I have a confession to make: I've been avoiding this post.
I have a bunch more excuses to add to the established list: Rain. Rolex. Busy. Rain. Family visit. Busy. Rain.
But what it comes down to is, I dropped the ball this week. And WHOA, is it obvious. We were on a good run of gradual decreases, but a few days without riding, lots of rain and sun to make the grass go nuts, and, like Pancake's hips, the tape don't lie.
1310.
My 13.2hh Fjord weight-tapes 1310.
It's raining. I haven't ridden since last Sunday (yep, 10 days). This is me.
Thank heaven for Emma, who's made it out twice a week like clockwork. She's my saving grace right now.
Diet: C. She's going out for max 2 hours. It should be none. Or 2 hours with muzzle. The grass is unbelievable. And we have yet to mow the pasture this year. (I may lose the mini entirely.) I'm going to cut the balancer pellet entirely and drop her down to just the vit/min and supplements. Luckily I've just unearthed some really boring straight-grass hay. Which I intend to also soak to further reduce the sugar.
Exercise: I fail. Emma gets an A. So we're averaging a C. She cantered her for 8 minutes straight, for what I'm pretty sure is the only time that pony's ever experienced in her life.
We were doing really well for a while, I just need to hold up my end of the deal.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Weekly Weigh-In: April 20
To keep me honest, a weekly progress report.
Three weeks in, current management is feeling like "new normal." We're getting into the groove of the new routine and it's working fine.
Diet: Sticking with a B here. I'm on the last bale of the current layer of my hay pile and the next layer has some grassier options, so I'll be able to reduce the alfalfa intake a little more. I also dug out my slow-feed haynet this week, but I prefer not to leave anything hanging when I'm not home, so I'll probably just use it for their evening flake and then take it down when I take the dog out for his bedtime walk. Otherwise they inhale their flake within about 20 minutes.
I started adding a splash of water to the RiteTrac, which has greatly improved stickiness and reduced waste. Their current ration is like a parfait--8 oz KER Pellet, RiteTrac, little water, jiggle it a little, IR Pellet, and a 1/2 oz Synovate HA on top. I added the Synovate because she's working had these days and it certainly won't hurt. (Plus it smells awesome. Persimmon, yum.) However, this might be the point at which I've officially jumped the shark and will need to pre-mix rations for our housesitter whenever we go out of town!
Exercise: Rock and roll, another A. In the past week Pancake has had two trot/canter sets with Mother's Helper, a jump lesson, a trek to Masterson where she trotted and cantered her little pony butt all over, and another trot/canter set at home with me. Woo!
Results: This week's taping shows an increase, but I'm not worried.
To review:
March 31: 1250
April 6: 1120ish
April 13: 1080ish
This week: 1130ish
Again, tapes aren't accurate. I'm guessing she's "bigger" this week because I taped her after she came in from her two hours on pasture rather than just before. Here's what I care about: Girlfriend has never worked so hard in her life and she feels great.
The issue that led to this whole experiment was her reluctance to move forward from my leg. Once she started getting tired (which happens (ie, halfway around a stadium course) when you're obese), I'd put my leg on and she'd not only not speed up, she'd pin her ears and slow down. (Ugh! Ponies!) I could whap her with my go stick, but that would only get four more strides, then we'd repeat the exercise. No fun for anyone.
So currently what I'm looking for from her is not only stamina to extend the time before she gets to that point, but also positive response to leg, both in upward transitions and within the gaits. And we're making really good progress.
Also: She fit into her skinny jeans this week--that's right, we're down to the 46" girth!
< Documentation
And it wasn't even on the last hole! I had it on #3 on both sides!
This is a big deal because my 46" is a nonslip perforated neoprene and my 48" is rather slippy leather. And when you have no discernible wither whatsoever (see: name of blog), nonslip everything is your friend.
Three weeks in, current management is feeling like "new normal." We're getting into the groove of the new routine and it's working fine.
Diet: Sticking with a B here. I'm on the last bale of the current layer of my hay pile and the next layer has some grassier options, so I'll be able to reduce the alfalfa intake a little more. I also dug out my slow-feed haynet this week, but I prefer not to leave anything hanging when I'm not home, so I'll probably just use it for their evening flake and then take it down when I take the dog out for his bedtime walk. Otherwise they inhale their flake within about 20 minutes.
I started adding a splash of water to the RiteTrac, which has greatly improved stickiness and reduced waste. Their current ration is like a parfait--8 oz KER Pellet, RiteTrac, little water, jiggle it a little, IR Pellet, and a 1/2 oz Synovate HA on top. I added the Synovate because she's working had these days and it certainly won't hurt. (Plus it smells awesome. Persimmon, yum.) However, this might be the point at which I've officially jumped the shark and will need to pre-mix rations for our housesitter whenever we go out of town!
