For the first time in nearly two months the planets aligned, the mud cooperated and the sun gleamed golden in an azure sky and I was able to ride.
Oh, the feeling of pure joy attained after so long an absence, even with the silly boy antics tossed at me by the big gray guy. Emotionally and mentally I can always tell when I've gone too long without riding. I feel down in the dumps, like something in my life is missing and the weight of the world on my shoulders. One ride, good or not so good, is all it takes to lift me up again, to remind my soul that yes, I can soar with eagles when I climb astride my horse.
I only rode for about 45 minutes after lungeing the big goof ball for about 20 minutes. He performed several airs above ground, shimmied, ducked, bucked and twisted in the air, both on the line and with me in the saddle. Which, in an oddly demented way, was quite exhilarating to ride. I think I even whooped and laughed a few times as he was getting the ants out of his pants. Which I wouldn't have done if I hadn't been able to stick to the saddle and landed face-first in the frozen mud instead. I'm sure it would have been far less exciting if I had to wipe the mud off my face and catch my horse after such silliness on his part.
Life is good again. I'm ready for spring, longer days and grooming copious amounts of shedding hair from my fuzzy critters.
A video of the beasties enjoying the snow last weekend...that leap and spin performed by Gabe? Yeah, pretty sure I rode one eerily similar last night. Chief's lookin' pretty darn spry for a 25-year-old arthritic dude isn't he?
Sorry about the dang black speck in the video...there is a speck of something in the housing of my camera...a non-removable housing. I have to send it in to have it removed and I just haven't had the extra $$ laying around to get it done. :(
Showing posts with label silliness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label silliness. Show all posts
Monday, January 3, 2011
Friday, October 29, 2010
My little helper...
Not!
Accomplishing farm tasks, in the pasture, is pretty darn near impossible with Gabe sticking his nose up in my business the entire time.
But I don't mind so much, not really. Even as much as I complain and call him all kinds of names during his nosiness, I kind of like that he chooses to be with me when I'm in the pasture and not the other horses.
He's not TOO pushy. Definitely not rude or scary. Just....curious, as all good horses should be.
Hmm...what have we here? A bucket of stuff? What's the stuff? Can I eat it?
What do you mean there are no peppermints here? Really? You're kidding right?
Oooh...this is yummy! Yes, the brute left teeth marks on the drill. He's like a baby...everything goes in his mouth at some point. I have to be extra diligent about keeping noxious/poisonous weeds out of the pastures because the dang fool has been witnessed EATING THEM!
Have hammer, will travel! He has been known to clock me in the head with the hammer...and has hit himself with it once or twice. I don't know what his deal is, but once he has it in his teeth he like to swing it around.
I did manage to get the gate up...took probably twice as long as it should have and it hangs a bit crooked...but it's up nonetheless! Thanks for your help, big guy!
Accomplishing farm tasks, in the pasture, is pretty darn near impossible with Gabe sticking his nose up in my business the entire time.
But I don't mind so much, not really. Even as much as I complain and call him all kinds of names during his nosiness, I kind of like that he chooses to be with me when I'm in the pasture and not the other horses.
He's not TOO pushy. Definitely not rude or scary. Just....curious, as all good horses should be.
Hmm...what have we here? A bucket of stuff? What's the stuff? Can I eat it?
What do you mean there are no peppermints here? Really? You're kidding right? 
Oooh...this is yummy! Yes, the brute left teeth marks on the drill. He's like a baby...everything goes in his mouth at some point. I have to be extra diligent about keeping noxious/poisonous weeds out of the pastures because the dang fool has been witnessed EATING THEM! 
Have hammer, will travel! He has been known to clock me in the head with the hammer...and has hit himself with it once or twice. I don't know what his deal is, but once he has it in his teeth he like to swing it around. I did manage to get the gate up...took probably twice as long as it should have and it hangs a bit crooked...but it's up nonetheless! Thanks for your help, big guy!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Helpful hooves and busy lips
Gabe is an incredibly helpful guy. If he had thumbs, he'd be right up in the thick of things, getting it done.
Oh. Wait. He already is.
He likes to be right. there. with you, either resting his chin on your back or trying to operate the tools himself.
See how helpful he is, trying to assist Kayleigh in her poisonous weed digging efforts?
Hey, little human, gimme that shovel! I'll show you how it's done! He did try to snatch that shovel from her a few times and try as she might, she couldn't even bodily shove him away.
He's always been a helpful ham. When the run-ins were under construction, he'd casually wander over and steal tools...drills, hammers, a box of screws, whatever he could get his teeth on and take off with. As irritating as it can be, it sure makes hard work a little lighter.
The last big job of getting the fence done involved hand-digging a three foot deep hole to sink and concrete in a 6"x8' post to hang the gate from. I loaded up my little utility wagon with all the supplies: Post hole digger, shovel, concrete, post, level, measuring tape and a 5-gallon bucket of water to set the concrete.
Of course, my big man was over there right up in my business, making a gigantic mess of my neat pile of dirt by digging around in it. He kept trying to steal the post hole digger from me and snatched the level at least once.
Then, that great big snot drank my entire bucket of water. He stood there as I was laboring and sweating and swearing at the hole I was digging and that sneaky, sneaky turd drank all my water! Last thing I wanted to do was trek all the way back to the house to fetch more, but, of course I did. I swore I was going to make HIM do it and called him all sorts of lovely names while giving him neck scritches.
Gate posts must be as straight as possible or the gates hang funny and don't swing right. So, I dropped that post into the hole, dumped a little dry concrete in there to hold it in place a bit better and broke out my level to get that sucker as straight as possible.
And Gabe, once again, had to help. Level against the post I'd shift it ever so slightly one way or the other, intently watching to make sure that magic bubble lined up precisely. I'd get it juuuussttt right and here comes his big nose to shove the post where he sees it more fit to be.
Grrr...what should have taken a 1/2 hour to complete took over an hour because of his oh-so helpful nature.
Don't get me wrong, I love the big guy to pieces, but he seriously makes a simple job so much more complicated! If I'd loved him any less he would have been dodging the dirt clods aimed at his nosy rump rather than seeking scratches and resting his head on my shoulder where he'd sigh deeply and try to sneak the tools out of my hands.
Oh. Wait. He already is.
He likes to be right. there. with you, either resting his chin on your back or trying to operate the tools himself.
See how helpful he is, trying to assist Kayleigh in her poisonous weed digging efforts?
Hey, little human, gimme that shovel! I'll show you how it's done! He did try to snatch that shovel from her a few times and try as she might, she couldn't even bodily shove him away. He's always been a helpful ham. When the run-ins were under construction, he'd casually wander over and steal tools...drills, hammers, a box of screws, whatever he could get his teeth on and take off with. As irritating as it can be, it sure makes hard work a little lighter.
The last big job of getting the fence done involved hand-digging a three foot deep hole to sink and concrete in a 6"x8' post to hang the gate from. I loaded up my little utility wagon with all the supplies: Post hole digger, shovel, concrete, post, level, measuring tape and a 5-gallon bucket of water to set the concrete.
Of course, my big man was over there right up in my business, making a gigantic mess of my neat pile of dirt by digging around in it. He kept trying to steal the post hole digger from me and snatched the level at least once.
Then, that great big snot drank my entire bucket of water. He stood there as I was laboring and sweating and swearing at the hole I was digging and that sneaky, sneaky turd drank all my water! Last thing I wanted to do was trek all the way back to the house to fetch more, but, of course I did. I swore I was going to make HIM do it and called him all sorts of lovely names while giving him neck scritches.
Gate posts must be as straight as possible or the gates hang funny and don't swing right. So, I dropped that post into the hole, dumped a little dry concrete in there to hold it in place a bit better and broke out my level to get that sucker as straight as possible.
And Gabe, once again, had to help. Level against the post I'd shift it ever so slightly one way or the other, intently watching to make sure that magic bubble lined up precisely. I'd get it juuuussttt right and here comes his big nose to shove the post where he sees it more fit to be.
Grrr...what should have taken a 1/2 hour to complete took over an hour because of his oh-so helpful nature.
Don't get me wrong, I love the big guy to pieces, but he seriously makes a simple job so much more complicated! If I'd loved him any less he would have been dodging the dirt clods aimed at his nosy rump rather than seeking scratches and resting his head on my shoulder where he'd sigh deeply and try to sneak the tools out of my hands.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Where have all the cowboys gone? Or...why isn't this mare working more often?!
