My first love...

Angel

There was a barrel race up at the TRAC today. Two actually - it was a double header. I didn't enter, because I haven't ridden Angel since October.

But I hauled her up there and rode around for two hours. A little trotting, a little loping, and a whole lot of walking.

It was warm in the morning, then it was like a cold front moved in, the wind changed to out of the north, and I got COLD! Angel got WARM! Poor out-of-shape darling!

Anyway, she did fine, though she was sort of spooky ever time we rode past the teeny tiny pile of sand in the warm-up pen. But then she's always goofy, more so when she's fresh!

I was surprised that people who know me and know her actually came up and asked if Angel has been on a diet and that she looks good! Angel HAS been on a diet, but I didn't think that she'd been making any progress.

All in all, despite the cold, I enjoyed myself and the time with my horse.

Some days are just good days. 'nuff said!

What to do about Honey...

Remember my post from last weekend? The one where Honey was gimpy?

*sigh*

She's been pretty gimpy ever since. I thought it was from getting kicked. She was totally packing the damaged back ankle tonight and it was the size of a basketball.

I hosed it for about 15 minutes, gave her a double dose of B-L Solution, and helped her hobble back to her stall. It upsets me that she is in pain. She's been off and on with this ankle for the last year.

Last fall, she was REALLY off for about two weeks. That one happened in a mis-step in the arena. One minute she's tearing around, squalling and raising a ruckus, then next she's standing there holding her leg off the ground.

I have always known that the ankle was troublesome. I figured though, that it was an old injury and had fused. She keeps finding a way to re-injure it. I'd always thought that the pelvis was what was giving her the most trouble. That is now merely an after thought. And the funky, mis-shaped neck??? Nothing by comparison.

She still has a decent appetite, though she HAS lost a little weight. But it's obvious that she is not venturing far from the dinner plate and water. I cleaned her stall tonight...it was like there was a glass wall keeping her from leaving the barn.

She is on so many supplements now that I feel like a chemist preparing her grain morning and night - B-L Solution for pain, Glucosamine/MSM Supplement for inflammation and joints, Chondroitin Supplement for joints, Liver Cleanse, Kidney Flush, Apple Cider Vinegar for digestion and coat. I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting.

I need a magic wand so I can make it all better!

UPDATE - Squirts

Yesterday I went to the feed store and got a bag of alfalfa pellets. This is what I fed all five horses with the runs.

This morning, EVERYONE had firmed up. I checked each run and each pile of poo. Squirrel and Thai both had place that looked like the squirts were returning, so I'm going to do something a little different tonight and see if that works.

I should also point out that all are holding their weight good and drinking like camels.

Playing Ponies, and Herding Terds

Today was my Friday off, so after meeting my son for breakfast and coming home to have at least ONE decent cup of coffee, we went out to clean the runs.

REALLY CLEAN! The whole 70ft X 20ft of each run.

Horses poop...a LOT!!

As usual, they got turned out on pasture to run, buck, and blow off some steam! And as usual, we stood there for 10 minutes or so and watch them before actually getting any work done. There's not much grass out there yet, but they settled down to some heavy duty grazing just the same.

4 hours and 6 trailer loads of poop later, we were done. We re-strung the tapes, closed up the stall fronts, and returned the "babies" to their proper places.

Honey came in gimpy and on closer inspection found she'd caught a couple double barrels from Squirrel. She took one to the shoulde that actually took the hair off. But, there's no blood and she's now penned alone. Even though that Bitch Squirrel is next door, she can't be bullied. Honey is such a sweet heart. She stood still while I looked her over and she got an extra cuddle for her patience.

Now, about the squirts thing. Squirrel is REALLY bad. And now, so is Thai. AGAIN. Dobbs is also "squirty". Classy and Jazzy are loose, but not bad. ALL of them have been getting probiotics in the evenings, but it doesn't seem to be working. I'm starting to think that the WONDERFUL hay that we are feeding is too rich - it's GREAT 4th cutting alfalfa/grass mix, really green.

