Welcome, Cleo!

 11.11.20

Firstly:

Here's to a BIG Thank you to all of the veterans!!!  Thank you for fighting, working, and doing all you can to keep this country Safe.

After I lost my Sadie, I had pretty much decided 'no more dogs' right now. My heart ached too much and just felt awful. A few weeks passed and still, I didn't want another dog in my life. I'd looked at some rescues but nothing tempted me. I didn't want any more giant bulldogs at all. 

 One day I was catching up with some friends on social media and saw a message from a gal I know. She loves horses and would just move into the tack room if possible. Her mom had had some terrible things happen in her life and needed to find a home for her animals. What my friend had in mind was home for a certain dog if I was ready to love another one yet.  I told her 'no, I didn't think so'. 

 

About a week later, she put a post on her page about the dog... She was a Border Collie and was completely house trained and more.

She hadn't posted any photos yet, so I wrote and asked to see some.  The dog was so cute and I was hooked.

The gal told me that if I wanted, they could bring the dog over for me to meet, and I said yes.

It took about a week before we got a good time for us all to meet.

Cleo and her 'mom' and my friend arrived right on time that Saturday.

Oh my gosh, what a sweet dog! She knew how to retrieve, and do all kinds of fun things. She didn't pay much attention to me, which was normal as I held no importance in her life. She was friendly but truly loved her 'mom' and it showed.

I decided Cleo might be a good fit in my life and on this farm. We got things sorted out and that my friend was going to bring back all of Cleo's things. Cleo's mom cried at letting her go but knew it had to happen. I got teary-eyed also- I knew how it felt to do that very thing. To say Goodbye...

They drove off and Cleo broke my heart by sitting at the door, waiting for her mom to come back to get her. It was so sad... Finally she came into my office and stayed there with me. We went out for a walk and when we had returned to the house, my friend had returned with all of Cleo's things. How very kind to send her bones, and toys, along with her dog bed. She even sent some dog food to hold us until I could buy some. Wonderful instructions for Cleo, and information about her vaccinations, when they were due, and who her groomer was. I felt confident that we'd be alright after all.

That night, Cleo slept on the bed and was so quiet I hardly knew she was there. Ever since we have become very close. I love her totally by now and wonder what life was when she wasn't in it. She's incredibly intelligent and quick to learn anything. I have to be careful that she learns only good things. Cleo has been being a great watchdog for a few weeks now, barking her shrill bark, warning anyone who is outside that they'd better beware! 

 There happens to be a Border Collie on watch!

She comes to the barn with me when I go, when I leave to get errands done, if she can come along, she loves it. 
So we both are looking forward to many years of fun and laughter.

Below is Cleo with her most favorite toy- her "Loggie''

every night, we MUST take it with us to bed, or life isn't good.

She's watching my hand holding the tennis ball- set to take off to catch it.

Cleo waiting at the gate for me

Bringing her tennis ball to me

What a great friend she is!

Suzi from Pennsylvania con't.

 Suzi was setting in really well when I discovered she wasn't all sweetness and smiles.  One of the riding students went out to get her one afternoon and came back in saying that pony had tried to bite her!

"She WHAT??"

Yes- there was most likely the reason that pony had ended up at an auction sale. She bit people. She worked her way from students to the husband and thank gosh, it was winter.  Everyone had on big thick coats and there were no injuries. 

She really hadn't even a proper name yet and here she was biting people Not a good way to make pals, I'd say. 

One day the younger students and I had a meeting.  We had to come up with a name for " That Pony" and figure out how to go about her biting us. She'd not bitten me yet, but she had to be choosing a good time. Turns out she never did try to bite me- perhaps I'd been the one person who'd been kind to her?  She wasn't talkin...

We discussed what a good name was, and how to get her to not want to bite us every chance she got. One little boy said he kind of liked " joe" for a name until he learned That Pony was a girl... There were many names floating about for a while and all of a sudden someone blurted out " SUSIE!"  That was it- but we had to make it an 'official name'.  I can't remember how many times I've been asked " what is that horses' FULL name, Miss Kris??"  I didn't quite know what to say so I just added my last name on the tail end of theirs.  That worked fine... ''Susie". 

Hmmmm.......I asked what if we made her name a very special spelling?  How about "Suzi" ??  Short and sweet (that brought a lot of laughter) like she is.  That seemed to please everyone under the age of 12, so "That Pony" became Suzi. 

I had made an appointment with my equine dentist for early Spring of that year. As he was filing her teeth he asked me how old she was. I told him I'd been TOLD she was a 12 year old and he began laughing. I learned that day my pony was closer to being 25 years old! Alllllllllllllllright then!

That little gal knew how to drive, and she learned to be ridden easily. Many is the time I'd watch a student riding her only to watch her veer off to one side, and that student coming off. Suzi would trot back to the gate, I swear laughing the whole way. 

Suzi became a favorite of so many kids.  They all agreed that somewhere in her life, someone had been very mean to her. That was why she needed to show people she could hurt them. We learned about a big word "compassion" and understanding a pony who didn't speak English like we did. There were some who just wanted to groom her and 'make her beautiful'.   I bought her a brand new halter that was all hers, and she did grow more beautiful as she aged.

