Wait a Minute...

Since it has been years (okay, DECADES) since I owned a horse, my barn attire is sadly lacking. I'm no fashionista, but I do want comfortable clothes to work in, and boots to protect my feet from dancing hooves.

Dover Saddlery, a well-respected retail company for horsepeople, had a clearance sale after I got Abby, and so I ordered myself some paddock boots. They arrived two weeks ago, but with school and all, I only just opened them tonight.

 I was really excited to open the box. Although I did not go for top quality boots, I did get a high quality pair.

Aren't they purdy? Love the leather color and the design across the bridge of the boot.

 Hmmm.... the color is a bit off - one boot is darker than the other.

 And the birdseye tooling is different, too. So are the zipper pulls.

Oh, my goodness! They sent me two left boots! From two different brands of bootmakers!

Yep, flipping them around to the back confirmed it - look at those labels. (Oooo!! Ariat! That's top quality! But not the boot I ordered.)

Honestly, I got a good giggle out of the mistake. And when I called Dover, they laughed, too, and are sending me a new pair of the SAME kind, with one right and one left boot, plus they are paying for the two left boots to be returned as well.

Guess I'll have to wait a while to clomp around the barn in my new paddock boots!

Summertime! And the Livin's Ea-asy!

Since I've been in Iowa for the long weekend, I had not done a carrot run since Saturday morning. Needless to say, I was anxious to check on my pony and her pals when I finished my very last day at Hershey before summer break. So, before going home, I headed out to the barn.

To my surprise, Yukon, Mason, and Diablo had been put into the small pasture by the lane leading up to the barn. It has belly-deep grass that's been waving in the breeze invitingly for some time. I'd wondered what plans Tim had for it. Now I know. It's the perfect place for the three quietest, gentlest members of the herd.

The picture doesn't do the horses justice - their coats are sooooo shiny and healthy. They gleam in the sunlight. And Yukon has really filled out, although he could stand to gain a few more pounds.

As I stood watching the three buddies out there, tails swishing, munching on long-stemmed grass on a warm summer afternoon, all I could think of was....

Bring on summer!

Hanging with the Herd

Particularly Hoakie. Here he is, coming over for a visit. (I really like Hoakie.)

 I wrote in an earlier post how much I enjoy hanging with the horses every day, and how they come so close, they put their heads right up to my face.

Well, hello!

 Eye to eye. 

 Now he reaches his nose to my face and breathes gently in my hair and  on my cheek.

(I think Hoakie looks like an elephant in this picture!)

Yes, they get this close! Hoakie is still breathing in my scent and lightly touching me with his nose. It can take some getting used to because their heads are very big. But once you do, it is relaxing and like chatting with an old friend. And their noses are sooooo soft.

I love to hang out with the herd. But there is a small price to pay:

Dirty hands!

Today's Carrot Run

It was 88 degrees today when I made my afternoon carrot run. Abby, Mason, and Yukon were standing head to tail in the shade by the old barn, tails swishing at the flies.

 As soon as I called her name and whistled, Abby's head popped up and she immediately began walking toward the gate. Mason was so excited to see me (er, rather the CARROT) that he broke into a trot and beat her to me! Yukon followed shyly behind them both. I went into the pasture and gave all three carrots when Hoakie decided to come up. He's higher than they are in the herd hierarchy, so the other three gave way. I gave Hoakie a carrot and exited the pasture.

Abby and Yukon went to the trough to get a drink while Mason headed back to the shade of the barn

I think Abby's pretty smart. Sure enough, she kept an eye on where I was and followed me to another gate. Looks hopeful, doesn't she? Look at those ears all pricked up!

 She pleaded with me by popping her head over the gate and stretching her nose over to me.

 Not the most flattering picture; hope springs eternal!

Still trying to wheedle one last carrot, Abby pokes her head through the gate. 

And then Hoakie got wind that SOME herd members were still getting fed, and he came up again. Abby and Yukon moved away to go graze. I did not give Hoakie any more carrots, so he got himself a long draw of water.

 Abby definitely knows me (as does the whole herd) and it warms my heart to have her recognize me and come when she's called. As I told Craig this evening, it is so nice to be a horse owner again!

Dad, I Understand

A new daily habit is my "carrot run" to the barn. Almost always I go on my way home from school, although on weekends I may go out in the morning or even late evening. I rarely miss a day to check on Abby and her pasture pals, and sometimes I go out twice!

I call her name and whistle the same way my Dad used to whistle for Amy and the horses that we had when I was a kid. Abby usually lifts her head up as soon as she hears my call and nickers to me. (She tends to be a vocal little mare!)

(All photos were taken by Vanessa and are part of my Mother's Day gift!)

I might open the gate and go mingle among the horses, or if I still have school shoes on or if it's muddy, I hang by the gate and let them come to me. And usually they do - all eight of them have learned that I have a treat of some sort (apple spaghetti, carrots, or just handsful of clover) to share so they amble over, stretch out their necks to me, and get a treat.

 We visit at the gate, and they stomp around, taking turns to say "hello." I love their soft breath on my face and neck, and they way they offer their faces for petting.

