Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I actually think we should be called the sunshine state, but Florida called dibs so we one-upped them and went for Golden. Given that California was home to a massive gold rush, I guess the moniker suits us. Besides sunny days and gold nuggets, California also produces a sizable chunk of the U.S.'s citrus crop including lemons, tangerines (Cuties/Halos), and of course, oranges. One of the neighboring properties had oranges falling to the ground, so my ranch owner went and harvested a number of bags. On Friday afternoon, I peeled one open and split it with Speedy. And then we had another. I could have just stuck a straw in the orange and drank it; it was that juicy. Speedy has grabbed at fallen oranges in the past, but the skin was always too bitter for him. He curiously watched me suck on half an orange before reaching out and mouthing the other half. As long as I held it, he was happy to suck and slurp up the juice leaving most of the pulp behind. Izzy watched both of us intently and lipped at a piece of orange, but he wasn't quite sold on it. I could tell he wanted to like it, but his palate is not as mature as Speedy's. He did lick the juice from my hands though. Just in case the snack bothered Speedy, I left a note on my calendar to remind myself of which day he had eaten the fruit. If he colics or gets some weird worm, I'll be able to pinpoint the exact day! It's now been a few days since Speedy ate his oranges, and he's still kicking. While I am sure my vet would be horrified at the non-traditional snack, Speedy liked it and seems no worse for wear.
So what do your guys like to eat?
jenj
2/1/2017 05:43:16 am
I hadn't thought of feeding horses oranges before! It's nice to have an easy special snack for them. 2/1/2017 06:53:57 am
Speedy loves watermelon but after getting colicky a few years ago after just a small piece, he gets it no longer. Too bad because he really liked it! 2/1/2017 06:54:47 am
Speedy LOVES pb&j, and it's because it was always great trail food. :0) He will pretty much try anything I am eating! 2/1/2017 06:57:06 am
I had a mare long, long ago who would drink beer form the bottle if you helped her tip it back. That was of course when weird things never happened. No way I'd stick a bottle in my horse's mouth now. LOL
lytha
2/1/2017 09:52:45 am
What I envy most about California is affordable avocados. OK and Mexican food. When I was in Rome I saw orange trees for the first time, and the oranges were just lying on the ground like apples do here and in Washington. Free oranges for all! Oh, I just remembered Hawaii had mangoes lying on the ground, that was even better...
Carly
2/3/2017 12:20:38 pm
My vet would probably be horrified at the amount of Mnt Dew Bobby consumes during the summer months... Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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