I really wanted to ride Thursday night but wasn't up to dealing with Gabe's usual antics.
You know how sometimes you just want to go along for the ride, not have to work for the ride? That's the kind of mood I was in. I didn't feel like working for the ride, I simply wanted to go out and plug along and enjoy some quiet time in the woods all by myself, just me and the horse. No muss, no fuss. No antics.
So, I hauled Calypso out of the pasture, knocked off the mud (and a considerable amount of hair!) and took her out, imagining a nice, relaxed amble through the woods to enjoy the birds, the golden sunset and inhaling the scents of freshly blooming spring flowers.
But I totally forgot she hasn't been ridden since the beginning of November, and hadn't been ridden a whole lot before that, either. I would guess she got MAYBE ten rides all last year, and that's being generous. It was almost like she forgot everything she's learned! She was a head-in-the-air giraffe horse, taking quick little short, mincing trot steps (on a trot that is already like sitting on a pogo stick) and iffy on the halts and steering.
It's the short-backed, steep-shouldered, steep-pasterned, toed-in little quarter horses with the jaw-jarring trots that remind me why I love my long-legged, slope-shouldered, smooth-striding Thoroughbred so very much. It's shocks vs no-shocks on a rough brick road.
The neighbor's peacocks freaked her out a bit. She did not like that colorful fan-tail heading towards her AT ALL and let me know in no uncertain terms that she didn't trust the horse-eating peafowl and would leave the vicinity if provoked at all. Unlike Gabe's fast, sideways "I'm outta here!" spooks, Calypso's cutting horse blood kicks in and she drops her entire body about 6", rocks back on her hocks and tenses her entire body, ready to flee out from under me if needed. Despite her craptacular trot, that mare can spin on a dime and teleport sideways when she feels like it.
A relaxed ride it was not. I did not enjoy the birds. I did not smell the flowers. I cursed the setting sun for being behind the peacocks to make them more frightening.
But I got her to relax and drop that head a bit. The trot became a bit less bone-jarring by the time I headed for home. I worked on starting the tune-up process to remind her that her job in this life is to just amble along, not act like a child hopped up on Twinkies and cake. That's her only job. She doesn't have to know anything more than go, turn and stop. Oh, sure, I've thrown a couple other things on her just for shits and grins, she can spin (albeit a slow, easy one, but a spin it is!), sidepass, leg yield, turn on the haunches, shoulder in and neck rein, but she doesn't NEED to know all that.
She just needs to be a safe, quiet trail horse who won't give peacocks a passing glance. Guess I need to get my butt in gear and remind her of her job before my husband puts his butt back in the saddle this summer.
You know how sometimes you just want to go along for the ride, not have to work for the ride? That's the kind of mood I was in. I didn't feel like working for the ride, I simply wanted to go out and plug along and enjoy some quiet time in the woods all by myself, just me and the horse. No muss, no fuss. No antics.
So, I hauled Calypso out of the pasture, knocked off the mud (and a considerable amount of hair!) and took her out, imagining a nice, relaxed amble through the woods to enjoy the birds, the golden sunset and inhaling the scents of freshly blooming spring flowers.
But I totally forgot she hasn't been ridden since the beginning of November, and hadn't been ridden a whole lot before that, either. I would guess she got MAYBE ten rides all last year, and that's being generous. It was almost like she forgot everything she's learned! She was a head-in-the-air giraffe horse, taking quick little short, mincing trot steps (on a trot that is already like sitting on a pogo stick) and iffy on the halts and steering.
It's the short-backed, steep-shouldered, steep-pasterned, toed-in little quarter horses with the jaw-jarring trots that remind me why I love my long-legged, slope-shouldered, smooth-striding Thoroughbred so very much. It's shocks vs no-shocks on a rough brick road.
The neighbor's peacocks freaked her out a bit. She did not like that colorful fan-tail heading towards her AT ALL and let me know in no uncertain terms that she didn't trust the horse-eating peafowl and would leave the vicinity if provoked at all. Unlike Gabe's fast, sideways "I'm outta here!" spooks, Calypso's cutting horse blood kicks in and she drops her entire body about 6", rocks back on her hocks and tenses her entire body, ready to flee out from under me if needed. Despite her craptacular trot, that mare can spin on a dime and teleport sideways when she feels like it.
A relaxed ride it was not. I did not enjoy the birds. I did not smell the flowers. I cursed the setting sun for being behind the peacocks to make them more frightening.
But I got her to relax and drop that head a bit. The trot became a bit less bone-jarring by the time I headed for home. I worked on starting the tune-up process to remind her that her job in this life is to just amble along, not act like a child hopped up on Twinkies and cake. That's her only job. She doesn't have to know anything more than go, turn and stop. Oh, sure, I've thrown a couple other things on her just for shits and grins, she can spin (albeit a slow, easy one, but a spin it is!), sidepass, leg yield, turn on the haunches, shoulder in and neck rein, but she doesn't NEED to know all that.
She just needs to be a safe, quiet trail horse who won't give peacocks a passing glance. Guess I need to get my butt in gear and remind her of her job before my husband puts his butt back in the saddle this summer.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Mmmm...tasty!
Mr. Gabe is super mouthy, I've mentioned that before. He's almost like a teething toddler...must have something in his mouth all the time. Yesterday he tore a huge hole in the seat of my tractor while I was cleaning his run-in. Most of the time he limits himself to chewing on the rubber tires, but noooo....the seat was his victim instead.
He used to be very, very wiggly while tied, then, he discovered he could gnaw on the rope during grooming and tacking and he stands much, much better.
It starts with lip wiggles on the rope and tentative testing with the tongue:
Quickly it goes from testing to active, slobber-inducing tasting:
Most days he inhales a huge loop of rope up into his maw to gnaw on it with his molars. This time, he is content with mouthing and licking it:
He spends a lot of time trying to get the rope INTO his mouth. I think that's part of the challenge of the game for him, just staying busy. He's one of those horses who I think would really benefit from one of those pony pop licky things you can mount in their stalls.
Some horses have the head to really show off a fine figure-8 to it's fullest. I personally love the look of a figure-8 on a fine-looking horse head. I think Gabe pulls the look off well!
Isn't he a handsome guy? I'm pretty sure he knows it, too.
He used to be very, very wiggly while tied, then, he discovered he could gnaw on the rope during grooming and tacking and he stands much, much better.
It starts with lip wiggles on the rope and tentative testing with the tongue:
Quickly it goes from testing to active, slobber-inducing tasting:
Most days he inhales a huge loop of rope up into his maw to gnaw on it with his molars. This time, he is content with mouthing and licking it:
He spends a lot of time trying to get the rope INTO his mouth. I think that's part of the challenge of the game for him, just staying busy. He's one of those horses who I think would really benefit from one of those pony pop licky things you can mount in their stalls.
Some horses have the head to really show off a fine figure-8 to it's fullest. I personally love the look of a figure-8 on a fine-looking horse head. I think Gabe pulls the look off well!
Isn't he a handsome guy? I'm pretty sure he knows it, too.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Rip-roaring good times
I know spring is very close. Shhh...don't scare her away! I think missus spring is a wee bit shy as she just starts peeking her pretty little head out over the brown, tortured wasteland of winter. Give her time, she'll be fully present before we know it!
With spring comes shedding. And my three are shedding like mad. Piles and piles of gray hair from Gabe, white hair from Chief, dark brown from Calypso. Odd that Chief's spots always shed first, before the rest of his body does and even after shedding, those spots seem to be a thicker, coarser hair than the sorrel ones.
And I know spring is near because we have a mare and she is in full-blown hussy mode. Hooo boy! She is teasing those poor boys mercilessly, and making a mess of the run-in and her tail while she's at it. She's like a hormone-enraged high school girl: "Come here, big boy!" *cuddle cuddle* "NO! Go away!" *SQUEAL! KICK!* "Wait! I didn't mean it! Come back! Please!" *low, soft nicker* "HA! KIDDING! GO AWAY!" *SQUEAL! KICK!*
I was watching their antics a couple of days ago and had to chuckle when she backed up to the fence between her paddock and Gabe's. He was nipping her butt and Chief was making ugly faces at him (she's HIS girl and he makes no secret about it.) Then...that big gray snot grabbed Calypso's tail with his teeth, close to the dock and refused to let go! Calypso seemed quite shocked that she couldn't move forward when she'd decided she'd had enough of his nuzzling and affections. She contorted her plump little body around and nipped his face and took off running when he freed her tail. Who knew that stout little Quarter horse was so flexible? I never would have imagined she could twist her body around quite so effectively.