 Suzi also got so she accepted attention and yes, love, from we humans.

She surprised me constantly.  From driving all over the place, on the roads around the farm to being in a play. A local theatre group was going to present "The Wizard of Oz" and she got to be "the horse of a different color". Thanks to the guy handing the lights- she really DID change colors. Suzi's part in the play was to deliver Dorothy to the land of Oz towards the end. That pony was so wonderful- she learned to trot up steep concrete stairs and wait for me at the top. She stood quietly off stage, waiting for the singing to begin and she knew it was time for Suzi to go into the bright lights! And she stood there as the audience clapped and cheered. I'd hear a gasp of little people and comments like " OH A PONY!!!"  or "Mommy- look !"

I think Suzi realized it was her time to shine. She did, no doubt about it.

When I moved up here to Pennsylvania , I used her for a few riding lessons and she learned to canter and to not dodge the small jumps she was aimed towards. She was dressed up numerous times for Halloween and handled looking like a Princess or ballet dancer more than once.

When Suzi was around 48 yrs old (A guess on my behalf from what the dentist said long before) she needed to get her feed made into a gruel and she looked great. I remember one day, my old Appaloosa mare, Alli, and my younger one, Scarlet, and Suzi all romping about the barn area. They were so funny. Alli was blind in her right eye, so she kept swinging her head to see the others. Scarlet galloped and bucked - having a wonderful time. Suzi even tossed a few old lady bucks. I got some photos of them that day and cherish them because all three are gone now.

One cold day in December, Suzi developed a colic and even though the vet was out twice, we could get her past being so sick. When a pony or horse is so terribly ancient, one doesn't risk trying many things to get her feeling better. After trying a few different ideas, we decided to not try any longer. That Suzi had lived a long, contented life with me and to let her go in peace and love. She went to the Summerlands quietly and the other horses realized "our Suzi" had gone from us.

Alli- her best friend was very quiet for a few days and wanted to be close to me often. She grieved her little friends' death and was okay with it all eventually. 

My little pony who wasn't what I'd wanted turned out to be Just what I'd wanted after all.  She was friends with my Percheron mare, Lynn, when no one would be friends with her. She conquered her many fears, and taught us all so many things about old ponies who'd been abused.

 That, yes, they can learn that not all people will hurt them, and old ponies can learn to trust again. 

                                                          Suzi has an itch!

Scarlet during their big romp below.

Suzi was having a wonderful time too

"Our Suzi letting me know she just didn't wanna be a queen...

Suzi...

🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

Good Bye Sadie...

11.10.2020

This one has been taking me a long time to write because for a while, it was just to raw.

On August 28th, I had to make the decision to have my wonderful American Bulldog, Sadie, put to sleep. 

She'd been showing some signs of getting "old"- so I purchased her some Cosequin for dogs in hopes that would help her 11 year old joints.  It just didn't do much- but then again, I know that with some animals, herbal mixes/ holistic meds don't always work.

Then she began having troubles with breathing which just got worse. I made an appointment with the vet and had a time slot for a week later. ( apparently, the gal making appointments didn't see an older dog having trouble breathing wasn't considered much of an emergency) 

She was babied along and watched oh so closely during that week. The day of her appointment was the day she wasn't hungry.

She n' I arrived at the correct time and still had to wait to see the vet. It turned out to be an old friend of mine who'd taken our appointment. Sadie had been panting the whole time- and it wasn't "just stress".

We went into the room, and he checked her out, then drew some blood and came back and told me he wanted to ex-ray her chest. That there might be something going on with her heart. I consented and they took her to get it done.

The vet came out and asked me to come in as I needed to see something. There on my sweet Sadie's pix were her lungs.  Normally they are clear but Sadie's were black.  ( oh dear- here come the tears again)

I sensed that was a very bad thing to be seeing but I hadn't seen many pix of dog lungs. I looked at the vet and he nodded yes.  Cancer.

So I decided to let her go - that she didn't need to suffer more just so I could have one more day with her. I didn't feel a need to call my husband as she was my dog... I'd call him and let him know afterwards.

She got a shot to let her drift off to being present but out of it...  and then they lifted her up on the stainless steel table. That last drug was given to her and she left me very quietly. My sweet girl was more than ready to move on. There's nothing anyone can say at that point to help an owner feel easier or better. Doc just hugged me and told me that she was at peace. He had said a wonderful prayer for her as she was moving on, and I wanted to just scream out " WHY!?!?!?!?!?!  WHY, God?" 

When I was in the car, holding her collar and leash, I called home and delivered the bad news.

She was gone, and that was that. Not much was said at home but for telling him what had come to pass, and that was it.

I was lost- after losing SO many animals on this farm, Sadie was a blow. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to her yet, but I had to. No way will I ever allow an animal to suffer for my greediness for another day, or couple of days. She was ready, and couldn't let me know how sick she had gotten.  Talk about feeling guilty over not seeing her feeling so awful. Sadie was always so stoic and kind. Like Petey, she did her best to keep me smiling and loving her.

