Two Texas Women and Horses

21/08/2024

14/08/2024

Gaited horse folks in Texas

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/juuDbpVj4FQTy7pu/?mibextid=WC7FNe

28/07/2024

One of the best explanations of cinch placement I have heard.

05/05/2024

Not a usual horse related post but definitely barn related.

A good friend runs this organization and will place cats in barns and acclimate them to your property.

If you are in TX in Henderson, Anderson, Van Zandt or Smith County areas, reach out to her.

There is no cost to you and they come already spayed/neutered and vaccinated.

We place feral cats into barns, warehouses and other areas needing organic critter control.

21/04/2024

That beautiful grey mare in the center of this 6-way liberty team is Indigo. Indigo is a Pegasus Project rescue who was adopted by the incredibly talented Avery Sullivan. Avery transformed this super-sensitive, overly-reactive gal into a trusted, reliable partner. Indigo is now a bridleless dynamo! Avery and Patrick Sullivan of Gamilah Unbridled are pure magic.

Pegasus will be hosting a clinic with Patrick and Avery at our ranch at the end of May. If you’d like to learn how to create this kind of connection with your horse, please consider attending this clinic. Details are here: https://www.mypegasusproject.org/upcoming-events

12/04/2024

Have you ever had any of the following questions?

- How do I use trailering as a training tool?
- Should I sell this horse or keep trying?
- How do I train weanlings and yearlings?
- What do I do when my horse stops to p**p?

If so you're in good company - all of these questions and more are answered on the most recent episode of The Mary Kitzmiller Podcast, listen now!

https://www.horseradionetwork.com/2024/04/mary-kitzmiller-horse-training-q-a-for-april-4-2024-horses-in-the-morning/

27/03/2024

A happy, healthy, comfortable horse will stand square with vertical cannon bones.

This spring while looking for your new trail mount, please be wary of a commonly used sales tactic which is parking the horse out for mounting purposes. This puts undue stress on the horses’s skeletal system and over time can cause the spinous processes to deteriorate and collapse causing injury, pain and behavioral issues. Never encourage a hollow back for the health of the horse and for your safety!
Carl Bledsoe Horsemanship

09/03/2024

Cited for his kindness and his humane approach, Carl Bledsoe demonstrates his deep commitment to equine welfare.

08/03/2024

The concept is the same no matter what breed you ride.
Carl is an amazing clinician.

Once you are able to get completely out of the horse’s way, you will begin to feel exactly what they are doing. It is then and only then that you can influence it. Otherwise, you will continue spending time trying to fix the problems you continue to cause.

Contact us for a clinic near you!

28/02/2024

It’s Take Me Home Tuesday, so we are featuring one of our rideable (and adoptable!) horses. Today we are sharing our smooth operator, Chip!

Chip is a registered Tennessee Walker gelding (DOB 6/21/01) who came to Pegasus in November 2022, after being seized by the Smith County Sheriff’s office following a neglect complaint. This poor fellow had an old injury to his sheath area resulting in a severely infected and swollen p***s that could not retract. He was also terribly thin and emotionally fragile. We took him in and provided him with intensive veterinary care, lots of love and time to heal. Chip went from being a worried, insecure guy to feeling pretty good about the world.

After he had time to decompress and gain some weight, we added him to a pasture of friendly geldings, where he now happily resides. To the amazement of our veterinarians, all problems with his p***s resolved, and now it looks and functions normally. Now that Chip is happy, settled and physically sound, we have begun to try him under saddle. As expected, he is broke to ride, but he was never developed with softness and finesse. He’s also afraid he’s going to be in trouble. We are taking our time with Chip to help him understand that he is a good boy, who will never be in trouble here. He’s embracing our kindness and learning fast.

He is nice and big (~16 hands) and is built beautifully. Chip has an awesome, smooth gait, and we anticipate he will be ready for adoption soon. Get your applications in on the handsome dude, because he won’t last long!! RIDING VIDEOS AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.mypegasusproject.org/chip

Anyone interested in adopting Chip (or another Pegasus horse) should start by reviewing our Adoption Process, including the adoption application and rules, which are attached to this link:
https://mypegasusproject.org/adoption-process

03/02/2024

It's Forever Home Friday, and so we are featuring one of our rideable (and adoptable!) horses. Today we are sharing our lovebug, Penny!

