As estimates start to come in for materials, equipment, construction and utilities, we start to rethink our plans from top to bottom.
After we spent a few weeks at our new property near Pie Town, New Mexico, in October of last year, my husband Kenny and I came home to Texas filled with ideas and inspiration to make our dream ranch come true. We spent many a winter’s evening sifting through building plans and weighing the relative merits of what to build and where and in what order to build it.
As we would discover over the course of the next several months, keeping a flexible outlook was essential for both our sanity and making good decisions.
We’d planned to return in March to meet with local builders and move forward in hopes of spending the summer in the high country with our riding horses. We were delayed, however, and didn’t make the 800-mile journey back until May. We brought two of our endurance horses--- Annakate and Jazz---with us, along with building plans crafted by Kenny using a program called SketchUp.
Upon our arrival, we were delighted to discover that our perimeter fence was complete, along with a main entrance double-gate and a secondary “cowboy” gate. A few days later, we saddled up the horses to ride the fence line. The four-strand twisted wire fence was strung tightly and expertly. Corner posts were rough-hewn wood, and
T-posts were used for the long stretches. I made a mental note to pick up a couple hundred T-post caps on our next trip to town.
Annakate and Jazz seemed to enjoy the mountain views and fresh, cool air as much as we did. One of our main motivations for relocating from Texas to New Mexico is climate. Escaping the heat and humidity of southern Texas for the higher elevations and cooler air of
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Esta historia es de la edición September 2017 de Equus.
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PROGRESS AND STRUGGLE IN SENIOR HORSE CARE
A study from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University confirms what many dedicated horse owners have long known: Caring for a geriatric horse with a chronic health condition can be a significant physical and emotional burden.
THREE WAYS TO PREVENT BLANKET INJURIES
Of all the things your horse could injure himself with, his blanket seems an unlikely candidate. But don’t rule it out. Blanket mishaps do happen and they can be serious. Here are three things you can do to avoid them:
PUT AN END TO BARN DRAMA
While it’s impossible to prevent all discord at the barn, conflict resolution techniques can help solve problems, restore calm and enable everyone to enjoy their horses.
The turning point
You don’t always get the horse you want, but sometimes you get the one you need.
A FOREVER HOME
How a Facebook post led to a midnight rescue and an unexpected partnership
Nice work if you can get it
A career focused on horses is not for the faint of heart but the rewards are many and can last a lifetime.
MAKE WINTER EASIER FOR YOUR OLD HORSE
The season ahead may be hard on aging horses in cold climates but with some planning and preparation you can help yours sail through until spring.
7 THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT TETANUS
With modern vaccines and wound management practices, tetanus is almost a thing of the past. But the threat persists, so it’s wise to remember which horses are most at risk and why.
THE FIRST AMERICAN “SPORT HORSE” BREED
The very name of the American Standardbred reflects the performance requirement established at the inception of the breed. Here’s how genetics, conformation and training came together to create horses that could trot a mile in 2:30 or less, or pace it in 2:00 flat.
THE 6 WAYS HORSES LEARN
You’ll be more successful in teaching your horse new skills or maneuvers if your lessons, timing and tasks are aligned with his natural modes of acquiring information.
