Country Time Acres Blog

Another great book by Mark Rashid!

If there is one thing my horses have taught me, it is the importance of relationship building. Let’s face it, without trust and respect, how much of a relationship do we really have?  This isn’t just with our horses but with people as well. Mark Rashid has become one of my favorite writers. His stories have hidden lessons, all inspired by the horse, of course. Here are a few of my favorite quotes: It’s not a mistake if you learned something, most of training is either influencing and building on behavior we want or redirecting behavior we don’t want into something we do want, training tools and techniques are only as good as the person using them and softness is when the whole horse is willingly available at all times, no matter what the circumstance, no matter what time of day, no matter the place or discipline or breed of horse. Another fantastic book by Mark rashid, I highly recommend it.

When Cheyenne was diagnosed with Founder, I was offered an overload of information. Unfortunately, much of the information was based on hearsay and not facts. The problem with this condition is there really aren’t a lot of documented facts to help people. Because of this I went through 3 ferriers and 2 vets. I spent a lot of money looking for answers and each time was left more confused than the last time. I was told to take my horse off the grass,  no grain and keep her in a paddock. Then I was told she didn’t have Founder but, did need weight management. Then there is the issue of sugar in the grass, long grass, short grass, in the spring, in the fall, after a dew, during a drought, who really knows????  And worst of all was being told “Once they Founder they always have it.  How can that be?”  I’ would ask.

      Thank goodness I was able to find a book that seem to have the answers I was looking for!  Founder, Prevention & Cure the Natural Way by Jamie Jackson tells us about the horses natural diet,  living enviroment and how the hoof grows. After reading this book I no longer felt it was the end of the world for my beloved horse.  In the pages of this book I learned how nature takes care of the horse and I began to try to care for my horses in a more natural way. Every year I would seek the help of the professionals and seed, fertalize and pasture manage my 2 acre pasture. I always wondered why my horses were fat and my neighbors who did nothing to their pastures and fed mostly hay had healthy horses. I also vaccinated, wormed and spent hundreds of dollars in medical care. Recently I have asked to who benefited from this, my horses or the vets, the ferriers and the supply companies?  One of the most bold and powerful statements in this book says ” The natural healing ahead will depend on your preserverance and loyalty to the natural healing program and by not yeilding from ignorance or fear to the terrorism of bad science”. As one who has practiced alternative medicine and questioned medical science for years I have to agree with this statement. Every horse owner should have this book.  In conclusion I can say that Cheyenne is improving. We still struggle with her weight and diet. She  gets very  limited time in the grass and I have replaced grain with fresh fruits and vegatables every night. In fact, all of the horses get fresh fruit and veggies every night and love it. I have even noticed their manes are growing much longer than normal.  I was told Cheyenne would not be able to perform but, on October 16 she did the opening of my benefit show “Wild West Round-Up” and was amazing!  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!

The Soul of a Horse by Joe Camp

I have recently finished reading another great horse book, The Soul of a Horse, Life’s Lessons from the Herd, written by Joe Camp. Joe says ” We have taken this majestic animal, which is fully capable of keeping himself is superb condition and living a long, healthy, happy life and turned him into a beast of convenience, trained by pain and fear, cooped up in a small stall most of the time, subjected to a host of diseases caused in most cases, by us. Joe takes “natural” to a whole new level, no metal shoes, no stalls, no blankets and he even created a natural playground for his horses. I am not so sure I agree with everything he says but, I admit it did make me think and I took a good look at my horses to see if I felt they were happy or at the very  least, content. My horses don’t wear shoes. I blanket them when the temperature gets to 20 and below and remove them as needed. I have no trees to protect my horses so, I do feel the blankets protect them from the wind, pouring cold rain and icy snow. I do not clip my horses, the whiskers help them feel what they are eating and protect their faces from the icy weather. Every night my horses come into a stall and paddock area to keep them from the weather, especially spring thunder storms and winter snow storms. I live on a two acre ranch so rotational grazing is necessary. I also observe that they lay down at night to rest which shows me they are comfortable with their surroundings and living conditions. Joe didn’t address such things as vaccines and dental and maternity care. I would be interested in knowing his thoughts on that. In reading this book it is clear that Joe is very passionate about the horse. Like myself, he got into horses late in life. This is good for the horse because those who are introduced to the natural way of being with a horse come with no baggage and few bad habits that are later hard to undo. He is fortunate that he found a good mentor, Monty Roberts from the start of his journey. This indeed makes learning less complicated as we do not have to figure out what advise is really in the best interest of the horse and what isn’t. There is a lot of good stuff in this book and I really enjoyed reading it. I leave you with this thought: We humans are in such a hurry that there’s no time to build a relationship. To learn to communicate, to gain and give understanding. To walk in the horses boots, so to speak. To begin at the beginning.

