A day in the life...

I have a fairly nice sized place. It is 25 acres of beautifully cleared pasture. Right now it has very little grass because the native blue stem that grows here is just beginning to come out. But, it is sprinkled with wildflowers. It is a rider's heaven. I had no problems riding the fenceline on Prissy. I had no problems taking her anywhere. She is safe. She is, of course, unsound and retired.

I had taken Diesel out only twice before. Today after a nice, short ride in the new heat of the year I decided to take the big Bub out. He was hesitant headed away and I cut across the pasture toward his buddy as soon as he began to relax. He settled into a nice, lazy walk on the buckle. We passed Bec and kept going. I followed the fence and felt comfortable continueing on. The next thing I know we are almost to the back of the pasture and I hear Bec screaming. I expected her to come full out towards us. Bub turned to look at her but kept pace. I ended up going all of the way around the place. It was perfect. I meant to go to the corner and back but instead whooped my goals completely. What a nice ride.

Upon returning, I hosed him down to wash off the dirt and sweat. He immediately dropped. So....I cleaned his sheath for the first time myself. Doc always does it when he does his teeth. It was really bad but he allowed me to dig and poke and prod without so much as moving a leg. I'm glad I did it because he had a good sized bean in there plus lots of flakes. Yuck.

The next big deal was the spook...or lack of one! The neighbors pulled in fast with a noisy trailer. Becca took off in fear but Diesel just raised his head and turned to see what was going on. All of this while tied. We finished up with a shampoo and condition. He's a pretty boy.

Not wanting him to roll immediately and mess up his hair, I decided to push him even further. He is anxious in new places and is not entirely perfect being led while upset. He is strong and stubborn with far less give to pressure than I'd like. Still, he deserved a treat. We walked around to the road to eat rye grass out of the ditch. He was a gentleman. And so funny! He could see the neighbor working in her yard through a few trees. He was mesmerized. Such a nosy fellow.

I am so pleased to be riding regularly again. I'm riding 3 times a week now, mostly on Bubba. I'm finding him a pleasant ride compared to Becca. Go figure. I like that he bounces me up at a trot and I'm getting much better at a sitting trot. Becca is so inconsistent these days- my fault for not riding much.

Diesel will be my next Prissy. I am sure of it. He is gorgeous and smart and has a fantastic personality. I'm getting very comfortable with him and he can tell. Not that I wasn't before but time is making us close. He is enjoying our outings, too. No matter where he is he will come to me when I call. He knows we are going to go out and work but he heads in anyway. He's a willing partner. I am so lucky to have found him. My life is blessed.

Keep it up

I've ridden Diesel three more times. It has been great. Every ride he gets even better. We've worked on his laziness and balance and transitions. I'm riding with spurs but don't have to use them but once. He gets it. Smart boy.

I've taken him out in the pasture to cool off twice. This is my problem. I have fear issues. The first day I took him halfway to the big culvert and turned back before I lost my nerve. Yesterday I took him to the first corner. This is about 1000 feet...not bad. My goal was to ride to the culvert and we went twice as far. He looked around but did not spook or rush. I feel safe on him.

I have a goal. I want to open him up by the end of June. This horse has power. I have never felt all of it. We have to get both of us in shape. He makes me look good.

Becca, on the other hand, makes me look awful. I rode her today for the second time this year. It was ugly. She remembers how to slide to a stop and that's about it. We weaved and rushed and her head was up and down and bent and it was not fun. She was worried...about everything. This is normal but the inconsistency is not. Gonna have to try this again.

I've ridden 3 out of the last 4 days. I hope to keep it up. It feels good. My life is blessed.

Perfection

Sometimes everything comes together and works. IT WORKS. I rode my lovely Diesel yesterday in raging winds. I found the time and the energy, quite rare for me. I am still high on that hour long ride. He was amazing. There might have been some shameless dancing involved last night...with the dog and cat...but we won't talk about that!

Diesel was solid and responsive and forward and it felt great. He didn't shy or spook or get lazy. I'm not saying he doesn't have lots of room for improvement, just that it was a vast improvement over our last few rides. I really enjoyed myself. I didn't want to end the ride.

Afterwards, he got a haircut and lots of hugs. He loves the attention. I am so proud of my little boy. His brain does not act like a 9 year old on the ground but he was all about business during the ride. Maybe someday he can be my Prissy. Gotta hit the trails if I want to get him there.

