Grrrr! Again.

So I get all excited on Saturday with my big plans to tack up that girl and take a stroll around the arena for the first time in months. Then my hopes were dashed when I saw that by the time I got to the barn mid-afternoon, no one was there. No one. The place was totally locked up. I wasn't about to ride my quick-footed girl for the first time in months all by myself, but I figured it's been a few months, so waiting another day won't be the end of the world.

Except when I went to get my girl out of the pasture for a little TLC, this was what her leg looked like.

See bump on the left side (inside of her left foreleg).
Damn thing.

Yeah, I'm talking about the weird bump between her knee and fetlock. It's about the size of a half a walnut, and slightly soft, meaning not bony but not squishy either. It's not particularly hot, and it doesn't seem to bother her. At all. Not when I mash it (which I only do gently, as I don't want to hurt her or damage her) and not when she puts weight on that leg. I watched her and she puts full weight on it, both at rest and in motion. So what is it?

I did some Internet research, and it sounded at first like it could be a "splint," which is a bump that arises from damage to the splint bone in the leg. However, those are a lot more common in young horses and Girlfriend is fast approaching 13.  Another thing I read made me think it could be a burst blood vessel, but it didn't feel as squishy as that sounded.

I showed it to Erin the next day, who basically agreed that we don't know what the devil it is, so I need to call the vet. But it's the holiday, so it will be after tomorrow, as I don't know for sure what my schedule is for Wednesday. So, dammit, I don't think I should get on her again until we know at least what it is.

On the positive side, I've been just bringing Skye in and loving on her, and she seems to enjoy it. She is still meeting me at the gate and being perfect about being led in and groomed. While this doesn't sound like much, I keep remembering that not too long ago she didn't even want to come in from the pasture at the Greenway. And not long after that, she didn't relax in cross ties, particularly the one in the entrance to the barn. Now she is cool as a cucumber. Or actually pretty toasty. I've been worrying about her as it is getting chillier, but dealing with her yesterday I could feel that she is pretty good at generating her own heat. I was cuddling up to her as she was a lot warmer than I was. She seemed to know what I was doing, and didn't mind at all.

You would not know from this picture that she is a snuggle bunny.

Also, Erin was doing some ground work with Reebok (or as I call him, Sweet Meat), and mentioned she wished she had more time to work with him. I told her I would have some time coming up and would be happy to work with him. She took me up on it! I am going to start doing ground work on him and get on his back as soon as possible. She wants to make him available to the barn members but can't do it until he has been ridden more. And he is gaited, so it should be interesting.

See? Interesting. He looks like a tank here.
A muddy tank. But sweet.

I'm pulling out my books and looking at them in a new way since he clearly does not have the good background that my girl has, and his personality is completely different. Skye is rather confident and even proud. Reebok is quite shy, with people and horses, and is more tentative. I am also going to assume that he is probably not quite as bright as she is, mostly because I haven't met that many horses that are. And he is the low man on the totem pole in the pasture, so his demeanor will be different. The good thing is that since he has been in that pasture, I have always sought him out to pet him or to give him a treat so he already trusts me. Yesterday, he spooked when he stepped on his lead line and came right over the pasture where I had let Skye out, and he came right to me.  I'm really looking forward to working with him. I already love him so.

Speaking of love, I also love this guy.

He is actually a lot cuter than his picture shows.
See his most excellent buckskin dapples.

This is Smoke'em, a little buckskin paint who is privately owned by an awesome kid who loves him like nobody's business and who is just great with him. I don't see her out there much, but she is a very talented little horsewoman. I like him mostly because he is cute, and he has a sweet spirit.

A little more cuteness from Skye's pasture.

Chloe. Very pretty girl. Her attitude is improving
by leaps and bounds lately.

Happy New Year! Fresh starts all around.

Peppermint Patty

I've had Dave and the boys at home and Christmas clean-up going on, so I've not had time to spend with my girl. Yesterday, however, we were taking some stuff to the landfill, which is just a few minutes away from the barn. Dave was the one who suggested we swing by and say hello to that girl, even though we were not dressed for it. (Specifically, we were not shod for it, as I had on my Toms, which are not really stable shoes, and he had on his work shoes.) I can tell he really likes her if he is the one wanted to see her. Of course he likes her. Who can resist a pretty girl?

Beautiful, even when blurry.

All we did was pull up to her pasture and give her a couple of the peppermints I hoard for her and keep in the cup holder in my car. She loves them, and spend about 5 minutes licking her lips and asking for more. It wasn't much, but it was a little something. And she looks so good.  I'm very happy that Dave sees what I see in her. I would still have her, but I feel so guilty over having this big expense that is just for me. When we see her together though, she isn't an expense, she's my horse. My horse. Immutable.

Today I had to go to the dentist and drop off my id and business cards at work. Tomorrow I hope to get on her back though. Fingers crossed.

Soundness

Aaaahh! Finally, we have news of soundness with a little tenderness.

The past week had good news and bad news, and I just realized when I sat down to write that I haven't written for 9 days.  I was out of town, then worked a "double day" to make up for it and get ready to get done for the Christmas holiday and the rest of the year, and - cue scary music - was struck down by a virus from Hell. But I am back, full of resolutions to write more regularly with high hopes that I will have more riding to write about.

Waitin'.

I was missing my girl something terrible this week and finally got out there Wednesday mid-day. The barn was hoppin', which is unusual for that time of day, but one reason was because Erin was giving a trail ride and was also waiting for the vet to get there. I was already feeling pretty sick and had planned on it being somewhat of a drive-by visit, but when I heard the vet was on her way, I got my girl, stuck her in a stall and sat down to wait.

Once Dr. Hobbs was there and had taken a look at Black's eye, she told me to take Skye to the round pen so she could see her move. She asked me to work her off line (at liberty) so Skye would have more room and move more freely. I hadn't worked her at liberty in the pen ever, remembering how tense Skye got with the trainer, but decided to wing it, hoping all the reading I've been doing about round pen work would kick in.