For a while we all stand mingled together, just "chatting" and being companionable. It is a very relaxing, enjoyable feeling to hang out with horses!

One afternoon this week while on my carrot run I had a sudden memory of my father in a similar situation. He used to head down to the gate as soon as he got home from work (and the horses would watch for his arrival, then gallop up to the gate to meet him.) He would lean on the rails, feeding each horse sourball candy that he had in his pocket and simply enjoying being with the horses for a few minutes before coming into the house for dinner.

Dad, I understand.

Named!

No more calling this guy Snowball (the name I have been calling him since I met him.) He's got a name now. It's...

...Yukon!

(I love the large pink spot on his nose.)

He and Mason are buddies. Ebony and ivory!

 Supposedly he's a Quarter Horse, but he's got a dished face, is small, and sure looks Arabian to me. (Photo by Vanessa/Pearl Photo Design.)

He's a timid, sweet little guy who is finally overcoming that shyness and coming up to me to say hello when I do a carrot run. (Photo by Vanessa/Pearl PhotoDesign.)

Are You Sure You Don't Like Horses?

Hmmmm. I wonder why Dolly has her ears pricked up and what she is so intently watching.

 Why, look - it's my husband! You know, the man who says he doesn't really like horses.

I'd say Dolly knows differently. 

 Diablo comes up to see if she can get in on the clover treats, too.

Then Thunderbolt has to check things out, too. And my husband just keeps petting and feeding big handfuls of clover. (Even walking away to pick some really BIG bunches growing by the barn.)

 Both horses just enjoyed hanging out by the gate with Craig. And I think he, too, is enjoying himself as well.

 But wait! There is another pasture with five horses on the other side of the barn.

 Sure enough, Craig walks down to visit with those horses.

 I don't know their names, but Craig felt badly that one of the five kept getting chased away by the others and so wasn't getting any clover treats.

 He thought about it for a few moments, and then started handing one horse some clover to distract it while throwing more to the horse that had been without. It worked! Now everyone had had a treat.

Finally he walked back to where I was standing. I asked Craig if he were ready to go. "Ready?" he said in surprise. "I have been waiting for you to finish."

Really?? Finish what? All I have been doing is standing there taking pictures of you with the horses. And you knew I was right there, waiting. For YOU.  I'm not buying it. 

Ol' softie!!

Abby's Rotational Fall/Jump

I am quite shaken from an accident Abby had this afternoon that could have killed her. How it turned out so well is a miracle. I have never, ever seen anything like this happen to a horse.

I brought Abby into the barn this afternoon and cross-tied her so I could groom her. Still in heat, she was quite annoyed to have to leave her pasture boys. She got SASSY. (Maybe that's where her previous name came from!)

She pulled, she paced, she tugged, she squealed. She danced around in her ties and got sweaty. Frankly, she was obnoxious and I was not even going to try to groom her in that state.

Knowing that she needed to learn that if I said she was to be tied, then that was that, I went into the lounge where it was cooler and where I could keep her under observation.

Her antics continued for twenty minutes! But I was determined to wait her out.

And then Abby did the unthinkable.

Never, ever did I expect her to jump the arena wall!  She gathered herself and tried to leap over it from a standing position. That wall is probably 4 1/2 feet high! All I could think was, "Oh my goodness, she is going to kill herself!" I was alone at the barn and had no one to help me go to her aid or help get her loose.

Her head was still tied, and so as she jumped up to clear the wall, the rope pulled her head around, causing her body to flip and for Abby to somersault and then crash down onto her back and onto the arena floor.

I do not know how she could clear that wall from a standstill like that.

I do not know how she failed to hang herself from the rope. Or keep from breaking her neck.

I do not know how she did not catch her leg in the lead rope and snap the bones.

I was totally helpless to do anything. There was nothing I could do to prevent her from jumping or to save her from herself once she began. She was on her own, and so was I.

After landing hard on her back with her legs splayed out,  Abby was able to get to her feet. Still upset, and to my disbelief, she began pacing and pulling some more. I thought she might try to leap back out of the arena.

That was it. I could not risk another rotational fall if she tried to jump the arena wall again. I ran over to her and with shaking hands, unclasped the tie, setting her free in the arena. She trotted around a bit and then came over. I opened the gate and let her out. Then I called Tim and reported what had happened.

He dropped everything and came out with his son-in-law, Brandon, to help me check her out. Tim was very thorough and Abby is lucky - her injuries are very minor. She's limping on her right foreleg, although she has been a bit off for a few days, so that may not be related. I was very concerned about her neck and head, but she can bend easily in both directions and did not show any evidence of pain when we made her bend in both directions. Tim lunged her and she was fine, there, too.

She has a good scrape on her left flank and some small scrapes under that plus one on her nose. I think she will probably be sore tomorrow and expect her to move a little more slowly for a few days.

This evening I will go check her again, just in case. In the meantime, I had one of the biggest scares of my life, and probably the worst scare I have ever had horse-wise. I still feel shaky, but I have offered several prayers of thanksgiving that she was not badly injured or even killed.

The highs and lows of horse ownership. THAT was a low.

