Is It Too Early to Think About Fly Control?

    Well, it's probably never too early for that, but if you use fly predators or are thinking of trying them, now is the time when most of the fly predator companies run specials.

     When we moved to Santa Fe from California 6 years ago we had never had the horses on our property but we had seen plenty of stables full of flies.  It was a concern.  The property we bought had the barn set up about 100 feet from the house.  We loved having the horses right there but knew flies would be an issue.  We decided to try fly predators and actually started the program 2 months before the horses arrived.

Cashel Quiet Ride Fly Mask
with ears and extended nose.

     That first summer there were plenty of flies both in the barn and in the house.  To be fair, after the dogs had run through the screen door twice, we just left the back door open when we were home.   We used fly spray, put up fly traps and the horses wore fly masks.  The second summer we wised up and started sprinkling some of the fly predators in the back yard as well as in the barn and paddocks.  We also installed a dog door. That year the fly traps caught about half as many flies.  The third year people who came to the barn started asking "Where are the flies?" and we realized there were virtually none.

     We're still vigilant about picking up the manure in the morning and evening (we spread it on a galloping track and harrow it into the dirt) and we still put up fly traps, but there are very few flies to catch.  We use fly spray when we go out on trail.  With no flies at the barn the horses seem especially bothered by them on trail.  After a few rides where Sunny threw his head around so continuously and vigorously that I was afraid he would fall off the trail I invested in a Cashel Quiet Ride fly mask that fits over the bridle and that solved the problem.

     We started with Arbico Organics and we've never had any reason to change.  They ship out of Arizona, are very pleasant to deal with and are very helpful.  You choose your area of the country and how many horses you have and they suggest a plan or you can make up your own plan.   The predators are shipped every three weeks during fly season with instructions.  We still order the 2-5 horse plan even though with Hans gone our large pony and 2 miniature horses probably only add up to one horse.  It seems better to be safe than sorry.

     This year we are starting over on a new property.  We just ordered for the summer.  Through March 31st Arbico is offering a 10% discount, 3 free boosters (an extra order of larvae for whichever dates you choose) and a $10.00 coupon for other Arbico products.  Our fly control program for this summer will cost $176.00.  We will have to buy another bottle of fly spray for the trail.  It took 2 summers to use up the last one.

Winter Isn't Finished With Us Yet

     With the almost springlike weather of the last few days it's easy to forget that it was February when we experienced -30 degree weather last year. It isn't time to put away our winter clothing yet! One of the most requested items last winter (and earlier this winter) was warm gloves that still allowed contact with the reins when riding. We've found four good winter gloves from SSG in Canada - where they surely know what it is like to ride in the cold.

SSG Style 2450 - Lined Work N Horse

     The first is the lined Work N Horse. Riders love the flexibility of this glove. It's made with pliable leather and lined with Thinsulate for warmth without bulk. One of its best features is the dome fastener cinch at the wrist. These are warm, pliable, don't get stiff when wet and are the most economical at $21.95. We carry them in dark brown and sizes 6-11.

SSG Style 6400 - 10 Below Equestrian

     Our best selling glove this year is the 10 Below Equestrian.  This glove is constructed like a  ski glove with a thin palm for riding.  It offers complete waterproof protection (not just water resistant).  It has a Thinsulate and polar fleece lining and (one of it's best features) a knit cuff which really holds in the warmth.  The 10 Below is black with a reflective strip.  We carry all sizes from 6-12 and it costs $29.95.

SSG Style 1650 - Winter Ranche
  Image is not available for black.

     Another popular glove, with both the riding and non-riding crowd is the polar fleece lined Winter Rancher.  This glove is made from soft but tough North American deerskin, lined with polar fleece and has an elasticized wrist.  There are no finger seams on the palm side of the winter rancher and they are incredibly comfortable and look good enough to wear as a driving glove with street clothes.  We stock them in black in sizes 6-11.  The winter rancher costs $36.00.

SSG Style Winter Training Glove.

The last glove is the most expensive, but very warm.  The Winter Training Glove is made from drum dyed goatskin leather for wear and grip.  It's lined with Thinsulate plus a layer of polar fleece and has a knitted cuff to keep out the cold.  It comes in black and costs $39.95.  We stock sizes 7-12.





