Picture Perfect

I won a prize! Well, not really a prize, a drawing for a painting, but I still won it and I'm still very happy about it.  I follow an excellent equine artist named Linda Shantz on Facebook, and saw that she was having a contest to give away one of her beautiful paintings. The painting is of a filly named Polly, and lo and behold, it looks a lot like what my girl may have looked like as a filly. (Let's just all pause and acknowledge that Skye was probably the cutest filly in the history of the world. ) So I said that in my comment, and shared it, and some of my FB friends also liked and shared it, which increased my chances.  Then we were in the mountains to experience some snow and when I finally got some signal I saw that I had won it. And it is so beautiful, don't you think?

"Polly, Two Days Old" by Linda Shantz
Copyright Linda Shantz 2013. All right reserved.
Reproduced here with express permission.

Just gorgeous, and that photo doesn't even do it justice. It almost feels alive. I jumped up and down when I opened it, as it is so pretty, and the expression in the filly's eyes is so much like my Skye. I'm having it framed this week, and I'm going to hang it beside my desk at work to remind me why I'm working - to pay my horse bills (and other bills, but the horse bills seem to be the only ones I don't mind paying).

If you want to see more of Linda's work, her website is at lindashantz.com. She also has a cool blog at lindashantz.blogspot.com. You can also follow her on Facebook at Linda Shantz Artist. Consider yourself warned though: you will start wishing for some of her paintings.  The way she captures the life of the horses is just amazing.

In other news, Skye has a new boyfriend.  It is Leo, whose stall is beside hers. Yes, the one I said I wanted her to marry.  He was put in the gelding herd, but those toughies (who are actually among the sweetest horses I have known) were whooping up on him, so Erin wisely moved him into Skye's pasture. Skye runs a tight ship! Tammy, who owns Leo, said it was love at first sight for him (and who could blame him?). He got right by her side and wouldn't let anyone near her. She said she thought Skye was indifferent to him, but when I saw them together, I can see that ain't so . . . . .

Note how he is allowed to drink with the Queen.
He does seem to feel appropriately honored by her presence.

Yes, she is allowing him to DRINK WITH HER! As Queen of the Water Trough, her usual stance is that no one can drink or approach when she is drinking without risking her signature headswing with ears back reprimand.  It is a big victory for Reebok every time he sidles up when she is there, and she usually gives even him the hairy eyeball. But as you can see, Leo has special privileges.

I'm slightly worried that this love affair will affect my relationship with her, as her love for Magic caused me so much grief. But I love Leo so much, and the herd dynamics are good in this pasture, so I hope it works out.  Reebok and Ginger are not so sure about the whole thing though.

They were so funny, just standing right there motionless.
They are never allowed to do what Leo can do with her.

Aren't they hilarious? So cute even when suspicious.

And finally, for your viewing pleasure,  a dinky shot.

I call it "Portrait of the Dinky as a Young Man."
This is Bravo, the big daddy.

I have seen that Erin is officially letting people know they are up for adoption. It makes me sad, but I trust her completely to place them only somewhere where they will be well-treated, and perhaps get more attention than we can give them. (Neither Dave nor the city of Charlotte will consider allowing me to keep them in our backyard. Just in case you were wondering.)

I now need to get off this computer and go see my horse.

Catch Up

Well, I knew I had been busy, but I hadn't realized it had been so long since I posted. I think this kind of delay explains why I have so many half-empty journals. In my defense, the weather was crappy (which is actually odd for March in the Carolinas) and I was swamped. Part of the swamping is just getting life things done, but a big part of it is helping my son George with homework. He has so much, and though he doesn't need my help to do the work, he does need me there to keep his nose to the grindstone, and it wears me out.

Apropos of nothing, this is Sugar, one of the barn cats.
Unlike me, she doesn't appear to be tired.

I did get to ride again, but sadly it did not go as well I had hoped. Skye did the same thing she usually does with her trotting; she throws her head up and hollows out her back and even puts her ears back, which is very un-Skye-like. And once she trots, she doesn't want to come back to a walk. This is especially odd since it seems to pain her to trot. I did trot her a good bit to get her some exercise, but the next day I put my other saddle on her,  despite the fact that I bought  my new saddle especially to fit her.

The other saddle is a used Siegfried Stubben that I got off of eBay. I had ridden in the same type of saddle as a teenager and had this idea that it was just the best. Of course, then I was 125 pounds and rode for hours a day. Probably anything would fit my little butt. I hadn't put this one on Skye yet, and I have to say, the minute I was in it, it felt like home. I loved it. I also have to say though, that it sits pretty low on my girl's withers, and she behaved exactly the same way. I have looked at all sorts of things about saddle fitting, and had several people look at the way my Wintec fits her, and we have pretty much eliminated the saddle fit as the problem, but I'm sure it will continue to bug me.

