Twin Tiers Horse Activities, Feb 22 - 24, 2014

This week's diverse events are sure to interest a variety of Twin Tiers horse enthusiasts.  Are you a rodeo chic or a brainiac or, maybe, both?  Well, this week's activities are for you!  

If these don't grab you, head up to the fairgrounds in Syracuse for the NYS Farm Show.  It's not exactly a horse-focused event, but you can bet there will be hay and manure.

Whatever you do, have a great time with your pony!

PCRA Rodeo
When: Sunday, Feb 23, 2014
Where: Rush, NY, United States (map)
Description: PCRA Rodeo! February 23rd. Rush NY.
Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 1:00pm
Stony Brook Stables
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cross-Over-the-Line-Rodeo-Co/137586706306515

GVEC Short Course - "Equine Guts in All Their Glory" 
When: Monday, February 24
Where: Scottsville, NY
Presentation by Amy Leibeck, DVM. 7 - 9 pm at the Clinic. The fee for the course is $8 and light refreshments will be served. Please call us at (585) 889-1170 to reserve a space for you and your family.
http://www.gvequine.com/

The Old Switcheroo?

At 13.1, the new, sheriff's deputy in town.

Something very odd has happened in our barn.  Two horses have switched.

Since 2008, The order of dominance has been: Hudson, Starlight, DeCato.  There were some others along the way, of course, who placed themselves somewhere in the line-up, but Hudson has always been the lead mare, with Starlight a steady second, and then DeCato near the bottom, hustling out of Hudson’s and Starlight’s way, keeping herself safe.   

Well, one day about two weeks ago, I went up to the barn and noticed DeCato pushing

Keeping an eye on the red-headed devil.

Starlight out of the way.  I thought it might just be a one-time event, but since then it has become very obvious that DeCato is now dominant over Starlight.  She chases her off of food, she threatens to kick, and if she sees Starlight doing something interesting, she hurries over to push her out of the way so she, DeCato, can do that thing.

I have never heard of horses switching places in a well-established, long-time pecking order. 

But it appears to be the new order of things here at Toad Song.

Twin Tiers Horse Activities, Feb. 15-21, 2014

Here are a couple of activities for this wintery week.

Get out in the snow and have fun with your pony!

Osburn Arena Roping, Sorting, Barrels

When: Saturday, Feb 15, 2014

Where: Campbell, NY, United States (map)

Description: Osburn Arena Located in Campbell, NY just 3.5 miles off I-86, OSBURN ARENA hosts team roping, barrel racing and ranch sorting events. 607-368-9896 https://www.facebook.com/OSBURNARENA?filter=1 

If Only Farm Winter Riding Camp

When:  Feb 17-21, 2014

Where: Freeville, NY, United States (map)

Description: http://www.ifonlyfarm.com/news.html If Only Farm Winter Riding Camp, Feb 17-21! Young equestrians age 6-14 come and join us for a special Winter Riding Camp in February! From February 17-21, 2014 we will be running a horsemanship camp daily from 9am - 1pm. This camp will focus on having fun with our wonderful lesson ponies and horses, while learning and building horsemanship skills. We ask that riders have some previous riding experience and can Walk, Trot and Halt a horse. For those who wish to hone or gain those skills before camp, contact us to set up some lessons! Daily activities include: * Instruction on Care & Handling of Horses and Equipment * * Tacking, grooming, braiding, learning parts of horses & tack * * One-Hour Riding lesson each day * * Games on Horseback! * $300 per week or a daily rate of $70 $70 non refundable deposit Contact us now to reserve a spot!

               

Twin Tiers Horse Activities, Feb 9 - 11, 2014

Here are a couple of nice winter horse events for you.  Go out, have fun, stay warm.

And whatever you do this weekend, have a great time with your pony!

Birchtown Stable Winter Show Series

When: Feb 9-10 2014

Where: Clifford Township, PA

Description: http://birchtownstables.com/images/winter2013rev100512.pdf

Birchtown Stables 6th Annual Winter Show Series 2013 November 17-18 December 1-2 January 19 February 9-10 March 9-10 April 13-14

Better With Age, Short Course at GVEC

When: Tuesday, Feb 11, 2014

Where: Scottsville, NY, United States (map)

Description: Better With Age Tuesday, February 11, 2014 7-9 PM Sean Nash, DVM With age our bond to our horse companions grows increasingly strong. This relationship brings with it a responsibility and a whole new set of challenges for horse care. Please join us for an evening of discussion about the health issues aged horses are faced with, the special care they require, and making end of life decisions that ensure the best quality of life for your companion. http://www.gvequine.com/Pages/events_shortcourses.php

Rolly Balls! Rolly Balls!

Filling the rolly balls.

I'm sorry I didn't do my weekly "activities" update this week.  The fact is, I scratched my cornea on a knapweed stem that was sticking out of a bale of hay and it hurt like crazy, so I couldn't focus on too much eye work.

Luckily, as much as they hurt when injured, eyes are quick healers and mine's feeling better already.

DeCato at work on the red ball.

This week, I'll be doing a major update of the Big Calendar, as many clubs and organizations are starting to release their 2014 schedules.  Yay!  So stay tuned.

Just for fun, here are some shots of my horses avidly working their favorite toy: The Nose-it ball  I have shut my mares in the barn more this winter than usual, due to the frigid temperatures and high winds.   That gave me cause to remember the Nose-it balls I had tucked away.  We call them "the rolly balls."

Even though it has been several years since I used them, as soon as the horses heard the hay cubes hitting the inside of the rolly balls, I had their full attention.

Success! Starlight munches a cube.

They were practically stomping their feet and chanting, "Rolly balls! Rolly balls!"

I dropped them in the run-in, and they went to work, nudging the balls until a cube fell out, munching, then rolling again.  One of the fun aspects of this is that Hudson can't physically finish hers first, then go steal the others,' because it's just luck and persistence that gets the cubes to drop out, and no horse is faster at it than the others.

Everybody loves the rolly balls!

Luck and persistence dictates Hudson's eating speed.