     One final note:  we also carry SSG silk liners which will make any glove warmer.  They come in small, medium and large and cost $8.95

Wild Ride

Wild Ride
The History and Lore of Rodeo
by Joel H. Bernstein

Soon to be Santa Fean Joel Bernstein (he and his wife Gail will be moving to the Eldorado area in December) has written a wonderful book about the history of the American Rodeo. Tracing the development of the rodeo from its inception on July 4, 1869 to the present, the book is full of great stories and vintage photographs. There are sections on the Wild West Shows, the first women bronc riders and the transition from informal gatherings of ranchers and vaqueros showing off their skills to the many rodeo associations and circuits of today.
The following review of Wild Ride appeared in Cowboys and Indians magazine:

Wild Ride
Joel H. Bernstein

Rodeo has evolved over the past two decades from a niche sport into a notional pastime that outdraws golf and tennis and attracts millions of viewers to televised events. To find out how it all began and how rodeo grew, it’s hard to imagine a better one-volume history than Joel H. Berstein’s Wild Ride: The History and Love of Rodeo.
Bernstein, a rancher, bareback rider and college rodeo professor, starts with the very first rodeo on July 4, 1869 and takes readers on a wide-ranging journey through the 19th-century Wild West shows, the origins of the earliest major competitions (Prescott, Cheyenne, Calgary), and how rodeo should be viewed in the larger context of the iconic status of the cowboy. From animal rights issues to rodeo’s embracing of both men’s and women’s events long before other sports broke the gender barrier, Bernstein covers every facet of rodeo’s history, including a few that probably wouldn’t have been as interesting with a lesser writer. An unabashed fan, he even makes the beginnings of corporate sponsorship a fun topic to explore.
Even veteran rodeo fans will pick up a few fascinating nuggets about the sport, such as the fact that Kitty Canutt,wife of famed Western Stuntman Yakima Canutt, won the All-Around Champion Cowgirl title at the 1916 Pendleton Round-Up. A marvelous selection of photos accompanies the text.
----David Hofstede

Horses For Heroes

August 17-21 saw riders from the Listening Horse Therapeutic Riding program compete in the National Snaffle Bit Association World Championship Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Despite daily temperatures above 100 degrees they had a wonderful time and came home with second and third place awards. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this possible by buying raffle tickets, organizing horse shows and yard sales and making donations. The staff and riders only concern was that the therapy horses, now "show horses", would be too stuck up to do their regular work. Not to worry - less than a week after returning to Santa Fe Listening Horse volunteers and therapy horses spent an entire day happily giving free rides to children at a charity event.

The following is an article that was printed in the August 2011 issue of "Way To Go" the official magazine of the NSBA. There will be a follow-up article in the September issue.

NSBA WILL WELCOME RIDERS WHO HAVE SERVED THIS COUNTRY'S MILITARY AND THE HORSES THAT ARE HELPING THEM HEAL . BY CORRINE S. BORTON . PHOTOS BY TERR PETERSON

