Well, I might as well write this now...I had pictures but my son accidentally reset my phone and I lost almost all of my pictures. I was hoping I would be able to get back some of the downloaded pictures from my phone but no such luck. :(
Zoe went to fair a couple weeks ago and did pretty well! T entered her into a lot of different shows and they ended up with two 5th places; one in bareback hunter under saddle, and one in western pleasure.
T was thrilled at how cool and calm she was while in the arena. She said that towards the end she was tired and was starting to act up, but T was extremely happy with Zoe. And so am I! They have come such a long ways in a short time - T has been a patient, gentle and firm partner with Zoe and it really shows!
There is more to write about in regards to the show but without pictures, I'm having a hard time remembering everything...
On the Gunner front, he's been doing good for T's dad. They are having a hard time finding a good saddle fit for him but Gunner is dealing with it fine for now. T's dad took Gunner out for several trail rides and Gunner has been a champ about it! I don't think he's ever been trail riding before, and I told him that, so I wasn't sure how he would do...he was bred for reining and broke for roping so trail riding never fit into his schedule...lol But while out on the trail there were some turkeys roosting up in the trees that flew down right next to Gunner and he didn't even flinch, the other horses did but not him! Also, someone shot a gun not too far away and he only looked in the direction - no spook though! T's dad told me that Gunner is having serious buddy sourness though, which I find odd. He wasn't ever buddy sour at our house and I don't recall him having issues while at brother-in-law's house either. Maybe our interpretations of being buddy sour are much different.... T's dad also took Gunner out for a run last week and really opened him up and was impressed with how fast he was! We really had no idea he had it in him...
Anyways, I think that if we can come to an agreement on the price then he might have a new home. Again, if he comes home we won't be a bit sad...
I have more to update on Melody but I will save that for another day...
Until next time,
Lynell
Showing posts with label Zoe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zoe. Show all posts
Monday, July 27, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Gunner & Zoe Reunited Again
I'm sure it's of no surprise that Gunner is now at Zoe's new home! They are going to try him out for 60 days and decide after that if he is going to work or not. My feelings won't be hurt if he doesn't work out and has to come home because...
Middle daughter and Gunner have been doing GREAT together!! Honestly, I was going back and forth on whether or not to go through with this possible sale but ultimately decided to do what I said I would do and bring him to Zoe's new family.
Sunday, as we were getting ready to load Gunner, Hubby was checking the fluids in our truck when he noticed he was low on brake fluid. He had some in the garage so he refilled it only to find it leaking near one of the rear tires. FANTASTIC. So he pulled the truck out from under the trailer and got the mini-semi. Once he had it hooked up, he noticed one of the trailer tires was low so he backed the trailer up to the garage and put more air in the tire. We had planned on leaving at 2pm but by now it was 3 pm. May not seem like much or a big deal but I'm the kind of person that HATES being late so this kind of stuff really gets my feathers ruffled....
Middle daughter got Gunner loaded up (he's super easy) and away we went. We found their house very easily - very nice, clean and safe environment for the horses. I was very pleased!
Gunner unloaded like a good boy and, surprisingly, was very chill. T's dad came to take a look at Gunner, I could see the excitement all over his face! I gave him the lead rope and he took Gunner for a walk.
While he was gone, T got Zoe out for me to visit with. She looks GREAT!! T has been riding Zoe everyday since she brought her home, which is exactly what Zoe needs and wants! It was funny hearing her tell me stories of their ups and downs - so similar to mine! We laughed about that.
T's dad turned Gunner out in their back pasture so I led Zoe over to "meet" him again. They nosed up did a little talking and then got down to the serious business of eating. It was good seeing them together again and I couldn't be happier with the home that they will have!
T and her family adore Zoe and her antics! They found out that she's very affectionate and sensitive, fast and powerful, and oh so beautiful! They said they've already had a few people offer to buy her - we told them we used to get that too. She's just one of those horses that stands out in a crowd!
Until next time,
Lynell
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Zoe's First Show
Zoe went to her first horse show of the season last weekend and she did great! I wasn't able to make it because of 4-H (fair week) but they sent me a few pictures!
T showed her in hunt seat and they said Zoe handled the other horses in the arena like a seasoned pro! There were about 25 other horses in the arena and she paid no attention to them...what a good girl! They were so impressed with how well she did!
This is a video of her showing in showmanship...not sure if it will work but we'll give it a try! She didn't pivot but they were still thrilled with her!
Hopefully I can make it to her next show!
Until next time,
Lynell
T showed her in hunt seat and they said Zoe handled the other horses in the arena like a seasoned pro! There were about 25 other horses in the arena and she paid no attention to them...what a good girl! They were so impressed with how well she did!
Hopefully I can make it to her next show!
Until next time,
Lynell
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Zoe Update
Sorry for the poor picture quality...the pictures are cell phone pics sent from Zoe's new family...
Zoe is doing very well - in fact, T plans to show Zoe at the end of the month and again in July. Yay! T will be showing Zoe in SMS and hunt seat. If all goes well, she will also be entering her in Western Pleasure! Whaaa??? Yes, Western Pleasure! I know she has a cute jog...but getting her to do it consistently was difficult. Must be having progress in that department! Also, her lope was a strong, powerful lope - definintely not a WP lope but maybe she was able to tame it down some...we'll see! I was also blown away by the fact that she's going into hunt seat! My little roper/foundation APHA is going to try hunt seat!! WOW! I'm so excited to see her show in a few weeks!!!!!!! I will take lots of pictures...promise!
Not so good news is that T took Zoe out in a large field and tried running her the other day. Too much stimulation for Zoe because she started bucking and T fell off. T's dad said that T was ok, just a little sore. He said her pride was more bruised than anything else and he laughed like crazy! lol
Overall, they still absolutely love her and all fight over her. They all want her for themselves but T said that she's a keeper! I am OVERJOYED! I really feel like I made the best decision for Zoe...even though it was so hard...still kinda is. Does that ever go away?
Until next time,
Lynell
Thursday, May 14, 2015
A Visit
I got invited to see Zoe in June...CAN'T WAIT!!!
Ok, actually they invited me to their daughter's (not T) graduation open house but still...I can see Zoe!
In other news, the farrier is finally able to get to our house on Friday to trim. He got sick over the winter (a bad case of pneumonia) and has been playing catch up all spring. So Friday is our turn!! I hope he's able to stay healthy and keep us in his schedule!! Along with playing catch up, he's moving right down the road from us...how convenient!! ;-) So needless to say, he's been very busy this spring.
Melody has been feeling great! So great, in fact, that she has decided to try biting people again. She got my youngest on her little wrist! My youngest was at her pen and had her hands resting on one of the boards when Melody put her head down to "sniff" and ended up biting her! I'm thinking that she was looking for treats so we have put a stop to feeding her treats. Plus, whenever I lead her out of her pen, she stops (with her butt only half way through the gate) and puts her head down to eat. What a pain!! I need to break her of that habit ASAP!!!!!
Star has been doing so well! She's been prancing, playing and kicking out while in turnout with Melody. Acting like a 2 year old! But her age caught up with her yesterday because after her little playful bout with Melody, she ended up getting sore on her back leg. This morning she was fine again...no swelling or heat. So we will chalk it up to a mystery injury while playing....
Not much to report on Tyson. He's in turnout with Gunner and the two seem to be happier without Zoe keeping them in line. They zoom around with each other a lot more than they used to, Zoe must've been a tough lead mare!!
I took the pictures for T's dad of Gunner. He's one of those horses that I just couldn't find a good angle on...so we had a lot of outtakes. It didn't help that it was extremely windy so he was feeling frisky and didn't want to cooperate! Grrr...you be the judge...
Well, that's all the updates for now...
Until next time,
Lynell
Ok, actually they invited me to their daughter's (not T) graduation open house but still...I can see Zoe!
In other news, the farrier is finally able to get to our house on Friday to trim. He got sick over the winter (a bad case of pneumonia) and has been playing catch up all spring. So Friday is our turn!! I hope he's able to stay healthy and keep us in his schedule!! Along with playing catch up, he's moving right down the road from us...how convenient!! ;-) So needless to say, he's been very busy this spring.
