Sugar Coating

But More Is On the Way

I woke up yesterday to snow. Just a coating. Pretty, actually, especially since it didn't need to be shoveled and it was going to be warm enough to melt nearly all of it by day's end.  We are supposed to get more snow tonight--perhaps several inches--but again when it warms up next week, that too will melt.

Here's what we had last year:

Chance is pictured here and he is about 15.3 h.

This year? Almost the same day?  Here's Toby:

I'll be honest. After last year, we've earned a break. But winter is not yet over and some of the worst storms I remember were in March, so I am not counting on anything at this point.  Instead, I'll just enjoy the beauty of nature when she is not being too cruel to us.

I longlined both Tucker and Chance the day before the snow.  Tucker did some very silly aerial maneuvers, but gave me a lot of nice work in between.   Chance was going absolutely beautifully until he got his tongue over the bit. This was his proper bit too. I don't know if I had it adjusted too low after fixing the bridle, or if he was having a problem with tongue pressure. I raised it up a hole or two for now, but I may try out the Myler bit I bought for Tucker some time ago and never tried.

First, though, I have to look the bit up on the Myler site to see what it says about tongue pressure. If it's the right one to relieve that, it's worth a shot. If not I still supposed it's worth the experiment.

I hope to ride a little today as it's nice out and the snow is not scheduled to arrive until evening. But time's a wasting and I still have to eat lunch--just heard my casserole timer ding.

And here's the "Can You Spot The Ball?" quiz from the other day.

When I left the ball the night before, it was resting at the edge of the mud puddle. Sharp eyes will see it, I'm sure.

Here is the "reveal."

Well, it hadn't rolled down the hill in the pasture yet, but given time.....

Wonder exactly how it got there?

It wasn't very windy that night.

Two Rides, Two Horses

And the Return of the "Magic" Ball

I played with Tucker and the ball the other day. He really understands about pushing it with his nose and is getting better and better at it. The only flaw it that he is also very focused on getting a treat afterwards, and tends to crowd me to make sure I give him one. We'll have to work on that.

Chance doesn't seem to get the concept of pushing the ball yet, but I haven't worked with him alone in the arena as Tucker has also been in there, kind of hogging the attention. I will do some individual work next time I go out to see if Chance can get the idea. He doesn't actually pay much attention to the ball when I push it at him and just sees it as "something in the way."  Nice that he's not spooky, but curious that he doesn't interact.

Toby still thinks the ball is a "monster."  *sigh*

I left the ball outside overnight and in the morning, it was gone from the arena! I found it up against the fence in the pasture. Accidentally blown by the wind?  H-m-m-m. One suspects not, but with no proof, it's hard to say. *S*

I rode Tucker and Chance yesterday. It was lovely and warm again.

It took Tucker a few moments to "get into gear" when I started off. As soon as I picked up contact, he balked. But just a little persuasion convinced him to walk off.  He kept wanting to trot, though, so I kept the walk warm up short and then trotted off.  At first I kept the rein long, just letting him stretch out into the bit.  But as we worked, I gradually shortened the contact so we could maneuver better.  We did a little shoulder in, some half pass, serpentines, a modified Intro level test pattern, and then some spiral in and spiral out on a twenty meter circle.  He stalled on the right rein in the spiral in. I'm not sure if he was a little tired at that point--he was getting very forward and we were about 15 minutes into the ride--but it was relatively easy to fix.  I did a canter depart with about one circle of canter on each lead, then trotted up the center line for a really lovely square halt. 20 minutes for an unfit horse and an unfit rider were just fine.

Tucker is really taking a lot of contact. That's good and bad. But for now, as long as I can contain the energy, I'd rather have that than stuck and not going at all. I'll just have to see how much he can actually rock back on his hocks and carry himself more as time goes on. If it makes him sore, we'll just stick to playing dressage instead of actually working at it.