Priss is doing relatively well. She cannot go without her legs wrapped and is unstable but she is improving. She loves to go out to eat in the back yard where there is a bit more grass. Yesterday she trotted in. I hope she is not paying for it today. My life is blessed...by many.

Find Some Down Time

We are all busy. For me, it means no spare time as long as the sun shines. If I do manage to sneak a little me time in I like to fill it with a good book. This is my newly discovered treat:




Laura Crum has outdone herself again with her latest book, "Going, Gone". In this eleventh book of the Gail McCarthy Mystery series, Gail continues to grow with her family and explore even more creature relationships. This is a story everyone can relate to. Crum is inspired by real animals and portrays their personalities and quirks so well you think you know the animals yourself.

The mystery the Gail finds herself involved in is exciting and fresh with old characters involved anew. While vacationing with her family, Gail finds her friend and former boyfriend, Lonny Peterson, accused of a double homicide. Her childhood friend, Bret Boncantini, is caught up in the middle of this baffling mystery. Unable to resist, Gail follow the leads in the Sierra Nevada Foothills to her own Monterey Bay. As usual, there is excitement and insight along the way.

This is a series every animal lover should follow from the beginning. I became a fan just last year after discovering Laura Crum on the popular blog, "Equestrian Ink". I have read all of her books several times since. The release of this book is a much awaited treat for me. If you love a good mystery this is the author for you.

When Did That Happen?

I became the owner of an elderly horse recently.

Don't worry. I didn't get a new horse. Priss just seemed to get old overnight. She's cute as a doll and has that great personality but she is old, way too old for a 23 year old.

She's feeling this nasty weather. However, she has alot of good days and it is getting easier for her. It's slow but she's accepting her disability. She tried to canter in for dinner yesterday. She's paying for it today.

The more time she spends out grazing the better she does. Can't wait for it to get dry. I'm thankful for every day I get to spend with her. My life is blessed.

TB Friends

Today's TB Friends post was very moving. Tomorrow it will be replaced with another. If you don't read http://www.tbfriends.com/ already, you should check it out. I have never been to California and I don't know Joe but I read this every day. Enjoy this one here forever.


Wednesday, March 24th... The Look. For years now, horses have found new homes because of The Look.I think it was 2004 when all this started. A hot summer day, and in our yard a young girl gave The Look to a small chestnut gelding. A hundred or so horses on our ranch, but it was only the small chestnut gelding who received The Look. You can easily imagine. Love at first sight. Never saw it coming. Like getting bonked in the back of your head by a barn door. You must have an agreeable parent. Which the young girl had. We made all the arrangements. Gave the parent and young girl dozens of options, including bringing the gelding back if there were problems. Soon the chestnut gelding belonged to the young girl. She still sends us pictures. And later this fall, when the girl moves away to college, her horse is going with her.Perhaps 30 times since, because of The Look, a horse from our ranch has found a loving home. Two have been returned, both because of money problems.The oldest person 65. The youngest 9. I remember The Look from each. It is impossible to witness The Look and not react. You see The Look, you must do something about it. On my website I have not once written about The Look adoptions. Until now. No way to write about this without sounding like we are above everyone else. Plus, for us anyway, The Look adoptions are private. We only charge a dollar for the horse. And we make the person come back at least 5 times before it becomes official. The person spends time with the horse in our yard. Always their love grows stronger. Always there is The Look.Okay, after all of the above, I can get to the point. Earlier this year, in rain and wind, a girl gave The Look to a mare on our ranch. The girl was only here to bring us grain from Costco. The girl saw the mare, and there was The Look. I said take the mare for a walk, and she did. Both the mare and girl soaked from sideways rain. I said you can go into the mare motel and groom her. The girl did. The mare had just arrived from a race track, and was on her toes. High strung with me, but quiet and sensible with the girl. It was easy to see the connection between the two. The mare stood quietly while the girl introduced her to a blanket. I found out later, this was the first time the mare had worn a blanket.We made all the arrangements. A nice place in Davis. Financial concerns taken care of by the owners of the nice place. The girl is a student with money woes. The owners of the nice place were happy to help.The mare was transported to the nice place. And less than a week later, she was crippled.The rain went away, the sun came, and horses were turned out to play. The mare took a bad step, and broke both her ankle and sesamoid. A vet at UC Davis told the girl, you have to put your mare to sleep. The girl decided to seek a second opinion. And so the mare was taken to a vet hospital in another town. The girl told the doctor, she has little money. But if something can be done for her mare, she promises to pay for the rest of her life.Well the doctor had done the same kind of surgery many times before. It involves screws. The horse has no chance of passing through airport security. The doctor performed the surgery, and only charged the girl for meds. Unbelievable. She only had to pay for the medicine. There is rehab, which includes hand walking everyday for the next 4 months. The mare should be fine.I phoned the doctor, and told him what a wonderful person he is. To do this for the girl and her mare. And this is what he said: How could I turn the girl down? You should see the way she looks at her horse.
Joe

Sore Everything...

