Sometimes I have to haul off and slap myself.
Seriously.
Something to force the brain to stop racing around like a crazed maniac and take a deep breath. To pause and smell the roses. Or at least look at them. How many times in my life have I closed my eyes and dreamed of the above picture? And here it is. Part of our life. And I’m fretting about how far behind I am and how much I have to do.
But I’m getting better, especially on days like this.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here almost two months. Yet, sometimes it seems like two years. Those who have followed our move from southern California to middle Tennessee know it’s been filled with (shall we say) interesting challenges. Seven inches of rain on the day our ultra-dry southern California horses arrived, followed by twenty-five additional inches over the next six weeks. Mud so thick and gooey that it sucked my boot right off my foot was everywhere the horses wanted to be. They never never seemed to dry out. People were preaching at me from every direction that there’s no way our desert horses could or would survive the rich Tennessee grasses in “Founder Valley.” Especially if they were out 24/7.
Did that bother me? I’ll say. My sermons all revolve around giving the horses a life that’s as close to what it would be in the wild as circumstances allow. Give them plenty of choices and they will make the right decisions for themselves. And as Rick Lamb said in a recent blog, it was time to walk the talk. To set ’em up for their natural success and get out of the way. Our pastures are mixed grasses, unfertilized for at least eight years and thus not “rich” (and chemical fertilizer is terrible for horses). We have lots of weeds, brambles, trees, and scrubs. And lots of movement because the spring fed pond is on one end of the 31 acres and their favorite munching is on the other end.
But within the first week, three of the herd had hive-like allergic reactions and I panicked. They evolved into crusty bumps which the vet tech thought was rain rot. The vet said no. He felt sure it was all part of a reaction to some strange weed they had never encountered before. A little antihistamine and a good frost and they’ll be fine, he said. And sure enough, they were. Mouse’s left hind ankle swelled up like a balloon and she was limping. I feared the worst. Dr. West felt like she had encountered a certain thorny weed and the toxins in the thorns had caused a vascular swelling. He took a blood sample for confirmation and gave her a shot. That afternoon she was galloping around the pasture with Cash. I love Dr. West!
The pasture-five had their first Tennessee hoof trim a week ago with our new trimmer Mark Taylor, a Pete Ramey believer, and was I ever impressed. Their feet looked super despite all the rain and mud and Tennessee grasses. Mark loved the pea gravel we had just installed at all the muddiest places including around the pond where the horses drink. And finally… two weeks of sun have done wonders for my spirits… and the horses’. Kathleen was here last weekend and we decided it was time to let Noelle out with the herd. I was pretty certain, given the experience with Tennessee weather, that there was precious little progress going to be made with her during the winter so there was no need to keep her penned up any longer. And she needed movement. Plus her two paddocks controlled the barn which needed to be accessible to the entire herd as an optional run-in for winter weather.
“But how will you get her isolated again to feed her supplements or work with her,” Kathleen asked.
“It’s called trial and error horsemanship,” I said. “Gotta trust yourself to be able to figure it out.”
We opened the gate for Noelle to join the herd; me with
video camera in hand, Kathleen with the still camera.
None of which was going unnoticed.
And here she came.
The video of what happened next is amazing. There were definitely fisticuffs as Noelle tried to establish her dominance. The “B” word was used more than once by Kathleen and myself and will have to be eliminated from the soundtrack. Her first target was Mariah.
Noelle nailed her good.
But Mariah came right back at her. So that’s the game is it?
Make my day.
Two minutes later.
Mouse tried to nurse on her.
Which was a bit too much for Noelle and ended with a kick at Mouse. All in all Noelle kicked or kicked at everybody but Cash and Pocket, who pretty much just stayed away wanting no part of such behavior. My initial take was that she had pretty much taken over the herd. But at feeding time a few days later I witnessed Pocket being dominant over Noelle, which blew my mind. Cash has managed to stay clear of any issues by just keeping his distance. My guess now is that he’ll ultimately be back on top, but he’ll do it his way. I’ll have nothing to do with you if you’re going to act so uncivilized. As I’ve noted before, he’s such a polite gentleman that Kathleen says if he were to speak it would be with a British accent.
