The Horse Trader's Son

When I was a kid, my family boarded horses, and at any given time we’d have 20 to 30 roaming the pastures. Occasionally someone would leave a gate open, or some section of fencing would fall down, and the horses would get out. Not as serious of an ordeal as it would be these days, since we were mostly bordered by other property. One edge of our pasture though was adjacent to a lake, and there was a gate there that some inconsiderate person left open one winter day.
Well, the horses all got out, and for some strange reason, they wandered out onto the ice. Maybe they thought the ice-fishermen had some tasty treats for them, who knows. Anyway, my brothers and I were sent to bring them home. We didn’t have any problems catching them, and we were doing fine leading 4 of them while the others followed, but the ice started to crack.
It’s amazing how fast horses can move on ice, given that their hooves are prone to slip on the stuff. There was really just no slowing them down once they got it into their heads that we all needed to get off the ice pronto!  Stopping them was impossible.  Keeping up with them was, too.  That pretty much just left sliding on the ice while they pulled us along.  And that is how we invented horse-drawn ice skiing.

The Stories, horses horses

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…

The Stories, horses horses, ponies

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.

Blog bording, feed, horses

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.

Uncategorized horses

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.

Uncategorized horses

Ah, Winter in Michigan. Such a lovely season. I love riding in the freshly fallen snow. Of course, that’s something I haven’t been able to do since I broke my foot in November. But the Doctor says I can start putting weight on my foot, so hopefully it won’t be long before I’m back in the saddle. Hey – I even drove my own tractor the other day – something else I haven’t been able to do because of the clutch. So things are looking up.

My kids don’t like having horses in Michigan in the winter time nearly as much as I do. That’s because this year it has been up to them to drag the water hoses in and out of the basement so they won’t freeze between filling the water troughs. And chipping the ice out of the troughs when Georgie unplugs the heaters. And feeding and grooming them in sub-zero temperatures.

Well, I did all that when I was a kid, and look how well I turned out. Wait – never mind. Let’s just say that Michigan Winters help kids build character, and leave it at that.

Uncategorized horses

a Horse with a Sense of Humor

In every herd, there seems to be one horse with more personality than its herd-mates – a horse that seems to stand above the rest in terms of intelligence and sense of humor.

The best example of a horse with a sense of humor was Thunder, AKA Houdini. Thunder was a horse from my childhood, who was a trickster and an escape artist. He holds the record for the best practical joke played by a horse, but he has a contender vying for that honor.

We now have a horse on the farm named Georgie (pictured). He’s a handsome Tennessee Walker, and like Thunder, he seems to have the uncanny ability to let himself out of his stall, the barn, and even the pasture. He also fancies himself a bit of a jokester. Read more…

The Stories horses

When I was a youngster, my parents were good friends with another couple active in the horse circles. They ran the local horse auction every Saturday night. Gene was a truck driver, rodeo rider, horse shoer, and a trainer. He also was and still is a consummate story teller.

Disclaimer: I can’t swear that the following tale is true. I’m relaying it here the way I heard it, and within the same context. I tell it strictly for entertainment purposes, and specifically do not recommend or advocate the training method employed in the story.

I was about 16 years old, and Gene had contracted to break and train a horse. He frequently did this, and usually boarded the horse with us for the training period. He knew we would take good care of the horse. He cut my Mom in for some of the proceeds of the contract. And he usually put me on the horse after a few days of ground-work. “Uncle” Gene was one of my childhood heroes. In exchange for helping him train horses, I could earn a few dollars and, more importantly, reap the benefits of his vast wisdom and remarkable tales.

As we finished up the day’s session with a young bay mare who was displaying some difficulty learning to stop on cue, I asked him how he planned to deal with her in the next few weeks. He said, “Well, we’ll be patient. She’ll get the hang of it. She’s young, and hasn’t really developed any bad habits, yet.”

“OK, but what if she had? What if she was already trained, but didn’t have any brakes? How would you correct her?”

Gene grew pensive for a few moments, then, as if he’d come to a decision, he started. “Let me tell you, son, about one I got just like that one time. This one was a black gelding, but like you said, didn’t have no brakes. I tried a hackamore. That didn’t work. I tried all different kinds of bits. He would work OK at a walk, but ’soon as you got him into a canter or a run, he’d just run off with you and not stop ’til he got to the barn.” A grin spread across his face as he said, “I finally managed to break him, though.” Read more…

The Stories horses

My mother was a horse trader. Not one of those that gives horse traders the reputation for fleecing unsuspecting horse buyers (and less experienced horse traders) by representing three-legged man-hating horses as kid-safe and sound. Still, sainthood will forever elude her.

My family engaged in pretty much any horse-related activity that can turn a profit. We rented, boarded, bought, and sold horses. We supplied ponies for pony rides at parties and events, and horses for the judges at field dog trials. And for a fee, we picked up dead and injured livestock from the homes of distraught owners. Most of these were anxious to get the ordeal of a dead or terminal horse over with as quickly as possible. They were content to have us pick up their animal and leave with as little spectacle as possible. Some were not quite so accommodating.

The phone rang one morning. In a tearful voice, a woman spoke to my mother. “My name is Rebecca Rhoades, and my horse Charlie just d-died,” she sobbed. “I have no idea what to do with him now. Do you pick up d-dead horses?”

No funeral mortician who ever consoled a grieving patron could exude more sympathy and compassion than could my mother, the horse trader. “Yes, we do pick up dead horses. Judging by the pain evident in your voice, you obviously loved Charlie very much. How long did you have him?”

“I’ve had him since I was 12 years old. I grew up with him. He was 10 years old when my Dad bought him for me, but he’s 29, now. Well… I mean he was 29.”

When horse owners called and said their old horse had died, or that they had one that was terminally ill and would need to be put down (euthenized, if you prefer), they occasionally asked what we did with the body. My mother would describe our farm, and explain that we had a special section of the farm where we buried the horses. Few people ever elected to have any kind of marker or memorial. Indeed, nobody ever visited the graves of these horses. Fortunately. Read more…

The Stories horses