Anyway, I was rather discouraged by this, as I felt like I was back at square one, then it rained off and on preventing me from riding. My Wednesday visits were great though. I was so tired both Wednesdays from work, from George's homework and from that durn class I'm teaching that I didn't even thinking about riding since it requires such patience. But my Wednesdays were wonderful.

Her Highness, waiting to be groomed

I groomed Skye and loved on her, then worked her a little on the lunge line just to get her moving and listening to me. I saw a little head bob in one direction, which sent my heart to my knees. Carey was grooming Nigel nearby, and I asked her to take a look. She saw it too, but suggested we let her run at liberty in the big arena so she could stretch out. I let her off the lead line and waved my arms at her. She stared at me. I tried to chase her, and she just kind of followed me around. Then I shook the lead line at her and she trotted in a circle around me as if on an invisible line.

When Carey finished laughing at us, she chased my girl, who trotted off and after about 10 strides looked perfect. Carey chased her again, and Skye cantered around, showing us a little buck for good measure. She ran around a little for fun, then spied some nice grass in a corner and stopped abruptly, put her head down and started munching. Carey and Craig agreed that she was adorable, and I don't even think they were humoring me.

Last Wednesday was also great. I was even more tired this time, but I really wanted to see my girl and get that release of tension that nothing but horses gives me. They were feeding when I got there, so I did my dinky duty first. (Those boys trotted up to me on their little stripey legs and pushed each other aside for carrots. Progress!) Then I just took my brushes out to the pasture and brushed Skye and Reebok in their feeding spaces as the sun started to go down. They were both filthy from rolling in mud.

Sweet Meat. You can see how dirt his legs are.
He is actually happier to be with me
than he looks. Or at least that's my story.

Skye stood like a statue while I groomed her and seemed to like it a lot better than in a grooming bay. She has that pull-back thing lurking in the back of her brain, and I can tell she is always more comfortable when she is not tied. When I had finished, I just let her go to graze on the nice grass in the separate feeding area and headed over to Reebok.

I usually don't get to brush him much because he is so antsy in the cross ties, and frankly I want to work on other things with him when I have the time. But this night was really good because he was completely relaxed being so near his herd and not tied up in any way. I brushed him pretty well, to the point where you can tell the borders of his white and his flea-bitten grey. He is actually a paint of with light flea-bitten grey and white, but you have to look closely to see it, and when he is dirty, as he has been, you can't tell it at all. I picked up his two front feet, but he balked a little at his back feet. I didn't insist on lifting his back hooves, since I wanted to keep things very relaxed (and I was out there alone, as the other folks were in the barn). I did rub his back legs and handled his fetlocks, and he let out a big sigh. Which is some progress. Then I leaned on his back from both sides, putting some weight on him. At first he just looked at me, then he relaxed and before I was done, he leaned into me a little. He loves his forehead to be rubbed, so I rubbed on him a little. At one point, I was rubbing his head and when I turned around, Skye was right there, looking for her forehead rub. Needless to say, I was feeling great by the time I put them back in the pasture together and put my brushes away.

Dinky Duty pays off!

As usual, I couldn't wait for Wednesday. I teach a looooooong class (4 hours straight - what on Earth was I thinking when I signed up for that?) on Monday nights, then Tuesday I had to drive down to Columbia, SC for work. So Wednesday is the day to go the barn. This week I was so exhausted from my long Monday and Tuesday, I considered bagging it and just heading down later on Thursday now that the time has changed. But in the end I couldn't stand it. I had to go see my girl.

I was so tired and it was pretty chilly, so I really didn't consider riding.  Skye had just been fed, so she was in a great mood, happy to meet me at the gate. I brought her in and groomed her. A couple of barn girls were there riding so I had the barn to myself and my horse. I seemed to take a long time to get very little done, but there's quite a bit of value in that sometimes. What I wanted was to hang out with my girl and relax. I took a long time getting her feet really clean in an effort to stave off her thrush getting any worse. (It's been rainy until this week, and for her, mud = thrush). I combed her mane and tail, promising her as I always do that I will never pull her mane, as she clearly had it done roughly in her past. Then we did our forehead to forehead thing. If she likes it half as much as I do, we're right where we need to be.

Skye. She's everywhere I want to be. Even
if she is looking fairly sarcastic here.

