My truck was in four-wheel drive and I was hanging onto the steering wheel with my eyes wide open. It sure didn’t look like springtime in Alberta with all the snow and ice I was driving through.

I was on my way to the Mane Event Horse Expo in Red Deer, Alberta for the 2008 Trainer’s Challenge. Equine Canada had invited me to be their color commentator for this very popular event. Together with Sylvia Schneider and Diana Balbar we were going to be interviewing each of the trainers and following their progress throughout this challenge. What a flip/flop!

Last year I was one of the featured trainers and Canada Equine covering my progress. It was fun being on the other side of the fence! You won’t be disappointed if you tune into these comprehensive podcasts. Visit The Equine Podcast and Clinician interviews on my web site.

Now for more exciting news! Lammles Western Wear is now selling my DVD’s along with some of my horse tack. They kicked off my new product line at the Mane Event – so, whenever I wasn’t covering the Trainer’s Challenge, I was at the Lammles Booth. Let me tell you that I have been shopping at Lammles for years and have the shirt collection to prove it!

On a closing note, I would like to thank all the people who came over to talk to me. There were so many and I must apologize for not remembering everyone’s name. If you only knew how encouraging it is to have that much support from the horse community! I want to thank each and every one of you for your support because it gives me the opportunity to be out there doing clinics, workshops and demonstrations. What a wonderful way to make a living - working with people and their horses – it’s my passion and it’s my life.

Jay O’Jay

Hi guys! This is Colette again. We’re up to episode five in One Man, One Horse - A Mustang Story. This is a very pivotal episode because this is when Jay first tries to get a saddle onto the mustang. Up until now, he’s been doing exercises with the horse to get her ready for this step. I think it’s pretty amazing that anyone could get a saddle on a horse that started out so fearful. In the beginning he could hardly walk up to her without her running away frantically!

The next section of our interview with Matthew Ford is a good one, too. He talks about how he was about ready to give up finding a place for the mustang to stay when he moved back to Invermere. When he was told about Jay, it gave him some hope and then when Jay took on the challenge, well, that’s where this whole adventure begins.

“Spring has sprung” and with it we are rewarded with all that Mother Nature has to offer. The beginning of new life! What could be more adorable and touching then a newborn foal. Share this special moment with Jay as this newborn filly named “Late Lass” faces the challenge of standing on her own to take her first drink of mother’s milk.

Click “New Born Foal” to view!

Some Advice and tips from Jay about New Born Foals:

When you have the good fortune to watch a newborn foal struggling to stand up on her own and not having much success, the desire to help can become overwhelming. Why? As you watch her repeated unsuccessful attempts, you worry about the foal hurting herself. You also worry that if she doesn’t get the colostrum from mother’s milk within just a few hours after birth, she will not survive.

Colostrum is the first fluid a mare secretes from her udder after foaling. It contains the antibodies, which protect the foal from infection. There are protective immunoglobulins in the colostrum, which is more concentrated in the early hours of lactation. As time goes on milk production will dilute them. Also, the foal’s ability to absorb them decreases as her digestive tract matures. Peak absorption time is between 2 and 4 hours of birth.

However, I like to let nature unfold “naturally”, I think it’s important for the foal to face the challenge of standing on her own. I believe that it gives them spirit and builds character with a sense of drive. Like all things in life - if it is handed to us on a silver platter, it doesn’t have the same value as it would if we had worked for it. My recommendation, don’t help unless it is absolutely necessary!

Jay O’Jay