I rode Chance next. I have to give him some slack because I still didn't fix his bridle with the single joint bit. He was very fussy with his head, but I didn't accept it completely.  My goal was to get transitions from walk to trot and back down without his tossing his head or coming up off the bit.  It took a little doing.  He would walk nicely into the rein, but as soon as I asked for the upward transition, up went his head and down went his back. I'm pretty quick at correcting things, so it only took a stride to get him back, but a stride was one too many.  We took it slowly and methodically and eventually, I had at least two moderately good transitions on each rein.  We cantered about a circle on each lead, mostly because Chance much prefers canter to trot, and then finished up with a nice walk to cool out. Once again, it was about 20 minutes of work all told.

It's amazing how time flies when I am in the saddle concentrating on accomplishing one goal or another. I have to watch the clock to make sure I don't overdo for either the horse or me.  I easily could have kept going with Chance on those transitions as I still had a number of options in my "bag of tricks" to improve them, but I'm satisfied with the progress so far.

Next time, though, he will be in his bridle with the bit he prefers.

The right equipment always makes a big difference.

Things I Wish I'd Known

Lessons from My Horses

When I look back on my riding and horse ownership career, I am largely satisfied. I competed very successfully with my hunter/jumper/event all around horse, Russell R. to the tune of over 150 grand and reserve championships with many many first place finishes. My years with PJ's Folly took me to Intermediare I, with mixed success, but I got there, as I did with Toby.  My competitions with Tucker were somewhat spotty with victories here and there, but far more failures, all of which taught me more than any trophy I could have ever won. I've ridden with international trainers from nearly every corner of the world, and benefited from hours of their expertise and critique.

And yet....

Gee, do I wish I knew then what I know now.

First and foremost is the concept of a treeless saddle. My Russell, despite his phenomenal success in the hunter jumper world,  always proved less of a winner in the dressage arena. He did compete through third level and won many an event based on his dressage scores, but the curious thing was, he always went far better when I rode him bareback. Bareback, he would round his back and simply go "on the bit" with no effort on my part. I am totally convinced he would have loved working in my Ansur and could have been a star all the time working treeless.  I got the Ansur many years after he passed away, and did get to ride PJ in it, but I never competed him in that saddle either. I have a feeling his show arena performances would also have been so much better without a tree to interfere with his incredible trot and perhaps even his more difficult canter.

But PJ's performance in competition leads me to the another thing I wish I'd known about--ulcers. PJ was the obvious candidate. He was erratic from day to day in his work and under the stress of a show, more often than not proved a tricky ride.  He had a ton of talent, but it was so hard to bring it out when we needed it before a judge.  PJ was a perfectionist, and a worrier. I to totally convinced a good part of his attitude was due to ulcers.  But, back then, I'm not even sure many horsemen, much less vets I knew, ever even talked about that. It wasn't until I got Tucker and Patrice Edwards, a trainer from Britain, told me he was suffering from ulcers based upon his behavior that I discovered how common they were in performance horses.

I'm pretty well convinced Toby started cribbing as a a symptom of ulcers too, considering the long story behind his vice. I've treated him since, but at this point the habit is so ingrained, there's no stopping him. At least I feel a little confident that he feels OK internally. It would have been nice to have been able to give PJ that gift too.

I did give PJ the gift of acupuncture and chiropractic, however. He was lucky that way as I owned him when equine acupuncture was just starting.  The vet who treated him has since gone on to a well respected career--no names here as there were some issues surrounding alternative medicine at that time. In fact, the small animal vet who owned the farm where I boarded refused to let a chiropractor work on a horse on his property, so the owner and chiropractor went out into an adjacent field for the adjustments.

I've since used both treatments on Toby and Tucker as well and know how much they can change a horse's behavior.  A joint slipped out of place or a sore muscle can be painful, as we all know. Now add the bulk of a horse's body and our expectations for athletic performances and it often ends in training nightmares.  There are plenty of stoic horses out there that just keep on going no matter what, but I feel a lot better knowing mine don't have to.

Russell R. was on the "cutting edge" of the discovery of glucosamine as a joint supplement. I had a perna mussel powder imported from, I think, Australia or New Zealand.  He also was treated with Isoxsuprine for navicular in the first years it was discovered to be of value.  In both cases, I knew then what I know now, so for a "first horse" he did OK.

