Well, figuratively speaking. As much as I would like to be throwing down a post about a wonderful ride today,I can't. No riding..just whining about weather and ice , the usual. However, I am back on a running schedule of sorts. Last week I ran 3 times, all of them 1.5 to 2.5 miles (please, try to hold back your snickering, I know it's not much ). The achilles tendon appears to be holding up and not causing me any pain. It gets tired but not painful. Nothing like it was a month ago. I now have two weeks of running on the books.It's good to be back to it. I am working on my mid foot landing form and the odd part is that if I try to think about landing mid foot, I can't. I heel strike. Not the goal here. If I just focus on bringing my knees up a little higher than I normally would, then things seem to start working. Jonna, over think something??? NEVER! So, I think I am back in the saddle, so to speak, in my own "endurance" quest of sorts. I am probably being overly cautious because I think I could probably add another mile without much trouble but I do not want to reinjure myself. I feel my best right now at 2.0 miles. After 2, I am falling apart in form and breathing.. I know its all mental. I broke through this same "block" 2 months ago complelely by mistake but this time, I have to think about it. April is coming fast...
Speaking of breaking through. We hit the 40's today along with a snow eater... (chinook). The overnight temps are not supposed to dip too much. Several parts of the pasture have turned into their spring time lake, in only a few hours time today.
Now, we wait.
We wait for the water to "crack" the frost and for the water to saturate into the ground. In one of my favorite books "Valley of the Horses" , it seems the ' Foehns' are a real thing. For the last couple of weeks, I noticed people , even myself, are more irritable and testy with one another. It's the evil sprits that ride in on the spring winds. The equinox is coming and with it... warmer weather and saddle time..
AMEN...
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Saddle Update and other news
After returning the 15” specialized saddle, the 16” finally arrived last week. Short story- it’s definitely a better fit for me. No more pain in the places where there shouldn’t be pain!! I have only ridden in it at home and haven’t had a chance to get out on the trail with it but it looks like I will be keeping it. I love how close contact it is. I can actually feel Maggie’s back lifting when she softens. No more hauling my 30 lb Wade tree onto her. Now, I just have to do the final fitting tweaks for Maggie’s back. I think I have it pretty close and Maggie seems very comfortable but I plan to have the dealer come out and give it a look over. I like a lot of things about the saddle, the look , the lightness, the adjustable stirrup position and the adjustable fit but honestly, I think Specialized can come a long ways in the area of quality and craftsmanship. I think they compromised quality in order to get a lightweight saddle. One thing I will be having modified is the D ring attachment for the breast collar. Right now, they are just stitched to a concho. There is no attachment into the actual tree of the saddle. One tough uphill pull with a little strain on that breast collar, and I could easily see that D ring popping right off. Not sure what they were thinking on that design. I was wondering if anyone else with a Specialized has modified this D ring for the breast collar? Has anyone had issues with it pulling out or breaking?
So, now that I have a saddle that is comfortable for horse and rider, maybe I can get motivated to ride a little more? Let’s hope so. For whatever reason (stress??) I have been dealing with several weeks of not feeling well. I had the flu, then bronchitis and now finally recovering from some other virus that didn't test positive for strep, but felt like it. I think I am climbing out of it and getting myself healthy again but the weather hasn’t exactly been conducive to hours in the saddle either. We have had a few teasers of nice 70 degree (mostly during the work week) in between the torrential downpours. We are setting flooding records and with all the rain and as of last week, we were still adding snowpack in the mountains. It’s been a crazy year weather wise. Riding in summer rain is one thing, riding in heavy downpours at 45 degrees? Not really my idea of a good time.
So, there is that.
The other big news , atleast for us, is that I am getting ready to send my husband to Europe in just a short couple of weeks. He is headed to Germany to put on a 4 day horsemanship clinic and then onto Hungary to train and compete at the Kassai Horseback Archery school. I am very proud of him. He has worked very hard to get to this point. Stay tuned for more details.
So, now that I have a saddle that is comfortable for horse and rider, maybe I can get motivated to ride a little more? Let’s hope so. For whatever reason (stress??) I have been dealing with several weeks of not feeling well. I had the flu, then bronchitis and now finally recovering from some other virus that didn't test positive for strep, but felt like it. I think I am climbing out of it and getting myself healthy again but the weather hasn’t exactly been conducive to hours in the saddle either. We have had a few teasers of nice 70 degree (mostly during the work week) in between the torrential downpours. We are setting flooding records and with all the rain and as of last week, we were still adding snowpack in the mountains. It’s been a crazy year weather wise. Riding in summer rain is one thing, riding in heavy downpours at 45 degrees? Not really my idea of a good time.
So, there is that.
The other big news , atleast for us, is that I am getting ready to send my husband to Europe in just a short couple of weeks. He is headed to Germany to put on a 4 day horsemanship clinic and then onto Hungary to train and compete at the Kassai Horseback Archery school. I am very proud of him. He has worked very hard to get to this point. Stay tuned for more details.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Where the Hell is Spring????
Cover your ears.. I am going to bitch...and swear... a little..
Snowshowers , hail and thunder storms with snow since last weekend. That is what we have been dealing with. It hasn't accumulated to much more than a couple of inches on the valley floors but several feet are reported in the mountain. It's been one snow squall after another for days.
I get it , really, I live in Northwest Montana, I KNOW we can get snow, even the occasional freak storm in June but THIS??? We haven't even hit 60 yet this spring.. nope not once!! In fact we have only had one or two days in the low 50's We even broke a record since 1917 for not hitting 60 degrees by this time of the year.
GLOBAL WARMING?? my ass ... ( I warned you to cover your ears)
So, when Tamara over at IntheNightFarms posted on FB that she was doing sprints in shorts in the sunshine (while I was looking out at my snow and ice covered horses) I posted that I wanted to cry... she gave me some great advice and I think I'll take her advice..
Excuse me while I go build a snow man and proceed to blow it to smitherenes....
Snowshowers , hail and thunder storms with snow since last weekend. That is what we have been dealing with. It hasn't accumulated to much more than a couple of inches on the valley floors but several feet are reported in the mountain. It's been one snow squall after another for days.
I get it , really, I live in Northwest Montana, I KNOW we can get snow, even the occasional freak storm in June but THIS??? We haven't even hit 60 yet this spring.. nope not once!! In fact we have only had one or two days in the low 50's We even broke a record since 1917 for not hitting 60 degrees by this time of the year.
GLOBAL WARMING?? my ass ... ( I warned you to cover your ears)
So, when Tamara over at IntheNightFarms posted on FB that she was doing sprints in shorts in the sunshine (while I was looking out at my snow and ice covered horses) I posted that I wanted to cry... she gave me some great advice and I think I'll take her advice..
Excuse me while I go build a snow man and proceed to blow it to smitherenes....
Saturday, February 19, 2011
My First
Well, I never set out to win any awards for my blog and I rarely win anything but Karen over at Wren Loop Thoroughbreds nominated me as having a Stylish blog.. well fancy that!!!
Me.. Stylish?? Who'd a thunk???
Well, Karen , if you say so, who am I to argue?? Thanks for the award and here's to firsts in the world of blogging.
All of you readers, Go check out Karen's blog. Pretty good stuff over there!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Dirty Laundry
A blog is a wonderful place to connect with others, meet new people, share interests, bounce ideas and blab about whatever your heart desires. I started my blog for all those reasons and because I love horses, I love to talk about horses and I love to talk to other people about horses. Pretty simple.
Since starting this blog in 2008, I have shared a lot of things, mostly horse related but there have been a few other topics as well. I have enjoyed having it as a “creative “ outlet of sorts but at times, I have struggled with finding a balance between not sharing those things that I feel should be left sacred and sharing those things that are okay to share that my readers would enjoy reading . I have also treaded lightly on subjects that can turn into a perceived insult. Lets face it, horse people can have pretty strong opinions and thoughts about how things should be done when it comes to horses. In a lot of cases, I have found those opinions, methods, and thoughts are all too often based on ego driven agendas with horse people. In 2011 I might risk going out on a limb a bit and dabble into a few more “touchy” horse subjects that I have avoided in the past.
In the meantime, I thought it might fun to air a bit of my dirty laundry with you all and followed in the steps of a post idea that several , like EG, Tamara , Funder (and probably numerous others) have already done.
Here's 31 “things about me” that you probably didn’t know , or would have never guessed, or maybe didn’t want to know but now do??? Anyways, hope you enjoy them and try not to laugh too hard???
1.I first fell in love with the Spanish Horses in 1995 when I had the rare opportunity to train one of the first few Spanish Norman fillies by Spanish-Norman sire Romantico HHF from Hamid Hill Farms. I also had the honor to show her in harness at her very first show. She was awesome and I was in love. I knew I definitely wanted another Spanish horse someday back then. I never knew the experience would come full circle with having the opportunity to own the type of horse, a Barb, proclaimed to be the ancestor of the Spanish Norman warhorses Linda and Allan were breeding back then. Life is funny.
2.I love splitting wood as an occasional stress relief.
3.I am quirky and get worse as I get older.
4.I am obsessive compulsive about things, like unplugging my curling iron before leaving the house in the morning. I have been known to get miles down the road , only to have to turn around to re check it again, only to find, every time, that I did in fact unplug it (it does have an auto shut off , but don’t go there)
5. I am left handed to eat and write with, but do almost everything else right handed.
6. I occasionally partake in Horseback archery competitions and have to hold the bow upside down in order to hit the target. Must be a left handed thing…
7. I swam before I walked because my older sibling threw me in our pool (with water wings ofcourse) when mom and dad weren’t watching.