The soul prospers from sharing, caring, relating, and fulfilling. Nothing can make you feel better than doing something good for another being. Not cars, not houses, not face-lifts. Not blue ribbons or trophies, and there is nothing more important in life than love. Not money, not status, not winning. You can’t say it any better than that !!!!! Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!

Gallop to Freedom, a fantastic book!

If ever there was a fairy tale life, it would be that of Frederic Pignon and Magali Delgado.  Both were born in France, and lived  just a little over 100 miles from each other. Magali was raised on her parents breeding farm. She excelled in dressage. Frederic grew up in the country as well  and was a master of trick riding. The two were working at an equestrn center in Apt when they first met. It wasn’t long after they discovered they shared a passion for horses and  the same approach to their training.  Within months they opened their own stable and soon were doing performances all over France. They were consulant trainers for the Arabian Nights Dinner Theater in  Florida  for three years.  It was their dream to create a show that would  incorporate circus acts, dressage and liberty acts. That creation would later become Cavalia, one of the most spectacular equestrian events in the world.  This book has beautiful photography from their performances  and  at play with their horses. They share their experiences and their philosophy on the training of the horse. There are six principals to follow to build an amazing relationship with your horse and mankind. A fantastic book, I give it 10 stars and then some. If you want to be good with horses this is one book you must read! Did you visit?  Leave a comment! 

 See Jowana Lamb and Her Amazing Paints Sat. Oct. 2, 10 at The Heartland Equestrian Center in Frederica, Delaware for the performance of  Wild West Round-Up. For information call 302-284-9898.

Cavalia A Dream of Freedom

Everything you would ever want to know about Cavalia, from the design of the tent and arena to the selection of the artists; it’s in this book. How did they come up with the name, Cavalia?  It’s in there!   Beautiful photographs help tell this most interesting story of how a dream became a vision and then a reality. My favorite page in the entire book is a poem by Raoul Duguay entitled “In Search of Freedom”. Here are a few exerts:

You have an instinct to conquer all that serves you. Mine is to escape whoever enslaves me. Never really daunted but conditioned only for a time to serve your whim my freedom will forever only be on loan to you.

I use to be a servile and useful animal. You shaped me into a work of art. Today my greatest use is to please you and that is easy for me. Since I feel free and secure I no longer want to flee but come towards you. You are my most noble conquest, my joy.  Learn more at Cavalia.

This is what it is all about, not just the horse, but life. Take what is offered, do not dominate it, respect each other and in the end there will be joy.  Did you visit?  Leave a comment! See the side bar-  Pages/Events for performances and store showing for 2010.

A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color by Mark Rashid

Here is the last of my reviews for books by Mark Rashid. Until, I read some more that is! I really enjoyed reading the stories in this book and got a few lessons out of it myself. A good horse is a good horse no matter what breed, color, size or sex it happens to be./It’s just like when your in school. If your teacher asks a question that you don’t know the answer to, would you want her to help you figure out the right answer or would you rather have her hit you with a stick until you guessed the right answer?/What separates a good owner from a bad one is a good owner understands his responsibility to the horse. Without that understanding it seems, the horse often becomes nothing more than another tool in the shed, a tool that is easily discarded because it never worked properly, when all it may have taken for it to be useful to begin with was the owner to read the directions.

I know a lot of people that think this “natural horsemanship ship stuff” is crap (excuse my language). Having studied horse behavior for  several years I can only say this, the lessons learned from my horses have had a huge impact on my life. I have patience, compassion and the ability to look beyond the obvious. It is because of this knowledge I have been able to do some amazing things with my horses. They are not material things. They give me purpose; they empower me.  I am so glad I have them in my life. He who takes time to learn the lesson shall enjoy the journey.”Jowana Lamb”.