I am sure as years go on, there will be more and more discoveries to help our horses and us become sounder, happier athletes. Perhaps there will be a cure for laminitis and a guarantee against colic. Someone might discover a fly spray that really works, or a bit that puts a horse into a Grand Prix frame with no pain and total comfort while still allowing him to develop his muscles properly.  Maybe someone will find a way to give riders perfectly balanced seats, educated hands, and instant sensibility to our horse's responses.

Who knows?

I wish I knew then, what I know now, and I rather imagine that ten years from now, I'll be saying the same thing.

Saddle Up Again

What Incredible Weather!

Who can ignore the weather when it's about 60F and sunny!  I took the Boys's sheets off early this afternoon so they could enjoy the sunshine--and, from looking at Toby about a half hour later--the mud.

I lunged Chance, and even had him jump a little one foot high rail just for fun.  He did really well and seemed to enjoy the attention. He's not happiest lungeing, but he works just fine and I think the jump made things a little more interesting for him.

Then I saddled up Tucker.  He was quite willing to have the halter put on and seemed to want me to do something with him, so saddling was not too fussy. Sometimes he gives me a hard time about the bit--he was trained to do it right at Kenny Harlow's but does need remediation now and again--but today he was fine. He had been watching me lunge Chance and I think he decided he deserved some special attention too.

We started off at a walk which I soon asked to be round and stretchy into the bit.  He resisted a few times and then dropped his head and took the contact.  I did a lot of circle left, circle right, changing him from one outside rein to the other, asking him to step forward into the contact at each change of direction.

Then, still insisting on round, I gave the cue for "trot."  I got "balk."  I cued again. "Balk."  Bummer. I'm not sure what it was all about because with minimal persuasion he was soon trotting off, quite forward and quite connected to the bit.  He will take a lot of contact when he's going like that, so I was working as well.

We did some half halt hesitations, some trot/walk/trot transitions and eventually progressed to a  little canter.  He did not resist at all on either canter depart but for a moment on the left canter he was "strongly suggesting" that he was going to buck.  Since that wasn't exactly in my riding plan for the day, I brought him back to trot for about halfway around the arena and cantered again, keeping his head up a little more.  All was well, but I don't think I would have pushed the issue to do too much more to add to the excitement.

On the plus side, he was forward and willing on both reins. I don't know if that means his hocks are feeling fine for good, or if the time off has just eased any soreness he may have had. Regular riding and the expectation of his working more off his hind end as he gets more fit will tell the story. So far, so good, but I am not jumping to any conclusions at this point.

I had to laugh a bit at Peppercorn, the barn kitty, who really thinks he is "big stuff" around the horses. Today, while I was lungeing Chance, he was lying at the side of the arena snoopervising the whole process. He finally decided to gallop across the arena to watch from the woods side for a while until he disappeared on some sort of adventure or other. He is not afraid of the horses and they seem to take care around him, but I do hope he doesn't get careless enough to get stepped on.

He is getting friendlier and friendlier, so it looks like a trip to the vet is in the near future. I should do it before Spring really does arrive as he is prone to wander in search of ladies and for both his and their sakes's he needs to stay closer to home. As it is, I am sure there are probably a few black gened kittens already in the area. I'm not sure how old Pepper is, but it's not all that important since cats can start breeding at pretty young ages.

I plan to do the right thing for him, but it's taken quite a while to gain his trust and I don't want to lose it too quickly.  That's why I am handling him as much as I can and cementing our relationship.

Meantime, I can enjoy his company and the affection of all three Boys who seem to think I'm OK as long as I bring carrots. *G*

Heigh Ho, A Riding We Will Go

Gorgeous Day

The temperature was up near 60F today with sunshine, blue skies and no wind to speak of.  Perfect for the last day of January.

I had a rather lengthy meeting in the morning, then stopped at the supermarket to use my $10 worth of Purina coupons...cat food, and headed home to make eggplant parmesan for lunch and dinner.  I ate, relaxed a little then headed out to the barn to do the chores and....ride!

I saddled Chance up this time and gave him a perhaps 20 minute school in the arena. Most of it was at the walk, but I did a good session of trot.  I have to laugh a bit at me, because I was actually getting winded as we worked--a pretty sad commentary on my general fitness at the moment. But aside from the barn chores, I haven't been doing any really serious exercise, so I'm not all that surprised.  We finished the arena work with 50 canter strides on each lead and then went out for a super short loop on the trails directly behind my property. It's basically a hairpin out and back.