Noelle finally finds the pond
It seems funny to me now that I was so freaked out during those first few weeks. And interesting, just reemphasizing how much we humans seem determined to get in the way. To make the horses live the way we feel is best instead of the way they feel is best. During all the rain and mud I was actually wishing for some dry stalls with hard floors. Would I have used them? I hope not. Noelle had the barn to herself at that time but she was never in it except to walk through from one paddock to the other. Never.
A bit of pea gravel (okay more than a bit) took care of the worst of the muddy places and now gives all the horses several massages a day. From the first day Noelle joined the herd she has met me virtually every feeding time exactly where she’s been fed since the day we arrived and I believe she is now calmer with me and more giving than ever. I had two hands on her face tonight, face-to-face, rubbing both cheeks. Rubbing back to her butt. Trailing a hand down her back as I passed by to bring the Gator in.
The chute
We built this chute by the fence gate near the house and the pond. The herd all knows that if they’re invited in there will be a bit of hay and a tub of Safe Starch waiting for them. So there are never any issues isolating someone when a shot is needed, or when it’s time to ride, which Kathleen and I actually did last weekend when she was here. Not long and not far, but it was fun. Kathleen’s first time up in maybe six months. This is also where we did the trimming when Mark was here. And it’s a handy way to get the Gator into the pasture, driving in then shutting the fence gate and opening the panel gate to drive on into the pasture with no worries about anyone slipping out. The floor of the chute is five inches of pea gravel.
The entire herd now has access to the barn 24/7 except during supplement feeding times, which pretty much follows the same menu as in California (it’s on the website) with one big exception. There’s grass instead of hay (at least until December). At feeding times Noelle is isolated in the paddock from which this photo was taken. Cash, Pocket, and Mariah are fed in the paddock you see at the other end of the barn breezeway. Uncle Skeeter and Mouse are fed in the pasture to the right of the barn. Once the grass is gone and we start supplementing with hay it will be scattered with the Gator over all the pasture areas to keep the gang moving most of the day; again, as we did in California.
Pocket, Mouse, and Cash by the pond. And Joe with his morning cappuccino.
The house is just to the left of this photo.
All six, plus Joe shooting video. Noelle’s first hour out.
To all of you who keep asking if Kathleen has totally gotten over the fears you read about in the book I say with a loving smile: note how far away from Noelle this photo was taken :) You’ll have to ask her about that in the workshop.
So here we are with six happy healthy horses already very well adjusted and loving their natural life… as we continue to receive our life lessons from the herd. And are replenished daily, hourly, by scenes like this. Trust yourself to figure it out.
Commercial: Don’t forget that Christmas is coming and The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd makes a wonderful Christmas gift for 30 or 40 of your nearest and dearest friends. Benji movies for the kids and grandkids :)
Joe
How are you coping with the “rich Tennessee grasses”? I live in Kentucky with my four geldings in a 15 acre field. This spring I had to pull two of my geldings off pasture and keep them up in their stalls because they were starting to suffer from grass founder. The only thing I can think to do is kill the grass in their pasture and reseed with orchard grass or something other than the fescue and white clover that are present now. My stall bound horses would certainly appreciate any insight!! Thank you.
We’re doing fine so far. If you look closely at the photos you’ll see that our hillside pastures are anything but “rich” pastures, in the traditional mid-TN sense. They’re very mixed. When we arrived it was mostly fescue with weeds, brambles, trees, berries, etc. Some Bermuda. Some clover. We’ve been sewing orchard and Bermuda, a bag at a time, here and there, since last September. Probably a total of 12 25lb bags of orchard and three 50lb bags of Bermuda. We know that the pastures have not been fertilized for at least nine years (nor will they be while we’re here… chemical fertilizer is the worst thing you can do for a horse). And we use no chemical weed killers… just lots of bush-hogging. Trying to keep the overall pasture roughly between 4″ and 12″. Never shorter than 4″ to 5″… and trying not to let the weeds get any (much) taller than 12″. So there’s lots of diversity, lots of choices for the horses. They can pick and choose as they like or feel the need. To increase the diversity even more, our morning and evening feed base is a chopped forage. Triple Crown Safe Starch, guaranteed to be less than 10% NSC. We top it in the mornings with a bit of Source Hoof HF supplement, a bit of Probios powdered probiotic, Dr. Dan’s “Just Add Oats” (without ANY oats), Dr. Dan’s