'Sadie- I did love you and am so horribly sad that I didn't notice when you tried to tell me you'd gotten so sick. I'll miss you for a very long time, and always remember how silly you were and how kind you were to all animals.' 

She was such a smart girl- and learned easily. Even things I didn't want her to learn

"WoodFinn's Rhapsody in White"

8/28/2020

Suzi from Pennsylvania.

  Quite a few years ago, a friend and mine went to what is now considered a 'kill auction' in Pennsylvania. I wanted another lesson pony and thought maybe, just maybe there'd be one for sale there on that day.  

Off we went, the day was a wonderfully sunny day but cold as it was December. We arrived a little late and a couple of large ponies I thought would do had already been sold. It was fine as I wasn't really thinking I would find The pony there. Back then, an auction was fun to attend. One didn't have to be concerned very much with the kill buyers being there and generally, the horses all had a reason why they were there but nothing like today's sales.

We looked around a little and climbed up in the bleacher seats to watch the horses get sold. The sale was winding down that day and I figured it was not going to happen. I wasn't going to find a perfect lesson pony that needed a little re-training and better care. We sat there, chatting with the people around us, and listening to the auctioneer do his thing. He called for 'any more horses left" ????  " Last Chance, folks!"

Nothing happened but in a minute, an Amish boy came into the ring leading a medium-sized " white" pony. Oh, she was fuzzy as can be and looked a little terrified.  All of the noise, the people so high up, and did I mention that noise?  I had learned to ignore it all but not a  little white pony who'd not ever been to a sale before.

She was cute and of course, my friend poked me in the side saying " Look!!  That's a cute pony!"  I didn't really want to bid for her as no one rode her, not the right size and I had driven my fancy pants car. Left the truck/trailer at home. All of a sudden she raised her arm up and waved at the auctioneer.  " Here!! "

He took her bid and I looked at her like she was crazy. Long story short, we bought that little dirty white 'wrong sized' pony for just a little bit of money. Now how to get her home to Maryland? Not being prepared at all for a pony mare that so far as I knew, wasn't trained at all.

I called my husband back then, telling him that if possible, take some time off from his job, and bring the rig to the sale. I told him I had purchased a Percheron, and needed a ride home. We had a good 2 hrs to hang around, waiting for him to arrive. We walked over to where "the pony" was tied.  It was a mare which was nice. She was small- we guessed between 12-13 hands tall and the Amish guy told us that he'd bought her out of Ohio where she was pulling kids around in a little cart all day.  Ok- so Maybe she knew how to drive? He told me he thought she was "around 12".  I knew better as I'd been to a few auctions in my time. "Around 12" meant she could be any age from 10- 30 yrs old. The pony didn't want me to see how old she was and I didn't argue with her. 

Finally, the husband showed up, bless his heart. She jumped right into the giant stock trailer and stood quietly. I thought that was a good thing also. Off they went,  my friend and I followed behind.  Got home safely, put her in a stall down at the end of the barn in case she came brewing an upper respiratory infection as many horses develop when at sales. Luckily she didn't get sick at all, in fact she settled in really easily. I got a chance to look her over better the next day and liked how she was built. Nothing outstanding but sound and basically healthy. Maybe I didn't do so badly after all.  She got turned out in a small area - away from the other horses again.

And that began my friendship with "Summer Storm"... AKA - Suzi. Stay tuned for more of her tales!

 

A wedding at the barn

 I have no idea if I posted about this or not, but a few years ago I was reading on a Facebook page for local things going on. There was a plea from a gal who was getting married but had lost the venue they'd chosen. Just a series of confusion that led to bad things happening... and there they were.  With nowhere to have their wedding.

Figuring I could do a really nice thing and ask if they'd like to be married on the farm. In writing to her, I explained that it had lovely grounds with a paved parking lot and a drive to the farm. A perfect place for a wedding, IF she thought it would suit. Oh, she was thrilled and within a few days, the couple had come over to see if it would work for them. It was to be a casual, relaxed country wedding- and yes, it would be perfect! 

The day before the wedding, all of the decorations were delivered and they chose to use the barn for their reception- the food would all be set up there, along with drinks, etc.  If it happened to rain, it could easily work fine inside my huge barn. The horses were a little amazed at it all and watched with interest. Percherons never mind when odd things going on at their 'house' - not in the least. Even the saddle horses were watching it all.

The day dawned a gorgeous sunny morning - not a cloud in sight. What a wonderful day for a country wedding!

Folks began arriving, the bride had got there a little early as she was going to change into her gown in the tack room. I brought my camera up as there didn't seem to be anyone with more than a phone.  At least a few really nice shots would be great for them.

It went off without a hitch. They got married, and everything was fine. I got a few fun photos for them and left them all to enjoy the afternoon. What a wonderful day for me and the newlyweds. Sometimes things come along where one can change a disaster into a great celebration. That day, I was able to.