When we got back, I was surprised to see my farrier's truck in the yard.  Apparently, he had arrived just as I was leaving to go out the gate and I never saw him.  Meanwhile, Toby and Tucker were all riled up, galloping and bucking wildly along the arena fence putting on quite a show. Toby, the herd boss, was quite upset that Chance and I had left, and Tucker was joining in just for the heck of it. I guess at that moment, Scott figured there was no point in trying to catch either one for shoeing, so he decided to wait for me to get back.

Everything settled peacefully as soon as I returned, and we put Chance on the crossties at one end of the barn for Scott's assistant to trim while Tucker stood on the ties at the other end for Scott to shoe him.  Kevin, Scott's assistant, fell in love with Chance almost at once and spent the rest of his time there trying to  buy him. Some of it was joking, but he was also serious.

Both he and Scott kept remarking at what wonderful feet Chance has--the kind you dream about. And, of course, Chance's steady personality and nice chunky, solid body add to his appeal.

It had been 12 weeks since Tucker's last shoeing, and his shoes were still on nice and tight despite the many rains/snows/muds we have had.  Either we were really lucky or his feet are improving.  He has been on the Purina Healthy Edge for about a year now and I'm wondering if that has helped his feet.  I held off on the shoeing so he could grow some good hoof, which he did.  Since I really wasn't riding much, the extra length didn't matter too much and he was moving just fine, so the wait may have been worth it. I guess we will know if these new shoes manage to stay on for the duration.

Toby got his trim, I played with Mick, Scott's border collie for a good long time, and we shared  some good stories all the while.

As for my ride, my knees felt all rubbery when I got back--not bad at all, just tired--so it is just as well Scott had come. I was considering riding Tucker as well, and that might have been a bit too much for my legs. This way, I had an excuse to just ride Chance and let the rest go.

I don't know what the weather is going to be like for the rest of the winter, but we are in for a mild spell again. I will try to do some riding as long as it's nice, with no real goals or plans to accomplish much except some general fitness.

No pressure. Just pleasure.

In Real Life

Meeting A Fellow Blogger

Stacey, who writes Behind the Bit, is in search of a new saddle for Riley, her young dressage horse.  As  matter of course, I recommended she try and Ansur, and sure enough, she got in touch with me to arrange a demo ride.

I drove to her farm yesterday.  Stacey is as genuine in real life as on her blog. While I'm not sure about the rest of the Internet world, I have a feeling most other horse bloggers I know are as real as they are in their writings too.  There's something about the connection to horses here.  If we talk about our relationships to them on an everyday basis, I think it's kind of hard to pretend to be someone else. Our horses will never let us be anything less than honest.

I'm sure there are some charlatan horse bloggers out there somewhere, but I don't think I have any on my "reading list."

But back to Stacey, Riley and the Ansur. She may well post about the experience, but on the whole it was a good one. But as a representative, I have a problem. As with many riders who are not 100% convinced that treeless is "the way to go," one demo ride is really not enough.  Ansur does have a policy where, after you order and pay for your saddle, you have a seven day trial period, but that's only after purchase.

That makes it a bit frustrating for riders who need more time and more rides to make a decision.  I have one client who has now had two test rides and would like a third.  I understand completely.  An Ansur, and most any good saddle, is a big investment.  The trouble is, she is a nearly two hour drive away for me.  I will definitely go there for her, but it would be so much nicer if there were a way she could borrow a saddle to try for herself for a week or so.

Most saddle companies do not offer that option. Liability, lease contracts, etc. are just to complicated. There are tack shops that offer trial periods, for sure, mostly on used saddles, but Ansurs do not show up very often in such places, nor do a number of other excellent saddle brands out there.

I keep thinking, if I had the money, I would buy another Excel--the Ansur dressage model--and create some kind of leasing arrangement for clients. I'd certainly have to look into all the ramifications, but it would help people more easily "take the leap of faith" to treeless saddles if they could ride in one for more than just the few hours of a demo ride.

For now, we just have to deal with the situation as it stands.

Regardless, I am glad the Ansur saddle allowed me to meet my fellow blogger. That, in itself was well worth the trip.