Well, what kicked in was Skye's AWESOMENESS! I unhooked my long lead line and pointed to the right, indicating I wanted her on the rail going clockwise. Girlfriend went right out there and started walking, her inside ear cocked to me and her right eye on me. I told her walk on, and she did a nice working listening walk, and looked very sound. Then I told her to trot, and she trotted right out, perfectly. When she sped up a little too much, I said "easy" and she took it down a notch. And the best part was she looked pretty sound. I had Skye walk again, took my eye off her, bend over a little and backed up slightly. She turned in went right back out, with her ear and eye to me waiting to be told to trot. I told her and she picked it right up. Damn, that girl made me look like Clinton Anderson. I was so proud of her. She was so in tune with me and just listening so well.

And it gets better. She wasn't really lame at the trot going counterclockwise like she has been. Dr. Hobbs thought if there was any tenderness it was the left front foot, not the left hind foot, but thought she looked much much better, and that her trimming and shoeing was now where it needed to be. All good.  When I stopped and indicated for Skye to come in, she came in and let me rub her forehead and gave me the big sigh. I left her there to go talk to the Dr. Hobbs at the rail, but she followed me over like a big dog. Dr. Hobbs gave me a big smile said what a good girl Skye is. She is. She is so amazing she can make an amateur like me look like she knows what's she doing.

I told her about the ouchy back problem, so she took her over in the sun and ran a needle case over her back looking for soreness. At one point Skye did move away from it, but the vet said she didn't see any real reason for concern. She did tell me to start with 10 rides at a good walk in the big arena and/or on soft ground to get her legs a little stronger, then move to trotting just on the straightaways. I'm not to work in round pen or to do circles, as they stress the joint that I'm trying to strengthen.

Of course, that evening I got really sick and ended up staying in bed full-time Wednesday night through Saturday morning. Saturday I was still tired, but we managed to get out there to get some pictures of the boys with Skye for what will now be a New Year's card. Dave hadn't seen Skye for a while, but fell back in love with her again, as she looked as beautiful as ever and, even though she was in a bit of a grumpy mood, was pretty sweet with him. He has seen her do some frightening things, so having him see her being her normal good girl self is pretty good.

Today I managed to get out there very briefly, and it was like a ghost town. She met me at the fence for a rub, then stayed by the fence when I went in the tack room for cookies. After doing a little dinky duty (to the extent allowed by that cookie thief, Munchkin), I went into the pasture to give her some cookies.

Since she didn't meet me at the gate, I managed to get over to Reebok and give him a few cookies. He is such a sweetheart. My new nickname for him is Sweet Meat (since he had been destined for slaughter). She ambled over for her share of cookies, but didn't shoo him away and even stood for him being given another cookie in her presence. I'm not sure if this was from respect for me since I was feeding or a special dispensation to him (also possible, as he gets away with stuff that she won't let the other horses think about, like drinking when she is drinking), but I'll take either one. Ginger and Chloe came over, hoping, but Skye swung her big head at them and gave them the stink eye. No cookies for them!

Mistletoe. Christmasy name, Billy-Goat-Gruff beard.

It rained last night all night, so I'm hoping it will be drier this evening, and maybe even sunny tomorrow to dry the ring up so I can ride my girl.

Best of all, this was the very first Christmas where the little girl in my heart didn't have to be sad that she didn't have a Christmas pony!

Still out of commission

So I was terribly busy wrapping things up for the holidays, and only managed to see my girl Wednesday and Saturday.  She has completed her shots, her feet are now pretty even and striking correctly, and yet, damn it (!) she is still lame. Today rather than trust my judgment alone, I had several people watch me trotting her, and it was unanimous. She is lame.

Later Craig from the barn felt around her back, and he found a definite tender spot the right side of her back, whereas it is the left hind leg that she appears to be favoring. I don't know if this is good or bad, as her gait could be causing the soreness in her back, or straining her back could be making her limp and bob her head. In any case, I need to get the vet out there and really talk to her. The bute she was on months ago helped, but that is not a long term solution. Needless to say, I am very very frustrated and discouraged. Just when I was making progress with her, I can't get back on her back.

She was great in the round pen on Wednesday, but slightly obnoxious in the cross ties. She was pretty good all around today, but is still trying to slam down her foot when I'm cleaning it. She is always coming to me in the pasture. We also enjoy our grazing time before I put her up. There is a lovely green patch near her pasture with grass and clover so lush and green, it makes me want to try a little myself. She loves it more than apple cookies, and we can be together for a few minutes. I have noticed that I am more and more comfortable with her, but I would love the opportunity to get more comfortable with her on her back too! Ugh.

In brighter news, I visited the mini pasture to day to visit my favorite little guys and little girl.

Here is the dinky duty of the day picture. Please hold your applause.

Even their little Eyeore butts are cute.

And here is the sole female in that pasture, looking a bit like a billy goat, her boyfriend looking on.

Nice 'do, Mistletoe!

Munchkin also remained on hand in case any cookies were in danger of going to waste.

Ready, willing and able to eat a cookie.
As evidenced by his considerable girth.

Several of my favorite people were out there today, so I still had a great time, but I am getting really tired of never being able to ride.

Temptation Alley

Monday, Erin texted me to let me know the farrier was there to shoe Skye. She later let me know she had been a good girl and that the farrier says her feet appear to be striking evenly. Tuesday I ran out to the barn (though I had hardly any time) to see that girl and give her the shot. She was wonderful, as usual. I had no time to work her to check the lameness, but she looked good at the walk.

I had a similar time crunch today but I just wanted to see her, so down I went. As I pulled up the gravel road, Skye saw me and walked quickly to the fence to see me. She knows at the very least that I will roll down the window and sweet talk her. Today I happened to have some peppermints that were put in my lunch bag, and I had no one behind me, so I hopped out and handed her a peppermint. She loves them, and makes such funny faces with her tongue. I got back in the car and started toward the barn, and she trotted alongside the van! So cute. I was driving so I couldn't really see her gait to judge lameness, but I have all my fingers crossed that we will be able to see a sound girl tomorrow.

No one was there at all today, as it was the middle of the day, and the weather was chilly and cloudy. I wasn't all that interested in messing around with her with no one around. (I'm such a snob now. I used to be alone all the time dealing with her.) And, I recognized that if I played my cards right, I could go home a different way and go the way I call "Temptation Alley." So I visited Skye in the pasture and loved on her a little, then jumped in the car and headed home the long way.