Melody has been feeling great! So great, in fact, that she has decided to try biting people again. She got my youngest on her little wrist! My youngest was at her pen and had her hands resting on one of the boards when Melody put her head down to "sniff" and ended up biting her! I'm thinking that she was looking for treats so we have put a stop to feeding her treats. Plus, whenever I lead her out of her pen, she stops (with her butt only half way through the gate) and puts her head down to eat. What a pain!! I need to break her of that habit ASAP!!!!!
Star has been doing so well! She's been prancing, playing and kicking out while in turnout with Melody. Acting like a 2 year old! But her age caught up with her yesterday because after her little playful bout with Melody, she ended up getting sore on her back leg. This morning she was fine again...no swelling or heat. So we will chalk it up to a mystery injury while playing....
Not much to report on Tyson. He's in turnout with Gunner and the two seem to be happier without Zoe keeping them in line. They zoom around with each other a lot more than they used to, Zoe must've been a tough lead mare!!
I took the pictures for T's dad of Gunner. He's one of those horses that I just couldn't find a good angle on...so we had a lot of outtakes. It didn't help that it was extremely windy so he was feeling frisky and didn't want to cooperate! Grrr...you be the judge...
Well, that's all the updates for now...
Until next time,
Lynell
Friday, May 1, 2015
A Zoe Update
I remembered that Zoe had a reaction to the Pyranha Fly Spray last year so I thought I would send a quick text to Zoe's new family. The dad responded and said that they absolutely LOVE Zoe and that he wished his daughter didn't love her so much because he wouldn't mind having her for himself. :) Always good to hear!
I asked if Zoe was being a good girl and he said yes and that she's getting feisty. His daughter is "too soft" and is afraid of hurting Zoe's feelings so she hasn't been very firm with Zoe. At that point I was a little concerned that maybe Zoe was going to be too much horse for her. She can get full of herself but if you remind her of her manners, she's just fine. I told him that and he said that Zoe minds him fine - just wishes his daughter would get firm with Zoe. He thinks that Zoe is testing her boundaries - sounds like my Zoe!
I asked if Zoe was going to be a problem for T and he said that he didn't think so. Just "typical new horse/person relationships that need to be established and get to know each other." T has been riding almost everyday (weather permitting) and things have been going pretty good!
Overall, no red flags and they still love her as much as they did when they picked her up. Yay!
He also asked about Gunner again - I have to measure him and take some conformation pictures for him. That's on my list of things to do this weekend...
Until next time,
Lynell
I asked if Zoe was being a good girl and he said yes and that she's getting feisty. His daughter is "too soft" and is afraid of hurting Zoe's feelings so she hasn't been very firm with Zoe. At that point I was a little concerned that maybe Zoe was going to be too much horse for her. She can get full of herself but if you remind her of her manners, she's just fine. I told him that and he said that Zoe minds him fine - just wishes his daughter would get firm with Zoe. He thinks that Zoe is testing her boundaries - sounds like my Zoe!
I asked if Zoe was going to be a problem for T and he said that he didn't think so. Just "typical new horse/person relationships that need to be established and get to know each other." T has been riding almost everyday (weather permitting) and things have been going pretty good!
Overall, no red flags and they still love her as much as they did when they picked her up. Yay!
He also asked about Gunner again - I have to measure him and take some conformation pictures for him. That's on my list of things to do this weekend...
Until next time,
Lynell
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Saying Goodbye
Saturday morning I got up early. I had set my alarm for 7 am but my mind was with Zoe and I got up at 5:30 am instead. I made my coffee, got dressed and headed out to the barn. I checked all the calves (we have several right now) and made my way to Zoe. She gave me a little nicker, God I love this horse!
I decided to feed and water everyone - it was early but I was sure they wouldn't mind! I also decided to take Zoe out and feed her separately in the round pen. That way I could get some much needed one-on-one time before she left.
As she was eating, I groomed her. If it would've been a little warmer I would've given her a bath too (still only 50 degrees in the morning). She loves to be groomed and stopped eating in order to fully enjoy her brushing!
I let her finish her breakfast and got my own breakfast. But I wasn't hungry, my stomach was in knots...but I ate anyways.
I went back out to see Zoe and decided to go for one last walk together. We just went down the road for a bit but it was so nice. She was so good!
My husband took this last picture. My mom saw it and said it said so many words...
Zoe's new family arrived just after 9am. They showed up in a nice truck and trailer, and thanked me profusely for the opportunity to buy Zoe. It was the mom, dad and daughter who came to pick up Zoe. The daughter is 16 years old and very nice. We'll call her T. I really liked talking with all of them - good people! They asked if T could ride Zoe to see if she had any questions right away. Of course I agreed!
I got Zoe saddled up - which, if you can remember doesn't always go well for Zoe. She stood like a good girl while being saddled up. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't "hard tie" her this time or what but it went really good. She didn't want to put the bit in her mouth, which is unlike her. I know she's due for her teeth so that's probably what she was telling me.
I showed T how I round pen her first before getting on so I can see where her mind is. Zoe did really good again and didn't need much of a warm up. I told T that Zoe will mirror whatever emotions she's having so if she's nervous, Zoe will be nervous. If she's calm and confident Zoe will be too. T got on carefully, asking if Zoe gets upset about mounting because she'd been thrown off many times by a horse she was testing out (before Zoe). I told her no, Zoe was fine about mounting.
She started walking and they were getting the feel of each other. She made the comment on how Zoe really seemed to tune into her right away - which I've always noticed too! She asked how I got her to drop her head into a headset and what the command for back was. I told her and also told T that Zoe needs verbal confirmation that she's doing good. Zoe responds when she's told she's good, rather than just a release of some kind. After those quick instructions, T rode Zoe walk-trot (the round pen had a slick spot,so no cantering) and really got a good feel for her. T is a great rider! They did so well together!
T thanked me again for Zoe. While I was talking with T in the round pen, hubby was talking to T's parents about their own horses. The dad was trying to sell his horse because his gelding acted like a stallion and he couldn't take him trail riding - which is what he loved to do. He asked about Gunner and so we took Gunner out for him to look at. Brother-in-law hasn't been in contact with us about Gunner, so parents-in-law said to sell him (they are half owners) if we could. I'm still on the fence about that... Anyways, the dad rode Gunner for a bit. Gunner did good for him but the dad said he had to sell his own horse before he could bring another one home because he was only set up for 4 horses. He said he would give me a call once his gelding sold.
T loaded Zoe up in the trailer and we all shook hands. I said goodbye to Zoe, one last time, and they were off. I admit...I cried a good amount as they were driving away. I feel good about Zoe's new home but it still hurts to say goodbye.
We found each other on facebook so I can stay in touch with T and Zoe's progress. She invited me to come see Zoe any time and that she would let me know when they have their shows so I can watch. She's on her school's equestrian team and 4H so she's going to be busy with Zoe - which is great!!
I texted them a few hours later to see how the trip home went and how Zoe was once they got home. The dad said the trip home and unloading went great! All three of his daughters thoroughly groomed Zoe and that Zoe was taking a nap in the sun in the round pen (her transitional pen). Looks like she settled in nicely!
Another chapter in my life closes as a new one starts for Zoe!
Until next time,
Lynell
I decided to feed and water everyone - it was early but I was sure they wouldn't mind! I also decided to take Zoe out and feed her separately in the round pen. That way I could get some much needed one-on-one time before she left.
As she was eating, I groomed her. If it would've been a little warmer I would've given her a bath too (still only 50 degrees in the morning). She loves to be groomed and stopped eating in order to fully enjoy her brushing!
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| "Why did you stop brushing?" |
I let her finish her breakfast and got my own breakfast. But I wasn't hungry, my stomach was in knots...but I ate anyways.
I went back out to see Zoe and decided to go for one last walk together. We just went down the road for a bit but it was so nice. She was so good!
My husband took this last picture. My mom saw it and said it said so many words...
Zoe's new family arrived just after 9am. They showed up in a nice truck and trailer, and thanked me profusely for the opportunity to buy Zoe. It was the mom, dad and daughter who came to pick up Zoe. The daughter is 16 years old and very nice. We'll call her T. I really liked talking with all of them - good people! They asked if T could ride Zoe to see if she had any questions right away. Of course I agreed!
I got Zoe saddled up - which, if you can remember doesn't always go well for Zoe. She stood like a good girl while being saddled up. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't "hard tie" her this time or what but it went really good. She didn't want to put the bit in her mouth, which is unlike her. I know she's due for her teeth so that's probably what she was telling me.