She also seemed up for doing something a little more stimulating, so I took her in the round pen for a little ground work. The vet has told me to leave off working much in a circle until we get her back in shape, but I just wanted to see what she remembered about moving her feet around for me. I used the methods in this new book I got (101 Horsemanship Exercises), which are laid out in a way that seems logical to me and which recommends methods I'm comfortable with. So I backed her up by pointing my finger. She was perfect. I moved her hindquarters with the bent back of my hand. She crossed her back legs just like the book recommended. I moved her forequarters the same way, and this time she did it PERFECTLY.

I had tried to move around her front half in the past, and Skye had met me with a far amount of resistance, for her. She doesn't like to move her forequarters for me on the ground other than backing up, and she doesn't like to lower her head on command, though she does it automatically for me to brush her face with the soft brush, comb her forelock and bridle her. Which is pretty damn hard to complain about. (Her Excellency!)

Anyway, I don't know whether it was my attitude, the use of the back of my flat fingers (gives even gentle pressure without poking as the trainer I used had shown me) or the sequence that I did them, but she seemed to know just what I wanted. I wonder if someone who had her before did these with her in the same order or the same way. Whatever they did, she remembered it.

However, I think they also used treats to do it, because she clearly felt she deserved some after each exercise. I told her good girl (which I say when I do treat her) and gave her some effusive love instead. She thought she'd been gypped, but I did give her some carrots when we were finished. Then I was mad that I hadn't planned to ride, as I hate to waste an opportunity, especially when we were so in sync. When I let her go, she hung out with me at the gate, and even let Reebok approach for some love.

Double the love. Double the goofiness. Take your pick.

Then I grabbed some carrots I'd left in the fridge and headed out to do my dinky duty. Even if they get re-homed somewhere else, being more tame will benefit them. So out I go calling "Dinky Doodles! Bravo, Echo, Zulu!" fully expecting them to respond mainly by stopping chewing and staring at me. Instead they looked up and started trotting toward me. Hurray! And let me tell ya, dinkies trotting toward you on their tiny hooves with their swishing little tails will cure whatever is wrong with you. It was so cute I had to catch my breath. This despite me such a tough customer.

(By the way, when I related this to Dave, he then said "You're getting attached to them." Gee, you think so?)

So then they mobbed me for carrots, and Bravo did his thing where he leans his whole side on me, and stands there for a long time to be rubbed on his back. I also rubbed Echo between his ears, and touched Zulu ever so lightly on his nose. That's victory.  I think Tammy, who is out there during the day now, must be visiting them when she gets time. Which is double victory. Because the dinkies need all the friends they can get. I do too.

Zulu contemplates the implication of our friendship.

Beautiful Day - in more ways than one

Oh, we are so spoiled here in the Carolinas. After a cold week, we had the most beautiful day yesterday. It was even more beautiful because I got to ride my girl. I called to her from the van on the way in, and by the time I grabbed her halter and got to the gate of her pasture, this is what I saw:

Where's my peppermint?

She's too much.

I brought her in, and she hesitated a little before she would go into the grooming bay. I gave her a lead rope a little tug and in she came. She then promptly pooped a nice steaming heap on the concrete floor of the bay. It occurred to me that every time she hesitates going into the bay, she poops. So I'm a little slow on the uptake! Next time she hesitates, I'll lead her into an outside area. I'll still have to scoop it, but it won't require the same hosing off process. Smart girl, trying to tell me. The upside is that I had just read an article on how it's a good idea to check your horse's poop for various health signs. I'm happy to report that her poop looks great, as far as poop goes. I'm also happy to report that I did not feel the need to post a photo of it here.

I also rode her a little, believe it or not. And she was great. Our issues in the past have been that 1) she would not walk in the ring (instead "jigging" or doing a little trot, the whole time) and 2) once she would walk in the ring, after I did trot her intentionally, she then would not want to walk. Yesterday, she walked perfectly, then when she trotted she came right down to a walk again. She did start to liven up a couple of times on the straightaways in the arena, as if she were going to break gait, but I just stopped her and petted her. I would take a deep breath that she could hear, then she would take a deep breath that I could hear, then we would walk on. The vet told me not to trot her much, which was good because my legs are shot after not having ridden much. (Riding Ike at a sitting trot is so easy, it really doesn't count as riding practice, or even exercise. He's wonderful.) I was flopping around up there, and not posting nearly as well I know I can. So we will get in shape together. Although she'll still be so much better looking. Which is not exactly shocking news.

When we were finished, I took her over to graze in the nice grazing spot by her pasture. We weren't there 5 minutes when we were joined by these two cuties.

Best buds. Now that Ginger has overcome her
urges to beat his butt.

