No More Trouble

Yesterday Tim and I crossed paths at the barn and as we took a few moments to catch up, Tim dropped a bombshell on me.

"I sold Trouble," he said.

You could've knocked me over with a feather, I was so surprised.

Long story short, the couple who'd bought Diablo last fall divorced and the husband moved to a fifteen acre farm west of town. The lease for the blue barn was up at the end of this month and so he bought Trouble to ride and as a companion for Diablo. Wednesday both horses were moved to their new home.

I've always thought that Trouble looked a lot like Breyer's Quarter Horse Gelding.

Trouble was bred by Tim and born out in the northwest pasture. He's spent his whole life here, so moving will be a new adventure for him. (I'm glad he has his long time pasture-mate Diablo with him.)

Despite my surprise, I can understand Tim's decision to sell. Tim and I are about the same age, and horses are a lot of work. I understand the feeling that you are slowing down a bit and need to lessen the work load.

Happy trails, Trouble.

Trouble in Trouble

Trouble was bred by Tim and foaled on the property.

Tim is an entomologist (someone who studies insects) and since Trouble was born the summer Indiana was expecting the hatching of a brood of 17 year cicadas, Tim named him "Cicada Trouble."

Trouble more than lives up to his name and you have to keep an eye on him. He is not mean, but he is very, very curious and always checking things out.

A lead rope left hanging on a post? Trouble will find it and chew it.

Using a hose to fill a trough? Don't turn your back or walk away to do other things.

Trouble will pull that hose out and play with it, squirting everyone (including himself) with water. And you will have to get the hose away from him and hang around a little longer to fill the trough.

Once when Tim was traveling and I was watching the horses, I discovered some rebar that had surfaced right in front of the trough where the horses stood when watering.

Craig got his pickaxe and came with me to the barn to dig it out of the ground. Guess who showed up to investigate?

Afraid that he might get hurt while Craig was swinging that axe, I had to get a longe whip and snap it around a few times before Trouble moved away. But as soon as I stopped snapping, back he came.

He also paws the gates. So, when you discover this,

 you figure there was a good chance that Trouble was responsible.

He may have pawed one gate too many - for the past couple of days his off front leg has been bothering him. He will hold it up while grazing and has a small limp at times.

Tim hasn't called the vet yet, but he did move the herd into a smaller pasture and closer to the new barn so he could more easily check on Trouble's well being. And when I last spoke with Tim, he felt that Trouble was improving. 

I'm heading out to the barn early this morning and am hoping that that improvement has continued.

When a Real Horse Looks Like a Breyer

I snapped this photo last week of Teacher Daughter Lisa indulging Hokey with one of his favorite things - a REALLY good neck scritching.  I had to laugh when I went through my photos. 

Can you see the similarity to a vintage Breyer model horse?

I sure can!  That's not the first time one of the horses has made me think of a Breyer horse. 

Trouble is getting a bath in this picture. Which vintage Breyer does he remind you of?

I see Chubb, Hoss Cartwright's horse. (Photo from Identify Your Breyer.)

Finally, this picture of Sultanna reminded me not of a Breyer, but of a vintage Hagen Renaker.

The Designer Workshop Comella reissue.

I love it when life imitates art (which is imitating life... Haha!)

A (Non) Horsey Husband?

Craig has always said that he absolutely is not a horse lover. Dogs? Yes. But not horses. Having said that, though, he has always supported me in my passion for all things equine.

Our youngest son, Cole with Craig and me in Denver, Colorado this past May.

Over the nearly 43 years we have been married, he has had a lot of experience working with horses, both live and model.

He's accompanied me to several BreyerFests and NANs over the years, including this year's BreyerFest.

When our children were little and we lived in Illinois, I had a half-Arab named Indy. Craig would come  out to the barn with the the kids and me and help them ride.

Eighteen month old Lisa sitting on Indy in 1984 while Sarah holds the lead rope.

Kyle (five years old) having a go round on Indy in the indoor arena while Craig walks beside him in 1986.

Our kids are all grown up, but Craig still comes out to the barn with me, for pleasure as well as to help as needed.

 That might include giving Abby some apple slices.

