her. I think she’s got natural talent. Inherited, I’d guess. Right, Grandma?

I’ve noticed many riders, like me, also do dog agility. It’s easy to spot the riders, of course. None of us have trouble understanding which “lead” the dog is on, and many of us–at least those of us who spent years in the h/j ranks–will say, “Our dog dropped a rail” instead of  “Our dog dropped a pole.”  Semantics aside, I’ve noticed that dog agility is actually helping my horse training (well, actually I’m a far better horse trainer than dog trainer, but that’s another topic).

As you might imagine, treats, aka “cookies,” are huge in dog agility.  It’s a rare dog that doesn’t think treats are a nifty reward for their work.  And they all love to be told, “Good Boy!” and to see and hear excitement coming from Mom for a job well done! But, OK, you’re reading this to hear about horses, not dogs, so here’s the horse connection:

Horses can be trained with treats, too, and I think it’s very underutilized. I decided over three years ago to incorporate them in my horse training, and I’ve greatly increased my “good girl” comments and pats while riding. We quickly taught two new horses where their stalls were, so everyone didn’t have to be hand led into the barn every night, by placing a treat (target for the agility lovers) in their feed bucket. And, of course, I never catch a horse without giving her a treat. So, when they see me, they come running.

My schooling sesssions are filled with pats, praise and confidence-building action that Sally’s doing what I want. You can even get a treat pack to put on your belt or belt loop to give a sugar cube while you ride, if you’d like to. I use no negative reinforcement; that’s saved for serious offenses like biting or kicking. Errors are treated neutrally, without comment one way or the other.  But I reward good work! As my favorite riding instructor always said, “How does the horse have a clue he’s doing what you want if you don’t tell him?”  He can’t! Imagine how frustrating that must be.

So, the old grain-bait to get a horse in the trailer is a good one; in fact, I read a research study not long ago confirming horses will respond to treats (amazing! they could have just asked me!).  But the researchers determined that horses  work for pay.

We need to use that trick more often. And please don’t tell me treats make horses bite. That’s because you’re allowing the horse to bite. He or she needs to be reprimanded for biting, just like kicking. Those are two offenses that are absolutely not tolerated. Horses are smart, so they’ll know the difference. 

This summer, get an air-tight pet-food container and fill it with treats, so they’re always handy. And use lots of verbal praise! It’s got to be tough to be a horse. Horses are smart, and they’re sensitive, and I believe some of them, like Sally, are right proud of themselves, too. We need to let them know that they’re doing well and motivate them to continue.  After all, carrying us around for an hour or more is a lot of hard work!

If you’re like me, you’re wondering what the EHV outbreak is going to bring to you. Hopefully, it’s nothing more than some cancelled competitions or postponed sales of horses.

Things are changing daily, with increased outbreaks and horse deaths. Rather than duplicate the efforts of one of my colleagues, I want to direct you to Fran Jurga’s blog (http://blogs.equisearch.com/horsehealth/). She’s giving everyone thorough, accurate daily updates, complete with a Google map of where things are happening. If you’re thinking, I never take my horse anywhere so it doesn’t matter, think again. This is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily.

So, add this link to your favorites, at least for now.  Fran is an experienced journalist with expertise in hoof care, especially, and health care, and we’re pleased she’s part of the Equisearch family. For up-to-the-minute information on the spread of EHV, you’re not going to beat her.

Like most people, we’ve accumulated a good deal of spare tack. It’s there in case we need it, but mostly we don’t. I want to preserve it, though, so twice a year I clean and condition/oil everything.

This year, I had just finished oiling one of the brown bridles (all my everyday tack is currently black), and it was hanging on a hook in the barn aisle, waiting to go back into the tack room.  My mom came into the barn and asked where I had gotten such a gorgeous bridle. I said I no longer remembered, it was some horse’s at some point, but it’s just a spare now.

“Do you have others?” she asked.

“Yes, several. Why?”

“Well,” she said rather shyly, “I would love to have it.”

I’m sure shock registered on my face. “But you don’t ride anymore.”

“My friend has one in her house as a decoration, and I loved it. And, it’s not nearly as pretty as this one.”

So, I put a nice-looking bit on it and gave it to her. It’s now on a door knob in her house and apparently quite a conversation piece.

That got me thinking. When we bought Sally about nine years ago, my husband gave me a beautiful dark brown leather halter with her nameplate on it. It was gorgeous. Show quality . . . too good to risk damage . . . and it’s hung in the tack room ever since, except for being cleaned and oiled twice a year. Until last week.

That gorgeous halter is now on Sally, her nylon halter on the “spare” hook instead. She looks like a million bucks in it, and it makes me smile. I know that eventually she’ll scratch the nameplate, and the leather will get a few digs and dings, but I’m enjoying it a lot more than I did when it was hanging on a hook in the tack room.