There are two reasons I call the long way home Temptation Alley. The first is the Carolina Country Store which is on the right on the highway. It's a feed store that sells a small selection of horse stuff, so it counts as a tack shop to me! I try to avoid it because it's one of the few places I will buy things I absolutely don't need, just because. It's crazy. And today, sadly, was no different. I bought Skye some of the carrot cookies, an extra hoof pick and a long bristled brush that I really liked and really didn't need. But I did get one thing that could count as a need, assuming Skye is sound again, or will be in the near future - some winter riding gloves.

Here they are:

My new neato riding gloves.
Can I pull off a zebra print? We'll see.

They fit perfectly and have a suede-like palm and fingers. And they are funky.  They are not really made for very cold weather, but we don't usually have very cold weather, and when we do I don't ride in it. And they are nice and grippy. I can't wait to try them. I also helped a local business, which is always good too.

So I drove away feeling happy, and even strong enough to withstand the second temptation:

I'm talking, of course, about Krispy Kreme.
And the hot doughnuts light was ON.

Yup. I drove right past it! Between that and not buying Skye some of her apple cookies, it is clear that I am made of steel.

Quiet Sunday

Today was really beautiful, but I had a ton to do around the house. But what did I do? I went to see my girl! I've got a few things on my mind, but spending time with her is the best stress reliever I know, so I figured it was a medical necessity.

As I drove in, I slowed down, and saw this.

Skye looking pensive. Strawberry candy looks on, and Reebok heading in for look.

And I instantly felt better.  I went in and got her halter, and sure enough, she saw me coming and met me at the gate. I cannot overemphasize how much it means to me that she does this. She isn't the most affectionate horse (although admittedly I was a bit spoiled by Goliath, who will lick you if he likes you; and he likes everybody), but knowing that she comes in to see me voluntarily makes me like we do have a bond.

We didn't do much. I just groomed her and then let her graze on a really nice green patch I found near her pasture. She loved it, and I loved just hanging out with her. When I put her up, she hung out with me for a few minutes in the pasture even though I assured her I did not have any treats.

I also attempted Dinky Duty and managed to pet two of the three of them before Munchkin and Mistletoe horned in on the action. They ran the dinkies off and demanded petting, which they got. I have no immunity built up to their cuteness.

Blankie!

Yesterday I finally got around to seeing if Skye's swanky new blanket fit. For the last two weeks, by the time I would think of it, everybody would have their hands full or be riding or have left, and I figured since she still eyes the saddle pad pretty warily, it would be a lot easier to have someone hold her while I wrestled two-handed with the sheet and blanket to try it on. The company said they can't take it back if it is dirty or has horse hair on it, so I brought a white sheet from home to put on under it in case it didn't fit.

So Erin held and we put it on. Skye gave the sheet the hairy eyeball for a second, but then, of course, acted perfectly, like she gets a blanket put on her every day. This no doubt made me look like a nervous Nellie about doing anything new with my horse. I still think it was justified because I don't see us using the blanket often (or maybe not as all as it is just not that cold here, and it would have been very cold and wet to justify it), so every experience counts. I didn't want her to have any fear.

Well, she didn't, and she looked awesome.

Stylin'!

This isn't a great picture, but I was in a hurry so Erin could get back to one of the million things she had to do. (Though she wasn't rushing me.) But it does show my girl was just as cool as a cucumber about it. And so good looking.

Before we did that though I watched Erin give a couple of short groundwork lessons in the round pen. One was with Dakota, a little Saddlebred mare recently bought by one of the nicest people out there. A young rider was working her for the owner, and it was good for me to watch instruction for working her at liberty in the round pen. Watching the trainer I had used was a anxiety-ridden affair, as she was very forceful and both Skye and I were very stressed by it. Seeing that you can push pressure on the horse to do what you want without being a bully about it is always a good reminder. (I am never a bully to Skye; my problem will using be not putting enough pressure. Luckily for both of us, my girl is pretty good at figuring out what I'm looking for.)

Then I watched  AJ, an off the track Thoroughbred rescue work in the round pen with his owner, another young (18 or so) rider who is just great with him. He was such a good boy. He had had very little groundwork training, but he is so bonded with his owner that he was really trying to figure out what she wanted in a calm way. It was very cool to see the relationship playing itself out in a learning situation. And he is awesome, as you can see.

A.J., whose racing name was Second Coming
He is such a sweet horse.

While I was watching all this, my girl was hanging out in her stall. I don't put her in there often, but I don't want it to be foreign to her in case the weather gets really terrible or she gets injured and needs to be in there. So she hung her head out and watched, and seemed pretty comfortable. She doesn't act up or freak out in there, but she is always ready to be put back out.

Watching the action

She has started really pulling her right front foot out of my hand after cleaning it, and it doesn't appear to be related to the frog so much as not wanting to be standing in that position. She doesn't do it with any other foot, so I am really going to try to get the vet out there to look her over again, make sure I am giving the shot correctly and talk to her. This lameness is getting really really old.

And of course on my way out, I did some Dinky Duty with carrots. All three came up to me and all three wanted, and received, carrots. I only got to pet Echo though, as they dodged my hands. How I love them though.

Bravo and Echo, after Zulu scooted off.
I did get to give Zulu a treat this time though.

Dinky Duty

Okay, so my Plan A to make sure the dinkies stay at the barn did not pan out. In other words, I did not win the lottery so I could afford to buy them and keep them there indefinitely. So today I began Plan B, aka Operation Dinky Duty. My plan is to love on the dinkies and get them friendly enough to be petted by strangers.

So today, after dealing with Skye (more on that below), I filled my pocket with apple cookies (In my defense, they are all I have left as I prefer to use carrots, apples or the carrot cookies since none of those things make Skye crazy) and headed into their little pasture. They immediately swarmed me with cuteness. Bravo, the second in command, loves the cookies and sticks his little gray snoot at me for them.

Bravo wants a cookie. Now.
(For your viewing pleasure, note the stripey legs on the other two.)

Bravo pretty much trades a pet for a cookie though. He takes his cookie very politely with his little donkey lips, then allows you to pat his head. No cookie, no pet. No nonsense. He drives a hard bargain.