Horse Tales

   After Buck had gone from my life, there was another wonderful horse to come along. He was a beautiful yellow color with a white mane & tail. His name was "Rocky" and he belonged to another long-time friend of my mom's. 

When it was time to begin first grade, there were so many of us at that age, that the Elementary School chose to have half-day school. My time to go to school was in the morning. It was still a long walk down that lane, past where Buck had lived, down the long hill to the bus stop. I was a little older and did much better than when I was 4 or so.

One day, I was walking home after a long 4 hours at school and saw some hoofprints on the gravel road. HOOFPRINTS?   That meant a horse had been there for sure. I followed along as they took me further up the lane and turned into my house. 

Oh wow! A horse had been at my house. Who was this horse? What did it look like? Who owned it and ridden it to My House??  Who did this while I was at school??? I was so excited.

I ran as fast as I could up the hill to our house, dashed inside, and asked my mom "WHO rode the Horse here???"

''It was my friend, Martha, Kristine , you remember meeting her once?''

I hadn't a clue that my mom's friend actually owned a HORSE!!  I had to think about this so I got changed into 'play clothes' ( those are the clothes that are too worn out to use for anything else.) and dashed outside to see just where the Horse had been. It had been tied to the giant oak tree and I could see where it had nipped off some of the leaves. I squatted down and put my hand open wide inside his hoof print. That was some kind of Big hoof print to me. I followed those tracks where that horse had walked going back home. Once they got into the woods, I couldn't see the hoof prints any longer.  Turning around and sad at having missed a chance to see a horse, I walked home. 

One Saturday morning I had been outside playing with some of the neighbors and I stopped.

 "Listen!" I whispered.

Everyone stopped still while I listened. In the distance, I heard that flinty sound of steel hitting stone... a Horse was coming. To heck with playing - there was a horse on its way up the lane. I ran down a path that led to a place down the lane and looked to see if the horse was in sight. No, not yet, but I could hear it coming closer.

All of a sudden, around the corner, came the most beautiful animal my little eyes had ever seen. He was the color of a sunset over the river, tall with a long white mane and tail as white as snow. Oh myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy- he took my breath away as I watched him come up the hill to our house. Sitting down on a big rock, it was all I could do not to cry. 

The lady rode her horse up to our yard and stopped him. Well, don't you know I was already there to meet her. That horse was as big as a giant building and just shimmering in gold... Words failed me as I stood there staring.

" I can tell you are a horse person too, aren't you?"  the lady asked as she dismounted. She slipped a 'head thing' ( I learned soon that it was called a halter) on her horse and tied him to that same oak tree. She asked me who I was and I finally found words to speak. 

"I'm Kristine and I live here- who are you?"

She smiled and told me her name was Martha, that my mom and she had been friends since high school.

We walked to the house together, me chattering on about her beautiful horse and she told me his name.  " Rocky".

Long ago, Martha had owned some racing horses, one time, she and a horse were injured. The doctors told her she'd not be able to ride again, but she was tough and proved them wrong. No more racing horses but a nice, easy-going fellow named Rocky. She told me that her horse was very kind but if I wasn't careful he would step on my toes. I had to stay a safe distance away if that was alright with me. 

While my mom and Martha visited, I was outside with Rocky. Oh, his feet were huge and when he stomped one to shoo a fly away, it was as though the ground shook. Rocky also had a  white ystripe down his nose similar to Buck. He had those same big brown eyes letting me know how gentle he was.  He snorted which made me jump- I had no idea horses blew their noses! Then I laughed at him when he saw me jump. He said that all horses could do that - could I?  Nooooooooo- I didn't think people could make that noise with their noses. We both chuckled together over that.

I got to see Rocky a few times after that but the one visit I remember the most was the day I actually got to Sit On Him. I was so high up, it was a little frightening but I didn't let anyone know. At least I don't think I did. His saddle was small and his back was so very wide, that I thought if he moved, I'd not ever slip off. Martha was happy to learn that her friend's daughter was horse crazy like she was. I remember her grinning towards my mom and saying

"Liisa, you'd better start saving for a horse now, because this little girl will need one in her life".

Little did Martha know how true that was and that was a dream of mine... and you know what?
That dream I had way back then came true.

This is a photo of Rocky that was given to me by "my friend" Martha. I later learned that he was an American Quarter horse and also registered as a Palomino.

Here is a photo I have from 1959..it is well-loved and used to be in a frame but I've no idea what happened to it. 

Horse Tales

 8.20.2020

I keep saying that I 'need to do this" and never quite get around to it. The time has arrived. The weather is going to get miserably hot/ humid again as summer wanders off and Fall arrives, so it is a good time to write, Right? 

This will be a series of horses I have known in the past. Some from the distant past, but each one has its own story. I have written about some back in the dim recesses of this blog, but these tales will be a little different.  Hahaha- at least I  HOPE  so.

