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jen judkins
Participant@Carl Russell 11193 wrote:
You guys rock.
Is that a pun?
ParticipantI think it depends….
I try hard not to feed more than 20% alfalfa…but if it was all I had access to for a season, I sure would try to make it work. Its quite high in calcium, which is its major drawback, in my mind. That might not be an issue for a young growing horse, whose calcium requirements are higher. But for an older horse all that extra calcium can lead to inflammatory issues and arthritis.
I bought my main saddle horse right out of a alfalfa field in Colorado. He was fat and healthy looking, but he has really suffered over the years with joint problems. Whether it was the alfalfa or just him, I don’t really know…..but the joint issues have resolved with a more balanced hay ration. Just my own experience.
ParticipantWOW!!!!! That is sooo nice! Ed…I’m star struck….you’re an ARTISTE!
ParticipantThat’s my skijoring friend, Chris Butler and his Camel, Josh. Maybe I’ll climb Mt Washington with Manny next season!
ParticipantSo….I’ll be getting pictures by next week???? Do I have to come over there and take them myself!!
ParticipantVery nice, Ed! Now go work on that spreader…I want pictures before October!!!!
ParticipantLooks good, Ed. I’ve been doing alot of canning too. Thought my tomatoes were gonna make it, but they succumbed to the blight just this week…terrible loss as I love to make salsa! Now just waiting for the corn….hopefully no frost this week.
ParticipantI’ve read this thread over a couple of times and have appreciated the feedback and experiences presented here. I wasn’t going to add to the thread, but I had some thoughts this morning as I was doing my AM chores.
I had to leave early today for an early case…so I was out in the barn around 5 am. In the heat of the summer the horses are generally in the barn by then and stay put til dark, so I throw them a few flakes of hay to keep them busy during the day. But it was quite cool last night and the boys were still out to pasture…I’m sure delighted by the lack of bugs. Anyway, I hiked out to the far pasture with my coffee and the dogs to find them all laying flat out sleeping. I approached, the dogs announcing my arrival and sat on a rock to drink my coffee nearby. No one immediately got up, but they were aware of my presence and one by one they arose and came over to greet me. Once my coffee was drained I got up to head back to the house. They of course followed me…my alpha gelding right at my shoulder.
This phenomenom is not about leadership, but about rapport. Rapport differs slightly from respect, but is equally important. As teamsters, we need both. Respect comes from presenting an idea and then providing enough reinforcement (light or not) to get the idea done, consistently. Use a stick or not.
Rapport comes from daily interaction with our horses, some of which is undemanding. Fixing fences, filling water troughs, picking up manure…these are all opportunitues to spend undemanding time with your horses. But its not like they are free to do what they want. When I am mucking stalls, I insist my horses ‘back up’ or step over’ to allow me room. I’m not asking much, but I make sure they comply. This process allows them to understand that I am asking a question and they have the ability to ‘answer’ the question with a response that will revert the situation back to the status quo…to peace. When I feed, everyone knows the order, and where they need to be to get their share. There is no drama and no fighting…they comply or go hungry.
When I come to retrieve a horse for a ride or work, I don’t expect them to come running from the pasture to greet me, but I do expect them to turn and face me when I approach them for haltering.
Rapport breeds respect, as long as the leadership, as others have pointed out, is consistent and confident. But you can’t have good leadership without rapport first.
Mark Rashid teaches this…consistency leads to dependability, which leads to trust, which leads to peace.
Its a pretty simple equation.
ParticipantThat’s f#%$^g awesome, Northplow! During my interview with API, I talked about reindeer, but had never actually seen it! TOOO COOL!
ParticipantOh, where are my manners…how are you, Bret?
ParticipantI find it interesting…no…amusing, that you have been a member here for nearly 24 hours and yet feel you can accurately sense the flavor of the community here. I’d definately like to hear more about you and your draft horse experience…there’s gotta be a good story there!
ParticipantLooks very much like mine…always a good sign that I haven’t seriously f%^&d up!:p
ParticipantNice Ed….pictures please!
ParticipantNice to hear from you, Taylor! Your horses look fit and happy…glad you landed with both feet.
ParticipantGeoff, The tendency for Peanut to step backwards in the stop happens mostly when he is fresh and to me, seems like an extension of his desire to keep moving his feet. He knows I asked for a cessation of forward movement, but he is unwilling to fully comply. Later when he is fatigued…doesn’t happen.
I simply ground drove him asking for several stops. If he steps backward, I correct him by asking him to step up. After 2 or 3 stops he had the idea. But it was mostly about me insisting that he stop where I wanted and just making that clear to him…before we hitched to the harrow.
Not sure if that helps you…
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