And all three started tearing around the paddocks like their tails were on fire...ripping around corners, bucking up the long side and sliding to a stop only to start all over again. They were all snorting and breathing hard and sweating by the time they wore the goofies out.
Silly, happy, frisky beasts.
Hello spring! Come on out...we're more than ready to welcome you back!
With spring comes shedding. And my three are shedding like mad. Piles and piles of gray hair from Gabe, white hair from Chief, dark brown from Calypso. Odd that Chief's spots always shed first, before the rest of his body does and even after shedding, those spots seem to be a thicker, coarser hair than the sorrel ones.
And I know spring is near because we have a mare and she is in full-blown hussy mode. Hooo boy! She is teasing those poor boys mercilessly, and making a mess of the run-in and her tail while she's at it. She's like a hormone-enraged high school girl: "Come here, big boy!" *cuddle cuddle* "NO! Go away!" *SQUEAL! KICK!* "Wait! I didn't mean it! Come back! Please!" *low, soft nicker* "HA! KIDDING! GO AWAY!" *SQUEAL! KICK!*
I was watching their antics a couple of days ago and had to chuckle when she backed up to the fence between her paddock and Gabe's. He was nipping her butt and Chief was making ugly faces at him (she's HIS girl and he makes no secret about it.) Then...that big gray snot grabbed Calypso's tail with his teeth, close to the dock and refused to let go! Calypso seemed quite shocked that she couldn't move forward when she'd decided she'd had enough of his nuzzling and affections. She contorted her plump little body around and nipped his face and took off running when he freed her tail. Who knew that stout little Quarter horse was so flexible? I never would have imagined she could twist her body around quite so effectively.
And all three started tearing around the paddocks like their tails were on fire...ripping around corners, bucking up the long side and sliding to a stop only to start all over again. They were all snorting and breathing hard and sweating by the time they wore the goofies out.
Silly, happy, frisky beasts.
Hello spring! Come on out...we're more than ready to welcome you back!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Bubble wrap and boo-boos
Some days I truly believe we should just wrap all the horses in bubble wrap and keep them closed up tightly in padded stalls.
They do manage to break themselves, don't they? How they managed to survive saber-tooth tigers and an ice age I'll never know.
So, we've had insane amounts of mud since September. It has not been dry at all for about six months. Ugh. My pasture (the nice, big 10-acre one) has been far too soggy to let the horses out on for a couple of months. When it freezes good and hard, I can let them out for awhile without worrying they'll destroy all the grass out there. On Tuesday it was frozen enough to grant them their freedom for the day.
They all acted like they have been cooped up in little 12X12 stalls for months. The bucking, farting, rearing, racing, skidding, rolling, biting, kicking and all-around craziness was incredible to watch. These horses aren't kept cooped up. During the winter they live in paddocks that are just over an acre each. But as soon as you turn them out, they go nutso.
And Gabe managed to twist an ankle during his shenanigans. Silly boy. It didn't blow up like a ripe cantelope until the morning after the big play day. His front ankle (fetlock) is hot, swollen and a touch tender.
Thank goodness I'm fastidious about giving all the horses a once over every morning and evening. I check eyes, noses, gums (for capillary refill and color), legs, joints, body and attitude twice a day. It's a habit I picked up a long, long time ago when I worked at a barn that required me to take twice daily temps and do complete body checks of 20 horses. It's a habit that has served me well for catching injuries and illness quickly. I know my horses. I know when they are feeling crappy, depressed or have little injuries that need tending.
And I knew immediately he had pushed himself a bit too far the day before and was paying the price for it. So, I wrapped him up in a standing wrap, tossed a bute tab in his feed and left for work.
I also know how to wrap a standing wrap. I'm dang good at it and have wrapped THOUSANDS of legs without any problems.
But apparently I've never wrapped a horse quite as inquisitive and determined as good ole Gabe.
He managed to completed remove the quilt and shred it. The standing wrap was still intact, perfectly wrapped exactly as I had left it. I know he stood there all day long with his teeth on the quilt, tugging and working that sucker loose. I can just imagine the joy that raced through his silly little mind when he was finally able to yank it free and play with it.
Last night he got re-wrapped with vet wrap and NO quilt! The booger. He still had it on this morning but I could see where he'd been working at it with his teeth and lips. I swear...that horse...
The ankle looks much, much better this morning. The swelling and heat is almost completely gone and it's looking less like a cantelope and more like a fetlock. I don't like keeping them on bute for very long, so I switched him to aspirin for today and tomorrow. After that, he should be just fine.
It's always something, isn't it?
They do manage to break themselves, don't they? How they managed to survive saber-tooth tigers and an ice age I'll never know.
So, we've had insane amounts of mud since September. It has not been dry at all for about six months. Ugh. My pasture (the nice, big 10-acre one) has been far too soggy to let the horses out on for a couple of months. When it freezes good and hard, I can let them out for awhile without worrying they'll destroy all the grass out there. On Tuesday it was frozen enough to grant them their freedom for the day.
They all acted like they have been cooped up in little 12X12 stalls for months. The bucking, farting, rearing, racing, skidding, rolling, biting, kicking and all-around craziness was incredible to watch. These horses aren't kept cooped up. During the winter they live in paddocks that are just over an acre each. But as soon as you turn them out, they go nutso.
And Gabe managed to twist an ankle during his shenanigans. Silly boy. It didn't blow up like a ripe cantelope until the morning after the big play day. His front ankle (fetlock) is hot, swollen and a touch tender.
Thank goodness I'm fastidious about giving all the horses a once over every morning and evening. I check eyes, noses, gums (for capillary refill and color), legs, joints, body and attitude twice a day. It's a habit I picked up a long, long time ago when I worked at a barn that required me to take twice daily temps and do complete body checks of 20 horses. It's a habit that has served me well for catching injuries and illness quickly. I know my horses. I know when they are feeling crappy, depressed or have little injuries that need tending.
And I knew immediately he had pushed himself a bit too far the day before and was paying the price for it. So, I wrapped him up in a standing wrap, tossed a bute tab in his feed and left for work.
I also know how to wrap a standing wrap. I'm dang good at it and have wrapped THOUSANDS of legs without any problems.
But apparently I've never wrapped a horse quite as inquisitive and determined as good ole Gabe.
He managed to completed remove the quilt and shred it. The standing wrap was still intact, perfectly wrapped exactly as I had left it. I know he stood there all day long with his teeth on the quilt, tugging and working that sucker loose. I can just imagine the joy that raced through his silly little mind when he was finally able to yank it free and play with it.
Last night he got re-wrapped with vet wrap and NO quilt! The booger. He still had it on this morning but I could see where he'd been working at it with his teeth and lips. I swear...that horse...
The ankle looks much, much better this morning. The swelling and heat is almost completely gone and it's looking less like a cantelope and more like a fetlock. I don't like keeping them on bute for very long, so I switched him to aspirin for today and tomorrow. After that, he should be just fine.
It's always something, isn't it?
Saturday, December 12, 2009
PDAs
The boys like to pretend they can't stand each other. When they know you're watching, Chief pins his ears at Gabe and Gabe tucks tail and runs.
But when they don't realize you're watching...
They are makin' kissy faces at each other. Silly boys!
*smoochy smoochy smoochy!*
Uh oh! She's watching us! Quick, run away!
(Please ignore the muddiness that is my horses. No matter how many times I groom them clean, they are back out there grinding it in again.)
But when they don't realize you're watching...
They are makin' kissy faces at each other. Silly boys!
*smoochy smoochy smoochy!*
Uh oh! She's watching us! Quick, run away!
(Please ignore the muddiness that is my horses. No matter how many times I groom them clean, they are back out there grinding it in again.)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Havin' a ball
Well, I finally got a new camera! Yay! I can once again take decent photos of my family and my critters.
Remember how I've mentioned how playful Gabe is? I think I've said something about it once or twice.
This is MY ball. Don't touch.
I love my ball. Ball! It's squishy and chewy. Ball!
Nom! Nom! Nom! Nom!
Hey! Come play with me! Please please please!
Dudes! Where you going? Get back here!!!! HEY! I'll share my ball! HEY! COME BACK!!!
