Visiting TCPITW and Skippy

Today we drove up to Brookston to visit TCPITW* and Skippy, my sister's herd.

TCPITW is very gentle and loves visitors. JC and Trinity came with goodies to share.

He is so furry, he looks like a stuffed animal!

And, just like you'd hug that stuffed animal, TCPITW is quite huggable, too.

Even his legs are shaggy and curly!

We also visited with Skippy, Leslie's blind Medicine Hat gelding. 

He cocks his head "the better to hear you with, my dear!" to compensate for being unable to see. His artificial eye is visible in this picture.

Skippy likes goodies, too, just like TCPITW. He's very gentle, but due to his blindness, he tends to run his nose over you to get information about you, and that can be a little disconcerting if you're not used to it.

Obviously, Les is very used to being smelled all over!

* The Cutest Pony in the World, the nickname I gave Coco.

A Near Miss

In November when there were tornadoes skipping all around, Tim's property had a near miss. He had two trees blown down in the pasture, but the old barn was unscathed.

The next farm to the west though, had a lot of trees and buildings damaged.

The roof of one of their barns was in pieces and strewn across the cornfield across the road.

A very near miss for the herd!

Homemade Horse Treats!

Cindie made the herd homemade horse treats for Christmas. They have molasses, oats, brown sugar, and chopped apples and carrots in them, and I knew the horses would gobble them down.

I was right, but it was a new taste for them, so it took a few moments.

Trinity gives one to Diablo...

... who does the classic "lift the lip" response at the new taste.

Abby doesn't lift her lip, but you can see by her expression that it's a new taste for her, too.

Then there's Hokey.

"I'll just lick it first and see if I like it."

(He did.)

"More, please!"

Thanks, Cindie! They loved their treats!

Holiday Horseplay

On Christmas Eve, Lisa took JC and Trinity out to play with the ponies. As she said, "You can't come visit Grammy and NOT go see the horses!" Agreed!

 Diablo is lovely to look at and beautifully sweet as well. She patiently awaits her sugar cube from JC.

 Trinity also offers Diablo sugar. Abby looks a little jealous that her BFF is getting all the treats!

The smile on Trin's face reminds me of the joy I felt around horses when I was her age - and still do. She's rattling that horse cookie sack and has gotten Abby's attention.

 Such a great photo of JC and Abby (finally getting her treat!)

This picture makes me laugh. Abby is stretching her neck out to Trinity for a horse cookie while keeping an eye on JC and the goodies he might be offering!

Stables, Donkeys, and The Savior

A lifelong horse lover, I have always loved the fact that Christ was born in a stable and then laid in a manger of hay. To me, barns are happy places, full of warmth, the sound of munching, and the smell of horses and hay.

(It is not a place I'd want to give birth as Mary did, but still...)

When I was in high school, not only did I have our five horses to care for, I also took care of the neighbor's two horses and donkey. Every day after taking care of my herd, I headed to the neighbor's barn and fed those three.

One Christmas I heard the legend about why donkeys and burros have a cross on their backs. It was due to the honor of having carried Mary, pregnant with the Christ child. According to the legend, God gave the donkey the mark of the cross to ever honor him for his service.

Jose, the donkey I cared for, had a prominent cross, although he was such a stinker, I could not imagine him carrying Mary!

The other legend I'd heard was that, at midnight on Christmas Eve, all animals would kneel in remembrance of the Christ child, and that if you hid in a barn, you could witness that event. I always wanted to see, just in case the legend was true, but my nice warm bed on Christmas Eve was just too inviting. 

Humble beginnings for the Savior of the world. And yet, there is such a message behind the place of His birth, one of love and connection and acceptance of all.

I won't drive out to the barn this Tuesday night, hoping to see Abby and her herdmates kneel. But I will remember the Savior and His birth, the place of His birth, and the role the donkey played in helping to bring to pass God's gift to us all.

Merry Christmas!

Winter Settles In

It's December, and you can see winter settling in at the barn.

 The horses have mud encrusted in their coats which are long and shaggy.

Normally a stunner, Persuasion's beauty is hidden by her winter coat. Only that lovely blaze remains bright and beautiful.

Things look dull and dreary, and none of the horses have much energy (although they came right up when they saw my car arrive.)

There's a real sense of slowing down, conserving energy, and getting ready for "a long winter's nap."

Hay, There!

It has been years since I participated in getting hay for horses. It's hard, physical work, and bits of hay get into your clothes and are SCRATCHY.

But there's also the sweet smell of the hay, the warmth of the barn, and the secure feeling of knowing you are prepared for winter and your horses will have full bellies.

So, when Leslie offered me 90 bales of hay free of charge as a thank you for a couple of things I'd helped her with, not only did I accept, I went along with Tim and his son-in-law, Brandon (who lives on the property) to go get it!

We took two trucks and wagons, plus me in the lead to show them how to get there. (It is easy to get turned around as Les is way out in the hinterlands.)

Brandon's truck and wagon, ready to go.

 Leslie gives us a gander at the hay - first cutting grass which is what we prefer!

It was a tight squeeze in the barn for Brandon's wagon; even tighter for Tim's. 

Leslie pointed out which bales she wanted us to take, and the guys got to work. Brandon walked on top of the stored hay and threw the bales to Tim who stacked them on the truck.

Now we're ready for days like this!

Dolly, Lisa, and Abby, January, 2013.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Imagine the sound trucks and heavy equipment make when backing up. You know, that steady beeping sound to alert you to get out of the way.

