Millie Goes To School

Millie the Fillie went to school today!

Barb came to visit yesterday and we hung out and ate Thai food, and drank wine. Well, she drank wine, I drank Irish Cream and Diet Pepsi.

It was a very relaxing, no pressure weekend! I loved it!

So this morning, I fed the horses and we drank our coffee in the morning sunshine out on the porch. About 9:00, Barb perked up and said, "We should saddle Millie and see what happens."

So we did. We too her out to the arena, which is really a huge round pen, and free lunged her to "knock the stink off". (Thank You Mugwump for that term - I love it!)

Millie did good, so we flapped the saddle blanket on her. She wasn't thrill about it, but she tolerated it, so after a few minutes, Barb set the saddle on her. She jumped a little when Barb pushed the cinch off and it flopped against Millie's leg, but again, she tolerated it. Then Barb cinched her up. She was patient and let Millie move around, getting used to it. I then climbed out of the arena and Barb took the halter off.

When Barb stepped out of range, Millie exploded into NFR mode, bucking and rearing. She almost ran Barb over as she was trying to get out of the arena. She bucked out two little circles, then started trotting around. After about 10 minutes, Millie was standing at the rail, looking for cookies.

So Baarb climbed back into the arena and free lunged her. After a few minutes, we went into the house and watched from the front window. It was pretty anti-climactic.

We waited about 20 minutes, then went out to "rescue" Millie. We stripped the saddle, let her sniff it, then put it back on and cinched it up again. Barb lunged her a little, then we let Millie carry the saddle back to the barn.

All in all, it was a good little lesson!

Thank you Barb! You are wonderful!
(And yes it IS "just cheese"!)

Busy Busy Busy

Today is my Friday off and though it's only 11:00 am, I've been dang buisy doing chores. I've mowed the lawn, vacuum the bedroom and bathroom, cleaned the bathroom and the toilet, stripped the bed and washed the sheets, washed the bathroom rugs and hung them outside to dry, and washed the sliding glass window.

WHEW! I'm exhausted!

I still have more laundry to do and I need to pick up poop.

There's a barrel race to the saddle club one street over that I can ride to in like 5 minutes. I might just ride Squirrel over and dink around in the arena. She's been on the pattern like 3 times EVER and isn't ready to enter, but she needs ridden. So I think I'll do that tonight.

My sweet little Barbie Doll is coming to visit me for the weekend. She'll be here Saturday around noon. (Or earlier) WOOT! I can't wait! We're gonna try to ride at least once. I'm also going to try to talk her into cinching up Millie. My daughter has a video option on her camera, so I want to get the first reaction!! She's had the saddle on her back, but that's it. No cinching. After all, she is only two. But it's time to start saddling and ponying.

I also got work that Nikki and Chad are getting close to making a trip through the area. They helped out this spring with feed and supplement for Thai. So I'll finally get to meet them!

YUCKY STUFF!!!!

This subject is two-fold...

First, we moved the furnature and vacuumed under it. The couch. The loveseat. The tables. EEEWW!! Gross!! I didn't know we were such pigs!

Second, I dewormed the horses. I used something different than I usually do, but it was apple flavored. I had to set each tube and put it in my sweatshirt pocket so they couldn't see what was coming. Once I'm ready, I pull the cap and poke it in their mouth so they can't fuss until WHAMO - it's already in.

Honey was first. Then Bullwinkle. He was on a feed through daily wormer and to my knowledge, has never had the pleasure. He only toss his head once, but that was because I missed his mouth and poke him in the lip. All in all, he took it pretty well.

Then on to Angel. She had her lips clamped shut, but I won in the end. Millie know what was coming. Of everyone, she was the the moving-est target.

Squirrel had no clue. I wonder if they deworm ranch horses. Then Jazzy was last. I had the tube in her mouth and the paste on her tongue before she realized what was happening. Her reaction though, was the funniest. She was actually wiping her mouth on the ground. Sort of defeats the purpose, but hey, it was funny.

I keep thinking my friend Barb O is coming for the weekend, but she's ignoring me, so maybe she got a better offer.

Nikki and Chad are going to drop in soon. They won't get to see Thai, but they will get to meet the rest of the gang.

By the way, Cathy said she rode Thai bareback with just a halter, and Thai was PERFECT! How cool is that??

WHAT was I thinking???

Mom: "What do you want for graduation?"

Kali: "I was us to get this really cool butterfly tattoo."

Mom: "OK"

You think I should start him....WHEN???

Tonight I went for a ride on Squirrel. She was fresh and jiggy and a frickin stinker. Pam went with me and I spent a little over an hour listening to Pam talk. (And she says I talk alot..hmmm...not when SHE'S around!)

Anyway, we came back and I walked and trotted Squirrel on the pattern a couple of times, then called it quits. I was tired, she was hungry, and I didn't feel like getting tossed. (Not that she would, but she COULD)

So as I'm stripping my tack, Pam walks around. Bullwinkle was out on pasture out by the arena, and until tonight, Pam didn't give any indication that she'd even seen him. She walks up and asked if Bullwinkle was mine. I said "Yes". Then she said that I should send him out to the same trainer that started her colt.