So tomorrow morning, I'm off to buy bags of Orchard Grass pellets to see if that doesn't firm things up a bit.

Just one of those nights....

I left work on time, intending to come home and ride. It was sunny, 50 degrees, and about an hour of daylight left, so why not?

*sigh*

I got home and the first thing I noticed was the dog barf on the living room floor. I cleaned that up and changed my clothes. I glanced out the back window and my heart sank. Thai and Classy had gotten into a tussle and the electric tapes were strewn all over the two runs that they shared. I checked Thai and Classy for cuts and scrapes...whew...none found.

*sigh*

I brought Jazzy and Dobbs into the barn, fed everyone, took Thai and Classy out to the arena. Penned Classy up, cuz she's taken to bullying Thai. Fed them. Watered the girls. Watered Dobbs. Restrung the tapes. Replaced the tape holders that had broken. Cleaned Dobbs' run - the girls used that side for their toilet.

*sigh*

I fed out the probiotic to Dobbs, Squirrel, Classy and Thai. All four have the squirts again. (NO CLUE as to "why" - I haven't changed their feed any) I walked down the hoses to drain them, closed up the barn, and headed for the house.

*sigh*

I came in and fed the dogs, then sat down to eat. It was beyond gross - a box meal Mike picked up. UGH! Never buying THAT crap again! I got up, made a salad, ate that, then took the dogs out to potty. Spaz - the big, honkin' 18 pound monster had caught a mouse, but hadn't killed it. The dogs got after it and in the confusion, the mouse got away. I came back in and did the dishes, then reached for a soda...empty.

*sigh*

Now I'm typing this and then heading for the store. OH! And as long as I'm there, can I pick up some milk, coffee creamer, and some eggs?

*sigh*

As soon as I get back, I'm going to add some Crown Royal to my pepsi, take a hot bath, then just go to bed!

WANT!!!

I WANT Spring! I WANT warm weather! I WANT to be able to mess around with my horses and not feel like I'm freezing! I'm tired of my hands being cold! I'm tired of gaining weight because I can't do anything outside. RAWR!!! I'm so tired of winter!!

Something weird happened to the tails of two of my horses. Dobbs and Jazzy both have full, long tails! Ok...HAD. It appeared that someone took 1/2 of their tail and cut a foot off. If you look it from the side, it's like the bottom is two levels. It happened when they were back at the barn. I'm baffled as to what happened. It's like someone cut it straight across. Hmmm....

It was warm enough on Saturday for Mike and I to ride. I saddled Jazzy and Dobbs, and we started out. Jazzy was a TOTAL terd and we ended up switching. It's amazing the crap she pulls on Mike. She tried with me, but only ended up backing for about 100 yards. After that, she behaved herself!

We wanted to go for a ride on Angel and Squirrel, but it's too dang cold. I think Mike will enjoy riding Squirrel - she's ranch broke, behaves, holds whatever pace you put her to, has no spooking issues, and is big enough to pack him around. As of yet though, we haven't had the chance. He is hyper-sensitive to cold, so it's not worth it!

So, we wait for warmer weather. *sigh*

Friday the 13th and Spring is JUST around the corner!

Well, I survived Friday the 13th. It was pretty quiet, all in all. I don't understand what all the fuss is about anyway!

As for Spring, 2 of the 8 horses here are starting to shed! Honey and Millie are shedding, which gives me hope that winter might actually end some time this calendar year!

The rest of them are holding onto their hair, but that's ok. Soon they all be shedding so badly that I can't keep up with all the hair! Some of my friends' horses have been shedding for several weeks!

I'm hoping for 45 degree weather with no wind so I can actually ride. I NEED to swing a leg over 4 of my horses. So the plan is to turn Thai and Classy out on pasture so I can use the arena. If I don't get bucked off, it'll be a good weekend!

