Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas 2012


'And so this is Christmas'.... (John Lennon)


Here at WoodFinn, our Christmas was a quiet one- peaceful. Nothing big going on, nothing bad happening at the moment.  This holiday used to be one of my most favorites, but decades of non-'christmasy' people in my life has created a person who isn't really into decorations and crowds. When I was young, we always had a great big celebration- with tons of gifts for all, a wonderful day spent with family and friends- and then the topper of it all ? A very filling Christmas dinner. Usually a crowd of people ,good foods, and great gifts. Midnight mass at church on Christmas Eve, all led off by decorating our Christmas tree that evening. Now, I see trees up , some before Thanksgiving !  Shopping seems to have totally taken over the Real reason for our celebrating Christmas by now. It makes me feel sad to see so many commercials that are telling us to 'buy, buy, BUY !!'   Me ? I prefer an old timey celebration.

Real Christmas trees, cut from one's farm or forests.... Homemade gifts - and sure, some "store-bought" ones too. Strings of real pine outside and also inside the house, making the whole house smell delightful. I can remember a Christmas back when I was a kid- and it happened to my neighbors. Sure enough, the whole lot of them hiked out to the woods to find a perfect pine tree to be Their Christmas tree.  Finally deciding upon a great looking tall tree, it was cut down, ( and that place marked for a new tree to be planted in the Spring) and then ever so carefully, carried on the sled to their house. It was put into the stand, balanced 'just so' for straightness, and decorated that Christmas Eve. It truly Was a lovely sight ! There's nothing like a fresh cut tree to make one's house smell of "Christmas". The holiday came, gifts were unwrapped, and dinner eaten. Sounds perfect, right ? It would have been, but for the preying mantis's nests hatching . The kids came down to have their breakfast a couple of days later, only to find their living room literally crawling with baby preying mantis' !!   Thousands of them, it seemed. We kids thought it pretty cool to help pick them all up carefully and put them in a big box to wait for Springtime to arrive. Oddly enough, all the parents saw little to no humor in it.......

On the news front, we got some difficult news a couple of weeks ago. Glenn has been having trouble breathing for the past year or so. I kept telling him to make a Dr's appointment, but you know those hard headed Scotsmen.... Add some German heritage, and one has a helluva stubborn person to deal with. He didn't listen to me, and kept on going 99 miles per hour- at work, home and all other places. Slowly but surely, it got worse. He'd have nosebleeds ( he's Always had those but now it was more frequent) and it got so he couldn't walk up to our barn without stopping to catch his breath. Eventually, he got winded simply walking in the house. Then finally he couldn't breathe when bending over, and that was it at long last. I made an appointment w/ our G.P. - who sent Glenn to get a chest ex-ray and blood work done.
It turns out, after all of these plus some more, he now has a Cardiologist, and is still needing a few more tests ( heart catheterization, and a pulmonary test) and subsequently open heart surgery. A " valve job' is needed..... Glenn's aortic valve isn't working properly and due to his NOT thinking this lack of breath might be his heart, it's in very bad condition now. He will get a new aortic valve in the next few weeks, and then be into recovery. We are needing all the healing prayers folks can send, and to please keep us in your hearts this coming year......

We all hope your Christmas, Boxing Day, Yule, and Kwanzaa celebrations are wonderful !

Merry Christmas All 
And may you all have 
a
 Happy New Year







Sunday, December 2, 2012

Why Thank a Horse ???

12.2.12

 A friend of mine shared this with me this morning.... It led me to ponder all of the wonderful things horses do and Can do for we humans...IF we allow it.


My horses have done all of the above and then some. My first pony taught me patience and perseverance as he bucked me off, laughing over his shoulder as he galloped back home. He taught me to ponder how in the world to get across to his equine brain that this was NOT funny (well perhaps to him ) - not to the humans he dumped.

I have learned so many lessons from the horses in my life. Patience, compassion, passion, to learn a brand new language ( horse) and how to teach my horses 'english'. I have learned to read their body languages so clearly that I understand when they don't understand, are frightened, and are simply saying " nope, we are Not doing that  today".

They have allowed me into Their lives- to understand them so much better the language of the horse, than so many other humans.... 
And for that ? 

I thank them all.