8. I prefer not to use the last of anything, especially toothpaste. Refer to # 3 for an explanation.
9. I constantly misplace my car keys.
10. I have the olfactory sense of a bloodhound. I can smell things you don’t even want to know about.
11. I think I have a good sense of direction until I get lost, which happens a lot…
12. I was kicked in the head by a horse at the age of 11 and should not have survived.
13. I ruptured my spleen a year later and almost bled to death. The spleen healed on its own with blood transfusions as supportive therapy. The surgeons said it was unheard of given how bad the rupture was.
14. I never outgrew that annoying habit that kids have of asking “why” . I am insanely curious about things and tend to be a research geek. I never settle on an answer until I have researched it myself.
15. I have more interests than I have time to pursue.
16. I am deathly afraid of lizards, spiders and snakes and I don’t much like chickens or turkeys either.
17. I have two brothers and a sister.
18. I have an eclectic taste in music but my favorite is Jazz. My uncle was a jazz musician.
19. I am pretty good at shredding people verbally if they want to argue about something and I am a master at using one’s own words against them.
20. I require a lot quiet and alone time.
21. I spent several years wishing I was the crafty creative type. I tried various crafts, trying to find the one that worked for me. I went through cross stitching, sewing, beading, bracelet making, quilting and who knows what else. In the end, I ruined a sewing machine, glued myself to material, and all kinds of other mishaps before I resigned to the fact that I am not crafty or creative. If I am lucky, I can sort of sew a button on my shirt in an emergency… maybe.
22. On the other hand, I am pretty good at interior design. Go figure.
23.I absolutely cannot follow a recipe to save my life. I always have to change something. I blame it on growing up with my Hungarian grandmother who was an amazing cook. I inherited her skills.
24. I hate unloading the dishwasher.
25.I find belly buttons repulsive and belly button jewelry triggers my gag reflex. Feet are barely tolerable. Again, see #3.
26. I learned to play a Jembe drum but in the process, also learned that I am Rhythym challenged. That would explain why I dance like Elaine on Seinfeld.
27. I find it hilarious when people fall and have offended more than one person as a result. I am told it’s a nervous response. I diasagree, I just find it friekin hilarious to watch people fall down.
28.I grew up living next to Meryl Steep and knew all her kids.
29. I taught Jane Curtain’s daughter how to ride horses in Pony Club.
30. I excercised one of Whoopi Goldbergs Arabians for a summer. He was crazy.
31. I hate shopping, unless it's for horse stuff..hate hate hate it.
So there you have it...me and all my "quirks"
Bonus(just because)
I am ALWAYS the one to find a hair or something disgusting in my food at a restaurant. AlWAYS....
Monday, December 27, 2010
Season's Greetings
Forgive me. This is late.
Merry Christmas to all of you.
I just want to say a big thank you to all of you who read my ramblings, of which I have not been very good at these days.I will work on it, I promise. But you should all know. There are many days that just seeing your responses makes my day, just knowing that some of you read what I actually write. It's hard to believe but I am very grateful. Writing this blog allows me to connect to others in this large world that I wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to do.. so thank you.
Since I was late for Christmas, I may as well be early for the next holiday.
Happy New Year !!
I know, I know, 2011 isn’t quite here yet but I am really looking forward to a new start. Heaven knows I need one.
2010 was one of the roughest years I can recall. It was a year of many stressors. It had a few high spots like completing Maggie’s first limited distance but overall, 2010 was a year of big challenges for me. Everything from health issues with family and friends, divorces, deaths, injured horses, expensive vehicle repairs and just when I thought I had reached a point where the year's misgivings couldn't possibly get any more difficult, it did just that.
I found myself faced with having to say goodbye to my best friend of over 12 years, my dog Munci. On December 23rd I had to make the devastating decision to say goodbye to Munci. He had developed cancer and by the time we saw any symptoms, the cancer had metastasized into his lungs. There was nothing we could do except keep him as comfortable as possible, give him lots of love, pray for a miracle and wait. Prayers are often answered in ways that you don’t always understand. My prayer was for Munci to make a miraculous recovery so we could have more time but most of all, my prayer for him was not to suffer. I didn’t get the first part of that prayer answered but the second part was. It was only a period of 5 days from the time we learned of the cancer before Munci and I had to part our ways. It will take some time to adjust to the silence that remains after a dog is no longer there in your home anymore.
Looking back at 2010 , I have to believe there is some other force out there that explains why so many difficult times ensued in 2010 for me. Maybe 2011, I get a clean slate. Atleast that is what I am hoping for.
Usually this time of year, I begin putting together a plan for training and conditioning for endurance, getting ready for at least one ride. Unfortunately, Hooves and Company, the local distance riders group I am part of, won’t be putting on a local ride like they (we) normally would. That means that I won't have access to a local ride in 2011. That really stinks butat this point, I am not going to stress about it.
Instead, my plan is pretty simple… just ride, as often as I can, as long as I can. JB will need many hours of rebuilding, mentally and physically. Maggie just needs many hours period. If a ride works out that I can attend, great, even if I have to travel. If not, I can still ride and log miles. I am planning a few weekend horse camping trips with friends. I am just looking forward to a summer of good times spent with good friends and good horses.
There are other things in store for 2011 at Acer Farms as well.
Stay tuned and once again, thank you for reads Barbs Etc.
Merry Christmas to all of you.
I just want to say a big thank you to all of you who read my ramblings, of which I have not been very good at these days.I will work on it, I promise. But you should all know. There are many days that just seeing your responses makes my day, just knowing that some of you read what I actually write. It's hard to believe but I am very grateful. Writing this blog allows me to connect to others in this large world that I wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to do.. so thank you.
Since I was late for Christmas, I may as well be early for the next holiday.
Happy New Year !!
I know, I know, 2011 isn’t quite here yet but I am really looking forward to a new start. Heaven knows I need one.
2010 was one of the roughest years I can recall. It was a year of many stressors. It had a few high spots like completing Maggie’s first limited distance but overall, 2010 was a year of big challenges for me. Everything from health issues with family and friends, divorces, deaths, injured horses, expensive vehicle repairs and just when I thought I had reached a point where the year's misgivings couldn't possibly get any more difficult, it did just that.
I found myself faced with having to say goodbye to my best friend of over 12 years, my dog Munci. On December 23rd I had to make the devastating decision to say goodbye to Munci. He had developed cancer and by the time we saw any symptoms, the cancer had metastasized into his lungs. There was nothing we could do except keep him as comfortable as possible, give him lots of love, pray for a miracle and wait. Prayers are often answered in ways that you don’t always understand. My prayer was for Munci to make a miraculous recovery so we could have more time but most of all, my prayer for him was not to suffer. I didn’t get the first part of that prayer answered but the second part was. It was only a period of 5 days from the time we learned of the cancer before Munci and I had to part our ways. It will take some time to adjust to the silence that remains after a dog is no longer there in your home anymore.
Looking back at 2010 , I have to believe there is some other force out there that explains why so many difficult times ensued in 2010 for me. Maybe 2011, I get a clean slate. Atleast that is what I am hoping for.
Usually this time of year, I begin putting together a plan for training and conditioning for endurance, getting ready for at least one ride. Unfortunately, Hooves and Company, the local distance riders group I am part of, won’t be putting on a local ride like they (we) normally would. That means that I won't have access to a local ride in 2011. That really stinks butat this point, I am not going to stress about it.
Instead, my plan is pretty simple… just ride, as often as I can, as long as I can. JB will need many hours of rebuilding, mentally and physically. Maggie just needs many hours period. If a ride works out that I can attend, great, even if I have to travel. If not, I can still ride and log miles. I am planning a few weekend horse camping trips with friends. I am just looking forward to a summer of good times spent with good friends and good horses.
There are other things in store for 2011 at Acer Farms as well.
Stay tuned and once again, thank you for reads Barbs Etc.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Easy Care- Bringing on a new Product
I was perusing around the Easy Care website, when I stumbled upon a new product they are looking at possibly making available. No, its not a new model of hoof boot , or a hoof boot accessory. It is a portable Corral system. They are looking at partnering with the company called RoFlexs , which is based out of Germany, to bring this product to the US. For right now, Easy Care is looking for feedback on this from their customers, what would we be willing to pay, etc..
Check it out here to watch a video on the system.Being that it is made by the Germans, I am guessing the engineering is likely top notch.
Check it out here to watch a video on the system.Being that it is made by the Germans, I am guessing the engineering is likely top notch.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Signs
I know alot of endurance riders around the county are getting anything but spring weather, like Endurance Granny, who keeps getting hit with huge amounts of snow. For whatever reason, things seem to be moving in the right direction here in Northwest Montana. I am hoping it continues on that path.
Just the other night, I noticed one of the first signs. It's a yearly event that I eagerly wait for. Y'know, that time of year when you go to pet your horse and your glove becomes one big mat of horse hair??? Well, it's happening here at Acer Farm. The horses are shedding and I am ecstatic. (they say it's the small things , right?)
Ofcourse, in another month , when every garment I own has remnants of horse hair, I may not be so ecstatic.
Time to dig out the curry combs and face mask....
Just the other night, I noticed one of the first signs. It's a yearly event that I eagerly wait for. Y'know, that time of year when you go to pet your horse and your glove becomes one big mat of horse hair??? Well, it's happening here at Acer Farm. The horses are shedding and I am ecstatic. (they say it's the small things , right?)
Ofcourse, in another month , when every garment I own has remnants of horse hair, I may not be so ecstatic.
Time to dig out the curry combs and face mask....
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Deviance
Something’s happening... there is something in the air; the horses are acting out all over the place.
Maybe they sense the teetering of spring about to show it’s welcome face, maybe it’s the pull of the moon or maybe it’s just that their as bored and tired of the weather as I am. For the last several weeks, the snow, melt, snow pattern has created layer after layer of ice and frankly, it’s wearing on all our nerves. The horses tip toe around trying to walk on the mounds of snow where it has drifted to avoid the large patches of ice. I can’t blame them if they are going a little stir crazy. Winter in the Flathead is a tough season. Unless you get to the top of Whitefish Mountain to get above the inversion and clouds, we don’t see the sun for months. S.A.D. is real phenomenon here.
