©
2003 Cherry Hill ©
Copyright Information Horsekeeping
IssueThis newsletter
is a personal letter from me to you,
a fellow horse owner and enthusiast.
My goal is to answer some of your questions and send you interesting stories
and helpful tips for your
horse care, training, and riding.
Benefits and Responsibilities of Horse Ownership
Manure Handling Equipment
Ask Cherry: Gravel for Turnout Pens
PLUS! SPECIAL ASK CHERRY SECTION
I can't imagine life without horses. They are the thread that
ties everything else together. Horsekeeping is a year round task but the benefits
are there every day as well. This time of year, I find we are extra busy with
ranch maintenance. This is when we spread manure and plan fence repair and improvements.
We like to have everything ship shape by the time the bluebirds are nesting and
the horses are shedding. 
Benefits
and Responsibilities of Horse OwnershipOwning
a horse requires a substantial investment of money, time, hard work, and sincere
dedication. The initial purchase price of a horse is just the beginning.
You must be willing and able to spend time attending to your horse's needs
every day at least twice a day. You will have to tend to feeding, grooming, and
exercise every day as well as buying feed, cleaning and repairing tack, maintaining
facilities and much more. Many parts of horse ownership require hard physical
labor: shoveling manure, toting bales, carrying water, training and riding. Sometimes
you will have to make trade-offs. You might have to give up something you'd like
to have or do to ensure that your horse receives proper care. You might have to
interrupt your sleep, work schedule or love life to take care of a foaling mare,
injured or ill horse, or to meet with your veterinarian or farrier. During the
winter, when you are least likely to ride your horse, your horse requires just
as much care as he does during the summer. Horse owners also have legal obligations
to their horses, neighbors, and to other horse owners in the area as well as to
pedestrians and motorists that pass by the property.
However, for all this hard work, horse ownership provides many benefits. A
relationship with a horse can be very fulfilling. A horse doesn't talk back but
does tell you, using body language and other non-verbal communication, how he
interprets your actions. A horse reveals your tendencies and provides the opportunity
for you to become a better person. Caring for and interacting with horses can
make you more reliable, thorough, trustworthy, honest, and consistent. People
who have difficulty working with other persons often find that a horse can teach
them the meaning of teamwork. When you work closely with a horse, it is more like
a partnership. Both of you have certain obligations to each other and when those
are met consistently on both sides, there is the potential for a successful relationship.
An honest, trustworthy horse can provide invaluable
therapy for you if your life is hectic............ To
read the rest of the article, go here: Manure
Handling Equipment
Manure is a fact of life on a horse farm. Every year, there
will be literally tons of the valuable stuff which you can use to fertilize your
pastures. Spreading manure goes much easier if you have the right equipment.
First of all, you’ll need a tractor that is of a suitable size
to operate the manure handling equipment. There are tradeoffs in relation to tractor
size. Small tractors are more affordable and maneuverable but might make your
annual manure spreading task take weeks. Large tractors can be pricey and are
sometimes tough to operate in small spaces but you can use larger spreaders and
harrows and get the job done in a matter of hours or days.
For a small horse farm of less than 10 horses and less than
50 acres, you’d probably want to consider a tractor in the 50-65 horsepower range.You’ll
want to be sure the tractor has a PTO (Power Take Off) attachment if you are going
to run a PTO spreader. The PTO is a revolving shaft on the back of the tractor
that provides power from the tractor’s engine to the equipment. If you plan to
use a harrow that requires a 3-point hitch, then you’ll want to be sure your tractor
has one. A three-point hitch is the linkage on the back of the tractor that hydraulically
raises and lowers attached equipment. Also, the tractor should have a bucket on
the front for loading the manure into the spreader – otherwise you’ll have to
do that job by hand! Manure
spreaders are wagons with mechanical features that are designed to distribute
manure as the tractor is driven through a pasture or field............. To
read the complete article, go here:
Ask Cherry
Dear Cherry, We were told to place a combination of
sand/pea gravel in our horse's corral. We are trying to reduce mud in this area.
What would be your recommendation? Pattie I
personally use 3/8" pea gravel in my horse's individual turn out pens. This allows
for wonderful drainage during rainy periods and when snow melts, thereby greatly
reducing mud. I hesitate to use sand in any area where a horse might eat. If you
plan to allow your horse to eat in the corral, I'd nix the sand idea due to the
possibility of sand colic. Special
Ask Cherry Section Dear
Cherry, I can't afford to buy ALL 25 of your books (although, slowly, this
seems to be what's happening) so I need your advice on the Longeing books....which
one do you feel would be more valuable as a first step to working with our horses?