Bug Check, and a bit of Nutra-Flax by Horse Tech (better I think than horseshine because horseshine is grain based thus has a high NSC or glycemic rating) for Omega 3s… and they get free choice Dr. Dan’s Red Cal salt/trace mineral granules in a bucket in the barn. Plus each horse gets a bit of rice bran, some just a bit, some 4-5 cups depending upon weight needs. In the evening it’s the same drill except the only supplements are Bug Check, NutraFlax, and rice bran. The Safe Starch forage (we call it chopped salad) adds additional forage to diversify from the pasture grasses… and we are still putting out approximately a bale of orchard hay a day (Bermuda when I can get it) scattered in lots of small piles in the pasture to… 1) add yet even more diversity and… 2) to ensure lots of good movement by scattering it high on the hills, well away from the water pond. My belief is that movement is as important if not more so than any other element. No sugar period! Which means no grains period because they turn to sugar immediately once in the body. No pellets held together with molasses. Nothing whatsoever with sugar. What all that means is that we are trying to replicate the wild horse model as absolutely closely as we possibly can. There is no hoof lameness in the wild. None at all. And they eat grass all the time. Have a look at the Cloud Foundation’s PBS specials… at the beautiful mountain top pastures they live on in the Spring and Summer in the wild. But it’s natural pasture, with no fertilizer, mixed grasses and all that other stuff… and they’re moving 10-30 miles a day foraging, getting water, and staying away from predators. So my belief is that they can easily take the sugars in the grasses if they are not getting whacked by extremely high levels of potassium from fertilizers, if they are getting no other sugars in their diets, if they are getting the choices they need to balance themselves, and if they’re getting lots and lots of movement. I mean lots and lots. Enforced movement… not just leaving it up to the horses. So there you have it. Pretty much. We have six horses on approximately 23 acres of hillsides (the balance is VERY steep and wooded). Time will tell but I believe they’re going to do fine. Their hooves are terrific (we also have one of the very best natural hoof specialists who follows the wild horse model to the infinite). The only issues we’ve had have been allergic reactions to various plants and/or bugs they’ve never seen before but it looks like we’re getting all that under control as well. Takes two years (we’re told) for the immune systems to adjust. — Joe
I have just completed reading your book and was so happy to find you have a blog site also. Our family enjoyed reading your book and look forward to the continued updates of your adventures with your babies. Your words are an inspiration to many! Thank you.
It wasn’t lost on me Kathleen! :) I’m a New Englander and I still never stop seeing it and appreciating it.
I am a 40 something mom of two boys who has dreamed of doing what you and Joe are doing since childhood. I am in the middle of your book, The Soul of A Horse and I now am a firm believer in the wild horse model! How beautiful a way it is. When I finally have my horses it will be so exciting to live what I’m learning!! Much more to learn!
Hi Joe,
Wonderful news about Noelle, and she looks great. They all do. Gosh, you’ve got a pretty place- it looks so peaceful. Joe, would you and Kathleen consider joining forces with Equine Welfare Alliance? It’s approximately 60 groups and agencies, and a multitude of individuals trying to protect the rights and lives of our mustangs out west. It would be awesome if you and Monty could be part of it. You both have such powerful and profound love and compassion for horses, and people listen when you speak.
Please?
God bless you and Kathleen, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Robynne… the short answer is yes. Let’s talk.
Joe – so much fun reading your adventures of the last two months. I’m Danna Beith’s friend who lives in San Diego. I’m so bummed I didn’t get out to meet the horses, Benji (and you) before you left. We spend too much time waiting for the right moment to do things. Your spread looks amazing — what I imagine Heaven should look like (but maybe not in the rain). Blessings to you and Katherine. When is she joining you permanently?
Hi Joe
I wanted to say that im reading ur book of the soul of a horse and hoook and stay up way to late reading it over an over again.. are u going to write another one?.. and the join up with getting trust is my new favorite thing i do it with my mare and gled and it so much better..
Kirby
Thanks for sharing your adventures and the fabulous photos of Noelle joining the herd. The last photo says it all . . . it all works out in the end . . . so just enjoy your coffee. Ah, the lessons the herd teached us about life. How smart of us when we listen.
Love the looks of all that grass; sure looks good after the continued drought here and notice of more water cutbacks. perhaps we will look for a place near you one day if Valley Center becomes too unmanageable for our budget.