This is another great book by Mark Rashid. Learn more at Mark’s website. Don’t forget to see the side bar Pages/Events 2010 for performances and store showings! Did you visit?  Leave a comment!

Horses Never Lie by Mark Rashid

Another great book by Mark Rashid and the lessons he learned while growing up with horses. This book gives great insight on just what a leader is. Many of us think that to be a good leader you must be aggressive, headstrung and somewhat dominate. Mark, explains the heart of a passive leader. Here are a few things I got from this book; The hard part is keeping trust once it is given. What helps most is to be quiet, consistant and dependable at all times./ I believe that horses know the difference between when you are doing something with them and when you are doing something to them./ You can slowly and unwittingly begin to change your own focus from that of trying to understand the horses perspective on things to that of reaching the next rung on the ladder./ Your relationship with your horse comes from your heart not your hands./I am beginning to realize that a person never gets “there”. This is a journey, not a destination. Everything that is important is “as you go”, not when you “get there”. Because there is no there./In the end, all we really have is ourselves and our horses. No technique, tool, or tack is going to change that. But then, I guess it never should. Visit Mark’s website to learn more. I was reading his blog and learned that “the old man” in his books was Walter Pruit!

A must read!  Did you visit? Leave a comment.

Don’t forget to see the side bar Pages/Events 2010 for performances and store showings.

Considering the Horse by Mark Rashid

Once I read this book, Considering the Horse, I was hooked on Mark Rashid. The book tells stories about his life growing up with horses and the lessons learned. This is just one of several he has written and they are alll well written, entertaining and inspirational. Here are a few things I got from the book; I’ve often thought of how some people’s attitudes towards horse training are a lot like that old pole-unyeilding and unforgiving and buried so deep that you can’t get them out. /Old attitudes can change. Sometimes it simply takes a little more effort and time than we’d orginally thought. Just like that old pole that stood dauntless in the middle of the round pen all those years. It finally came down. It’s  just that it took an eight ton bulldozer to do it. /You can’t help somebody who doesn’t want to be helped, especially when it comes to them and their horses. To ask for help means you first have to admit perhaps you did something wrong. /All it really takes to develope that kind of trust is three little things, time, patience and understanding. It’s the people who don’t take the time to do things right, don’t have the patience to help the animal instead of force him or don’t try to understand his point of view, who run into trouble.   Learn more at Mark Rashid’s web-site.                 

This is a great book. Did you visit?  Leave a comment! Don’t forget to see the side bar Pages/Events 2010 for performances and store showings.

Unbridled Beauty, Celebrating the Spirit of Horses

The minute I walked into the Cracker Barrel , this book caught my eye. I love paintings by artist, Chris Cummings and I love to read quotes of inspiration. What a great combination!  Here are a few of my favorite quotes. No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. “Winston Churchill”, Closeness, friendship, affection-keeping your own horse means all these things. “Bertrand Leclair” and A lovely horse is always an experience. It is an emotional experience of the kind that is spoiled by words. “Beryl Markham”.

For great horse apparel, books, music, embroidered towesl and handbags, figures and picture frames galore, shop Country Time Creations, a horse lovers store! Did you visit?  Leave a comment!

The Quotable Equine by: Jim Dratfield

     While attending the Devon Horse Show I  had the pleasure of meeting photographer/ author, Jim Dratfield. Jim is  a talented photographer who has traveled extensively  photographing many famous and not so famous people and their pets. He has taken many of these photo’s and included them into books for inspiration as well as fun. “The Quotable Equine” is the perfect book for me as I love beautiful pictures of horses and enjoy reading quotes, they can put a lot of meaning into just a few little words. It’s amazing!  Jim even took the time to autograph my book.My three favorite quotes from the book are:

A  lovely horse is always an experience… It is an emotional experience of the kind that is spoiled by words. ** Beryl Markham

You were once wild here. Don’t let them tame you! ** Isadora Duncan

Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.                       ** Henry Ward Beecher

Visit Jim Dratfield  at Petography. Did you visit?  Leave a comment.