Lead Up

My barn buddy Lisa recently made a comment about how she wished all horses could be brought along kindly and by generous owners, and I wholeheartedly share that wish.
When I was in the throes of searching for a suitable FEI horse, there were many spectacular moments on Rijkens' sales videos: canter pirouettes, sweeping trot and canter half pass, piaffe, passage that were fancy and flashy and made me want to see more.  But the following is an excerpt from his sales video that made me almost certain, even before I ever visited Rijkens in Michigan and rode him for three days, that I wanted to know him.  In this short clip witness Rijkens' first trainer (and breeder, and his first owner's best friend) school Rijkens' earliest attempts at the two tempis.  No, it isn't perfect and he struggles a bit.  What captured me is that Cheryl gives a big accolade for effort and "makes much" of her horse for really trying.  Oh-- and all in a plain snaffle.  Yes, that was the moment I realized this horse was for me.

Shopping

Had my first lesson today on Rijkens with Karen Brown, and Karen rode him the last few minutes of the session.  When the rider lifts, lightens, and gives and reminds him to keep his hindquarter active Rijkens is happy to remain supple and in self carriage with an uphill balance; if however the rider allows him to be heavy toward his forehand, he's equally happy to comply.  There will be much activating the inside hind, simple sidle, and turns around the haunches and forehand in Rijkens' near future.  WHAT FUN he was today-- and it was cool seeing Karen pilot him.

In the meantime I'm doing my part to uphold the economy by online and local shopping to the nth degree.  One would think I'd have all the essential equipment on hand but no, it turns our there are a myriad items that need to be acquired.  (Well okay maybe, as Clint Eastwood said "NEED's got nothin' to do with it.")

An oversize fly mask complete with his name embroidered had to be procured.  Of course the double bridle has been ordered and a new show/clinic pad with his name and Holsteiner brand.  A tack trunk nameplate including his breed logo is coming in the mail.  New salt licks-- both traditional and Himalayan.  A personalized supplement regime has been implemented including daily dewormer, Cosequin, and an electrolyte/mineral.  He's on Fast Track probiotic during his acclimation period as a safeguard in his new diet transition.  Zimectrin gold paste as a start-up for his daily dewormer and as a preventative against summer sores.  Two varieties of fly spray-- sweat proof and citronella scented.

Still to be decided upon are the sports medicine boots-- we know the size but what color?  White would look so fancy but black is more conservative and would blend better.  A nice new Baker halter for daily use to match his Baker cross-ties, or invest in a quality leather show halter and just keep using the good leather sale halter he arrived in?  These and more are the important decisions Rijkens and I have been contemplating.

Rijkens-- hopeful that his every need will be met.

A Moment in Time

Rode the big guy for the first time in his new home arena today.  He was spectacular.  All I can say is if one could bottle the feeling I got in that moment, heroin would be a thing of the past. 

We schooled collected trot and collected canter, simple sidle in walk and trot, collected shoulder in, and walk to canter transitions.  He was absolutely brilliant and was as sharp to the aids as though he'd been being schooled by a pro these last several weeks rather than standing in a paddock with his buddies-- which is what he's been doing in Michigan until a couple days ago.  We schooled in the snaffle today and Karen Brown has an array of bridoon and weymouth bits to try on him once his double bridle arrives in the mail.

Last night while I was hand grazing him the mares were being turned out and proceeded to gallop around.  Rijkens offered passage in hand-- and while I know he was just being exuberant (my new pony couldn't possibly be being naughty) it was still pretty cool.  And watching him overstride by several large hoofprints even in his lollygag-down-the-barn-aisle walk brings a whole new sense of satisfaction in a horse. 

*sigh*  The honeymoon begins!

Hand grazing this morning just before our first at-home ride.  What a dumpling!

Full Circle

Rijkens, Carrie and Delphi.  Delphi went to her new home on the same transport in which Rijkens arrived.

Rijkens (pronounced "RYE-kens") the new wonder-pony is here!  We've fitted him with an appropriate snaffle bridle and I lunged and did some in-hand work with him today.  He was completely relaxed and nonplussed in the new arena yet was very keen.  Suspension in trot and canter- what!  I plan on riding him tomorrow in the snaffle while we wait for his double bridle to arrive in the mail.  Tuesday I'll have my first lesson on him with Karen Brown.  As you can imagine I'm over the moon!

Delphi arriving later the same day at Lyndon Rife's farm near Dallas with her new mom Tammy.