I showed T how I round pen her first before getting on so I can see where her mind is. Zoe did really good again and didn't need much of a warm up. I told T that Zoe will mirror whatever emotions she's having so if she's nervous, Zoe will be nervous. If she's calm and confident Zoe will be too. T got on carefully, asking if Zoe gets upset about mounting because she'd been thrown off many times by a horse she was testing out (before Zoe). I told her no, Zoe was fine about mounting.
She started walking and they were getting the feel of each other. She made the comment on how Zoe really seemed to tune into her right away - which I've always noticed too! She asked how I got her to drop her head into a headset and what the command for back was. I told her and also told T that Zoe needs verbal confirmation that she's doing good. Zoe responds when she's told she's good, rather than just a release of some kind. After those quick instructions, T rode Zoe walk-trot (the round pen had a slick spot,so no cantering) and really got a good feel for her. T is a great rider! They did so well together!
T thanked me again for Zoe. While I was talking with T in the round pen, hubby was talking to T's parents about their own horses. The dad was trying to sell his horse because his gelding acted like a stallion and he couldn't take him trail riding - which is what he loved to do. He asked about Gunner and so we took Gunner out for him to look at. Brother-in-law hasn't been in contact with us about Gunner, so parents-in-law said to sell him (they are half owners) if we could. I'm still on the fence about that... Anyways, the dad rode Gunner for a bit. Gunner did good for him but the dad said he had to sell his own horse before he could bring another one home because he was only set up for 4 horses. He said he would give me a call once his gelding sold.
T loaded Zoe up in the trailer and we all shook hands. I said goodbye to Zoe, one last time, and they were off. I admit...I cried a good amount as they were driving away. I feel good about Zoe's new home but it still hurts to say goodbye.
We found each other on facebook so I can stay in touch with T and Zoe's progress. She invited me to come see Zoe any time and that she would let me know when they have their shows so I can watch. She's on her school's equestrian team and 4H so she's going to be busy with Zoe - which is great!!
I texted them a few hours later to see how the trip home went and how Zoe was once they got home. The dad said the trip home and unloading went great! All three of his daughters thoroughly groomed Zoe and that Zoe was taking a nap in the sun in the round pen (her transitional pen). Looks like she settled in nicely!
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Until next time,
Lynell
Friday, April 17, 2015
A Fork in the Road
I don't even know how to start this...
Tomorrow Zoe will be moving to her new home with her new family. It KILLS me to sell her, she was supposed to be my forever horse! But the direction my life is going right now will prevent me from continuing her training like she needs, like she wants! This decision has been weighing in my mind for a while now. I need to do what's right for Zoe and stop wasting her by not having the time to ride and work with her consistently. The guilt is overwhelming!! Even as I type this I'm having a hard time accepting it. Zoe was supposed to be with me forever - until the end. My heart is broken.
The family I have chosen for Zoe has 4 other horses. Their lives revolve around their horses and they are so excited to have Zoe join their family...their family are the key words here. She will have a forever home with them! They plan to use her for all kinds of events in western and possibly dabble in english, depending on how Zoe does.
The father of the family found out about Zoe through my trainer. He explained to me that they were putting their daughter's horse down because they were no longer able to manage the pain for their horse (severe arthritis) so they have been looking for a new horse for quite some time. When my trainer told him Zoe was for sale he called me and begged me to let him buy her. They knew Zoe from when she was in training and absolutely loved her! I told him I had someone else coming that night to ride her and from the sounds of things would probably buy her so I was sorry. He was persistent and even offered to buy her for more than what I was asking!
I called my trainer to get an idea of what this family was all about. To me, the right fit was more important than the money - or even who had first "dibs" on her, so I had to at least think about it. My trainer had nothing but great things to say about this family and so I did it.
I sold her to them.
His daughter asked if she could call me about Zoe if she has any questions or maybe come out and help her! I told her I would absolutely love that! I'm excited for Zoe - for her future with this family. It feels right, it hurts but I'm at peace.
I don't usually get comments on here so I don't know if anyone really reads this or not but I will leave this blog up for a while but then probably shut it down. Maybe I will start one for Melody or a general one for the farm. We'll see.
Until next time,
Lynell
Tomorrow Zoe will be moving to her new home with her new family. It KILLS me to sell her, she was supposed to be my forever horse! But the direction my life is going right now will prevent me from continuing her training like she needs, like she wants! This decision has been weighing in my mind for a while now. I need to do what's right for Zoe and stop wasting her by not having the time to ride and work with her consistently. The guilt is overwhelming!! Even as I type this I'm having a hard time accepting it. Zoe was supposed to be with me forever - until the end. My heart is broken.
The family I have chosen for Zoe has 4 other horses. Their lives revolve around their horses and they are so excited to have Zoe join their family...their family are the key words here. She will have a forever home with them! They plan to use her for all kinds of events in western and possibly dabble in english, depending on how Zoe does.
The father of the family found out about Zoe through my trainer. He explained to me that they were putting their daughter's horse down because they were no longer able to manage the pain for their horse (severe arthritis) so they have been looking for a new horse for quite some time. When my trainer told him Zoe was for sale he called me and begged me to let him buy her. They knew Zoe from when she was in training and absolutely loved her! I told him I had someone else coming that night to ride her and from the sounds of things would probably buy her so I was sorry. He was persistent and even offered to buy her for more than what I was asking!
I called my trainer to get an idea of what this family was all about. To me, the right fit was more important than the money - or even who had first "dibs" on her, so I had to at least think about it. My trainer had nothing but great things to say about this family and so I did it.
I sold her to them.
His daughter asked if she could call me about Zoe if she has any questions or maybe come out and help her! I told her I would absolutely love that! I'm excited for Zoe - for her future with this family. It feels right, it hurts but I'm at peace.
I don't usually get comments on here so I don't know if anyone really reads this or not but I will leave this blog up for a while but then probably shut it down. Maybe I will start one for Melody or a general one for the farm. We'll see.
Until next time,
Lynell
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Warming Up!
The weather is finally starting to warm up! Our February was the coldest I can remember ever having! We basically just went into survival mode that month...so glad that's over with! The horses took the cold weather as good as can be expected. Gunner was the only one who got cold, which surprised me. Before he came to live with us, he was kept outside without a shelter most of the time so I half expected him to winter better than the rest of the horses. But I ended up taking him in and putting him in a stall every night and during the frigid days. We all got through it. I just hope we don't ever have another month like that ever again!! IT WAS FREEZING!!
Anyways, we are back to ground work with the horses, all of them. Tyson had to be reminded that even though the other horses were calling he had to stay with me. He was not thrilled about that. Zoe is a hot mess any time I take a horse out without her. I can't decide if it's jealousy or worry...either way, she's been a handful. Gunner and Star have been fantastic with ground work, not much to report there. I'm not riding yet because the ground in the round pen isn't good yet for riding (the first ride always happens in there) so I will keep taking them out for leading/ground work. Melody has been a handful, just like Zoe. But I believe her issue is that she's buddy sour. Time for her to be in a separate turn out! I have to get a pen set up for her so for now she's still with Star...not for long though! I will be interested to watch her shenanigans when she figures that out!! (insert evil laugh)
Our cows should be calving in the next month or so. It's always exciting when they come! I will take picture!
Lola, the puppy, is also doing fantastic. She's been such a great puppy to train and has a knack for working the chickens. She wants to work the cows so badly but we don't want her to get her confidence crushed if one of the cows kicks or hooks her. She will work cows after she's a year old. Then the real cow dog training will start! Until then, we work on her basic commands. She does pretty good!
Well, that's all for now! More later!
Quote for the day:
"Lost time is never found again."
Anyways, we are back to ground work with the horses, all of them. Tyson had to be reminded that even though the other horses were calling he had to stay with me. He was not thrilled about that. Zoe is a hot mess any time I take a horse out without her. I can't decide if it's jealousy or worry...either way, she's been a handful. Gunner and Star have been fantastic with ground work, not much to report there. I'm not riding yet because the ground in the round pen isn't good yet for riding (the first ride always happens in there) so I will keep taking them out for leading/ground work. Melody has been a handful, just like Zoe. But I believe her issue is that she's buddy sour. Time for her to be in a separate turn out! I have to get a pen set up for her so for now she's still with Star...not for long though! I will be interested to watch her shenanigans when she figures that out!! (insert evil laugh)
Our cows should be calving in the next month or so. It's always exciting when they come! I will take picture!