Exercise: Rock and roll, another A. In the past week Pancake has had two trot/canter sets with Mother's Helper, a jump lesson, a trek to Masterson where she trotted and cantered her little pony butt all over, and another trot/canter set at home with me. Woo!
Results: This week's taping shows an increase, but I'm not worried.
March 31: 1250
April 6: 1120ish
April 13: 1080ish
This week: 1130ish
Again, tapes aren't accurate. I'm guessing she's "bigger" this week because I taped her after she came in from her two hours on pasture rather than just before. Here's what I care about: Girlfriend has never worked so hard in her life and she feels great.
The issue that led to this whole experiment was her reluctance to move forward from my leg. Once she started getting tired (which happens (ie, halfway around a stadium course) when you're obese), I'd put my leg on and she'd not only not speed up, she'd pin her ears and slow down. (Ugh! Ponies!) I could whap her with my go stick, but that would only get four more strides, then we'd repeat the exercise. No fun for anyone.
So currently what I'm looking for from her is not only stamina to extend the time before she gets to that point, but also positive response to leg, both in upward transitions and within the gaits. And we're making really good progress.
< Documentation
And it wasn't even on the last hole! I had it on #3 on both sides!
This is a big deal because my 46" is a nonslip perforated neoprene and my 48" is rather slippy leather. And when you have no discernible wither whatsoever (see: name of blog), nonslip everything is your friend.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
In Which We Talk Fjord Fjit
"Fit" is a fairly relative concept when it comes to horses. Normally when we talk horse fitness we talk, at least in part, about a Body Condition Score.
This is a great tool, but Pancake doesn't look like any of those horses. She is
one big fat pad. And I daresay that even if I got her a tad underweight
for her body type, she'd probably still be a bit cresty.
Pancake will never look like a Thoroughbred. But that doesn't mean she can't be fit. I interpret fit to mean "capable of doing the job required without extraordinary effort." My current fitness goal for Pancake means we can make it around a starter XC course without hitting the point of fatigue and she can recover within a reasonable amount of time. That's 16 or so 2' 3" fences, rolling terrain, maintaining a sprightly, forward canter for most if not all of it.
This is not a big job to a horse with a higher natural level of fitness. But right now it would be a tall, if not impossible, order for her, because her default natural fitness level is not the same as a Thoroughbred's.
Fjords are considered light draft horses. They were selectively bred for a very, verrrrry long time to plow fields, pull logs, and pack big Viking dudes and their all their stuff up and down mountains. They are strong, surefooted, sound as the day is long, quiet, and resilient. They have great stamina for long, slow work. They are not particularly inclined to speed. Or sudden bursts of energy. (Which is a big selling point for timid, breakable adult amateurs who don't have the time or inclination to fool around with something that needs to be longed down for 45 minutes before you dare sit on it--*Erin raises hand*.)
Look at the build. They are a collection of curves. Nary an angular wither to be seen. That said, there are distinct phenotypes within the breed. Some bloodlines emphasize the draft more heavily, while some are lighter, more athletic riding horses. Here's how the NFHR describes this variation in the breed standard:
"Body structure within the breed ranges the entire spectrum, from flatter, lighter muscling to a more round, heavier muscling. Historically, Fjords have appeared in different shapes, models or body types, according to the different needs of the times. From this wide genetic pool comes the versatile Fjord of today, which is not a specialized breed, but a breed with horses of different types and sizes which can be used for a wide variety of activities. Horses that meet the set conditions and demands of quality are equally acceptable, although they can be of different sizes and body types. Conformation should be harmoniously balanced and must always be complemented by substance of body and ample bone."
And to get more specific, and use lots of the cool "ø" letter, from the Fjord Horse International Handbook:
So what does "Fjord fit" actually look like? I think Sorum Fjord Farm does a particularly great job of getting their horses fit. I saw a couple of their horses going Second Level or so at a USDF show a couple years ago and they were lovely, light, and athletic. They also produced SNF Maarta, the little mare who won the Open BN at the AECs a few years back on a 23. I don't want to steal their pics, so click here and check out the bottom row, second from the left. That's what we're after.
Pancake will never look like a Thoroughbred. But that doesn't mean she can't be fit. I interpret fit to mean "capable of doing the job required without extraordinary effort." My current fitness goal for Pancake means we can make it around a starter XC course without hitting the point of fatigue and she can recover within a reasonable amount of time. That's 16 or so 2' 3" fences, rolling terrain, maintaining a sprightly, forward canter for most if not all of it.