THE NATIONAL SNAFFLE BIT ASSOCIATION IS VERY EXCITED TO WELCOME FOR THE FITST TIME TO ITS World Championship Show Aug. 17-21 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, riders who have served the United States of America's military and he horses that are helping them heal.
Two classes - Walk-Trot Supported and Walk-Trot Independent will be featured on Aug. 20, in the Ford Truck Arena for veterans and active military participation in Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.)'s Horses For Heroes programs.
PATH, a federally-registered 501(c3) nonprofit, was formed in 1969 as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association to promote equine-assisted activities and therapies for individuals with special needs. With over 3,500 certified instructors and 800 member centers around the globe, more than 6.500 PATH Intl. members help more than 42,000 children and adults with physical, mental and emotional challenges find strength and independence through the power of the horse each year. In 2007 PATH Intl. initiated the Horses For Heroes in an effort to extend their services to service members and veterans. Program centers connect with Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and Clinics, as well as individual veterans. Veterans of any age can benefit from the progran and by being involved with equines.
Guss Jolley, of the Listening Horse Therapeutic Riding Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contacted the NSBA in 2010 regarding his Horses For Heroes proram and to ask if the association would consider classes for veterans. Jolley explained that he had received information on the NSBA World Show and its Riders With Disabilities classes. He noted that many of the members of his program might be interested in participating but that they would not qualify because their wounds were emotional not cognitive or physical. Rebecca Volkert, executive director of the NSBA Foundation, presented a proposal for the classes at the March NSBA Board of Directors meeting.
"Board members embraced the concept and approved the additional classes as a special event with separate eligibility requirements," Volkert said.
To be eligible, riders must be disables veterans or active duty "wounded Warriors" who are participating in PATH Horses For Heroes programs. Horses need not be egistered or owned by the rider or facility. Judging is based 50 percent on the rider and 50 percent on the horse.
Jolley said he is bringing riders from his Horses For Heroes program.
"This is going to be the most involved event in hich we've ever participated," he said. "Most of our events are around here and we even make up some of our own."
Jolley said the program provides veterans in his program with an increased sense of self-worth.
"It gives these guys a feeling of puttin their raining to use," he said.
Veterans in the Horses For Heroes programs across he country have physical limitations or are battling post-traumatic Stress disorder. Therapists have been finding that working with and riding horses can be an effective therapeutic tool.
"It's about being in the moment rather than focusing on the pain," Jolley said.
Jolley also hopes that by participating in the classes being offered at the NSBA World Show, his group can help draw attention to the Heroes For Horses program within PATH.
"It will cost each group bringing competitors to the show a minimum of %500.00 per person and it is our hope that we can get PATH to provide some support in uears to come. The experience will give us something to go back home and talk about and help raise awareness of the good work the program is providing across the country."
Alex Limkin, 38, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is an Army veteran who was deployed to Iraq from November 2004 to October 2005. He said he suffers from PYSD and struggles on a daily basis. He found a brochure for the Listening Horse Horses For Heroes program at his veteran's hospital and decided to call.
"I was curious," he said. "I am willing to try any method that will help me."
Limkin had no previous experience with horses, but immediately found that the program helped. After completing two eight-week sessions in the arena, he continued with the program by scouting trails with Jolley for the Northern new Mexico Horsemen's Association Ridge Riders and remains active with the Horses For Heroes program today.
"The program continues to help me," he said. "When I'm around the horses I can slip into their space. I'm grounded in the present and they say that is supposed to help people who have been exposed to trauma."
Limkin will be one of the members of the Listening Horse Horses For Heroes program to compete in the special event classes at the NSBA World Show.
"I'm not going to win anything," he explained. "I'm really not into competition at all. I'm going to support Gus, who has given so much of himself to this program. He loves those horses and has donated so much of himself that I want to pay him back in some wau. I do think it will be interesting to watch."
Volkert said she thinks exhibitors and spectators will also find it interesting to watch the veterans compete.
"The philosophy of the NSBA Heroes On Horses very special event is to honor the riders who have served our country and the horses that are helping them heal," she said. "This event will help all of the exhibitors and spectators to appreciate the power that horses have to change our lies and to experience a patriotic, feel-good moment."
Volkert said that many of the groups participating from around the country will be experiencing their first horse show.
"The riders and their coaches will appreciate having exhibitors at the show welcome them in a friendly and encouraging manner," she said. "All exhibitors and spectators are encouraged to be sure to fill the audience for these classes."
SUCCEED, Digestive Conditioning Program, is sponsoring the eroes On Horses program.
"We appreciate the financial support that SUCCEED Digestive Conditioning Program is providing for this program," Volkert said. "It would be great if NSBA members let the SUCCEED representative at the NSBA World Championship Show know that they appreciate their sponsorship of this program."
The NSBA is in the process of building a Foundation to continue to develop and sustain programs such as this. NSBA membership financial support of the NSBA Foundation will help NSBA to take leadership in order to bring the benefits of the horse show experience to riders who might otherwise not have an opportunity to participate.
The NSBA Foundation is currently supporting programs such as Trainer Crisis Fund, Youth Scholarship, heroes on Horses, Sponsor A Rider Program for Riders With Disabilities and the Tac Room and Clothes Closet to wich NSBA members can donate gently used show equipment and outfits that will be provided to Therapeutic Riding Faciities for their Riders with Disabilities. Fundraisers at the NSBA World Championship Show will include the Crisis Fund Mustache Contest, NSBA Foundation Raffle Baskets and Silent Auction. A drop off location for donated tack and show clothes will be provided on site.