*sigh* They left me. At least I'm handsome. I'll just stand by this gate and wait my turn to be let out into the pasture. They always get to go first. It's not fair. *sigh*
This is for my mom. PoPo and HoneyBaked. Quickly approaching goal weight for bacon, ham and chops.
Pigs and goats dig in to breakfast. The goats are PUSHY and like to steal the piggies food even though they have their own.
Remember how I've mentioned how playful Gabe is? I think I've said something about it once or twice.
This is MY ball. Don't touch.
I love my ball. Ball! It's squishy and chewy. Ball! 
Nom! Nom! Nom! Nom!
Hey! Come play with me! Please please please!
Dudes! Where you going? Get back here!!!! HEY! I'll share my ball! HEY! COME BACK!!!
*sigh* They left me. At least I'm handsome. I'll just stand by this gate and wait my turn to be let out into the pasture. They always get to go first. It's not fair. *sigh*
This is for my mom. PoPo and HoneyBaked. Quickly approaching goal weight for bacon, ham and chops. 
Pigs and goats dig in to breakfast. The goats are PUSHY and like to steal the piggies food even though they have their own.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Trail Ride #2 and tantrums
Ooh, I've been such a blogging slacker lately. Summer and extra work at work and all that business keeps me busy enough that the blog sometimes has to take a back seat.
But, I do have a bit to update.
Took Gabe out on his second trail ride over the weekend. We were out for about half an hour, maybe 45 mins., and he was fabulous! The scariest encounter on the trail was the trees branches smacking against my hard hat. Scary stuff! Scoot and snort and look around for the scary thing. I started grabbing every branch I could reach and smacking it against my helmet, against him when I could and shaking the trees as much as I could. He was pretty darn desensitized to them within 10 minutes. Good boy! I'm sure I looked bizarre smacking myself in the head with tree branches, but hey, it worked and I achieved my goal.
You know how each horse has it's quirk? Calypso likes to get in one really fast head-in-the-air trot around the ring and acts a little ADD before she'll settle down and work. Chief drags butt for the first five or 10 minutes of a ride before he resigns himself to work and picks it up.
Gabe...well, Gabe acts like a spoiled brat. For about 10 minutes, sometimes 15, at the beginning of our ride he acts like he doesn't know a thing and he throws a little toddler tantrum. It's almost like he's saying "Make me!" He crow hops, refusing to go forward, tossing his head around and squealing (yes, he squeals, just like a girl!), forgetting how to turn, refusing to go to the woodsy end of the ring, etc. He can be a complete shit, with his ears forward the entire time like he's really enjoying himself. It's like he's testing his limits and feels the need to test me just to make sure I really AM going to make him work. Then it all stops, like a switch turns off, and he's golden.
What a nut. I don't let him get away with much, but so far I'm not really fighting his need to be a moron, let off some steam, behave like a baby, I work him through it, wedging my way in there and asking for more and more and keeping him too busy to act too silly for too long until his brain clicks. Some horses need to be longed to take the edge off before a ride, Gabe needs to test his limits and push my buttons. He's not trying to get me off and he's definitely not hurting, he's just being a big goof. I've come to expect no less from him! *grin*
He is definitely a fun horse and really enjoys playing. He's popped several balls (he kneels on them or bites 'em until they deflate, then he plays with the flat ball.) So, I found these balls designed for horse play and I think I'm going to save my pennies and get him one. If you click the link, make sure to watch some of the videos...those horses are having FUN! And I really think Gabe will too.
But, I do have a bit to update.
Took Gabe out on his second trail ride over the weekend. We were out for about half an hour, maybe 45 mins., and he was fabulous! The scariest encounter on the trail was the trees branches smacking against my hard hat. Scary stuff! Scoot and snort and look around for the scary thing. I started grabbing every branch I could reach and smacking it against my helmet, against him when I could and shaking the trees as much as I could. He was pretty darn desensitized to them within 10 minutes. Good boy! I'm sure I looked bizarre smacking myself in the head with tree branches, but hey, it worked and I achieved my goal.
You know how each horse has it's quirk? Calypso likes to get in one really fast head-in-the-air trot around the ring and acts a little ADD before she'll settle down and work. Chief drags butt for the first five or 10 minutes of a ride before he resigns himself to work and picks it up.
Gabe...well, Gabe acts like a spoiled brat. For about 10 minutes, sometimes 15, at the beginning of our ride he acts like he doesn't know a thing and he throws a little toddler tantrum. It's almost like he's saying "Make me!" He crow hops, refusing to go forward, tossing his head around and squealing (yes, he squeals, just like a girl!), forgetting how to turn, refusing to go to the woodsy end of the ring, etc. He can be a complete shit, with his ears forward the entire time like he's really enjoying himself. It's like he's testing his limits and feels the need to test me just to make sure I really AM going to make him work. Then it all stops, like a switch turns off, and he's golden.
What a nut. I don't let him get away with much, but so far I'm not really fighting his need to be a moron, let off some steam, behave like a baby, I work him through it, wedging my way in there and asking for more and more and keeping him too busy to act too silly for too long until his brain clicks. Some horses need to be longed to take the edge off before a ride, Gabe needs to test his limits and push my buttons. He's not trying to get me off and he's definitely not hurting, he's just being a big goof. I've come to expect no less from him! *grin*
He is definitely a fun horse and really enjoys playing. He's popped several balls (he kneels on them or bites 'em until they deflate, then he plays with the flat ball.) So, I found these balls designed for horse play and I think I'm going to save my pennies and get him one. If you click the link, make sure to watch some of the videos...those horses are having FUN! And I really think Gabe will too.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Lazy days
Gabe has a new nickname: Mr. Lazy Pants.
Lounging around in the pasture and filling up on grass and clover and alfalfa all day must be hard work because when they come in for their night meal, he's seriously draggin' butt. It could be the weather, too: Hot and HUMID. The humidity is such an energy sapper for every one.
But I really think his Highness is feeling a bit worn out by the work it takes to be at the bottom of a herd, and his insatiable need to be a pest. This is the third week I've been able to turn all three out together as a herd and Gabe can be a bit overreactive. If Calypso turns her butt towards him, just turns, no threatening or warning, he's running to the other side of the pasture. If Chief lays his ears back at him, just a warning to back off a bit, not going after him, he's running to the other side of the pasture, flinging his head around and throwing a few bucks and squeals in there for good measure. I can't tell if he does it because he really is worried about getting kicked or if he's just using it as an excuse to run. He does like to run...when he's not being Mr. Lazy Pants.
He always runs back to his starting point, almost like he's saying "Ha! Ha! You can't catch me!" And they can't. Even though he's a track failure, he's MUCH faster than the other two butterballs and escapes teeth and feet every time. He hasn't a single mark on him, they just can't catch up to lay a tooth or a hoof on him. He has some amazing sliding stops and spins for a TB, that's for sure! My pastures aren't liking those sliding stops so much.
But he's a brat. Seriously, he's a giant, pestering brat and I really can't say I blame the other two for not putting up with his crap and giving him the stink eye when he comes near. I watched them this weekend and Gabe would creep up on one of the other two, slowly grazing his way towards them, watchful and wary, acting like la-tee-da, nothing going on over here, don't look at me, I'm just eating. Then, when he got close enough and the other horse was ignoring him and contentedly munching away, he'd reach out, nip the other on the butt, spin and take off running and bucking like a mad man while the other one whirled to find him already gone. He did it several times. He's like the bratty kid down the road who rings your doorbell then runs away.
I know he just wants them to play with him, but they aren't having any of it. I almost feel kind of bad for him because he's so playful and the other two, well, they just aren't. Chief is a Grumpy Old Man, and Calypso, she's just fat and not terribly athletic. It's easier to bury her head in the grass that *gasp!* trot or canter! But, I imagine he's having fun just pestering them or he wouldn't keep doing it.
Either that, or he's one of those horses who belongs on the short bus and takes a LONG time to figure things out. I really hope he's just having some fun!
Lounging around in the pasture and filling up on grass and clover and alfalfa all day must be hard work because when they come in for their night meal, he's seriously draggin' butt. It could be the weather, too: Hot and HUMID. The humidity is such an energy sapper for every one.