I just finished reading “The Soul of the Horse” & want to thank you so much for sharing your experience!! I have a 3 year old gelding, Chaska, who was born in my back yard. It had been years since I had been around horses much, as the only friend I had who was into them had moved away. It is a long story as to how I acquired my horse, but fell in love with him from the beginning. Like you, I had NO experience except the limited bit while riding with my friend during high school years. I had been warned about folks who are heavy handed with horses, & being an avid animal lover of any species, I have sought to avoid any aggressive training methods. I live just outside of Chattanooga & will be looking for someone to train Chaska to ride come summer. I am keeping his feet natural & am so very glad I read your book before doing anything more than the ground work that has been done so far. If you have any other information to add to the links included in your book, I would be most grateful to know about them!
God bless you indeed, for your willingness to share what you have learned!
Sincerely,
Brenda
So proud of you – I was wondering when you would put Noelle
with the other horse. Sounds like it went relatively smoothly.
Just some squeals & kicks. Apparently, noone connected.
The way it should be.
Tennesse sounds wonderful. (Those are my feelings, considering
its November in New York!!!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Maggie
All is good, I’m very happy for you all.
Hey Joe, Good job integrating Noelle into the herd. Just one comment, which I’m sure you know……need to get that halter off her head as soon as you can (saw that in the photos of the first day you turned her out). Too many accidents happen in pastures with horses with a halter on. Especially a mare, and especially a mare that used to be a wild horse. Too easy for another horse to bite at it, or for her to get a hoof caught in it while scratching, or for her to just hook it on a fence. All accidentally.
Then you will have the true test of trust. Being able to walk up to her in the pasture with other horses around and pet her and catch her. A tip: at first, use a string instead of a halter to catch her (Parelli calls it a ‘savvy string’ but any good buckaroo out on the range in Oregon carries a ‘catch rope’ with him all the time.). You can stand on her left side, scratch her neck with your right hand and the string in your right hand, and just drop that string around her neck and loop it while you are still giving her treats with your left hand.
You might practice with one of your more broke horses. Then once Noelle gets used to it, you can progress to catching her with a halter in open pasture. It’s all about the stuff you’ve learned….’advance and retreat’ “patience and persistence’ ‘right thing easy…’ etc etc etc.
Congratulations on the new place, the lush green pastures and giving yourself the opportunity to learn even more about horses. And happy horses they must be with all that space and grass! NOW they are truly more natural!
Hugs! Linda
Sorry Linda. As you know that halter has been on since we picked her up at the BLM in Reno. But she has never had a lead rope on. The only leading I’ve been able to do is a few feet, hand on halter, during feeding times. We’re making progress, even now after she has joined the herd, but we’re not there yet. And I choose not to push her beyond her perceived limits. To attempt to remove the halter at this point would cause enormous stress, and be potentially dangerous because it would probably have to be cut off. She would never stand still while I tugged and pulled on a ten-month knot. All of which would set us back quite a ways. Not saying it’s the safest thing in the world, but she’s been in paddock and pasture before joining the herd and thankfully has done very well with it. Hopefully we’re not too far away.
So glad Noelle is out with the other-part of the herd. I’ve looked fw to this day getting here for her. Sounds like you’re enjoying your bit of heaven now—wonderful! Well I bought 2 more books. Let’s see that’s 7 “Soul of a Horse” so far. I can’t help myself. I’m trying to do my part spreading the word. I have one more to give, to the guy that cuts and bales our hay. Even with our modest income I feel that it’s important for others to get “enlightened” re: caring for a horse—so I keep buying your book. Looking fw to the next one. Thanks for the update.
THank you Kathy, for the kind words…and the book sales :)
I am so happy to see that things are this great for all of you! You have such a good spirit dispite adversity.. I’m dreaming to be able to offer the same thing to my horse soon. I’ll make things move toward that.
Funny thing, I was thinking about you just yesterday while I was sitting on a rock watching my horses and wondering if you were ever going to put Noelle with the rest of the herd.
I was reflecting upon my own experience of bringing three geldings into the pasture with my lone mare just a few years ago. How come Joe is still separating Noelle from the rest of the herd? I am sure she wants to be a part of it. Congratulations, all went well and hopefully less stress to come. Enjoy every precious day you have with them.
All I can say Joe is”BEAUTIFUL!!”
Ahhh, a wonderful blog, but with the last picture and comment, you see only how far away I am, and apparently miss the beauty of the color above the horse-line :)