This is not a big job to a horse with a higher natural level of fitness. But right now it would be a tall, if not impossible, order for her, because her default natural fitness level is not the same as a Thoroughbred's.
Fjords are considered light draft horses. They were selectively bred for a very, verrrrry long time to plow fields, pull logs, and pack big Viking dudes and their all their stuff up and down mountains. They are strong, surefooted, sound as the day is long, quiet, and resilient. They have great stamina for long, slow work. They are not particularly inclined to speed. Or sudden bursts of energy. (Which is a big selling point for timid, breakable adult amateurs who don't have the time or inclination to fool around with something that needs to be longed down for 45 minutes before you dare sit on it--*Erin raises hand*.)
Look at the build. They are a collection of curves. Nary an angular wither to be seen. That said, there are distinct phenotypes within the breed. Some bloodlines emphasize the draft more heavily, while some are lighter, more athletic riding horses. Here's how the NFHR describes this variation in the breed standard:
"Body structure within the breed ranges the entire spectrum, from flatter, lighter muscling to a more round, heavier muscling. Historically, Fjords have appeared in different shapes, models or body types, according to the different needs of the times. From this wide genetic pool comes the versatile Fjord of today, which is not a specialized breed, but a breed with horses of different types and sizes which can be used for a wide variety of activities. Horses that meet the set conditions and demands of quality are equally acceptable, although they can be of different sizes and body types. Conformation should be harmoniously balanced and must always be complemented by substance of body and ample bone."
And to get more specific, and use lots of the cool "ø" letter, from the Fjord Horse International Handbook:
"The Fjord seems to have varied in size
and type from the north to the south of Vestlandet. The Fjord Horse from
Nordfjord and Sunnmøre was known to be larger with more bone and with
more profuse mane, tail and feathering than the Fjord in Sunnhordland,
which was smaller, lighter and more refined. This has led to an
assumption that there were perhaps different types of the Fjord Horse
with slightly dissimilar origins."
Why do different breeds, and different types within breeds, respond differently to exercise and conditioning programs? It comes down to the ratio of different types of muscle fibers. Type-1 fibers are slow to contract but hold contractions with minimal effort. Think endurance. Type-2 (A and B) are fast-twitch, for short bursts of power. Every horse has both kinds of muscles fibers, but the proportions of each type vary from breed to breed and individual to individual. More:
"It is this variation that makes some horses more suitable for one type
of exercise than another. If all other factors are equal, a horse with a
larger proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers will perform better in
short-duration, high-intensity exercise, while a horse with a larger
proportion of slow-twitch fibers will excel in an activity that calls
for long-duration, low-intensity exercise. A training program can
increase both speed and endurance, but the horse will probably still
excel in one exercise type or the other because of the way his muscle
fibers are proportioned."
When you get down to it, this is why Percherons (usually) don't run in the Kentucky Derby, Thoroughbreds (usually) don't pull the Budweiser wagon, and why Pancake, unlike some of her Thoroughbred friends, can't just pop out and easily jump around the Masterson hunter course after a winter without much of any conditioning.
An important note in that article is that, with proper conditioning, you can actually change the contractile profile of the muscle fibers, increasing oxidative capacity. So while speed work may not come as naturally to Pancake as it would to purpose-bred horses, it's certainly not a lost cause. (Dr. Ernie Bailey did a talk a few years ago in which he said 30% of racing performance is genetic. Which means 70% is management, conditioning, training, age, environmental factors, etc. That's a whole lot of wiggle room to improve the things we can improve!)
So what does "Fjord fit" actually look like? I think Sorum Fjord Farm does a particularly great job of getting their horses fit. I saw a couple of their horses going Second Level or so at a USDF show a couple years ago and they were lovely, light, and athletic. They also produced SNF Maarta, the little mare who won the Open BN at the AECs a few years back on a 23. I don't want to steal their pics, so click here and check out the bottom row, second from the left. That's what we're after.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Weekly Weigh-In: April 13
To keep me honest, a weekly progress report.
Two weeks down, a lifetime of maintenance to go. Here's how we're doing:
Diet: Solid B. Muzzling is on hold until I'm sure her rubs are totally healed. It would be nice to have the option to muzzle because then she could be out on pasture longer, for example on evenings I'm not home or otherwise occupied (see: baby) and can't get her right back in again. For now I'm just limiting turnout to a max of two hours.