So , while I am ready to crawl into a tanning bed and order up a Prozac smoothie, the horses have different ideas about things and giving me their own dose of anti-Seasonal Affective Disorder.
They have recently seen fit to make a gate a new pasture toy. This gate allows access between pasture, water and barns for three of the horses, Rebel, JB and Brego, aka, the Renegades.
Every morning, the gate is closed, and someone is locked out from access to water and shelter. I am not shutting the gate. Not only is the gate closed, it’s latched, which is not an easy thing to do, given the configuration of the gate. This little bit of playfulness was comical in the beginning, but honestly, it’s beginning to grow old when I no sooner go out to re open it and an hour later, it's shut again. At first it seemed like Rebel and JB were always locking themselves in and leaving Brego out, with no access to water or shelter. But I was wrong. It’s been Brego all along. I caught him in the act. He probably does it to be left alone, since he is the low man in the group. Of course, I wonder if he realizes he can’t access the good stuff when he shuts the gate?? Oh well, I guess he’s willing to sacrifice for a few hours of peace. The gate also happens to be a homemade wooden gate, and a nice one at that, at least it was….. Wood doesn’t hold up to horses teeth real well, so the top of the gate is chewed up. Looks like a bunch of beavers got a hold of it. Very LARGE beavers.. This past weekend, I finally had had enough of the antics and got out a drill, drilled a hole in the side of the barn, and tied the gate off, using baling twine of course!! It was all I had handy at that moment… We’ll see how long it takes Rebel now to untie it….
But that’s not all that has been going on. It seems they have also found a new game that they find most amusing; it’s something akin to a treasure hunt for JB’s feed pan. They hide it, I go hunting for it... Repeat....
and it’s rarely ever in the same place.
Every evening, I separate JB into the small corral so he can get his ¼ can of oats with his Farriers formula. Then later at night, I go back out and open the gate (different gate then mentioned above) so he can go back out to join Rebel and Brego in the pasture. Sometimes, I forget to grab the feed pan and put it back in the feed room while I am out there. (it's usually after 10:00 p.m. and I am tired and not thinking by then!!) The next evening's chore, it’s usually a 10 minute hunt for the feed pan.
I swear I can hear the three of them snickering at me as I wander around mumbling to myself, trying to find the feed pan.
On several occasions I have given up and just grabbed another feed pan, knowing the next day I will have a 50/50 shot of finding at least one of them. I will give them credit, they are very creative with their game. I have found the pan in some very strange places, like on the roof of the small run-in shed, (guess their working on their spiral throw or something) in the neighbor’s yard (going for distance there or trying to kill their Shepard possibly) in our ditch, buried in a corner of the barn under a pile of manure, and their most favorite..... at the bottom of the water tank…. Nothing I like to do better than go fishing in 40 degree water…
During one of the more recent sub zero days, I came home to find that they did some “remodeling” of things.... again… There is a wire gate that blocks the aisle way of the corrals from the north pasture. It’s not the best set up but its electrified wire and the fencer is working... They don’t ever touch it. Well, I have a feeling they were romping around, and judging from the hoof skid marks, bumped into it, and popped the whole thing apart. They have done this before. They have 3 acres to run, but they have to rush up to the gate …Luckily since its smooth wire and not a heavy gauge, it broke easily and there were no injuries. I was happy to see that. Of course, it is an aisle way, which means a long narrow passage. It’s about 10 feet wide, enough to get a skid steer through; but pile three rambunctious horses into that?? I am sure you can imagine. In all the commotion, someone must have gotten crowded a bit and managed to kick one of the lower rails and make it look like matchsticks. Fine job they did. No fixing that easily… So with frozen fingers, in the dark (just out of where the barn light shines of course) I set to work with my fencing bucket to reattach the wire gate…( note to self: First Spring project, get a new tall metal gate to put in place of the wire gate). Do you know how well wire bends in 10 below weather?? In my efforts to repair it to a somewhat workable condition, the new wire snapped 3 times trying to get it around the insulator, before I finally got something patched together enough. It would have to wait for a better job of it for a warmer day. I was thankful for the aisle way that day, because it has yet another gate, which is a metal gate that kept them from getting loose and running through the neighborhood.
Just noticed the daylight poking through the back of the large loafing pen as I pulled in the drive yesterday afternoon, in the shape of a perfect little hoof….
(deep sigh) Add it to the list of repairs…..Hope there’s something left standing of this place by the time spring does actually roll around…
Maybe they sense the teetering of spring about to show it’s welcome face, maybe it’s the pull of the moon or maybe it’s just that their as bored and tired of the weather as I am. For the last several weeks, the snow, melt, snow pattern has created layer after layer of ice and frankly, it’s wearing on all our nerves. The horses tip toe around trying to walk on the mounds of snow where it has drifted to avoid the large patches of ice. I can’t blame them if they are going a little stir crazy. Winter in the Flathead is a tough season. Unless you get to the top of Whitefish Mountain to get above the inversion and clouds, we don’t see the sun for months. S.A.D. is real phenomenon here.
So , while I am ready to crawl into a tanning bed and order up a Prozac smoothie, the horses have different ideas about things and giving me their own dose of anti-Seasonal Affective Disorder.
They have recently seen fit to make a gate a new pasture toy. This gate allows access between pasture, water and barns for three of the horses, Rebel, JB and Brego, aka, the Renegades.
Every morning, the gate is closed, and someone is locked out from access to water and shelter. I am not shutting the gate. Not only is the gate closed, it’s latched, which is not an easy thing to do, given the configuration of the gate. This little bit of playfulness was comical in the beginning, but honestly, it’s beginning to grow old when I no sooner go out to re open it and an hour later, it's shut again. At first it seemed like Rebel and JB were always locking themselves in and leaving Brego out, with no access to water or shelter. But I was wrong. It’s been Brego all along. I caught him in the act. He probably does it to be left alone, since he is the low man in the group. Of course, I wonder if he realizes he can’t access the good stuff when he shuts the gate?? Oh well, I guess he’s willing to sacrifice for a few hours of peace. The gate also happens to be a homemade wooden gate, and a nice one at that, at least it was….. Wood doesn’t hold up to horses teeth real well, so the top of the gate is chewed up. Looks like a bunch of beavers got a hold of it. Very LARGE beavers.. This past weekend, I finally had had enough of the antics and got out a drill, drilled a hole in the side of the barn, and tied the gate off, using baling twine of course!! It was all I had handy at that moment… We’ll see how long it takes Rebel now to untie it….
But that’s not all that has been going on. It seems they have also found a new game that they find most amusing; it’s something akin to a treasure hunt for JB’s feed pan. They hide it, I go hunting for it... Repeat....
and it’s rarely ever in the same place.
Every evening, I separate JB into the small corral so he can get his ¼ can of oats with his Farriers formula. Then later at night, I go back out and open the gate (different gate then mentioned above) so he can go back out to join Rebel and Brego in the pasture. Sometimes, I forget to grab the feed pan and put it back in the feed room while I am out there. (it's usually after 10:00 p.m. and I am tired and not thinking by then!!) The next evening's chore, it’s usually a 10 minute hunt for the feed pan.
I swear I can hear the three of them snickering at me as I wander around mumbling to myself, trying to find the feed pan.
On several occasions I have given up and just grabbed another feed pan, knowing the next day I will have a 50/50 shot of finding at least one of them. I will give them credit, they are very creative with their game. I have found the pan in some very strange places, like on the roof of the small run-in shed, (guess their working on their spiral throw or something) in the neighbor’s yard (going for distance there or trying to kill their Shepard possibly) in our ditch, buried in a corner of the barn under a pile of manure, and their most favorite..... at the bottom of the water tank…. Nothing I like to do better than go fishing in 40 degree water…
During one of the more recent sub zero days, I came home to find that they did some “remodeling” of things.... again… There is a wire gate that blocks the aisle way of the corrals from the north pasture. It’s not the best set up but its electrified wire and the fencer is working... They don’t ever touch it. Well, I have a feeling they were romping around, and judging from the hoof skid marks, bumped into it, and popped the whole thing apart. They have done this before. They have 3 acres to run, but they have to rush up to the gate …Luckily since its smooth wire and not a heavy gauge, it broke easily and there were no injuries. I was happy to see that. Of course, it is an aisle way, which means a long narrow passage. It’s about 10 feet wide, enough to get a skid steer through; but pile three rambunctious horses into that?? I am sure you can imagine. In all the commotion, someone must have gotten crowded a bit and managed to kick one of the lower rails and make it look like matchsticks. Fine job they did. No fixing that easily… So with frozen fingers, in the dark (just out of where the barn light shines of course) I set to work with my fencing bucket to reattach the wire gate…( note to self: First Spring project, get a new tall metal gate to put in place of the wire gate). Do you know how well wire bends in 10 below weather?? In my efforts to repair it to a somewhat workable condition, the new wire snapped 3 times trying to get it around the insulator, before I finally got something patched together enough. It would have to wait for a better job of it for a warmer day. I was thankful for the aisle way that day, because it has yet another gate, which is a metal gate that kept them from getting loose and running through the neighborhood.
Just noticed the daylight poking through the back of the large loafing pen as I pulled in the drive yesterday afternoon, in the shape of a perfect little hoof….
