A Family Trait?

I've mentioned many times how Abby licks my hand frequently, almost like a dog. Don't believe me? Here are some pictures:

Here she licks Lisa's hand after a treat.

 See her tongue hanging out?

 Now Abby's licking Trinity's hand.

See it again?

So I am wondering...

 Is it a family trait??

Horsey Tree

I decorated the upstairs landing this year, a first for us. And one of the things I put up there was a revived tradition - the horse tree.

 Absolutely nothing about these ornaments suggests Christmas or the Savior. Still, I love them and wanted to put them out to enjoy.

I dug Flurry, the stuffed snowman Curt won from our dentist when he was about four years old, out of his place in the closet and put him out with a second, smaller snowman as decoration.

Next year I may put a second Christmas tree up on the landing. Either that, or get the 12+ foot tree Curt has suggested for a couple of years now.

Love Me, Love My Horse

Craig loves me. No doubt about it. But today, Christmas morning, he showed me that he loved my horse, too.

New barn coat, new barn gloves, a crop to replace the one Hokey bit and broke, and Dobbin's Delights treats for Abby.

Bless the Beasts...

An old song by The Carpenters has a line that says, "Bless the beasts and the children..." and goes on to sing about their innocence and how we should care for them.

My sister-in-love Cindie sure has the concept down pat. Today when I got home from the barn and running errands, I found an enormous basket on my porch. I looked closely at the tag to see who it was for and broke into a huge smaile.

 "To: Abby, Diablo, Dolly, Hokey, and Trouble"

Wow! What a treasure trove for the herd. Carrots, pears, sugar cubes, green leafy vegetables, apples, and more, nestled in a blue western bandana lining a big basket.

I can't wait to take it to the barn tomorrow. Thanks, Cindie!!

An Old Christmas Eve Tradition

When I was a kid and had Amy and my other horses, Leslie and I would go for a Christmas Eve Day ride. We'd put red and green bows in the horses' manes, hop on, and head off, often getting smiles and comments from the homes we rode past.

Abby cannot be ridden, at least not yet, and Leslie is busy up at her farm with her own horses. So, Lisa came out with me today to revive the old tradition and put a new twist on it.

 "I know my nickname is Sassy, but I HAVE been good since you adopted me. Do you think Santa will bring me something?"

(Rumor has it that he might give you some peppermint candy. He knows you like it, Abby.)

Trouble pesters Lisa while she gives Dolly, who is quickly becoming her favorite, a head scritch.

Horsey Joke

Lisa posted a conversation we had last night on her blog. We were discussing Abby's habit of licking hands (and occasionally the ground) and I was joking that we needed to get her to stop. (Actually, I don't mind horsey licks. They're even better than doggie ones!)

Mom's Horse Humor

Mom and I were talking about her horse just now, and she came up with a joke instantaneously.  Our conversation went like this:

Mom: She just needed to put her big girl panties on and stop licking the ground.

Me: You just wanted to say the word 'panties'.

Mom: You know what they call them for horses?

Me: No.

Mom: Nickers.

Hahahaha!  Mom just came up with that on her own, and since I am on my computer, it is being immortalized on my blog.  Nice!

Don't believe me about the licking? Watch this:

In the Barn!

Abby had her first snowstorm in her rescue home Thursday night. We had rain, high winds (50 + mph), and then everything froze and we got about an inch of snow. Since she has not been very high in the herd hierarchy, I have been wondering if the other horses would let her into the barn when the weather got bad.

But, when Lisa and I went out yesterday afternoon and whistled for her, Abby's head popped out of the west stall of the old barn. (You can see that white blaze from far away, even in the dark!) She, Diablo and Dolly were together, while Hokey and Trouble were in the east stall.

I felt some relief; while horses are outdoor animals and she spends all her time outside and is acclimated, still I wanted her to have some sort of break from the weather. Worst case scenario, if the others didn't let her in, she has access to three sides of the barn for a windbreak, plus there is shelter among the trees and some bushes. It is nice to know that she can get inside if need be.

Sadly, when she came to see me and broke into a trot, I noticed her limp was back. I wonder if the cold weather or hard ground aggravates it?

