Comments on: This Morning Began…

By: Brenda Adams

Brenda Adams — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:34:43 +0000

Joe, sure enjoyed the beautiful pictures! I look forward to the day I can keep my horse with me & be able to look at him anytime I want on a snowy day or any other, for that matter.

Thank-You so much for all the sharing of information on natural horsekeeping & natural feet. You explain it so thoroughly & simply! I watched your 3 minute interviews on why your horses eat from the ground & why they go barefoot. I sent those videos on to family & friends who keep horses, including other boarders where I keep my horse, in the hopes that life for horses will continue to improve to their best interests. It means the world to me to know that you & others care enough to research & share with the rest of us. God’s creatures depend on us to care for them – particularly if we are going to domesticate them & cause them to be dependant on us! They are not tools as a lot of people still treat them, they are living, breathing, feeling,sensitive creatures who deserve the very best we can do for them. It is so refreshing to read your words & the care that you & Kathleen put into your horses, & any other living creatures in your lives!

God Bless you both, indeed for all you do!

Sincerely,
Brenda Adams

By: Jane Ames

Jane Ames — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:54:15 +0000

Rhonda! I have done the very same thing..had my horse fall asleep on my head! Sparrow and I were sitting on Christmas Day, 2008 (two months after I had gotten her), in the run-in, just soaking up the sun and being together. Her nose came to rest on the top of my head…slow steady breathing and the increasing pressure let me know she was asleep. So dang cool. I had never had that kind of experience before – but I was hooked then! I didn’t move for a long time, not wanting to take away her “shelf” When I finally did go inside, I felt something crawling on my head. I asked my daughter, Jolene, to take a look. We pulled 7 bugs from my head!! Fortunately, we are not easily grossed out. I saved ‘em in a little zip lock bag (still have them) and began searching on the internet. What I discovered was she had come to my farm covered with biting louse! No wonder she was so itchy, I could never scratch her long or hard enough and had thought that was strange, but never thought beyond that. I got powder and sprinkled away and she is fine now – that will always be linked to my memory of her sleeping on my head. :o) We have since “rested together” many times, but no crawling bugs appear. Although I have to admit, occasionally, I swear there’s something in my hair – never is though.

I agree with Joe, one of the best time investments for you and your horse(s), is to just “be there” hanging out with no agenda – but just because you enjoy each other. People stare at me and wonder what I am talking about when I share this idea with them (horse people!), their look clearly says, “you just SIT there with them, just HANG OUT? Riiiight.” I just smile. They don’t get it yet. Their loss.

PS Louse are species specific, so they would never actually remain on me for very long – or spread to my goats or other animals. Important information to know!

By: Martha

Martha — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:19:02 +0000

Do you board horses? I am in middle TN and looking for a new facility for my two barefoot, pasture-boarded mares.

By: Marianne

Marianne — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:08:54 +0000

Joe I know its really cold, but it is so beautiful.