The very first horse I remember was named Buck. I don't know just why he was called that but he was. He was very tall and "brown" back when I was 4-5 yrs old. He belonged to my neighbor and she loved horses as I was learning to. My neighbor was my mom's best friend. They'd grown up together and that friendship lasted for many, many, many years. Of course, I thought Buck was the most wonderful creature I had ever seen in my life. He had a white stripe down his face and big soft eyes and was absolutely gorgeous. In reality, Buck was a very old off-the-track Thoroughbred.. he had been injured several times before he was finally retired and my neighbor ended up owning him. It didn't matter to me that his ankles were all puffy and his back was a little swayed. He was the only "real" horse I had ever seen, so I didn't have much to compare him to. 

 At that time, Buck lived at the very first house on our lane. The pasture was nicer there and he then was taken back to the last house on the lane to live during the winter months, belonging to his owner. I guess Buck had two homes and he seemed to be content grazing his days away. I knew that Buck was living in the pasture at the first house on the lane and was forever asking someone to walk down that long lane with me so I could see Buck. Everyone was busy with school and my two little brothers were not even born yet. That left me with my older sister or older brother. The one long walk to see Buck, I remember clearly. My oldest brother had said yes, he would walk with me to see Buck. Oh, How exciting that would be!

We walked and walked and then walked some more. My little 5-year-old legs were getting tired out but I'd never once admitted it. You see, I had been told numerous times that it was too far for a little girl and that I'd not be able to walk that far. 

Back then, we lived on a long lane with 4 houses on it. It was around a mile from one end to the other and through some dark wooded areas. The road was gravel and occasionally had deep holes in it from bad weather.  Along one side on my right, was what we called "Mr. Lockharts road". It was just an old logging trail that turned into a path leading up to a magical house of stone. It was very small, just two rooms. An outside bathroom was good enough as it had no plumbing, nor electricity. Mr. Lockhart had lived in it for a very long time- longer than I had been alive! He was a scary person and we had heard that he'd gotten drunk one time and killed his brother with an ax.  Needless to say, no way was I going there. Once they got born and old enough, my brothers did. They said Mr. Lockhart gave them ice-cold sodas from a spring close to the house. Imagine that! An ice-cold spring in the ground made sodas ice-cold. Hard to believe for a little girl.

As we walked along, I dropped my favorite toy horse. He was "Silver" and had belonged to the Lone Ranger. I didn't care for the Lone Ranger but boy, I loved that horse on the TV show. To remember where I'd gotten Silver is beyond me at this point, but I had taken him along so Buck could meet him.  After all, they were both horses, right?

I stooped to pick him and my brother yelled at me to keep up. Silver got grabbed by his tail and we both galloped to catch up with him. My brother just shook his head in dismay at having such a crazy little sister.

Finally, after walking for what seemed like miles, we arrived. Walking down the long driveway and past the long-abandoned chicken houses. There were two of these on either side of a small field. The field in the middle had been an orchard at one time and there were apples still growing on a few of the trees. My brother asked me if I wanted one and one for Buck? Of course, I did.  You can imagine having two big apples and one toy horse got difficult to hang on to, but I made it to the gate where Buck lived.

My brother helped me climb up on the wooden gate as I called for the most beautiful horse in my whole world. 

"Buccccckkkkkk!!!!  BUCKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!" I dropped one of those apples as I called as loudly as I could. My brother reached through the boards to pick it up, happily, for me. 

It wasn't long before I could hear the sounds of his hooves hitting the hard ground. He sounded like he was going So fast!  In all reality, he was merely trotting along the pasture fence, down the chicken houses, around the corner to where he knew a little blond girl who loved him would be. 

He was so BIG!!!  I had to look up at the sky to see his face. A beautiful white stripe running down to his nostrils and under his chin... Big gentle eyes that looked at me with such kindness, and I knew I wanted to own a horse just like him one day. He asked about Silver and I told him that Silver was my toy horse. Not a live one like he was. Then Buck noticed we both smelled like something tasty. The apples, of course.

He lowered his massive head over that gate and looked at my brother and at his apple. As Buck was enjoying his apple, he began to make a lot of spit. Ewwww...my brother laughed and explained how to give a horse an apple. Ummm, I didn't see a reason to hold my hand out with that apple sitting on it. He put his hand under mine and steered it towards that large mouth with teeth in it. I can imagine I was leaning back as far as I could when Buck took my apple, in fear of losing my whole arm. 

He didn't! I still had my hand, my arm and he had the apple in his mouth. He had taken it so gently I hardly noticed it leaving my hand. I stood there watching him chew it up and of course, creating more slobber that went all over me, and pretty much everywhere. There's a lot to be said about being a little girl standing close to a horse enjoying his apples...

After that, I gave him a soft pat on his big face and a kiss on his slobbery mouth as I told him "bye', As we walked back up that long lane, I asked my brother if he loved horses and he said no he didn't like them at all. Too messy and stinky. He preferred boats to horses. Something I didn't understand but decided it was alright. I didn't know everything- yet.

I don't know what happened to Buck. I guess he died one day and was buried, but I am not sure just how it all went. Both my mom and her best friend are gone now, but I still wonder...  
The photo below is not Buck, but it is almost as I remember him. There's a photo of him somewhere in my pictures and maybe one day I'll come across it. He was my first love and I'll not forget him.