We've Had a Great Run, Pumpkin

Is it possible to feel equally happy and sad in the same moment?  It must be because it is with equal parts delight and sorrow that I announce Delphinia has found a new home.  Congratulations to Tammy McGowen on the acquisition of her new dressage partner.  My heart is so grateful that Delphi is going to such a good home.  Delphi will be living at and under the tutelage of Lyndon Rife Dressage near Dallas, Texas.
I owe a debt of gratitude to Delphi for all that she's taught me; so much friendship; so many fun memories.  I know her new owner Tammy will love her, grow with her, and learn from her just as I have over these past seven years I have been fortunate enough to spend with Delphinia.

Some of my best and most memorable moments have been with Delphinia during these past seven years.  Here we are at our last show together in March 2012:

It's been a wonderful journey Delphinia!

Delphinia

Delphinia, 1998 Trakehner mare 15.3 hands.  Delphinia is Third Level at USEF/USDF recognized shows and is beginning passage, canter pirouettes, and piaffe with her adult amateur owner.  100% sound with no vices, Delphi has a million show and clinic miles, is extremely obedient and sensible in the barn, stands quietly for the farrier/clipping/vet, is barefoot, self-loads onto any trailer, and an easy keeper.  Reproductively sound also as she produced a lovely filly by the Trakehner stallion Onassis.  She has experience jumping and hacks out on trail rides often.  Lifetime registered with both USEF and USDF.
Update: sold.  Congratulations to Tammy McGowen of Dallas, Texas!

Clips of Delphinia's clinic lessons with USEF and FEI trainer and judge Jeff Ashton Moore, with stills of her showing USDF recognized Third Level

Delphinia doing second level test three

Delphinia jumping and lead changes

Delphinia jumping:

Delphinia lead changes:

Feed and Feeding

So I know some general principles about digestive tract anatomy and feeding management for horses, but I recently went through the exercise of calculating a more specific estimate of what Delphi is currently consuming.

Before we get the snapshot of Delphi's current menu, some basic principles:

• Horses have a peculiar digestive tract when it comes to domestic livestock and can be divided into the foregut and hindgut; the foregut accounts for ~35% of the capacity of the digestive tract--pigs' foreguts can handle up to 65% and cattle up to 90%-- so the uniqueness of horses' digestive anatomy is apparent. This relatively small stomach size makes the rate of passage of ingesta relatively fast, and larger meals pass even faster than smaller meals.

 

Anatomy of the horse digestive tract with relative sizes.Adapted from Feeding Management of the Equine (F-3973
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service).

• Horses should consume 10 to 12 gallons of water per day. Water buckets should be changed at least twice daily to avoid becoming stale or contaminated since horses do not readily tolerate stale or dirty water.  Providing a trace mineralized salt block designed specifically for horses ad libitum may help promote drinking and replace sodium and chloride loss from sweating.  

• A very general rule of thumb is horses should consume greater than or equal to 1% of their body weight in forage per day, and less than or equal to 1% of their body weight in concentrate. For Delphi (weighing in at ~1200 pounds) that means at least 12 pounds or more of forage (grass/hay) and no more than 12 pounds concentrate per day. Horses in moderate to heavy work have greater feed requirements than the average "rule of thumb" horse.

• We can assume that a horse grazing on adequate pasture (and supplemented with grain) will consume at least half of their daily dry matter intake from grazing. Since Delphi is out ~12 hours per day, this means she probably eats about 6 pounds of grass daily.

• In their natural state horses spend ~60% of their time eating and grazing; resting periods are rarely separated by more than three hours of non-eating behaviors.

On to Delphi's snapshot:

• Delphi's stall has two 5 gallon water buckets, and she has access to a fresh water tank ad libitum in her turnout paddock. She typically drinks more than both her buckets during the day-- at least 12 gallons per day-- probably more. She has stall access to a trace mineralized salt block for horses, a Himalayan salt lick, and receives an electrolyte supplement in her morning feeding.  So CHECK.

• Delphi gets fed a concentrate mixture of sweet feed and pellets that is approximately slightly more than 1 pound per dry quart. She eats "one scoop" (her feed scoop is 4 dry quarts) two times daily for a total of ~10 pounds concentrate daily over two feedings spaced 11 hours apart. So CHECK.

• Delphi receives two flakes of quality coastal hay three times daily, plus an extra flake mid-morning so she never has to spend more than three hours in her stall without forage in front of her. The average flake of hay is 3 to 5 pounds, so Delphi probably consumes ~21 to ~35 pounds of hay forage daily, plus the ~6 pounds of grass she eats while she's at paddock overnight.

• Delphi is definitely getting above and beyond the "rule of thumb" of "12 pounds or more" of forage, which is good since Delphi is in strenuous dressage training five or six days a week with an active show and clinic schedule. Better that she gets her extra feed requirement from forage rather than concentrate. So double CHECK.

 

Delphi and Lola doing what they do best.

Sources: North Dakota State University Department of Animal and Range Sciences, and University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.