(deep sigh) Add it to the list of repairs…..Hope there’s something left standing of this place by the time spring does actually roll around…
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
All in the name of a place to ride
As the weather changes and the footing on the roads, trails , and outdoor arena get worse, I always feel a sense of urgency. How will I keep JB in condition? Now, with an added member , I have the added concern of how to keep Maggie going as well. I plan to have her ready for her first 25 miler this season and she needs a ton of work before that. I can work a horse in snow , but we get so much ice, it becomes a real problem for me.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. The arena I would normally have access to was foreclosed on this past month. So, yesterday my friend and I went arena hunting. There happens to be a huge , fancy place about a mile and half up the road from my place. It would be perfect but there is one problem. It's private. The owner is , shall we say, a local well -to-do business person/attorney/property developer who is living out his "cowboy" dream in Montana...
I drive by the place every day coming and going to work and wonder what really goes on at this fancy place. I haven't seen any horse activity for the last year or so. I used to see a horse trailer coming and going quite often, driven by a younger guy in a cowboy hat... (atleast he looked the part) but lately there has been no activity. As far as I know, they have reining horses at the place....but maybe , just maybe , they got out of the horse business? which would explain the lack of activity????
...and maybe, just maybe, they would love to see their facility atleast getting used by someone... that someone being me, a neighbor???
I finally got tired of wondering and got up enough courage to find out once and for all. Ofcourse, the only way to do that was to drive in there, hope to find someone and ask. I considered a phonecall but something like this warranted atleast an introduction of myself.
So, I talked my friend into coming along. I figured if there was some crazed caretaker to run us off, there was atleast strength in numbers. I pulled up to the long, fancy entry way, paused for a moment as we glanced at each other for a final confirmation that we might either be about to make total fools of ourselves or possibly get chased off by a crazed ranch caretaker...a nod of conformation from my friend said we were going for it....we headed down the long heated,... yes heated... paved driveway , bordered by beautful pastures that were fenced with the white vinyl(someone forgot to tell Mr well-to-do that white vinyl does indeed crack at 20 below) fencing on both sides.
I wound my truck down the drive to the main house, although it was hard to tell what was house and what was barn... if you can imagine for a moment, the fanciness of the place. The barn looked like a house... or maybe it was vice versa , either way.. both were beautiful.
We parked, got out of the truck and bravely walked up the the door. So far, no crazed caretaker... the lights were on in the house and I recognized Mr Well-to-do business man standing there with his wife in the kitchen. We stood there for a moment and the thought crossed my mind... Is this what it feels like to be a stalker???? They must have seen my headlights, yet , they seemed oblivious to the fact that someone had just pulled up...
We knocked.. waited.. waited some more..
For heavens sake.... they were both standing right there, were they ignoring our knocks? Couldn't they see us on their well lit front doors steps??? Were they hoping we would just go away if they ignored us long enough? My friend looked at me , sharing the moment of confusion....can they not hear us?? Right about now, I was thinking maybe this was a mistake and just about lost my nerve, wanting to make a dash for it back to my truck..
...but, not being one to be ignored...
...................................knock, knock knock again..
A little louder this time. Ah finally.. Mr well-to -do looks up , in surprise to see me standing there and decides to anwer the door....
We politely introduced ourselves , and he politely listened, although he had the faintest look of what appeared to be irritation on his face at this intrusion....my friend went on for a moment about why we were there and where we lived (neighbors) and my friend then got right to the point and asked the question. "Do you ever lease out your facility to the public? We are distance riders and are looking for a place to ride for the winter?"
Mr well-to-do, looking as though he were considering it for a moment, but then , as politely as possible said "I am sorry but I will have to decline" .
He could have stopped right there... we had the point. It was the answer I was expecting but hoping against....
...but no... He had to add salt to the wound...
He went on to say, " We have a lot of requests like this and we just can't have every yay-hoo that calls themselves a rider come use our arena but.... good luck"
and he closed the door and walked back into the house....
I had to manually lift my jaw off the ground........Yay-hoo? The nerve!! Who is the one that calls himself a cowboy in a newspaper article but doesn't own a single cow??
I had to stop myself from rapping on that door again and challenge him to come riding with me sometime....see how many miles it takes for his cowboy &$$ to begin to chafe....and then we'll see who the ya-hoo is.....
but I refrained... I am sure my husband wouldn't appreciate having to explain to the cops that I just wanted a place to ride for the winter...and I tend to have a short fuse with rudeness.
I have rubbed shoulders with a few folks in my life with plenty of the green stuff. Most of them are nice people, good people. I admire people who have worked hard and been successful and try to learn what I can from their success.. but this??? This was just a little uncalled for. There is no reason to say things like that but I guess that's arrogance for you. Money doesn't give people a right to treat others rudely.
So long story short, I guess I got my answer but I also lost any respect I used to have for him (as a local business man) and you can bet you won't find me patroning his business anymore, I guarantee that.
It looks like I will be hauling to the state land about 8 miles away again this winter, dealing with frozen toes and fingers in order to keep my horses going, along with all the other yay-hoo's.....
Desperate times call for desperate measures. The arena I would normally have access to was foreclosed on this past month. So, yesterday my friend and I went arena hunting. There happens to be a huge , fancy place about a mile and half up the road from my place. It would be perfect but there is one problem. It's private. The owner is , shall we say, a local well -to-do business person/attorney/property developer who is living out his "cowboy" dream in Montana...
I drive by the place every day coming and going to work and wonder what really goes on at this fancy place. I haven't seen any horse activity for the last year or so. I used to see a horse trailer coming and going quite often, driven by a younger guy in a cowboy hat... (atleast he looked the part) but lately there has been no activity. As far as I know, they have reining horses at the place....but maybe , just maybe , they got out of the horse business? which would explain the lack of activity????
...and maybe, just maybe, they would love to see their facility atleast getting used by someone... that someone being me, a neighbor???
I finally got tired of wondering and got up enough courage to find out once and for all. Ofcourse, the only way to do that was to drive in there, hope to find someone and ask. I considered a phonecall but something like this warranted atleast an introduction of myself.
So, I talked my friend into coming along. I figured if there was some crazed caretaker to run us off, there was atleast strength in numbers. I pulled up to the long, fancy entry way, paused for a moment as we glanced at each other for a final confirmation that we might either be about to make total fools of ourselves or possibly get chased off by a crazed ranch caretaker...a nod of conformation from my friend said we were going for it....we headed down the long heated,... yes heated... paved driveway , bordered by beautful pastures that were fenced with the white vinyl(someone forgot to tell Mr well-to-do that white vinyl does indeed crack at 20 below) fencing on both sides.
I wound my truck down the drive to the main house, although it was hard to tell what was house and what was barn... if you can imagine for a moment, the fanciness of the place. The barn looked like a house... or maybe it was vice versa , either way.. both were beautiful.
We parked, got out of the truck and bravely walked up the the door. So far, no crazed caretaker... the lights were on in the house and I recognized Mr Well-to-do business man standing there with his wife in the kitchen. We stood there for a moment and the thought crossed my mind... Is this what it feels like to be a stalker???? They must have seen my headlights, yet , they seemed oblivious to the fact that someone had just pulled up...
We knocked.. waited.. waited some more..
For heavens sake.... they were both standing right there, were they ignoring our knocks? Couldn't they see us on their well lit front doors steps??? Were they hoping we would just go away if they ignored us long enough? My friend looked at me , sharing the moment of confusion....can they not hear us?? Right about now, I was thinking maybe this was a mistake and just about lost my nerve, wanting to make a dash for it back to my truck..
...but, not being one to be ignored...
...................................knock, knock knock again..
A little louder this time. Ah finally.. Mr well-to -do looks up , in surprise to see me standing there and decides to anwer the door....
We politely introduced ourselves , and he politely listened, although he had the faintest look of what appeared to be irritation on his face at this intrusion....my friend went on for a moment about why we were there and where we lived (neighbors) and my friend then got right to the point and asked the question. "Do you ever lease out your facility to the public? We are distance riders and are looking for a place to ride for the winter?"
Mr well-to-do, looking as though he were considering it for a moment, but then , as politely as possible said "I am sorry but I will have to decline" .
He could have stopped right there... we had the point. It was the answer I was expecting but hoping against....
...but no... He had to add salt to the wound...
He went on to say, " We have a lot of requests like this and we just can't have every yay-hoo that calls themselves a rider come use our arena but.... good luck"
and he closed the door and walked back into the house....
I had to manually lift my jaw off the ground........Yay-hoo? The nerve!! Who is the one that calls himself a cowboy in a newspaper article but doesn't own a single cow??
I had to stop myself from rapping on that door again and challenge him to come riding with me sometime....see how many miles it takes for his cowboy &$$ to begin to chafe....and then we'll see who the ya-hoo is.....
but I refrained... I am sure my husband wouldn't appreciate having to explain to the cops that I just wanted a place to ride for the winter...and I tend to have a short fuse with rudeness.
I have rubbed shoulders with a few folks in my life with plenty of the green stuff. Most of them are nice people, good people. I admire people who have worked hard and been successful and try to learn what I can from their success.. but this??? This was just a little uncalled for. There is no reason to say things like that but I guess that's arrogance for you. Money doesn't give people a right to treat others rudely.
So long story short, I guess I got my answer but I also lost any respect I used to have for him (as a local business man) and you can bet you won't find me patroning his business anymore, I guarantee that.
It looks like I will be hauling to the state land about 8 miles away again this winter, dealing with frozen toes and fingers in order to keep my horses going, along with all the other yay-hoo's.....
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Bloomin' Things
JB and I have slowly been venturing out again for distance conditioning. Even though we don't plan to be attending any rides this season, I still like to get out of the arena and work the endurance muscles a bit. Having taken this season off to focus on getting JB feeling better and moving better should give us a jump start for next season. JB improves in his gaits with each ride we go on. He is able to maintain a consistent speed and I am no longer working so hard to keep him going forward. WOOHOOO! Now that he is reaching forward in his gaits, his trot is by far one of the smoothest I have ridden and I am getting a canter out of him that I could envision traveling at for miles on end.