Bear in mind, her colt was gelding, 2 yrs old and wild as a March hare! They'd never had a halter on him. They'd never trimmed his feet. To get him in the trailer, they used panels and a cattle prod. After 90 days, he was gentled, loaded and unloaded, had shoes, bathed, clipped, tied. So needless to say, I AM very impressed with what this guy can do.

So she said you have to have a reservation a year in advance - which tells me a LOT about the guy! THEN, she said I needed to call NOW to get a reservation for next year. HUH??? I said, "He's only a yearling. I won't start him until the fall of his three year old year, at the earliest."

She said, "I don't know why you do that. Why do you start them so late?"

I said, "Have you seen him? He's huge for a yearling! He's going to be a MONSTER."

She said, "I know. What does that have to do with anything? You can start him at two."

I said, "No, I'm waiting. I want him to be sound when he's thirty."

She said, "You won't even own him when he's thirty."

I said, "Maybe not, but he'll still be sound."

Umm....no. I don't ride babies. A great big doofy 4 yr old is good enough, thank you very much.

Maybe I should call him "Flipper"

Little Mr. Bullwinkle. I should call him "Flipper"

In each of the stalls, I have a corner feeder. The corners are rounded so the horses can get every crumb.

Bullwinkle shoves his mouth into the grain and flips his head to the left, flipping feed out onto the mats. He eventually cleans it all up, but it's annoying.

Flipper...it suits him

My timing sucks!

Yesterday, we turned the horses out on pasture, washed all the vehicles, including the horse trailer, and picked up all the runs.

I always feel so much better then the runs are clean, even if it's just for a few hours. It was 85 degrees and we were sweaty and dirty and gross by the time we were done.

We showered and napped. Then last night around 7:30, I got a wild hair up, well, you know where, and pulled Jazzy out. I clipped her bridle path, saddled her up and took her for a spin in the arena.

Now for the timing sucks part...

This morning, it's 70 degrees and overcast. And we'll probably get rain. I should have saved the outside chores for today!

The neighbor has her "boys" cleaning her pasture, picking up poop and creating a pile behind my barn. We just moved the last of it out to the arena yesterday. RAWR! I will be so glad when she moves...a couple more months...

Empty Pastures...Or so it seems

When I got home last night from delivering Thai and Classy, Mike hadn't fed the horses. So I moved the horses around, putting each of them in their own stall and run, and fed them their hay. Squirrel is currently in the little one, but she has access to the new "stall" in the barn. Mike and I built a 12x10 stall in the back corner of the barn in May, so that whoever is back there had a place to get out of the heat/cold, and it provided for more air flow.

I have chores today picking up poop in runs, which has mostly got neglected. So I turned the horses out on pasture, instead of feeding them hay. Then I stood in the driveway watching them horses, listening to the thunder of their hooves, with a silly smile on my face. Even people driving past the place slowed to a crawl and watched. As I walked in the house, something hit me...there are horses missing...

Mike wasn't home when Kali and I got back...he came in about an hour later. The first question he asked was "How was the trip?" The second question was "How many horses did you bring back?" He was actually surprised when I said "None"

I got to see Heddy's filly, who was born in April 2008, before I started this blog. She is SOOOO cute! She is very sweet and friendly, coming right butt for scratches! Her mom, Josie, has named her Macy and she is absolutely lovely!

So now I've eaten my English Muffin and drank my coffee. It's time to get started on the chores that will no doubt leave me sweaty, dirty, and completely happy at finally having clean pens!

Hug your ponies and Cathy, give my Little ThaiGRrrr and big hug!

It's so hard to say "Good-bye"

Thai and Classy are leaving me this Friday. They are being returned to their "moms".

Kali and I will leave first thing Friday morning and make the four hour drive to the west side, drop off the girls, and then return the same day. (or night)

I have really enjoyed having them here, especially Thai. She is such a nice mare! She is the horse I wish ALL my horses could be. Sweet, affectionate, tolerant, patient, and kind. She even stops chewing if I go into her stall to doctor a boo-boo or check her over. How sweet is THAT??!!!

Nikki - if you already sent a check, I'll send it back when I get it. If you haven't sent it, don't. How is the new filly coming along? Filling out and growing?

drsgjunky - FINNALLY got our finish mower. GEEZ it makes a lot of noise! Did you set yours to the highest setting for the pasture?

General Updates - Bullwinkle is covered in poop! I picked up his pen so he'd maybe stay clean. He pooped, then laid in it for a nap. BABIES!!!

Angel is recovering nicely from being kicked. It's all scabbed over nicely and healing. I love T-Zone Cream!

Honey is locked off pasture. She is too fat!

Jazzy and Squirrel - they're fine. Nothing new to report.

Millie - Gosh but she's looking nice! She still "little" (as compared to the other horses) but WOW!!!