Leather

I love the smell and sound of leather. It evokes happy memories of rides on Amy and Cee and quiet times spent cleaning tack. Now that I have Abby, I have gotten my saddles out of the garage, had them checked for safety, and taken them out to the barn.

Today the pasture was really muddy when I went out to check on Abby, and so I decided to clean my English saddle.

It looks pretty good despite being at at least twenty five to thirty years old.

 It's a German saddle made by Theo Sommer. I bought it from Linda Duesterhaus and used it for Indy.

 The leather is still very supple and soft.

 A little bit of history - Indy was used as a therapy horse for disabled riders. You can tell by the extra holes punched in the stirrup leathers that we had to shorten the stirrups for children who rode him!

 The leather billets under the panel are in great shape.

 Finished! All clean and oiled.

 Next up is my western saddle. I bought it in 1970 with money I earned babysitting. Like the English saddle, I have kept it cleaned and oiled over the years. It will take a lot longer to clean, so maybe I will wait until the weekend.

Pretty Girl

I took some more pictures of Abby today. (Sheesh! I am like a new mommy, always taking photos of her little one!) I still marvel at how much she looks like Amy.

I love this picture of her turning at a trot.

A good view of her two left socks and white blaze.

Grazing.

A head shot showing her Appaloosa characteristics: mottled skin, white sclera around her eye, and of course, those spots! I call that big white spot her beauty mark or beauty spot - just like those drawn on by glamorous 1940s Hollywood ladies.

The view under her jaw reveals more white roaning.

A throatlatch shot.

I am still pinching myself that I am a horse owner again. In fact, as I watched the Kentucky Derby today, I felt a kinship with the owners there that I have not felt in years.

I have a horse!!

Paddock Pals

This morning when I went out for my daily check and to fill the water trough, the horses came up to see me from the north pasture, through the middle pasture, and over to where I was filling the trough in the south pasture.

This is the herd boss, Trouble. He lives up to his name. I find it hilarious that, when he was turned out with Abby for the first time, she had the upper hand and bossed him around! It wasn't until the rest of the herd was along for back-up that Trouble regained the upper hand as alpha.

He's a big Quarter Horse that Tim bred. Look at that bone! But he is not overweight; he's solid and strong. And, as Tim says, he lives up to his name. He's very people oriented, but he can be pushy and you have to remind him that YOU are the boss when you are with the herd.

 Here, next to Trouble, is Dolly. I can't quite figure out her place in the herd. She's almost always by his side, but she does not aggressively chase the others off or pin her ears. She seems very sweet and gentle. I don't know much about her yet.

 I smiled today when she came over to say hello and I noticed she had the tiniest white "blaze" I have ever seen on a horse! See that white line? That's it! I know a variety of names for blazes (snip, stripe, bald face, blaze, half blaze, star, partial blaze, etc.) but I have no idea what a fine line of white might be called. And they are centered so well down her face. (Her left eye seems a bit wonky.)

 She also has a small star that is usually hidden under her forelock. And a white snip by her left nostril. I really like Dolly. She's very quiet and gentle.

Dolly is looking over Hoakie's backside. I did not get any close-ups of Hoakie today. He's another one I really like and is a quiet, gentle gelding. He and Diablo are the two we rode on Christmas Eve Day when Tim invited our family out to the barn.

Next up is Thunderbolt! Or, it may be Lightning. I got his name wrong the first time, and now can never remember which it is. He is a large pony (about Pokey's size) with a lightning strike-like mark on his left shoulder and running down his leg.

 Thunderbolt/Lightning is a nice guy but he does tend to pin his ears at Abby when she comes around. I think JC, Trinity, and Braden would enjoy brushing him. Maybe Addie, too, although she's still pretty small herself.

 A nice profile shot of Thunderbolt/Lightning. That's Hoakie behind him.

 This is Diablo. Despite the male name, Diablo is a mare and we rode her along with Hoakie on Christmas Eve. She is very quiet and seems content to hang back as the other horses come get attention. 

 The black horse is Mystery and belongs to a gal who boards him at Tim's. I don't know his real name. He, too, has a very unusual facial marking - a large off center sprinkling of white hairs. Not enough for a blaze or anything, but enough to make him look like he got some flour dusted onto his face!

Snowball is what I call the little white pony. He has no name, and is a rescue Tim found and gave a home to last fall. Apparently his owners were elderly and could no longer afford to feed him. He was in bad shape when Tim brought him home. Snowball had a tough winter as he was quite thin, but he is doing much better. He seems friendly, but is definitely the lowest horse in the herd hierarchy. It looks to me like he might have some Arabian blood.

 Here's what I mean about Thunderbolt/Lightning pinning his ears and being bossy. And you can see his lightning bolt marking, too.

 Here Abby is coming up to see me. See what Mystery and Snowball are looking at in the pasture across Ranch Road? That's a llama. There are two in the neighbor's pasture across the road.

There are at least five homes/horse properties clustered together by Tim's. I counted 30+ horses this morning! (Oh, and two llamas.) I am really enjoying immersing myself back into the horse culture and having Abby to play with. Tim's given me permission to work with his other horses, too, so I have gone from no horse to quite a few in a very short time!