Grape vines, for winemaking
Daisies in the Pennial Garden 
Today, we returned from a 7 mile ride hot, dusty and sweaty so I hosed JB off instead of sponging, then took him for a walk to finish cooling out and drying. As we walked I couldn't help but notice how the grass crunched with each step we made. The grasshoppers bounced off our legs as we momentarily interruptedtheir feeding frenzy. August is here. Things are beginning to dry out . We finished our walk and I put JB up with a few flakes of hay. I went in the house to grab a cold drink and washed a layer of dust off my face. I watched him from my kitchen window as he rolled , now completely caked in mud but seemingly content with his handy work. I realized how pleased I have been with the horse he is blooming into these days.
Thinking of blooming things, I decided I had a few flowers to water. I took the opportunity to take a walk around and snap a few photos. Even though it's drying out, much of the landscape is still in full bloom.
Lovely Lilies
Heraldson Apples
Grape vines, for winemaking
Daisies in the Pennial Garden
Cascade Hops for Homebrew
Some people are thinking fall and winter as soon as August arrives. As for me, I hope to enjoy the the blooming things for as long as possible, including JB, who appears to be blooming into a fabulous little horse.
What's blooming at your place?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
10 Honest Scraps
Ok- I'll bite- a couple of fellow horse bloggers out there passed the Honest Scrap award on to me; Karens Musings and Other Endurance Ride Stuff http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/ and Confessions of a Struggling Dressage Rider http://dressagerider.wordpress.com/ so I will do my part and pass it on. First line of business however is that there are a few rules with this award.
Recognize your award presenter and link back to their blog in your post List 10 honest things about yourself that others might not know. Present this award to 10 admirable bloggers and link to their blogs. Leave a comment on your recipients’ blogs to let them know to visit your post to retrieve their award.
I will start by saying that I don't really follow too many blogs and unfortunately I can't pass it on to anyone that apparently hasn't already received it...I am sure no one wants it twice so I will spare you but for what it's worth here are my two cents.
Here are 10 honest scraps about me:
1. My undergrad studies were sociology/archeology.
2. I am afraid of large machinery , it might go out of control and attack me, (don't laugh, there are alot of us out there like this!) but wouldn't think twice about galloping a horse at speeds that might be illegal on some streets.
3. I love to garden but hate weeding so I don't garden anymore other than a couple of tomatoes and peppers occasionally.
4. One of my favorite authors is Steinbeck.
5. I just bought a Duett saddle from Mel over at Mels Boots and Saddles.
6. I have always wanted to write a book but I vapor lock when I try to think about what the book would be about.
7. My first horse was an ex barrel horse, a beautiful Palomino Quarter Horse who lived to age 32. My first Pony was a white Shetland pony who was a retired circus pony.
8. I knew I wanted to do endurance the first summer I lived in Montana and started riding the trails with my horse Rebel.
9. I have two brothers and one sister.
10. I hope to see Spain, New Zealand, and Italy some day.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Just a Horse
If your like me, you might be the only one in your family that is "horsey". I don’t mean you have long ears and a big head , I am talking about the lifestyle that we lead, those of us that have horses.
Over the years, my family has grown to accept the fact that sometimes,(ok most times) my horses come first. It's no secret that I have been known to arrive terribly late and unshowered to important family funtions because I was busy riding or attending some horse related event. Yes, I have left birthday parties early because I had chores to do and I have even declined a few important get togethers because I had a ride, a show, or a lesson to attend with my horse. If you give me the choice to meet up with a friend to ride in the hills in 90 degree whether, flies, knats, dirt, and all, over a quaint get together for brunch with friends, you can pretty much be sure what my choice will be.
Yes, it’s a lifestyle for sure. I have learned to deal with the scoffs, the loss of patience with me when I choose my horse over my not so horsey friends but they also learn to deal with it, and more importantly, not to take it personal.
I am certain I am not alone in this dilemma! While it seems completely normal to me and my husband, it doesn't always make things easy for those loved ones or friends that aren't horsey.
Summer has arrived in Montana and the old saying is 9 months of winter and 3 months of company is ringing true. I’ll have my fair share of company this summer with not so horsey friends and relatives. I stopped thinking of creative ways to explain my habits away to those folks a long time ago and they have learned to deal with it.
It works out beautifully but it does remind me of a poem, of sorts, I keep posted in my tack room that I thought I would share because so often I hear these nonhorsey people say, in their attempt to understand my habits.. “It’s just a horse…” but is it???
From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse” or, "that's a lot of money for just a horse".
They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or thecosts involved for "just a horse." Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse."Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I didnot once feel slighted.
Some of my saddest moments have been brought aboutby "just a horse," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you will probably understandphrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise.""Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust,and pure unbridled joy. "Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.
Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.
So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.
"Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman/man." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they "just" don't understand.
-Anonymous
Over the years, my family has grown to accept the fact that sometimes,(ok most times) my horses come first. It's no secret that I have been known to arrive terribly late and unshowered to important family funtions because I was busy riding or attending some horse related event. Yes, I have left birthday parties early because I had chores to do and I have even declined a few important get togethers because I had a ride, a show, or a lesson to attend with my horse. If you give me the choice to meet up with a friend to ride in the hills in 90 degree whether, flies, knats, dirt, and all, over a quaint get together for brunch with friends, you can pretty much be sure what my choice will be.
Yes, it’s a lifestyle for sure. I have learned to deal with the scoffs, the loss of patience with me when I choose my horse over my not so horsey friends but they also learn to deal with it, and more importantly, not to take it personal.
I am certain I am not alone in this dilemma! While it seems completely normal to me and my husband, it doesn't always make things easy for those loved ones or friends that aren't horsey.
Summer has arrived in Montana and the old saying is 9 months of winter and 3 months of company is ringing true. I’ll have my fair share of company this summer with not so horsey friends and relatives. I stopped thinking of creative ways to explain my habits away to those folks a long time ago and they have learned to deal with it.
It works out beautifully but it does remind me of a poem, of sorts, I keep posted in my tack room that I thought I would share because so often I hear these nonhorsey people say, in their attempt to understand my habits.. “It’s just a horse…” but is it???
From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse” or, "that's a lot of money for just a horse".
They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or thecosts involved for "just a horse." Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse."Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I didnot once feel slighted.
Some of my saddest moments have been brought aboutby "just a horse," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you will probably understandphrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise.""Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust,and pure unbridled joy. "Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.
Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.
So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.
"Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman/man." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they "just" don't understand.
-Anonymous
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Samarka's Mystic Sage
The perfection of life with a gun dog, like the perfection of an Autumn, is disturbing because you know, even as it begins, that it must end. Time bestows the gift and steals it in the process"
George Bird Evans
"An Affair With Grouse"
The quote above was sent to me by a friend and while Samoyeds aren’t a bird dog, the quote was truly fitting.
If anyone has ever had the opportunity to be around a Samoyed, you know they are the dog with the smile in their eyes.
George Bird Evans
"An Affair With Grouse"
The quote above was sent to me by a friend and while Samoyeds aren’t a bird dog, the quote was truly fitting.
If anyone has ever had the opportunity to be around a Samoyed, you know they are the dog with the smile in their eyes.
At first glance, this story has little to do with my endurance endeavor but in many ways has everything to do with it. It's kind of taken the wind out of my sails of late with just about everything, including wanting to condition for endurance with Rebel. Sage was co captain during our rides. She was always right there with me, trotting along. I'll bounce back I am sure, but it may take me some time.
For the last several weeks, we have been dealing with ever increasingly difficult health issues with our 121/2 year old Samoyed, Sage; aka Ice Bear , aka Poochey Girl. It was complicated ... she had various things all going on simultaneously, that of which included Lupus and Thyroid issues. About a month ago her Lupus was ramping up and causing a lot of problems for her. After several discussions with the vet, and trying several things, all failing, we finally broke down and started her on prednisone. The vet was confident that it would help. We were hesitant because it can be pretty nasty stuff, but the symptoms of the Lupus were proving much worse.
About two weeks ago, Sage stopped eating her regular food but was willing to eat canned dog food. One week ago, Sage began refusing can food as well but if I insisted and hand fed her she would oblige about 50 % of the time because that is just how she was. A good girl. (unless there were leather goods to be found) The hand feeding with the canned food lasted only couple of days and pretty soon, we were down to feeding her raw meat from the beef in the freezer, or chicken. She ate those things, but only half heartedly. I knew then, we were fighting a losing battle but didn’t really know why. Prednisone should help increase her appetite. It didn’t make sense. Typically, Sage never missed a meal and now she had no interest in eating.
Last Thursday I came home to find her belly all bloody. When I laid her down to take a look, I couldn’t believe my what my eyes were seeing. Towards her back legs, lied a huge ugly looking growth on one of her mammaries, atleast 2x2 in size and bulging 1 inch. She had been licking it which was causing it to bleed. How could I not have noticed this? I knew that it had been atleast a week since I last checked her for lumps as I often do so this growth wasn’t there at that time. I check Sage for lumps routinely because a few years ago , she developed several small mammary tumors, all of which were benign and not growing. We opted to not do surgery on those tumors as they didn’t bother her.
Friday morning, I took Sage into the vet so he could take a look at this growth, which seemed to come on quickly. Was it one of her tumors that had become malignant? I didn’t know. Upon examination, the vet thought it was something that would be easy enough to remove and he thought she should get immediate relief. He would biopsy at that time. So, that was good enough for me and we scheduled the surgery for Monday, 5/4, and went home for the weekend.