Echo, the dominant one (and admittedly my favorite),  doesn't give a blue toot about an apple cookie, but he is by far the friendliest. I have learned that in general the dinkies prefer carrots, but I had what I had. Echo did come right over and insert himself directly between Bravo and me, in a move that I interpret as wanting some attention (applying dog logic, although I don't know how far that goes). He let me rub his head and his wonderful ears. I LOVE THE EARS! They are long and soft and adorable. I also rubbed his back and withers. His fur looks a little wiry, but it is actually quite soft. In any case, he was totally up for a pretty good petting, so I considered it a success.

Echo lets you pet him, gratis. Even his lovely ears.

I never got near Zulu. He is in the red halter and is the low man on their short little totem pole. I tried to reach around to get a cookie to him, but I didn't want to get them riled up as Bravo may have taken out his cookie jealousy on Zulu. I will not be deterred though. I will be doing Dinky Duty every day. I'm hoping if folks out at the barn realize they might be re-homed if they don't get friendlier they will pitch in. Let's hope. I don't want a broken heart.

Dinkies, don't break my heart!

Before I embarked on my new plan though, I got out my sweet horse for a while. She had been fed about an hour or so before so she was in a grand mood. She walked quickly away from her hay to meet me at the gate. I took her in the round pen first to do some listening practice, but mostly to see if she is still limping, and dammit, she is. She limps only at the trot and only in one direction (counterclockwise), but she is definitely bobbing her head a little  and is reluctant to trot when asked. Erin told me she had been cantering around in the pasture the other day, so I was very hopeful. We're going to get the farrier out there again and see if another shoeing will help. It's very frustrating.

But, she was a very good girl for me in the round pen, and we just hung out in there for a while with me rubbing her forehead the way she likes and her filling my heart up with her contented sighs. Then I took her in and groomed her, trimming the split ends off her mane and then gave her the shot. She was perfect. We did our forehead to forehead thing. Ahhh. I love that mare.

Some people were out there for a lesson and stood talking to me about how pretty she is. How obnoxious about how gorgeous she is am I allowed to be? I stick to "I think she is too!" and try to keep the bragging to a minimum. It ain't easy though. Just look at her.

In horse terms, that's called "a kind eye." In normal terms,
it's called "take that Angelina Jolie!"

I don't think I'll make it tomorrow, but Saturday I want a long time with her.

Hard-shelled Strawberry Candy

I didn't get out to the barn on Sunday because since I had been gone so long on Saturday, I really needed to spend some time with my boys and get stuff done at the house. It was more difficult not to be a brat about it than I like to admit. I love spending time with the boys; it's just that I know when they are with me these days they are just waiting for me to let them play Skylanders again. Sigh.

I did get out today though, after running errands that included picking up the next round of Skye's medicine. Wow, the drop box she uses is at such a beautiful farm. Beautiful pastures, great fences, gorgeous barns. I felt like the poor relation driving in there with my old van. I've decided I shall live there in Alternate Dream Life #10, which will no doubt be funded by the lottery ticket I bought today.

But I finally got to the barn, and was able to get Skye out for just a minute. Then they started feeding, and her good mood evaporated. It's all she can think about, so I just put her back. That in itself was a bit of a trial, as she was not polite and several times I had to back her up and straighten her out (literally, she does this thing where she turns like a crescent toward me, sometimes almost crossing in front of me. I stop her and calmly make her back up in a straight line for a few feet. It works but still . . . ). But I know that there was a time when she was hungry, and I cut her some slack as long as she isn't really ugly about it.  I would've liked to spend more time with her, but I wouldn't have time to wait for her to be fed and finished.

What I did notice the other day was that FINALLY Reebok seemed to have found a friend in the herd. He will hang with Skye, who ignores him but will crack down on the others if they start whooping up on him, but that's just good sense and protection. Then on Saturday I noticed that Ginger, the strawberry roan in the pasture, was hanging out with him at the hay. Not beating up on him, standing close to him in a companionable way.  I wondered if it was a fluke, but then saw them in a different part of the pasture together later that day. I would love for him to have a friend, and being protected by the alpha (my girl, of course) and friends with the second in command, Ginger, would be a good thing for him.

Another good thing is Reebok's pink nose.
I love how the white melts into the pink.
(I really like horses.)
Also, look how tiny his legs look. Weird, man!

Ginger is one of "the mean girls" of the pasture, but I only say that as she is bitchy to other horses, most likely out of fear. I've only gotten vague stories about her past (and this from one of her owners, a 14 year old who adores her, but whom I have never seen ride her), but apparently at one point she had reason to fear someone. I instinctively like all horses, and I wanted to get to know her, so I've made a point of giving her a pat and a rub on the forehead when I pass her in the pasture. Now if I make it into the pasture (Skye usually meets me at the gate now. JOY!), she comes up to me, expectant for her rubs. She has an aloof demeanor, but she clearly likes attention, so I love on her when I can (i.e. when Skye will allow it; she shoos Ginger away from her source of apple cookies). Since I think she is sweet underneath her veneer, I call her the hard-shelled strawberry candy.

Strawberry candy, aka Ginger. I can't help wanting her to love me.

See? Isn't she neat? She's such a cool color. I can picture her with some Western tack out west somewhere. I keep hoping I will be there when she is ridden some time to see how she does. I think she's a good horse, so I tell her not to be mean to her underlings. She seems to take it seriously. We'll see.

In other news, my heart may soon be broken! Erin said today that she might find another home for the dinkies. She really wants minis that want or will allow themselves to be petted, and the dinkies tend to move away from you unless you actually feeding them or rubbing them through the fence. I may work on getting them to let me touch them, but I fear it will only make me love them more. Therefore, I made a plan;  I bought a Powerball ticket. No doubt I will win so I can buy the dinkies and pay for them to board at the barn. Whew! Problem averted. I'm sure that will solve it.

Tomorrow, Skye gets her fifth shot, and I hope to finally get to try that blanket on her so I can at least know if it fits before it really does get cold. And show those dinkies some love.

Black (Horse) Friday

I got to go out to the barn several times this week, but since things were so hectic with me celebrating my birthday this week, getting ready for Thanksgiving and trying to spend some quality time with my boys I didn't have time to write about it.

