I wanted to wrap up a few ideas I've started in previous entries, before i get caught up in the actual riding and conditioning that will take place. Boomer's feeding schedule for the the spring/summer season 2009 consists of free access to hay and water, 24/7. This is one of my favourite aspects of outdoor board. The horses can access as much of what they need, whenever they need it. They are fully capable of monitoring their own feed and water intake. The main downfall, of coarse, is that i have no record of it. He has now been on grain for two weeks and seems to be doing well. With my best friend jumping him up to 3'6 occasionally, and the upcoming show season I think it's best for him to benefit from grain. Unfortunately I don't have any say in the kind of feed, and the whole field has to have a universal amount of grain. He is receiving a standard sweet feed. From the C3, H/HA Nutrition Block "Pros of sweet feeds: More palatable to horses, ingredients partly recognizable, easier to add medications to, manufacturer less likely to change ingredients. Cons of Sweet Feed: Shorter shelf life, more vulnerable to heat and cold, horse can sort feed." A benefit of being at a large horse farm is that we go through bags of feed in a day, so the shelf life shouldn't be an issue. Another con we will have to face is that Boomer and Thor have the run of their paddock, and seem to gobble of their own feed in record time, enough time to get to the feed piles of the lower horses in the hierarchy.
(I'm sure this information is very basic for those knowledgeable nutritionists... please bare with me!) The primary source of energy in a horse's diet comes from carbohydrates, which he will be igetting (now) from the oats and corn in his diet. Fats come from corn, his protein from oats, corn and barley. His other needs consist of water; they have an electric waterer which is checked daily, and vitamins and minerals; which are provided by commercially produced vitamin/mineral blocks. These vitamins and minerals supplement those which he gains from his natural diet. His hay comes from a round bale, which is replaced daily. The hay is decent quality, i know where it come from and trust the quality. It is stored under tarps, which is less than ideal. The problem about boarding for me is that one of my goals in life is to have my own place, and i constantly think of improvements which could be done to the farm. The farm we're at is designed for the satisfaction of clientele, and i would much prefer it was designed for the benefit of the horses. I'm always sketching out barn plans and researching information so that someday if i have the opportunity of building my own place i can make it as perfect as possible for Boomer!
So all of this information, but the most important question is why is Boomer on outdoor board?Is it a money issue? No. Is it all that is offered at my barn? No. When i originally started leasing Boomer his prior owner had him on indoor board. Other than that year he was inside, he had always been outside. When she bought her "upgrade" horse she put him back out, completely off grain and back outside. I believe she had him inside for her own convenience, not his well being. When i bought him she actually advised i keep him outside, she said that in her experience having him inside he made him unhappy, bucky and frustrated. She said that he paced his stall nightly, creating not only a huge mess but an actual track around his stall. I agreed that he was happy outside, but i was somewhat skeptical about the extent of his unhappiness inside. He was healthy, fat, and content in his field so i left him there. I didn't want to change things for him until i saw reason to. When i went to a 3 day eventing clinic last year he was boarded in the show barn. It was a lovely, spacious stall with a window, and all the soft shavings he could ever need for a bed. It seemed to be like luxury compared to his usual paddock! In the morning i walked him for almost an hour on the lead to stretch his legs and get him accustomed to the property. When he came back to the stall he literally put on the brakes. That boy dug in his heels and he would NOT go back into that stall. It took four of us to SHOVE him in, and he sulked in the corner of the stall until I took him out to ride. That was enough for me, seeing him on the verge of depression for three days to understand that he is an outdoor boy at heart. He paced, he sulked, he held his head low and surged for the door everytime it was opened. Constant walks and hard rides twice a day were not enough to satisfy his dersire to be back in his field. Outside he has shelter, he has his boy-friends, and all the fresh air he could ask for. I'm often under scrutiny for other riders for having him on outdoor, and as far as barn politics go they try to put us at the bottom of everything. My tack locker is on the highest level, where you have to climb a small step ladder to reach. My blanket cubby is so high i have to pull out an actual ladder to reach it. This is "because i'm on outdoor board" I actually noticed there were available blanket cubbies at a lower level but i was not aloud to touch them because i pay $75 dollars less/month board. Really!? Other than one other rider at the barn I have been at the there for the longest of all the boarders. It's so unfortunate to me that I am continually looked down upon, receiving no credit for my dedication and support of a farm which has caused many, many others to move away due to it's politics. I do not get involved, though. I support my decison to have him outside and do, unlike many others, what's best for my horse. I'm simply there for my horse and the use of the gorgeous facilities and property.
As for upcoming events, my first schooling show is May 26th. This is the goal i'm curentlylooking towards and working for. I want to be capable of placing in the top three of one of my classes, whether it's flat or over fences. I will be hopefully competing in the 2'9 Hunter Division and the "baby" Jumper Divison. I want to try out a jumper course, starting out low to get us accustomed to the "jumper" way of life. Low stress is key. We'll need to learn in order to ride our courses at the events this summer. At my last show, which was 2 summers ago (shocking!) i fell of three times and made quite the fool of myself. I was nervous, strung out, unprepared and under pressure from another girl i was riding Boomer with. It was right after i bought him, and she had already signed up for the show so i said she could compete. She decided to "teach" me how to ride Boomer in the warm up ring, a very distorted version of dressage i might add, and got me quite confused and uptight right before i went in to do a round. Quite an awful experience, so i decided the next summer would be different. That i would take a year to truly understand Boomer as a horse and a competitor. We've gained so much knowledge and experience since that show, focused mainly on clinics, training sessions with my coach riding him and 2 private lessons a week. It's done wonders for both of us and i feel confident that this year we can shine, and prove ourselves to everyone. Our lineup this summer includes a couple schooling shows, C-Rally, and roughly 5 events. I'll be continuing with weekly private lessons and training sessions as well as as much time spent in the field getting comfortable as possible!
This is more than enough for now, all the best to everyone! I will update after my first ride at home. :)
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