I tried to keep Sage as quiet as I could throughout the weekend but she was always a fighter and wanted to be in the middle of all the activity, especially if there was any horse activity to be had. Whenever I rode, Sage would always be right alongside of us. It was her way of keeping tabs on things. Saturday I had to keep her in the house as I didn’t want her to over do it and cause more issues. Boy, was she mad and barking to let the whole neighborhood know. By Sunday night, Sage had taken a turn for the worse. She was panting heavily with a rapid heart rate and was having difficulty moving. We called the vet again late Sunday night, now fearing for her life. The vet met us at the clinic 10:30 that night. He looked at the tumor again and was astonished at how much it had increased in size. It has also become very inflamed and the inflammation was traveling down her leg. The vet quickly left the exam room and was gone for a while. Tom and I weren’t sure where he was headed or what he was doing. When he came back , he brought with him a large veterinary book which I thought was a bit odd . He said he wanted to show us something. He explained that he had researched things a bit more after seeing Sage on Friday and had suspected that she might have what was called Inflammatory Mammary Carcinoma but he wasn’t sure at the time. He had planned to talk to me Monday morning and reevaluate surgery. Now, seeing how this tumor was so aggressively growing, it was obvious this was exactly what he was showing me in the book. All the symptoms over the last several weeks fit and here we thought it was her Lupus. What he especially wanted to show us in the book was that it indicated surgery was not an option with this and especially not recommended for tumors beyond a certain size. The tumor Sage had was well beyond that. It went on to explain that if surgery is attempted, the outcome is very grave and usually ends up that the dog has to be euthanized shortly afterward. To add, the location of her tumor made matters worse. It was in the absolute worst area for healing. If we operated, we would face huge issues getting the incision to heal properly due to the amount of movement. To add, the book went on to explain that w hen these tumors are operated on, it causes the malignancy to become more aggressive.
About two weeks ago, Sage stopped eating her regular food but was willing to eat canned dog food. One week ago, Sage began refusing can food as well but if I insisted and hand fed her she would oblige about 50 % of the time because that is just how she was. A good girl. (unless there were leather goods to be found) The hand feeding with the canned food lasted only couple of days and pretty soon, we were down to feeding her raw meat from the beef in the freezer, or chicken. She ate those things, but only half heartedly. I knew then, we were fighting a losing battle but didn’t really know why. Prednisone should help increase her appetite. It didn’t make sense. Typically, Sage never missed a meal and now she had no interest in eating.
Last Thursday I came home to find her belly all bloody. When I laid her down to take a look, I couldn’t believe my what my eyes were seeing. Towards her back legs, lied a huge ugly looking growth on one of her mammaries, atleast 2x2 in size and bulging 1 inch. She had been licking it which was causing it to bleed. How could I not have noticed this? I knew that it had been atleast a week since I last checked her for lumps as I often do so this growth wasn’t there at that time. I check Sage for lumps routinely because a few years ago , she developed several small mammary tumors, all of which were benign and not growing. We opted to not do surgery on those tumors as they didn’t bother her.
Friday morning, I took Sage into the vet so he could take a look at this growth, which seemed to come on quickly. Was it one of her tumors that had become malignant? I didn’t know. Upon examination, the vet thought it was something that would be easy enough to remove and he thought she should get immediate relief. He would biopsy at that time. So, that was good enough for me and we scheduled the surgery for Monday, 5/4, and went home for the weekend.
I tried to keep Sage as quiet as I could throughout the weekend but she was always a fighter and wanted to be in the middle of all the activity, especially if there was any horse activity to be had. Whenever I rode, Sage would always be right alongside of us. It was her way of keeping tabs on things. Saturday I had to keep her in the house as I didn’t want her to over do it and cause more issues. Boy, was she mad and barking to let the whole neighborhood know. By Sunday night, Sage had taken a turn for the worse. She was panting heavily with a rapid heart rate and was having difficulty moving. We called the vet again late Sunday night, now fearing for her life. The vet met us at the clinic 10:30 that night. He looked at the tumor again and was astonished at how much it had increased in size. It has also become very inflamed and the inflammation was traveling down her leg. The vet quickly left the exam room and was gone for a while. Tom and I weren’t sure where he was headed or what he was doing. When he came back , he brought with him a large veterinary book which I thought was a bit odd . He said he wanted to show us something. He explained that he had researched things a bit more after seeing Sage on Friday and had suspected that she might have what was called Inflammatory Mammary Carcinoma but he wasn’t sure at the time. He had planned to talk to me Monday morning and reevaluate surgery. Now, seeing how this tumor was so aggressively growing, it was obvious this was exactly what he was showing me in the book. All the symptoms over the last several weeks fit and here we thought it was her Lupus. What he especially wanted to show us in the book was that it indicated surgery was not an option with this and especially not recommended for tumors beyond a certain size. The tumor Sage had was well beyond that. It went on to explain that if surgery is attempted, the outcome is very grave and usually ends up that the dog has to be euthanized shortly afterward. To add, the location of her tumor made matters worse. It was in the absolute worst area for healing. If we operated, we would face huge issues getting the incision to heal properly due to the amount of movement. To add, the book went on to explain that w hen these tumors are operated on, it causes the malignancy to become more aggressive.
I had read enough. Our hearts sank. Maybe in disbelief, shock , denial or all of the above , I asked the vet why he had said he could operate on Friday and now we were facing no options? The logical part of my brain that normally drives my ability to make good decisions was suddenly turned off. While I knew the answer, I suddenly couldn’t or maybe I didn’t want to grasp what the vet was telling us. When your world turns upside down in an instant, reality sometimes takes a minute to sink in. It took me some time to come to grips with the fact that this was not just a mammary tumor that got ugly that could easily be removed. This was something worse, something that we could not beat. Inflammatory Mammary Carcinoma was a completely different monster that was going to take my baby from me and there was nothing I could do about it. Surgery would only extend her pain and suffering.
As much as I didn’t want to, I could see the answer in Sages eyes, the distress she was in told all me enough. The vet gently explained that euthanasia was really our only option. Tom looked at me and asked if we should go ahead with it right then. The floor felt like it dropped out from underneath my feet. I wasn’t ready. I know during times like this it, it shouldn’t be about the human but I just wasn’t prepared for this. It hit like a bullet to the heart. I needed to come to terms with what I had just heard. I needed a chance to say goodbye.
As much as I didn’t want to, I could see the answer in Sages eyes, the distress she was in told all me enough. The vet gently explained that euthanasia was really our only option. Tom looked at me and asked if we should go ahead with it right then. The floor felt like it dropped out from underneath my feet. I wasn’t ready. I know during times like this it, it shouldn’t be about the human but I just wasn’t prepared for this. It hit like a bullet to the heart. I needed to come to terms with what I had just heard. I needed a chance to say goodbye.
I asked the vet if he felt we could manage her pain well enough with medication for the night so that I could take her home to say goodbye first. He felt that we could. We didn’t want Sage's last memory to be scared and on an exam table. I couldn’t live with that. The vet gave us some Tramadol which is used in cancer patients to manage pain and we made arrangements for the vet to come to the house the next day, Monday, to euthanize in the comforts of her own home.
I stayed with her all day on Monday and tried to keep her as comfortable as possible. She wanted to be outside and would go over to her kennel area and just sit. The other two dogs were terribly worried. Since she didn’t get her Sunday knuckle bone( a weekly thing we give each dog every Sunday)I gave it to her. She chewed on it for a while but then it got to be too much for her. She seemed to want to be alone a lot . That was a hard one to take. Anyone who knows me knows I am a fixer. In all the years, the various hurts and cuts and things I had nursed her through, I couldn’t fix this one. I couldn’t even do much to comfort her. I just sat with her, and pet her. I brushed her when she would allow it and wash her face with a warm cloth which was one of her favorite things. When her pain level seemed to increase, I gave her pain meds to get her through the next couple of hours while we waited for the vet to arrive. Unfortunately, he would not be arriving until after clinic hours. About half way through the day I regretted making her wait for what seemed to be a lifetime. I just had no idea how painful this was going to get.
I stayed with her all day on Monday and tried to keep her as comfortable as possible. She wanted to be outside and would go over to her kennel area and just sit. The other two dogs were terribly worried. Since she didn’t get her Sunday knuckle bone( a weekly thing we give each dog every Sunday)I gave it to her. She chewed on it for a while but then it got to be too much for her. She seemed to want to be alone a lot . That was a hard one to take. Anyone who knows me knows I am a fixer. In all the years, the various hurts and cuts and things I had nursed her through, I couldn’t fix this one. I couldn’t even do much to comfort her. I just sat with her, and pet her. I brushed her when she would allow it and wash her face with a warm cloth which was one of her favorite things. When her pain level seemed to increase, I gave her pain meds to get her through the next couple of hours while we waited for the vet to arrive. Unfortunately, he would not be arriving until after clinic hours. About half way through the day I regretted making her wait for what seemed to be a lifetime. I just had no idea how painful this was going to get.
It was the longest day of both of our lives. Tom arrived home in the afternoon and shortly after that, the vet finally arrived. It was such a relief to see him to know that she would not have to endure the pain any more. We had our time to say goodbye and I knew she was ready for me to help her one last time, to end her pain. It was all over so quickly and painlessly, peace for her at last.
We buried her near the kennel area under a tree, where she loved to sit and be on look out, always guarding, always watching, as a good Samoyed always will. Sage was so very special to everyone who met her and she brought sunshine and happiness with her whever she went. I have lost a large part of my heart with Sage’s passing. Farewell, sweet Sage, my Ice Bear. We love you and will be greatly missed until we will all be united again someday to play forever in the fields beyond the Rainbow Bridge.
Love Mom, Dad, Morgan, Loki and most of all Munci.
Love Mom, Dad, Morgan, Loki and most of all Munci.
P.S.( I will post a photo of her soon)
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Stars Might Be Aligning
My weekend did not include much riding at all. Unfortunately, Saturday required me to go into work so I couldn’t ride but Tom did ride him for me and spent quite a bit of time cantering. His only comment later that day when I arrived home was that JB needed a lot of canter work. JB tends to be fairly tense in the canter yet. We didn’t do a lot of cantering last year and so part of it is that he is unsure and has not developed the balance to canter easily. The other issue on Saturday was that there were three other strange horses in the arena at the same time. Archery friends had come over to use our arena that day and JB was much more interested in socializing than working.