Penny is a 11-year-old Tennessee Walker x Quarter Horse mare. She was born and raised in a loving home, but her mother died when she was a foal. Penny grew up with a kind gelding named Frosty. Frosty was all Penny knew for the first 9 years of life. In 2022, Pegasus agreed to accept both Frosty and Penny into our program when their owners became unable to care for them. Penny was sweet and well-loved, but she didn't know much. In fact, upon her arrival to the Pegasus ranch, she was surprised to learn that other horses even existed! She was thrilled with this discovery.

After Penny settled in, we began her training. In the fall of 2022, Penny went to Rockin' X in Purcell, Oklahoma, where Kit Johnson started her under saddle. Penny proved to be quite willing and brave on the trails. After a few months with Kit, and then a few more months with the Pegasus trainers, Penny traveled to Burbank, Oklahoma and spent three months with Zoe Chappelear on a huge cattle ranch. Zoe gave Penny lots of new experiences, pushing cattle and going on long rides across the range. Penny is now back at Pegasus and looking for her forever home. She is so very, very sweet. She loves people and adores being groomed and doted upon. She is going to make someone the most amazing partner. Some riding videos available here: https://www.mypegasusproject.org/penny

Anyone interested in adopting Penny or another Pegasus horse should start by reviewing our Adoption Process, including the adoption application and rules, which are attached to this link:
https://www.mypegasusproject.org/adoption-process

29/01/2024

Texas Ranch Horse Championship webpage is up and running!

Ranch Horse Show Series at Highlander Ranch is a qualifier.

Www.texasranchhorsechampionship.com

29/11/2023

Some information for careful consideration. Applies to all breeds, not just the soft gaited ones.

My horse seemed clumsy and started stumbling so I decided to get my vet involved. Although he tested negative for Lyme Disease and EMP, he was still diagnosed as being neurologic. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this seems to be a very common issue in gaited breeds and I am asked about it frequently.

A neurologic horse exhibits signs of:
*abnormal gait
*ataxia and weakness
*lethargy
*frequent stumbling
*dragging toes
*swaying back and forth when walking
*decreased proprioception
If the tests are negative and the horse has never sustained an injury, what could be the cause?

We have had several horses sent to us for rehabilitation and we have had success by implementing a training regimen geared towards strengthening the natural movement and correct development from the hindquarters forward which begs the question, could the cause be from incorrect training?

Heres a few key things to keep in mind...
*the spine forms a bridge between the fore and hindlimb and is not designed to carry a load without proper muscle development
*It transfers the forces created by the thrust of the hindquarters, supports the weight of the digestive system and carries the weight of the rider therefore correct muscle development is paramount
*the forelimb is connected to the spine by the thoracic sling muscles
*the hindlimb is connected to the spine via the pelvis at the sacroiliac joint
*muscles work in pairs, groups of pairs and chains
*the fascia surrounds, intertwines and links every muscle, bone, tendon, ligament, nerve, blood vessel and organ in the body forming full body continuity
*if there is a restriction in any part of a muscle chain it will affect the movement in other areas of the body often far removed from the site of the original problem

Keeping these things in mind, it stands to reason that distorting the horse's balance by riding on hard surfaces such as asphalt, using elevator type or gag type bits (Wonder Bit) which puts the horse above the bit and breaks the horse into which causes a lack of proprioception, taking the horse's head motion away or limiting the motion by the use of long shank bits and uneducated hands, tie downs, martingales and draw reins that put the horse behind the vertical and on the forehand and adversely affect the development of the thoracic sling which also causes a lack of proprioception, trick shoeing to manipulate movement, riding faster than the horse can maintain a 3/2 foot support pattern which causes a hollow back and a weak hind end that is disconnected and trailing behind the horse can all present as neurologic.

Education is key. Know your horse inside out. Your horse will thank you for it!
Carl Bledsoe Horsemanship

27/11/2023

21/11/2023

I was at the Pegasus Project when this little girl first got there. So super sweet. Someone needs to give this one a great home and enjoy that smooth gait.

Today is Take Me Home Tuesday, so we are featuring one of our rideable (and adoptable!) horses. Today we are sharing our spunky girl, Sloane!