Lola, the puppy, is also doing fantastic. She's been such a great puppy to train and has a knack for working the chickens. She wants to work the cows so badly but we don't want her to get her confidence crushed if one of the cows kicks or hooks her. She will work cows after she's a year old. Then the real cow dog training will start! Until then, we work on her basic commands. She does pretty good!
Well, that's all for now! More later!
Quote for the day:
"Lost time is never found again."
-Benjamin Franklin
Monday, December 8, 2014
News
The vet called Friday afternoon with the news. Her white blood cell count was good but her red blood cell count was low signaling that she is anemic. The vet said that he wasn't too worried about it. He would come back in a month or so and take another blood sample to make sure the red blood cell count didn't drop anymore. In the meantime, we were to "worm her real good" to make sure it wasn't because of worms. I have the horses on a regular worming schedule but I re-wormed them all again on Saturday, just to be on the safe side.
Star has been feeling great since we started her on the Bute pills. We were worried she wouldn't eat her grain with the bitter tasting Bute pills in it, but she cleans up her grain dish - every last bit! The swelling is still there but has gone down and she's been trotting around in her turn out. I have her with Melody in her turnout and I think I'm gonna leave it that way this winter. We seem to have peace within each grouping, so why mess with it?
Gunner's swelling has gone down a little. The vet said he should be back to normal within a week so I'm keeping an eye on it to make sure it does.
I've been doing more groundwork exercises with Melody whenever I lead her in or out of the turnout. She's been introduced to the tarp. I first had her walk on it - no big deal. She sniffed it a little and then walked on and stood with no problem. The next time she walked right onto it, no questions asked. The next time, instead of walking on it, I rubbed her with it. She was alert at first and then got bored. I repeated all the tarp stuff with her for about a week and then moved onto laying it across her, over her head, neck, back and butt. She did some dancing but nothing major. Those lessons were repeated over the following week until she was bored with that too. It doesn't take much for her to be ok with what we work on. She's very trusting and has a good head on her. She came in from turnout the other day with a mystery cut on her face. I have NO IDEA where that could've come from. It's healed up nicely now, though. Being a light colored palomino Melody is absolutely filthy, and you can see every spec of dirt on her! I can't stand it!! Zoe is a buckskin and her cream color gets really light in the winter too but she keeps herself clean, but not Melody! I think she finds the smelliest, muddiest spots in her turnout and rolls, and naps there!! I'm looking forward to the warmer weather already so I can get her clean again! Yuck! I should try to snap a picture just so you can see how nasty her creamy coat is! Oh well, nothing I can do about it. We brush her the best we can but it doesn't get the deep down stuff...
With all that's been going on, not much progress with Zoe lately. She's been itching for work so I did lunge her the other day. She was happy about that! We are going back to working on leadership exercises to help build a better working relationship before the riding happens again. Not that it's a bad relationship but more that we haven't been working together for a while now and I want to start off with a trusting relationship. Make sense?
Well, that's all for now!
Quote for the day:
"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."
Star has been feeling great since we started her on the Bute pills. We were worried she wouldn't eat her grain with the bitter tasting Bute pills in it, but she cleans up her grain dish - every last bit! The swelling is still there but has gone down and she's been trotting around in her turn out. I have her with Melody in her turnout and I think I'm gonna leave it that way this winter. We seem to have peace within each grouping, so why mess with it?
Gunner's swelling has gone down a little. The vet said he should be back to normal within a week so I'm keeping an eye on it to make sure it does.
I've been doing more groundwork exercises with Melody whenever I lead her in or out of the turnout. She's been introduced to the tarp. I first had her walk on it - no big deal. She sniffed it a little and then walked on and stood with no problem. The next time she walked right onto it, no questions asked. The next time, instead of walking on it, I rubbed her with it. She was alert at first and then got bored. I repeated all the tarp stuff with her for about a week and then moved onto laying it across her, over her head, neck, back and butt. She did some dancing but nothing major. Those lessons were repeated over the following week until she was bored with that too. It doesn't take much for her to be ok with what we work on. She's very trusting and has a good head on her. She came in from turnout the other day with a mystery cut on her face. I have NO IDEA where that could've come from. It's healed up nicely now, though. Being a light colored palomino Melody is absolutely filthy, and you can see every spec of dirt on her! I can't stand it!! Zoe is a buckskin and her cream color gets really light in the winter too but she keeps herself clean, but not Melody! I think she finds the smelliest, muddiest spots in her turnout and rolls, and naps there!! I'm looking forward to the warmer weather already so I can get her clean again! Yuck! I should try to snap a picture just so you can see how nasty her creamy coat is! Oh well, nothing I can do about it. We brush her the best we can but it doesn't get the deep down stuff...
With all that's been going on, not much progress with Zoe lately. She's been itching for work so I did lunge her the other day. She was happy about that! We are going back to working on leadership exercises to help build a better working relationship before the riding happens again. Not that it's a bad relationship but more that we haven't been working together for a while now and I want to start off with a trusting relationship. Make sense?
Well, that's all for now!
Quote for the day:
"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."
-Thomas Carlyle
Friday, December 5, 2014
The Vet
Since the cold weather set in, I started to separate the boys from the girls. Tyson wasn't letting anyone in the lean-to so that meant Star ALWAYS ended up out in the weather. She's gonna be 20 years old next year and I don't need her getting stuck outside in the bad weather we are having so I moved the boys to stalls at night and a different turn out during the day.
Before, the girls got along really well. All three could stand the in the large lean-to comfortably with no issues. Well, there's issues now! Zoe decided she was queen and wouldn't let ANYONE into the lean-to. So I moved her to the stall at night and brought her back out with Star and Melody during the day. This was going great - or so I thought!
It started when I noticed that Star was losing weight. I ended up working with hubby around the barn one day last week and that's when I realized that Star wasn't moving around in her turnout. She would stand in a corner, appearing to be scared to move. That's when I saw Zoe start blasting Star with both back feet right into Star's side!!! Star had nowhere to go so she stood there and took it. WTH?! I was UPSET to say the least! I took Zoe out and put her out with the boys. That was enough of that! If she can't play nice with Star then she will have to go out with Tyson, who is head honcho and will keep her in line! Once Zoe was out, Star let out a big sigh. She immediately walked over to the water and drank for what seemed like forever!
The next day, I went to check on her. Her spirits were up but I noticed she wasn't acting quite like herself. Star isn't a cuddly horse (unless you have treats). She's very sweet but isn't the one who will hang her head on your shoulder or nuzzle your hair. That day, all she wanted to do was rest her head on my shoulder and kept nuzzling me on my neck. In all the years I've owned her, she's NEVER done that. I looked her over carefully and didn't see anything physically wrong with her. So I chalked it up to her "thanking" me for taking Zoe away.
The next night (hubby did chores for me in the morning because I was running late to work) I went to check on her again and this time there were HUGE lumps on her right side and a long swollen area beneath her belly. She was tender to the touch but let me touch her. I called the vet and he called me back right away and told me it could be an allergic reaction and to give her a treatment (with the heaves medication). I did as I was told, hoping that the vet was right. The reason we were wondering about allergies was because I had just switched her to a pelleted grain (no dust) so I immediately stopped feeding that grain to her. I gave her 3 treatments as instructed by the vet and kept an eye on her. I thought I had seen a change for the better one night...
But the next day, she was worse. She wouldn't even let me touch her on that side anymore! I was immediately concerned and called the vet. He said he would come over first thing the next morning. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there for the vet appointment so hubby was there instead. That was today...he agreed with us that these lumps were probably from getting beat up by Zoe and she might even have a cracked rib. He gave us Bute pills that we are to put in her grain (2 daily) to help with the pain. Hubby pointed out her weight loss and the vet said the stress of being out with Zoe would cause her to lose weight, and then hubby pointed out the swollen area beneath her belly. The vet wasn't sure what the cause for that would be so he took a blood sample. He said he would get the results this afternoon and call us. If it's a tumor, he should be able to remove it fairly easily. But we will just have to wait and see.
