Indabab's Image

Indabab's Image, otherwise known as Indy, was the horse I owned when we lived in Illinois. I got him when Lisa was a toddler and sold him when I became pregnant with Cole four years later. I knew my "season" of being a horse owner was over with the advent of my sixth child. (Little did I realize I would own another one twenty four years later!)

Indy was a registered half-Arab, with Quarter Horse and possibly a touch of Saddlebred in him. (I never saw that in his conformation or gaits, but his previous owner told me it was a possibility.)

 Sarah holds the lead rope while Lisa sits on him. He was very gentle, but he had a lot of energy when ridden.

 Jessica brushes him while Kyle and Lisa look on. His mane was so pretty!

Craig leads Lisa for a ride. I sold him to Steve Schuh of Horse Schuh farm, in Lafayette shortly after this.

I've often wondered what happened to Indy. I hope he ended up in a good home.

Horse Therapy

You've heard of retail therapy? That's NOTHING compared to horse therapy!

If you've had a long or tough day, or someone has been unkind to you, you're blue, or whatever, being around a horse will make things better.

Today, my good friend and fellow teacher, Kim, came out to see Abby and get some horse therapy.

Kim is a former horse owner. She's also battling breast cancer. So, when I heard she'd bought herself some bright pink cowgirl boots to wear during her fight, I invited her to come put a horse with those boots.

Today was the day.

We spent about an hour just handing out carrots, petting the horses, and touring the barn. Oh, and gabbing, too. Nonstop.

After cleaning up, Kim and I went to Camille's for lunch where we chatted another THREE hours. Later she texted me and said that it had felt good to remember how relaxed horses make us feel.

I hope she comes out again any time she needs a little horse therapy.

Cee Hunt - My Waterbaby Horse

This is Cee Hunt, my former show horse.

He was a registered Quarter Horse with the famous Leo from the King Ranch in his pedigree.

I got him in 1972 or 1973 from Scott MacDonald for $1200. (I paid $200, my parents footed the rest.) Scott had shown Cee to championships in three states and sold him as he had gotten a new show horse.

Not only was Cee good in the show ring, he was also fun to trail ride. And he loved the water - Scott used to jump Cee off the banks of the Wildcat and into the water where the two of them would enjoy a good swim.

I swam him, too. Here we are in Burnett Creek at the Battlefield. Given a choice, I think Cee would've preferred to be a fish. Even his name was water themed - it was a play on the old TV show, Sea Hunt. Cee's dam was Leone C, and they took the C from her name, spelled it Cee, and added Hunt.

Cee's love of water provided one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. Leslie and I used to "accidentally" just happen to be riding along the Wabash in front of our home when Purdue's rowing crew would practice. We'd pretend we didn't see the cute college guys in the boat cutting through the water right next to us, or hear the coxswain calling out, "Stroke! Stroke!" to his crew.

Even when they were very close alongside us, we studiously "ignored" them.  (Yeah, right!)

The crew was going by, and I had waded out into the river on Cee. He dropped his head for a drink... and then his knees buckled, nearly throwing me over his head as he laid down IN the Wabash and began rolling in the refreshing water!

I had no recourse but to step off into the water myself, blushing furiously as the crew watched us in astonishment, and let Cee finish. Cee stood up, shook the water from his coat, and looked at me as though to say, "Ahh! Wasn't that great? Hop on - I'm ready to go now."

But, Cee had no saddle on - often when we'd do river rides, we'd just go bareback. And normally I could hop on without needing assistance. I tried, but I was wearing elephant bell bottoms, the style of bell bottoms with ENORMOUS bells, and all that denim was soaked and HEAVY. I could not hop back on him no matter how hard I tried!

I ended up leading Cee over to a fallen tree that was partially in the water, walking along the now-horizontal trunk until I was level with my horse's back, and then stepping over and onto Cee's back.

All this played out in front of Purdue's crew, which (or so I thought) was avidly watching me work through my dilemma. I was MORTIFIED. And it was a LONG time before I rode along the Wabash when the crew was out practicing!

Cee and me, 1975, at a friend's place (which is now Coyote Crossing Golf Course.)

