Best Of Both Worlds

A mule takes much of what is good in his father, a donkey, and much of what is good in his mother, a horse and puts it all in one package.

Meet Belle, our brand new four year old molly mule. She is likely faster than her father and stronger and smarter than her mother.

She is going to be great to have around.

Red Feather Goes To School

Within the next few months  Linda Whittington Hursts; children's book based on the life of one of our Corollas, Red Feather will be available. It will be her third book dealing with the nearly extinct wild Colonial Spanish horses of Corolla.

She  cares about the horses and she speaks out. If you care about the horses, these books are a great way to kindle an interest in them  in generations to come.

The Best Understanding of Is Comes From Appreciating The Simple Beauty Of Was

Picked this potato bug mandolin up at an antique store yesterday. I think it is likely WWI era. It even had some gut strings on it.

Tomorrow the last known existing very high percentage breeding pair of Grand Canyon Colonial Spanish horses will arrive here.

The mandolin is joining our music program for much the same reason that the Grand Canyons are joining our breeding program.

Quick Tip #89--Hit The Right Books

Unfortunately, it is just as easy to learn the wrong way as it is to learn the right way. When one factors in the threat to truth created whenever agribusiness or the established horse world has a financial interest in getting horse owners to believe that up is down, and white is black it is no wonder that so much misinformation about horses is taught, read, and, unfortunately, learned by those who would otherwise seek to do what is best for their horses.

It is best to immerse oneself in facts before wading into the world of ignorance that will confront the new horse owner. Start with a solid overview of horsemanship. Read, 'The Revolution in Horsemanship" by Dr. Robert Miller. Then drink in everything you can find that Buck Brannamen wrote. Understand Mark Rashid's writings. Read a few of the basic "how to" manuals like those by John Lyons and Clinton Anderson.

Then read "True Horsemanship Through Feel", Leslie Desmond's great adaptation of Tom Dorrence's wisdom. Then read it five more times.

Read "Soul of a Horse" to understand how to properly care for a horse. Read Pete Ramey's work to understand how to properly trim hoof.

Lastly, stay current on medical research regarding equine health and nutrition. We are learning more daily about complex issues like metabolic disorder and how to best condition horses.

What is set out above is a prescription to learn what yur horse needs you to know. . Beware of those who are drawn to horsemanship because they view it as a set of rules with which they fiercely identify. These people teach dogma, not science. They can recite a rule for every suggested action--e.g. "No horse should be ridden until it is seven years old--No one over 5'2" should ride a horse less than 15 hands--A horse can carry 20% of its body weight--Shoes are required to keep a horse's hooves in balance--Blankets must be worn anytime temperature dips below 45 degrees"

They have codified ignorance and declared it to be  law.

Most importantly, always keep in mind that if your horsemanship is not making you into a better person, it is failing. If you do not become more kind, more wise, more generous, and more courageous--your horsemanship is failing you.

And you are failing your horse.

With enough dedication to learning anyone can come to understand horses nearly as well as does the little girl in this picture above. Its never too late to learn and it is never to early to start learning.

Mill Swamp Indian Horse Views: What I Learned In 109 Miles In The Saddle In 15 Ho...

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