Gus and his partner all dressed up in their show duds.

Maybe one of the horses did let the experience go to his head a little.

For more information about the Listening Horse Therapeutic Riding Horses For Heroes program please visit www.listeninghorse.org.

New Horse and Dog Treats

     We're always looking for good quality, new products and when our customers can vouch for a product and ask for it specifically we'll try our hardest to get it.  Speedi-Beet and Formula-4-Feet from the United Kingdom are a good example of this.  We were asked to carry them, we researched them and by gosh they are incredible products.  We now sell them locally and ship them to customers in Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas!  Having a client base of intelligent pet owners who want the best for their horses and dogs and who are willing to spend time researching products is like having our own research and development department.
     The latest request was for grain free dog treats from a manufacturer in Canada.  These treats, made by Dog'n it in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada are made with natural grains, fruits and spices with no added salt, fat, sugar or preservatives and are baked or dried.  Some are wheat free and some are grain free.  We have:
Pumpkin and Cinnamon


Grain free:  Made with pea flour, crushed flax, pumpkin, molasses, cinnamon and baking powder






Peanut Butter and Banana


Grain free:  Made with pea flour, crushed flax, fresh banana, natural peanut butter, cinnamon and baking powder.






Peanut Butter and Jelly


Wheat free:  Made with rye flour, oats, crushed flax, natural peanut butter, fresh banana, cranberry, blueberry, molasses, cinnamon and baking powder.


Dog'n it treats cost $8.95 for a 1 lb. bag.


     We also found that through their sister company, Royal Equine, they have a very good line of horse treats.  Like the dog treats these are made with natural grains and fruits with no added fats or preservatives (some of the flavors do contain sugar) and are baked or dried.  We have:


Orchard Apple


Wheat free: made with rye flour, barley flour, flatted barley, barley granules, sugarcane molasses, fresh crushed apple and cinnamon.














Honey and Molasses


Wheat free: made with rye flour, barley flour, flatted barley, barley granules, sugarcane molasses, and honey.


Candy Cane Crunch

Wheat free: made with rye flour, barley flour, flatted barley, barley granules, sugarcane sugar and peppermint.


Royal Equine treats are comparably priced to Beet Treats: a 2 lb. box costs $9.95.

Santa Fe Pony Club

     A chapter of the United States Pony Club will be opening in Santa Fe and this is truly wonderful news for children who are interested in horses and riding and for their parents.  The United States Pony Club is a national organization (Pony Club itself is international with clubs in the United Kingdom and other European countries) with local clubs in every state and national headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.


     Children ages 8 and up who join USPC learn safe, responsible riding and horse care and take part in organized horse rides and activities with others who share their love of horses.


     The new Santa Fe Pony Club is sponsoring a fantastic horse camp this summer which will take place at Goose Downs Farm in Galisteo.  Children do not need to own a horse or belong to USPC to participate in the summer horse camp.  They will ride (at any level), learn horse care, play mounted games and have a swim party!  Some of my daughter's best summers were spent at week after week of horse camp and some of her closest friends were made there.
     You can find a lot of information about USPC at www.ponyclub.org.  For more information about the horse camp or the new Santa Fe Pony Club please contact Jeffray Ryding at MJRatGDF@aol.com. 

Horse Blanket Washing and Repair

The Blanket Lady is back!  Shelly Gibbs is taking over the horse blanket cleaning and repair business left behind by Carol Helms when she moved to California.  Shelly's business will provide the same services for roughly the same prices .  You may leave your blankets, in a plastic trash bag, at Barn Dogs with instructions for cleaning and/or repair and Shelly will  pick them up, service them and return them to Barn Dogs where you may pick them up again.  Since she lives on the other side of town, Shelly would rather pick up several blankets at a time so if you are bringing a blanket or blankets maybe some of your friends or other people at your barn would like to send theirs at the same time.

      Shelly will also clean and repair wool saddle blankets.  If you have questions about pricing or services you can contact Shelly at woolynag@gmail.com.