She and The Dinky Wee Mini are still splitting a flake of hay morning and night, and they get 8oz KER Pellet ration balancer + 60g I.R. Pellet and about 60g RiteTrac in the evening. The RiteTrac is powdery and there's so little grain/pellet to mix it with that giving a full scoop resulted in wastage. So I'm doing a half scoop for now. Wetting it a bit immediately before serving may help it stick a bit better, so I'll experiment with that this week.
Exercise: I'm giving us an A! I have a lovely young lady helping me out a couple times per week, and between the two of us, Pancake worked FIVE times this week! Woo hoo! Including a haul over to Masterson for trot/canter work on the hills with her (very fit) BFF Zoe. I have to say, I've been committed to making sure she gets a legitimate workout from each ride--I'm using my rolling pasture to my advantage and doing lots of uphill transitions. You know how I know it's working? I was able to maintain two-point in the canter and didn't have to keep pushing with my seat for every stride. Win! #goteampancake
Results: BOOM SHAKA LAKA
To review:
March 31: 1250
April 6: 1120ish
This week:
I'm going to call that 1080.
I know I keep harping that weight tapes are inaccurate (and they are), so perhaps the better way to assess:
That, my friends, looks like progress.
Two weeks down, a lifetime of maintenance to go. Here's how we're doing:
Diet: Solid B. Muzzling is on hold until I'm sure her rubs are totally healed. It would be nice to have the option to muzzle because then she could be out on pasture longer, for example on evenings I'm not home or otherwise occupied (see: baby) and can't get her right back in again. For now I'm just limiting turnout to a max of two hours.
She and The Dinky Wee Mini are still splitting a flake of hay morning and night, and they get 8oz KER Pellet ration balancer + 60g I.R. Pellet and about 60g RiteTrac in the evening. The RiteTrac is powdery and there's so little grain/pellet to mix it with that giving a full scoop resulted in wastage. So I'm doing a half scoop for now. Wetting it a bit immediately before serving may help it stick a bit better, so I'll experiment with that this week.
Exercise: I'm giving us an A! I have a lovely young lady helping me out a couple times per week, and between the two of us, Pancake worked FIVE times this week! Woo hoo! Including a haul over to Masterson for trot/canter work on the hills with her (very fit) BFF Zoe. I have to say, I've been committed to making sure she gets a legitimate workout from each ride--I'm using my rolling pasture to my advantage and doing lots of uphill transitions. You know how I know it's working? I was able to maintain two-point in the canter and didn't have to keep pushing with my seat for every stride. Win! #goteampancake
Results: BOOM SHAKA LAKA
To review:
March 31: 1250
April 6: 1120ish
This week:
I'm going to call that 1080.
I know I keep harping that weight tapes are inaccurate (and they are), so perhaps the better way to assess:
That, my friends, looks like progress.
Friday, April 11, 2014
In Which We Talk About Muzzle Fit
This whole muzzling thing is not working well for us.
I deployed it for three days last week, which resulted in sores on Pancake's chin. So I put her out nekkid and free for a few days, being careful to limit her time on pasture. The chin was looking better on Monday, so we tried the muzzle again Tuesday. Right back to sores. Ugh.
This isn't rocket surgery. Or even brain science. It can't be this hard. I must have something set up wrong.
As it happens, I work with people who have lots of experience with muzzling. At KER, we do nutrient digestibility studies to figure out how horses utilize what we're feeding them. This entails precisely measuring everything that goes in and everything that comes out. But being stalled for the study period isn't much fun, so the research horses still go outside, wearing muzzles so as not to skew the intake data. (Here's more on the research horses.)
My coworker Catherine is involved with the research, so I asked her for some tips on muzzle fit and customization--and I'm not crazy (at least on this point), because she said up front: "Additional fixtures are needed for any store-bought muzzle to stay on and work."
Such as?
-Adding reinforcement straps beyond the velcro tab doohickeys--she likes nylon straps with buckles (on a leather or break-away halter, of course)
-Adding lambskin or synthetic fleece to prevent rubs
-Fitting the muzzle so it's snug but there's a finger-width or two between the horse's lips and the bottom of the muzzle
-Using zinc oxide cream on any areas with hair loss
-Once you have a set-up that works, just leave the muzzle connected to the halter as a single unit--much simpler than trying to reset it correctly every time you turn out
-If you have a determined nudist, use a muzzle with integrated halter, then run the straps of that halter through the rings of a real halter--try that, Houdini!
For even more useful intel from Catherine, check out the new article.