Not just the eyes. What a lazy horse! I'm gonna need some tools next ride. The boy took alot of persuasion to stay in a trot and canter. We had a much more responsive ride today than the last one. I'm not saying he's responsive, just better. He's such a goofball. He drops his head and slows when he's tired of working. So far, no buck. I think he likes the attention a bit. I had to use every muscle in my body to keep him forward. After the ride I took him over to the hose to remove the last bit of mud from his legs that grooming missed. I am wetter than him. He just had to drink from the hose. Most ended up on me. Goofball.

I have to start riding alot more often. Diesel is my only riding horse now and he needs miles. I want him to be my Prissy someday. I think he could be special in his own way. My life is blessed.

Sight for Sore Eyes

Prissy got to graze in my back yard this evening for an hour. Her eyes bulged out and she went a little mad when I unclipped the lead rope. It has been one day shy of 3 weeks since she has been able to walk around. She's gonna tear up my yard with her hooves. It's a small price to pay for a bit of sanity. She is sore enough to only walk but she was giggling on the inside...it was clear she was ecstatic. The dogs didn't understand why she got to go out but they didn't. I just hope the weather holds so she can go out tomorrow. Sure beats hand grazing her for an hour.

I've been forced to neglect the young-uns. All they've gotten this week is a few hoof cleanings and twice a day once over. They are both head to toe dried mud. I look forward to the weekend time. My life is blessed.

The Week

This week has been long and eventful. Last Thursday morning I was happily cleaning Prissy's stall before the sun came up. The dogs were playing in the back yard. I heard an unfamiliar bark coming from my own dog, Gretchen. She is a very affectionate, submissive animal but what came out of her mouth was anything but. I look up to see a figure standing between the barn and the house. In a moment I realize it is a coyote. I am not one to be worried by a few wild animals. I raised the pitchfork I was holding and hollered in my toughest voice "Go on. Get out of here". It didn't move, didn't even look distressed. I walked out of the stall toward the house. Still hadn't budged. At this point, I think rabies. I grab a gun but by now it has moved a few steps over and Diesel is directly behind it. I took a shot well clear of the horse and the coyote to scare it off. It disappears into the pasture, hidden by the tall grass I've been unable to mow all year.

Later that evening I find Diesel pestering Priss over the top of her pen. It continues overnight. I didn't get much sleep and was almost ready to give Diesel to the cowboy across the street who loves the idea of a big horse to rope off of. I know the fun would wear off and he would not be loved enough. The solution: cross fence the pasture and remove Diesel and Bec from the barn area. Friday evening was spent putting up fence. Now my two sound horses have no shelter. Good thing the weather is mild here. They rewarded me by rolling in the mud.

Saturday was spent visiting family and selling my soul for a few bales of stemmy hay. Before I can get it unloaded I look up to see at least 3 coyotes at the fenceline. I call the neighbor but he is out of town and instructed me to "get out there and shoot them before it gets any darker". Ok. I can do this. I'm alone and I have to walk out to a pack of coyotes with the sun sinking fast. Needless to say, I severely wounded the one that did not run off. Is it the one from the other morning? Who knows? I feel very bad that it was able to crawl off. It immediately headed for the herd of cows after being shot. I lost sight of it. Sneaky creatures. I've heard the packs howling day and night for days with a few yips during the day. This is too many. They have threatened me. I take it personal.

Sunday I walked out to find a body or evidence. I found nothing but a healthy coyote saw me from a huge distance and ran away. I watched it dogtrot to the treeline. I found its hiding place, though. It was bedded down in a brush pile that I've been unable to burn because of rain and wind. In the evening, I got a friend to assist in a stakeout. For the first time all week we heard and saw nothing. I hope my presence has moved them out. My cats are tired of being locked in the house.