Or making a quick emergency run out to the barn after church (still in white shirt and tie!) when  Snickerdoodle and Sultanna had gotten out of the pasture.

I'll never forget a time when Tim was out of town and I was herd-sitting. As I was filling the water trough, I noticed that a piece of rebar had worked its way up through the soil and was protruding straight up a couple of inches high right next to the trough! 

Craig came out immediately with a pick ax and dug it out. It was long and buried deeply, but eventually he was able to pull it out so that none of the horses could step on it and hurt themselves.

Trouble, who is the nosiest horse I have ever known, had hung around watching while Craig dug. I'd shooed him away repeatedly so that he did not get hit while Craig was swinging that pick ax, but he would come right back.

When Craig was finally finished, Trouble insisted on having a chat with him. (I don't think Craig minded one bit.)

This spring when I had ordered nine sets of IKEA billy shelves, he was home for the delivery (I was teaching) and carried all the boxes upstairs for me so that I didn't have to.

Then, a few days later, he proceeded to put them all together for me as a surprise!

For a self-proclaimed non-horse lover, he sure has been involved with them a lot, hasn't he? I sort of think that he likes them more than he lets on.

The evidence sure is strong!

The Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer at the Barn

Summer can be such a wonderful time. Another fun summer song that I like to sing was done by Nat King Cole. It's not a lazy-type song, it's more of a "get up and go" tune.

Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer,
Those days of soda and pretzels and (root) beer!
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer,
You'll wish that summer could always be here!

Great song! (I always sing "root beer" since I don't drink - hah!)

Well, Abby isn't the only one who has been enjoying the "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer."

This is Trouble, Tim's big-boned Quarter Horse gelding whom he bred, foaled, trained, and has had since birth. He's about ten years old. If you have ever seen the Breyer model Chub, Hoss Cartwright's horse, you have an idea of how Trouble is built.

(Photo credit to Identify Your Breyer.)

Trouble is big and often lives up to his name, although a better term might be "naughty." He's not mean spirited at all. Trouble just likes to know what you're doing and to see if he can lend a hoof to help you out whether you want that help or not!

As you can see from the photo, Trouble clearly has been having a good time this summer out on all that yummy pasture!

Pointing the "Hoof of Blame"

During my visit with Abby this afternoon, I noticed this:

 Someone took a gate down between the pastures.

 It happens occasionally - the horses will want access to the "grass is greener over there" pasture and worry the gate until they finally knock it over somehow.

 I've watched Trouble take one down in no time flat...

... and Hokey, too.

So, when I saw the gate was down, I took a few pictures of it and sent them to Tim so he would know that  a repair was needed.

Trouble often lives up to his name, so I couldn't resist and told Tim that I'd seen a big sorrel horse standing by the downed gate. Not true, but Trouble WAS a reasonable suspect, and Tim knew it.

So, he texted back a tongue in cheek response. "Interesting...because I just talked to Trouble and he pointed a hoof at Abby. She did not want to talk about it..."

We'll never know which one took the gate down!

Hmmm,

Interesting

Because i just talked to Trouble and he pointed a hoof at Abby.

.... she did not want to talk abt it.

Hmmm,

Interesting

Because i just talked to Trouble and he pointed a hoof at Abby.

.... she did not want to talk abt it.

Hmmm,

Interesting

Because i just talked to Trouble and he pointed a hoof at Abby.

.... she did not want to talk abt it.

Trouble

Trouble is a registered Quarter Horse who is so massive that it looks like he's got some draft horse in him, his bones are so big! He's pushy and, although not the herd leader, he does tend to bull his way in between everyone and cause some milling among the horses.

The horses were taking a siesta during the heat of the day in the old barn and I happened to snap this picture of the big guy. (Too bad that light is so bright; I tried fiddling with it on my phone and could not dampen it.)

Whodunit - Solved!!

A breed trait in foundation Appaloosas is a sparse mane and tail, something evident in Abby.

But there's a difference between a sparse mane and tail and one that is either rubbed off (such as when reaching through the hay rack to eat) or nibbled off.

I think I may have solved the puzzle.