Horse Shows and HEAT

8/1/2020

Firstly I am not sure if I like this "new" set up that blogger has created, but I'll give it a chance. :) 

I stopped seriously competing in shows when I was in my late 40s - early 50s, but still showed my Percherons after moving up here from Maryland.  When we first found this farm, I really wanted to slow down and be able to enjoy my personal horses. Oh nooooo- What does a horsewoman do but attempt to fill every- single- stall? (there were 12)  And I was there. < chuckles>  It wasn't long until the carriage business had begun with a few weddings booked and a couple of horses to teach to drive. 

So it goes...

When I lived in Maryland, I taught horses and humans to get along better. This included riding lessons, horsemanship lessons, and more. Shows- Oh the Shows! We would hit the county fairs, some shows in Pennsylvania, and down into Virginia. That was early on in my show career and then there were the students who also wanted to compete. There were times when I'd have kids in my barn still braiding manes or tails at midnight before show day. The rules were that those who were showing must do all of their own preparation. (Within reason that is.) When one is too short to reach a pony's back to be sure it is clean, mom or dad could help, but not with gathering all show clothing together, making sure boots were polished and helmets looked like new. I've had kids show up just as I started the truck engine, running as fast as their little legs could go, dragging show clothing bags behind them. (''whew- you JUST made it in time, didn't you?!?!") A nod to mom and off we'd go. Those who wanted to show with us had to clean/ polish their tack also. Right down to making sure the halters their horse/ pony wore in the trailer were fresh and clean. Leg wraps had to all but sparkle in being clean... any blanket or sheet had to look as close to new as possible, and yep, even curb chains, if there were any, had to sparkle.

My gosh, did those kids work hard to be 'good enough to be able to show with "our barn". Sure, I seemed like a slave driver back then, but it was all done with laughter and fun.  There were 8-year-olds who would have competition in whose curb-chain was the cleanest one season.  It was fun to see how high their standards got after a while. Those who hung in there and worked hard to be winners in a show ring told me much later after they had grown up... and yes, would bring their children to learn from me.... that even though the work was so hard, they carried those high standards with them all thru their lives.  To me? A huge compliment...

Horses and ponies had to be spit-polished before the show day... which meant a lot of currying a month before. In order to acquire that 'mirror finish', those kids had to begin far in advance. We didn't need all the spray on stuff that promises a shiny coat or a silken tail/mane. It happened naturally and judges would let those kids know they understood the long grooming sessions that had been done. I loved hearing how happy those kids were even when they didn't place in the ribbons.

 " Did you hear what the judge told ME about my pony????"    

 Ear-to-ear grins made it a perfect day for us all.

 The rules- oh my gosh, the RULES. Each kid had to find his/her own number and be sure they had a way to have it on their backs, saddles had to be dust-free, bits had to shine- and be free of "yucky stuff" as it was called. Boots had to be buffed right before one entered the ring and a quick rub rag over those glistening equine coats. Hoof dressing wasn't used much back then but we knew a way to make those hooves shine without it.  If one had gone to get a soda or snack, and were late, they heard about it... and had to double time getting their horse ready. There was one time someone was late and everyone chipped in helping them get ready for their class. It is how we 'rolled'. No one was better than anyone else, and we were a team. A well-oiled team that worked perfectly back then and it was incredible fun.

If someone did a great job and won a blue ribbon, everyone cheered for that win and hugs all around. If someone had a bad class, everyone said positive things and yes, hugs too.  

To me, it was very important that "my" group learned good sportsmanship and how to behave if they lost or didn't do as well as they thought they should have. After a class, one had to take care of their own horse/pony properly (after changing from their show clothes). Hosing the sweat off, scraping, and if needed, hand walking until their best friend was cool and safe to be put in their stall.  They all learned how to tell if their pony felt "off" when being ridden and if maybe it was not feeling 100%. Those kids sometimes amazed me at what they notice.

Was it a lot of extra work for me? It sure as heck was... did I have my hand out to parents, expecting to be paid for every single minute I spent with their children? I did not.  My pay was seeing dirt-covered, smelly kids having one of the best days that they'd had in a long time. Happy, smiley faces and happy equines. I know the kids slept just about the whole way home but for a few who were still on that ' show high' and didn't stop talking till we were almost home. No matter how tired everyone was, we still took care of those who had helped make the day great.  

Now, all that is over and done with, but I still have so many wonderful memories of all those years. The tears and the cheers- they stay with me and will never be forgotten.

Things I Have Learned This Week

4/27/2020

Not really- I knew these from before. Ummmmmmmmm, maybe the one about a flushing toilet, but I know it Now!

News Flash :

I have 6 teeny little chicks- YAY!!!  Just thought to myself- if the husband doesn't like them, tough. Turned out he was glad I'd gotten some more!  I have missed having chickens around- as those who come to read this blog often already know. Chickens are good company at a barn when I'm the only one there. Along with my sweet little barn kitty, a chicken or two would usually come walking the pastures with me. Yes- a chicken and a cat.  <grins here> Simone` is like a small, odd-looking dog, and the chickens?  They look like chickens.