But I really think his Highness is feeling a bit worn out by the work it takes to be at the bottom of a herd, and his insatiable need to be a pest. This is the third week I've been able to turn all three out together as a herd and Gabe can be a bit overreactive. If Calypso turns her butt towards him, just turns, no threatening or warning, he's running to the other side of the pasture. If Chief lays his ears back at him, just a warning to back off a bit, not going after him, he's running to the other side of the pasture, flinging his head around and throwing a few bucks and squeals in there for good measure. I can't tell if he does it because he really is worried about getting kicked or if he's just using it as an excuse to run. He does like to run...when he's not being Mr. Lazy Pants.
He always runs back to his starting point, almost like he's saying "Ha! Ha! You can't catch me!" And they can't. Even though he's a track failure, he's MUCH faster than the other two butterballs and escapes teeth and feet every time. He hasn't a single mark on him, they just can't catch up to lay a tooth or a hoof on him. He has some amazing sliding stops and spins for a TB, that's for sure! My pastures aren't liking those sliding stops so much.
But he's a brat. Seriously, he's a giant, pestering brat and I really can't say I blame the other two for not putting up with his crap and giving him the stink eye when he comes near. I watched them this weekend and Gabe would creep up on one of the other two, slowly grazing his way towards them, watchful and wary, acting like la-tee-da, nothing going on over here, don't look at me, I'm just eating. Then, when he got close enough and the other horse was ignoring him and contentedly munching away, he'd reach out, nip the other on the butt, spin and take off running and bucking like a mad man while the other one whirled to find him already gone. He did it several times. He's like the bratty kid down the road who rings your doorbell then runs away.
I know he just wants them to play with him, but they aren't having any of it. I almost feel kind of bad for him because he's so playful and the other two, well, they just aren't. Chief is a Grumpy Old Man, and Calypso, she's just fat and not terribly athletic. It's easier to bury her head in the grass that *gasp!* trot or canter! But, I imagine he's having fun just pestering them or he wouldn't keep doing it.
Either that, or he's one of those horses who belongs on the short bus and takes a LONG time to figure things out. I really hope he's just having some fun!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Horses in the snow
Some vids of my horses livin' it up in the snow. I so need a new camera. And Gabe really needs to better learn the definition of my "personal space!"
The first one is almost two minutes. The tiny human you hear is my daughter, Kayleigh. If you listen closely you can hear the horses snorting and blowing at each other. Yes, you heard right. Kayleigh said Chief sounds like a Velociraptor when he blows. He kinda does!
The second one is a bit shorter. Yee haw! I wouldn't want to ride THOSE bucks! Do ya think my kid loves horses as much as I do? hehe!
The first one is almost two minutes. The tiny human you hear is my daughter, Kayleigh. If you listen closely you can hear the horses snorting and blowing at each other. Yes, you heard right. Kayleigh said Chief sounds like a Velociraptor when he blows. He kinda does!
The second one is a bit shorter. Yee haw! I wouldn't want to ride THOSE bucks! Do ya think my kid loves horses as much as I do? hehe!
Monday, February 2, 2009
My three kids
What a stellar day Sunday was! I got each horse ridden or worked and spent nearly my entire day outside in this unseasonably warm weather. Sunny and nearly 50! The snow was melting, the birds were singing, the sky was blue and the guys with the chainsaws were gone. A perfect day to take myself outside and get those wooly mammoth horses working.
I took Chief out first. While he is my daughter's horse, he needs an occasional tune-up to keep him honest. For the most part he's excellent for her, but sometimes, just sometimes, he gets full of himself and forgets how to turn when asked. I get on for a few sessions, remind him of his job and all is well. He was NOT happy about leaving Calypso and Gabe behind and those two certainly raised enough of a ruckus to remind him what he had left behind. We were out road riding for about 45 minutes, mostly at the walk since he isn't very fit at the moment. We saw dogs, peacocks and cows and a really loud ultralight flew over us. He eyeballed everything but was mostly well-behaved.
Then it was Calypso's turn. I haven't ridden her in a few weeks due to the crappy weather. She is barefoot at the moment and is one of those horses who has extremely sensitive feet so I try not to ride her if the ground is really hard. I'd leave her shod through the winter if I thought she'd be stable walking over the frozen ground and ice while wearing iron. She's not a very balanced, athletic or agile horse and I do think she'd go down if I left her walking on iron through the winter iciness, so, she goes barefoot and I don't ride her much while the ground is frozen.
She was a complete and total turd. I took her out on the road too, but in the opposite direction.
She kept trying to haul ass back home and walked very, very slowly away from the house. We went about 1.5 miles and turned around to come back. Holy moly! Instant energy! She couldn't remember how to walk...jigging with a giraffe neck was the only gait she knew! So we did lots of voltes. Lots and lots of voltes. All the way home. As long as she walked nicely (I'd even accept a fast walk...as long as it was a walk and not a jig, jog or trot) we'd walk straight. The moment she even thought about switching gears...BAM! Volte. Volte. Volte. Halt. Walk. Good girl. All the way home. What should have taken 20 mins. took nearly 45 mins. But, by the time we hit our driveway she was FINALLY walking nicely on a loose rein. So, she needs more regular work. I knew that. She is not one of those horses you can just pop back on after an extended vacation and all is good. She needs a couple of reminding sessions before all is good.
Finally, I worked Gabe. Obviously I'm not ready to take him out road riding yet and with the snow melting my riding area was a bit squishy. I didn't want to ride him in the squishiness, not after the other two were complete nut cases...I knew he'd be an even sillier nut case! So, he got lunged. He is also one of those who needs fairly regular work or he slips back. He played dumb to my voice commands for a few minutes then straightened up and behaved. We worked on voice commands (halt, walk, trot, reverse) and on keeping our circle round. He really likes to drift in towards me tracking right. I also adjusted the circle size from the end of the lunge line down to volte size and back out again to encourage him to stretch, balance, bend and carry himself, which he did.
Then, he decided to have a stupid moment. Down went the head, up went the heels. Buck, snort, kick, twist, leap, squeal. Did I mention the snow was melting and the ground was a bit squishy? Yup. A bit slippery, too. SMACK! Down he went flat onto his side with a grunt. He stayed flat for a microsecond and was back on his feet, staring at me. He had the gall to look at me like it was somehow MY fault he acted like an idiot and ended up on his butt! You know how sometimes you just have to let kids make mistakes so they learn from them? I have the same philosophy about horses. Gabe made a mistake and he realized it instantly. Whether he blames his fall on me or not, he ceased his rough housing and behaved like a perfect gentleman for the rest of our training session. He was even better behaved and listening nicely! He wasn't hurt, physically. I think his pride and ego were a bit dented, but he is fine. If he learned anything from that fall I hope he learned that HE is responsible for where he puts his feet and HE is responsible for making sure all four feet stay on the ground. And most of all, I hope he learned that goofing around like than on the lunge line is NOT acceptable.
It was a good day. I love how very different each of my horses are. Chief is the slow and steady senior with a bit of sass; Calypso is the ADD/ADHD worry wart and Gabriel is the over-confident teenager with "It wasn't MY FAULT!" issues.
I took Chief out first. While he is my daughter's horse, he needs an occasional tune-up to keep him honest. For the most part he's excellent for her, but sometimes, just sometimes, he gets full of himself and forgets how to turn when asked. I get on for a few sessions, remind him of his job and all is well. He was NOT happy about leaving Calypso and Gabe behind and those two certainly raised enough of a ruckus to remind him what he had left behind. We were out road riding for about 45 minutes, mostly at the walk since he isn't very fit at the moment. We saw dogs, peacocks and cows and a really loud ultralight flew over us. He eyeballed everything but was mostly well-behaved.
Then it was Calypso's turn. I haven't ridden her in a few weeks due to the crappy weather. She is barefoot at the moment and is one of those horses who has extremely sensitive feet so I try not to ride her if the ground is really hard. I'd leave her shod through the winter if I thought she'd be stable walking over the frozen ground and ice while wearing iron. She's not a very balanced, athletic or agile horse and I do think she'd go down if I left her walking on iron through the winter iciness, so, she goes barefoot and I don't ride her much while the ground is frozen.
She was a complete and total turd. I took her out on the road too, but in the opposite direction.
She kept trying to haul ass back home and walked very, very slowly away from the house. We went about 1.5 miles and turned around to come back. Holy moly! Instant energy! She couldn't remember how to walk...jigging with a giraffe neck was the only gait she knew! So we did lots of voltes. Lots and lots of voltes. All the way home. As long as she walked nicely (I'd even accept a fast walk...as long as it was a walk and not a jig, jog or trot) we'd walk straight. The moment she even thought about switching gears...BAM! Volte. Volte. Volte. Halt. Walk. Good girl. All the way home. What should have taken 20 mins. took nearly 45 mins. But, by the time we hit our driveway she was FINALLY walking nicely on a loose rein. So, she needs more regular work. I knew that. She is not one of those horses you can just pop back on after an extended vacation and all is good. She needs a couple of reminding sessions before all is good.
