Muddy December

The weather in Indiana has been dreary this December - cold, overcast, rainy. Not much fun to be outside. 

The horses are faring well despite the damp chill, and yesterday when I arrived, they were out in the north pasture grazing.

I usually whistle for them, but they saw me and came up without being called.

 Diablo, as usual, led the herd.

 Trouble and Persuasion were coming, too, but where was Hokey? I found him later - he'd wandered over to the west pasture by himself.

 Would you give a candy cane to this muddy mare?

 And what is it that she is always sticking out her tongue??

 "Please, please, PLEASE may I have a candy cane?"

There's that tongue again. Look at the mud on her muzzle!

Abby ate a couple of candy canes before I headed back to the warmth of the barn and car - it was chilly! 

Abby left gifts for Tim in his barn workshop. Hope we get some snow so he can hook up that sleigh in the background!

My Christmas Wreath!

I LOVE my new Christmas wreath - thank you, Cindie!!

 She made one for me last year, too.

Juicy Apples Lead to...

The teachers at Hershey know I love horses and have Abby. Sometimes they put treats in my school mailbox for her - an apple, a pear, candy canes, and other goodies.

This fall my little horse has been living the life of Riley - four times I have been given BAGS of apples for her! She likes apples almost as much as she likes candy canes, and their sweet juiciness gets my hands just as sticky as the candy canes do.

So naturally, Abby has to lick all that juice off.

Ever been licked by a horse? Their tongues are soft, but they are also huge.

See what I mean??

Peppermint Sticks!

One of my students gifted me with some very expensive peppermint sticks. "They're for Abby," she said, "But you can have some, too."

I tried one, and Abby almost didn't get ANY! They are delicious!

 Abby sniffs the peppermint sticks.

 I break them into pieces for her.

 Crunchcrunchcrunch!

 And some more peppermint stick pieces.

 She loves them, too!

 So much so that she licks my hand clean.

 I also had brought her some carrots.

I pulled one out and gave it to her, and this happened next:

Diva Girl walks away! If she can't have the peppermint sticks, she's going back to the grass!

Mom Loves Me Best

Yes, Abby, I do. Although I am very fond of all your pasture mates, you are my favorite and I love you best. So, when I call you and the boys decide they'd like to see if they can finagle a treat from me first?

Not to worry. I have a plan, and you know it!

 Just wait, and I will shoo them away, clearing the way for you to come up...

 ... without worrying that Hokey and Trouble will chase you off.

And you will get your carrots!

An Ordinary Monday?

Just an ordinary Monday today - nothing special about it. 

Except...

The leaves are at their peak and simply gorgeous, the sun was shining brightly, the temperature was in the 60s, and I was able to get out of school earlier than usual.

So naturally, I headed to the barn!

Abby saw me arrive and nickered at me to hurry up. Twice!!

 She and Diablo munch on sugar cubes - the treat du jour.

Hokey and Trouble were hopeful, but I never give them treats. They get a bit pushy when there's food around, so I save it for the girls.

There is nothing like spending time with horses on a beautiful day!

Sharks in the Pasture!

The sharks were circling in the pasture today. Why?

Because I had apple spaghetti, that's why!

A favorite treat, it felt as though I was in the middle of circling sharks who could not wait to gobble down their portion!

Haying Time

It's haying time out at the barn!

 When I arrived this afternoon, Tim, Brandon, and another man were baling hay.

 Tim's neighbor to the east was also cutting his hayfield.

After cutting the hay, it is raked into rows for baling. Then the baler is driven over the piles, the loose hay baled in the machine, and the bales are stacked on flatbed trailers.

After that, it will be taken to the barn and hoisted up into the hay mow. (Haying is hard, scratchy, hot work!)

Of course, Abby came up to say hello and to see if I had any treats.

I sure did! I had a bag of carrots and handed her the nibbles as I scratched her neck and stroked her face.

Haying is a sign that winter is on the way. Sure hope we do not have a winter like last year's!

An Hour of Horse Therapy

I have a student with some serious disabilities. She is a real sweetie, and I love having her in my class, but her disabilities are proving too much for her to be able to remain in school. I received word this afternoon from her mother that she would most likely be withdrawing from school, perhaps even tomorrow.

The news left me feeling deflated and sad. We have worked so hard to meet her needs, but in all honesty, I am not surprised. It has been a real struggle for this child.

After aimlessly wandering around my room a bit, I closed my classroom up early instead of staying after school to grade papers. Time to head to the barn for some horse therapy.

Abby came up as soon as she hard me call. I opened the gate into the small paddock so she could walk through, put out my camp chair, and plopped myself down in it to think.

Abbs grazed around me, coming over occasionally to ask for a sugar cube, then resuming her grazing.

I got up and brushed her a couple of times, rubbing her itchy spots, and just chatting softly to her, all the while thinking about my student and the overwhelming, life-endangering things she must live with. Such a heavy load for small shoulders to carry!

When I was a child and had Abby's predecessor, Amy, I would seek solace with her if I had had a bad day or  was concerned about something. Spending time with my horse brought me peace back then, just as it brings me peace now.

I cannot change the situation with my student - that's out of my hands and not my decision to make. I simply cannot fix everything in my students' lives, and what she must deal with is beyond my capabilities as a teacher. She needs far more than I can give her through academics and a good learning environment.

