If your cat could use a little cardiovascular exercise, but prefers to be a couch potato, here's a game he won't be able to resist. I call it "cat food."
Throw a piece of dry cat food in front of your cat. Chances are really, really good that he will eat it. Throw another a couple feet away. He should walk up to it and eat it. Keep doing this until you are doing long throws, and he is running to get it. Thunder loves this game, and we will play it a few times a week. Just be sure not to give throw so much food that your cat will gain weight-either that or reduce the amount he gets for dinner.
I have never found a cat who could resist this game. As all horse trainers will tell you, it is a perfect example of positive reinforcement training. By pursuing the cat food, your cat gets an immediate reward. He also gets good exercise, which all housecats need to lead a healthy life.
I just purchased and read your second book and I loved it. Please publish another one as soon as you can!
You have truly inspired me. I am going to start my Morgan pony's under-saddle education in the arena this January (he is broke but was never trained properly and is 12!) and hope to start some trail riding in April. He is going to be trained with dressage basics. My OTTB was trained to be a great ring horse (by me off the track) but cannot handle the trail on him, so I am holding out hope for my Morgan, Leland. I dream of riding the trail and want to do it so bad but have always been more of an arena rider. My TB was so spooky and neurotic riding out of a ring, but he was a fantastic supple and responsive basic dressage horse in the ring. I'm one of those people who LOVES flatwork (not being sarcastic) but dream of a ride outdoors like the rides I used to have with my Appendix mare when I was younger.
I just LOVED reading your stories and Ellen's stories. I'm a librarian and book lover, and I read EVERYTHING about horses, but your books are the most useful and truly honest that I've read in a long, long time.
I was pleased to see that you like Mary Wanless. I ride with her principles in mind and saw her at a clinic here at Michigan State University a couple of years ago. What an inspiration!
You and Ellen are brave and bold and fantastic. Oh, and I think Ranger looks very much like a Thoroughbred -- really!! - many of them are smaller and have shorter heads -- especially the racing ones -- they breed them smaller for racing here Michigan and some aren't that really lanky build. In fact, there was a sire who just passed away named Matchlight, and honestly he looked more like a Morgan or a very large Connemara Pony! My TB, Reggie, is only 15.3 and in many of the pictures, Ranger looks similar to Reggie. I could also see Morgan in him.
Do you have any other exciting trail books to recommend? I LOVED Ten Feet tall, Still by Julie Suhr -- wow! I'm in awe of Endurance riders.
Thank you again. You guys are my heroes! I love that you are real people, with jobs and have to balance riding with other parts of your life. I respect Parelli and many other horse people, but things are very different when you have a full-time non-horse job, spouses/children/partners/pets/house cleaning, etc. to manage. I struggle to balance it all and my riding sometimes gets last priority.
Cheryl Lyons
Owner of:
Reggie 15.3 hand 9 year OTTB - (pretty much retired due to arthritis, feet problems, etc) - beloved furry pasture pet
Leland - 12 year old and unregistered -- but probably a Morgan cross. 13.3 hands and stocky! He's new to me and a very funny horse. Very Napoleonic. My dream is to train him to be the total "all around" horse that I can ride in a ring with dressage basics, trail ride and even put kids on him. Has an aloof, stubborn yet very calm nature. Complete OPPOSITE of my high-strung, high-performing, can't relax TB Reggie
January is always a tough time for trail riders in our neighborhood-particularly for a person who works during the day. My sister works afternoon shift on most days, and of course, Kevin is retired. On a nice day, they can get out and ride on the trail. By the time I get there, it is dark. I can only trail ride on the weekends.
If the weather is bitter or the driveway, even during the weekend, you will find me in the indoor arena. Well, at least we have the arena. We did go a number of years without one.
Often, this time of year, the river is frozen, and it can be weeks before I can get a real trail ride. I just ride up and down the hill to the river 3 or 4 times.
It was with much joy that I got to go on a real trail ride one Sunday in the middle of January. It was about 35 degrees out-warm enough that the trail wasn't frozen. That meant, not only could I get down the trail and cross the river, but I could trot and canter.
It happened that that day Ellen had to work. I was on my own-well, not totally-I had Mingo.
My horses miss going out on the trail, too. Even if I can barely get Mingo beyond a slow jog/trot in the arena, if I get him on the trail when he's had a break from it, he can get very hyper. Since he's such a calm horse, his hyper moods transform him into an incredibly fun horse to ride-if you know what to expect.
We crept down the hill to the river. The day before, he only went up and down the hill a few times since the water was too high for us to cross. When I asked him to cross, he seemed surprised. The water was a little deep, and he went faster than usual to get to the other side. I just kept telling him, "Be careful. Be careful." He didn't listen to me, but we made it across without any problem.
He seemed to be surprised, again, when I asked him to trot. He went along very quietly, and I thought maybe it wouldn't be as exciting a ride as I expected. After a bit, I asked him to canter. Good thing I was prepared-he took off with a buck and grunt. I know to shorten up the reins during a canter transition when he hasn't been down trail for a while. After he got it out of his system, we had a very nice canter.
