Grey Horse Matters

"Hanz, Sami, Rosie & Blue" Rosie and I had a nice ride down "The Alleyway" last weekend            I started this blog on October 25, 2007 to interact with like-minded horse people, to exchange ideas, and hear other people’s opinions on everything concerning the horse.  Along the way, I’ve met some really smart people who are dedicated to bettering themselves and their horses' lives.  We’ve discussed how to improve our riding and solve problems relating to our horses.  I’ve met some very good horse people who I now consider my friends.  After all these years, it’s not as though I know all there is about horses, but it seems more people have gone to social media to interact and that’s just not for me.      So, I’ll be ending this blog for now unless something very interesting happens around here. In the meantime, I plan to keep riding and learning. I’ll still check in with my favorite people and their horses when I can. It’s been fun, but for now I’ll say goodbye. Be safe and thankful for the horses in our lives.                Since I celebrated a milestone birthday last month which "officially" makes me a card carrying old lady,  I think this poem now applies to me!... [Read more]

Basically, not much has been happening around here.  We’ve had heat waves and rain and the weather is all over the place.  I would say our main job is taking care of the horses in the heat and we haven’t really been riding.  Although, the other night when it cooled off my daughter took Rosie for a walk down the alleyway for the first time.  She was a good girl as usual; nothing seems to bother her. Even when the geese landed in the pond next to her with a big splash, she just looked and said "ooh" and kept going. @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} "The Alleyway "   Blue continues to be the laziest horse in the barn.  They come in every night and stand under their fans.  All the other horses have no problem eating out of their hay nets, except Blue has found a better way.  He throws his hay net out the window, so he doesn’t have to go through the bother of bending his head down to eat.  He always finds a better way for him to relax and take it easy.   "You got a problem with this"   Last week we got a text from the neighbors saying, “If you’re outside you might want to go inside!”  Seems there was a bear casually strolling through their back yard.  He/She’s not a small one by any means. We didn't actually see the bear, I'm thankful it didn't decide to come here for a visit.  ( Hope the video works.)                                                 "Excuse me, just stopping by for an afternoon snack"       Quote for Today  If you want a stable friendship, get a horse.  ~Author unknown   @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}@font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-alt:Georgia; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}... [Read more]

"Rosie" Recently, I’ve been riding Rosie in the small outdoor arena, but this past weekend I opted for the indoor.  It’s been raining for a few days and very cold (45) and windy.  So, riding indoors was a no brainer on Saturday. Just as I was adjusting the girth, Rosie did a huge spook.  Now, Rosie never spooks, so running backwards with her head up and the whites of her eyes showing was very different from her normal behavior.      My daughter and Hanz entered the arena and she pointed out that at the end of the arena there were two small foxes hiding behind the stone wall jump.  Aha! I didn’t see them, but apparently Rosie did.  The foxes scampered out under the back door after a few minutes and things seemed to calm down.  I hand-walked Rosie around the arena a few times to give her a good look around.  She seemed to be calmed down, so we went to the mounting block.  Well, she was having none of it and kept jigging around every time I put my foot in the stirrup.  After a few minutes of this, I suggested that my daughter get on her while I held Hanz. Good plan. It took her a while, but she did get on and walked her around a few times and dismounted.  I’m thankful I have my daughter to help me out when I need it!  In the past I would have persevered and eventually got on her but I’m getting older and less flexible. I don’t bounce as well as I used to, so I decided to let it go for the day.  There’s always another day to ride.   Our resident foxes  We seem to have a lot of baby foxes on the farm this year. I have no idea where the moms are.  Three of them live under the feed shed and two (that I’ve seen) live by the indoor.  They come out and play, wrestle with each other, and take any horse brushes left unguarded to play with.  We’ll find the brushes in the grass or up in the outdoor arena. After this incident, I would prefer them to leave, but they are keeping the rodent population down, so less ticks to deal with. We’ve noticed a big difference already this year.   Quote for Today “When you’re young and you fall off a horse, you may break something. When you’re my age, you splatter.” – Roy Rogers.  @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}@font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-alt:﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;}@font-face {font-family:ArialMT; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-alt:Arial; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}... [Read more]