Beauty parlor day sometime this weekend, if the weather holds and my head doesn't explode.

All the chores that didn't get done are going to get done this weekend also. The immense poop pile will get moved to the arena and turned under. The waterers will get cleaned. Residual poop in the runs will get picked up. The mats in the barn will get swept. SO MUCH to do...

Hug your horses and be thankful for each day! It's a blessing!

A weekend of ... well, not much, actually.

I had to work Friday, but I managed to get the lawn mowed. But I got hot and dehydrated, so I ended up going to bed early, after feeding the horses, with a headache. A complete waste of the evening.

Saturday - Kali graduated from High School! First thing in the morning, I straightened her hair (cuz she's only eighteen and can't do it herself yet - ptf!), pressed her gown, got myself ready and headed to the Paper Factory to get the decorations. Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get things done! But hey, I work best under pressure, right?

Then I headed to my sister's house to decorate. Her house is lovely and better set up for "entertaining". When I was done, I came home. Kali was standing in the driveway in her shorts and bra, crying. Boomer and Larka had taken off and she needed to leave, and, and, and... I told her not to worry, I'd find them. The dogs were just down the street. Boomer hopped into the car eagerly, but Larka has never been in a car. So she didn't know about the "fun" of getting to "go". So I rolled down the window and called to her as she ran behind the car. Not to worry, we made it home fine.

Kali left as I pulled in, so I took the dogs in, changed my clothes, put the dogs in the kennel, and headed to the Toyota Center (our itty-bitty coliseum). We were supposed to get there early and save seats for 14 family members. I went down to where the students were staging, got Kali's keys, and made it back to the front in time to see my parents. We waited in line, and after a few minutes, Mike showed up. He'd gone "shopping" for Kali's present. (A VERY NICE "Coolpic" digital camera with touch screen!) After the ceremony, we went down to the floor to give the hugs with the rest of the 404 students' families... We left, but Kali's grandmother and biological father (aka - sperm donor - who has had NOTHING to do with either of the kids since 1996) had come and gave her a card and some money. Even "SD" gave her some cash. The fact that he had the balls to even show up surprised me.

We then went to Target on the way to my sister's. Mike had bought the gift, but nothing to wrap it in. Figures! Then I decided I needed to stop at Starbucks. Probably not the smartest thing for me to do. I got an Iced Vente quad, 3 pump Toffee Nut, 2 pump Vanilla, 3 pump mocha, with breve (half & half), no whip. It was sweet, and fattening, and had WAY too much coffee. My son ended up drinking about half of it while he "tasted" it, but still...

At 6 o'clock, I left the "party" to come home and feed. I was done celebrating and being anti-social around family, had had enough! My mothers cousin was there, which was nice for about 20 minutes, then she started talking about her husband's coloscopy. swell...time to bail! So I passed out "Thank You's" and left. By the time I was done feeding, I had a headache. And because of all the coffee, I couldn't sleep. I remember seeing 2:00 am on the clock next to the bed.

Kali came home from the Senior Party around 4:30 am, which of course woke the dogs, who then had to go out to potty. I still had a headache. I went back to bed and Mike got me up to feed the horses at 8:00 am. (I don't suppose he could have just done it for me...) I decided I'd just turn them out for the day, came back in to get some coffee, since I was already up. I made it to about 10:30 before I went in to take a "nap". Now, at 4:35, I feel like I just might survive. I managed to tape off another "pen" so that I can move some horses around. In another hour, the "rodeo" of moving horses around will begin...

I hope your weekend was better than mine. It would have been great, except for the headache!

The back is better...

My back is better and I'm almost 100%. This is a very good thing because I've got a lot of bending to do today.

1 - I need to clean the irrigation filter so I can water the pasture and my lawn. It's been clogging and there are dry places. This totally has something to do with the abandoned place behind us, which is down line from us. If they don't use water, we clog up. *sigh*

2 - I need to doctor Angel. The other night, Jazzy nailed her with both barrels, cutting up the inside of her back leg. It wasn't as bad as I originally thought, but it STILL makes me angry! Luckily, I have T-Zone Cream and T-Zone Wound Spray. This stuff works miracles, so if you don't have any, shoot an e-mail to
michelle@katiescoasttocoast.com and get some. Michelle is great to work with and one of my favorite people in the whole world!! She is the one who first recommended it to me and I thank her every time I've had to use it! I'll get Before and After photos, so you can see "proof". It'll be a while for the "after".

3 - I need to doctor Thai. Miss Witch Classy (who is only witchy to Thai) caught her with a hoof and knocked the skin off the front of her front ankle. It's ugly, but Thai is sound on the leg, and there's no swelling or infection. Thanks again to T-Zone Cream!

It's hot here...only 70 over night and in the 90s right now. There are threats of thunderstorms throughout the evening. It could be worse. It could be snowing.

My daughter graduates from highschool on Saturday. I can't believe she made it this far without Mike killing her. But then...there's still a day and a half...