This past March I sent my 3-year old quarter horse to training and in 20 days he will be back home in my yard. Now before you say, wow that's a long time, I must explain...I dropped him off at the trainers on March 1st and broke my hand on March 2nd, so Olly (that's his name) got to stay in for an extra month so I had time to heal. I would also like to add, if you can afford to let your horse spend more time with your trainer, do it, you will not be sorry.

When Olly comes home I would like to keep doing the same exercise warm-up routine that I have been doing for the past month. The only problem is the ranch he is at has a nice lunge pen to use for warm up and I do not. So after a few weeks of begging my husband we have plans to move around some dirt and build a lunge pen. Here's the problem, what size lunge pen do I get, and how do I know what size panels to use.

The first question is easy, at least it is for me because I have limited room. I can only fit a 30' in diameter arena in my back yard. Good thing too, because any smaller of an exercise area would not be enough room for Olly to stretch his legs and lope.

The second question is kind of tough. I mean of course I could call up a place that sells lounge pens and ask how many panels I need to have a 30' pen, but how do they know? So I "googled" it! Thanks to www.AskDrMath.com and 2 years of calculus I was able to figure it out. Okay, so I don't really remember much about calculus except how to use a scientific calculator, but that was enough.

Instead of boring you with the math, here are the answers, however if you want to know the formula, see my equation attached. Lunge Pen.pdf

30' Lunge Pen
8 - Panel Round Pen; each panel must be 12'
6 - Panel Round Pen; each panel must be 15'
10 - Panel Round Pen; each panel must be 8'

If you have more room and want a bigger exercise area, shoot me an email, I will happy to dust off my TI-85 and help you out.

Happy Trails!
Mary

Did I ever mention that I have a Donkey? Well I care for a Donkey; I can't call her mine, because she only has eyes for my husband Tommy. This is because her loves to feed her treats; not just carrots and apples, she also likes burritos, chips, rice cakes and, "their favorite", white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. When Tommy calls to her she brays and runs to him like a dog...I am not hurt...I mean just because I rescued her, and care for her, and I feed her, and I brush her...what was I saying...oh yea...I have a donkey...

In the summertime care for a horse or donkey takes a little extra time; they need to have plenty of fresh water, maybe a place to get out of the sun and of course some sort of defense against the almighty fly. The Donkey in particular has a tough time with the flies, they love her (maybe it's all the sugar Tommy feeds her). After an extremely hot and fly riddled day, she will have little blood spots on her knees and fetlocks. I have tried and researched several ways to combat the "Evil Fly".

Diesel Fuel!?!? - Bad Idea
I once heard that some cowboys put a dab of diesel fuel on the brim of their hat to keep flies away from them. Taking it one step further I have seen people use a little diesel fuel in their fly spray. According to several websites, this is not a good idea, spraying a chemical like fuel on your animal is likely to have a negative reaction with their skin or can even lead to chemical burns.

Home Remedies - Cheaper than Fly Spray
I read this idea on the internet; an equal part Pine-sol and Apple-cider Vinegar, and it works pretty good too, well about as good as regular fly spray and it's a heck-of-a lot cheaper.

Fly Mask, Day Sheets & Legs Boots - Good Idea
Fly Mask are a must at my house...I know they can be costly, especially when you have a Donkey who loves to take them off the horses and rip them beyond repair, but they are the most effect. Not only does a fly mask protect your horse (or donkey) from flies, it also serves as a sun blocker for their eyes. Day sheets are great for those sensitive horses that are easily sun burned or have fly allergies. Then there are the fly boots, I have mixed emotions about these. They are effective at first, but after sometime of wear they end up looking like a pair of slouchy socks and only protect the horse's fetlocks.

My recommendation - Mix it up!
Personal I think the best way is to keep the horses and donkeys as comfortable as possible with out making huge sacrifices of your time and money. I change fly spray often, switch to a new brand every time I run out, and occasionally throw in the home remedy. I use fly mask, always! And I try to keep my stalls cleans, this really is the biggest help for obvious reasons.