While he was there, we had him clean Gunner's sheath. I wasn't sure if he had ever had that done before so the vet took care of that. He said Gunner was very dirty and also agreed that it appeared he had never been cleaned before. Or if he had, it had been a LONG time since the last time. Tyson was done a few months ago so we didn't have him done again. It would be nice if we could get them all on the same schedule next year so we don't have to pay for so many farm calls! I guess that's something I will have to work on next year!
Needless to say, our vet bill is gonna be a big one! With this business with Star, our cows getting preg-checked, Gunner's sheath, and puppy check-ups...it should be a good size bill next month. But, I would do it all over again - LOVE these animals!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
Before, the girls got along really well. All three could stand the in the large lean-to comfortably with no issues. Well, there's issues now! Zoe decided she was queen and wouldn't let ANYONE into the lean-to. So I moved her to the stall at night and brought her back out with Star and Melody during the day. This was going great - or so I thought!
It started when I noticed that Star was losing weight. I ended up working with hubby around the barn one day last week and that's when I realized that Star wasn't moving around in her turnout. She would stand in a corner, appearing to be scared to move. That's when I saw Zoe start blasting Star with both back feet right into Star's side!!! Star had nowhere to go so she stood there and took it. WTH?! I was UPSET to say the least! I took Zoe out and put her out with the boys. That was enough of that! If she can't play nice with Star then she will have to go out with Tyson, who is head honcho and will keep her in line! Once Zoe was out, Star let out a big sigh. She immediately walked over to the water and drank for what seemed like forever!
The next day, I went to check on her. Her spirits were up but I noticed she wasn't acting quite like herself. Star isn't a cuddly horse (unless you have treats). She's very sweet but isn't the one who will hang her head on your shoulder or nuzzle your hair. That day, all she wanted to do was rest her head on my shoulder and kept nuzzling me on my neck. In all the years I've owned her, she's NEVER done that. I looked her over carefully and didn't see anything physically wrong with her. So I chalked it up to her "thanking" me for taking Zoe away.
The next night (hubby did chores for me in the morning because I was running late to work) I went to check on her again and this time there were HUGE lumps on her right side and a long swollen area beneath her belly. She was tender to the touch but let me touch her. I called the vet and he called me back right away and told me it could be an allergic reaction and to give her a treatment (with the heaves medication). I did as I was told, hoping that the vet was right. The reason we were wondering about allergies was because I had just switched her to a pelleted grain (no dust) so I immediately stopped feeding that grain to her. I gave her 3 treatments as instructed by the vet and kept an eye on her. I thought I had seen a change for the better one night...
But the next day, she was worse. She wouldn't even let me touch her on that side anymore! I was immediately concerned and called the vet. He said he would come over first thing the next morning. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there for the vet appointment so hubby was there instead. That was today...he agreed with us that these lumps were probably from getting beat up by Zoe and she might even have a cracked rib. He gave us Bute pills that we are to put in her grain (2 daily) to help with the pain. Hubby pointed out her weight loss and the vet said the stress of being out with Zoe would cause her to lose weight, and then hubby pointed out the swollen area beneath her belly. The vet wasn't sure what the cause for that would be so he took a blood sample. He said he would get the results this afternoon and call us. If it's a tumor, he should be able to remove it fairly easily. But we will just have to wait and see.
While he was there, we had him clean Gunner's sheath. I wasn't sure if he had ever had that done before so the vet took care of that. He said Gunner was very dirty and also agreed that it appeared he had never been cleaned before. Or if he had, it had been a LONG time since the last time. Tyson was done a few months ago so we didn't have him done again. It would be nice if we could get them all on the same schedule next year so we don't have to pay for so many farm calls! I guess that's something I will have to work on next year!
Needless to say, our vet bill is gonna be a big one! With this business with Star, our cows getting preg-checked, Gunner's sheath, and puppy check-ups...it should be a good size bill next month. But, I would do it all over again - LOVE these animals!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
-Leo Tolstoy
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Moving Foward
My last post talked about saddle fitting on Zoe. I can honestly say that I haven't ridden Zoe even once since that post. I feel ashamed and guilty for letting her 'sit' in the pasture. My life has been so full (imagine that!!) that my progress with Zoe has come to a complete stop. My work with Melody hasn't been consistent and yet she still amazes me with how well she retains her lessons. I rode Star a handful of times and middle daughter rode Gunner a handful of times (his back was sore). I'm so let down with how the end of summer and fall have gone as I had BIG plans. Have the horses been well cared for? Yes, but I haven't spent the time with them that I feel I should. The guilt is overwhelming...but I can't dwell on that, right? I'm moving forward with a new plan...
I know I may have to do lessons with Zoe that we have already done but I'm ok with that. I've found an indoor arena that I can haul to this winter that's really close to home (and SUPER nice) so I can continue our work together through the winter. We will be doing a lot of leadership exercises, trust and body work before I throw a leg over her. She's gonna stand in cross ties (she's never been cross tied before) and stand like a rock when I put the saddle pad and saddle on her among other things. We are going to have all this stuff DOWN! I've put up with her dancing around the saddle and her tying issues long enough! It's time for her to behave and act her age!! ;-)
Melody will be coming along as well, along with Gunner, if middle daughter can make it out to ride with us. Melody will learn to be lunged (already knows how to round pen) and get better with her verbal commands. We will keep working on shoulder and hip yields, giving at the poll, and flexing to both sides (she's not very good at her right side). Her back feet still seem to be a problem with letting us hold them for any length of time so we will continue to work on that as well.
Gunner will need some time in the saddle as well. The last time middle daughter rode him, he bucked her off when she asked him to canter. I have no idea what that was all about! I was so proud of her for picking herself up and getting back on! She landed hard and it really shook her up. No serious injuries, just a little stab at her pride I think. Afterwards, I checked to see if his back was sore again but his back was fine. I checked other spots that might be sore but he seemed fine in those places too. The saddle fit is good so maybe middle daughter did something that triggered the bucking fit or else he learned before that if he bucked he got out of doing it. Either way, I'm gonna have to get on and figure it out.
In other farm news, we replanted the front horse pasture. It was getting full of weeds and the ground was so compacted from years of horses walking on it that the grass couldn't get a good root system going again, hence the weeds. We had the soil tested to see what the ground was lacking and was able to pick up a fertilizer to help the ground produce the best horse pasture grass mix it could. We have to keep the horses off it for one full growing season (all of 2015) so the root system can really take hold. We were told to hay it so it will help the grasses to come in nice and thick. We are really excited to see the fruits of our labor! Oh, and while we were at it, we tore down all the old cow fencing that was up around this pasture. We are putting up electric instead - always hated that fencing!
Not only did we replant the horse pasture, but we built a new horse catch pen. While all of this replanting was going on, we had them in a cow pen. It was fine but it was a reminder that without the horse pasture in the front, we were going to be short on turn outs this winter! So we took another weekend and built a safe catch/turnout pen for the horses with a shelter. This is where Star and her buddy (undecided on who) will spend the winter nights while the others are in their stalls. Speaking of stalls, we built insulated water bucket holders for the stalls. I'm excited to put these things to use this winter! Last winter was awful with trying to keep the water fresh and unfrozen. (Hubby doesn't like to use the heated water buckets because he had a bad experience with them once and now refuses to use them....) We also built two extras for outside in the shelter for Star and her buddy. I'll try to take a picture of them so you can see what we built...I will let you know how they work too!
Another farm project completed is my new tack room/office in the barn. It's wonderful - and much bigger than my old tack room! In order to complete the new tack room, we also built new saddle racks. This time I have enough saddle racks for ALL of my saddles. I used to always be 1 rack short so it was kept in the house, which is fine except it's a pain to haul a big western saddle out of the house whenever you want to ride. So my brand new Billy Cook saddle still has very little use... The new feed room is going right next to the new tack room but we haven't finished it yet. Just have to put the floor in and then it will be complete.
In addition to all of that, we also built a new lean-to for the cows (it's HUGE) and are working on another one. We added beef cows to our regime of animals this summer so more and larger shelters were needed. I guess you could say we've been busy!
One more announcement...we added a new member to our family!
Meet Lola! She's a red tri Australian Shepherd and we love her to pieces! Couldn't be happier with our choice! She and Riggin (black tri Australian Shepherd) have become good friends! She will follow him anywhere and learns from him all the time, which is why we bought her now instead of waiting. Riggin is probably the BEST dog we've ever had the privilege of owning and is getting up there in age. We wanted him to pass along his knowledge to the next pup so now was the best time.