So- I have peeps again and love every single one of them. There are two light Brahmas, two dark Brahmas, and two Blue Laced Wyandottes. (think that's their correct name.)  Right now, the light Brahmas are white with lovely little feathers on their legs, and as their wing feathers grow in, I can see how beautiful they'll be. The dark Brahmas are a color I have never had before... I can't wait to see how they look. From the photos, I think I'll be happy. Of course, whatever their color is, they'll still be loved.
Below are a few photos I took today:
                                              Today was their first day out of a container.

These two were really brave and walking about. One of the

Light Brahmas will be named 'Emmie' after a hen I owned

long ago. The little grey/ smokey one is 

one of the Blue Laced Wyandottes

This is the other Blue Laced Wyandotte.

She now has a name:  "Sally"

There we go- all fresh n' clean with yummy chick food,

clean water whenever they want some.

The two tan/ dark brown are the two

Dark Brahmas. 

They will both need a good name- any ideas???

I just noticed I chose "Christmas Colors" for their holders.

                                                                        Oh wow...

*********************************************

Alright, so onto the 'Things I Learned.'

The toilet thing happened the first night they had been here. Of course- living in my garden tub as it is cold out for babies so young. Like some folks, I woke up having to use the bathroom, so being half awake, I wandered into it, and when I walked in, I whispered to the little chickens that I was there. Then came the FLUSH.  

Oh MY Gawd!!!  Peeps bouncing off the sides of their house, one fell in the water dish, and one hid behind its feeder.  Terror reigned supreme! Luckily the toilet is one of those that flushes very fast and it was over before anyone with fuzz could faint from the fright.

Since then, I flush the toilet even when it isn't needed and they're getting used to the scary sound it makes. The things one learns... ;) 

*****************************************************

This afternoon was the second thing I was forced to remember. 

(didn't really have to re-learn it but it is a good reminder by now)

It was dinner time for my pony, Briana.  I was walking up the hill lane to the barn.  I called her as I was - she lifted her head to see me. As usual, Simone`, my barn kitty walked over to greet me, so she got a rub on the head. By that time, Briana was walking her way up to the gate. I got there first and she dug in to hit a gallop in a few strides. Up the hill, sliding to a screeching halt in front of me.

I haltered her and we began our way to the barn and her dinner.  As we were walking, I wondered how she'd do being allowed to go to her stall by herself. After all, a couple of summers ago, I could do that and she'd do it perfectly.

Hmmmmm.........

I told her that when I slipped her halter off- she had to remember where her stall was and to head there. Off came the halter, and off she cantered. Well, she missed the front of the stall, down the aisle and ended up tearing about like some idiot. Simone (remember her?) was fascinated at a speedy black pony with the Zoomies. She ran around the corner of the barn just as Briana was coming to the same place. Both spooked sideways- cat to the left, pony to the right. 

Briana didn't slow down much and Simone gained warp speed into the equipment building. 

And around she went again- and then 'Oh heck- let's keep going as this is FUN.'

Three times around both barns and she was 'high blowing', little tail up in the air, head up as high as she could have it. My pony was a sight to behold. 

By now I was losing patience with it all. It's one thing to enjoy watching a pony

ripping around like one possessed, and then it's another to have to watch it for what was beginning to seem like much longer than a few minutes. 

I kept pointing to the barn, trying to have her realize that is where her dinner is, but heck, nope. She had discovered that delicious Spring grass. All of a sudden, I wasn't important, her dinner wasn't important and by then Simone` hadn't returned. Nothing but grrrrraaaaasssssss to eat; life was good for Briana

Finally, she realized that maybe, just maybe, I wanted her to head into the barn. She did, at a canter. All the way down the aisle, checking out the stalls, the tractor, and her cart. Snorting and blowing at everything she had seen forever. Whenever an equine is excited over anything, her human needs to be almost as calm as pond water on a warm summer day. I  did just that and she did too. Big sigh and she followed me into her stall without any problem.

Lesson learned.... in fact, TWO of them this week. 

One thing for sure, I'm never too old to learn or be reminded of things!

Oh, meet Spring! She is my friend's beautiful new Percheron Filly.

I love her and haven't even met her yet.
If this stupid COVID19 virus ever calms down, I want to meet her.  Looks like Spring will be black like her mama is.

Gotta do better!

4/18/2020

Holy moly- It has been a LONG time since I last posted here. Happily for me, the winter was gentle on this farm. Very little snow, not a ton of mud, and some sunshine. All appreciated by me as my back no longer allows much heavy work like snow shoveling my way to the barn. Yeah- and it really IS all uphill!   < laughing>  Since my big ol' Ford tractor was sold in that " auction"😡 , I no longer had any way to move snow other than ME.  So I was pleased to have an easy winter.