Ginger wandered off after she figured out no peppermints were in the offing, but that sugar lump of a horse Reebok stood there looking delightful.

Sweetness. Not that I'm susceptible to
that sort of thing. 

This is now my favorite picture of him.


Then I had an appointment to keep to go meet someone with a small horse farm. I had spoken to this nice lady when I was looking for a new place to board, and we finally agreed on a time to meet. I had so much going on this weekend, but I think she was beginning to think I was blowing her off, so I went on out. I'm glad I did. She used to raise Arabians, and had her sweet and beautiful brood mares there. She also takes in rescues (which is what started our conversations). As we were walking around meeting the horses, she paused to make sure part of the electric fence was connected, and I kept walking to the pasture. When I got there, this little cutie came up to the fence and gave me a long and thoughtful look. I spoke to him a little, and he came a little closer.

This is Marvin. Once severely abused, now
permanently adored. He is the picture of health,
and very beautiful. He's probably about 12 hands tall.

Isn't he adorable? He is a hinny, which is the result of the breeding of a jenny (female donkey) and a stallion. It's kind of the reciprocal of a mule, which is the result of breeding a mare and a jack (male donkey).

When I turned around, his owner was looking at me in shock. She told me his story. He was found and caught after being loose in the area for around two years.  Between his extreme fear of people and the evidence on his body, it was clear he had been severely abused. There are gunshots on his shoulders, and all his ribs on one side had once been broken. She said it took months to get him to leave the far corner of the pasture even to come eat. She has had him for two years, and he usually comes over to the fence only with her, when she is alone. She had fully expected him to head directly to the far corner upon my approach. Instead he came over me on his own, and stood there while we talked. I felt so honored. It just filled me up to be trusted by him. There were a lot of fun things I could have done yesterday, ranging from a beer festival to a trail ride to just hanging out longer at the barn, but something told me to keep this appointment. This guy made me glad I did.

Cold Weather and Dinky Snobbery

This week was hard on me! I had a great time over the weekend with my boys (including my husband) in the cold snowy mountains, getting a last blast of winter before Spring. And boy did we get a blast on Sunday. It was freezing with an icy wind when we went tubing. I was cold, hungry and exhausted, and then I had to just tell myself to relax because we left way too late for me to see my girl on Sunday.

It was windy and cold (by Carolina standards, which may be hard to stomach for people in places where Winter is, well, wintery, for the whole season) on Wednesday, and I was tired and stressed but I knew the cure. I got in the car and got to the barn in time for feeding time. The only problem was I had been to the eye doctor, and my eyes were still slightly dilated so nothing had sharp edges. I tried to help feed the horses in Skye's pasture, but I could barely see to put the halters on. Skye was both impatient and perplexed, wondering what was wrong with me. Gray, that perpetual sweetie pie, was as good as gold, but the others couldn't figure out my problem. What's so interesting is that they could instantly tell I was not as I usually am, as my attitude shifted as soon as I realized I would have to fumble through it. By the time they had finished and I helped put them back in the pasture, their attitude was different.  So gentle. Of course, then their bellies were full, but still.

A formal dinner in her evening gown. Still pretty.

That Reebok boy. I think he looks like he's smiling here.
He too is in his formal attire. Rescued indeed, wasn't he?
He seemed to so glad to see me.

I did love on that girl for a minute, but my hands were stiff and I couldn't see, so I figured I would just get a general horse fix by hanging out in the barn out of the wind and love on the horses who eat in their stalls. On the way in, I stopped by my van to see if I could get some carrots to share, but I had locked my keys in the car. Luckily, this kind of bone-headed thing is unusual for me, and Dave was probably on his way home already so he just kept going south to unlock for me. The only reason this matters is that I then had only cookies to feed the dinkies. As you can see at the link below, they don't give a damn about a cookie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXMMXYlcQ1Q


I love the roundabout way they come to me, in a single file. One of them ate a cookie, but the others blew me off. Skye would sell my soul to the devil for one of those apple cookies, but these guys want carrots or nothin'.


When I got back I hung out in the barn admiring the three black beauties. I took this picture of them while I was talking so it is blurry. Apparently I am incapable of talking and shooting pictures at the same time.

Bon Jovi in the lime green, Black the Friesian in the middle,
and Incredible Ike himself at the end.

Finally Dave got there to let me in. It was so cold not even he wanted to stay out in it one more minute, and I'm pretty convinced he's about 60% polar bear , with his platinum blond hair and weird propensity for camping in snow.

Tomorrow we'll have highs in the 60's and sunshine. Riding weather at last.

Oh, and we go to daylight savings time over the weekend. Woot!