So that's a snapshot of what's been going on with me lately. Not to mention the fact that I have 5 children, two of which are on student council this year, one is in high school and just had her first homecoming...My life is full, but that's exactly how I like it!
That's all for now!
Quote for the day:
"Never mistake activity for achievement."
I know I may have to do lessons with Zoe that we have already done but I'm ok with that. I've found an indoor arena that I can haul to this winter that's really close to home (and SUPER nice) so I can continue our work together through the winter. We will be doing a lot of leadership exercises, trust and body work before I throw a leg over her. She's gonna stand in cross ties (she's never been cross tied before) and stand like a rock when I put the saddle pad and saddle on her among other things. We are going to have all this stuff DOWN! I've put up with her dancing around the saddle and her tying issues long enough! It's time for her to behave and act her age!! ;-)
Melody will be coming along as well, along with Gunner, if middle daughter can make it out to ride with us. Melody will learn to be lunged (already knows how to round pen) and get better with her verbal commands. We will keep working on shoulder and hip yields, giving at the poll, and flexing to both sides (she's not very good at her right side). Her back feet still seem to be a problem with letting us hold them for any length of time so we will continue to work on that as well.
Gunner will need some time in the saddle as well. The last time middle daughter rode him, he bucked her off when she asked him to canter. I have no idea what that was all about! I was so proud of her for picking herself up and getting back on! She landed hard and it really shook her up. No serious injuries, just a little stab at her pride I think. Afterwards, I checked to see if his back was sore again but his back was fine. I checked other spots that might be sore but he seemed fine in those places too. The saddle fit is good so maybe middle daughter did something that triggered the bucking fit or else he learned before that if he bucked he got out of doing it. Either way, I'm gonna have to get on and figure it out.
In other farm news, we replanted the front horse pasture. It was getting full of weeds and the ground was so compacted from years of horses walking on it that the grass couldn't get a good root system going again, hence the weeds. We had the soil tested to see what the ground was lacking and was able to pick up a fertilizer to help the ground produce the best horse pasture grass mix it could. We have to keep the horses off it for one full growing season (all of 2015) so the root system can really take hold. We were told to hay it so it will help the grasses to come in nice and thick. We are really excited to see the fruits of our labor! Oh, and while we were at it, we tore down all the old cow fencing that was up around this pasture. We are putting up electric instead - always hated that fencing!
Not only did we replant the horse pasture, but we built a new horse catch pen. While all of this replanting was going on, we had them in a cow pen. It was fine but it was a reminder that without the horse pasture in the front, we were going to be short on turn outs this winter! So we took another weekend and built a safe catch/turnout pen for the horses with a shelter. This is where Star and her buddy (undecided on who) will spend the winter nights while the others are in their stalls. Speaking of stalls, we built insulated water bucket holders for the stalls. I'm excited to put these things to use this winter! Last winter was awful with trying to keep the water fresh and unfrozen. (Hubby doesn't like to use the heated water buckets because he had a bad experience with them once and now refuses to use them....) We also built two extras for outside in the shelter for Star and her buddy. I'll try to take a picture of them so you can see what we built...I will let you know how they work too!
Another farm project completed is my new tack room/office in the barn. It's wonderful - and much bigger than my old tack room! In order to complete the new tack room, we also built new saddle racks. This time I have enough saddle racks for ALL of my saddles. I used to always be 1 rack short so it was kept in the house, which is fine except it's a pain to haul a big western saddle out of the house whenever you want to ride. So my brand new Billy Cook saddle still has very little use... The new feed room is going right next to the new tack room but we haven't finished it yet. Just have to put the floor in and then it will be complete.
In addition to all of that, we also built a new lean-to for the cows (it's HUGE) and are working on another one. We added beef cows to our regime of animals this summer so more and larger shelters were needed. I guess you could say we've been busy!
One more announcement...we added a new member to our family!
So that's a snapshot of what's been going on with me lately. Not to mention the fact that I have 5 children, two of which are on student council this year, one is in high school and just had her first homecoming...My life is full, but that's exactly how I like it!
That's all for now!
Quote for the day:
"Never mistake activity for achievement."
-John Wooden
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
A Few Random Things
I just thought I would quick share what's been going on with the horses lately:
Melody has been getting round penned three days a week. She picked up on it pretty quick. I think she enjoys the work and I enjoy watching her move - what a beauty!
Zoe gave me a great ride last weekend but that's not without a little drama beforehand. The last few times I've thrown the saddle up on her she's acted like she's never seen the saddle before and FREAKS out. I did the slow, let her sniff the saddle approach. I tried the deliberate, don't make it a big deal approach. Freaks out the same both ways and didn't improve at all. This has got me thinking about why? She's muscled up quite a bit now (and gained weight) so I'm wondering if this is her way of telling me that the saddle is too small. Hopefully tonight I will be able to get the saddle I've been using on her and take a close look. If that saddle appears to be too small, I will try my other saddle. I hope I can figure this out soon. I don't want to ride her in a saddle that's too small...
Star has been doing great! She hasn't coughed since the medication regime was finished. She's been staying sound as well so I hope to take her out more often but there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day since I work a full time job, have other horses, and have 5 children. It's a balancing act for sure!
Gunner has had time off. He's been bucking lately and actually bucked middle daughter off. She's fine but I would like to get his back checked to make sure it's not bothering him. I guess it also wouldn't hurt to check the fit of the saddle as well...
Tyson, well Tyson is lame. He's just not getting any better. He's another one that the vet is going to come out and take a look at. I think there's scar tissue in his foot from when he got caught in some wire that's causing his continued lameness. We'll see what the vet has to say... But he's in great shape despite his lameness - he plays out in the pasture all the time so he actually has good muscling. He's such a goof! He looks great though!!!
I never think to have a camera with me to take some updated pictures - I will try to get better about that!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself."
Melody has been getting round penned three days a week. She picked up on it pretty quick. I think she enjoys the work and I enjoy watching her move - what a beauty!
Zoe gave me a great ride last weekend but that's not without a little drama beforehand. The last few times I've thrown the saddle up on her she's acted like she's never seen the saddle before and FREAKS out. I did the slow, let her sniff the saddle approach. I tried the deliberate, don't make it a big deal approach. Freaks out the same both ways and didn't improve at all. This has got me thinking about why? She's muscled up quite a bit now (and gained weight) so I'm wondering if this is her way of telling me that the saddle is too small. Hopefully tonight I will be able to get the saddle I've been using on her and take a close look. If that saddle appears to be too small, I will try my other saddle. I hope I can figure this out soon. I don't want to ride her in a saddle that's too small...
Star has been doing great! She hasn't coughed since the medication regime was finished. She's been staying sound as well so I hope to take her out more often but there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day since I work a full time job, have other horses, and have 5 children. It's a balancing act for sure!
Gunner has had time off. He's been bucking lately and actually bucked middle daughter off. She's fine but I would like to get his back checked to make sure it's not bothering him. I guess it also wouldn't hurt to check the fit of the saddle as well...
Tyson, well Tyson is lame. He's just not getting any better. He's another one that the vet is going to come out and take a look at. I think there's scar tissue in his foot from when he got caught in some wire that's causing his continued lameness. We'll see what the vet has to say... But he's in great shape despite his lameness - he plays out in the pasture all the time so he actually has good muscling. He's such a goof! He looks great though!!!
I never think to have a camera with me to take some updated pictures - I will try to get better about that!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself."
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Allergic Reaction
I bought a new brand of fly spray, Pyranha. Has anyone else used this before? It works awesome...at least it works awesome on Star, Tyson and Melody! I sprayed each of the horses down and the next day when I went out to do it again, Zoe and Gunner had big patches of puffy fur where I had sprayed them with the fly spray!
I brushed both of them down hoping that maybe it was fluffy fur but nope, the hair stayed and I could feel that the skin was puffy or slightly swollen underneath. I felt awful! I guess I will use the rest of this fly spray on the other horses and buy a different kind for the other two until then.
Chalk this one up as another first for me! Can't say I've ever had a horse have an allergic reaction to fly spray. Pyranha must be some potent stuff! I'm actually a little dissapointed because this stuff really worked on the other horses...
Anyone else's horse have an allergic reaction to fly spray??
