The Horse Trader's Son

Growing up the eldest son of a genuine horse trader (my Mom), I’ve accumulated a wealth of stories surrounding horses and horse people. Some are funny (at least in retrospect), and some are touching or poignant. Some of these stories are even true. Well, mostly true. Some of the names have been changed to protect the guilty, and to compensate for my failing memory. I certainly wouldn’t guarantee the historical accuracy of anything I say or write.

Well, one of the two yearlings we had for sale on our Horses For Sale page has been snapped up. A young lady took a look at Lonestar’s picture, came out to see him a few days later, and picked him up today.  Proof that good matches between horses and owners can be made over the Internet.

The world of print, and now also the internet, is filled with heart-warming tales of the bonds of love that develop between a child and her or his first pony.  They relate the absolute trust between mount and master, the obstacles they overcome together, and the life-long memories of all the happy times on the trail or in the ring.

If you’re looking for such a story, forget it.  You won’t find it here.  Here, you’ll discover what many first-time buyers find out the hard way: most ponies are stubborn, cantancorous, and mischievous.

I got my first pony when I was 7 years old.  My Mom eventually became one of the most knowlegable horse buyers in the state, but at the time she was just starting out.  She bought “Casey” (or maybe it was “K.C.”) because he was small, cute, and cheap.  Boy, did we learn that in a pony, those qualities just aren’t enough. Read more…

See our updated Horses For Sale page for information on Lonestar and April, two young, smart, and friendly horses for sale. Remember to leave a comment if you’re interested in either of them. They would make great 4-H project horses, or just all-around kid-friendly mounts.

One of the extra horses we had for sale we acquired from a family who had themselves only had her a little while but could no longer afford to keep her.  When they got her, there was some question about whether or not she was in foal.  We sold her to a lucky young lady, and eventually we realized she was surely going to get two horses for the price of one!  Yesterday, when I walked by the kitchen window for a 2nd cup of coffee, I spied an extra set of legs out in the pasture. Read more…

As a young teenager on a family-run horse farm, I envisioned myself a cowboy.  What did cowboys listen to?  Why, Country and Western music, of course.  In those days, if you lived in southern Michigan and listened to Country and Western (it still had “Western” in it, not like today where demographic-minded marketing types have shortened it to simply “Country”), then you listened to Deano Day in the morning.  WDEE, also known as “The Big D” was on the AM dial at 1500, and there every morning you could listen to Deano Day play all the great hits of the time plus the classics, crack corny jokes, and banter with the listeners who would call in.

Deano didn’t mind telling it like it was, and sometimes his opinions got him in some hot water.  But that was part of who he was – a straight shooter who liked to have fun with his audience.

Deano’s career spanned not only the decades since then, but the United States, and the radio dial.   Lately he was hosting a show on the new WCXI AM 1160, of which he was part owner.

I’ve been a loyal fan of Deano’s for over 35 years, but it was just last year that I met him in person for the first time.  Mike and Christine, mutual friends, had arranged for Deano to provide DJ services for the wedding reception of other friends.  Deano was warm and humorous, and chatting with him took me back to those early teen years.  I’m grateful I had the chance to meet him.

Here’s what our friend Mike has to say

Deano Day was a kind of guy that we all wished we all could be: A kid that never grew up, a friend, a scoundrel, a voice on the radio, a guy with a big heart (literally and physically), my fish-en buddy, a guy that seemed to warm the room just with his smile, trouble with a capital T. A guy that just couldn’t get enough of his computer, friends, family, and wonderful wife.

To this day I will never forget on one of our fishing trips we ran out of gas. I had to pick up my wife from work. I knew I was in the dog house big time! Deano made the call to my wife from the boat and smoothed things out with her, Yes he had the talent to get away with murder. I shed a tear now not because he died I know god has a place for himbut because I know it will be a long time before we will be able to go out and play again.

His voice is silent now………….
Ah that voice, all I can think now is:
Good morn-en world I’m not afraid of you cus this is going to be a country day.
A country Deano Day WCXI Deano Day WCXI Deano Day.

See you when its my time to get there buddy.

Mike

Funeral and Visitation Information

• Sources:
  http://detroitcountrymusic.com/
  http://wycd.com/

While we’re not in the business of buying and selling horses, occasionally we find ourselves with more horses than we have butts to put on them, and need to part with one or more.  With that in mind, I’m introducing our Horses For Sale page.  Only one entry right now, but I’ll have a few more up over the next few days.  Some will be ours, but some will belong to friends of ours who’re in the same boat.  Maybe you’ll find your next 4-H project horse, or just a good trail mount.  Enjoy!

My brother Kirk lives in Texas.  A true cowboy, if such a thing exists anywhere today.  He sent me an email with the following “Cowboy Rules.”  I’ve seen them – you probably have too.  They were originally written for Texas, but I believe they apply to people everywhere, if you can define ‘The Wild West’ more as a place in the heart rather than  a geographic region.  Kirk agrees.  What do you think?

1. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.

2. Turn your cap right, your head ain’t crooked.

3. Let’s get this straight: it’s called a ‘gravel road.’ I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you’re gonna get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way..

4. They are cattle…. That’s why they smell like cattle. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don’t like it? I-10 & I-40 go east and west, I-17 & I-15 goes north and south. Pick one and go. (note – for us in Michigan, make that I-96, US-23, and I-75).

5. So you have a $60,000 car. We’re impressed. We have $250,000 Combines that are driven only 3 weeks a year.

6. Every person in the Wild West waves. It’s called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.

7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of geese/pheasants/ducks/doves are comin’ in during the hunts, we WILL shoot it outa your hand. You better hope you don’t have it up to your ear at the time.

8. Yeah. We eat trout, salmon, deer and elk. You really want sushi and caviar? It’s available at the corner bait shop.

9. The ‘Opener’ refers to the first day of deer season. It’s a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.  (November 15th for us in Michigan)

10. We open doors for women. That’s applied to all women, regardless of age.

11... No, there’s no ‘vegetarian special’ on the menu. Order steak, or you can order the Chef’s Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham and turkey.  (OK, you might find a ‘vegetarian special’ in Michigan.  Fine – just try not to look so condescending at the rest of us when we order steaks and burgers)

12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup! Oh, yeah. . We don’t care what you folks in Cincinnati call that stuff you eat. IT AIN’T REAL CHILE !!

13... You bring ‘Coke’ into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice. You bring ‘Mary Jane’ into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.

14. College and High School Football is as important here as the Giants, the Yankees, the Mets, the Lakers and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch. (Lets not even mention our pro football team in MI)

15. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don’t hit the water hazards – it spooks the fish.

16. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump crap ain’t music, anyway. We don’t want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers! Refer back to #1! (AMEN to that, brother)

As promised, I’ve started a page for comparing boarding facilities in the mid-Michigan area.  Only two entries so far, but I hope to expand the listings with reviews, ratings, pictures, etc.  Let me know if there is a farm you think should be mentioned.

Some friends have asked us board their 3 horses for about a month while they pull up stakes and move out of state. Naturally, we agreed to do it, but had to figure out something reasonable to charge. Because it is a short-term arrangement and it is for some friends, I’m basically only asking them to pay for the feed their horses will eat, but decided to do a little research into what others are charging these days. Boy, was I surprised.

When I was a kid, my Mom boarded horses. The cost was $35.00 per month for pasture board (we supplied hay), $50.00 per month for daily grain and hay. I know prices have gone up a lot. I counted on the average price of board being 3 or 4 times what we used to charge. Nope – not even close. While one farm ‘only’ charged $250.00, others were charging $325 – 350 per month! Now they had some things we never did, like an indoor arena. Still – at these prices the monthly board is more expensive than a lot of horses these days!

So – as a service to readers, I’m going to publish some boarding rates and contact information to make it easier to find someone to board your horse at a reasonable rate – or as reasonable as exists these days. Coming Soon – the boarding farm comparison page. If you have any suggestions for inclusions on this page, leave them here as a comment and I’ll check them out.

Our 4-H leader just forwarded to us an alert from the Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.  The report mentions that MSU Veterinary Teaching Hospitalis seeing an increase in the number of animals suffering with starvation and
exposure-related problems.  It goes on to say that a visual-only inspection of horses with winter coats is insufficient – you have to use your hands.  The following is an excerpt:

Body condition score- The body condition scoring (BCS) system is based
on a 1 through 9 scale and is designed to assess a horse’s overall
condition.  Horses with a BCS less than a 4 are at increased risk of
hypothermia and starvation, especially when the weather conditions
cause an increase in energy demands just to maintain weight.  If an
individual is already thinner than desired (BCS < 4), they will not
have adequate body mass (fat) to help with insulation from the cold or
provide a supply of energy when the diet is lacking and demands are
high
er than expected.
  
To determine your horse’s BCS you must touch your horse, especially in
the winter, as winter hair hides a horse’s true BCS, often until it is
too late to successfully correct the weight loss.  Feel over the ribs,
neck, shoulder  area, mid-spine, hips and tail head.  If your horse’s
ribs over the widest part of the barrel are easily felt with little or
no tissue between the skin and ribs, the BCS is below 4. This horse is
suffering from malnutrition and is at a high risk of hypothermia when
the temperature drops, particularly if the wind chill is high and
little to no shelter is available.

The article also discusses the nutritional needs of horses in cold weather.  Basically, more of everything to help ensure that the horse has enough calories to for normal activity plus keep warm.  Fresh water at all times is essential.  More information can be found at www.extension.org.