By: Diana Hurtt

Diana Hurtt — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:50:29 +0000

Hi Joe,
My name is Diana and I just finished reading your book “Soul of The Horse”. Our dear friend Rafael sent it to me as a Christmas gift. Thank you for signing my book, and for being such a good friend to Rafael. He is extremely important to me, and since you both recently moved to Tennessee I’m very glad you found each other. I know he values your friendship. I’m sure our dear friend has spoken to you about our journey with Pal the past six years. God had a plan and it included moving me all the way from Portland, OR to Northern Florida so that he could make all my life-long dreams come true. Rafael was a major part of that plan. When Rafael moved to Tennessee I told him that God has another plan to continue his amazing journey with our beautiful boy and I am convinced you are part of that plan. After reading your book I just had to write to let you know how much you, Rafael, and I are kindred spirits. I just turned 65, and I wasn’t able to fulfill my life-long horse dream until 2004 when Rafael came into my life. I feel we all have the same instincts and way of thinking about horses. Rafael and I always said we liked being with our dogs, and horses more than most people, and I think in a lot of ways that you feel the same way. I know that after studying about horses and what really makes them tick, I no longer have any patience with ignorant, uncaring people when it comes to the care of their animals. More than once I’ve had to call animal control because of the way our neighbors were treating, or not treating, their animals. Not a great way to keep friends, but I feel the animals need someone to care for them. While reading your book I constantly had the feeling that you had somehow peaked into my deepest thoughts, feelings, and fears when I started my journey with my horses. I adopted two senior Paso Fino mares, and I lost one of them two weeks after she arrived due to colic, so in a small way I can imagine the pain you felt at the loss of your beautiful colt. To replace the mare I lost I ended up adopting a mustang mare “Satin” as a companion for my beautiful little gray Paso Fino Altiva. Altiva is my princess and she looks just like the white winged horses you see in pictures and there’s not a mean bone in her body. I had the Mustang checked out by my vet, and when she gave me the go ahead, Rafael and I loaded her into his trailer without any problems, but we didn’t realize how deeply her fears ran until after she arrived at my home. I tried the join-up technique, but we soon discovered she could run round, and around the pen all day and never submit. After doing some research I learned that she was taken out of the wild when she was 17 years old, which is much too old, and she was passed around for four years before I got her, so God only knows what she went through at the hands of stupid people. I’ve read and studied about join-up and gentleness training all my life, so I was excited to finally have a chance to put all of my knowledge to work in working with Satin. I was using the methods of all the same trainers that you did regarding join-up, but her emotional wounds were so deep by that point my vet, and a professional wild horse trainer told me that she could not be tamed, and I should put her down before I got hurt. I just didn’t have the heart to do that to her after all she had been through, so I made up my mind I wasn’t going to rush her, and little by little she has learned to trust me, but it’s been a long journey with many set backs. When I began it was apparent that she had been beaten, so for two years she wouldn’t let us near her left side to halter her. Now after hundreds of hours working with her in a calm and gentle way, as long as she is in the round pen, we are able to groom her without a halter. We can now put a halter on so we can take care of her medical, and hoof trimming needs. We never intended to ride her, so all we wanted was for her to feel safe so she could live a peaceful life. If she chooses to come to me out in the pasture I really feel honored, but it is her choice. She has never tried to bite, kick or do anything mean, and she is a good companion to Altiva. It’s hard to believe that they are both 27 years old now and extremely healthy girls. Thank you so much for writing your book. I’ve read hundreds of books, and articles over the years, but as you said, “most trainers don’t even think about sharing this type of information”, and it is so very important to understand, and put into practice. I encourage everyone who loves horses to read your book, always do your own research, constantly be open to new ideas that will help your horse, and don’t let other people make you feel incompetent. Trust your heart, and never give up your dream to have a horse because it’s never too late. If you can find a way to make it happen, you will be rewarded ten fold. Look at you and I. Next summer I plan to visit Rafael in TN with my little 10 year old protégé Sadie, who probably knows more about horses than the three of us adults. She’s a minny me, and I’m trying to encourage her and help her make her dream come true sooner than mine did. She’s a natural. If your schedule permits maybe you could join us at Rafael’s farm. It would be fun for the four of us to share our horse tales. God Bless You.

By: Cindy Sprinkle

Cindy Sprinkle — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:58:17 +0000

Hi There, Well I have been watching the weather forcast in your area and thinking about you and your wonderful horses everyday. Living here in Arizona and being a native Califorian I can’t imagine what you are all going through but have been worrying about all of you. I sure hope the weather starts getting better for you and your big kids real soon!! I’ll be thinking of all of you.

By: Anne Rutherford

Anne Rutherford — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:36:05 +0000

Only 12″ where I live on the same storm that dumped on you, Joe. Kids did fine. Brought them up to an area where they had access to shelter during the worst of the storm. As soon as it stopped, turned them back out in the field and they were frisky, happy horses and donkey. Not that I didn’t worry about them more than I should have, of course. Here, more snow/rain tomorrow.

By: admin

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:56:52 +0000

Yippee Rhonda. See Jane’s comment. You guys are in the real snow country.

By: admin

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:52:25 +0000

Tres cool Jane.

By: Jane

Jane — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:33:59 +0000

35 mounted police horses barefoot and bitless!! Have to look that one up! Woo Hoo!

Sharon, I live in Upstate NY, near Lake Ontario, and it has been a nasty winter here so far…lots of snow, wind, rain, more snow, more wind, and freezing temps. I have three horses, a 2 yr old, 3 yr old and a giant 24 yr old ex-police horse – draft cross. They are all outside with only a large run-in & no blankets (did you know that every single hair on a horse body has a little muscle attached to it! They can lift and move each hair to best help insulate themselves. That’s why on really cold days, they look so poofy – so cool. Can’t do that with a blanket on though) I have never seen my guys shiver – even when they are wet or their backs are covered with snow. Like Joe said, I make sure they have lots of hay – doubling it on those below freezing or cold windy days. It can be daunting to look out at them and see them nibbling away while the snow piles up or the rain beats down. I have even gone out and gently parted those wet coats to prove to myself that they are indeed warm and dry – they always are.(Falling through ice is a different situation and that would require what Joe did!). In fact last night it was below zero, windy with a full moon – beautiful but COLD. As Summit, the big guy, came out of the run-in, he was followed by this swirling cloud of vapor!! He was so warm he looked like he was steaming! My nose was frozen, my hands were cold, tears were streaming from my eyes as that cold wind blew, and there was my big ol’ guy…as warm as warm can be. It was a marvelous sight, and served to remind me that just because I was freezing, they were just fine. :o)