We stopped to go down a slope. At the bottom of the slope, we will typically start up, again, but I could see a pedestrian up ahead. I made him walk, but he fought me the whole way. Once we passed the hiker, I asked for a canter. He gave me another buck and snort and away we went. This section is such a nice one, that we call it the "canter stretch." It is about a quarter mile long, and is Mingo's second favorite section of trail. My normally slow horse sped up to the perfect speed, and I just sat there with a smile on my face and enjoyed it.
We crossed the river again. Now, for some reason, on the other side of the river, Mingo wakes up-even if it is 90 degrees out. (Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but he certainly likes it over there.) I knew that cantering more would not be a very good idea. I decided that if he didn't trot quietly, then we wouldn't canter. If he settled down, we would. He never settled down. He trotted so fast that, not only did I have to post (unusual with Mingo,) but I had trouble keeping up with him.
When we got to the last section of trail, I must confess, I hesitated. It's about a quarter mile-all in the open. It is his very-most favorite place to canter in the whole world. It is also the place he is the most likely to misbehave. I thought about it, and eventually decided to give it a try. Who knew when the circumstances would allow me to ride this far, again.
I did insist that he stay at a trot, and he did, but once again, he was very fast. I loved it. At the end, we turned around and trotted home. On the way home, he is calmer on this part of the trail because we never canter in the home direction over there.
We trotted a lot towards home, and he went at a reasonable speed. I walked the last 15 minutes and told him how much fun I had. I think he had fun, too. It was so nice to get out of the arena and really stretch his legs. I'm not riding Cruiser in the park at this time, and Mingo did his best to fill his shoes. Good job, Mingo.
On New Years Eve, Cruiser's leg swelled back up. I buted, iced and called the vet on January 2. He said to check for lameness and get back to him the next day. That evening, the swelling had vanished and he trotted sound. The vet was glad and came out to see him the following week to ultrasound. He told me that I could start riding at a walk for a month and then he'd like to check him again. He also took bloodwork to check him for Cushings Disease. I am still waiting for the results. Cushings weakens the tendons. By putting him on medication, it would take care of the problem. As I write this, I am still waiting for the results.
So, we have been riding around at a walk-at least we are riding. Most of the time, it is in the arena, and now and then, we can go out on the driveway.
Last Satarday, Mingo's hind leg swelled up, but he wasn't lame on it. I iced, wrapped, poulticed and buted. I came back the next day, and he was fine. The following evening, the other 3 legs swelled up, he could barely walk and even had trouble simply standing. He seemed very uncomfortable, but he wasn't distressed. His legs and hooves were hot. The original swollen leg seemed just fine.
I called the vet and told her all about it. She said since he was eating, it could wait until morning. She felt it could be a virus. Apparently, a virus can make the legs swell up. She told me to ice, wrap, give him 2 butes and call her in the morning. I tried to take his temperature, but the thermometer was broken. According to it, he was dead. I knew that wasn't true, but he did feel warm to the touch. The vet said the bute would lower his temperature as well as help with the swelling
Of course, I had to go to work the next day, but Ellen and Kevin were able to check on him. They said I was delusional-the swelling went away overnight, and we was walking quite fine. What a relief. I went out that evening, led him around and he was so very different than the night before.
He is fine, now-wow was that scary.
I don't know if there is any connection between Cruiser's leg swelling up or if it is just a coincidence. There is no sign of swelling in any of the other's horse's legs. Let's hope it was just another example of Mingo's terrible luck, and it won't go any further.
I'm looking forward to a better month in February.
Just a reminder to everyone-I wrote 2 awesome books for horse lovers. If order both of them from me directly, I will mail them to you at no charge. (Media Mail-takes 2 weeks.)
Want to prepare yourself for spring trail riding? "Trail Training for the Horse and Rider" is the book for you. This award-winning book tells you everything you need to know to ride and train your horse for the trail in an easy to read manner. This book is $19.95
Want some good winter reading? "Trail Horse Adventures and Advice" is the best of the first 3 years of my newsletters. Who would think that a couple ladies in Cleveland could have so much happen in just 3 years? Storms, trees falling, high rivers, killer geese. Along the way, we tell you about the things we learn each month-after all, we never stop learning. This book is $14.95.
Just send me an e-mail, and we can work out the details.
Here we go again. I got out to the barn on New Year's Eve, and found Cruiser's bowed tendon leg all swollen and hot. He head as big scuff on his hoof. I don't know what happened, but I'm thinking he might have gotten cast. Ugh. Of course, I know the drill, now. I iced and buted. I just called the vet.
Needless to say, I'm very upset, but I'm trying not to let it get me down. he is an older horse, and I have to expect problems. At least Ranger and Mingo are still in good health. For that matter, I might as well list my father-who hasn't had chemo in 3 years! Add in my dog who is doing remarkably well for being 11. My sister is fine, and I just have a cold. Thunder, my new kitty, hasn't had any digestive problems since that last trip to the vet-in fact, he has put on some weight and looks incredibly healthy. I think his coat has doubled in length and softness.
So life isn't too bad, after all. Cruiser doesn't seem to be in much pain-and that's really important to me. But I am still very sad and disappointed.