Our Herd   The herd has decided that they are now officially feral horses.  Mind you, they all have grazing muzzles and fly masks on in a nod to being semi-domesticated.  They do like their comforts, after all.  But they have mutually decided with the warmer weather and breezy nights they’d rather stay out under the stars.  Apparently, they don’t need no stinking barn to be trapped in at night. They are checked on routinely.  Blue and Sami need their medication for Cushing’s which we cleverly disguise inside stud muffins. They are happy and healthy and have access to water and as much grass as they can stuff into their bellies with muzzles on. So, if they prefer to stay out, and if it makes them happy, that’s fine with us.  They are living the most normal way of life for horses and we feel that’s the way it should be.  Everyone who comes to our place always comments on how happy and calm our horses are, and I think just letting them be horses is a big factor in their temperaments.    "Did I hear something about treats"   " Really, all that work for a carrot and stud muffin? Just not fair!"     On Mother’s Day, I did get to ride Rosie.  Whenever they see the Kubota drive up, they all come moseying over because there are usually treats involved.  Well, this time there were treats involved but also saddles and bridles... much to Rosie and Hanz’s dismay.  Once Rosie was tacked up and brought into the ring, I mounted up and off we went for our ride.  Everything was going just fine until Hanz and my daughter rode in.  Well, Rosie's ears went flat back. She was making faces at the poor guy and just trying to avoid him at all costs.  Hanz is so sweet and innocent he couldn’t know what to think or what he did wrong. He’s the kind of horse who likes everyone and just wants to be a friend. She was having none of it and, in truth, she was being a real bitch.  I didn’t put up with her antics because she’s just got to get over herself and learn to get along with the whole herd. This is something we’ll work on until she can tolerate another horse in the ring with her and learn to be a little more gracious and sharing of her space.  Once she figures out that I’m not going to play into her nonsense, she’ll be little miss manners in the ring like she is in the barn.     Quote for Today   A bad day riding is better than a good day fishing.  @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}@font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-alt:﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;}@font-face {font-family:ArialMT; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-alt:Arial; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p.xmsonormal, li.xmsonormal, div.xmsonormal {mso-style-name:x_msonormal; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}span.apple-converted-space {mso-style-name:apple-converted-space; mso-style-unhide:no;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}... [Read more]

All I Needed to Learn about Life I learned from the   Don’t put all your grain in one bucket. Walk softly and carry a big carrot. There is no such thing as too many treats. All work and no play can make you a basket case. A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears. Some body parts should be floppy. Everyone is entitled to a bad hair/hare day. Let happy thoughts multiply like apples on trees. Keep our hooves off others treats. Good things come in small packages. The grass is always greener in someone else' s paddock. An Easter bonnet can cover the wildest mane. To show your true colors you have to come out of the stall. The best things in life are still sweet and gooey... molasses flavored stud muffins.... [Read more]

"Mr. Blue"   Today is Blue’s 24th Birthday. We’ve had him since he was a youngster of 4 years old. How time flies. What can I say about Blue that I haven’t already said? Blue is one in a million. He can be stubborn and grumpy, but he also has the ability to make us laugh all the time with his antics. There has never been a horse we’ve known who is as funny as Blue. Let’s not forget how smart he is, like the time he knew I was going to ride him, so he hid behind the run-in shed and peeked out once in a while to see if I could find him. Or how he refuses to let anyone interrupt his daily naps. This would include being braided at a show while lying down or having the vet administer shots in the same prone position. Blue marches to his own drummer and doesn’t let anyone stop him from doing what he wants. A horse with a mind of his own, he’s always been Mr. Personality!  He’s showing his age a bit with arthritic hocks and Cushing’s, and he is slowing down a bit, but he’s still our Mr. Cool Dude. Happy Birthday to one of the best horses we’ve ever had the privilege to serve.    I think we should rename this  celebration: "The Festival of Perpetual Treats" Quote for Today  On the first day god created horses, and on the second day he painted the good ones.... [Read more]

This past weekend we took the horses down to the indoor in pairs to let them stretch their legs a bit.  With all the snow we've had they basically just stand around and eat hay out of the hay baskets and are generally "pasture potatoes."  They may occasionally mosey to another field, only to find there's still snow there too. Then turn around and come back ever hopeful that tomorrow there will be grass.   This video is of Hanz and Sami.  Sami got a little snorty and nervous but he did get some exercise.  He's like the little kid that doesn't want to let go of your hand at the playground.  Sami likes to be on the lead line and directed.  He kept coming over to me and then running to the door asking if we could go home yet.    "Hanz & Sami"   Next we brought down Blue and Rosie, this is about as excited as they got: Blue stopped in front of the jumps then decided to go around each one "This looks like work" "Nope, not falling for that" "Just moseying around" "No Rosie you can't eat that!" Rosie: "Well it looks like grass but has no taste" Rosie followed me over all the jumps and wherever I went.  It was like having a shadow. She even trotted over a few. Good girl Rosie!   "Whew! That was quite a workout!" And Blue still retains his title as this barns laziest horse with his daily 11 a.m. nap. Quote for Today  Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.... [Read more]

