Country Time Acres Blog

Tommie Turvey: Equine Extremist

     One of the most entertaining horsemen I have ever seen is,Tommie Turvey. His black and white Paint horses are absolutely gorgeous. His roman riding is thrilling but, it’s his comedy act that is truely outstanding. I have never seen anything like it and never tire of watching it. Tommie’s company, Equine Extremist offers entertainment and training. Tommie can be found at horse expo’s teaching and performing with his side kicks Poker and Ace. Tommie Turvey will be at the Pennsylvania Horse Wold Expo this weekend. For a full schedule visit Horse World Expo and Equine Extremist. Find great horse and western jewelry at Country Time Creations.

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J.D. Winslow and his beautiful horses.

J.D. Winslow and my daughter, Jenna Lamb

     One of my favorite things to do is watch equestrian shows. Oh, I don’t mean horse shows where they walk, trot and canter, but the ones where horses, art and talent all come together. A few years ago, J.D. Winslow was a guest at the Delaware Horse Expo. Unfortunately, I am so busy that day running my booth and doing my own presentation that I don’t get to see much of anything else. That year my daughter, Jenna who is an experienced vaulter was asked to assist J.D. during his demonstrations. Luck would have it that I did get to see him ride those beautiful horses.

     J.D. has always been comfortable around horses but, it wasn’t until the age of 18 that he was introduced to circus style vaulting and bareback riding. This lead him to a full time circus career for over a decade. He left the industry to settle down and build a home. Today he gives demonstrations, clinics and still does performing on a much smaller scale.  He is most admired for his roman riding on his large American Belgian horses, complete with pretty pink feathers. Learn more about J.D. Winslow at J.D. Winslow Equestrian Entertainment. 

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Makhi and Gypsy

     It’s one of those moments a horse owner dreads. You go out to bring the horses in for the night, but, someone is missing. Where is Gypsy, my eight year old miniature?  I search the darkness and start yelling her name. I see a faint shadow, something is wrong. Gypsy is moving very slowly. As she gets closer I hear her loud breathing and see her barrel is sinking in and out as she struggles to breath. A year earlier she had been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease, commonly known as Heaves. Heaves is a respiratory ailment that results in cough, shortness of wind and exercise intolerance. She had had spells before but, this was bad.

     I frantically headed to the house to call the emergency vet, who seemed more interested in scolding me for not having extra medication than helping me. Fortunately, I did have one packet of medication; I gave her a dose and called my vet the next day. Two days later I saw no imporvement and asked her to stop by.

     “She’s really working hard” the vet said as she examined Gypsy. I could feel myself working into a panic. What if she needed to be put down? I didn’t want her to suffer. The vet gave her a shot of high dose steroids. The treatment could have some serious side effects and cost $300.00. You start asking those questions that you don’t want to think about.  How much can I afford to put into my ailing horse and how much will I allow her to suffer? The next few days I watched over her closely, spending extra time with her, grooming her, walking her and just sitting under a tree watching her eat. Terry had bought Gypsy, at an auction. Nine months later she had surprised us with a beautiful foal who we named Cheyenne. She had given us so much, I just couldn’t lose her.

    But, Gypsy proved that although she was small she was tough. She experienced no side effects and the treatment seems to have helped. But, what about next time? I knew I had to find answers and a way to help my little horse. I recalled a catalog I had gotten called “Springtime”. A huge supporter of alternative medicine in humans I decided to see what it could do for my horse. I started Gypsy on two products, the Breather Powder and DMG 5,600. The Breather Powder improves oxygenation and heart and lung function. The DMG enhanced energy production, reduces lactic buildup, strengthens the immune response and supports oxygen utilization. I kept her stall dust and mold free and only use wood shavings. It has been almost a year since her last spell. Gypsy has put on weight and is a picture of good health. When I see her running with the herd I get a lump in my throat. I’m glad that I was able to find something that helped my little horse have a better life so she can just enjoy being a horse.

 Discover natural products for horses, dogs & people at Springtime, Inc..

This article has been featured in Horse Force Monthly. See more at       Horse Force Productions.

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Words of inspiration from Buck Brannaman.

I have more words of wisdom from the book “Believe” by Buck Brannaman. I hope you enjoy them. If people put more thought into their words and their actions, the world might truely be a better place.

“I believe that kindness and patience and faith are more powerful than negativity.”  “People really do remember how you make them feel. And that’s something that a lot of folks don’t put much effort into these days.” ” To a horse what does matter is how you make them feel, and they respond positively if you treat them with respect, patience and understanding.” ” We all learn best if taught with patience, humility and understanding.” ” Yeilding is not about submission, it’s a matter of showing respect for one another.” “Fear can undermine everything you do, it’s foolish to be impatient, it’s cruel to withhold affection and respect.” “What works in disciplining a horse also works in self descipline.” “If you really listen to your horse, he will tell you what’s wrong.” “Life is a path, a journey, a never ending circle. The circle of learning is knowing what you want to accomplish and how your going to get there, your direction and your path.” ” There is more grace in life being imperfect than struggling to hide the fact that you aren’t.”

Hope this gives you something to think about and to inspire you. “Believe” is a fantastic book. Learn more about Buck at http://www.brannaman.com.

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Believe by horseman, Buck Brannaman.

     One of the most inspirational books I have ever read is “Believe” written by horseman, Buck Brannaman. For those of you who don’t know who Buck is, he is the origial horse whisper as seen in the movie staring Robert Redford.  As well as being good with horses, I find that Buck is a great public speaker because he can take qualities he uses with the horse and put it into his everyday life. In his book he talks about  the 8 qualities you want to have and the 8 that you don’t want to have. I have pages and pages of notes of great advice he gives.  I will leave you with just a few incerts from the book.

   “Horses don’t care what color you are, how tall or short  or how small or large you are, or weather you’re rich or poor, attractive or unattractive. None of these things mean anything to the horse. A horse takes you at face value for how you make him feel at the moment. It seems to me it would be a good way for all of us people to behave with each other too.” 

“It’s not always being big and forceful to get a horse to do what you want, it’s about being clear and subtle.”

“Learning to give is an important lesson for all of us.”

“Most of us try to construct our world, we manipulate the world and the people in it. 

www.brannaman.com                                                         

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Fresh Cinnamon rolls are a great treat!

Hot, fresh cinnamon rolls are a great treat on a cold winter day. Hope you enjoy this recipe.

Sweet Dough

1 package regular active dry yeast,  1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 cup lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled), 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup margarine, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 3 1/2 to 4 cups of all-purpose flour

In large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, sugar, margarine, salt, egg and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough eay to handle. Turn onto lightly floured surface, kneed until smooth and elastic. Place dough into greased 2 1/2 quart bowl. Cover, let rise  in warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough. 

For rolls you need 2 tablespoons of margarine, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, Glaze (below). To make rolls, flatten dough on lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle, spread margarine over dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle onto dough. Roll up tightly. Pinch ends closed. Cut into slices using a piece of dental floss. Put rolls into 9 X 9 greased pan. Let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.  Bake at 375  for 25-30 minutes, till golden brown. Spread with glaze.

Glaze: Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth.

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