Of course if you have any great ideas, I would love to hear them, we are all looking for that one fool proof way to keep our "kids" happy.

Until next...happy trails!

Mary

Often I have been asked for help finding a horse for a student, their first horse, and of course I am happy to help, but first we must consider several things.

First - we have to talk money. People sometimes get so excited about owning their own horse they forget about all the other not-so-fun stuff. Horses cost money; my husband calls them "hay burners". Even if the horse is free, you will still owe board, feed, fierier, teeth and of course the vet. And what if you are a first time horse-owner, there is the cost of the pipe coral, for those with the back yard, tack, barns for storage, and feed.

Second - how expensive of a horse do you want. I try to impress upon people that you really get what you pay for, it you are looking for a Champion horse with titles; you will pay the "Champion Price". However, the only good thing I have found about this economy is the price of horses has gone down. My goal for the first time rider is the backyard horse. This horse would probably not be registered and may have no formal training, has lots of miles on the trails, and probably just eats hay (don't even get me started on one of those fancy diets). A good starting budget for such an animal should be around 1,500.00.

Third - let's talk temperament. This is the hardest part. Too often the wrong combination is made because..."he is so pretty...", "ah, I can tell he is sweet and really likes me...", and my personal favorite, "I want to get her a young horse so they can grow up together". The magic number is 21, in my opinion a new rider's age plus the age of the horse should equal at least 21. A child of seven could probably handle a horse that is at least 13 years old. The younger the rider, the older the horse...it just makes good horse sense.

Fourth - time to shop. So once you have called on the horse, he is the right age, and he is in the right price, it's time to go and see him. My advice, take your trainer (if you have one) the first time you go to see the horse. I can't stress this enough, chances are you are going to fall in love, and if call your trainer just to validate what you have already decided, you are wasting everyone's time. RIDE the horse. Would you buy a used car without driving it? I was never as stunned as when I was told by a student that he didn't ride the 3-year old Clydesdale, but the owner did and he was really well trained. To which I had to respond...they are professionals, they can ride anything, can you? Consequently I only saw him ride once, and the poor horse stood in the stall for the next 3 months, untouched. If you have a trainer and they are willing to go with you, listen to them, they have seen you ride and have an idea of your style, if they are a good instructor they will direct to a good buy.

Fifth and final step - be patient. There are good horses out there, but these days there are a lot of people trying to make money selling horses. In order to do so they have to buy them cheap and sell them fast. That means they won't know the horse very well and there are those who will tell you anything...including my favorite..."he's bomb proof, I put my three-year-old grand daughter on him" to sell that horse.

Happy horse hunting...
Mary

mhollenbaugh@pe.com

I have had horses all of my life, I do not know what it would be like to not have to be up by 6 am to feed the horses, or to come home after dark and clean stalls with a flash light...I would not have it any other way. It all started very simply for me, my sister asked for a pony for Christmas since the time she could talk. Then when she was five and I was just 1 years old, my Father had to leave for a business trip and it was looking like he wouldn't be home in time for Christmas. My sister
sat on the bed with her little sad face as my father packed and said..."Daddy do you think Santa will bring me a pony for Christmas this year?" That was it, 31 years later I am still in the horse business, and eternally grateful to my older sister and her said little lip.

My background in broad, as a child I showed Western, as a teenager it was all about Gymkhana, but I have done my share of English and Halter classes as well. As an adult I became less involved in showing or more behind the scenes. In 2004 I became the President of CSHA Region 14 for and organized the Gymkhana's for our community. In 2005 I started my own business giving riding lessons; I teach all disciplines but specialize in teaching children. My life revolves around my horses, I call them my "kids", I often reflect on my childhood and think, and I would not have made it though without their unyielding love.

E-mail: Hollenbaugh.mary@gmail.com