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

DAMN DOGS!!!!

Our yard isn't fenced. It just hasn't been a priority to fence it. When the dogs need to go out, we go with them. Since I'm a smoker, the job usually falls to me.

Tonight I was helping make spaghetti, which was AMAZING by the way! My husband is an awesome cook! I was cutting red bell pepper for the sauce and the dogs wanted out.

Boomer, our Lab, was sleeping after a long day of napping, so he stayed in. The two Jack Russells went out. Normally, they go out, go potty, and come right back in. I saw them tear across the back porch and by the time I got my coat on, they were long gone!

We called. We whistled! We drove around calling and whistling. We finished making dinner while our daughter drove around. No sign of them! NONE!!!

Just as we were serving up supper, there they were at the back door.

COVERED IN COW POOP!!!

Apparently, they were visiting the neighbors' across the street and found nice firm cow pies to roll in. So we locked them in the kennel, ate our supper, then gave them a bath. Their second in four days. (They got a bath on Friday because we couldn't stand the smell of their "puppy feet".

So now my back hurts and the spaghetti has shifted into an uncomfortable position and I have indigestion.

Damn dogs! I'm saving up for chain link!

Out of Shape!

My God! I feel like someone worked me over with a baseball bat! I am SORE! Some of it is from riding, but some is from stripping Dobb's stall.

Dobbs poops in his stall, then packs it, so it's like working poop pancakes loose from the floor. Very labor intensive!

Cathy came over after farm sitting in Ellensburg. She was closer than she usually is, so she came to meet Thai. We pulled Thai and Classy out and gave them a good brushing. We ended up washing butts. Thai has the runs, which I can't figure out because she's had no feed change (I did start her on a probiotic). Cathy thought perhaps she coming into season, which affects some horses. Classy's butt had left-overs (eeeww) from her unterine infection thing.

After we were done, Cathy wanted to get pics of Thai tacked up, so we did. We took the girls back to the arena. I penned Classy while Cathy worked with Thai and moved her around the arena. Then Cathy got brave and climbed on. Thai is such an AWESOME mare, she did NOTHING bad. If we go by the assumption that she went from the track to the broodmare farm, she hasn't been ridden in 19 years! Even when she was moving around the arena with pretty, BIG trot, there was no buck or fuss! She's really a nice mare and as a BONUS, she's sound!

MUD

I didn't get any pictures of Classy. It started raining on Thursday afternoon and continued into the night. Things aren't "soupy", but still.

Things had pretty much cleared up by early afternoon and I thought I'd go catch Classy and give her a grooming and take some pictures. As I came around the side of the garage headed for the arena, Classy was just getting up.

She'd had a good, long, double-sided roll in the mud. Not just her sides...she'd rubbed her face and neck into it on both sides. There was NO WAY I was ever going to make her presentable before dark. I could feel her grinning at my back as I turned and headed out to the barn. After all, I was dressed and had my boots on, might as well ride, right?

So I did! Me and Angel went for a ride, only about 20 minutes. She actually broke a sweat! And my butt is so sore! Good grief I'm out of shape.

ENOUGH ALREADY!

That is what Classy is seeming to say when it comes to the alfalfa pellets. She won’t eat them anymore. If I mix the Strategy in with it, she flips it out on the ground, then poops on it. Well, FINE!

She is eating loose hay and seems a LOT happier about it. She’ll eat the Strategy because it’s yummy, but no more pellets.

She has moved out to the arena with Thai, though I’m going to have to figure out how to put them together, and yet feed them separate. I guess they can take turns being in the pen I set up. Dang neurotic Thoroughbreds!

I had thought that I’d be reducing Classy’s Strategy intake, but if she’s switching over from pellets to flakes, I may have to keep her on it.

This Friday is picture day. I’m sure Classy won’t look much better because she’s not been eating much the last day or so. We’ll see how she does through the week.