Finally, I worked Gabe. Obviously I'm not ready to take him out road riding yet and with the snow melting my riding area was a bit squishy. I didn't want to ride him in the squishiness, not after the other two were complete nut cases...I knew he'd be an even sillier nut case! So, he got lunged. He is also one of those who needs fairly regular work or he slips back. He played dumb to my voice commands for a few minutes then straightened up and behaved. We worked on voice commands (halt, walk, trot, reverse) and on keeping our circle round. He really likes to drift in towards me tracking right. I also adjusted the circle size from the end of the lunge line down to volte size and back out again to encourage him to stretch, balance, bend and carry himself, which he did.
Then, he decided to have a stupid moment. Down went the head, up went the heels. Buck, snort, kick, twist, leap, squeal. Did I mention the snow was melting and the ground was a bit squishy? Yup. A bit slippery, too. SMACK! Down he went flat onto his side with a grunt. He stayed flat for a microsecond and was back on his feet, staring at me. He had the gall to look at me like it was somehow MY fault he acted like an idiot and ended up on his butt! You know how sometimes you just have to let kids make mistakes so they learn from them? I have the same philosophy about horses. Gabe made a mistake and he realized it instantly. Whether he blames his fall on me or not, he ceased his rough housing and behaved like a perfect gentleman for the rest of our training session. He was even better behaved and listening nicely! He wasn't hurt, physically. I think his pride and ego were a bit dented, but he is fine. If he learned anything from that fall I hope he learned that HE is responsible for where he puts his feet and HE is responsible for making sure all four feet stay on the ground. And most of all, I hope he learned that goofing around like than on the lunge line is NOT acceptable.
It was a good day. I love how very different each of my horses are. Chief is the slow and steady senior with a bit of sass; Calypso is the ADD/ADHD worry wart and Gabriel is the over-confident teenager with "It wasn't MY FAULT!" issues.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The 6-foot menace
Robert called my horse a great big, toddling brat. More than once. He even threatened to sell him for glue. *gasp!* Poor Gabe was dubbed a turd, a brat, a rotten brat, a spoiled toddler and a snot.
Why would my big, sweet horse garner such awful monikers?
Because he was being all of the above.
We are building a new run-in shed in Gabe's paddock. Saturday Robert and Alexis (my teenager) meticulously measured and staked out the spot where the new run-in is to be built. Robert, who is becoming more and more a horse person every day, realized he couldn't leave the stakes out there in the paddock with Gabe and asked for suggestions to protect the beast from the stakes. I was impressed that he realized all kinds of awful things could happen to a horse left in a paddock with a bunch of wood stakes sticking out of the ground. I suggested inverting used gallon bleach bottles over the stakes to make them more visible and less dangerous.
I thought it was a pretty good idea. Robert and Alexis cut all the tops of the bottles so they would fit over the stakes, slipped a bottle over each stake and considered it good.
Gabe considered the whole thing a brand-new toy. Within minutes that big brat had every. single. bottle. pulled off the stakes and smashed. He smashed them flat with his teeth and with his feet. He tossed them around a bit and tossed them into the air. Once the bottles were flat and no longer fun, he proceeded to yank out every stake out of the ground and toss them willy-nilly around his paddock.
Oh, he had GREAT fun destroying all of their hard work! They were none too pleased with my big goof ball and the name-calling commenced. I think he even got called a steak at one point!
So, back out we went the next day to start on the run-in. Gabe would NOT leave us alone. He was in our faces, resting his head on our backs, nuzzling around in our hair, trying to grab sleeves and coats in his teeth and being a general pain in the butt. He even managed to steal a corner measure, a hammer and a level and take off with them, like a rotten little toddler. Do you have any idea how hard it is to swing a hammer when you have a horse right behind you trying to STEAL the hammer? Ugh.
So, that bugger got tossed out of his own paddock for being a way too curious big ole pain in the butt. I think he was a bit peeved that we kicked him off the playground and he threw a little bucking fit.
But I love him anyway. If he wasn't such a turd, he wouldn't be so much fun!
Why would my big, sweet horse garner such awful monikers?
Because he was being all of the above.
We are building a new run-in shed in Gabe's paddock. Saturday Robert and Alexis (my teenager) meticulously measured and staked out the spot where the new run-in is to be built. Robert, who is becoming more and more a horse person every day, realized he couldn't leave the stakes out there in the paddock with Gabe and asked for suggestions to protect the beast from the stakes. I was impressed that he realized all kinds of awful things could happen to a horse left in a paddock with a bunch of wood stakes sticking out of the ground. I suggested inverting used gallon bleach bottles over the stakes to make them more visible and less dangerous.
I thought it was a pretty good idea. Robert and Alexis cut all the tops of the bottles so they would fit over the stakes, slipped a bottle over each stake and considered it good.
Gabe considered the whole thing a brand-new toy. Within minutes that big brat had every. single. bottle. pulled off the stakes and smashed. He smashed them flat with his teeth and with his feet. He tossed them around a bit and tossed them into the air. Once the bottles were flat and no longer fun, he proceeded to yank out every stake out of the ground and toss them willy-nilly around his paddock.
Oh, he had GREAT fun destroying all of their hard work! They were none too pleased with my big goof ball and the name-calling commenced. I think he even got called a steak at one point!
So, back out we went the next day to start on the run-in. Gabe would NOT leave us alone. He was in our faces, resting his head on our backs, nuzzling around in our hair, trying to grab sleeves and coats in his teeth and being a general pain in the butt. He even managed to steal a corner measure, a hammer and a level and take off with them, like a rotten little toddler. Do you have any idea how hard it is to swing a hammer when you have a horse right behind you trying to STEAL the hammer? Ugh.
So, that bugger got tossed out of his own paddock for being a way too curious big ole pain in the butt. I think he was a bit peeved that we kicked him off the playground and he threw a little bucking fit.
But I love him anyway. If he wasn't such a turd, he wouldn't be so much fun!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Wind Crazies
Ugh. Winter weather is creeping up on us. Quickly. I'm not ready! Noooo!!!
It dropped to below freezing last night and has been WINDY for the past couple of days. Holy cow, the WIND! I feel like I am living in Kansas all over again, eyes watering, hair and absolute rat's nest. You know what happens when you mix colder weather with lots of crazy wind whipping through the trees?
You get crazy horses! All. of. them. NUTS. I was going to ride Miss Calypso last night, but I decided it was just too windy and she was just way to uppity to even think about having a constructive, remotely enjoyable ride. I hate getting on and just spending the entire time battling the wind crazies. It's better just to find something else to do than get on and have a miserable time, in my opinion. And I know Calypso. When she has the wind crazies her brain completely turns off and every single thing is a big horse-eating boogeyman out to devour her on one big bite. I spend the entire ride concentrating on just staying on and keeping her from having an absolute blow-up.
And the old man? He was running, tail high, neck arched, fartin' and snortin' all over the pasture. He certainly wasn't acting like a 22-year-old crabby Appy!
And Gabe. WHOO WHEE! He was crazy right along with Calypso and Chief. The boy can buck. He can buck and gallop and rear, all at the same time. And can he vocalize! He squeals like a girl and grunts like a little pig. Too funny.
I love watching the horses all acting like fools and playing hard. I don't want to ride them when they are acting like that, but I sure love watching them. I can just stand by the fence and watch them for hours.
Sometimes, when I'm just out there watching them, Robert hollers out to me asking what's wrong. "Nothing," I say. "I'm just watching them." I don't think he really 'gets it,' but that's okay. Horses are a sickness and I've got it bad.
Really rough days at work find me out just messing around the horses after I get home. It doesn't matter what it is. I can ride or groom, give them scritches and massages, clean paddocks or just sit out there and watch 'em. It's all good for my soul. They are a major key in helping all the bad day work crap just melt away.
P.S. Robert held up his end of the agreement. I now have a new mounting block. Post with pics coming as soon as I get my camera working again! Never let anyone say the man does anything half-assed. You'll see!
