Want an Oil Painting of Your Best Friend?

I had the opportunity to get a lovely oil painting of Paco in the Fall. If you are not familiar with the work of Carole Andreen-Harris, you are missing a great talent. She does the most wonderful paintings of horses.

Carole came out to the barn and took lots of pictures of Paco and then let me choose the one I wanted to use. I liked this one because it shows how expressive his face is. He’s a beauty.

Carole often has special deals available for those of us who can’t afford an expensive painting. This one is 11 x 14, done with a neutral background, and she even allowed me to pay for it over a few months time.  A great deal!

Be sure to visit her website and take a look at the wide variety of paintings and prints she offers.

Being Absent

I’ve been absent lately–if not downright delinquent–from the blog. There’s so much I need to get added here, lots of ideas are swirling about my head, so I’ve got to find the time to actually get to writing.

Maybe I should do that rather than to sit here and lament my delinquency . . .

2012 Calendars are Available

The calendars are available online now for just $10.  Every one you purchase helps to save abused, neglected, and abandoned horses. Our charity this year is Care for the Horses, in Sierra Vista, where they were significantly involved in rescuing horses and other animals during the recent Monument Fire in the Huachuca Mountains.

Returning Farriers from previous calendars: Don Miller (2009, 2010, 2011 and shown at left with Ziggy), John Hall (2009, 2010, 2011), Manny Madrid (2009, 2010, 2011), Karl Rossi (2009, 2010, 2011), Mike Gorczyca (2010, 2011), Brian Bishop (2011), Dan Skiver (2011),  Joseph Garnett (2010). Newcomers for 2012 are Tyler Basinger, Robert Bazurto, Shawn Fimbres, and John Smith.

Several horses from Care for the Horses are also featured in the calendar, along with some privately owned horses. Photo shoots were held in Sierra Vista at the Care for the Horses facility and at Pusch Ridge Stables in Tucson.

Our photographer this year was Katie Paddock, a senior photography student at the University of Arizona.

Once again, we enjoyed the support of our partner, Boot Barn, where we held both a Sierra Vista and Tucson launch.

Hunks & Horses Photo Shoots Rocked!

Thanks to our farriers, to the folks at Care for the Horses, to Katie Paddock, our excellent photographer, to the folks at Pusch Ridge Stables, and to Tom Hiatt for his cowboy music.

2012 Calendar Launch in Sierra Vista and Tucson

The 2012 Hunks & Horses Calendar, produced by the Swingin’ SaddleBabes as a tribute to cowboy farriers in Southern Arizona and to raise money for horse rescue, will launch October 15, 2011.

Care for the Horses, a rescue in Sierra Vista, is the 2012 beneficiary of proceeds from calendar sales.  This rescue has been a lifesaver for numerous horses and was actively involved in helping rescue horses and other animals during the recent Monument Fire in the Huachuca Mountains. Calendars will be available at both launches, online at www.swinginsaddlebabes.com and at a variety of feedstores in Sierra Vista and Tucson, and from the rescue. The calendar features farriers from various communities in Southern Arizona, along with beautiful horses, some of which are rescues.

When Hank was rescued, he was 300 pounds underweight and had a serious leg injury; now he is up to a good weight and his injury has been repaired. He’s a well-trained horse who is loved by his adoptive owner, Jim Slough. He is just one success story from Care for the Horses.

Just to remind you, Swingin’ SaddleBabes is a partnership of western women whose mission is twofold: to honor the tradition of the cowboy farrier and to promote proper care and well-being of horses through the support of facilities that rescue abused and abandoned horses. The idea for the Hunks & Horses Calendar sprang  from hours spent watching dedicated farriers. Horse owners admire and appreciate these tireless workers who keep their horses’ hooves in proper shape.

And we still enjoy watching them work. Check out our Farrier Butt contest at our website.

Several farriers appearing in the calendar will be on hand at the launch to autograph their pictures. You probably won’t get to see them in this famous pose, though.

WHEN?

Saturday, October 8 and 15, 2011

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

WHERE (October 8, 2011)?

Boot Barn at The Mall at Sierra Vista

2200 El Mercado Loop, Space 1200

WHERE (October 15, 2011)

Boot Barn in Tucson

3719 N. Oracle Rd

Tucson, AZ 85705

WHO?

Representatives of Care for the Horses, a horse rescue in Sierra Vista

Representatives of Swingin’ SaddleBabes, a partnership of western women dedicated to the health and well-being of horses

Farriers in the 2012 calendar (will be signing autographs)

CONTACT

Sharon Miller, Swingin’ SaddleBabes, 520-940-3721

Announcing the Rescue for 2012 Calendar

The 2012 Hunks & Horses Calendar will benefit Care for the Horses (CFH), a superb rescue located in Sierra Vista, Arizona. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, they are run entirely by volunteers who are dedicated to rescuing abused, abandoned, and starving horses.

