Introducing: The Winged Ponies

Now, for those of you that have purchased an item from Action Rider Tack in the past, you are undoubtedly already familiar with the Winged Ponies. They are a hard working bunch that came on board after we retired the ART Delivery Jet.

Many of you have sent us letters telling us how you have fed and watered our Winged Ponies and we want to tell you publicly just how much we appreciate your care and concern.

In today’s post, we wanted to let other people know about our delivery ponies as well as reveal a secret that only a few of our long-standing customers know.

First, the unveiling of our Delivery Winged Pony:
For those of you already familiar with him, I know you can’t help but smile with recognition. The rest of you, I know you can’t wait to buy something so he comes to your house because you’re thinking to yourself, “Isn’t he just the cutest?”

And now, for the big reveal…

We have more winged ponies! Only recently had we let a few returning customers aware of the other winged ponies, but as rumors were starting to go around (after all, it is hard to keep flying ponies a secret), we thought it would be prudent to go ahead and let everyone else in on the secret.

Introducing…

The Winged Pony for Approving New Merchandise.

Seriously, who would be better at testing and approving product than one of our equestrian friends? So, here is your first introduction to our Approval Winged Pony:

(You can see at the top of this blog post, he had a hand…um, I mean “hoof” in approving this blog post.)

But, it doesn’t end there. Every group, association and organization that I know of needs a little humor to liven things up. At Action Rider Tack, who better to bring some brevity into situations than the Winged Pony of Wit:

I’m sure you’ve noticed. (I know that I sure did.) All of the ponies that you’ve met so far are males. And I want to tell you that it’s with good reason, you see, approving, moving and shipping product is a lot of manual labor. I realize that humor doesn’t necessarily fit in that categorization, but did you see the Wit Winged Pony? How could we NOT hire him?

But, considering that all of the “people” that work at Action Rider Tack are women, you would think that at least ONE of the Winged Ponies would be a female. And you know what? You’re right. And here she is, the Winged Pony of Wisdom:

I know what you’re thinking, “All is right with the world.”

We couldn’t agree more and now you have a better understanding of how we’re able to understand your equestrian needsso thoroughly. Not only are all of the employees at Action Rider Tack riders themselves, but we are surrounded daily by our Winged Ponies led by the Winged Pony of Wisdom.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed learning about our little secret and we look forward to serving you again…or maybe even for the first time.

Remember, Be One With Your Horse!

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You asked for it!

 

Water – Is It Safe?

In general, horses are pretty good at assessing whether water is safe to drink or not. But, sometimes, we can get a little squeamish or hesitant about letting our horses drink from unfamiliar sources. Here are a few questions to ask yourself the next time you come across a water source and wonder, “Is it safe?”

1. Does it move?

If water is moving, generally, it is safe to drink.  Nature has it’s own built in filtration system that traps contaminants and cleanses water as it moves downstream, so creeks and streams are typically safe water sources. Water that is not moving especially in a small body of water is more likely to be dangerous to drink because there would be a build up of algae and/or bacteria. The exception to this rule would be fresh rain puddles.

2. Is it clear or the color of dirt?

This may be surprising to consider, but water that you find in nature is normally not clear. So even if the water is the color of dirt, it may still be safe for your horse to drink. You should however steer clear of water that has an unnatural color or tends to shimmer or have a sheen that would appear to be oily in appearance.

3. Is the water odorless?

Water doesn’t smell. It may take on a subdued aroma from local fauna, but it shouldn’t smell unnatural, unusual or foul. If the water smells if could contain contaminents or maybe even a dead animal which could be deadly to your horse.

4. Is the surface free of bugs and algae?

Water bugs are harmless and tend to frequent streams. However, the appearance of mosquitoes flying near the surface may be an indication that the water is stagnant. Also, be aware of algae growing in the surface, another indication that the water is potentially unsafe.

Again, in most cases, your horse will not attempt to drink from an unsafe water source. They have a nose and horse sense about them to protect them from dangerous water. Normally, if your horse thinks the water is safe, it probably is.

Be One With Your Horse

A Simple Statement

At the age of 87, the following was written by Julia Edward Drake in her personal journal. Whether you’ve seen this before or not, read it again and enjoy the beauty of her words…of her truth.

~~~

I ride. That seems like such a simple statement. However as many women who ride know it is really a complicated matter. It has to do with power and empowerment. Being able to do things you might have once considered out of reach or ability. I have considered this as I shovel manure, fill water barrels in the cold rain, wait for the vet/farrier/electrician/hay delivery, change a tire on a horse trailer by the side of the freeway, or cool a gelding out before getting down to the business of drinking a cold beer after a long ride.

The time, the money, the effort it takes to ride calls for dedication. At least I call it dedication. Both my ex-husbands call it ‘the sickness’. It’s a sickness I’ve had since I was a small girl bouncing my model horses and dreaming of the day I would ride a real horse. Most of the women I ride with understand the meaning of ‘the sickness’. It’s not a sport. It’s not a hobby. It’s what we do and, in some ways, who we are as women and human beings.

I ride. I hook up my trailer and load my gelding. I haul to some trailhead somewhere, unload, saddle, whistle up my dog and I ride. I breathe in the air, watch the sunlight filter through the trees and savor the movement of my horse. My shoulders relax. A smile rides my sunscreen smeared face. I pull my ball cap down and let the real world fade into the tracks my horse leaves in the dust.

Time slows. Flying insects buzz loudly, looking like fairies. My gelding flicks his ears and moves down the trail. I can smell his sweat and it is perfume to my senses. Time slows. The rhythm of the walk and the movement of the leaves become my focus. My saddle creaks and the leather rein in my hand softens with the warmth.

I consider the simple statement; I ride. I think of all I do because I ride. Climb granite slabs, wade into a freezing lake, race a friend through the Manzanita all the while laughing and feeling my heart in my chest. Other days just the act of mounting and dismounting can be a real accomplishment. Still I ride, no matter how tired or how much my seat bones or any of the numerous horse related injuries hurt. I ride. And I feel better for doing so.

The beauty I’ve seen because I ride amazes me. I’ve ridden out to find lakes that remain for the most part, unseen. Caves, dark and cold beside rivers full and rolling are the scenes I see in my dreams. The Granite Stairway at Echo Summit, bald eagles on the wing and bobcats on the prowl add to the empowerment and joy in my heart.

I think of the people, mostly women, I’ve met. I consider how competent they all are. Not a weenie amongst the bunch… We haul 40ft rigs, we back into tight spaces without clipping a tree. We set up camp. Tend the horses. We cook and keep safe. We understand and love our companions, the horse. We respect each other and those we encounter on the trail. We know that if you are out there
riding, you also shovel, fill, wait and doctor. Your hands are a little rough and you travel with out makeup or hair gel. You do without to afford the ‘sickness’ and probably, when you were a small girl, you bounced a model horse while you dreamed of riding a real one.

“My treasures do not chink or glitter, They gleam in the sun and neigh in the night.”