Thought it  was about time to get the Happy New Year's post down.  There's not much happening here but I snapped a few pictures today. This morning it was 3 degrees when we went out to do the barn. By the time we finished it was 8.  We're in for a huge snow storm tonight and tomorrow.  "The sunrise this morning was gorgeous" "I think we might have a geese problem" We have three hay barrels. Every morning Rosie tries each one, sort of like Goldilocks until she finds the one that's "just right" Then she has to follow the boys out and try to convince them to come back and eat the easy food all day...she rarely does but they occasionally come up around lunchtime for a few bites Found this bear paw print right outside the front of the barn doors. Yikes!  Not really happy about finding this so close to the barn but we're going to set up a trail cam and see if it catches anything on tape.  So that's it for today.... [Read more]

O' Grady This past Sunday we lost our beloved horse O'Grady.  He was my daughter’s horse and she rescued him from a previous owner about twelve years ago.  Grady had some medical problems when he came to her, mainly shivers.  But he was a trooper and never complained, even when he had a cancerous third eyelid removed, a bout of pasture stringhalt, or his bladder flushed out with a huge catheter. They were a good team and enjoyed some very nice rides over the years. Recently Grady was having problems emptying his bladder normally and had constant leakage. Each night my daughter had to wash his legs and other areas.  She didn’t mind and I’m sure he was appreciative of her special care. He was also mysteriously losing weight and, a few weeks ago was diagnosed with lymphoma. The vets had given him a few months to a year with medical treatment. She was waiting to start his chemotherapy which she had to hold off on because Grady developed a fever last week and the vet had her giving him antibiotic injections for a possible bladder infection.  He went off his feed.  There were also multiple ultrasounds, blood tests, and examinations. His fever was gone by Saturday and he started eating again, so we thought he was feeling much better.  Sunday morning, he ate some feed, snacked on apple pieces and a carrot, and was eating his hay and drinking.  He got his antibiotic injection, and we went in to have breakfast.  When we came out, his condition had suddenly worsened. We could tell he was in terrible pain, looking at his sides like colic, and he went down.  We called the vet and did all we could to ease his pain, but it all happened so fast the vet never had time to come. He had what looked like a seizure, and then he was gone.  We knew this day was coming when Grady was diagnosed, but we never expected it to be so soon, or so sudden. It has been a shock. The vets have offered some theories about what might have been the cause, and all of them sound reasonable, but no one can really say for sure. So, it is sort of a mystery why he declined so fast. We hoped he would have more time. But most of all, we hope that he had a good life, and that he enjoyed his years with us. We certainly enjoyed our time with Grady and are grateful that he came to us.  Grady was the sweetest, kindest horse in the barn. We called him our Gentle Giant. Because he was always a perfect gentleman, Grady was the only horse on the farm who was allowed to wander loose around the barn, and to let himself in and out of his stall (with detours past the feed shed for a snack while feeds were made up.) He was known to stop in at the tack room door to ask for a treat, or to raid the apple bucket when no one was looking, but it was impossible to spoil Grady because he was always so good. He was also a horse who cared about all his herd-mates. He would never leave anyone behind. If I was riding Rosie in the indoor, he’d climb the hill beside it and look in the window to see where she was.  If I rode her outside, he stayed by the arena until she was done.  Then he’d follow us in for an after-lesson snack. When my daughter would hike out to the back field at night to bring them in, all the others would run ahead home, but Grady would stay and walk home with her. Being a big guy, at over 18hh, he would outpace her for a few strides and then stop, turn his head, and wait for her until she caught up before he would continue on home. As I said, he left no one behind.  The farm won't be the same without Grady. We are heartbroken and will miss his kindness, gentleness, and friendliness around the barn.    Goodbye Grady—you were the best.   Quote for Today   Nothing is more sacred as the bond between a horse and a rider.   No other creature can ever become so emotionally close to a human as a horse. When a horse dies, the memory lives on, because an enormous part of his owner's heart, soul, and the very existence dies also. - Stephanie M Thorn... [Read more]

So we've been busy getting ready for winter as I'm sure all of you have.  Below are just a few of the projects we've been working on and have finished.  There are still plenty of jobs waiting in the wings but for now I'm just happy these are done.   We dug out an area to put the dumpster in and lined it with giant blocks and gravel underneath. So instead of having a very large dumpster with ramps that were hard to navigate with the wheelbarrow and having to toss the manure up with a pitchfork to the rear, this is better.  Once the side is filled in (where the planters are) there will be a ramp to walk up and just dump the manure in over the top. Eventually, it will be planted with bushes. Next we put down the flakes in the indoor to treat the footing.  It keeps the dust down and gives it a good consistency. Almost like beach sand. Love this mounting block, its worked out really well   My daughter bought these wood plaques and attached wood letters and painted and stained them all so we have a set of dressage letters now affixed to the proper spots on the walls. Then we painted the jumps that needed painting and set up the indoor with an easy course.  So far Rosie and I have just walked over the smaller ones.  It keeps the boredom at bay and gives her something to think about and keep her interested in working. She's fine with everything nothing seems to bother her. Which is a good thing.                                We're not going over this stone wall anytime soon though                Or this gate either, that's for Hanz and my daughter, Rosie just isn't ready yet    We had a freak snowstorm last week so that was fun.  Today it's 62 degrees. Crazy weather. We took down one stall wall so Grady could have a double stall. He wasn't lying down at night and since he's getting older and he's so huge, we thought this would help him with his arthritis and other ailments. So now he's got the Presidential Suite in the barn. " Gracie" was exhausted and needed to take a nap in the sun after watching all this activity going on for days. She was giving me the 'stink eye' so I didn't disturb her and decided to unload the hay after lunch!   Quote for Today   I live in a house,  but my home is in the stable.... [Read more]

