The Howie Chronicles

There are those moments where you realize the next generation is going to miss some of the things that were seminal in your lifetime. I was at the barn the other day talking to three teenage girls as we watched a horse taking a nap. I said to the girl that rides the horse, you need to put some elbow grease on him, because he is still seriously shedding his winter coat. She said she uses the curry, but it just doesn't come out. Now, to my blunder, I said "I miss the sheen that straw put on a horse's coat." Well you could have heard a pin drop. They looked at me like I had just grown another head. Bed on straw? Perish the thought! As I looked at their stunned faces, I realized none of them had ever dealt with anything but sawdust or shavings. How sad. I told them we even used to bunch the straw up to make a wisp and rub the horses with it. I think they thought I was joking. Heck, they never even heard of a cactus cloth. Now I realize I like to groom a horse more than your average person, but how do they get the sweat out? Oh yea, they just hose their horses off. Ummm, I was so trained not to do that. If you groom shaky-tail horses professionally, you are not going to be hosing your horse down, I don't care how sweaty it is. It's just not done. Now your average riding horse like Howie, It's fine occasionally, and if they are really, really sweaty, but not as an excuse to get out of rubbing your horse. I figure he just worked hard for me, the least I can do is give him a little rubdown in return. And while we're at it, stall mats are great, really great, but I do miss having stalls bedded knee deep and fluffy! Besides, who hasn't looked into a deeply bedded straw stall and wanted to go in an lie down? Does a shavings stall look that inviting? No. I used to always go in and sit with my horses while they were napping, the straw was clean and comfortable, I don't do that in a shavings stall, too dirty and uncomfortable. Sometimes I miss the old days. Maybe progress really isn't progress.