Being with Abby this afternoon helped put a bandaid, albeit a small one, over the gash in my heart as I tried to come to terms with the bad news that a child I loved was leaving.

A Former Horsey Student Checks In

It is always fun when I have a student or two in my classroom who is horsey like me. They read all the horse books on my shelves, draw ponies on their work, and gratefully accept back issues of the horse magazines I read.

Mackenna was one of those gals. She was riding when she was in my classroom, and came out to see Abby. She also invited me to one of her riding lessons where she was learning to jump. Two years later, she is still riding and has remained in contact with me. I got this email from her last night:

Dear Mrs. I, 

            Hi, how are you? I have missed your class so much! I hope your are having fun with the 4th and 5th graders. I am really enjoying middle school! I have met a lot of new friends. 

              How is Abby? I hope she is doing well. I am still riding Axel, but we have been looking into the possibility of buying a horse. We are trying to find a barn close to our house for boarding. Do you know if there is any available space at your barn?

              Hope you enjoy this fall like weather. Talk to you soon!

                                                                                                                                                                                    -Mackenna 

How exciting that she may be getting a horse! She included this picture of herself riding Axel, the horse she has been working with for a couple of years and who she rode when I went to her lesson.

She's a responsible girl and would give a horse a good home.

Unfortunately, Tim is not taking any new boarders, but I will see what I can do to help her find a place.

Neither Mud, nor Weeds, nor...

We've had a lot of rain this August, so it has been difficult to maintain the pastures due to the pouring rain or the mud that all that rain produces. As a result, we have some areas that have good sized weeds growing.

 I whistled and called Abby Wednesday evening, and while I could hear her, I could not see her over the weeds in one section of the pasture.

Then a flaxen tail briefly flipped up over the tall weeds, followed by a black head with a wide blaze. I knew then that they'd heard me. Would they come up for a carrot? I sure wasn't walking through the mud and weeds to get to them!

But just as the old saying from the US Postal Service goes, "Neither rain, nor snow, nor hail..." will prevent the delivery of the mail, neither will mud, nor weeds, nor insects keep Abby from her goodies!

Never underestimate the power of a candy cane.

Abby sure enjoys her treats and is willing to hustle for them.

After eating her treats and having some itchy spots scratched, she followed me up to my car. Hoping for more, no doubt!

A Sweet Summer Afternoon

There is nothing like heading to the barn after a tiring day at work. Even if you've had a good day (and I did today), when you are worn out, it's a real pick me up to enjoy this:

 A nicker or a neigh. Pricked ears. And a happy amble up to the gate for a visit.

The drive home after that is a happy one.

Abby & Hokey

Abbs and Hokey aren't pasture buddies. In fact, if Diablo isn't close by for protection, Hokey often will put his ears back and run her off.

But every now and then they find some common ground.

Mutual grooming is one of those times.

Hmmm. I've thought it was Diablo who was chewing Abby's mane off; maybe it's actually Hokey!

Anything for a Carrot!

Some horses will do anything for a carrot.

Including stretching through an uncomfortable opening...

 ... in order to snag the prize.

BFFs Help Each Other

BFFs help each other...

By scratching the other's itches!

(Photo by Lisa.)

This is probably how Abby keeps losing her mane!

Christmas in July??

Nope! It's not Christmas in July; they're for something else.

Or rather, someONE else. 

Abby.

A young girl who rides occasionally with Tim shyly sought me out after Sacrament Meeting at church this morning and handed them to me without a word. I knew right away what was going on.

"Are these for Abby?" I asked.

Still not speaking, she nodded.

"Well, thank you! Abby loves candy canes, as you well know."

The girl nodded again and melted back into the throng of people before I could say anything else.

Hmmm, I think "Abby" will send her a thank you note later today.

A Morning Visit

I usually visit Abby in the late afternoon or evening, but Craig and I are sharing a car right now (his was church-owned, and since he's retired, he had to return it) and so I can't just pick up and go when I want to - I have to coordinate with him, too. (Although Craig is VERY considerate and easy to work with.)

This morning I was running errands and it was such a lovely morning (the air conditioner in the house is off and the windows are open) I decided to pop out to the barn and hand out the carrots early.

Time of day doesn't matter to the herd - if you call them, they come running!

 The boys led the way - I'll refrain from making any wisecracks about men, boys, and food.

 And, they will be chased off as soon as the girls arrive, so if they want a treat, they have to beat the girls up. But, I don't give them treats. Trouble gets very pushy, and Hokey was getting insistent, so I quit giving them hand outs.

 None of the mares have had any problem handling munchies, so they get them if they come up.

 Here they come, with Abby and Diablo in the lead.

 The geldings give ground as Diablo and Abby arrive at the gate.

 Abby, you are so beautiful!

 I just happened to catch some pictures of her in profile.

 When I brought her to the farm the day I got her, Tim was surprised at her quality. "She's not quite what I was expecting from a rescue horse," he said.

He's right - she's really got good conformation and color. I suspect she has registration papers, but my inquiries to The Appalosa Horse Club have been fruitless. Unless I DNA test her, she cannot have any papers.

But that's okay. I can enjoy her with or without papers, and will always be thankful that she came into my life.