The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing, and Autumn seems to be tiptoeing in gradually up here in the northeast.  We’ve had some very cool nights and mornings with frost and then we had temps in the 80’s.  The bugs are not as bad as this past summer, although fly masks and grazing muzzles are still required for now.   Rosie and I have been working together fairly consistently.  This past weekend we saddled up and headed to the outside arena by the barn.  We’ve set up four cavelletti’s for her to walk over in a circuit that makes a circle.  She seems a little stiff in her hind end and neck so the cavelletti work should help her with that.  We also work on her bending on both sides.  The goal is to make her more flexible.  We’re getting there but everything takes time.  Carrot stretches are also on the agenda.   Rosie has always been fine longeing over cavelletti, but it must have been a different mindset for her when I was in the saddle.  Her first instinct is to just say no and stop and assess the situation. A little squeeze and off she goes over them.  She never puts up a fuss if you just ask her nicely to do what you want her to.  My daughter brought Hanz in to join us this day and she was very distracted by that.   Rosie “What’s HE doing in here, I thought I booked the arena for a private this morning!”  Me “It’s okay Rosie he’s just here to keep you company.”  Rosie “Humph, if I needed or wanted company, I’d ask for it” with a big tail swish. She proceeded working but was very unfocused by what Hanz was doing and where he was.  So, after a while we ended on a good note and retired to the barn for after work treats.  That seemed to pacify her.   The next day we saddled up again and to say she was really not in the mood would be an understatement.  After mounting we walked up the long side and turned the corner, that was when she spooked at something in the woods. Now Rosie’s spook is one I’ll take any day after all the dangerously spooky horses I’ve ridden over the years.  She just stops in her tracks and looks at what’s scaring her.  If I don’t react, she doesn’t either.  I just tell her what a silly mare she’s being and there’s nothing to worry about. Then a little squeeze and she’s willing to go on.   We proceeded at the walk for a few times around the arena and I thought a nice little trot would be in order.  Well Rosie disagreed.  She eventually picked up a trot but had her ears pinned back.  This was new and something I’d never seen her do before.  Okay, let’s try the other direction.  Hmm, same ear pinning. There is nothing physically wrong with her and the saddle fit is fine. I think the problem was simply that she doesn’t like any contact with the bit. When you loop the reins like a wet noodle, she seems fine.  I’m guessing it’s a holdover from her western training, but I have no idea.  I do know that she is going to have to learn to accept some following contact with the bit eventually. We’ll work on this a little piece at a time and I’m sure she’ll be fine with it.  All horses are different, and it just takes patience and creativity to figure out what works with each horse’s personality and preferences.   That’s it for now. Stay well.   Quote for Today When riding my horse, I no longer have my heart in my chest, but between my knees.... [Read more]

Over the weekend I began to work with Rosie again.  Basically, she’s been having the summer off because of our extremely hot and humid weather.  I’ve started by simple longeing in both directions to get her head back in the game so to speak. She looks really good and it seems her work ethic is still intact.  She’s such a good girl. While I was longeing her all the other horses were turned out and beat feet to the back pasture.  Well, all except for Grady, who grazed outside the arena and waited for Rosie to be done. Grady's the guy who cares about the other horses in the herd and he didn’t want to leave her behind.  Which I was grateful for because it let Rosie focus on her work and not on everyone being out of sight. He’s probably the sweetest horse in the barn. Here are a few pictures of the two of them together after her lesson: Waiting for the "Treat Store" to open " Please hurry, I worked hard for this treat and don't forget my buddy Grady, I'm buying this round" Quote for Today  He knows when you are happy.  He knows when you are proud. He also knows when you have a carrot.... [Read more]