There's one that seems to be an "arena" book (and we have a couple of those and
like them) and the other a "comprehensive" hardcover book. I really need hands
on work with the horses, but I'd also like to know what I'm doing and why, and
what the goal is; what the exercise accomplishes. Dee I
recommend that you buy the longeing book SET since it consists of a HOW-TO arena
workbook to take you through step-by-step lessons and a WHY-TO hardbound text
book with photos of tack, horse reactions, philosophy and explanations. The price
of the set is lower than that of both books purchased individually.
Which is YOUR favorite book?
Dear Cherry, I have long enjoyed your books! They
are easy to understand, and cover many of the issues that I need information on.
Your advice is very useable and works! And you have a wonderful web site that
I can also use as a resource! I feel a kinship with you after reading your books
and just wondered, which of your books is YOUR favorite? Thanks for your contributions
to the horse world! Mary Lou Thanks! And you
pose an interesting question. Like my horses, I really don't have one favorite,
but each book has a special significance to me. From
the Center of the Ring - One of my publishers assigned me this topic so I
could share my views as a horse show judge and help those interested in showing
to get started. Horsekeeping
on a Small Acreage- We had just purchased 35 acres and as we were setting
things up, I thought "Gee I'll bet other people are going through this too". I
guess I was right because this book is now in its 28th printing. Making
Not Breaking - My most philosophical training book, I wrote this book while
I was training my good horse Zipper who graces the pages of this book and many
more to come. Maximum
Hoof Power - I was so proud of my husband's farrier work that I wanted to
showcase the subject in hopes that horseowners would take more interest in hoof
care. Practical
Guide to Lameness - This book is based on a huge, technical veterinary text
by Dr. Ted Stashak and I was honored that he asked me to help him make this version
a suitable one for horse owners. 101
Arena Exercises - I wrote this entire book from the saddle using a mini tape
recorder in a waist pouch. What fun! Horse
for Sale - I wanted to help buyers avoid mistakes when they go horse shopping
and help sellers find an appropriate niche for their horses.
Horse
Health Care - When working on this book, I think I REALLY realized how lucky
I was to have such excellent equine photo models for some of the veterinary skills
I demonstrated in this book - eeeeeeeeooooooowwwwwww! English
Arena Pocket Guides - When reader/riders said they loved 101 Arena Exercises
but it was too huge to put in their pockets, well..............you want it, you
got it!
101
Longeing
and Long Lining Exercises - This is the HOW workbook and I particularly love
this book and the one above since I designed the covers with those great gelding
buddies of mine, Zipper and Dickens. 101
Horsemanship and Equitation Patterns - After being a horse show judge for
25 years, I wanted to give riders some ideas for pattern practice and really appreciate
my friends the Krause's for being my cover models. (By the way they also helped
us with interior photos for Horse for Sale and cover photo of Your Pony, Your
Horse - they are one of those great All American horse families!)
Trailering
Your Horse - So much misinformation about this topic makes trailering frightening
for novices. I wanted to break things down into step-by-step training and provide
plenty of checklists. I also wanted to feature my great horse Zinger on the cover
- she's 29 now and I'm still riding her regularly!
Stablekeeping
- Sometimes just a few simple things can really make a barn a home! Since many
of us spend more time in our barns than our houses, Richard and I wanted to share
lots of tips with you. AND I wanted to feature my good broodmare Sassy on the
cover - she's 28 and doing great; in spite of her protests, I no longer take her
to the stallion! Riding
Western - What a fun project working with "the Brits"! The artist, Carole
Vincer, had never seen a western horse or tack before we started this book. If
you've seen her color drawings in this book, you know what a great job she did
working with my photos and sketches "across the ocean".
Horse
Housing - This book, by my very best buddy, husband Richard Klimesh, is just
fantastic. Talk about an author trying to give his readers the whole nine yards!
I was delightend that he asked me to write the Preface and the last chapter. I'm
truly proud of Richard's book.
Horse
Care for Kids - There are quite a number of books on riding for young equestrians
but not too much written specifically on feeding, health care, grooming and so
on. With perky drawings and color photos using only "genuine horse kids", I really
enjoyed bringing this topic to life.
That's it for this
month. Don't forget, when you ride, keep your mind in the middle and a leg on
each side.
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