The Bugs are back!

Ticks and skeeters. Lovely.

Hay for Horses!

I found hay!!!!! Big relief. Not that the ponies were worried. The dude took a midmorning nap up close to the house. He was not happy that I disturbed him. Check out that stretch.

Lame-O

The big guy is lame, lame, lame on his left fore. Hard to tell what is wrong with so much going on. He tested great with the hoof testers. No tenderness. What is wrong with this horse? He's lame-O. Good thing he's a hottie. I guess I'll keep him around ;)

Spot the Love

Stupid Boys

Disappointment is the word of the day. I learned the boys-are-stupid lesson long ago. Sometimes, I guess a refresher is necessary. Seriously, they are all assholes with a good story to tell. I can see through this fairy tale.

I feel the same way about geldings. Diesel is a butthead. He's lazy. And tenderfooted. He really does not want to GO. I can't tell if he really is sore or if he is just not ready to work (repeat, butthead). Just further proof that they are all stupid boys.

The Truth in Pictures

Isn't it funny how some people are show offs. So are some horses. Diesel had an audience while I lunged him this evening. He was perfect. Nice transitions, nice stops. Fully attentive. This is not unusual. I really do think he performs, though. He watched them while still giving me the attention I demand when we're working.

I also rode Bec bareback W-T. She is so much fun to ride. Not ready to head out of our comfort zone, yet. We got pics of Diesel and Bec. The camera really does not take actions shots well. This is why I am not posting my pics. Ha! I have piano hands and chair leg. The legs have always been my issue. The hands...I need a good slappin'. I have great hands. Until I quit riding regularly. Next week I am going to make some calls for lessons. I need help. I'm gonna work on it and take some more pics in the meantime.

On a side note: In the last 24 hours I have kayaked in Keller Creek and fished at Swan Lake, done yardwork, and had horsie\riding time. And, last but not least, I have spent some time getting to know someone I know but don't KNOW. How cool is that?

Mornings

Not a big fan. At all. However, I got up early (for summertime- 6:30) after a late night just to show off my ponies. I got to see the sun low on the horizon and sit and enjoy the calm. I showed off the crew to someone who at minimum is interested because I am interested. It was nice.

Great Days

Isn't it great to have a day where everything goes perfect! Diesel is on! No tantrums after requests to speed up. Hopping quick 'ho'. All attention on me. He is so hot. If he were a man, I'd marry him. And that's saying ALOT. I am in love with his horsey self. Remember those days when he's spazin'. We've had 2 good ones in a row. And Bec has been great, as usual. Prissy has minimal swelling today. She will be back to normal in no time.

Update

Scruff is past the worst of his treatment. He got his last Immiticide injection this morning. By 4 pm he was able to rest with no panting or intense back pain. He's up and about and eating but understandably, still weak. I'm glad the distress is gone.

Prissy's swelling is much reduced and the heat is gone. Thank goodness.

I took Diesel for a walk this afternoon. He behaved but was a bit nervous. We need to practice this more often. I then put him in the round pen. He was fired up. He immediately picked up a canter and flew and bucked. I let him work it out and then pushed him until he relaxed. He was 100% sound and stunning. He used his hind end beautifully. It didn't take long for him to figure out he had to listen to me if he wanted to slow down. Then we had a good 20 minute cool down. He enjoyed a nice bath afterwards and made no attempts to join his herd when released. He loves the attention. He will be almost as special as Prissy 15 years down the road. Knucklehead. I am reminded of the early days with my girl. She was a hot headed wench. Love her.

As for my teaching assignment woes...I have this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that I will be studying all things French very soon. Gah. What did I do to deserve this? I hate history, music, math, and chem. Hate it. And I will be living it.

Big Families

I have a big family. I am single with no real kids. But, there are 9 mouths to feed and care for. There is always something wrong. This week has been rough. Prissy is still very stocked up. The swelling is going down in the knee but is spreading. She felt good enough after her hydro and linament to trot away. Crazy girl.

Scruffy had a rough day. He began his second round of heartworm treatment today. The first six hours were bad. He's sleeping, now. Last shot in the morning. I hate watching him in pain and feeling bad. He needs it.