Winter Dark

Indiana is in the very western edge of the Eastern Time Zone. That is great in the summer because, when coupled with Daylight Savings Time, it means we have light here until almost 10:00 PM! You can get lots of things done outdoors in those long summer evenings, including barn time. (It was not unusual for me to make a carrot run at 9:00 PM last summer.)

But now we have switched back to Standard Time, and it is too dark to see horses by 5:30 PM. Hershey is eleven miles away, and I usually don't leave there before 4:45 or 5:00. Recently I have been working longer than usual hours, including an eleven hour day Tuesday. I haven't been able to get to the barn since last Saturday.

I miss my pony.

The Car of a Horsewoman

When I was a stay-at-home mom, my car was full of the usual mommy-type paraphernalia - car seats, diaper bags, toys, cookie and cracker crumbs, books, and lots of other "where did this come from?" things.

Those kids grew up a long time ago, and for about ten years now, my car has been nice and clean inside, with maybe my teaching bag, a coat, and my purse inside.

Not anymore.

Not since April 27 when I brought Abby home. Now, my car looks like this:

A five pound bag of carrots is stored between the two front seats. Also tucked away in there is a box of sugar cubes.

 My daily ziploc bag of apple cores from lunch. The teachers and office staff at Hershey have begun saving their apple cores for me, and I never know how many I will find in my mailbox after lunch! (Today, one teacher walked into my room and stood at my desk finishing her apple so I could have it!)

 My purse (orange, naturally) and my crop with which I use to ward off Trouble when he becomes overbearing.

The back seat has items as well.

My paddock boots, my barn shoes, and the string girth from my western saddle which needs replacing.

A far cry from the diaper bag days, that's for sure!

More Generations of Horse Lovers

I love that my little mare is so sweet on the ground with my grandchildren.

 JC and Abby, Thanksgiving, 2012.

Trinity and Abby, Thanksgiving, 2012.

(Emily and Jenny in the background.)

Lisa and Hokey, Thanksgiving, 2012.

(Look closely and you can see his tongue is out a bit!)

Barn Visit

Trinity is absolutely in love with the horses. I've been taking her out daily, but she's asked to go out twice a day! A girl after my own heart. This afternoon, Craig, Todd and Lisa joined us. (Lisa is every bit as big a horse lover as Trinity!)

 Abby munches a carrot that Craig gave her. 

 Todd gives her some love. (He hasn't yet given her the carrot he has in his hand.)

Craig really likes Hokey. Why?

Because Hokey laughs at all his jokes!

Hokey can joke around, too. He nibbled on my crop while I was holding it, and before I could pull it away...

SNAP!!

Foggy Day Off

A two hour delay due to fog turned into a whole day off, so what did I do? Hop into the car with Lisa, JC, and Trinity and head out to the barn!

 They hear me whistle and come charging up to visit.

 Dolly has been pretty shy since she came back from Williamsport, but this morning she was willing to be petted.

JC finds a favorite scratching spot on Abby.

 Dolly approaches Trinity for some loving, too.

 "Neener, neener, Mom! I'm hanging with Lisa because she is the one with the bag of carrots!"

(Look at her tongue sticking out!)

JC enjoyed being the gatekeeper for us.

Trinity is her grandmother's granddaughter - she's been asking all afternoon if we could go back out and see the horses again today!

Beating the Sun

With the change back to standard time from daylight savings time, I am having a tough time getting out to see Abby and the herd after school. It's dark here by 6:00, so if I have any meetings, grading, or errands to run, chances are good I will not make it to the barn before the light fades away.

Tonight I was able to leave school by 4:00 so I was at the barn around 4:30. The herd came right up to greet me.

 All were hoping for a treat, but I only give Abby nibbles now.  (Trouble is SUCH a pain; I don't want to encourage him to come up because then he chases everyone else away, including Abby.)

 She went through an apple, two carrots, and five or six mini carrots tonight. 

(Yes, she's spoiled, but she deserves it!)

 Hokey is such a big sweetie - if he were a dog, he'd be a black Lab!

Look at his furry ears - this boy is ready for cold weather!

 Abby and Dolly have really struck up a friendship. When she came back from her summer in Williamsport, Dolly had lost her status as one of the herd leaders. I don't know why she has not asserted herself and moved up in rank, but she continues to appear happy hanging with Abby and letting Diablo, Trouble, and Hokey lead. I sure hope she is in foal!