Sunday, I was not feeling well but dragged myself out to the round pen, JB in tow with my syrcingle and long lines. Not having the energy to ride, I thought it might be a good opportunity to work on the canter without the added weight and burden of a rider. It has been quite some time since I had him in lines but he remembered quickly and listened quite well to voice commands as I took him up and down through walk/trot/canter/halt . He offered a couple of nice easy canters that I was very happy with. Last year, I couldn’t get him to canter on the lines for anything so I was pleased that he willingly went into that gait. After about 20 minutes of long lining I changed gears and revisited the “bowing” cue. I came prepared with baby carrots in my pocket which he smelled right away so it was a bit distracting for him initially.
“You mean I have to do something to earn the carrots?”
We are only at the very beginning stages of this trick but using his halter and leadrope, I tap his shoulder, then ask for him to pick up his hoof and with the other hand with the lead rope, ask him to rock back on his haunches. As he rocks back, I reward that by offering him a treat and letting him have his leg back so he can stand up again. As we go along, eventually I build up to where I don’t release and offer the treat until he rocks back far enough so that his knee rests on the ground. As soon as he offers that, then I release... and more carrots…The next step is getting him to stay in that bowed position a bit longer each time.
As we revisited this, JB quickly caught on. Last summer we left off where he was just starting to drop his knee on the ground. Pretty soon, when I tapped his shoulder, he picked up his foot and was willingly rocking back to put his knee on the ground. Almost too fast and leaving me behind a bit! We only did it a few times and I decided since he was doing so well , I didn’t want to wear it out so I called it good for the day. I have read with trick training that you can over due it as well so I definitely wanted to avoid that. I was pleased with how quickly it came back to him. I had also started teaching JB the cue for the Spanish walk last year but that was a little more difficult. We were both frustrated so I stopped until I could figure out how to better execute the cue. I hope to revisit that however so if anyone has any pointers please let me know!!
While I do miss the focus of the endurance training and conditioning, I am really enjoying my new direction with JB for this season. Much more that I thought I would. It’s nice not to have to feel like such a task master with him, no more stress of “I have to do blank # of miles this week . Now, I just catch him JB a few times a week and head out to the arena or round pen to do what ever needs doing. I try to listen and let him tell me what we work on for that day. Sometimes, we just walk around and work on some easy bending because he is tense, or bothered because the wind blew his hair sideways that day. Some days, we work around obstacles, the Garrocha or trot poles. Other days we get down to business and I ask for more, with transitions, leg yields, shoulder-ion and more cantering to help him build the strength and confidence to travel in this gait comfortably. My point is that whatever it is for each day, we work through it together. If it takes us an hour to get a nice soft up transition into a trot, then that's okay.
Initially when I opted to take a step back and focus on getting him “right” before getting him “out”, I felt like it was a step backwards. Now that I have had some time to reflect and have started seeing some of the changes he is making, I can see that it has definitely been the right decision for him and us. I suspect by next year, we will be miles ahead of where we would have been if I just kept the focus on conditioning. While I enjoyed being out there conditioning and fulfilling my dream and my goals, I really don’t think JB ever did. I didn't want that. He wasn’t mentally or physically ready for the endurance conditioning last year and I probably shouldn't have pushed him.
With our less strenuous training schedule this year, a trail ride or ride out down the road doesn’t have to feel like a chore anymore and JB seems much happier as a result. Everything feels right, moreso than things ever did last year. I can't describe it really, and sometimes there are no words. It just seems like JB is happy, he looks good, he feels good and that makes me happy. I don't know if its just the stars have finally aligned for us but I am seeing a lot of potential in this little horse that I would not otherwise have if I didn’t give JB the opportunity to show me. I am just glad I finally listened to him.
Sunday, I was not feeling well but dragged myself out to the round pen, JB in tow with my syrcingle and long lines. Not having the energy to ride, I thought it might be a good opportunity to work on the canter without the added weight and burden of a rider. It has been quite some time since I had him in lines but he remembered quickly and listened quite well to voice commands as I took him up and down through walk/trot/canter/halt . He offered a couple of nice easy canters that I was very happy with. Last year, I couldn’t get him to canter on the lines for anything so I was pleased that he willingly went into that gait. After about 20 minutes of long lining I changed gears and revisited the “bowing” cue. I came prepared with baby carrots in my pocket which he smelled right away so it was a bit distracting for him initially.
“You mean I have to do something to earn the carrots?”
We are only at the very beginning stages of this trick but using his halter and leadrope, I tap his shoulder, then ask for him to pick up his hoof and with the other hand with the lead rope, ask him to rock back on his haunches. As he rocks back, I reward that by offering him a treat and letting him have his leg back so he can stand up again. As we go along, eventually I build up to where I don’t release and offer the treat until he rocks back far enough so that his knee rests on the ground. As soon as he offers that, then I release... and more carrots…The next step is getting him to stay in that bowed position a bit longer each time.
As we revisited this, JB quickly caught on. Last summer we left off where he was just starting to drop his knee on the ground. Pretty soon, when I tapped his shoulder, he picked up his foot and was willingly rocking back to put his knee on the ground. Almost too fast and leaving me behind a bit! We only did it a few times and I decided since he was doing so well , I didn’t want to wear it out so I called it good for the day. I have read with trick training that you can over due it as well so I definitely wanted to avoid that. I was pleased with how quickly it came back to him. I had also started teaching JB the cue for the Spanish walk last year but that was a little more difficult. We were both frustrated so I stopped until I could figure out how to better execute the cue. I hope to revisit that however so if anyone has any pointers please let me know!!
While I do miss the focus of the endurance training and conditioning, I am really enjoying my new direction with JB for this season. Much more that I thought I would. It’s nice not to have to feel like such a task master with him, no more stress of “I have to do blank # of miles this week . Now, I just catch him JB a few times a week and head out to the arena or round pen to do what ever needs doing. I try to listen and let him tell me what we work on for that day. Sometimes, we just walk around and work on some easy bending because he is tense, or bothered because the wind blew his hair sideways that day. Some days, we work around obstacles, the Garrocha or trot poles. Other days we get down to business and I ask for more, with transitions, leg yields, shoulder-ion and more cantering to help him build the strength and confidence to travel in this gait comfortably. My point is that whatever it is for each day, we work through it together. If it takes us an hour to get a nice soft up transition into a trot, then that's okay.
Initially when I opted to take a step back and focus on getting him “right” before getting him “out”, I felt like it was a step backwards. Now that I have had some time to reflect and have started seeing some of the changes he is making, I can see that it has definitely been the right decision for him and us. I suspect by next year, we will be miles ahead of where we would have been if I just kept the focus on conditioning. While I enjoyed being out there conditioning and fulfilling my dream and my goals, I really don’t think JB ever did. I didn't want that. He wasn’t mentally or physically ready for the endurance conditioning last year and I probably shouldn't have pushed him.
With our less strenuous training schedule this year, a trail ride or ride out down the road doesn’t have to feel like a chore anymore and JB seems much happier as a result. Everything feels right, moreso than things ever did last year. I can't describe it really, and sometimes there are no words. It just seems like JB is happy, he looks good, he feels good and that makes me happy. I don't know if its just the stars have finally aligned for us but I am seeing a lot of potential in this little horse that I would not otherwise have if I didn’t give JB the opportunity to show me. I am just glad I finally listened to him.
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Kind of Guy
There are several pet and horse owners grieving the loss of a vet and a good friend today. Hugh Rogers died in a plan crash Wednesday afternoon , on his 50th birthday He owned his own plane and loved to fly and I imagine was out flying on his birthday, doing something he loved. He loved the outdoors and anything to do with it .
Tom and I have taken our horses to Hugh for years. A trip to see him never went without a talk about hunting, flying , horseback archery or some of his bantering and joking. In fact, we almost had him convinced to come out and try doing some horseback archery with us this summer. We always joked about JB being Hugh's favorite horse because when JB was only a yearling and still a bit wild, we took him to Hugh for a visit. The plan was to anethetize JB in order to brand him. JB gave Hugh a heck of a struggle to even get near him with the needle. Then last summer when Hugh was vetting one of the local competitive trail rides I attended, he gave me the nicest compliment when he said how JB had come a long way since that first time they had met!
Hugh had that dry , good ol' boy sense of humor that had you in stitches most times. I remember fondly just a month or so ago when we were in the clinic with one of the horses talking about his recent trips with his plane. talking about flying was his favorite subject.
He was the kind of guy that was well known through out the Flathead Valley for his generosity of time and resources for animal care, everything from the local food back to Backcountry Horsemen. I always knew he was one of those people you only get the opportunity to meet once in a lifetime, but it was only after his death that I learned just how far his generosity went. A quiet philanthropist who was always lending a hand in times of need , without questions ,to not only animals but humans as well.
This is a huge loss to the community and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones.
We'll miss you Hugh but I know your up there with your unmistakable big grin and that mischievious twinkle in your eye, flying a plan and absolutely having a ball. For the full story about who Hugh was, click here.http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/04/03/news/local_montana/news_8761266998_02.txt
Tom and I have taken our horses to Hugh for years. A trip to see him never went without a talk about hunting, flying , horseback archery or some of his bantering and joking. In fact, we almost had him convinced to come out and try doing some horseback archery with us this summer. We always joked about JB being Hugh's favorite horse because when JB was only a yearling and still a bit wild, we took him to Hugh for a visit. The plan was to anethetize JB in order to brand him. JB gave Hugh a heck of a struggle to even get near him with the needle. Then last summer when Hugh was vetting one of the local competitive trail rides I attended, he gave me the nicest compliment when he said how JB had come a long way since that first time they had met!