Having a Ball, Part 2

The Weather Turns Again

Once again "Spring in Winter" is here. All the snow melted within about two days except for an odd pile here and there mostly left by the plows.

I substituted on Monday and then had the day full of doctor's appointments on Tuesday, when it was about 50F.  Today was sunny and in the mid 40's F, so I went out in the afternoon for some "play time" with the Boys.

But first, I needed to clean the stalls and poo pick the riding arena--part of their turnout area.  I realized once I started that it had been well over a week since the last pick and the Boys had been hanging out in the sand based arena quite a bit because of the iffy footing elsewhere.  That meant a good bit of work to do.

I filled the wheelbarrow with cleaning about 2/3 of the arena and just managed to push it out to the manure pile. Since the ground was wet, the poo was wet and heavy, and there was mud on the way to the pile.  I kind of made it all the way...sort of. But it's OK.  There is more to clean up, but the area where I ride or work the horses is clean.

Then I got "The Ball" out for a play session.  I had a pocket full of peppermint treats and two very interested horses--Tucker and Chance. Toby still thinks "The Ball" is "Killer Ball."

Chance was not really interested in the ball, but kept focusing on my pockets where the treats were.  If I rolled the ball at him, he just let it careen off his legs and made no move to interact. Tucker, however, seemed to remember that somehow touching the ball had earned him a reward in the past, so it didn't take long for him to make contact.  This time, though, he did not get any praise or a treat for simply touching. He had to actually push the ball with his nose.

All it took was about three tries with rewards and the game started to fall into place. Each time I rolled the ball to him, he gave it a shove with his nose and got his praise and a treat.  Step one complete.  I need to reinforce that and then start getting him to actually roll the ball back to me so we can play "catch."

I'm not sure what to do to get Chance into the game as a three way would be a ton of fun. I do think I'd have to get him alone in the arena without Tucker nearby to get him to think about perhaps giving the ball some attention.  Right now, Tucker's very focused and determined attitude about both ball and treats kind of backs Chance off.

Once the ball game was over, I got out the lunge line and lunged first Tucker, then Chance for just a bit.  Nothing much except perhaps five minutes of trot and canter--a little in each direction.  Both Boys looked nice and sound and fairly willing to move along for me.

Chance does, however, have the most relaxed little "rocking chair" canter I've seen in a long time. While it does get a bit "up and down" instead of forward, it is just amazing that he can canter that slowly. I'm not sure what the pleasure horse class judges are looking for nowadays in the show arena, but  there was a day when he would have been a star.  If only he were a Quarterhorse.....*lol*

I thought about riding, but my knees are just a little sore this week. I'm not sure why, but the exercise of pushing the wheelbarrow for the stalls and arena was enough of a workout for now. Perhaps on the weekend or next week. The weather appears to be pretty calm for a while again, with rain in the forecast, but nothing more dire.

Once again, as it often is in the winter, we'll just have to wait and see.

Well, It's Finally Here

Winter, That Is

We have several inches of snow on the ground. But that would not be too bad. The "bad" is that it is already starting to rain on top of that and the rain is mixed with sleet, so we may be in for a coating of ice.

Ice is not good. My biggest worry is the Boys. If the footing gets dangerous with ice, I will have to keep them in the barn until things thaw. This happened a few years ago just before Christmas and the Boys were in for three days or so.  We also had bad ice one year when I was boarding out and that was dreadful. I finally made a path all the way to the indoor arena by lugging buckets of extra sand from the arena.  It was a long haul, but at least the horses were able to get out for a while to stretch their legs.

Here, I have no option like that. It's either in or out.  So right now it's just a matter of wait and see.

I also need to make a decision about whether or not to plow the driveway. Once before, I let the snow sit and it froze over and all I had was a mess of ice for at least a week.

On the plus side, it's supposed to go up to 53 F on Monday, so there is a good chance the worst of whatever falls will melt quickly.  Tonight is the bad one as it's predicted to be around 18F, so frozen is definitely the norm.  Tomorrow, it may go up to 36F or so, and if there is sunshine, that's good too.

