Rants and Raves

    For those of you who like the "Rant and Rave" column in the weekly paper, here's my own version:

Rant:  People who decide to bathe horses for absolutely no reason in below-40 degree weather.  Horses get cold just like we do so put off bathing until the weather or barn is warm.  A good, deep curry can do wonders in the meantime and if you must bathe, think about just washing a tail or make sure you have plenty of warm coolers to pile on after the bath, and make sure you have time to wait for them to do their job of wicking the moisture off your horse.

Rave:  People who sweep up after their horses in the cross-ties every single time.  Thank you, thank you, thank you is all I can say!

Rant:  People who don't make any effort to walk their horsees out after a hard, sweaty work and just tie them up with a cooler.  Walking out to cool down keeps the blood circulating while the horse's respiration also gets back to normal and decreases the chance of them stocking-up.

Rave:  People who make the time and effort to warm up their horses before putting them to work.  Going to work cold can cause injuries.  I like to make sure my horse's brain, as well as his muscles, tendons and ligaments are ready for work. 

Rant:  People who wait until just before a show or event then decide they need a lesson or help with something.  My advice: stay current and ride like there's a show tomorrow, all year long!

Rave:  People who prepare themselves and their horses far in advance of a show and stay ahead of the game. You know who you are, and you enjoy the results.

Rant: People who think horses are there for them, instead of the other way around.  We must be there for our horses, otherwise it gets completely out of whack. 

Thanks for listening!  Talk to you next week, JD.