So, it’s almost the end of August and autumn can’t get here soon enough with cooler weather.  Our temps were basically in the 90’s with high humidity for the entire summer. There was almost no riding or schooling the horses; they were as miserable as we were. The good news is that it is starting to cool off now and we can start working with our horses again. That said we’ve been busy caring for Sami and Blue’s medical issues.  Sami was diagnosed with a mild case of laminitis in July.  He had to spend a few weeks in his stall which was no picnic for him or us.  Every time the herd left his sight to graze in further pastures, he’d go a little crazy.  Luckily, my daughter was able to give him a little bit of Ace to calm him down.  After a few weeks he was allowed out into a pen we made for him in the “horse port” attached to the shed.  This worked out much better.  The change of scenery helped a lot.   The plus side to this was his best friend Hanz could come and keep him company.  When he wasn’t around Sami would call for him and he’d come trotting up to spend some time.  Hay nets were put on the outside of the pen for any friends who dropped by for a visit.  Grady and Rosie did say hello once in a while and were happy to share his complimentary hay.  In the past week he’s been allowed out with the herd wearing his new grazing muzzle, he’s much happier now and seems better. Sami in the "horse-port"   He even has a ceiling fan! Blue on the other hand is still suffering with his abscessed hoof. It has been two weeks since he’s been a three-legged horse walking on the toe on his left hind.  He seemed to be in so much pain he could barely hop around in the beginning.  The vet took x-rays etc. The best we can do for him is soak it and then put Animalintex on it and wrap it for the day.  He seems to be getting around a little better in the past few days and we’re hopeful it will blow out soon.  Looks like there’s one on his heel and possibly another exit in front by the coronary band.  Fingers crossed it will let loose soon and he will feel better.  He doesn’t go out with the herd, but he’s got the option of staying in his stall or roaming around the fenced lawn area around the barn.  He doesn’t venture out much but when he does, he grazes for a while, lifting his leg every few minutes to take the painful pressure off. He gets a little Bute when he looks very sad.  In true Blue dramatic fashion he’s been known to lay in his stall moaning and sighing and made my daughter hold the bucket of feed for him for his breakfast. He’s a real drama queen and he is still my favorite character in the barn. "Where have all my friends gone" A little grazing time Trying it without the bandaged hoof for a bit We also had no working automatic waterers on the farm for a few weeks.  Called the plumber who diagnosed it as an underground leak somewhere.  Then he had to find it by digging up most of the yard around the barn to find it.  He did and repaired it.  The waterers work again, and we’ve filled in all the trenches and planted grass seed.  Filling buckets everyday was just one more brick on the load to deal with but we managed. To add to all this nonsense my shoulder had been painful for months.  I finally got an appointment with an orthopedic shoulder doctor and had an MRI last week. He diagnosed a rotator cuff injury and I will most likely go to physical therapy. He doesn’t think surgery is indicated.   Hopefully, all the drama will be over soon, and we can get back to a normal routine around the barn sooner than later. Quote for Today When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. Franklin D. Roosevelt... [Read more]

" Ginger" We recently had to say goodbye to our girl Ginger.  She was only four years old but the last year and a half was very hard on her health.   At three years she started having seizures and was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy.  Over time as her seizures got worse and more frequent, the vets just kept prescribing more medication for her.  We tried everything in the hope it would help, even CBD oil, but nothing seemed to work for her in controlling her seizures.   Ginger was a fun-loving frisky girl before her illness started but as her seizures became more frequent her zest for living seemed to wane.  It didn't seem her quality of life was the way it should be for her.  So, with her last round of multiple violent seizures which were coming one right after the other, I made the decision to let her go and end her suffering.   Ginger was a happy girl who loved her family and such a little sweetheart. Of course, we all miss her terribly.  She will never be forgotten for her antics and personality. Here’s a short slideshow of her life:          I know that you must miss me, By the tears rolling down your face. But believe me when I tell you that, There are meadows here to run in, So please don't worry about me, And I'll be watching over you still,... [Read more]