It dropped to below freezing last night and has been WINDY for the past couple of days. Holy cow, the WIND! I feel like I am living in Kansas all over again, eyes watering, hair and absolute rat's nest. You know what happens when you mix colder weather with lots of crazy wind whipping through the trees?
You get crazy horses! All. of. them. NUTS. I was going to ride Miss Calypso last night, but I decided it was just too windy and she was just way to uppity to even think about having a constructive, remotely enjoyable ride. I hate getting on and just spending the entire time battling the wind crazies. It's better just to find something else to do than get on and have a miserable time, in my opinion. And I know Calypso. When she has the wind crazies her brain completely turns off and every single thing is a big horse-eating boogeyman out to devour her on one big bite. I spend the entire ride concentrating on just staying on and keeping her from having an absolute blow-up.
And the old man? He was running, tail high, neck arched, fartin' and snortin' all over the pasture. He certainly wasn't acting like a 22-year-old crabby Appy!
And Gabe. WHOO WHEE! He was crazy right along with Calypso and Chief. The boy can buck. He can buck and gallop and rear, all at the same time. And can he vocalize! He squeals like a girl and grunts like a little pig. Too funny.
I love watching the horses all acting like fools and playing hard. I don't want to ride them when they are acting like that, but I sure love watching them. I can just stand by the fence and watch them for hours.
Sometimes, when I'm just out there watching them, Robert hollers out to me asking what's wrong. "Nothing," I say. "I'm just watching them." I don't think he really 'gets it,' but that's okay. Horses are a sickness and I've got it bad.
Really rough days at work find me out just messing around the horses after I get home. It doesn't matter what it is. I can ride or groom, give them scritches and massages, clean paddocks or just sit out there and watch 'em. It's all good for my soul. They are a major key in helping all the bad day work crap just melt away.
P.S. Robert held up his end of the agreement. I now have a new mounting block. Post with pics coming as soon as I get my camera working again! Never let anyone say the man does anything half-assed. You'll see!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Yes, I'm a dork
Sometimes, I just can't help it. Go ahead, groan, they're bad. But you have to admit, they're funny.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
And, he's off!
The horses have been "cooped up" in their dry lots (well, at this point, mud lots) for about a week. They each have about 1/2 to 3/4 an acre of space in their paddocks, so it's not like they are confined to an itty-bitty area. They stretch their legs and have plenty of room to move.
I haven't turned them out on the grass pastures because it's been raining and rain equals mud and horse hooves on mud equals torn up pastures and dead grass. I probably pamper my pastures more than is really necessary, but I will not turn horses out on muddy pastures. I'd like to keep them grassy and green, not big, weedy mud pits.
Anyway, the pastures were dry enough last night that I could turn them out this morning. The way Gabe acted you'd think he's been cooped up in a 10x10 stall for the past week! Sheesh! Snorting and prancing and arching his neck on the walk from his paddock to the pasture. He was bouncing along like he was spring-loaded!
They get turned out around 6 a.m. and at that time, the dew is still heavy on the grass. I'd rather wait to turn them out until after the dew dries, but if I want them to go out, that's when they have to go out, work schedules and whatnot.
After snorting and prancing and wiggling all the way to the pasture, Gabe couldn't wait to be FREE to kick up his heels. He leapt and bucked and snorted and farted around the pasture as soon as I removed his halter. He tore around the corners and did circles around Calypso who was happy to just stand and munch on the nearly knee-high grass while giving the youngster the evil eye.
Do you know what happens when you combine dew-soaked, nearly knee-deep grass with a Thoroughbred doing his impression of the Indy 500 around the pasture?
You get a horse who lands on his side when he thinks he can take that sharp turn at a pace a notch or two higher than he should. Yup. Gabe took a tumble this morning. He wasn't even flustered by it. Up he leapt right back up and continued his crazy, bucking circuit around the pasture.
My heart leapt into my throat and my stomach clenched painfully when I saw him go down. The only thing running through my head was "Oh shit, he's broken a leg. Shit." It's pretty scary to see a horse go down, especially when it's the big goofy Thoroughbred you've completely fallen head over heels in love with.
The big nut. I hoped he learned something about centrifugal force, wet grass and high speeds this morning!
I haven't turned them out on the grass pastures because it's been raining and rain equals mud and horse hooves on mud equals torn up pastures and dead grass. I probably pamper my pastures more than is really necessary, but I will not turn horses out on muddy pastures. I'd like to keep them grassy and green, not big, weedy mud pits.
Anyway, the pastures were dry enough last night that I could turn them out this morning. The way Gabe acted you'd think he's been cooped up in a 10x10 stall for the past week! Sheesh! Snorting and prancing and arching his neck on the walk from his paddock to the pasture. He was bouncing along like he was spring-loaded!
They get turned out around 6 a.m. and at that time, the dew is still heavy on the grass. I'd rather wait to turn them out until after the dew dries, but if I want them to go out, that's when they have to go out, work schedules and whatnot.
After snorting and prancing and wiggling all the way to the pasture, Gabe couldn't wait to be FREE to kick up his heels. He leapt and bucked and snorted and farted around the pasture as soon as I removed his halter. He tore around the corners and did circles around Calypso who was happy to just stand and munch on the nearly knee-high grass while giving the youngster the evil eye.
Do you know what happens when you combine dew-soaked, nearly knee-deep grass with a Thoroughbred doing his impression of the Indy 500 around the pasture?
You get a horse who lands on his side when he thinks he can take that sharp turn at a pace a notch or two higher than he should. Yup. Gabe took a tumble this morning. He wasn't even flustered by it. Up he leapt right back up and continued his crazy, bucking circuit around the pasture.
My heart leapt into my throat and my stomach clenched painfully when I saw him go down. The only thing running through my head was "Oh shit, he's broken a leg. Shit." It's pretty scary to see a horse go down, especially when it's the big goofy Thoroughbred you've completely fallen head over heels in love with.
The big nut. I hoped he learned something about centrifugal force, wet grass and high speeds this morning!
Friday, August 29, 2008
We should have called him "Clown"
I really need to start remembering to carry my camera with me every time I go out to play with Gabe. He does the funniest things and is such a big goof.
Last night I thought we'd change things up a bit. I haven't been able to find a thing that this horse reacts to negatively yet. Well, except for the tying episode. As soon as I get my brand-new 6x6 post in the ground and the concrete dries, we'll have another go at it.
Ropes following him on the ground, wrapped around his body or looped across his haunches don't phase him. Plastic bags...no issue. Even me standing next to him with a pair of pool noodles and rubbing them all over his body and bouncing them off him...no adverse reaction. Dressage whips and lunge whips, whatever. He goes over poles and logs without issue. Today I think I'll get the tarp out and get him to walk across it and stand on it and maybe even see if he'll tolerate it over his body. The more I desensitize him, the more he looks to me as his fearless leader.
Last night his playful side just couldn't be contained. I decided it was time for him to start really feeling like he was "working." So, out comes the saddle pad and my heavy-duty surcingle. Yes, he is saddle broke, but on the racetrack, when the saddle goes on, it's time to RUN! I need to change that mentality a step at a time so when I finally do get on he doesn't feel like he's going to the starting gate.
I tossed the saddle pad up and turned to grab the surcingle. In the two seconds it took me to pick it up, the big booger reached around, grabbed the saddle pad in his teeth, flung it around for a bit and dropped it on the ground. He looked at me with his ears perked as if asking "Again?" Pick up the pad, toss it back on. He reaches around and pulls it off again, playing with it for a few seconds before dropping it to the ground at my feet. Ha! The third time I tossed it up there I had the surcingle in my hand and put it on top of the pad immediately. But the surcingle still needs buckled on. I reach under him to grab the girth and the whole thing disappeared! He had reached around to the other side to grab the surcingle and pull it off, too! Flexibility? Yeah, he's got it. Two more attempts and I had the pad and the surcingle snugly in place. No issues. I think he just wanted to play. He didn't seem to resent or dislike having the pad and surcingle on, he just wanted to play.
So, the second "new" thing I had planned was a faux ditch between two cavaletti poles. I had set it up using an old, deflated air mattress. I like the nice, heavy plastic of the air mattress because it doesn't blow or "crinkle" in the wind. Plus, I'm all for re-purposing old stuff whenever I can.