From the horrid first pony all the way to the terrified team penning horse, to the rouge mare who threatened to bite my face off, should I enter her stall, all the way to my wonderful draft horses.
Proving the fact once again- that IF we allow ourselves as humans, to open up our minds wide enough, the horses will allow Us into theirs.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving Day !

11.23.12

Today is a great holiday - It's a day of giving thanks for all of the wonderful things and people in our lives. Blessings have been bestowed here at WoodFinn Farm in the form of healthy, happy animals, goofy chickens who come a'running when called, and we humans. This land has told me so many tales of it's past, and it will have more tales to tell over yet more time. I'm blessed in being able to live on it ,even though for a short while.

Today, there were parades to be watched on television, pies to bake and soon, our turkey. Just a breast because we both love 'white' meat so why buy a whole turkey ? Soon, sports will start- the inevitable football games for Thanksgiving day...

So, I wish you ALL a wonderful holiday, full of love, happiness and peace. Blessed are we who have it.


Monday, November 12, 2012

Is it more kind ?

Lately,I have been thinking about draft horses and hitch shows, draft horse training and more for a while now. I used to show hitch horses- Percherons. I checked my mares heads up high, had my farrier add big shoes, and to get them to have the widest hooves possible. But I didn't beat my girls- we played the 'game' that we needed to play back in the mid 1990's to win....  Once I saw the horrors that having those over sized hooves, and all the things that went into creating 'the look'- I stopped and never showed a hitch horse again. Instead I moved into pleasure shows. No big feet, no huge action, no over-checks, just a very pleasurable way for a horse to travel and be driven.

 Last week drew attention to all of this in a big way for me.
Now a days I don't venture into the world of 'hitch horses' (these are the drafters who are shown in the beautiful black harnesses , patent leather collars, Huge feet, and are stunning for the public to witness)  The Big Four: Clydesdales, Percherons, Shires, Belgians.  Then, the Suffolks... The Suffolk horses are NOT shod or become hitch horses- this wonderful breed is usually shown as a working horse or a 'farm class' type.

I met some wonderful ponies that had been trained by 'hitch' folks.... Being seriously interested in owning these ponies, I took a day to go visit them. They were very, very nice ponies- large sized and a great size to handle when driving.  Well built, great conformation,color- they had it all. But. When I walked up to one of them, she was all but terrified to let me touch her. I didn't force the issue because she was tied to a big post and on a short heavy chain.  She sent me vibes that if I did indeed give her the soft rub on her neck I had started to do, that she would fight to get away from me. I let it go, thinking that is wasn't worth scaring her even more than she was. After witnessing that, I noticed that these two were scared of their own shadows when driving. Of course, they were very much beginners in the world of driving but would they ever get past this fear and lack of confidence ?  They certainly would have IF they had become mine. They would have begun a new life with me, learning to trust people- ALL people. Then gently re-trained to harness - giving them a chance to mature into wonderfully sweet, happy ponies.

The world of show draft horses is a painful,abusive one for the horses themselves...It is a multi -million dollar business for the "big boys"- those draft horse farms that make their living from breeding, raising and training the different breeds.  From birth, the horses are taught to hold their necks up very high. "Heads up" is what it's called and it is taught by a chain under their fragile little jaws. They are taught to trot alongside their handlers as fast as they can travel-with a 'trailer' running along behind them with a buggy whip to Never break into a canter no matter how much they want to. IF they do or are not moving fast enough, they get smacked with a "show stick'' or have their jawbones jerked by that chain lead. IN addition to all of that- before they have hardly been weaned- they are shod. Little baby sized, squared toed shoes to increase their 'action'.... so they lift their legs higher, supposedly looking more beautiful for the judges. They are shorn of their fuzzy baby coats, their ears are shaved clean, and because of their feet, hardly ever able to go act like a normal weanling. No- these show babies stand in stalls until show season is over. Afterwards, if it is cold outside, they may be left to their own devices to get busy growing a winter coat or keeping warm..... If it's summer, they have flys biting them, and those docked, stubby foal tails are not of much use in swatting them. They learn pain, confusion , and yes, fear. Not many humans want a 900 pound foal leaping on their feet, so the babies are hit if they come to close while being shown at halter. And they learn.... They learn fast, due to being incredibly intelligent, kind and wanting to please their handlers... Occasionally a foal will learn to try to get away or avoid being hit or abused, and that foal might also be gotten rid of quickly.

