Equine Delights!

I get a lot of horse caltalogs and do quite a bit of online treasure hunting when it comes to horse related items. Finding and drooling over these things (and when I'm lucky, buying) is one of my favorite things to do. Some are cheap, others not so much. Some are for horse and some are for rider, although lets face it, they're pretty much all for the rider cause your horse isn't going to be ordering any of it! So I thought I would share some of my current finds with you! This is a DVD for all of those interested in Natural Horsemanship. There has been some controversy of late about the commercialism of NH, namely the products that one seemingly "needs" to buy in order to be successful and the cost of those products, but the core of NH is still about interacting with your horse in a positive way and forming a partnership. This video takes three well known Natural Horsemen, shows their approach to NH and has a competion between the three. Available from Back In The Saddle.

This is a print available in the Back In The Saddle catalog that I love! It's entitled "Fierce Grace"

Ah the Tucker Cheyenne Frontier Trail saddle, this saddle screams comfortable to me! But at $1600 (not including shipping) I'm going to be saving for a while! Tucker Saddles

Mrs.Pastures Cookies are awesome! My filly loves them and my two horses that preceded her loved them also. They smell so good that I've been tempted to try them but I think they are a little too hard for human teeth! Mrs.Pastures Cookies For Horses ....(they don't actually sell the treats on their site but they have a list of all the retailers that do!)

I LOVE this t-shirt and it will be mine! Find this one and lots of other cute T 's at Back In The Saddle

I was searching for a pair of cotton everyday/training reins (no nylon!) and found this great pair of of split reins with the snap ends for easy change out at CountrySupply for $19.95 (something I could afford,hurray!) It doesn't take much to make me happy!

Hay!!!!!

No really..... Hay! It's hay day! I want to join the "ton" club, but I just don't have any where to put it! Sooooo I'm off to buy by the bale and it ain't cheap! You would think that living in Oregon with all the rain and stuff, that we would have lots of cheap hay, especially grass hay, coming out of our ears. BUT.... grass hay at the feed store is almost $18 a bale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I buy from a dairy farmer and it's still $12 a bale (and not that great IMO) I'm really frustrated by this, when my filly has good hay, I am a happy girl and when she doesn't I am a grumpy girl. When I find good quality hay I want to buy in bulk so I know she is going to get good quality hay for 6mo at a time or longer. As it stands now I can buy for a week at a time, maybe two and the quality varies so much that I want to scream! I guess I need to work on my hay "networking" so maybe I can find that "golden" supplier to keep us "on the up" all year round! Good quality forage is an important issue for most horse owners and I'd love to hear from people around the country. What do you pay for hay per bale? Per Ton? What type of hay is available to you and what are the differences in prices? If your horses are on pasture, do you need to suppliment with hay?
Also regionally what do you feed? When I lived in California I fed a 50/50 Alfalfa/Oat hay mix to my QH gelding and Mustang filly. Here in Oregon I've fed grass hay only (with strategy and supplements) Our horses count on us for what they eat and I feel I've done a pretty good job when my filly cleans up at her feedings,but when she doesn't, it's on to another hay search!