Anyway, I took him over to my new ditch to let him sniff it and get a good look at it before I asked him to go over it. Wouldn't you know it...he quickly found the edge of it, grabbed it, and pulled it out from beneath the cavaletti poles! He waved it around a bit and tossed it. I positioned it back under the poles. This was not going to be an issue for him, not at all. He didn't bat an eye when I asked him to go over it. I expected him to jump over it, but apparently he had other plans. He trotted right on top of it as if it wasn't even there. I managed to get him to jump it twice without sticking a foot in the middle of my ditch. Next time I'll add a bit of water to it and see what he does.
Bravery is NOT an issue with this horse!
We ended our 45 minute session with a bit more saddle pad work. I flicked it all over his body, around his legs, over his neck and finally draped it over his head. He seemed quite embarrassed to have this huge white pad perched over his head like a silly hat. He looked at me as if to say "Okay, are we done playing dress-up now? I feel like an idiot and the other horses are all laughing at me. Give me some dignity woman!"
Today we haul out the tarp, an umbrella and a bike. I'm also going to set a couple of the cavaletti up to about a foot, just to see how he reacts. Tomorrow I'm going to pull out some of the huge bleach bottles I've been saving (again with the re-purposing!) and place them at random intervals around the arena because tomorrow, we start the long reining work. I'll use the bleach bottles as guides to long rein him around and through. This should be fun! I did a lot of long reining work with Star and with a few other horses I've worked with in the past. With Star I took a few long reining lessons with a classical dressage instructor who had once trained with the Cadre Noir in France and we got to the point where we could do half-passes, walk and trot pirouettes and a tiny bit of piaffe, all on the long reins. I believe it's a great way to introduce new ideas to a horse before you ask for it in the saddle.
I'll try to remember my camera next time, or at least employ one of my family members to shoot the session.
Last night I thought we'd change things up a bit. I haven't been able to find a thing that this horse reacts to negatively yet. Well, except for the tying episode. As soon as I get my brand-new 6x6 post in the ground and the concrete dries, we'll have another go at it.
Ropes following him on the ground, wrapped around his body or looped across his haunches don't phase him. Plastic bags...no issue. Even me standing next to him with a pair of pool noodles and rubbing them all over his body and bouncing them off him...no adverse reaction. Dressage whips and lunge whips, whatever. He goes over poles and logs without issue. Today I think I'll get the tarp out and get him to walk across it and stand on it and maybe even see if he'll tolerate it over his body. The more I desensitize him, the more he looks to me as his fearless leader.
Last night his playful side just couldn't be contained. I decided it was time for him to start really feeling like he was "working." So, out comes the saddle pad and my heavy-duty surcingle. Yes, he is saddle broke, but on the racetrack, when the saddle goes on, it's time to RUN! I need to change that mentality a step at a time so when I finally do get on he doesn't feel like he's going to the starting gate.
I tossed the saddle pad up and turned to grab the surcingle. In the two seconds it took me to pick it up, the big booger reached around, grabbed the saddle pad in his teeth, flung it around for a bit and dropped it on the ground. He looked at me with his ears perked as if asking "Again?" Pick up the pad, toss it back on. He reaches around and pulls it off again, playing with it for a few seconds before dropping it to the ground at my feet. Ha! The third time I tossed it up there I had the surcingle in my hand and put it on top of the pad immediately. But the surcingle still needs buckled on. I reach under him to grab the girth and the whole thing disappeared! He had reached around to the other side to grab the surcingle and pull it off, too! Flexibility? Yeah, he's got it. Two more attempts and I had the pad and the surcingle snugly in place. No issues. I think he just wanted to play. He didn't seem to resent or dislike having the pad and surcingle on, he just wanted to play.
So, the second "new" thing I had planned was a faux ditch between two cavaletti poles. I had set it up using an old, deflated air mattress. I like the nice, heavy plastic of the air mattress because it doesn't blow or "crinkle" in the wind. Plus, I'm all for re-purposing old stuff whenever I can.
Anyway, I took him over to my new ditch to let him sniff it and get a good look at it before I asked him to go over it. Wouldn't you know it...he quickly found the edge of it, grabbed it, and pulled it out from beneath the cavaletti poles! He waved it around a bit and tossed it. I positioned it back under the poles. This was not going to be an issue for him, not at all. He didn't bat an eye when I asked him to go over it. I expected him to jump over it, but apparently he had other plans. He trotted right on top of it as if it wasn't even there. I managed to get him to jump it twice without sticking a foot in the middle of my ditch. Next time I'll add a bit of water to it and see what he does.
Bravery is NOT an issue with this horse!
We ended our 45 minute session with a bit more saddle pad work. I flicked it all over his body, around his legs, over his neck and finally draped it over his head. He seemed quite embarrassed to have this huge white pad perched over his head like a silly hat. He looked at me as if to say "Okay, are we done playing dress-up now? I feel like an idiot and the other horses are all laughing at me. Give me some dignity woman!"
Today we haul out the tarp, an umbrella and a bike. I'm also going to set a couple of the cavaletti up to about a foot, just to see how he reacts. Tomorrow I'm going to pull out some of the huge bleach bottles I've been saving (again with the re-purposing!) and place them at random intervals around the arena because tomorrow, we start the long reining work. I'll use the bleach bottles as guides to long rein him around and through. This should be fun! I did a lot of long reining work with Star and with a few other horses I've worked with in the past. With Star I took a few long reining lessons with a classical dressage instructor who had once trained with the Cadre Noir in France and we got to the point where we could do half-passes, walk and trot pirouettes and a tiny bit of piaffe, all on the long reins. I believe it's a great way to introduce new ideas to a horse before you ask for it in the saddle.
I'll try to remember my camera next time, or at least employ one of my family members to shoot the session.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A visit from the foot dude
I knew Gabe had been shod previously, but I was a little worried about his reaction to our farrier. Not because he's a big, scary guy, but because he drives a big, scary truck.
Gabe was an absolute Angel. He stood beautifully and didn't even drool on Don, our farrier. He did, however, keep attempting to undress Don by trying to eat his chaps and his hat. Silly boy nearly fell asleep while getting his tootsies all trimmed up and fixed. No shoes this time around. I won't have shoes put on him until I start riding him and right now, without much stress on those feet, his hooves look fabulous. Don was impressed with the quality of his feet, considering Thoroughbreds have notoriously craptacular feet.
He doesn't look the least bit worried about what's going on with his feet, does he?
See what I get to look at the entire time Gabe is getting his feet done? Not that I'm complaining or anything.
It was at this point that he started falling asleep while I rubbed his ears. He LOVES to have the insides of his ears rubbed. He moans and groans and closes his eyes when I get my fingers down in there and rub the heck out of 'em. Many of the horses I've met in my life tended to be a little bit ear shy. Not Gabe. I can practically tickle his brain while with my fingers while giving him an ear rub and he pushes against me for more.
My husband's horse, Calypso, waiting her turn for the nippers, rasp and hammer. She too, is very nosy and curious. She couldn't get enough of trying to steal Don's horse shoes right out of his truck.
On another note, Gabe showed his supremely playful side while I was filling his water tank yesterday. That big booger walked up for some scratches and lovin', then reached over, snatched the hose out of the tank and attempted to run off with it! He managed to soak me in the process. Goof.
Gabe was an absolute Angel. He stood beautifully and didn't even drool on Don, our farrier. He did, however, keep attempting to undress Don by trying to eat his chaps and his hat. Silly boy nearly fell asleep while getting his tootsies all trimmed up and fixed. No shoes this time around. I won't have shoes put on him until I start riding him and right now, without much stress on those feet, his hooves look fabulous. Don was impressed with the quality of his feet, considering Thoroughbreds have notoriously craptacular feet.
He doesn't look the least bit worried about what's going on with his feet, does he?
See what I get to look at the entire time Gabe is getting his feet done? Not that I'm complaining or anything.
It was at this point that he started falling asleep while I rubbed his ears. He LOVES to have the insides of his ears rubbed. He moans and groans and closes his eyes when I get my fingers down in there and rub the heck out of 'em. Many of the horses I've met in my life tended to be a little bit ear shy. Not Gabe. I can practically tickle his brain while with my fingers while giving him an ear rub and he pushes against me for more.
My husband's horse, Calypso, waiting her turn for the nippers, rasp and hammer. She too, is very nosy and curious. She couldn't get enough of trying to steal Don's horse shoes right out of his truck.
On another note, Gabe showed his supremely playful side while I was filling his water tank yesterday. That big booger walked up for some scratches and lovin', then reached over, snatched the hose out of the tank and attempted to run off with it! He managed to soak me in the process. Goof.
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