Ah, well. My other problem is that I will be doing some substitute teaching next week so I will not always be here to monitor the Boys or see to their needs. I'll just have to see how the whole thing plays out. For now, all is well.

The Boys are fed and have hay to keep them content.

But, all three of them were coated in snow and little icicles when I went out to feed. As usual, instead of sheltering during the little storm, they had been standing outside somewhere.  They are all dressed in their winter blankets, so that's not a problem except for their icicled manes and wet necks. You'd think they'd take advantage of all the roof options they have--three run-in shed roofs and the barn itself.

One of my former trainers said when the weather is bad, horses actually want to be outside because the noise of wind and rain falling on the barn roofs upset them and they needed to be out where they could see what was going on. I suspect a part of that is true.  As prey animals, horses would not want to be trapped if there was danger about. They would want to be free to run. As well, when it snows, in particular, visibility is limited and being out gives them a wider range of vision to see any predators that may try to take advantage of the weather's cover.

Could be.

The Boys too tend to take shelter when it rains--at least some of the time. I suppose I need to monitor exactly what kind of rain brings them in and what kind of rain keeps them out as there have been many times I've seen them standing outside as well.

It's all just another one of those mysteries of horse behavior we simple humans cannot fathom.

The Shredding Continues

But This Time.....

When I went out to feed this morning, I saw a puff of white stuffing by Tucker's outside stall door. Aha!! The Boys were all dressed in winter blankets. The detective in me suspected the worst, so I first examined Tucker's blanket.

Fine. Nary a rip.

Then I checked Toby.

Fine.

That meant...yes, Chance, sporting a brandy new (Rhino) (Edited it's an Amigo)  midweight I had just purchased about two weeks ago.

No longer is it a brandy new Rhino. It had a large, L shaped tear in the left side.

*sigh*

Fortunately most of the stuffing is intact and the rip is pretty clean, so a stitch up job is quite possible.  I now have said blanket on the back porch awaiting my tender loving care and the sewing machine. Meantime, I put an old Roma thinsulate on Chance since it's not supposed to rain until tomorrow night. (Romas are not waterproof.)

I had a doctor's appointment this morning, then went to get my hair cut and ended up at a friend's house to see his new kittens. (Shy little ones but cute as bugs. They were born in the wild and are a bit wary of strangers, so all I really got was fleeting glances and one quick pet.)

All this occupied the better part of the day, so the blanket still waited for me. I just did a straight stitch job on it, with the seam on the outside since there was now way to sew the top layer with the seam underneath since the lining was still intact. It's not the best job in the world, but it will do fine provided no one decides to strike again.

I can testify, Amigos are not indestructible, despite any ads to the contrary. They are not the top of the line in the Rambo family, but I would have hoped it would have lasted more than a couple weeks.

But, these are my Boys.

I think someone bred a little shark into my equines.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Winter Makes a Move

Seems the winter blogs turn into weather reports more often than not. Same here, I fear.

I woke up to the sound of sleet--heavy sleet--hitting the skylight in the sunroom.  Once fully conscious, I could hear it beating down outside my window as well. Weather forecast called for rain. Darn it.

Yesterday was in the mid forties F with calm, still air.  Today? Sun in, sun out, snow showers now and then, the sleet attack, of course, and then wind.  All off and on, reminding us all that winter in New Jersey is a fickle  visitor, not sure whether to sit down to make a statement or to hurry through with quick comments.

I'm not sure which I prefer, sometimes. I switched the Boys back into their insulated blankets this morning, putting the sheets aside for the time being. Each Boy poses his own challenge. Chance simply refuses to stand still when he is free in his stall for a clothes change.  He walks about in a circle or makes a break through the gate into the barn aisle to meander about with straps hanging before I've managed to do them up.

Now, I could to the right thing and put each horse on the crossties to change blankets, but it's just as easy to do the work when they are eating.  And, for the most part, they tolerate it pretty well.  I've always made it a point to bother my horses now and then when they are eating anyhow. While I can understand that they do like to focus on the food, I also want them to know that I am in charge and though food may be their priority, accepting both my presence and my control at all times is a part of their lives.