We have been busy around the farm getting ready for the warmer weather and hopefully more riding. There have been a lot of projects to keep us busy. We had a line of new fencing installed down one side of the farm. This particular side of the farm is on a well-traveled road and we just feel better that the horses are safer with an extra fence to shield them from the traffic.  In the past we have had people stop and feed them, which I don’t mind really, except I don’t want to have anyone get hurt. Having the extra fence also helps keep the garbage in one area. The slobs around here throw all kinds of cans and paper bags out their windows when they drive past the farm, which inevitably winds up in the pastures. Nice. Then we have to go out and pick it all up; it’s like being on a prison chain gang cleaning up the highways. The double-fence also provides a wide alleyway that will let us ride without being harassed by the herd.  It has happened in the past and it’s not a lot of fun.  The alleyway now leads to a gate into the trails in the woods and another gate leads into the grass dressage arena under the trees on the hill.  By the time we walk up to the arena it’s has the added benefit of being a good warm up for us.  I like riding up there in the summer, as it’s a lot cooler.   We haven’t had a chance to ride there yet. As soon as the fence was up, we had a lot of rain and some hurricane force winds that knocked trees down which blocked the alleyway and took out two sections of the new fence…of course it did! Now we’re waiting for someone to actually show up and fix the fence and cut the trees off of it. New fencing and ,yes, I have to power wash the old fence! That's on the list... We replaced the split rail in this arena, seems there are a lot of resident beavers who like to snack on wood sometimes! They absolutely wrecked it. They've got a tough life As for the herd, during the month of May we started the horses back to work with a gradual training program.  They had not worked basically for the entire winter, so we felt it wasn’t fair to them to drag them out and just hop on and expect them to be fit and ready to go.  They’ve sort of been couch potatoes stuffing their faces with hay most of the winter. So, the plan was for all of them to have as many short longeing sessions as they needed before they were fit enough to ride.  Then we planned to saddle up and see what they’re ready for.  " Blue" Blue celebrated his 23rd birthday March 26th with carrots and Stud Muffins. He’s now officially the oldest guy in the barn.  Blue is still in very good condition and can benefit from some light work.  Saturday, I longed him at the walk in one direction and then we reversed directions. He went around twice then took himself into a trot then down to the walk, stopped and came in to tell me, “that’s a wrap for today, lady.”  You gotta love him. He probably thought I forgot to longe the trot in the first direction, so he’d have to do it for me. I think he figures I could use some advanced schooling and he’s just the guy to show me how! I did take him for a walk around the arena and although he’s always good…well mostly good…he just didn’t seem to be into being ridden.  He’s got a bit of a stubborn streak and he put it to full use in counter bending and no steering.  I didn’t push it and we had a short ride.  I think he doesn’t mind longeing for a few minutes and he likes being groomed but he seems to want to punch his retirement card in my opinion.  We’ll have another discussion about it soon. Blue & Rosie are inseparable, she's kind of a stalker, she won't leave his side 'Rosie" Rosie has been doing very well with her get in shape program.  She’s been walking and trotting with energy and seems eager to get back to work.  She even took herself into a short canter on the longe. So I decided to ride her at the walk  a few times around the arena and she’s been a super star.  I’m also trying to get myself back in riding shape so I’ve been positioning myself in a half-seat at the walk before we even think about trotting again.  Rosie’s not the only one who could use a little conditioning after this winter! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy and we can all get back to not living in a bad “B” movie sooner than later.  Quote For Today Life is short.  Hug your horse.... [Read more]

So I posted this earlier today and thanks to some commenters in the know I was happy to hear that this is a false alarm.  It was originally posted in 2011 and all the horses were adopted. Apparently, it makes the rounds on a regular basis and they've added the covid crisis to it. Can't wrap my head around why someone would do this but I guess it takes all kinds in this crazy world. Sorry for the misinformation. A friend of mine sent me this piece she saw on Facebook today.  I don’t know who this person is and I don’t have Facebook.  I have no idea if re-posting this is allowed or not. If it isn’t I’ll take it down if I have to.  If anyone were interested in helping these horses I would guess you could call the number below.  It’s a shame, but unfortunately in a crisis this is what happens to horses that people don’t want or can no longer care for. It is sad and a shame that these beautiful animals have to pay the ultimate price with their lives.  I know many lesson horses are also facing being slaughtered because they can no longer pull their weight and make money for their barns.  Here’s the post if anyone is interested: FREE HORSES!!!! 52 thoroughbred horses need homes. Will go to Sugarcreek this Sat. for slaughter. Gentleman died due to COVID-19 and his son wants nothing to do with them. Most broodmares are broke and some are in foal weanling, yearlings, 2 yrs. and 3 yrs. old most are gelded. FREE and papered. Friend of the deceased is trying to find homes. (757) 337-4878 Barnesville, OH. I would hate to see all these horses put down. PLEASE someone help they are FREE and papered!!!!!!!!... [Read more]

" The Geese" No idea what they're all looking at in the hay field next door but I'm sure it's very interesting "Where have you been? Don't you know it's cold and snowing out here!" " Come on step it up" Waiting for Dinner Blue taking a break in the sun today They've got a rough life Blue always makes me smile, what a character! And, that's a wrap, he's out for the count Quote for Today Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.... [Read more]