It's a little hard to tell, but there are horses everywhere you look in this photo. Two on the neighboring farm, and then Diablo, Mason, Hokey, Abby, and Dolly.  (And many more in the other three adjoining properties!)

Fall is fading into winter, and beating the sun will get harder before it gets easier, but for tonight, I am happy to have been able to visit my pony.

Diablo Update

Yesterday when I checked on the horses, Diablo was walking much more freely. And, she proved that, while she may be gimpy, she's still herd alpha - I watched her firmly put Trouble and Hokey in their places.

Tim texted me in the evening about her, saying he'd actually seen her break into a trot later in the day. He seemed just as surprised as I was at her quick turn around.

Go figure - I truly thought she was going to have to be euthanized.

Yay, Diablo!

Tender Hearted Co-Workers

I work with some tender hearted people at Hershey. Wednesday I had jury duty, and when I returned to school Thursday, look what was on my desk!

Tricia Beeler and Linda Faust saved their apple and pear cores for Abby!

Chompchompchomp!

Diablo in Pain

It was difficult to watch Diablo this evening. She's having another one of her episodes with pain and could barely walk. I have never seen her so bad.

 I watched her move slowly down the lane, pausing for long periods of time, holding a hoof up, then shifting her weight and lifting another to take the pressure off it.

 This pain comes and goes with Diablo. We don't know what triggers it. At least she is up; once early this summer she went down. Tim's instructions to me were to get her up if I could and to then call him.

I called him tonight to let him know how bad off she was. He's worried about the coming winter and how that is going to affect her. Bute is only a temporary fix and doesn't cure the underlying problem. It may be time to do the caring thing and euthanize her.

Sweet Diablo. I have gown very fond of her, but I don't wish her this terrible pain.

She's Back!

Recognize this sweet face hanging out with my pretty girl?

 Dolly's back from her trip to Williamsport and a visit with a stallion friend.

We are hoping for a foal in July.

Abby Texts Again

Remember when Abby had Pam text me about getting more carrots during my visit?

Well, that sassy girl (er, Abby, not Pam) is at it again. She texted my friend, Tricia, a teacher I work with at Hershey this afternoon.

"Dear Tricia, Thank you for the yummy apple core!! You are my new best friend. Love, Abby"

(Tricia was eating an apple at lunch and let me take the core home to my pony.)

Frosted Sugarplum

Abby is growing her winter coat in preparation for the cold days that are coming. Like Amy's did, Abby's coat pattern changes as she sheds and grows new hair.

 Look at that white patch behind her left eye and on her jowl!

 Her neck is more white than red.

 Her body is so frosted, it's hard to see her Appaloosa spots.

 Even her nose looks softer and velvety with the white hairs that are growing in - no cold nose for this girl! (This was an accidental picture - I was snapping her picture and she began nosing for carrots!)

 More white is above her eye and splashed down her face.

Abby's frosted winter coat makes me think of sugarplums.

I guess it's that time of year!

The Herd Comes Up

With Diablo in the lead, Trouble, next, and Mason bringing up the rear, the herd comes up for a visit.

They're in the northwest pasture right now, so I have to walk out to them if I want to say hello. But they saved me some walking by heading up when they saw me arrive.

 Trouble basks in the fading October sun in small paddock by the old barn.

After a visit with me, the herd then heads back out to graze. Except for Hokey.

He has to investigate a broken board in the paddock fence and see if there is any choice grass left on the other side.

Such a lovely fall day, and lucky me to get to spend part of it with the horses!

Paddock Boots!

I may have bought them way back in May, but it wasn't until today that I put my paddock boots on and actually used them when I did my daily carrot run.

I haven't worn a pair of riding boots in probably 25 years - not since I got pregnant with Cole and decided that I just could not give Indy the time he needed while being the mom I wanted to be to my six children. So, I sold Indy and put my boots away. 

 For good, I thought.

But I was wrong; horses did come back into my life nearly a quarter of a century later when Abby stole my heart, and now, I have riding boots!

Next on the docket? Actually swinging back up into the saddle and going for a ride.