Toby and Tucker take a rather dim view of this idea. At least Tucker does. While I try to buckle blanket straps on him, I get his "snake face," a tossing head, and some pretty good efforts on his part to bite me. Biting is not his option, of course. I correct that by "biting" him sharply--usually on the neck--with my stiff fingers. If I can get a little pinch in there it makes the point even more effectively and he usually stops. The best reward is when his ears go up and he assumes an innocent expression as if to say, "OK, Boss! Who, me? Nope, I'd never bite you."

Toby, if eating is fine, but when he is engaged in his cribbing, as he was this morning, he too will react with an annoyed snap at the air in my direction. Depending on how much he's actually aiming, and how much of it is intentionally in the air, I will either use the finger bite or a simple verbal reprimand. He is herd boss and understands the responsibility of power, so he does not challenge me as much as "wannabe herd boss," Tucker.  And, Toby has a much more sensitive personality than Tucker. He will overreact to things much more quickly.

It is an interesting contrast in personalities and reflects each horse's reaction to "The Ball."

Chance was not at all intimidated and though he spooked a little from it at first soon just ignored it, even when it bounced into his legs. Instead of interacting, he just kind of wandered away, off on his own "walkabout," despite "The Ball's" presence.

Tucker, was at once fixated on "The Ball" and alternately spooked wildly or did repeated approach and retreat. He simply could not leave the strange pink thing alone and needed to touch it and eventually push it around, taking charge of its presence in his life.

Toby wanted nothing to do with "The Ball."  It spooked him and still spooks him. It is "something dangerous," to be watched out for and avoided. But, I am sure that if "The Ball" went after him in earnest--say if it trapped him in his stall or a round pen--he would try to kill it. That is exactly what he did when Kenny Harlow challenged him with a mylar balloon. Despite the fact that Kenny introduced the balloon and got Toby to accept it, when he turned his back and the balloon trailed to the ground on the end of its string, Toby attacked full force with two incredibly quick and accurate forefeet and blew the balloon to smithereens.

It's for that very reason, that despite all his super ground manners, I always use a little extra caution when working around Toby. The key is not to corner him so that neither he nor I have an escape route. Kenny told me to always be careful if there was something Toby was afraid of, and I am.  "The Ball" will eventually become something Toby accepts, but I am not pressing the point. So far, he has eaten a carrot off "The Ball" even though his body was in "I am going to fly back in a split second of that thing moves," but I have not challenged him further.

Today is not the day. The wind would make "The Ball" a lively adversary.

I'll wait until winter decides to leave the room again.

Rain Here

But Not Cold

It's kind of "Springy" outside with rain and fairly warm temperatures. That, of course, curtails the horse activity, although the Boys were out frolicking before breakfast. I'm guessing that standing in the stalls or under the run in shed for most of the night inspired some activity this morning when the rain let up.

I had to take Tucker's orange sheet off and put on another waterproof one--fortunately I found a spare that was not too torn--because all the repair work I had done, including the rip in the side, had been undone. The surcingle was gone again as well.  I did get the sheet off before it got wet, but it's lying on the back porch for now until I figure out just what to do. I am wondering if using the zig zag stitch on the sewing machine is the problem. This time I will used a smaller straight stitch to see if that holds better.

I just saw the garbage collect truck drive past and suddenly realized it was actually Thursday, pick up day, instead of Wednesday.  This is a sad state of affairs, but not totally shocking for me. When I was teaching and had the summer off, it often happened that I'd lose track of just what day it was. Now that I am retired, the whole concept of the week can get "misplaced" pretty easily. Without a set schedule dictated by outside forces, what day it actually is really doesn't matter.

All that being said, I did have appointments this week and should have realized that I was at the eye doctor for a check up yesterday--Wednesday, and not Tuesday. Ah, well. My garbage and recyclables did not go today so I will have another week to collect a more impressive amount.  And, I will remember to go to choir practice tonight as well--Thursday......

Of course, the Boys don't care what day it is.  Seven days a week, they still need the same care and regular feeding. There is now weekend sleeping in late for me, although I have made the morning feed a little later than it was when I was teaching every day. Having animals at home is a big responsibility with some drawbacks well outweighed by the advantages.