" Erik " I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed spending time with family and friends.  We celebrated with family and extended family on Christmas Eve.  It’s always nice to have everyone together and catch up with them.  Now that the holidays are over and we’re heading for a new year I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and extend a wish that all you hope to achieve in the new year becomes a reality for you. The thought occurred to me that in the current times in this country we need to be grateful for family and friends who make us laugh and love each other no matter what’s happening in the world.  I was very touched with a gift my ten year old granddaughter made for me.  She is such a thoughtful and sweet girl.  A while ago I mentioned that I would like to someday have a painting of my first horse Erik. She took one of my favorite pictures of him and surprised me with a painting of him on Christmas Eve.  She did it in pastels in art class and really worked hard on it.  My other granddaughter baked a special apple cake and cookies and the boys made their version of homemade soap.  Everything was made with love and I’m a very lucky Grandma to have such wonderful grand kids and a lucky Mom to have my children grown into successful caring adults.  So that’s what I’m thankful for in my life.  I’m sure we can all find things to be grateful for and look for the good in our lives.  It might sound a little kum ba yah but in these uncertain times I’m going to try to look for the bright side of things in the coming year. Quote for Today    I get up every morning both determined to change the world and have one hell of a good time.  Sometimes this makes planning the day difficult. E.B.White... [Read more]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB9otXaM032I_Dd59zS8HfG2cjw3n-gxeC0J6wW_3fLFF_C1I3p5jYvqD8qvfNzjfsQzDnkwlQJffr89rV1s7ix3ssfReecgC-sZgde_SlDUAyAL57_3Wj6F50vufANKG86m9IJpljUk/s1600/herd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB9otXaM032I_Dd59zS8HfG2cjw3n-gxeC0J6wW_3fLFF_C1I3p5jYvqD8qvfNzjfsQzDnkwlQJffr89rV1s7ix3ssfReecgC-sZgde_SlDUAyAL57_3Wj6F50vufANKG86m9IJpljUk/s640/herd.jpg" width="480" /></a></div> <br />... [Read more]

The month of September is winding down and we’re hopefully going to start getting some autumn like temps.  The trees are just starting to turn and the days seem to be getting a bit shorter.  I’m looking forward to more riding with no bugs and a lot less sweating! It seems every September Blue develops an abscess in his right hoof.  When he was barely hobbling around on three legs I called the vet to come out and have a look at him.  She pulled his shoe and used the hoof testers and confirmed ,yet again, it was an abscess.  She also took a Cushing's blood test on him, he’s now 22 yrs. old, and that came back negative and within range for this time of year.  So that was a good outcome.  In the meantime I had to soak his foot everyday for a few hours and then I put an animalintex on it and vet-wrapped it and then put a boot on him.  He stayed in or wandered around close to the barn while I was mucking stalls and doing the barn chores.  This lasted for three days until he was feeling good enough to trot the fence and call for the rest of the herd that had deserted him.  I finally just let him out with them. He’d do a lot less damage to himself if he just stood around grazing with the herd than making himself crazy trotting and calling them. It all worked out fine, he knew enough to take it easy.  Blue is a bit of a drama queen when he’s injured so I’m sure once he reached the herd he told them just how miserable he was feeling and berated them for flat- leaving him in his hour of need. The vet showed me a good trick for soaking his foot.  Most of you probably know about this but in case you don’t here goes:  You use an old IV bag (the vet gave me a few)  put cotton in the bottom, then warm water about half way full, then Epsom Salt and Betadine. Shake it up, put the hoof in long ways and pleat/fold it over in the back then tape it up with some very sticky vet tape.  Leave the hoof soak for a few hours and remove it.  Then animalintex, vet wrap and a boot.  It works wonders in a few days. I also had to stop giving him his Equiox until the abscess blew out because that or Bute would slow down the healing process.  Here are some pictures of the hoof soaking: This worked really well I’m happy to report that Blue is doing well now and is still wearing his boot and keeping it on (mostly) until the farrier comes in a few weeks.  His heels are a bit sore but the boot comes off at night to let him air out a bit.  So hopefully, there won’t be any more abscesses until his next yearly September one. Quote for Today Give a horse what he needs and he will give you his heart in return.... [Read more]

Blue & Rosie As the summer draws to an end, thought I’d do a quick update.  This summer was brutally hot and humid and we didn’t get much work done with the horses.  It was too hot to work them and they were as miserable as we were.  I did get in a few rides on Rosie and Blue very early in the morning around 6:30, before the barn had to be cleaned. Rosie has had a few hacks around the farm under saddle.  She’s a good girl, not really spooky at all.  When she does come upon something she’s not quite sure of, she simply plants her feet and refuses to move until she figures out that the gremlins won’t attack her.  A few gentle squeezes and she sighs and moves on.  After my horse Erik, I’ll take it!  Anything is better than a spin and bolt. She’s really improving in her gaits, too.  Her trot is lovely when she brings her front end up and tracks up with her rear foot into her front footprints.  I didn’t know she had it in her, but I’m pleased she does.  Her canter isn’t bad, but it is still off-balance and her legs sort of do that egg-beater thing as she canters around.  We’re working on it and she’s coming along.  We found out that she’s a superstar at free longeing, too.  One piece at a time and plenty of time to get there because we’re in no hurry and want to take it slow with her. Rosie -Free Longeing Rosie was drawing a crowd of admirers "Keep your head down Grady or we're next!" Blue continues to be …well, Blue.  Instead of riding him, we thought we’d give him a break and longe him one day.  Well, Blue walked around twice, took himself into a trot once around, then took himself into a canter for once around and stopped and walked over to get his pets and basically say “I’m done!” When he was unhooked from the longe he took himself into the barn and stood by the tack room door.  He knows after work everyone gets a carrot and stud muffin with a peppermint.  You just can’t argue with an opinionated horse that’s smarter than you! Blue after a grueling ten minutes of self - longeing Grady " Um, you know you're drinking from the wrong side of the fence right?" " So what's your point" Quote for Today It is difficult to explain ones love for horses, it cannot be explained, it is simply felt!... [Read more]