I was thinking Pancake's cob-sized muzzle was causing rubs because it was too small, but Catherine says rubs under the chin can occur when the muzzle's too big, because it has room to wiggle around. Padding should help with that.
I'm going to wait for the current rubs to heal (while slathering diaper cream, which I just so happen to have lots of, on Pancake's chin). I also added a bumper of fleece (old polo wrap) around the inside of the top of the muzzle, and additional attachments to reduce the wiggle/rub opportunity. So we'll see how that works. In the meantime, Wild Tails Farm grazing hours are 7pm to 8pm, sharp.
I deployed it for three days last week, which resulted in sores on Pancake's chin. So I put her out nekkid and free for a few days, being careful to limit her time on pasture. The chin was looking better on Monday, so we tried the muzzle again Tuesday. Right back to sores. Ugh.
This isn't rocket surgery. Or even brain science. It can't be this hard. I must have something set up wrong.
As it happens, I work with people who have lots of experience with muzzling. At KER, we do nutrient digestibility studies to figure out how horses utilize what we're feeding them. This entails precisely measuring everything that goes in and everything that comes out. But being stalled for the study period isn't much fun, so the research horses still go outside, wearing muzzles so as not to skew the intake data. (Here's more on the research horses.)
My coworker Catherine is involved with the research, so I asked her for some tips on muzzle fit and customization--and I'm not crazy (at least on this point), because she said up front: "Additional fixtures are needed for any store-bought muzzle to stay on and work."
Such as?
-Adding reinforcement straps beyond the velcro tab doohickeys--she likes nylon straps with buckles (on a leather or break-away halter, of course)
-Adding lambskin or synthetic fleece to prevent rubs
-Fitting the muzzle so it's snug but there's a finger-width or two between the horse's lips and the bottom of the muzzle
-Using zinc oxide cream on any areas with hair loss
-Once you have a set-up that works, just leave the muzzle connected to the halter as a single unit--much simpler than trying to reset it correctly every time you turn out
-If you have a determined nudist, use a muzzle with integrated halter, then run the straps of that halter through the rings of a real halter--try that, Houdini!
For even more useful intel from Catherine, check out the new article.
I was thinking Pancake's cob-sized muzzle was causing rubs because it was too small, but Catherine says rubs under the chin can occur when the muzzle's too big, because it has room to wiggle around. Padding should help with that.
I'm going to wait for the current rubs to heal (while slathering diaper cream, which I just so happen to have lots of, on Pancake's chin). I also added a bumper of fleece (old polo wrap) around the inside of the top of the muzzle, and additional attachments to reduce the wiggle/rub opportunity. So we'll see how that works. In the meantime, Wild Tails Farm grazing hours are 7pm to 8pm, sharp.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Weekly Weigh-In: April 6
To keep me honest, a weekly progress report.
After one week of Operation Reduced-Fat Pancake, here's how I think we're doing:
Diet: Solid B. I've been very good about keeping them up in the drylot, despite vocal protestations. I swear these ponies watch the house and whinny every time I walk past a window. They've been going out for two or three hours each day. I got a bigger muzzle for Pancake and deployed it for three days. Well ...
State's evidence in the matter of Pancake v. Bad Mom:
It rubbed the hair right off her chin and caused big nasty sores. I'm guessing this means I need to get an even bigger one? This may have broken my will to muzzle. Maybe I'll just keep them in for all but an hour. I don't know. I'm waffling re: Pancake (ha). Since that appeared (Friday), I've just kept them up for all but an hour, which seems to work fine, as long as I can reliably get back out there on time to bring them back in.
I've also been committed to restricting her hay to one flake in the morning and one at night. No extras. I switched her supplement to I.R. Pellet and RiteTrac. I might be crazy, but I do think she's been less frantic to eat since I added the RiteTrac. Who knows.Won't hurt, might help.
Excercise: C, but looking up. I longed on Monday and rode both Saturday and Sunday. Weekday evenings are just incredibly difficult. I can sometimes longe if Babycakes goes to bed on time, but rarely if ever can I ride. I might have a better shot when the days are a bit longer. So I'm calling in reinforcements: a lovely young rider is going to exercise Pancake for me a couple times per week. If she rides twice and I ride twice, we'll be making good progress.
Now, the longe and couple rides I had were incredibly productive. She's normally a sloth to longe, but Monday was her first day in the drylot so she was MAD. Which resulted in epic longeline tantrum--bucking, farting, swapping leads, taking off, etc. Which I was delighted to see. And when she was done being an idiot is when we started our planned workout. So she ended up having quite the cardio sesh.