I am resting well this summer. Recoup-ing. Getting ready for the next school year. I have been unable to relax the last few days. My superiors have seen fit to assign me to teach a class WAY outside my comfort zone. The class is completely bogus and until recently was an extracurricular activity. How did I get stuck with this? It requires after school practices and competitions away. Where will I find the time or energy? I am already committed. A decision will be made next week. Why don't they understand? I am alone here. I don't have a family to take care of so I must have plenty of spare time, right? But, that's the point. I have to do it all. There's no spouse, no extended family. What did I do for these guys to throw this at me?

Pick 3

1) Priss heard that she was going to give a pony ride this week. She stuck her leg in a crack and wrenched it. Her knee is swollen and hot.

2) The earth opened up and swallowed Prissy. She tasted bad so she got spit out. Her knee is swollen and hot.

3) Priss ate a grapefruit but her tummy was full. So she is storing it in her knee until there is room.

Personally, I like #2. Love that cranky old bat.



My new 54" girth came in this morning. If fits Diesel wonderfully. I am excited, I can ride. Sort of. In a small area where I have scouted cracks. Maybe I should start watering the round pen again.

I don't know if it fits Becca. She saw me tack up the boy so she and Priss high-tailed it out of here. And I said Diesel was the smart one.

Grumble

Most rides on Becca are good, if not great. Ever so often we have a bad one. I'm not saying she is misbehaving, just "off". Last night worked like that. We had a short, nonresponsive, kind of pissy ride. So I quit. I was feeling cranky, too. Not a good combo.

I feel like I'm wasting my summer. I only have one month left. I'm still waiting on a larger girth. Regardless, I have no good spot to ride. There is no flat area. The cracks in the ground could swallow a small child. Safety is a huge issue. Not to mention I have no one around if there were to be an accident. Shoot me. After all I've worked for I still am not there. I do have ideas about the arena placement. It is a huge job that requires more than just one person in triple digit heat. I have to be patient. It's hard to do. My horses are aging and not in training. I feel time passing me by. Just how long will I be able to enjoy the horses? I can't afford to keep waiting. I can't afford a new truck and trailer to haul the horses for lessons to who knows where. What am I thinking? Why am I way the heck down here with no horse people? Kick me. Hard.

Dream Horse

Have you found it? We all have that ideal horse in mind. Few of us find it exactly. I did find mine. It's a funny story. I searched for a BIG horse with presence. You know what I'm talking about. Diesel is it. My neighbors introduce me as "the owner of that huge sorrel gelding". He is something to brag about. Though plain in color, he has a look that grabs your attention from a distance. And personality, ta boot.

But, is he my dream horse? No. Simple as that. Not because he is lazy and has a mild attitude. Not because he's not bay, my fav. He's not my dream horse because he is not Miss Priss. It took finding my dream horse to realize I already had it. Miss Priss is just a plain, little Quarter Horse with funny Appy color that people mistake for roan. She's unregistered. She moves like a pony. She does not have presence. She's under 15 hh. Crazy eyes. Pretty damn good conformation, though. She's held up well, considering. Tough little gal. Done it all.

Miss Priss IS my dream horse. Because she takes care of me. Because she is a very pleasant ride. Because she is safe. Because we have a bond that only time makes. She is special. Offer me a billion dollars for her. I'll laugh and tell you she's worth more. And I mean it. My life is blessed. I found my dream horse.

*RANT*

I am having a moment. I have a beautiful new place where my horses are safer than they have ever been. I can not justify EVER moving again. Building a barn and house and fence is just too much, especially for a single, not-so-handy person. What have I done?

1. There are NO english riders here. I found an ad online for lessons. Got excited. The "trainer" is in jr. high and cannot sit their horse at a walk- youtube is enlightening, as always.

2. There are no tack shops within 2 hours. I am wasting my summer waiting on a girth that fits and dealing with silly returns. Misjudgement on my part.

3. I cannot afford satellite because new house, barn, fence. I have no tv today because of the weather. I get 4 channels on a good day and one is radar....course you don't get signal if bad weather is within 20 miles. (Not horse related but I am on a roll, here.)

What to do....

1. Suck it up and do something.

2. Get out the western saddle in the meantime. You know it will work in a pinch.

3. Quit crying, you big baby. You made the decision to stay here, deal with it.

I feel better, now.

Still...