I did make it out to see my girl Tuesday, Wednesday and today (Friday). Tuesday and Wednesday were great. The weather was just beautiful, and my girl was sweet. I got a chance to talk to Erin about Skye's rotten mood on Sunday, and she agreed it was probably the mares' last heat of the season. Maybe that's why it was such a bad one for some many of those girls. I gave Skye her shot for the first time, and of course she was just as good as she could be. It was actually a little more difficult to give her a shot than to give myself one (to help be get pregnant), which was surprising. But now I know how to do it, and the vet had said that we should start to see the results.

On Tuesday, I was grooming Skye in one of the grooming bays when Erin's trail ride went by. She was all ears and interest, so I whipped out my iPhone and started snapping. Eye candy for my birthday:

Lookin' good left

And lookin' good right

Queen of the pasture surveys her subjects

Yes, I know how pretty she is shouldn't matter that much, but you know what? I love the way she looks, and I am a girl and sometimes I like something because it's pretty.

But she is so much more than pretty, as dealing with a lot of horses at one time she shows me how superlative her behavior is 99% of the time. Today I went out to help with feeding and with tacking up the horses for trail rides, as there were a lot of people scheduled for today. And they all showed up.

But first, I was the first person there today and what did I see but that the dinkies were on the loose!

Look out! Wild dinkies at large!

Coming at me, tiny hooves and all

I read the white board and saw that they have developed the habit of escaping, so I grabbed a handful of apple cookies and set out to lure them back to the little pasture they share with Munchkin and Mistletoe. It worked like a charm, at first. I was feeling pretty cocky, wondering if I should have a t-shirt printed with "The Dinky Whisperer" on it. Then we got to the gate, they took one look at Mistletoe, and the jig was up. They blew me off like yesterday's news, and even trotted away. Of course it was so cute that I couldn't even be frustrated. The whole thing was worth it just to be so close to them and study their little stripey legs and tiny hooves, and then to see their little witches' broom tails go swishing away.

Then Valerie drove up (she owns Wren, that big sweetie) and said she'd gather the dinkies if I would feed the horses in Skye's pasture. When I got back from doing that, the dinkies were all in their places. I  felt like a failure. How could I fail the dinkies? Well, it turns out that she had taken the miniature horses out to feed them, and put the donkey feed in the dinkies' feed buckets and they waltzed right in. I didn't know where the minis got fed, so I am completely exonerated of failure. Later, they escaped again and Woody and I just walked behind them and guided them in. They are not wild burros of the West, that's for sure, though they probably could use with a little training. So my claims of being a donkey whisperer will have to wait until there is actually some evidence of it.

As I led the horses in and out for feeding and helped tack them up, I was really struck by exactly how good Skye is. She rarely crowds me or anyone (I've asked) in a feeding situation, through a gate, in a grooming bay or while she is being led. She keeps a nice demeanor, unlike some who have their ears back half the time. (It's disconcerting.)  Of course I especially like that she hangs around the gate waiting for her mommy after she has been fed. We may have to work with her to get the saddle pad on so she won't be frightened, but she never reacts badly to girth tightening or taking the bit. None of the horses I dealt with at the barn are ugly or aggressive, but it does show me how very nice my mare is. I should have followed my own conscience which objected when being told she was rude and grumpy by the trainer. She was rude and grumpy there (if she was, and that's a big if) because she was unhappy there. She's not perfect, and we have a way to go, but she is a good horse. Working with the other horses made me really appreciate what a good girl she is.

Plus she's pretty.

Pretty all the live long day

To thank me for helping out today, Erin let me ride Black. He is a good-natured boy, but he thinks "to Hell with riding on the rail!" He's big and strong, and well aware of it, so it took some doing to get him going on the rail in the ring. I got him going around perfectly at the walk, but once into the trot, he got the better of me and veered into the center. Once he did it once, it was a struggle to get him back again. Though I did get him back over, it was a big effort, and I was happy to go on the trail ride. The trail is very nice, pretty long and very peaceful, and Black was a really good boy. A gorgeous nice horse who just happens to know how big and strong he is.

Here he is with my main man, Ike. Black has on the red. 'Cause he's fancy!

This is the kind of Black Friday I can get excited about.

Whew. Tomorrow, my girl gets her fourth shot, and I will work her in the round pen to see if she is less lame. I will have to call the vet next week to get the rest of her shots in any case and hopefully we can meet out there to take a good long look at her together.

A Hot Mess

So yesterday I head out to the barn, confident that my reunion with Skye will now always be joyful with her cantering toward me, her mane flying, and epic movie music in the background.

Except. Not. If she loved me on Saturday, on Sunday she couldn't care less. I called to her, and she didn't even look up from her hay. I went to get her, and finally she did me the favor of pulling her head out of the hay so I could put the halter on her. Then on the way in, she stopped about three times. Not a full balk, but she was considering it.

Then she pretended she'd never been in cross ties, moving around like she had no idea where to stand. And she was pushy and rude. Ugh! I cleaned her feet and brushed her off, and she kept looking back at me with a disgruntled look on her face. At one point she looked like she was going to nip, so I stared her down. Obnoxious.

Then Mary came over to rinse off her Tennessee Walking horse, Tessie, remarking that Tessie was so heavily in season that it was running down her leg and needed to be hosed off. I wondered out loud if that was Skye's problem, since it was abundantly clear that she did have a problem!  (For the record, Skye did not appear to be in pain, and her limp only showed up in trotting, as her walk looked good.) So Mary helped me check, and bingo. She's in heat. Not that she is allowed to behave that way, but it did make me feel better that it is likely hormonal and not anger at her mommy in particular.

So then I decided to look back over this blog to see if I could pinpoint when she is usually in heat, so I could be ready for it. Well, apparently, her moods are all over the place all the time. So despite my desire for her to be a steady Eddie to the point of lying to myself about it, she is indeed a typical moody mare. I will say though that usually although I will say she is in a bad or funky mood, it just means she is not very receptive to my affection. My standards for her behavior are very high, and I will often gently correct her (by backing her up usually) for things others will let slide. Yesterday she was a hot mess though.

I have too much to do here today to go out, but tomorrow she needs her shot again. I hope she's a least a little better by then.