That's what happening here. Abby walked past Lisa, turned and swung her hips, then began backing up.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Why? She's not mad and getting ready to kick. No, Abby wanted this to happen.

A good backside scritch! Ahhhhhhhhh!

Look at those ears - that's one contented horse!

(Spoiled? Who's spoiled?!)

As the Dust Settles

It's the time of year when the horses are growing their winter coats and becoming puffy-looking instead of smooth and sleek. Couple that longer, fuller coat with a good roll or two in the mud, and you get this:

Lisa and Diablo in the small paddock, November 3, 2013.

A Quiet Routine

It has been a year and a half since I brought Abby home, and our life together has settled into a quiet routine of visits, scritches, and offerings of apples, carrots, and candy canes. During the summer I drive out to see her in the evenings; when school is in session, I stop on my way home from school.

The BFFS, Abby and Diablo.

I love the nickers I get when she spots me, and the way she swings into a trot and hurries up to say hello. Every now and then, I mentally pinch myself and marvel, "I have a horse again!"

It's a predictable routine, but I like its gentle rhythm and how that adds to my day.

I think she's pretty happy, too.

(Photo by Vanessa/Pearl Photo and Design.)

Just Borrowing!

Today we did "Hurry Scurries," an activity in which my students present something from the book their Book Club group has just read. Only a small amount of time is given to prepare, and yet the creativity level is quite high despite the time crunch. My students can be quite resourceful and ingenious.

Case in point? KR needed an ace bandage as a character in her book breaks his ankle. Unfortunately, she had none at home to bring in and use in her presentation.

Her solution?

"I went to the barn and borrowed the horses' polo wraps," she told me with a big smile.

I am still laughing!!

Abby - the Movie

Abby was in the far west pasture when I arrived this evening. As soon as I called her, she nickered and then came hurrying up to see me. Quickly I grabbed my camera and took a video. I was filming in shadows and into the sun so the quality isn't the best, but it still makes me smile.

A Peaceful Evening

Tough day at work today. A child shared something pretty poignant with me, and it has been on my mind all day. There is nothing I can do to change his situation, but I have felt sad and preoccupied since he spoke with me.

So, I decided I needed a little extra horse therapy, and sat with Abby for a long time while she grazed in the small paddock.

 Nom, nom, nom!

I love how she watched me as she grazed- looking at me out of the corner of her eye with her ears swiveled toward me. She kept an eye on me the entire time!

Occasionally she would poke her face into mine (I was sitting on the woodpile) to see if perhaps I had a treat or two. (I did - candy canes in my pocket!)

 Diablo and Hokey also were keeping me under surveillance.

 Looks like they're planning something.

 Hokey presses against the gate, hoping it will pop open. It doesn't, so...

 He paws at it. I have watched him bring a gate down twice by pawing on it like this. Tonight, however, the gate remained in place.

Eventually Tim arrived and told me to let the herd in with Abby for the evening. They didn't need much inviting after I opened that gate!

I left a little while after that, feeling a bit better from spending the early evening with my favorite horse and the rest of the herd.

The Eyes Have It

This girl has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen on a horse.

Large and luminous. Expressive. Gentle. 

Had I not burst into tears due to her resemblance to my beloved and long gone Amy and dubbed her Abby on the spot when I first saw her, I might have named her Isis or something Egyptian-sounding. She has black "eyeliner" pigmentation around each eye that reminds me of images of Nefertiti and Cleopatra.

Abby Gets a Rubdown

Lisa and Abby had a bonding moment tonight over a horsey massage.

While on our evening carrot run, Lisa began rubbing Abby's shoulder, and Abby immediately began relaxing. In the photo above she has flicked an ear back and her head is lowering as she enjoys Lisa's attention.

 She begins leaning into the rubbing. Both ears are now relaxed.

Eyes are closing and the lower lip is beginning to dangle. (You know a horse is relaxed when that lip hangs!)

 Now a throatlatch rub. Abby lifts her head so Lisa has better access to those itchy spots. I love those ears - she is enjoying Lisa's attention so much!

 Moving to the chest. Abby cocks her head and her eyes are just about closed. You can see that she is leaning into Lisa, too.

She even rests her head and neck on Lisa as Lisa leans down to get even lower. This is one relaxed and happy mare.

I don't have pictures of it, but after Lisa finished rubbing down my girl, Abby turned and ambled over to me, walking just a bit past me, then stopping and turning so her backside was within reach.  She wanted me to rub her tail and hips! She does this occasionally, standing there with her ears down, her eyes half closed, and one leg cocked in sleep position, inviting me to give her a good rubbing. It always makes me smile when she does this.

I have said it before, but I will do so again. I am so glad I was able to buy Abby. I love her so, so much.

Savor It!

Odors really bother me. (The perfume the elderly lady at the table next to ours was wearing last night? Cloying and headache provoking!) And strong smells can be one of my migraine triggers.

But that horsey smell?

Savor it!

(Thanks to my friend, Eve Reiss, for sending this to me!)

So That's Why!!

Lisa and I have wondered why there is always mud around the water trough. We're not overfilling it, and neither is Tim.

 Now we know.

 Diablo practically climbed into the tank! And then she pawed, throwing water everywhere.

 She submerged most of her head and shoved it around in the water.

 And blew some bubbles.

And finally splashed and stirred.

But she's not the only culprit.

 Hokey came and joined her.

 He made his own waves.

 And, per usual, gave a huge yawn. (I have never known a horse who yawned as much as Hokey!)

Still not done!

 Trouble came over. He chose to drink out of the faucet.

Now we know!!