Both rides were really nice. She's recently figured out the trot stretchy circle. I usually conclude each ride with one, so she's now offering it all the time ("I'm stretching! Can I be done now?"). Which means she's reaching into the contact, lengthening her frame, and really covering the ground. Canter work is getting better and I've added some tours of the pasture into the program along with the usual "arena" work--so we're starting with two laps at a trot and one with canter on the uphills. On Sunday I asked for a little more speed in the canter work and she kicked into a higher gear. Progress!
Results: Original taping: 1250
This week:
How I feel about that:
Now you're thinking, "Umm ... Erin ... more than 100 pounds in one week is cray cray."
Yes yes.
So let me explain. Weight tapes ain't accurate. In one study, they were off by 145 lb on average. A tape is not going to tell me her actual weight or give an accurate read on small changes, but it can give me a feel as to whether she's losing, gaining, or holding steady. Here's more on various ways to assess weight.
The other thing is the pony factor. She is a pony, and therefore puffs her naughty little pony self up whenever I girth her. I'm guessing last week she felt me mucking around and therefore inflated to Macy's Parade proportions. This week I measured right after untacking, so she was deflated, easily losing a couple inches worth of girth.
So do I think she really lost 100 pounds in a week? Nope. But I do think she's slimmed a bit, and she feels more fit. So that's a win.
After one week of Operation Reduced-Fat Pancake, here's how I think we're doing:
Diet: Solid B. I've been very good about keeping them up in the drylot, despite vocal protestations. I swear these ponies watch the house and whinny every time I walk past a window. They've been going out for two or three hours each day. I got a bigger muzzle for Pancake and deployed it for three days. Well ...
State's evidence in the matter of Pancake v. Bad Mom:
It rubbed the hair right off her chin and caused big nasty sores. I'm guessing this means I need to get an even bigger one? This may have broken my will to muzzle. Maybe I'll just keep them in for all but an hour. I don't know. I'm waffling re: Pancake (ha). Since that appeared (Friday), I've just kept them up for all but an hour, which seems to work fine, as long as I can reliably get back out there on time to bring them back in.
I've also been committed to restricting her hay to one flake in the morning and one at night. No extras. I switched her supplement to I.R. Pellet and RiteTrac. I might be crazy, but I do think she's been less frantic to eat since I added the RiteTrac. Who knows.Won't hurt, might help.
Excercise: C, but looking up. I longed on Monday and rode both Saturday and Sunday. Weekday evenings are just incredibly difficult. I can sometimes longe if Babycakes goes to bed on time, but rarely if ever can I ride. I might have a better shot when the days are a bit longer. So I'm calling in reinforcements: a lovely young rider is going to exercise Pancake for me a couple times per week. If she rides twice and I ride twice, we'll be making good progress.
Now, the longe and couple rides I had were incredibly productive. She's normally a sloth to longe, but Monday was her first day in the drylot so she was MAD. Which resulted in epic longeline tantrum--bucking, farting, swapping leads, taking off, etc. Which I was delighted to see. And when she was done being an idiot is when we started our planned workout. So she ended up having quite the cardio sesh.
Both rides were really nice. She's recently figured out the trot stretchy circle. I usually conclude each ride with one, so she's now offering it all the time ("I'm stretching! Can I be done now?"). Which means she's reaching into the contact, lengthening her frame, and really covering the ground. Canter work is getting better and I've added some tours of the pasture into the program along with the usual "arena" work--so we're starting with two laps at a trot and one with canter on the uphills. On Sunday I asked for a little more speed in the canter work and she kicked into a higher gear. Progress!
Results: Original taping: 1250
This week:
Yes yes.
So let me explain. Weight tapes ain't accurate. In one study, they were off by 145 lb on average. A tape is not going to tell me her actual weight or give an accurate read on small changes, but it can give me a feel as to whether she's losing, gaining, or holding steady. Here's more on various ways to assess weight.
The other thing is the pony factor. She is a pony, and therefore puffs her naughty little pony self up whenever I girth her. I'm guessing last week she felt me mucking around and therefore inflated to Macy's Parade proportions. This week I measured right after untacking, so she was deflated, easily losing a couple inches worth of girth.
So do I think she really lost 100 pounds in a week? Nope. But I do think she's slimmed a bit, and she feels more fit. So that's a win.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
In Which We Sing Macklemore and Learn About Grass
Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, the drylot's where my ponies is. And they are MAD.
The New Regime is fully in effect, and Pancake is not amused. She's going out for three or so hours each evening, with a muzzle. It's a dirty, dirty trick and she is m-a-d. She's now desperately laying under the bottom fence board to eat little semicircles of grass under each panel (upside: I won't have to weed-eat around the posts). She also watches the house and screams at me from the drylot every time I walk past a window. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not.