Early Birthday Present!

Yes, my girl is so advanced that she skipped right past trotting to me, and cantered to me in the pasture today. Cantered. To. Me. (Just like Shadowfax canters up to Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. Except Skye is better looking. And I have no magical powers.) Unbelievable. I've been walking on air all day.

I was in a good mood anyway, as today was the boys' winter violin recital and they did really really well. They were not the most advanced students, but they have really gotten good this year and they were so confident, and their pieces sounded so musical. So it was a good day anyway.

I called to Skye from the van on the way in, but she just barely looked up at me, so I didn't have high hopes. All I wanted to do was see if I could put her new blanket on to see if it would fit.

So I went in the barn and ended up yakking with one of the farriers and Carey, who owns Tall Chestnut and Handsome Nigel, who was getting his new shoes. Finally I grabbed my halter and the infamous apple cookies (so sue me, I ran out of the carrot and oat ones), and headed out to get her. As I crossed over toward the gate, I saw Skye with the herd over on the side. I called to her as always. Her head popped up, she took a good look at me, then sprang into a canter and ran over to the gate to meet me, leaving her herd wondering what was up. It was such a thrill. I'm really glad I have helped feed the herd several times, because I know for sure that this is not how she acts when she is fed. This was for me.

This was for me a few days ago. Slower speed though.

Just three months ago, I was crying in the car on the way back from the Greenway because getting Skye in from the pasture was such a trial. I'd have to walk a long way to get her, push her boyfriend out of the way to get to her, then deal with her balking on the way in. I considered it a victory that she didn't run away and just stood waiting for me to come get her. Another victory if she only stopped a couple of times on the way in. How different it is now. I have to read this blog to remember the last time I had to even walk into the pasture to go get her, as her normal MO is to meet me at the gate. Ahhhh! This is such a big part of why I wanted a horse of my own. What a gift that girl gave me today! The second best early birthday present ever. (The first was finding out I was pregnant with my boys 2 days before my birthday. That's unbeatable, even for Skye.)

She wasn't perfect today though, as she seemed very disconcerted and nervous about the wind. I haven't really noticed it bothering her before, and her unflappable behavior about wind on the first trail ride I took on her was part of what sold me on buying her. But she seemed very nervous, anxious even. So I took her in the round pen to get her focus on me and to get a look at how she is moving. She looked to have a pronounced limp yesterday, even at the walk, which worried me. But she looked better today, even though still limping a little at the trot going counterclockwise. Still, she was pretty resistant, so I just took a couple of deep breaths and I did some of what I call "leading and listening." I lead her in circles, figure eights and serpentines, making her match my speed, stop when I stop and stay the right distance away from me. I breathe really deeply the whole time and talk a little in a low voice, mostly telling her when she is being good. (She definitely knows "good" and "good girl." I can only say "good girl" when I want her to come in, because she clearly thinks that it's time for her forehead rub when I say it. Which is good.) She calmed down immediately. Then I looked over and saw Munchkin wandering around with his grazing muzzle on, looking like a tiny Hannibal Lechter looking for a victim.

Don't be scared. It's not Hannibal Lechter. It's just Munchkin.

I unhooked Skye's lead line and left her in the round pen so I could put Munchie back. No sooner had I disappeared from her view when she lets out a loud whinny. I came back with Munchkin to let them say hello. (Skye was kind of snarky to him though.) Then I went in the other direction so I could put him back with Mistletoe (who was none too pleased about his absence) and the dinkies. Then I went in the barn again and talked for a few minutes when I hear the big whinny again. And she was far from alone. A perfectly nice horse had her head out of a stall not 20 feet away, and Smoke and Ike were not far away in their pasture either. Crazy. So I got back out, and when she sees me, lets out a big sigh. Given that she was so nervous for whatever reason (the wind, her time of the month, who knows?), I opted not to try on the blanket as she would have been sure to dramatize a lot of fear whether she was really afraid or not. So I'll do it tomorrow.

She was a bit snarky on the way out too, trying to graze and being a little pushy, but she didn't ask for cookies and she stayed listening to me. I put her away and loved on her. She wouldn't let Reebok come over to me for about 5 minutes after I let her go. Selfish girl.

When I go back to the barn Munchie was on the loose again! Carey and I found where he was getting out, and did what we could to block his escape hatch with barrels, but he looked like he was already plotting and scheming as we walked away. We told Erin, who laughed and said he feels like a criminal with his horror movie grazing muzzle.

On the way out, I stopped and admired the dinkies, as I always do. I leaned over and really gave Echo a good rub on his withers. I got a great view of his back, right in time for Christmas. Take a gander at that dorsal stripe with the cross. The legend of the donkey's cross says that Jesus rode to Jerusalem on the back of a small donkey. The donkey loved Jesus so much that he wanted to help him bear the cross. Though the donkey was driven away, the shadow of the cross fell upon the donkey's back, and the mark of it remains as a testament to the love and loyalty of the donkey. All I know is that one way or another, I love those dinkies with the crosses on their backs, the stripes on their legs and the solemn gracious way they take a cookie.

Donkey cross. Just one more thing to love
about the dinkies.

I had to come home to the mountain range of laundry in my bedroom, and subject myself to yet more homework help, but still this was a diamond of a day.

And one more of the dinkies for good measure.

A dinkie or two makes everything better.

Pasture Gazing

Due to Skye's continuing lameness and the busyness of my schedule, I haven't been able to do much with that girl for the past week. But I've been making it out to the barn as much as I can anyway. One reason is for her. I owe it to her, and I don't want her slipping backward when we have come so far, relationship-wise. The other reason is for me. I've got some things going on that worry me right now, but as soon as I turn onto the dirt road that leads to the barn, the worry seems to evaporate like steam off a coffee cup. Just getting out in the fresh air with smell of horses and the warmth of Skye's breath on the back of my hand does more for me than any drug could, so I do it. For me, and for anyone else who has to deal with me.

One of the benefits of going out there with no agenda is that I just take my time messing around. The past two days I've just been hanging out with the herd in Skye's pasture after I put her away, and while it might be like watching grass grow for someone else, it's been pretty damn interesting for me.  

Pasture patrol. Captain ready at the gate.