Their yearling year is more 'training'. They are trained that they may as well succumb to being forced to have things done to them. Sometimes these young draft horses are made to stand tied to a strong beam, or tree, or in cross-ties for Hours.... It teaches them 'patience', I have been told. Eventually they are harnessed, and 'taught' to work....  Sometimes this is done a lot by hitching the youngster along side a mature horse, forced to move out and keep up. The youngster has to figure out how to keep up, when to turn, and to stop - all being shown by the adult hitch horse. If they don't figure it out quickly, they will be stepped on, knocked into, mouths jerked on and possibly hit with the ever popular whip. These babies learn- and they do it Fast. At the same time they are learning to move out and go as fast as they possibly can- they are confused, responding to pain, and the fear of never knowing when they will feel the bite of a whip.

As two year olds- these babies hit the show rings in harness. Perhaps as a cart horse, or in a big hitch. The theory is to get them out in the show ring as soon as possible and to have them 'earn their keep'. Bigger shoes- scotch bottoms this time- hooves stretched out so wide they will crack from the bottom up, due to being so weakened. Big flares to the outside on their hind feet causing their hind legs to be so close together that their hocks will touch. Pads, weights and more to once again bring out that giant 'action' wanted in the show ring. These babies also are checked up so high that their neck muscles cramp,and they really cannot see where they are going. But- they had better keep up, or else. They step on their own feet or legs, and don't have good control of just Where those hooves will be flying next, they can't really see anything but what one might see with their faces pointed to the sky, and if they Don't move out as fast as possible, they will be jerked forward by the team in front of them or run over by the horses behind them. If this doesn't work, then shock collars have been sewn into breeching and used to "light up a horse" who isn't moving fast enough.  And so it goes.....

This becomes the norm for a big fancy hitch horse. They have sore backs, sore hind ends, and aching shoulders and necks constantly. They are hit with 'cocktails' that include over doses of caffeine, "speed", or what ever will create that "look" needed so badly to attract a judges attention. They don't get out of stalls because " they may damage their feet or throw a shoe"... not until after show season is over for the year. With some big shows beginning in January, that becomes a very short time of being able to be "normal" for a hitch horse.

I have heard that the usefulness of a show hitch horse is maybe until they are 7-8 years with some being less than that. Then they are either bred, or sold, or given away to those humans just getting into the world of show drafters.  These "older" horses sometimes have roached backs due to being forced to hold their necks up constantly, have vertebra damage, hooves that will fall apart if not shod, and they know fear of humans.....  In general, they've been used up.

It takes a long time for a horse who has been thorough that to learn to trust again. Will they ? Yes, they will. These wonderful, marvelous one ton horses are so kind and gentle that they will give all they have in order to please their human.  Even if it means being doped with drugs, and pain killers so they can continue being shown..... even if their life means pain and fear. The fact that more people are not seriously injured when handling or training these great horses is testament to their dispositions.

So- is winning a blue ribbon or a red ribbon, a bit of money,some prestige and status in the world of showing Really Worth torturing ones' horse  ?

Is it not more kind to train these grand horses with kindness, and understanding ?

Would intelligent training possibly NOT turn out the 'fire breathing dragons' needed to win ?

Why Should that kind of horse win in the first place ?

Where is the honest working draft horse of a century ago?

 Is it more intelligent of we humans to figure that if a 8" wide hoof is good, then a 10" wide shod hoof ,Better ? Why not simply BREED a horse with a wide heel, and allow that to remain healthy ?

A hitch horse of today has less "bone" than it did 25 years ago- they are HUGE ( yes, size Does count here) and are being bred to have that inner fire that is needed to really pour it on in the show ring.
                                      
                                     More Kind,or good ?
      and how proud are those humans
 who do this to their horses ??













Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Happy Halloween & FrankenStorm

10.30.12


 Wow, has it been exciting in central Pennsylvania lately ! 
Firstly, we had our annual Halloween Party & Parade this past Saturday afternoon. Friends came to present their costumed horses & themselves to our judge, who just Happened to be Glenn, my husband.  We had three horses in our parade and some non-horse costumed competitors too.












As you can see, our normally wide open barn aisle was jammed with horses in crossties,and kids as well as adults getting ready for the parade in the ring. 

Soon it was time to leave the barn, but in the meantime, I snapped a few outside photos of those who were in the parade but not leading a horse.


 These folks came to join us, and watch our parade...