Sloane is an 8-year-old Paso Fino mare with a spicy, boss mare temperament but, my goodness, she is oh-so-loveable! In October of 2015, we rescued Sloane as an orphan foal. Sloane’s mother died of malnutrition, and her owners were keeping her in a pen with a pack of dogs, feeding her bread! She was emaciated and wormy. We provided intensive care to this sweet baby, and she pulled through with flying colors. Sloane was raised by our rescue mare, April. They made a lovely mother/daughter pair.

Sloane’s rough start in life has not set her back in the least. She is confident, loving and playful. She adores people and craves attention. She is trained under saddle and is one spicy ride! Sloane is on the smaller side, measuring only about 14.1 hands, but she can carry a rider down the trails for miles with her super-smooth, Paso Fino gait! Riding videos available in comments.

Anyone interested in adopting Sloane or another Pegasus horse should start by reviewing our Adoption Process, including the adoption application and rules, which are attached to this link:
https://www.mypegasusproject.org/adoption-process

01/11/2023

If you have not been in or to one of Aaron England’s clinics, here is a great opportunity. Even my TN Walkers and I learned so much from him.

28/10/2023

This soooooo……. applies to training your horse.

11/10/2023

06/10/2023

It’s Forever Home Friday, so we are featuring one of our rideable (and adoptable!) mules. Today we are sharing our oh-so-spicy girl, Sioux!

Sioux came to Pegasus in February 2015, as a four-month-old foal. We rescued her and her Quarter Horse mother, Cheyenne, from an Oklahoma kill pen. From the get go, Sioux was special. She has always been a little fireball, full of fun, curiosity and mischief. Immediately upon arrival, we began working with Sioux to get her comfortable with humans. By August, we had weaned her from Cheyenne and introduced her to a herd of horses that included another mule. The transition was easy for her.

Since mules need more time than horses to physically and mentally mature, we didn't rush getting her started under saddle. The first few years of her life were filled with ground work, carrying around ba****ck pads and eventually saddles, and being ponied off of our seasoned horses. In March of 2022, Sioux went to Isaac and Kit Johnson's Rockin' X Academy, where she was started under saddle. Because we had her fully prepared, her saddle training went smoothly. Sioux spent a total of 3 months at Rockin' X, and then she returned to Pegasus where our trainer, Anthony LaSpina, began to ride her regularly.

Over the summer of 2023, Sioux was with Rockin' X alum, Zoe Chappelear, in northern Oklahoma to experience life on a cattle ranch. Sioux has returned to us and is ready for her forever home. Sioux develops very strong bonds with her pasture mates and thrives on consistency and discipline. She will need an experienced adopter to manage her powerful personality. Trust and relationship are very important to Sioux. She will give you everything she has if she loves you. Sioux is a fun little ride and moves very forward down the trail. Riding videos available in comments!

Anyone interested in adopting Sioux (or a Pegasus horse) should start by reviewing our Adoption Process, including the adoption application and rules, which are attached to this link:
https://mypegasusproject.org/adoption-process

03/10/2023

It's Take Me Home Tuesday, and so we are featuring one of our rideable (and adoptable!) horses. Today we are sharing our little superstar, Diamond!

Diamond and her mother, Sugarbaby, came to Pegasus in July 2012, as owner-relinquised. The owner was no longer able to provide the care they needed, and Diamond was a three-year old who had never been weaned. We got them all fixed up, and Don Knapp, our trainer at the time, started them both under saddle.

Diamond took to training so well that by December 2013, she was adopted by a 15-year-old girl. For the past 10 years, she has been that girl's dream horse. Diamond will do anything you ask of her. She's excellent on the trails and in the arena. She can be ridden English or Western and is not at all spooky. Her adopter taught her how to jump, and she was used as a lesson horse for several years, hauling around little girls, jumping things! Due to change of life circumstances, Diamond was returned to Pegasus in July 2023. She came back in excellent health and with a willing attitude. We have spent the last few months getting her tuned up and ready for adoption. Diamond LOVES attention, gets along with other horses, is easy to vet, and is an all-around solid citizen. She is now 14-years-old and very healthy and sound. You do not want to miss out on this very special girl! More photos and riding videos are available in comments. (All photos/videos here were provided by her adopter and were taken in November 2021. We shall post current videos of her at Pegasus soon!)

Anyone interested in adopting Diamond or another Pegasus horse should start by reviewing our Adoption Process, including the adoption application and rules, which are attached to this link:
https://mypegasusproject.org/adoption-process

27/09/2023

23/09/2023