There is a joy of riding with a friend in Virginia, in October and coming across a whole field that has been planted in wild flowers. This is was a big surprise and memorable riding moments. wild flowers abound in a field in Free Union VA The perfect weather in Virginia at this time of year offers exquisite beauty before father winter sets in. This old field has been plowed under to [...]
Those of us at Horse Fly Net® think this is worth reading by trail riders. Yellow Fly, less than an inch in size It’s that time of year again, and those nasty yellow flies are biting… here are some tips for armoring yourself and your horses against a painful pest. In Florida, the name “yellow fly” is used to describe about a dozen different species of yellow-bodied biting [...]
bathing suit and bridle In the middle of summer, riding can be hard on rider and horse. The weather in parts of the US climbs into the 90s and the bugs are breeding and biting. If you want to do something different that is fun for both of you and your equine friend, try a swim. It is best to remove a good saddle and keep some kind of rubber shoes on. Aside from those items you and your [...]
Barn and indoor arena at the Ranch Nine of us left Free Union, Va June 15 for an adventure. We hauled large trailers with horses up the mountain to a lovely ranch called Bull Pasture Mountain Ranch. There we settled into the 3 day weekend by first locating our tent, cabin, trailer or the lovely ranch house lodge where we would bed down. Our horses had the [...]
6 Labradors, three yellow and three black This is the beginning of life in the big world. It is not just the canine beginning of life but it is the beginning of life for a person with difficulties mentally or physically who will benefit from canine assistance. The careful breeding, nurturing and training by many volunteers is the first ingredient in a successful service dog development. [...]
Yes, I was just well paid for 85 pounds of old wire fencing that we took off the farm to a new company. This company is making a profit and community service out of scrap. The company is called Cycle Systems. I just googled them and and learned that they have 7 locations in the western part of Virginia. They are collecting iron, aluminum, cardboard and more. Rather than going to the [...]
It is snowing on the east coast, The weather is in the 20s and I am in Virginia not Minnesota. And I have discovered a place in the United States that has a horse heritage and an average temperature of 71-79F. There are no flies and plenty of natural sand for riding. There is riding on the range, along the ocean or in the mountains. It would be a wonderful place for the WEG next time.[...]
A big island and no flies. Sounds like paradise!! But that does not mean Hawaii is without horses. The fact is that our Horse Fly Net® will never be required in this paradise, however, while spending Thanksgiving 2010 in the Hawaiian Islands, I am curious about the history of the horse there. www.hawaiiinfoguide.com gave me an interesting story. Over a century ago, in 1793, [...]
Bot Fly Larvae Hurrah, most of the northern parts of the US have had a good frost. That is the end of the Bot fly cycle. Or is it? Wikipedia describes Bot fly is the common name for a fly in the family Oestridae or maggots. It is one of several families of hairy flies whose larvae live as parasites within the bodies of mammals. There are approximately 150 known species world wide of [...]
Moving to Virginia was a great idea . And, the fall is a super time to enjoy horse activities. The end of September offers the 4 day Dressage finals at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia. Now the competition is too tough for me and my Quarter Horse but the fun of volunteering at the gate or as a ring steward is a dressage lesson in itself. Then in November is the Equine [...]