So what's the big deal about grass? It's the perfect food for horses, right? Yes--for some horses (not mine). In moderation.
I have a two-fold challenge: a thrifty pony and the world's best grass supply. Let me explain:
Certain breeds of horses supposedly have what's called the "thrifty gene." These horses, which include Morgans, Paso Finos, Icelandics, certain baroque breeds, and lots and lots of ponies, can get by just fine on very little. Note a lot of the breeds that display this tendency originated in areas without good (or at least consistent) forage supplies. Think deserts, places with long, cold winters, etc. In those locales, having a horse that held its weight on very little was a great advantage--so breeders selected for that trait. These days, we're fighting back against a propensity that was selected for over generations.
(This isn't just a horse thing, either--it's something human geneticists are interested in as well due to its association with Type-2 diabetes. Wiki: "According to the hypothesis, the 'thrifty' genotype would have been advantageous for hunter-gatherer populations, especially child-bearing women, because it would allow them to fatten more quickly during times of abundance. Fatter individuals carrying the thrifty genes would thus better survive times of food scarcity. However, in modern societies with a constant abundance of food, this genotype efficiently prepares individuals for a famine that never comes. The result of this mismatch between the environment in which the brain evolved and the environment of today is a widespread chronic obesity and related health problems like diabetes.")
Fjords: Draft + Pony = Thrifty.
And for reading that, here's a song (some language--sorry Mom):
And then there's the grass. What's Lexington, Ky., famous for? Thoroughbreds. Why do we have a lot of Thoroughbreds here? Because our grass is AWESOME. It is green and it is lush and it is bountiful. And I only have one pony and one mini on three acres, so it is emerging unchecked in great big gobs. And what's now our pasture was, up until two years ago, our backyard. So it is the coveted yard grass that all horses go nuts over.
A few years ago, researchers in Virginia studying obese horses were scratching their heads because these Fatty Lumpkin beasties weren't getting any concentrates but were still packing it on. They hypothesized grasses "improved and selected for weight gain in other livestock species" might be playing a role. Lo and behold, they found most pasture grasses were these "improved" varieties, not native grasses. So, grasses designed to pack weight ON cattle, sheep, etc., have now spread around on their own. Egads! (Article.)
So. I have LOTS of grass. And the grass is potentially/likely a type that was created/selected to help livestock rapidly gain weight. There are all sorts of strategies one can employ to reduce the amount of fructans your horse gets from pasture, but unfortunately it all boils down to: When in doubt, muzzle.
Sorry, Pancake.
The New Regime is fully in effect, and Pancake is not amused. She's going out for three or so hours each evening, with a muzzle. It's a dirty, dirty trick and she is m-a-d. She's now desperately laying under the bottom fence board to eat little semicircles of grass under each panel (upside: I won't have to weed-eat around the posts). She also watches the house and screams at me from the drylot every time I walk past a window. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not.
So what's the big deal about grass? It's the perfect food for horses, right? Yes--for some horses (not mine). In moderation.
I have a two-fold challenge: a thrifty pony and the world's best grass supply. Let me explain:
Certain breeds of horses supposedly have what's called the "thrifty gene." These horses, which include Morgans, Paso Finos, Icelandics, certain baroque breeds, and lots and lots of ponies, can get by just fine on very little. Note a lot of the breeds that display this tendency originated in areas without good (or at least consistent) forage supplies. Think deserts, places with long, cold winters, etc. In those locales, having a horse that held its weight on very little was a great advantage--so breeders selected for that trait. These days, we're fighting back against a propensity that was selected for over generations.
(This isn't just a horse thing, either--it's something human geneticists are interested in as well due to its association with Type-2 diabetes. Wiki: "According to the hypothesis, the 'thrifty' genotype would have been advantageous for hunter-gatherer populations, especially child-bearing women, because it would allow them to fatten more quickly during times of abundance. Fatter individuals carrying the thrifty genes would thus better survive times of food scarcity. However, in modern societies with a constant abundance of food, this genotype efficiently prepares individuals for a famine that never comes. The result of this mismatch between the environment in which the brain evolved and the environment of today is a widespread chronic obesity and related health problems like diabetes.")
Fjords: Draft + Pony = Thrifty.