I love watching the interaction of the horses, either at the hay, at the water trough or if something exciting happens. Skye is undoubtedly the captain of this little crew, so she eats first, she drinks first, and she, and she alone, gets to hang with her mommy when I first enter the pasture. Sweet little Reebok made the mistake of coming over to me without her okay, and she chased him away with her big swinging head. I rubbed on him later, after she abandoned me for hay, but I won't put him in the way of her wrath again. Still, she makes sure he can get hay or water, as I have seen her chase the "mean girls" (two mares who pick on him, and each other) away from him if they interfere with him for too long. The pecking order shows itself in so many ways, and I learn so much just watching them together. It's so heartening to know that Skye isn't just a pretty face. She's also a nice person and a good leader.

See? Nice!

On Monday afternoon, I got another treat. I was just watching the horses at the hay when suddenly they all took off at a canter to the other side of the pasture. Surely some monsters must be charging! But no, it was three very small, obviously young deer. I didn't seem them get in, but they wandered around for a while near the hay. I went in and managed to get fairly close to them without them caring. While I was inching toward them, I saw Reebok follow about 10 yards behind me. Funny that he was the bravest. Skye was just behind him, watching, all alert, ears pricked, nostrils flared, but she was definitely watching me as much as the scary deer. When the deer noticed me, they got very still. I am extremely nosy about wildlife, but I didn't want to stress them, so I started backing away, looking down at the ground occasionally so they wouldn't see me as a threat. Then they trotted a bit and leapt right through the two upper electric ropes that make up the fence. Of course it doesn't sting them because they are not grounded when they go through. I turned to go and practically ran into Skye, who had crept up behind me. She dropped her head right down for a rub. The shocking news: I was utterly charmed. 

Today my pasture watching yielded a little position jockeying at the water, and a display of the bluebirds showing off for each other around the power lines. I love gray birds and brown birds too, but I'm a sucker for a flash of blue with a bright red breast. Once again, totally unfair to the less beautiful. And I got my hands on Skye and on Reebok, the relief from my worry and a little perspective to go with it.

Cookie Monster

Oh, and I did give her some apple cookies. I'm weak. So weak.

My Cheatin' Heart

So this weekend I have felt like I've been steppin' out on my girl. Yesterday I left the boys playing Wii and when they asked where I was going I said "horses!" That was all they needed to know.  But instead of going to see Skye,  I went to the Greenway show to watch one friend ride another friend's awesome Thoroughbred (whom I call "Horseflesh" because he's some impressive hunk o' horseflesh). I saw a bunch of my Greenway folks out there, both friends I rode with when I did Adopt-a-Horse and folks from the adult horse camp I went to in the summer. So it was a lot of fun, even if the awarding of ribbons seemed pretty arbitrary in most of the classes I watched. But it was only supposed to be fun, so no harm no foul I guess.

At the end of a long day of watching horse and talking about horses, I finally decided to go see my own horse. Talk about horseflesh! She is still just the prettiest thing. She met me at the gate, which was encouraging, but then proceeded to be very pushy, mouthing me and rushing me when we walked. I had to turn her around and back her up a couple of times. In leading her around, I learned that the feeders were there, and her pasture had not yet been fed, so I had an explanation for her behavior but not an excuse. So they put her feed in her stall, and I took her in there, requiring politeness (which she did give me, grudgingly), and let her eat. I actually love doing this because she loves her food so much (probably because she was on the hungry side where she came from) and I get the credit for giving it to her. When she was finished, I put her back, as it was getting dark, and she was still a little pushy, but mostly okay. But she swung away from me to take a drink and wouldn't meet my eye again. It hurt my feelings that we were so close just 10 days ago, and now she was giving me the brush off. (Yes, I know she's a mare, but she's supposed to be my mare.)

So today, I took my young friend who is the daughter of longtime friends of ours with me to see her. And we ended up having so much fun. First, Skye whinnied at us when we walked up and came over to the gate to meet me. Then she was a good girl all the way in. I just lunged her for 5 minutes in the big ring (I need to speak to the vet about what I can do with her right now to help her get sound), and only once did she really take her attention off me. And even then, Mr. Tall Chestnut and Handsome himself, Nigel, was whinnying about something in the round pen, which would be a bit much for anyone to ignore. So I ended on a good note, and took her in for some grooming.

Luckily, Erin was there and showed us all how to give Skye her pain shot. Skye was such a good girl about it, of course. She is so good about most things really. Such a good horse.  Then Erin told us that she was going to give a group lesson, and if we wanted to saddle up, we could join. So we did.

And here's where I really cheated - I rode Ike, one of The Incredibles! At 18.3 hands, he is the biggest horse I have ever seen, and easily one of the most beautiful. For your viewing pleasure:

Ike, an Incredible in more ways than one.

See?

Anyway, tacking him up was an adventure because you have to find a girth and match it with girth extenders to get a saddle on him. Getting the bridle on is also interesting because he is so flippin' tall that even when he lowers his head, your arms ache from being up so high. He's an absolute prince about the whole thing though.  As I have mentioned before, he is a rescue, and in his checked past he was used to haul logs, causing him some damage to his back end.  Cliche though it is, he is a gentle giant. I'm completely in love with him now. (I was only partially in love with him before.)

Riding him is like sitting on top of the world. You are so much higher than everyone else, you feel like a  huge SUV in a sea of Matchbox cars. Very fun. He was so much fun to ride too. His trot was so smooth that it was easier to sit than to post, so I practiced my sitting trot and really enjoyed it. (A sitting trot on Skye is a rather punishing affair.) Erin had us practice steering the horses with our seat, legs and intention (looking where you want to go, as the horse can feel it), and he was just great. He made me look good.

Then on the way out, we stopped by the fence to say good-bye to my girl. She came right over, and I cheated and gave her a carrot. After all, I had been steppin' out on her, even if she didn't know or care.

Two Steps Back

I can't believe I haven't written for a while, but it's because I'm a little bit bummed about Skye.