Among the rescues is a horse named One-Eyed-Jack, who came into the rescue close to death. He will be featured in our 2012 calendar and you will be amazed at his current condition. He is currently in a happy foster care situation.

CFH volunteers were actively involved in organizing and supporting the evacuation of horses, as well as other animals and pets, from the fire areas to safety during the recent Monument Fire in the Huachuca Mountains.

From a recent CFH newsletter:

When the fires took place recently many volunteers both with Care For The Horses and those not associated with CFH came together to help people evacuate their horses and other animals. Volunteers came all the way from Phoenix, Tucson, Tombstone, Elgin, Whetstone, McNeal and locally to aid in the evacuation of all types of animals.

Many of the drivers hauled animals day in and day out sometimes 12 hours a day to make sure everyone was taken care of. Volunteers also helped to setup headquarters at different locations around the city so dispatching could be done closer to the fire.

This video shows time-lapse progress on the third day of the fire.

Numerous homes and businesses were lost, and CFH has been heavily involved in helping people through fund-raising to replace lost equine facilities, equipment, and tack.

We are pleased to have this opportunity to work with an excellent rescue and the great people who make such a difference for our equine friends.

Rolling is Good for Horses

Paco is an impressive guy when he’s rolling. He is capable of rolling all the way over and doing it multiple times. Watch:

Horses roll for a number of reasons. Probably the best reason is that it feels good. It also helps stretch his muscles and massage the back and neck, along with helping to align the spine, so it is good for the horse to have the freedom to roll over and a safe place in which to roll.

Not every horse can roll all the way over. When they can’t they may roll around on one side and then get up and roll on the other side. This is often true of high withered horses. Paco does have high withers owing to his Thoroughbred background, but his enormous strength is probably due to his Quarter Horse background. (He’s an Appendix Quarter Horse, meaning that he’s half Thoroughbred.)

Paco’s personal best is FIVE, which you just saw in the video. I’ve been told that it’s a smart horse that can roll all the way over, and if using his head is any indication, that’s true. I’ve also heard that you can add $100 to a horse’s sale price for each time he can roll all the way over. But Paco’s not for sale, no matter how many times he can roll over.

They especially like to roll after they return from a ride because they are often sweating and the “dirt bath” helps to absorb and dry the sweat. An added benefit is that the dirt left in the horse’s coat can ward off flies and other biting insects.

In fact, because of Paco’s allergy to most chemical fly sprays, I’ve taken to letting him have a dirt bath after every ride. I’ll spray him with a natural fly spray (none of which are really effective for any length of time), then take him for his roll. I used to hose him down after a sweaty summer ride, but I’ve found that the dirt baths are much more effective, and I think he’s more comfortable.

There are, of course, times when you don’t want your horse to roll. If there is inadequate room and he’s too close to a fence, he can tangle his legs in the fence and then injure himself trying to get up. Also, you don’t want him to roll when you are riding him. First of all, you can get hurt, and even if you can bail off in time, it’s not good for your saddle to be scrubbed in the sand. You need to pay attention to the signs that a horse is considering a roll when you are out riding. Here in the desert, we often ride through dry washes where the sand is deep and soft. If your horse lowers his head and begins examining the sand carefully, perhaps pawing the ground, and turning in a small circle, he’s preparing to roll. You’ll want to pull his head back up and give him a kick to keep him moving.

A horse I used to ride was a roller and I had to pay close attention to him when we were in the dry washes, but he even liked to roll when there was water in the wash. I had seen him go down in a stream once with another rider. He was my mount on a trip we took to Canyon de Chelly on the Navajo Reservation in Northern Arizona. When we entered the canyon, there was a pretty good amount of water in the river that flows through the canyon. We were in water up to the horse’s knees when Rambler stopped and nosed the water. At first I thought he was going to drink, but then I felt his front legs bend as he started down. I yanked his head up and kicked as hard as I could, and we left a wake behind as he moved on without going down. I really didn’t want to ride the canyon soaking wet on a cool day in April.

Again, it is good for a horse to roll. They have less chiropractic problems and it’s probably helps prevent future problems. On a cautionary note, though, you’ll want to be sure that the rolling isn’t related to colic or worms or other problems. If you suspect colic, you need to keep him upright and walk him around until the vet can get there. You don’t want him on the ground if it’s colic.

Exhibition at the Field Museum: The Horse

I’m wishing I could make a trip to Chicago to see the exhibition currently at the Field Museum. It’s all about Horses, and taking a virtual tour online is nice, but not like the real thing.