And for reading that, here's a song (some language--sorry Mom):
And then there's the grass. What's Lexington, Ky., famous for? Thoroughbreds. Why do we have a lot of Thoroughbreds here? Because our grass is AWESOME. It is green and it is lush and it is bountiful. And I only have one pony and one mini on three acres, so it is emerging unchecked in great big gobs. And what's now our pasture was, up until two years ago, our backyard. So it is the coveted yard grass that all horses go nuts over.
A few years ago, researchers in Virginia studying obese horses were scratching their heads because these Fatty Lumpkin beasties weren't getting any concentrates but were still packing it on. They hypothesized grasses "improved and selected for weight gain in other livestock species" might be playing a role. Lo and behold, they found most pasture grasses were these "improved" varieties, not native grasses. So, grasses designed to pack weight ON cattle, sheep, etc., have now spread around on their own. Egads! (Article.)
So. I have LOTS of grass. And the grass is potentially/likely a type that was created/selected to help livestock rapidly gain weight. There are all sorts of strategies one can employ to reduce the amount of fructans your horse gets from pasture, but unfortunately it all boils down to: When in doubt, muzzle.
Sorry, Pancake.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
In Which I Get Gif-y With It
Yesterday was the first day of the New Regime. Pancake and The Dinky Wee Mini stayed in the drylot during the day, then went out for two hours at night. I had full intentions of putting a muzzle on Pancake, but discovered the Pony Torture Device I have on hand is somehow both far too small for Pancake and far too large for The Dinky Wee Mini. (If anyone has an Arab or small-but-not-dinky-pony in need of a muzzle, I have one.) A new muzzle will be purchased today.
Anyway, Pancake was all:
Because normally we're all:
She showed her displeasure by being an absolute lunatic on the longe after I brought her back in. Which, hey, works for me--more cardio that I was planning to ask for!
Something I've always wondered about is drylotting and muzzling. It seems like if you only turnout a couple hours per day, they can't possibly get that much grass, right? As it turns out, ponies are both incredibly smart and incredibly hungry.
Some smart people actually did a study wherein they tried both methods. They figured out that ponies that are partially dry-lotted learned that they would only get to go out for a couple hours, so they buckle down and eat like crazy, rather than eating a little here, wandering around, eating a little, taking a nap, eating a little more, etc. Restricted ponies given some access to grass just eat, eat, eat. And in just a few hours, they'll consume nearly their entire daily allotment.
Article excerpt: "The most interesting finding in this study was that ponies learned the routine and became more efficient at grazing. During the first week, the ponies ate 0.49% of body weight in grass during the three hours. By the last week of the study, they got down to business immediately upon being turned out, eating 0.91% of body weight."
Another interesting point is that, given 24-hour access to moderate pasture, these ponies ate 4.2% of their bodyweight in forage each day. 4.2%! Now, the recommended intake for weight loss is 1.25%. So it's easy to see how the little porkers can still pack on the pounds on daytime pasture and a flake of hay!
But if you put a muzzle on these same restricted ponies, voila: "The grazing muzzle cut intakes by 83%, and ponies were not able to eat more than 0.5 kg of dry matter, which was a significant decrease in caloric intake for the ponies."
Read the rest--it's really good.
Anyway, Pancake was all:
Because normally we're all:
She showed her displeasure by being an absolute lunatic on the longe after I brought her back in. Which, hey, works for me--more cardio that I was planning to ask for!
Something I've always wondered about is drylotting and muzzling. It seems like if you only turnout a couple hours per day, they can't possibly get that much grass, right? As it turns out, ponies are both incredibly smart and incredibly hungry.
Some smart people actually did a study wherein they tried both methods. They figured out that ponies that are partially dry-lotted learned that they would only get to go out for a couple hours, so they buckle down and eat like crazy, rather than eating a little here, wandering around, eating a little, taking a nap, eating a little more, etc. Restricted ponies given some access to grass just eat, eat, eat. And in just a few hours, they'll consume nearly their entire daily allotment.
Article excerpt: "The most interesting finding in this study was that ponies learned the routine and became more efficient at grazing. During the first week, the ponies ate 0.49% of body weight in grass during the three hours. By the last week of the study, they got down to business immediately upon being turned out, eating 0.91% of body weight."
Another interesting point is that, given 24-hour access to moderate pasture, these ponies ate 4.2% of their bodyweight in forage each day. 4.2%! Now, the recommended intake for weight loss is 1.25%. So it's easy to see how the little porkers can still pack on the pounds on daytime pasture and a flake of hay!
But if you put a muzzle on these same restricted ponies, voila: "The grazing muzzle cut intakes by 83%, and ponies were not able to eat more than 0.5 kg of dry matter, which was a significant decrease in caloric intake for the ponies."
Read the rest--it's really good.
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