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Guest Blog: Placitas Horses

Feb 152019

Today my friend Mary Ann Shinnick has a blog for us.

–Patty

Placitas Horses

By Mary Ann Shinnick

Doranna and Patty have generously allowed me to do a “guest blog” this week. I am Mary Ann Shinnick and have been active in horse rescue at Walkin N Circles Ranch since 2011. As a Board member, I help coordinate our equine acquisitions through the New Mexico Livestock Board and often with owners who need to surrender their own horses for a variety of reasons.

I became aware of the current plight of the Placitas horses through an email sent to WNCR by the advocacy group “Placitas Wild”. This is a 501C3 organization which was formed to tackle the ongoing issue of what to do about the Placitas wild horses. They are supported entirely by donations.

Where in the state can 71 horses be re-settled? That’s the question that has members of Placitas Wild losing sleep. They are beating the bushes to find safe places to move them to. Their deadline was February 18, but the Pueblo of San Felipe has granted them an extension until March 18.

Combatting the the Creak of Age

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Feb 082019

By Patty Wilber

I might have a few parts that are a bit on the worn side.

The soccerized knees. The shoulders that have been yanked by horses on the lunge line or that have broken a fall or two. The stiffening back.

Geez! The creak of age!

As one gets older, muscles tend to change from the larger, bulker white fast-twitch muscle type II to red slow twitch fibers type I that are more suited to endurance.

In one study of pectoral muscle in women, after age 40, the the fast (type II) muscles decreased in size, but not number. After 60, there were significantly fewer type II fibers. Those fibers are associated with bursts of strength.

Total volume of type I muscle fibers did not change with age. However, those red fibers were fewer in number, but larger.

As one gets older, sometimes people stop moving various parts and those parts get stiffer and stiffer.

Square Up

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Feb 012019

By Patty Wilber

Atti is going to show in all the ranch horse events* again this year, including Ranch Conformation, as well as Junior Working Cow Horse where she might just surprise some people. Or not. That remains to be seen.

Perhaps weirdly, the class I have the hardest time preparing for is Ranch Conformation, where the horse just needs to lead around at a walk and trot and then stand “square” and stand still.

Snowy Day–Another One

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Jan 252019

By Patty Wilber

I drove home from the college on Tuesday hoping that the “less than 0.1 inches of snow” was the correct forecast for our place and found we had about 3 or 4 inches and it was still snowing.

So much for my grand plan to ride four horses in my previously perfect arena.

It wasn’t that cold though, and it wasn’t windy, so as soon as the snow quit (around 4 pm), I headed out.

The sun was trying to come through and the lighting was so pretty, I took a few pictures before going to the arena with Atti in the hopes of exposing some sand!

Durango, Ellie and Indy.

View to the south.

She was so full of herself I decided to lunge her, which I never do! She let off some steam and as a side benefit, churned up some sand, which will help the arena melt off.

This really started out to be a picture of the barn roof, but it was too far away. I included it because you can see the tracks in the arena that tomorrow, with sun, will help the arena melt off!

I tried working on Atti’s flying lead changes (because her snow rims kept her feet clear!), but my snow boots are too bulky for spurs, so we did transitions instead and then went out on the trail.

The snow on the barn roof was just so interesting!

I am Not a Lady Long Rider!

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Jan 182019

By Patty Wilber

I am not a Lady Long Rider, and after 2.5 minutes of consideration, I don’t want to be one, either.

But, I sure enjoyed Bernice Ende’s Lady Long Rider book tour talk, and had the added luck of lunch with her and her sister (my dear friend Mary Ann) last week. Click the above link go to her website!

Last year, I bought one of Bernice’s old Tucker saddles with 10,000+ Bernice miles on it, so I have a little piece of Lady Long Rider History right in my tack room. I have a greater appreciation for the stories the saddle experienced after spending some time with Bernice!

The saddle fits Penny and Indy pretty well, and I like it for them for Back Country Horsemen projects.

This year, I bought Bernice’s book (less costly than a saddle), and I think it is a book that anyone who has ridden a trail would enjoy. Click here to order and sign up for blog alerts.

Snow Rims for Horse Shoes

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Jan 112019

By Patty Wilber

Last week I mentioned that we put snow rims on Durango.

This week I am here to tell you that I like them.

I only put the rims on the front feet as the hind feet seem way less prone to ball up. This may have something to do with the weight distribution as the horse moves and is probably the same reason why some horses can do well with only front shoes on.

The snow rims have worked all week to keep Durango’s feet clear of snow while I have had to chip snow balls out of the hooves of some of the others after riding.

Durango’s feet after riding in the snow! It is kind of hard to see the structure of the snow rim. The the inner black tube is it. It flexes when the horse walks and pops the snow out.

The Worst Thing About Winter

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Jan 042019

By Patty Wilber

Last year we had essentially no snow. It even rained in December.

This year has been much more like the “old days” (20 years ago when we first moved here). Over this past Christmas week we got something like 18 inches of snow and New Year’s Day we got another foot or so.

“it is a lot of snow” say the dogs. Lani (L) and Coulson (R).

And it has been cold–below zero at night and teens and 20s and low 30s during the day. Maybe low 40s by Saturday though–we do live in the Southwest after all, not the far North!! And then, sigh, there is a chance of snow Sunday.

2018 in Review and Happy 2019!

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Dec 282018

By Patty Wilber

2018 seems like it got started, barely,
But 2019 will be here, yes verily,
The time fastly going might mean I am older,
But not so much older that I am beginning to moulder!

The highlights of ’18, they were aplenty
I bought two horses and didn’t sell any.
Our sweet island grandbaby, she has turned one.
M and E’s wedding in Homer was tons of fun.

January started with Atti’s worst show,
I am still scarred, if you want to know.
But she improved every week,
Now in great confidence, the World Show we will seek.

Dec. 25th, 2018. Atti (still 3 years old) has become so reliable that my daughter took her out on the trail with the baby.

Appy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

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Dec 212018

By Patty Wilber

Christmas is just around the bend and the horses were just so excited to get their annual Christmas Hats pictures!

Lucy had a little panic attack when I tried to put the blonde braids on her. “i am canadian! not swedish!” she said.

Durango and Penny threw theirs off at first, but I persisted!

LT and Indy’s first shots were inadequate so I had to redo them.

There are nine horses featured this year. Eight are Appaloosas and one is a Spanish Barb. The answer is at the end!

Merry Christmas from the two good old guys: Durango-17ish (L), Comet-21 (R) and Mary Ann, who was once told she is very spry for her age (I think she is 29)!

Home Remodel

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Dec 142018

By Patty Wilber

This week we had a lot going on in the house.

We got new floors in the bedrooms on Monday and Tuesday, and unexpectedly, a leaky faucet handle led to lack of water in the house for a week and a bunch of brand new piping.

Wait–isn’t that water supposed to be in that pipe? And isn’t that pipe supposed to connect to something? Well, as of Thursday night the floor is dry and the hose is hooked up!!

Um…there is a big hole in the wall. That we have not yet fixed!

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