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Only the educated are free."
I brushed both of them down hoping that maybe it was fluffy fur but nope, the hair stayed and I could feel that the skin was puffy or slightly swollen underneath. I felt awful! I guess I will use the rest of this fly spray on the other horses and buy a different kind for the other two until then.
Chalk this one up as another first for me! Can't say I've ever had a horse have an allergic reaction to fly spray. Pyranha must be some potent stuff! I'm actually a little dissapointed because this stuff really worked on the other horses...
Anyone else's horse have an allergic reaction to fly spray??
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Only the educated are free."
-Epictetus
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Sore Gunner
Gunner got the day off on Thursday because the farrier came out. So Friday we decided to get a ride in during the afternoon because we didn't want to try to ride while people would be starting to shoot off fireworks.
Going back, Wednesday we tried Gunner in the hackmore and he did AWESOME! So quiet and relaxed! I have a phone call in for brother-in-law about Gunner's teeth, though. I would like to know when the last time he had them done just so I can or cannot rule out his teeth as the culprit with the bit. Don't get me wrong, I will still be scheduling an appointment for his teeth and we will probably continue to ride in the hackmore but I would like to keep him on a better schedule.
Anyways, middle daughter was grooming Gunner before the ride and when she ran the brush over his back he dropped his back out under the pressure. He's been doing something similar to this ever since we turned him out with Zoe but this time he seemed more tense. My gut says that Zoe got a hold of him... Anyways, we decided to try him out and all was going well until middle daughter asked him to canter. He jumped up in the front end more exaggerated than usual but picked up the correct lead and went around the pen once before she asked him to trot.
She changed directions and when she asked for the canter he gave out a small buck. Middle daughter stayed in the saddle and didn't really know what happened. I told her riding was done and to cool him down. I'm guessing he was too sore. Poor guy!
Since the ride was cut short, we decided to pamper the little guy and gave him a good shampoo bath. He has one white sock on his back foot and when we were done it was glowing! He looked like a million bucks! Middle daughter took him out to the yard to let him eat while he dried off and he behaved so nicely for her. What a great little horse he's turned out to be! I'm hoping that we will be able to keep him for her to ride for 4H...
Anyways, he's gonna get some time off for his back to heal. If I don't see much progress in a week or so, I'll have to call the chiro and see about getting his back adjusted. I've never used an equine chiro before...it will be a learning experience for both of us!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"The fewer the facts, the stronger the opinion."
Going back, Wednesday we tried Gunner in the hackmore and he did AWESOME! So quiet and relaxed! I have a phone call in for brother-in-law about Gunner's teeth, though. I would like to know when the last time he had them done just so I can or cannot rule out his teeth as the culprit with the bit. Don't get me wrong, I will still be scheduling an appointment for his teeth and we will probably continue to ride in the hackmore but I would like to keep him on a better schedule.
Anyways, middle daughter was grooming Gunner before the ride and when she ran the brush over his back he dropped his back out under the pressure. He's been doing something similar to this ever since we turned him out with Zoe but this time he seemed more tense. My gut says that Zoe got a hold of him... Anyways, we decided to try him out and all was going well until middle daughter asked him to canter. He jumped up in the front end more exaggerated than usual but picked up the correct lead and went around the pen once before she asked him to trot.
She changed directions and when she asked for the canter he gave out a small buck. Middle daughter stayed in the saddle and didn't really know what happened. I told her riding was done and to cool him down. I'm guessing he was too sore. Poor guy!
Since the ride was cut short, we decided to pamper the little guy and gave him a good shampoo bath. He has one white sock on his back foot and when we were done it was glowing! He looked like a million bucks! Middle daughter took him out to the yard to let him eat while he dried off and he behaved so nicely for her. What a great little horse he's turned out to be! I'm hoping that we will be able to keep him for her to ride for 4H...
Anyways, he's gonna get some time off for his back to heal. If I don't see much progress in a week or so, I'll have to call the chiro and see about getting his back adjusted. I've never used an equine chiro before...it will be a learning experience for both of us!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"The fewer the facts, the stronger the opinion."
-Arnold H. Glasow
Monday, July 7, 2014
Such a Stinker!
I'm talking about Zoe in the title! Ever since I put her back in work, she's been playing hard to get. She's only done this once before and it was after my brother-in-law thought he would "help" me with Zoe.
She first started this last week when I tried to put her fly mask on. And then after that the chase began! Hubby was trying to convince me to stop and just to let her be but after 5 minutes of not letting me anywhere near her it became a thing of principle!
I opened the gate to the pen next to the horse pasture and started sorting her friends out one by one. We got down to Zoe and Gunner. All of a sudden Zoe likes Gunner - as long as he keeps her from getting caught! Gunner was happy to comply with all of her requests. Hubby came out to help and was able to get Gunner out of the way and after two more weak attempts to get away, Zoe stood for me. I simply haltered her and then put her fly mask on and let her go.
The next few times I went to catch her she would play hard to get but gave in after only a couple attempts. Thursday, when the farrier was there, she was up first. She pulled the same game as the first time I tried the fly mask! I ran her into the pen next to the horse pasture and once in there she gave up.
Since then, she hasn't given me any trouble. I've made an effort at only haltering her and leading her around without any real work involved and then giving a treat before letting her go. That seems to have done the trick!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."
She first started this last week when I tried to put her fly mask on. And then after that the chase began! Hubby was trying to convince me to stop and just to let her be but after 5 minutes of not letting me anywhere near her it became a thing of principle!
I opened the gate to the pen next to the horse pasture and started sorting her friends out one by one. We got down to Zoe and Gunner. All of a sudden Zoe likes Gunner - as long as he keeps her from getting caught! Gunner was happy to comply with all of her requests. Hubby came out to help and was able to get Gunner out of the way and after two more weak attempts to get away, Zoe stood for me. I simply haltered her and then put her fly mask on and let her go.
The next few times I went to catch her she would play hard to get but gave in after only a couple attempts. Thursday, when the farrier was there, she was up first. She pulled the same game as the first time I tried the fly mask! I ran her into the pen next to the horse pasture and once in there she gave up.
Since then, she hasn't given me any trouble. I've made an effort at only haltering her and leading her around without any real work involved and then giving a treat before letting her go. That seems to have done the trick!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."
-Coco Chanel
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Teeth?
Middle daughter has been riding Gunner everyday now and things have been getting gradually worse. The first few times middle daughter rode him it was in a halter and lead rope inside the round pen. It was going very well but he figured out that he could get away with more because she wasn't very strong. So we decided to put the bridle on. We used a snaffle because I wasn't sure what he was ridden in so that was a safe place to start. The first time the bit was in his mouth he was rolling it around with his tongue and shaking his head. That behavior started to decrease with each ride but then on this past Sunday night he began to bend his head around and touch her toe every time she asked him to go forward, he would constantly pull the reins down, and play with the bit in his mouth again. Middle daughter was frustrated to tears. I thought maybe it was something she was/wasn't doing so I hopped on. Side note: Don't ride in a saddle that's too small for you...it's not comfortable at all! I'm not a miracle worker by any means but I wanted to see if he would do the same thing with me...he tried and I was able to get him to move out straight but he continued to try to either do tight circles or just bend his head around. Anyways, while moving around at a walk he continued to try to pull the reins out of my hands (I was riding on a loose rein, by the way) and still played with the bit basically the entire time.
While I was riding, hubby called his brother to find out what Gunner's deal was with bits. Brother in law said he used a tom thumb when he would ride him. I'm not convinced that is what the problem is.
I rode Gunner for a short time with barely any progress. Middle daughter got back on and the ride wasn't any better for her. We called it quits because no progress was being made.
I have a hackmore that I might try on him but my hunch is his teeth need to be done. Hubby forgot to ask his brother about Gunner's teeth but it definitely won't hurt to have them checked. Zoe and Melody are due for their teeth to be done so I think I will have Gunner's done at the same time. I'm thinking we'll use the hackmore until I can get them all in.
If not his teeth and the hackmore doesn't seem to do the trick, we'll be back to the drawing board...
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.'
While I was riding, hubby called his brother to find out what Gunner's deal was with bits. Brother in law said he used a tom thumb when he would ride him. I'm not convinced that is what the problem is.
I rode Gunner for a short time with barely any progress. Middle daughter got back on and the ride wasn't any better for her. We called it quits because no progress was being made.