As for Priss, she is now taking a walk to the mailbox twice a day. She is still spending most of her time lying down. I hope the sunshine and blue skies lift her spirits so that she can continue to recover. It is slow going. I cherish every moment I have with her. My life is blessed.

That Look

Priss has a wide-eyed look like she is about to go insane. Chances are, she IS about to go insane. We took our first real walk today, about 5 minutes. Her friends ran around the pasture at break neck speeds the entire time. They worked up a sweat. I did, too, worrying about more bowed tendons. To my relief they were fine. The exercise probably did them some good.

The farrier put wedges on Priss and squared up her toes. It has done wonders. This second bow is nothing compared to the first. But the damage is done. It will be a very slow recovery. I hope I made the right decision. What kind of life is it to be stuck in a stall....?

Pissy Prissy

Prissy is acting closer to normal today. She's making faces at Bec and kicking the walls. This is a very good sign. For her it means she's feeling better. This is the Prissy I know and love. Gotta love the Appytude.

Most of the swelling is gone with the exception of the actual bowed tendon. She spent a hour and a half up this evening. Much better than the 5 minutes yesterday. She's still only getting 1 gram of bute in the morning. No more than that because she's got a sensitive tummy and I don't want her feeling good enough to move too much. Walking is still painful and she trips every few steps. However, the only growls I got today were when I pulled her away from grass, none when touching or re-wrapping her legs. Not much in the way of green around here. She's eaten every bit of clover near the wash area while hyro-ing.

I am hoping we are past the worst of it. How in the world am I going to keep her sane locked in a stall? She's got to stay out of the mud and it is the only dry place here. There's no end to the rain in the foreseeable future. I also need to figure out how to cross fence to protect her from the ever playful Diesel. Someone is going to lose access to the barn. Too bad I can't afford another barn and permanent cross fences. It's just not an option, yet.

Looks like she's gonna pull through this quick enough to justify sparing her life. I've never felt more blessed. Never riding her again is a small price to pay for having her for a few more years.

Hope

Yesterday was bad. Prissy barely got up. She did eat, drink, and poop. But her eyes told the story of her pain. I wondered if it was right to make her go through this. Today, she is slightly better. Lots of hydro and bandaged legs. She spent more time up and more time sitting rather than laying flat. She even woke me up before dawn kicking the walls. That's my girl. She has a long road ahead. The farrier came out and traced her feet for wedges and checked her angle, 55 degrees. He's going to talk to Doc before he does anything, wants to be clear on the directives. We may have to sedate her to do anything. In the meantime, rest and hydro. I wish we didn't have rain coming. This is breaking my heart.

Nightmare

Today when I came home I found Prissy down. She had been struggling to get up for some time. I thought I'd lost her. When I got near she screamed at me. It was chilling. She stayed down for a further half hour. She was not in mud, amazing considering the current mess we have here.

When she finally pulled herself up it was clear that she had bowed a tendon in the good leg. Now she has a bow on each front leg. She bowed the right front tendon just before the cold snap right at a month ago. The strain of favoring that leg led to a bow on the left today. The vet is hopeful. I can expect her to lay down most of the day for some time. I made her a stall in the barn, 12' x 24' with lots of cushy shavings. I can't help but worry about her. She's eating, drinking, and pooping but the pain must be horrendous. The vet thinks she'll be fine with time. I'm worried because this horse that has been completely sound her whole life is having multiple major injuries.

This mare is the love of my life. She's my first good horse and has been with me since I was 16 years old. I may talk about my relationship with Diesel and Bec but Miss Priss is just different. At 23 years old she is too young to be done. Losing her is my biggest nightmare.

Me Time

It's the rainy season. The pasture has wet spots and wetter spots. One thing is for sure, it is too wet to ride. The horses are in heaven with the extra grooming without a lick of work. So what do I fill my time with? The long evenings are wonderful but work does not sound great.

I have two authors I read religously- Janet Evanovich and Laura Crum. I have read each series many times. Each year I start back at the beginning before a new book comes out. Last weekend I began re-reading the Laura Crum mysteries. I've already read the first FIVE books. This isn't taking as much time as I expected. Can't wait for "Going, Gone" to come out in
April. I'm hoping to get an advance copy. If you are not familiar with this author I would highly recommend it. Horse people will relate. And on that note, I will retire to the recliner with "Breakaway". My life is blessed.