It’s probably about time I did a review on the grazing muzzles we purchased and have been using for some of the chubbier herd members.  The grazing muzzle we thought would work the best is Harmany Muzzle.   Here is part of the ad for Harmany Muzzles: "The Harmany Muzzle is designed to be open and airy, allowing better ventilation for the horse while still slowing his forage intake. Instead of nylon webbing which can absorb moisture and then mold or mildew, the Harmany muzzle is a medical-grade plastic containing kevlar fibers: the plastic will not splinter or snap to produce sharp edges (though horses can eventually chew through it like a conventional muzzle — Dr. Harman is looking into solutions for that problem.) At the end of the day, the entire muzzle can be hosed down or washed with soap and water and easily dried: no more worries about your horse breathing in mold!”   Here are some pictures of Blue & Sami with their muzzles when they were new a while ago:                                                                                                     They don’t wear them everyday just mostly in the Spring or when it looks like a few less calories might be needed. Even though they are lighter and airier than the traditional nylon and rubber bucket-like muzzles, personally, I don’t think they work as well.  We adjusted them correctly for each horse and they seem to be able to get out of them relatively easily.  A few weeks ago Blue came in and was sporting it underneath his chin, modeling the latest fashion in "muzzle wear." He somehow got it down so he could get his full share of the grass.  Rosie came in one day with it wedged between her upper lip and gums.  That was painful looking and interesting extricating her from it. Good thing she’s a calm mare and let me help her. Now for Sami, he rarely gets himself in trouble and is basically a gentle guy but he managed to come in with a broken muzzle too. Now for the pictures: I didn’t get one of Rosie because my first thought was to help her get this mess out of her mouth. Sami’s I just hung on the door after getting it off him: The one side completely cracked off this muzzle leaving sharp edges which I wasn't thrilled about. However, I did get a few pictures of Blue as he was standing in the paddock shortly after I turned him out and giving me a look as if to say “ Do you see this piece of crap and what are you going to do about it!”  " I can't believe this happened, it was my favorite!" " Mr. Innocent" Kevlar my A$$! It might stop a bullet but Blue is going to need something a lot tougher! To be fair while I was lunging Rosie in the top ring I did spy him grinding it on the huge salt block we have in the paddock. I'll give it a slight benefit of the doubt maybe that might account for the breakage.  If he didn’t grind it on the block he would have figured something else out.  I have no idea how Sami's broke but I know he wasn't abusing it.  The point is that I don’t think they’re very sturdy and they're not cheap in price either.  So for now it’s back to the bucket muzzles as I call them. Rosie looks thrilled doesn’t she.  We have to convince Sami every morning that it's a good idea to get his on. He doesn't agree but luckily his good buddy Hanz helps him take it off once in a while by pulling at the velcro fasteners and leaving it in the fields for the muzzle and fly mask search parties… Quote for Today Because of you, I laugh a little harder, cry a little less and smile a little more.... [Read more]

' Rosie ' The vet was here Friday morning for the last round of vaccinations and I got the final test results for Rosie on her PSSM blood test.  It was negative.  So that’s 2 negatives after the first one was positive.  He said it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have it, he’s still suspicious that she might have it because of the first test.  The only way to be totally sure is to do a muscle biopsy, which I’m not going to do.  He suggested the best thing to do is to keep her on the PSSM diet and exercise regimen she’s on. So that’s what I’m going to do and see how it goes.  Personally, I think her first test came back positive because of her Lyme’s.  I think it could have affected the test.  She’s almost done with her doses of doxycycline and I’ll see how she seems when she’s totally finished with the medication.  I’ve been longeing her lightly almost every day, just some easy walk and trot for a few minutes before she goes out.  Our herd goes out all day from around 7 a.m.-7p.m. or later some nights.  They travel back and forth from the front to back fields which cover around 30 acres up and down hills so she’s getting plenty of exercise during the day. She’s also sporting a grazing muzzle to cut down on her consumption of grass, which she resents when I put it on her in the morning.  Like I used to hate it when my mother told me “ It’s for your own good” I’m sure she doesn’t care one bit when I tell her the same thing. Quote for Today Love means attention, which means looking after the things we love.... [Read more]