 Below is AJ - Sumo wrestler. 
To the right, is Steve, his daughter and AJ posing....
 

It was time to begin the Halloween parade ! Off the contestants went- to the ring:

Jaide & Holly- 
A Wicked Witch & her "Broom"

Shanna & Bailey - 
(who was scared of the loud bells behind her, 
and didn't like her 'Cheshire Cat' teeth !)

Alice in Wonderland & her Cheshire Cat


 Joan & Sunny-
A Gypsy & her Horse


They were ALL well behaved, once Bailey realized that the bells were not going to 'get' her....

Our Judge had arrived, I had the awards n' ribbons, and the judging began !








Wow, it was a tough parade to judge !
 The costumes were ALL wonderful.

     Sunny was trying to butter up our judge by mooching his coffee...




 Holly, the broom :

 Bat on her butt....

and some pretty snazzy stockings


 
After we were done with the parade, we all turned the un-costumed horses back out to their pastures, and we humans all sat down to enjoy a light snack.  What a fun Saturday- and the rains held off to keep it dry.
*****************************************************

The day after- Sunday- we were busily battening down the proverbial hatches in preparation for the "Super Storm" , Sandy, to arrive . I removed all items that the wind would possibly blow away, and made sure the tarps over the sawdust were secure. We were ready- buckets of water filled in case we lost power, containers filled in the house as well for us & the house animals.... The rain arrived Sunday evening and as I type this , it is STILL raining. We were Very fortunate in that while we did have some mighty big winds, and a good 4" of rain over Sunday to Monday evening, nothing was damaged. The whole farm was soaked.

I snapped some pix of it all in between the raindrops. 

This is Buffalo Creek Bridge...this morning.


 Leaves were being blown off the trees as it rained sideways

These hemlocks have withstood more than Hurricane Sandy !

 Slowly but surely, the leaves were falling...

 My Poor Ring !




Our little creek overflowed it's banks 



 It's a good 4 feet deep here- normally it is only inches deep....
Today, we're almost back to normal....  soggy but normal.
Peace once again at WoodFinn.
*******************************************














Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Sadie & Kris take a walk...

October 2012

One late morning, Sadie & myself took a walk down our road. I had thought to take the camera with me, for a change. The weather was just perfect. Sunny, cool, and crisp.... Sadie loves taking walks but doesn't understand why "mom" wants to stop so often. I enjoy looking down into the gorge that holds " our creek"- but don't get TOOOOO close because we don't need an American Bulldog sliding down the steep drop into the creek.

There are ohhhhhhhh, 3 mated pairs of Wood-ducks living in our creek this year,and each time there is a chance of "sneaking" up on them, I never have my camera. THIS time- it was with us!

These Wood Ducks are sooooooooooooooooo shy- I usually don't get to even get the camera aimed and end up snapping shots of , well, water. Now water is interesting but it's NOT what I was wanting to have a photo of that particular time.

You can read all about them here:
http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/research/bios/woodduck/index.php


So, down the road we walked... ever so quietly. Sadie wanted to walk in the leaves on the side, but when asked, she stayed on the paved roadway. And even more quietly when we came to the place where I knew the Wood Ducks swam and stayed....  shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

The camera was tuned in for FAST shutter speeds, and I had adjusted it so it would Hopefully be able to catch these beautiful ducks before they flew up stream or down. Mostly- just AWAY.

We snuck up to the place - well I did, Sadie was busy sniffing and really didn't care much for what her human was attempting....  tippie-toe, and creeping along so not to spook the little ducks.

I got to the right spot and had my camera Ready.... But alas, they heard us and took off in flight before I could snap any photos of them in the water ! This is all I got - you can Barely see the two in flight.

< sigh>   I shall attempt this again one day soon. Perhaps from the other direction ?

Here are some more photos I took on our relaxing walk:

looking upstream:

The maples were Just beginning to change colors



Silver waters...


I so enjoy looking at the rocks and shale the creek runs over..



                         Pretty shallow this time of the year.


What a neat little cubby hole for someone to live in this winter:


Dead wood:


 And then , downstream



The creek gets very narrow here:


Layers upon layers of centuries are here :

Little "bald" tree:

It was breezy and the maple leaves were shouting " Rain is coming"


More shale layers:


Sometimes our creek is a raging river, but now,
 it's just lazily moving along.:


 A Different perspective :

And home again !