Cee had found his forever home with us. After I married, I gave him to Leslie as a Christmas gift. She had always loved him, and I think he became one of her all time favorite horses. (And she continued to ride him along the Wabash, although I don't know that she ever got dunked into the drink like I did!)

The Wisdom of Winston Churchill

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of man." 

Winston Churchill

Yep!!

It's a Girl!

No, Abbs did not give birth. Nor did Diablo or Dolly (who we hope really is in foal!)

This evening, Daddy Long Legs, the grey gelding that is kept with the boarding horses at the blue barn, was separated from his pasture mates and alone in the small paddock. Wondering why he was there, Lisa and I went over to visit with him.

OUCH!! Here's why:

That's a lot of stitches across his nose!!

I have a text out to Tim, hoping to discover what caused such a bad cut on poor Daddy Long Legs' nose. It's an unusual spot for an injury on a horse, and since Tim is really good about maintaining a safe environment for his horses, I don't think it would be scrap metal or anything lying about the pasture.

As we were leaving, I took one last look at Daddy Long Legs. He stood looking forlornly over the fence at his friends in the other pasture, swished his tail at a fly and...

He is a SHE!!!

How could I have missed that for a year and a half??  Well, I generally don't look at a horse's private parts, so in my defense, I guess I never checked the gender and just assumed he was a gelding!

Lisa and I sat a few moments in stunned disbelief and then started laughing. Of course, Daddy Long Legs will no longer work as a name (I don't know the horse's real name and made that up because "he" has a very short back and outlandishly long, long legs) so we decided "she" was like a supermodel with those legs.

And, as a nod to the 60s icon and supermodel, we settled on the name "Twiggy" for her.

(I still cannot believe that neither Lisa nor I ever checked her gender!)

An Ouch for Hokey

Horses are constantly getting bumps and scrapes - it's part and parcel of being a horse owner to find one or two every few days. And so you check daily, giving your horses a quick once over to make sure they're okay and that, if there are any bumps or bangs, they're minor and not in need of more than rudimentary first aid.

This evening, I found this cut on Hokey.

He wasn't limping and it was not actively bleeding so it was not an emergency, more a "keep an eye on" type of injury. I sent Tim a picture so he was aware that Hokey had cut himself. I am sure Tim will check on Hokey, and Lisa and I will keep an eye on it as well.

Lisa and Dolly

When I was dropping off sandwiches at church tonight for the Lafayette Urban Ministry soup kitchen, I ran into Tim who was there doing temple recommend interviews. He mentioned that Dolly had gotten hard to catch and, knowing Lisa's fondness for Dolly, suggested she work with her during her visits to the barn, perhaps by putting a lead rope around Dolly's neck before giving her a carrot.

Lisa was more than happy to oblige!

I love this picture of Lisa surrounded by Diablo, Trouble, Persuasion, and Hokey as she works with Dolly. (That's Abby and Mason in the front of the photo.)

 She leads Dolly around and handles her for a while as Tim asked.

 Dolly is fond of Lisa and follows her to the gate after their training session is over.

I am "Now Part of the Tribe"

Horses like to buddy up and groom each other - they'll stand nose to wither, and one will lean over and place his muzzle on his buddy's neck and scratch his friend. The one being scratched will usually reciprocate, and soon both will be scratching each other simultaneously. It's fun to watch, and probably is a bonding, herd thing.

Tonight, I became one of the herd.

Sort of.

The alpha, Diablo, gave me the honor of mutual grooming.

 She came over for a visit, and I reached my hands through the gate and began scratching her chest. Immediately she stretched out and leaned into my hands.

 Then she leaned into the gate and began weaving her neck back and forth in pleasure. (Lisa got the giggles watching Diablo - that horse was in heaven!)

 Diablo stretched her neck out even further as she enjoyed the grooming I was giving her.

And then, it was my turn.

She reached her head over my shoulder, placed her muzzle on my back, and began to groom me!

 It tickles when horses do that!

 And it feels like you are getting a horsey hug. 

I hugged sweet Diablo right back, giving her a couple of pats on her neck, signaling that I was done grooming her, and then stepped back from the gate.

I felt like R2D2 and C3PO in Return of the Jedi - I was "now part of the tribe!"