First, just when we were hitting our stride in our relationship, life kept me from going out to the barn for several days in a row. The boys have an unbelievable homework load, and some of that stuff is pretty hard, so I have to help them with it.  (Really, did you learn about the difference in transverse wave and longitudinal waves and how they are measured when you were sixth grade? It's interesting, but still. The rope and Slinky experiments are bitchin' fun though.) And we took our annual fall trip to Asheville over the weekend, so I had to add another two days of little attention to her.

The look she gives me if I call her Honey Boo Boo.
She doesn't like it.

Anyway, she was in a funky mood on Sunday, then Wednesday I went out and helped feed her, and she was as rude as she has ever been. It was no doubt because she could even see the food in her bowl, and Girlfriend (another nickname for her) loves her food. It makes me wonder if the other feeders have allowed her to get away with being rude to them. I say this because even rude, she is never aggressive or ugly (no ears back or anything) and they may not feel the need to correct her behavior, but I keep my standards for her manners high. Anyway, I fed her, then checked her out, loved on her, and put her back out. When I let her go, she swung away from me and headed straight for the hay. This is totally unlike last week when she met me at the gate and hung out with me when I let her go, and walked quickly to the fence to see me in the van on my way out. This is a big lesson learned that our relationship thrives on attention and on really asking more of her. When I go away next time, I'm going to ask someone at the barn to get her out and groom her, or even work her in the round pen.

This quick retreat also explains so much about our relationship while she was at the Greenway. I would see her at least as often, but the quality of our visits was very different. I would be all alone, and a little unsettled by it. (All of her pasture horses were good, nice horses, and Skye has never been aggressive, but I was brought up to not ride alone. And if something happened, more times than not there would be nobody around.) She would not want to come in to begin with, standing until I got her her, usually not walking toward me. She would balk on the way in at least once, sometimes several times stubbornly. She wanted to stay with her boyfriend, and she made sure I knew it. So, it would be little sour from the beginning. I didn't get mad at her, but it made me sad, as it was not what I had dreamed of when I dreamed of having my own horse. So I would get her out, the struggle notwithstanding, groom her, maybe work her on the line, but it would be very short.  Since it would be 20 minutes with me 3-4 times a week versus almost 24/7 as the boss mare hanging out with the big lead gelding, I barely stood a chance of establishing a really respectful relationship. That situation might be fine for a different horse, but not with Skye.

So although I think I've cracked the code to getting us on track, it is really clear that a high level of attention is necessary to keep that doorway open. Which is actually good news, since I do love hanging out with my horse! Even when she is testing me.

Yesterday, she was aloof, but I got her feet moving around in the round pen, then left her in there because the vet was coming to the barn, and was going to give Skye a shot.

I finally got to talk to the vet, and she confirmed my gut feeling that with her recurrent lameness (she started limping again when the bute was stopped) she really shouldn't be ridden. Another reshoeing, a little more bute for a while, and a shot in one of her joints will put her on her way to soundness, but it will require some time. So, just when I was making headway, I'm out of the saddle again. I may be able to ride some of the other horses at the barn, as lessons are part of my board, so that takes some of the sting out of it, but the whole thing really bothered me for a couple of days.

Then I look at a picture of her, and I remember that if I could choose which horse I would most like to have of all the horses at the Greenway or at my current barn, I would still choose Skye.

Still the one.

I will be talking to the vet again soon and find out how much I can work her in the round pen. I've wanted to work on her lateral flexion and moving the hindquarters and front half anyway, so I'll make sure I can do that. Given that I have been flabbergasted at how much the groundwork helps under saddle, I can at least be confident that we are still moving forward.

Absolutely Fabulous Foals

Dave and I took the boys to Asheville for the weekend as we do every fall, so I had to miss yet another day with Skye this week.  I did want to see her today though, even though I did not really have time. When I got to the barn, for the very first time since I have kept Skye at the barn, it looked like there was no one there. Then I parked and saw that there were three people and two horses, none of whom I recognized, up near the barn. Because people come out at all times of the day, I'm kind of used to meeting new people out there, but the two horses were so spectacular that I knew they were from somewhere else as I would have been fawning over them before this. And since I am drawn to spectacular horses (and also not-so-spectactular horses), I hustled right over to meet them.

It turns out that the folks were three women from the donkey farm that abuts the barn land. Erin had told them they could come over to expose them to the new environment. The women had adopted foals from a local place that adopts out nurse mare foals and foals produced from the demand for pregnant mare urine by the pharmaceutical industry. Nurse mare foals are foals who are taken from their mother so that the mother can nurse another, more expensive foal. The foals from pharmaceutical industry are usually destined for slaughter. I don't know much about this problem, but what I know appalls and saddens me. So meeting these nice people and seeing these gorgeous and obviously much loved horses is just great.

Here is Chance:

Chance, a two year old rescued as a foal from the pharmaceutical industry

I know. Gorgeous doesn't quite do it, does it? He's a Belgian draft cross. They usually don't know the exact lineage because the goal is to get the mare pregnant with no regard for the resulting foal. My guess is whatever was mixed with Belgian was something incredible, because I'm telling you this horse is impressive. He is just two years old, and they are starting his under saddle training, and brought him over to the barn to let him see a different place.  He was a little antsy, very alert and looking around, but while he needed to be watched, he was very polite to the woman handling him even when he was a little distraught when his buddy was led away to explore the barn.

Here is his buddy, Blaze:

Blaze, a gorgeous gray something also rescued as a foal

Equally impressive. They didn't have any idea what this boy was made of, but like Chance, he was something special. A really beautiful color and a nice calm disposition. Very self-possessed 2 year old. This horse had such an intelligent expression, and seemed very connected to people intellectually. (If you can use intellectually with a two year old horse. Which you obviously can, since I just did. So there.) Anyway, the woman I spoke to the most was so very nice and so excited about having these horses. Of course, I knew that anyone responsible for saving the dinkies  and Mistletoe had to be okay in my book.

I did end up bringing Skye in for grooming and a brief bit of listening practice in the round pen. She only came a few steps (about 10 feet) toward me today, which bummed me out a little, but she was a good girl in the round pen, and sweet to me while she was being groomed. She walked away from me pretty quickly too. Hopefully next week I'll have more time to get on her back again. She is still limping a little, but I've been told to expect a little of that.

On the other hand, my gray paint sweetheart didn't want me to leave.

He makes it pretty hard to drive away.