Clover Ledge Farm

The debate over whether or not to wrap my horse's legs while trailering hasn't really been an issue until recently.  I always wrapped with pillows and standing wraps as a kid, and then with Dreamy, I always used shipping boots which she had zero issues with.  It was a no brainer for me to wrap legs while shipping a horse. However, Ellie presents an entirely different situation for me because she is young and came to me with no experience.  Last spring, about a year ago now, I started introducing her to bell boots, splint boots, and standing wraps.  It all went smoothly and without issue.   bell boots are no big thing The shipping boots I own are too large for Ellie, despite the fact they are cob sized.  I did try them on her a few times and walked her around to get used to them, but it was clear they would not work for hauling her.  I was afraid the fronts especially were going to slide right off.  And I feel that no wraps are bett...

In an effort to get Ellie out as much as I could this year to SEE ALL THE THINGS so her tiny world could be opened up, we also have suddenly WON ALL THE THINGS as well!  Clearly, showing at Intro baby tadpole level is going to be our best year ever.  #introchampionoftheworld It also helped that the majority of our dressage shows were qualifiers for two and even three different clubs, so our nine dressage shows gave us points towards SEVEN different year-end programs in total.  That's a lot of bang for your buck hahahaha! Instead of writing a separate post for each banquet, I opted to wait and do one large post.  So, let's go through this in chronological order, shall we? First up was the  Maine Horse Association  banquet on Saturday, November 17, 2018.  I dragged my friend Rachel along so I would not have to go alone since this fell during hunting season and that means no husband is available LOL!  This organization only hosts open shows and gi...

It is no secret that most Morgans are notoriously easy keepers, and Ellie is no exception. She will never be the type of horse who receives the full recommended amount listed on a grain feed tag and could  easily live on hay alone, especially as I feed high-quality second crop hay from the field next door.  However, feeding hay alone means she would lack the proper amount of vitamins and minerals. does this hay make my butt look big? This leaves ration balancers, which I think are the best invention ever.  It allows me to give Ellie the vitamins and minerals she needs without all the calories she certainly doesn't need.  I have always loved researching feeds and supplements, and I chose Grow 'N Win for her.  So far, the monthly shipments from Chewy have been without any issues, as I cannot purchase it locally.  I actually LOVE the convenience of having feed delivered directly to my house (along with the cat food, too)! Grow 'N Win with PM suppleme...

Last night I attended my first official Pony Club meeting.  I suppose it is also technically the first official meeting for the club itself, too, besides the sign-up meeting last month (which I was unable to attend).  It was an "unmounted meeting" at a library about an hour away from where I live now, just a town over from my hometown actually.  So while I knew where I was going, it was a longer drive than I remembered haha. Overall, it wasn't the most exciting of meetings.  There were nine kiddos in attendance and then me, the only adult member.  Thankfully it sounds like there are other adults who signed up for Horsemasters so I won't always be the weird adult haha.  I have no problem being the only adult, but it is definitely kind of awkward in a way.  I mostly went in order to meet everyone and have some basic questions answered.  The topic for the meeting was keeping records, and of course, that is not something I have ever had probl...

January never seems to be an easy month.  This year was a bit better, especially compared to 2018 , but the weather was the worst.  Between freezing temperatures and lots of sn*w and freezing rain and ICE, I went most of the month without riding.   And honestly, even if I had easy access to an indoor, I probably would not have ridden either haha. It is hard to feel motivated to do much more than basic horse care when it is so darn cold. The horses are both doing well, despite the weather.  They are eating and drinking just fine, and I did break down and blanket them both in heavyweights over the coldest days.  Dreamy especially seems to appreciate being rugged up at her age.  I didn't clip anyone this winter, so I normally do not blanket, but with low temps and windchill, blanketing seems to be the best choice. January 6 was the last time I rode in January uggg After all the super low temperatures, we are suddenly being gifted with a tease of su...

When I bought Ellie back at the end of 2017, I somehow came across the Morgan Dressage Association's Facebook page.  Promoting Morgans in dressage is a cause I find worthy of support, and of course with a fun year end award program it seemed like something I might want to do with Ellie someday haha.  They base their awards on rated USDF shows, so it will be some time before we are ready to show regularly at that level though.  Schooling shows are life (and cheaper and closer...!)  MDS also has a scholarship program and an interesting newsletter, so overall it seemed worth the small fee. Besides sending in my yearly membership check, I have admittedly not had much to do with the organization.  However, back in November, I received two different emails from MDA about their scholarship program, as they were extending the due date by two weeks. Basically, MDA awards three to four $500 scholarships a year, to be used exclusively on dressage training on a Morg...

This is the time of year I always grow restless.  As much as I am glad to give Ellie the down time, with just two to three days a week of hacking out in the sn*w, I really miss being able to ride more than just at a walk in questionable footing haha.  I was spoiled last winter with good sn*w, while this year has brought a lot of rain and ice. so much winter December distracts me enough with the holidays, but January and February make me crazy (and sometimes March and April, too)!  This is when I start wishing I could board her out over the winter in order to ride productively more often, but that scenario isn't realistic in several ways; the biggest issue being there isn't a nearby farm with indoor I would feel comfortable with boarding.   Oh, the woes of a horse girl in Maine!  ;-) the prettiness has long worn off this was yesterday, which ended up being a sn*w day from school they predicted rain we got 6+' of sn*w... Despite the fact the...