Oil and Water

Normally, these two are oil and water. Despite Trouble's heft, Abby dominates him most of the time in the herd pecking order. (Being BFF with Diablo, the herd leader, probably has a lot to do with that!)

But every now and then, Miss Sassy Pants tolerates his presence and they spend a little time together.

Lisa Makes a Barn Visit

Lisa is here for a week, having brought out a carload of some of her things (she's moving back to the midwest now that she's done with school.)

She's my horsey girl, so naturally she wanted to make a barn run this morning.

And then she made another one with me later in the afternoon. That's my girl!!

 She and Trouble share a quiet moment.

 Hokey has to come see if he can mooch a nibble from her hand.

The mud wasn't too bad, and the last of Sunday's nine inches of snow was melting.

It will be fun having Lisa here sharing our mutual love of equines!

Double Trouble

Tim texted me just before the Sunday morning session of General Conference yesterday saying, "I have a new Appaloosa horse. Tell me if you like him."

Of course, I was immediately distracted from conference and wondering what the new horse would look like. And when the morning session was over, I hopped into my car and did my daily carrot run, eager to meet the newest herd member.

The horses were in the small paddock, but the new horse was not with them. I surmised that Tim must have the new animal in a separate pasture to adjust, so I walked over to the southwest pasture and looked around.

No horse.

Where was he? I was surprised that Tim would not have one of the other horses in with him, too, to help him acclimate to his new home. I turned back to the paddock to count noses, thinking that maybe I had missed him.

And there he was. Right in front of my nose.

Very funny, Tim! I think you should name him "Double" since he is so like Trouble. Perhaps you can double register him with the AQHA and the Appaloosa Horse Club, too!

Just Call Me Bird-Brain

Hmmmm, looks like Trouble has gotten jealous of me lavishing Abby with carrots and is trying to imitate her Appaloosa-ness in hopes of getting more for himself.

Time to quit standing under the barn swallows, ya bird brain!!

Double Trouble

That "trouble" would be Trouble the horse. But, it would also be real trouble, too. This afternoon as I was caring for the horses, I noticed this sticking out of the ground:

 I put a lead rope by it for perspective - that's rebar poking up through the soil.  (Look at the bottom middle of the picture.) And it's right in front of the water trough where the herd congregates several times a day.

That's trouble.

If a horse stepped on that rebar, it would be painful and it might damage the hoof. Or, if they fell or rolled on it, it could do some real harm.

Tim's out of town and I am in charge of the barn - I had to fix the problem. I tried wiggling the rebar, and did move it some, but I could not pull it out. The job was bigger than me.

So, I asked Craig for help. Sweet guy that he is, and despite how busy his schedule is at the moment, he grabbed some tools and drove to the barn with me. Craig couldn't pull it out, either, but he'd brought a pick axe and other tools to dig the rebar out of the ground.

 It proved to be a bigger job than than we'd anticipated. 

 That rebar was in deeply. 

And, Craig spotted a second piece of rebar sticking out of the ground that I had missed! More trouble!

He dug at them both, and they seemed to go down deeply and be attached to something, possibly each other. Unsure of what else he might find, Craig decided to use the axe and bend the rebars over and then bury them so the horses could not get hurt on them.

Of course, while all this is going on, someone REALLY wanted to help dig out and then bury the rebar. Who else, but Trouble himself?

I kept shooing him off, but back he would come. With the way that pick axe was swinging, I did NOT want him sticking his nose in to see what we were doing.

Do not let this sweet, innocent face fool you.

Trouble can be a VERY mischievous boy. Why, earlier this afternoon, he got it in his head that the lead rope on the gate had been put there for his personal entertainment. Take a closer look at Trouble's mouth.

See what I mean? 

 And when we finished burying the rebar, Trouble just HAD to get close to us and poke his nose in our business.

 Craig, gentle guy that he is, didn't mind, and gave Trouble some loving.

So, naturally, Trouble lived up to his name and tried to remove Craig's work glove!

In the meantime, we have a temporary fix on the problem. Unless the horses dig that rebar out tonight (who knows? With Trouble in the pasture, it could happen!) the horses are safe. And I'll let Tim know about it when he gets home.