Summer is flying by. I'm still waiting for my new, larger girth. Diesel is still tenderfooted on his single contracted heel. How does that happen? The other 3 have corrected over the last 2 years. If we had good footing I don't think he would be sore. It is sooooo dry.

I've been on Becca bareback. She is a lady. I love riding her. She is my primary riding horse these days. Go figure. Still don't have the weight under control. Still can't ride with a saddle. Still won't ride her out without it.

I am almost finished reading the last of Laura Crum's McCarthy series. If you like to read, this is a great author. I found a couple of the ten books to be a little dark but overall, I'm hooked. Horse mystery...how could it get better? I'm sorry to be at the end. How long until the next one? I feel the same way about Janet Evanovich. Another year to wait. Darn.

My guests are gone. I guess it is back to daily riding. Thank goodness. Love those guys. My life is blessed.

Summer Swamp A$$

It is hot. Really hot. I have been wet all day. Too hot to tack up. So I rode Bec bareback. Add sticky, sweaty, dirty horse to sticky, sweaty dirty person and you get the funk. I am kinda proud, though. I've ridden 5 out of the last 7 days. I am in love with ALL of my horses and with my life. Too cool.

Heat + Horse = SuperCrank

Today was farrier day. It is hot, humid, and calm. Not a good combo. Begin the morning with Prissy nailing Bec while she is tied. That is not playing fair. This has not happened in eons. Priss just doesn't pick on Bec. All 3 were fidgety and cranky for the farrier. Tug, tug, swish!

Everyone looks better. The dry weather is really hard on the feet. We are trimming every 5 weeks. Should have done them at 4. Crazy. Especially Prissy. I don't know if I should call her crank or crack.

FHOTD board suggests riding Diesel in a halter to see if head dropping, nose out is a tooth issue and if not, trying a different bit. Maybe he is sensitive from so much time off. We'll see. Later. It's too hot already. This evening will have a breeze. Sweltering hot right now. What a life?

2ChunkyMonkies

As I sit inside enjoying the a/c in my pajamas I realize...there are only 2ChunkyMonkies. Me and Bec. Geez. I work really hard to slim her down. Special diet and daily exercise. Mostly, she's just gas-ey. As for me, I'm a pig. Oink, oink.

I tried a new recipe for artichokes today. Absolutely divine. Saute artichoke hearts in butter and garlic. Add salt, paprika, and lemon juice. Good stuff. Really good. Oink.

Gotcha

Just when I am letting my guard down....

I lunged Bec this evening. She has got a stop on her. Wow. What a sweet girl. She tries her hardest to make you happy. Such heart.

Then, I brought Diesel over. The cat was in the round pen. This is not unusual. But not running out when I fuss at her is very unusual. And Diesel was frozen in place where I left him at the gate. Red flags all over the place. Kitty was staring at the grass. Uh oh.

Sure enough, laying in the tall grass is a 4 ft. speckled king snake. What to do? I try to shoo it off with the lunge whip. No go. Do I kill it? They are not only harmless but will kill other snakes in their territory. And this is rattlesnake alley. So I left him alone. Diesel did not get lunged. I did not ride Bec. And it was cool this evening. Only 85 degrees. What a waste.

I sometimes wonder why I accept responsibility for so many animals. I am a dog person. Hands down. I still love the kitties. I spend a not-so-small fortune on Blue kitty for his allergies. But, do I really need this much to care for? Yep. Cats rock. Punk herded that snake all the way off the property. And she wandered into the sorghum field to make sure it stayed away. This is the second time this year a cat has warned me of a nearby snake. Repeat, cats rock!

The Life

Bird nests with big, blue eggs, alligator gar, fiddler crabs, spoonbills, pelicans...This is the life. I enjoyed a peaceful, fun kayak trip this morning. I followed this with an afternoon nap that got out of hand. The five of us snuggled up under the fan. What a puppy/kitty pile! Pumkin took her nap in the living room.

I may take the day off from riding. I got my exercise already. I'm feeling a little sluggish. And my blister is still tender. It is hot. Tomorrow will be hotter. If this keeps up I will mildew before long. On the upside, hot ponies are lazy. The evenings are really not bad. My next ride will be Diesel. Need those boots comfortable. Or I could ride Bec bareback. Eek. Oh, the possibilities. Again, What a life!