Spring arrived here as usual and it's so green and pretty this time of the year. Daffodils up and blooming, the little purple wild Violets, and of course, the ever-popular Dandelions.  The big crap apple tree alongside the barn is almost in bloom while the white Dogwoods aren't quite ready yet.
I hope everyone had a peaceful Easter weekend. Ours was so quiet, thanks to this virus that has taken over the world. ( just a reminder:   wash those hands for at least 20 seconds and stay far away from others as much as possible as you are cared about)

Other than staying here on the farm, life for us hasn't really changed that much concerning the COVID19 mess. Farm folks usually lead a life that doesn't take them out in public a whole lot - so it's not been so bad. I sure do miss being able to go out to dinner though!  Sheeeesh.. a nicely cooked meal made by someone other than us sure would be nice.

Briana, my American Draft Pony, is fine as is my barn kitty, Simone`. They have become close friends by now. I have become a herd mate with Briana and Simone` sees me as a hand that will rub her head and a voice that tells her she is lovely. Briana wants to romp and play with me as another horse, but I put an end to taking being a horse pal that far. Hahahaaa- I can't pin my ears back real well.

Bri has been shedding like crazy and is so anxious to go out in the mornings, I'm thinking it might be wiser to groom her in the evenings. She's lost some of the summer/ fall chubbies she gained over last year and is looking right spiffy now. Well- other than being mud-covered daily and hair flying all over the place.  Onto me, the grass, the mud, and other delightful places; my eyes, mouth, and clothing. Ugh.  On the other hand, I sure am glad to not have to deal with the Percherons shedding. Whew- that was awful but so satisfying to see that a short summer coat show up.

I did have a week of trouble with my Sadie... she's my dog. She began being "off"- and a little while later, it was time to go see a veterinarian. He didn't see anything wrong but for MAYBE a urinary tract infection. Sadie n' I returned home with antibiotics for a week. Still afterward, she wasn't right. Back to a different vet's office as I'd lost faith in the first group. This vet diagnosed her as having a majorly infected uterus!  A little more than a mild UTI. So, my girl stayed there overnight and had a complete spay. The vet told me that her uterus was so infected that it weighed THREE pounds!!  Sadie came home a little out of it, but slowly and surely she got better. Now? She's back to being Sadie again and I am so thankful that her problems were fixed.  I am much poorer now, but it was money well spent for her happiness and good health.

Below is Briana from this past January- we had a little snow but not enough to be a problem. She has been getting boring ol' grass hay and even though she prefers the high-powered alfalfa mix, grass hay is better for her.

I saw these little cat tracks and snapped a photo of them 

May Simone have made them?

Briana in all her 'fatness', mud, and is very pleased with herself.

                                    

See the heart left for me?

Oh so pretty Springtime

Even the Forsythia was gorgeous

Until next time!  I promise to not be so long in between posts, too. :) 

Whoa! Two in a row!

1.5.2020

A friend of mine has met a new mare and asked me for some ideas about teaching her to drive. Being hitched to a cart and taking her person for a ride in the cart or wagon.  I asked about her personality and learned she's very "barn sour". This means she isn't confident in who she is, to leave her herd. Horses are prey animals and move in herds for protection. Even when they're in a pasture, you will see them all grazing in the same general areas. You'll have those rebels that wander off to graze somewhere different- and those are the confident horses.

So, this mare is scared to leave her pals- even when in a ring, I suppose. My friend was driving home and I didn't ask her much. Generally, these barn sour horses won't be confident enough to be a good driving horse unless they are hitched with a friend of theirs. Not many folks know how to drive one horse, let alone two. I do, however. I've taught many spooky horses to drive using a more steady horse for their teammate.

What a person should do when working with a horse like this mare is to come up with things to present to her so she can learn. Items like flapping a towel around them, eventually working up to acting like some kind of banshee. Yeah- it's funny but it does work. I used to say that if your horse thinks you are a nut case- it's good. Then nothing you come up with will be alarming to them.

Tossing buckets about, kicking cans about, working up to banging on garbage cans- empty, of course... and more.

Have fun with it, make learning fun! If the said horse doesn't accept these things and can't get used to their person acting crazy, then my guess would be it won't be a safe driving horse. That horse is out front, all alone... it better be brave as can be!

Welcome 2020

1.5.2020

It has been muddy here, thanks to rain and the ground defrosting a little. Rain is great, but oh my gosh- 5 days of gloomy, cloudy weather?  Come on, January... A little sun would feel wonderful.

There's no a lot happening here due to not having but one goofy pony on the farm. She makes me laugh almost daily. Simone is the last barn kitty here also. She has been trotting down the lane in the evenings to meet me. During the nights, she lives in the tack room. It's so nice to have a cat that doesn't spray on those wooden walls!

The ''town'' house type of place is still being looked for. I will not like living in a housing development at all. < sigh>  That discussion is not over yet though.

My "Snowy's New Shoes" story is almost ready to head to a publisher. Now, I get to learn all about THAT.  Whew, so many rules and re-writes. I'll get it done though. My friend is doing the illustrations for it and her first one is Wonderful!
IF this ever really happens, I'll be sure to let you know.

Seems the husband is cooking dinner tonight- YAY.  It's almost done so I'll sign off here.

Hope your January is going well.