I have a hackmore that I might try on him but my hunch is his teeth need to be done. Hubby forgot to ask his brother about Gunner's teeth but it definitely won't hurt to have them checked. Zoe and Melody are due for their teeth to be done so I think I will have Gunner's done at the same time. I'm thinking we'll use the hackmore until I can get them all in.
If not his teeth and the hackmore doesn't seem to do the trick, we'll be back to the drawing board...
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.'
-David Frost
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Ups and Downs
Star completed her medication regime and now I'm waiting for the weather to cooperate to ride her again. I'm guessing our trail riding days are over and we will have to stay in the front yard for riding - we need to avoid dust as much as possible to avoid an episode.
I rode Zoe everyday this past weekend. We had one of the best rides we've ever had on Saturday - so relaxed, responsive and willing! On Sunday when I took her out again I half expected to pick up where we left off on Saturday but I was wrong!! She was feeling sassy for sure! She's no longer in heat so I'm not sure what her deal was, it's a mare thing I guess. She started off by shying away from both the saddle pad and the saddle when I was tacking her up. She acted like a young horse who has never seen a saddle before, crazy mare! Then when I took her halter off to put the bridle on, she tried to walk away...seriously. What was her deal?? I decided to round pen her first and I'm glad I did! She jumped into the air and did a big buck and then settled down to work. She must have been feeling pretty good that day! As I was mounting up she started to walk away so I immediately halted her but at the same time my foot was slipping into the stirrup on the other side and she let out a half buck. Thankfully, I already had a hold on her and that was all she was able to do. I have a feeling she did that out of protest of being stopped but feeling my foot on the other side possibly bumping her. She's the type of horse that lets you know if she thinks you are being unfair or too harsh.
We got to work at a walk, a VERY fast walk. She was itching to go faster but I wanted it to be when I asked her not when she decided. This night she was even more connected to me than usual because we were at the point where I would think trot and she would pick it right up. But whenever I began to think about slowing down she would SLAM on her breaks. Gotta love the rope horse instinct!
We both got a good workout going before we got back to the point we were the night before; collected, relaxed, willing and listening. Once there, I called it quits and I think she was ready to quite also. Overall it was a good weekend of riding but had a rough patch or two!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains."
I rode Zoe everyday this past weekend. We had one of the best rides we've ever had on Saturday - so relaxed, responsive and willing! On Sunday when I took her out again I half expected to pick up where we left off on Saturday but I was wrong!! She was feeling sassy for sure! She's no longer in heat so I'm not sure what her deal was, it's a mare thing I guess. She started off by shying away from both the saddle pad and the saddle when I was tacking her up. She acted like a young horse who has never seen a saddle before, crazy mare! Then when I took her halter off to put the bridle on, she tried to walk away...seriously. What was her deal?? I decided to round pen her first and I'm glad I did! She jumped into the air and did a big buck and then settled down to work. She must have been feeling pretty good that day! As I was mounting up she started to walk away so I immediately halted her but at the same time my foot was slipping into the stirrup on the other side and she let out a half buck. Thankfully, I already had a hold on her and that was all she was able to do. I have a feeling she did that out of protest of being stopped but feeling my foot on the other side possibly bumping her. She's the type of horse that lets you know if she thinks you are being unfair or too harsh.
We got to work at a walk, a VERY fast walk. She was itching to go faster but I wanted it to be when I asked her not when she decided. This night she was even more connected to me than usual because we were at the point where I would think trot and she would pick it right up. But whenever I began to think about slowing down she would SLAM on her breaks. Gotta love the rope horse instinct!
We both got a good workout going before we got back to the point we were the night before; collected, relaxed, willing and listening. Once there, I called it quits and I think she was ready to quite also. Overall it was a good weekend of riding but had a rough patch or two!
Until next time!
Quote for the day:
"The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains."
-Josephine Baker
Friday, June 20, 2014
Saddle Time
With the weather cooperating, we've had a lot of time for riding. And when I say we, I mean middle daughter and I. What horse is middle daughter riding? Betcha couldn't guess...ok maybe you can. Gunner! My brother-in-law's horse that he left here is turning out to be a great kids horse! Who knew?! He's been so relaxed and listens so good for middle daughter. I'm thrilled!!
I've been having mostly good rides on Zoe. She's in heat right now so she's VERY distracted. When she tunes into me rather than the boys in the pasture across the driveway, she does great but when she's wanting to talk to them, she's awful. She just needs more time in the saddle!
Last night I took her out for a ride and she was raring to go!! Go talk to the boys that is! I tied her to the patience tree while I got all of her tack out and when I returned she was all sweaty...from standing there...it as only 75 degrees and she was in the shade...and there was a nice breeze! Talk about being juiced!!! I decided it would be a good idea to do some lunging before getting on and I'm glad I did because she was itching to run and buck. Once I sent her out, she got frisky! I let her get it out of her system before asking her to focus and start warming up/working. It really didn't take too long before she was paying attention again and once she was relaxed we switched directions. It took even less time going the other direction.
I mounted and immediately she wanted to trot. But I slowed her down and kept her at a walk (a very fast walk, but a walk nonetheless). Every little thing was a distraction on this particular night - every. single. thing. We had to do lots of figure eights and weaving to keep focused. I guess you could say we worked on steering almost the entire ride!
We had a small group of bikers (on their bicycles, not motorcycles!) stop and watch me ride. A little background...I ride in our large front yard and we live on a rural road with lots of hills - people love to ride their bikes on our road. Of course Zoe thought that every time we went by she had to stop and look at them. Ugh. That got old! Finally they realized they were being a distraction so they slowly walked their bikes past. Zoe kept a close eye on them the entire time. Once they were out of site, we did some nice circles in both directions and I thought we should call it quits. So we started the cool down walk but she thought that meant we were going to visit the boys. We had a short discussion about how she needed to still listen to me even though we were cooling down (and on a loose rein). She decided to listen to me. Good girl.
I sprayed her down and turned her loose. She ran and played with Star and Melody for a little bit and then settled down to eating.
Tonight there will be no riding - we are off to the fair for some elephant ears and fresh squeezed lemonade! Should be fun (and never cheap)!!
I will have an update on Star after the weekend - until next time!!!
Quote for the day:
"Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way."
I've been having mostly good rides on Zoe. She's in heat right now so she's VERY distracted. When she tunes into me rather than the boys in the pasture across the driveway, she does great but when she's wanting to talk to them, she's awful. She just needs more time in the saddle!
Last night I took her out for a ride and she was raring to go!! Go talk to the boys that is! I tied her to the patience tree while I got all of her tack out and when I returned she was all sweaty...from standing there...it as only 75 degrees and she was in the shade...and there was a nice breeze! Talk about being juiced!!! I decided it would be a good idea to do some lunging before getting on and I'm glad I did because she was itching to run and buck. Once I sent her out, she got frisky! I let her get it out of her system before asking her to focus and start warming up/working. It really didn't take too long before she was paying attention again and once she was relaxed we switched directions. It took even less time going the other direction.
I mounted and immediately she wanted to trot. But I slowed her down and kept her at a walk (a very fast walk, but a walk nonetheless). Every little thing was a distraction on this particular night - every. single. thing. We had to do lots of figure eights and weaving to keep focused. I guess you could say we worked on steering almost the entire ride!
We had a small group of bikers (on their bicycles, not motorcycles!) stop and watch me ride. A little background...I ride in our large front yard and we live on a rural road with lots of hills - people love to ride their bikes on our road. Of course Zoe thought that every time we went by she had to stop and look at them. Ugh. That got old! Finally they realized they were being a distraction so they slowly walked their bikes past. Zoe kept a close eye on them the entire time. Once they were out of site, we did some nice circles in both directions and I thought we should call it quits. So we started the cool down walk but she thought that meant we were going to visit the boys. We had a short discussion about how she needed to still listen to me even though we were cooling down (and on a loose rein). She decided to listen to me. Good girl.
I sprayed her down and turned her loose. She ran and played with Star and Melody for a little bit and then settled down to eating.
Tonight there will be no riding - we are off to the fair for some elephant ears and fresh squeezed lemonade! Should be fun (and never cheap)!!
I will have an update on Star after the weekend - until next time!!!
Quote for the day:
"Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way."
-Booker T. Washington
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