Hugh had that dry , good ol' boy sense of humor that had you in stitches most times. I remember fondly just a month or so ago when we were in the clinic with one of the horses talking about his recent trips with his plane. talking about flying was his favorite subject.
He was the kind of guy that was well known through out the Flathead Valley for his generosity of time and resources for animal care, everything from the local food back to Backcountry Horsemen. I always knew he was one of those people you only get the opportunity to meet once in a lifetime, but it was only after his death that I learned just how far his generosity went. A quiet philanthropist who was always lending a hand in times of need , without questions ,to not only animals but humans as well.
This is a huge loss to the community and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones.
We'll miss you Hugh but I know your up there with your unmistakable big grin and that mischievious twinkle in your eye, flying a plan and absolutely having a ball. For the full story about who Hugh was, click here.http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/04/03/news/local_montana/news_8761266998_02.txt
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Lion and the Lamb Phenomenon
They say March is usually "In like a Lion , Out like a Lamb" in this area but mothernature is throwing us a curveball. It' s more like in like a Lion and out like a grumpy, hungry , just out of hibernation Grizzly Bear! We have had snow and winter weather advisories all week and it is to continue through the end of the week. The weekend looks promising however, climbing all the way up to the mid to high 4o's. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will begin to pull out of this winter like weather trend very soon. This week , as a result of the weather combined with working 12 hour days , is a wash as far as conditioning goes, which has me a bit grumpy. However, there is an end in sight.
Thanks to a wonderful boss who is willing to make some exceptions for me, she approved me to work short days twice a week. This week was suppose to begin those abbreviated work weeks through the ride season but with things at work, that may get delayed until the end of April which is fine given the weather forecast !( maybe the weather is cooperating on my account afterall since I can't start the schedule yet.) This schedule opens up a number of doors for my summer and helps ease the job fatigue I have been struggling with of late.
That being said, I will have quite a bit of time to pursue not only a heavy conditioning schedule for endurance, but more training time with the other horses and maybe I will be nice and get restarted on groundwork with Brego for Tom. Brego really needs it! I hope to also use this extra time to do some other things like enjoying some of Montana’s great outdoors, hiking, kayaking, and gardening, which I love but never have the time for. The best part about all of this is that I won’t have to fret as much about when I can fit in conditioning rides when there is laundry, house cleaning, grocery shopping, meals to cook and all those other nagging chores that need to be done. Last year, I was run ragged with everything that needed to get done when I started the conditioning program with JB and trying to balance that with working 50+ hrs a week. This schedule will be a big relief.
So, being curious by nature, how does everyone else manage their work schedule with conditioning for endurance and balancing all the other aspects of life? Anyone have any secrets they would like to share?
Thanks to a wonderful boss who is willing to make some exceptions for me, she approved me to work short days twice a week. This week was suppose to begin those abbreviated work weeks through the ride season but with things at work, that may get delayed until the end of April which is fine given the weather forecast !( maybe the weather is cooperating on my account afterall since I can't start the schedule yet.) This schedule opens up a number of doors for my summer and helps ease the job fatigue I have been struggling with of late.
That being said, I will have quite a bit of time to pursue not only a heavy conditioning schedule for endurance, but more training time with the other horses and maybe I will be nice and get restarted on groundwork with Brego for Tom. Brego really needs it! I hope to also use this extra time to do some other things like enjoying some of Montana’s great outdoors, hiking, kayaking, and gardening, which I love but never have the time for. The best part about all of this is that I won’t have to fret as much about when I can fit in conditioning rides when there is laundry, house cleaning, grocery shopping, meals to cook and all those other nagging chores that need to be done. Last year, I was run ragged with everything that needed to get done when I started the conditioning program with JB and trying to balance that with working 50+ hrs a week. This schedule will be a big relief.
So, being curious by nature, how does everyone else manage their work schedule with conditioning for endurance and balancing all the other aspects of life? Anyone have any secrets they would like to share?
Monday, March 9, 2009
Frosty Freeze
Brrrrrrrr... Don't these photos just make you shiver??
Over the weekend, we suffered through an “arctic event” that blasted the area. As a result, there were no “Photo Shoot” opportunities to get pics of JB’s feet like I had hoped.
Have you ever tried to feed off round bales with a fork while getting through gates and dodging grumpy,hungry horses with 35- 40 mph winds? Well if not, than I don’t suggest it. It had me cursing like a sailor!
The cold blast was supposed to only last only through Saturday evening and let up by yesterday but this morning, the winds continue to rip and tear at anything in its path. Tonight, we are the lucky recipients of yet another arctic air weather pattern to hit the area with wind chills reaching -20 to -30. Is Al Gore scheduled to appear somewhere in the area to talk about Global Warning or something?? Hahahaha!! Seems everytime he is scduled to speak , his meeting gets cancelled to due to record cold temps… The big man clearly has a sense of humor! Ok- enough
Our morning attempt to get to work, aleady behind schedule due to the extra time it took to feed in the hellacious wind, was eventful since all the east west roads were drifted shut. A few braves souls also attempting to get to work the “back way” had attempted the usual bust through the drifts and pray you make it out on the other side without landing in the ditch maneuver (since the plows don’t always show up until later). Unfortunately, this time, it was a bit deeper than they had bargained for and they found themselves stuck. I turned around and had to try 3 different routes , all of which had snow drifts that had captured other victims. I finally back tracked and had to get out onto the main highway, although I was tempted to just go back home and go back to bed. By the time I had gotten out to the highway, it was 20 after and the 8:00 traffic was full on. Oh Joy. Usually I am at work by 7:00 a.m! Here are some photos of what our place looked like over the weekend.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Season Preparation
What's this??? Read below for more details...I have started riding around our pasture and that will have to suffice until I get boots figured out for horses, (hopefully next week). A half hour or 40 minutes of walking and trotting is better than nothing. It is driving me a bit crazy but there isn't much I can do , so instead I am working down the list of various to do's prior to the season. One of those things included organizing tack, getting new halters, reorganizing bridle set ups and cleaning tack to help pass the time and keep me focused on something productive.
Tom makes all of our rope halters and is quite talented with knot tying. Since all of the halters we are currently using are old and looking kind of ratty, we decided to finally pull out the reems of rope we have been collecting for this very occasion. Now, each horse has thier own color coordinated halter. Pictured below is Cassidy's halter with an additional picture of the fancier know he tied one end off with, known as a Turk's head.
In addition to tying his own halters, Tom also picked up learning how to make his own bridles out of rope as well. They are really nice and lightweight, and better yet, I can throw them in the washing machine and they clean up very well. There is no hardware on these, just rope and leather. I know that the Beta bridles and gear are pretty popular but since I like to be a bit different and I already these anyways, I thought they might be useful for endurance riding with a bit of a modification. These are a bit fancier and are fashioned after a more traditional western look , typically having the mecate rein attached.Since I plan to condition and participate in a couple of rides with Rebel this season, I had Tom modify by removing the Mecate rein attachment. The additional Mecate rein is nice but adds another 10 feet of rope to manage. I seem to be rope challenged and end up tangling myself in most cases! Without the extra rope, it makes it much more user friendly , atleast for me! You can see in the photo that there is some hand braiding on the rings on the cheek pieces . This is kangarood lace that Tom hand plated. Cassidy's is white with black and Rebel's is green. I think Rebel looks rather dashing with the kangaroo lace that matches his hair! See Rebel's photo at the top of this post.
JB also has one of these in black and red which looks really flashy on him but we save that for special occasions! JB's endurance bridle is a simple leather headstall with rope reins and slobber straps.
Once I had final adjustments on the fit for Rebel's bridle, I just couldn't resist hopping on bareback to try it out. Ofcourse, when the photo was snapped (top of page) I was just asking for a stop and back. Not an ideal shot but I was so pleased that Rebel was feeling better . It was only days before and I wasn't sure I would ever get to ride him again. I think the smile speaks for itself!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Rebel Update and other News
Just a quick update. Yesterday afternoon things were still kind of on the wire with Rebel. He wasn't improving as I had hoped but he wasn't getting worse either. He was still eating relatively well but lethargic and not really perking up. He passed two small manure piles yesterday , both of which were dry. I decided, against my vets advice (which I didn't understand her reasoning behind anyways) to go ahead and whip up a batch of sloppy beet pulp because he clearly wasn't drinking enough.
By 7:00 last night, more manure and another round of beet pulp, this time with electrolytes. By 10:00 last night he has two really good sized piles of manure , not near as dry and I saw him take a big sip of water.
FINALLY!
This morning, more beet pulp with electrolytes to encourage a thirst response.
I think by this evening he can go back to the other pasture and I won't have to monitor so closely.
The other news is related to the Easy Care Gloves. I did an earlier post on this that you can find here. I had ordered the Easy Care Fit Kit and was patiently (maybe not so!) for the shipment to arrive that apparently was delayed on the slow boat from China. Well I received a call on Wednesday that the fit kits ship out today. WOOHOO!!
Now, hopefully they will work with JB's feet and with any liuck the size JB needs won't be on back order for 6 more weeks!
By 7:00 last night, more manure and another round of beet pulp, this time with electrolytes. By 10:00 last night he has two really good sized piles of manure , not near as dry and I saw him take a big sip of water.
FINALLY!
This morning, more beet pulp with electrolytes to encourage a thirst response.
I think by this evening he can go back to the other pasture and I won't have to monitor so closely.
The other news is related to the Easy Care Gloves. I did an earlier post on this that you can find here. I had ordered the Easy Care Fit Kit and was patiently (maybe not so!) for the shipment to arrive that apparently was delayed on the slow boat from China. Well I received a call on Wednesday that the fit kits ship out today. WOOHOO!!
Now, hopefully they will work with JB's feet and with any liuck the size JB needs won't be on back order for 6 more weeks!
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