There’s a great video about our bond with horses. You can watch it here.

If you can’t get to Chicago, check the site out online. It’s quite good.

Equine Herpesvirus Outbreak

Earlier this week, I was expecting a call from an equine dentist to confirm an appointment for Paco on Wednesday or Thursday. When I spoke to her, she said that she had recently been in California, and there had been an outbreak of a mutant form of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) in Utah and California, among other states. She declined to come and work on Paco’s teeth because of the risk of contributing to the spread of the disease. At that time, she had no way of knowing whether she had come into contact with any infected horses or not, so it was best to err on the side of caution.

Apparently, an infected horse was at an American Cutting Horse Association’s Western National Championships in Ogden, Utah, which meant that a number of horses from a variety of states were exposed. Indeed, as of yesterday, California was reporting ten positive horses, Colorado, two; in Idaho, two horses which had been in Ogden have died and five others are under veterinary care.

Comprehensive information, as of May 18, 2011, can be found at Equine Chronicle Online; it includes information about travel restrictions, show cancellations, and a state-by-state status report. According to the May 19th Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), Pima County has suspended all equestrian activities and commercial stables have implemented specific restrictions to address the problem.

Vickie Pitts, owner of Pusch Ridge Stables, where Paco boards, in an interview with the Star said they are being cautious. They aren’t accepting any new boarders or overnight guests. They also aren’t moving their own horses to any events. “We don’t believe there’s any immediate threat, but these things travel so erratically – you just really need to use precautions,” Pitts said. She also emailed her boarders with the following restrictions:

Ok there are a lot of rumors on this “new” virus I have no good answers now EXCEPT I will not allow any farriers, chiropractors, friends with horses, or any other persons that might share this virus with us on our property until further notice. If you have a horse at another stable then you must change all of your clothing including footwear before you come here and you can not transfer tack items or anything else. PLEASE call me so we are all on the same page with this. You should not ride with any other horse and I strongly suggest you do not go out on the trails at all for the moment.

If we all pay attention and share information this should not be a problem at our stable.

One of the beautiful trails in the park which we will now have to avoid.

I’m pleased that Vickie is taking such a pro-active stance. The trail restriction is important because from PRS we have access to Catalina State Park and Coronado National Forest trails where we often meet other riders who may or may not be local. The park has an equestrian center where travelers can stop for any number of nights with their horses. As of now, there is no announcement on their website regarding closing the facility, so it’s entirely possible that horses from other states might be overnighting there.

In a May 16th article, the Equine Chronicle Online provides important information that every horse owner needs to know about this disease and the current outbreak. The Arizona Department of Agriculture has released a statement regarding the outbreak here, which includes the following information:

Equine Herpes Virus is highly contagious among horses but poses no threat to humans. The symptoms in horses may include a fever, nasal discharge, wobbly gait, hind-end weakness, dribbling of urine and diminished tail tone. The virus is easily spread by airborne transmission, horse-to-horse contact and by contact with nasal secretions on equipment, tack, feed and other surfaces. Caretakers can spread the virus to horses if their hands, clothing, shoes or vehicles are contaminated.

Other resources you might be interested in:
Frequently Asked Questions (from Colorado state veterinarian)
Equine Herpesvirus Fact Sheet (from American Association of Equine Practitioners)

So far, I have found the Equine Chronicle Online to be the best source of current information on this outbreak. We must pay attention and protect our horses from exposure to this deadly virus.

NickerStickers

If you haven’t discovered this website, you are in for a delightful opportunity.

They offer peel and place stckers, die-cut decals, removable static cling decals in all sizes at very reasonable prices. It’s not just about horses though; they have other categories like dogs, cats, and critters (which includes a variety of animals). They offer an incredible number of breeds in each category, but I was disappointed that they didn’t have a buckskin horse, which is a color rather than a breed, but one that is distinctive enough to deserve his own category. The closest I could come was to get the dun. Paco doesn’t have the dorsal stripe, but other than that it comes close. They solicit ideas, so I will email them about adding a buckskin to their line.

They boast that they only use good quality original art, the finest vinyl and UV resistant inks. They assure us that the decals are easy to apply. I can attest to that with the small die-cut decal I purchased. It went on easily and looks great. They offer a number of sizes, going from five inches by five inches all the way up to twenty by twenty, which would look great on your horse trailer.

One of the best parts of doing business with NickerStickers was how quickly they acknowledged my custom printed order and then emailed me the images of Paco and my friend’s horse, Chant, that you see here for my approval. This told me that they were committed to perfection. I could make a correction or change if I wanted.

My order arrived in less than a week and I am very pleased with the product.