True Love

I don't usually discuss my personal life here. This is for the horses. However....it is safe to say that Valentine's Day is a killer on my personal life. And this year is no different. I am recently single... again.

What I can count on is my love for the ponies. And their love for me. As that ugly Valentine's Day creeps closer I find a renewed love for Diesel. Being able to ride helps remind me how lucky I am. All I'm sure of is that a horse will cure every broken heart. Only horse people understand. I am in love with a big, goofy, orange horse.

Goofball

I hate to jinx it but Diesel is still sound. It was quite chilly today so I lunged instead of riding. He looked great. My big Bubba really is a stunning beast. He has that lean thoroughbred look with a long, graceful stride. The cold weather instigated several bucking fits, all meant in play. I also lunged Bec. It occurred to me that Bubs really is my only truly sound horse and it is definitely off and on.

Becca is great at a walk-trot but never did recover enough to be sound at a canter. That shoulder just won't stretch comfortably. I tied Diesel up not so much to cool off after such a light workout but to work on patience while I lunged Bec. He immediately began chewing on his lead rope. He chewed and rubbed and played with it but did not spook at himself. Very good. Near the end of the workout I glanced his way and discovered he had untied himself. Once undone, he just stood in place without so much as moving a foot. He stayed that way even after I retied him. This horse is a goofball. He is cooperative but his mind needs constant action. He has personality in spades. And to think, he has spent most of his life ignored. How could you not love an animal like that? He's lucky I found him. I'm lucky to have him. My life is blessed.

What's that SOUND?

Can you hear it? It's Diesel. He's sound! I am very pleased to announce I rode my horse today. This is big news. Hasn't happened in a long time.

Diesel has a great ho (whoa) on him. It's the go we have trouble with. And the bending and turning. After 20 minutes he started to remember. We stopped and walked around out of the round pen to celebrate. He was good but lazier than ever. I'm just glad he had no temper tantrums. I had to get tough with him several times to keep forward momentum. He responded by doing what I asked. I was pleased that I reacted without thinking. There was literally no fear. It felt good. Too bad it will rain tomorrow. Regardless, my life is blessed. Someday he will be my Prissy.

Muck Me

It is a muddy mess out there. How could a year that started recordbreaking dry end so wet? I am thankful for the generous shelter my horses have. All three fit under it with room to express their personality... kick, make faces, escape. Bec is usually banished to the corner of the barn. Wimp.

The horses battle the mud but spend lots of hours drying their hooves out of the wind and on dry ground. They watch the world go by in comfort. Sadly, today they watch the fire trucks go back and forth. A wonderful family down the road has lost their home. No details but the trucks keep coming and going. The horses seem to sense the loss. Otherwise, they would be tearing the barn down begging for dinner. Becca is riveted. She has always been the most aware.

It is getting late and I must go feed and clean. I can hear the piles calling out, "Muck me"!

My life is blessed.

Count on it

There's something you can always count on with horses. The problems are never convenient. On the coldest, most miserable night of the decade something will go wrong. Always.

I came home to find a fence down and no horses. No biggie. They are just at the back. I call and shake some feed. Nothing. So, go find a flashlight and spot their eyes. No flashlight that works. No biggie. Get on some warmer clothes. Oh crap! That's a big ass spider hiding in there. Survive the scare and go out into the pasture.... Is that skunk I smell? Of course, it is. OK. It's too wet to drive out there. I'll just use the headlights. No horses. Starting to get really worried. Be patient, they'll come. Nope. Find a small headlamp and study the ground around the downed electric fence. No footprints. Likely they bumped the wire and the insulator popped off. The bottom strand is intact. Still no horses.

Good thing. I think I'll kill them when they show up. As if I wasn't worried enough that the cold weather would make them uncomfortable, now I have to worry they are wandering about the county. Great.

Well Broke

She's got me trained. Very well broke. With a nicker I fetch carrots and handfuls of grain, flakes of hay, the curry. She waits patiently until her friends have left the barn and puts on her cutest face and I melt. Anything for Prissy.

She herself is well broke. I could ride her in my sleep. I never have to ask twice or get rough. She knows what I want and she does it. This mare is priceless. She is also lame again. Continues to pull something in her right fore slugging through the mud. I am positive it is not her feet. They are cleaned and probed daily. I have the dirt to move in as soon as it dries. In the meantime, the days are cold and wet making her arthritic body protest. Plenty of time spent in the barn perfecting her treat requests. Yep, she's got me trained. My life is blessed.