At least that's my opinion. I don't have to drive anywhere to check up on them and I know exactly what they are being fed and when. I am aware of every aspect of their care and maintenance from veterinarian to farrier to trainer and handler. Nothing is left to chance--well, aside from Chance who has his own agenda in life including ripping Tucker's blankets.  But it also ties me down or challenges me to find alternatives if for some reason I can't do some of the chores.

Thankfully, I have found a wonderful horsesitter, Debbie, who took care of the Boys after my recent knee surgery and so far has been available on short notice for a day here and there. She took care of the Boys on Christmas Day so I could go to my cousins's house for the day, for example. While I do have to pay her, it is well worth the money to have someone I can depend on in a time of need.

Meantime, it's all up to me, no matter what day it is.

Even if it is Thursday.

Grin and "Bare" It

Saturday Through Monday

Saturday was at least 60F, perhaps more in the sun.  I took the Boys's sheets off and let them go bare.

We started off with a little photography session, and some ball play, neither of which merited much action. I do, by the way, have a movie option on my digital cameras and I have a camcorder as well. I just haven't taken the time to fool around much with either of them. Without an extra camera person here, it's kind of hard to get much good stuff and I always miss the action when the Boys are playing on their own as the camera is usually somewhere else. By the time I get it, the games are done.

At any rate, even working with the still camera, it's not an easy task to get pictures of my little herd. Every time I hold the camera up to get a shot of someone, said someone turns and walks directly to me. It's as if the camera were some kind of horse nose magnet. I did get a few OK views of naked horses, though, so here they are:

Toby, heading for the camera.....

 Toby showing what he thinks of having his picture taken.

 Tucker thinking about entering the arena while Chance mugs the camera.

 Chance, encounterint "The Ball."

 Chance, starting to turn towards me for another camera "assault."

 Tucker and Toby caught in a candid moment. Note the missing fence rail. Surprise!

 Tucker, front shot as once again, he heads towards me.

 Tucker and his new best friend, "The Ball."

OK, enough nude photos. I hope you aren't blushing.

I need to add.

I rode.

I saddled up Chance on Saturday and meandered around the arena for about five minutes. He was rather wiggly mostly because not only did he want to go out on the trail instead, but I was using Toby's bridle and bit, not his.  Chance goes much better in a single jointed snaffle instead of the lozenge bit   He broke part of his bridle when I fell off and I just haven't gotten around to fixing it yet. Why not? Heaven only knows, but since I wasn't riding, it didn't seem a priority.  We walked and trotted a little and despite being very fussy in his mouth, he was a good boy.

Sunday was a bit more brisk and I didn't really do much outside at all. Then today, Monday, I headed out in the early afternoon to do a bit of ball playing.

Once again, Tucker was the most interested in the ball and by rewarding him with treats, I got him to push it around just a little. I don't know if he connected the pushing the ball with the little carrots, but he surely was involved in the whole affair.

Then, I put the ball away and saddled Tucker up for a short ride in the arena. Since he stood quietly at the mounting block until I was seated, I offered him a peppermint horse treat as a reward.

Error. Did you know Tucker cannot walk and chew treats at the same time? *LOL*  At least that's what he tried to convince me to believe.

We soon sorted that out and walked around in a few simple patterns before going into the trot for some experimental work.  I did a little sitting trot now and then, did figure 8's, serpentines, leg yield and then a little half pass in each direction. As usual, the left half pass is a little sticky compared to the right, but both of them were certainly acceptable at this point.

Then, I decided to try just a bit of canter. We are talking perhaps 20-30 strides on each lead.  I am pleased to report that from the trot, he struck off in both directions without any fuss. This is a good sign as the canter depart is where he shows any discomfort in his hocks. These were, of course, not fully engaged, rock back on the haunches canter departs, but nice prompt relaxed ones, so that is a fine start for us at this point.

My knees felt fine when I was riding with just a tiny bit of soreness now and again at the posting trot, but it's so much less than before the replacements I hardly notice.  They are less stiff than they were when I first tried to ride, but not yet as flexible as they need to be. The main issue is when I swing my leg over to mount. Fortunately, my horses do not seem to mind if my foot brushes them on the rump as I get on or off, so no real problem.

I don't know how much I will ride now. The weather will be a factor as will the rather long list of doctor appointments I have this month--three this week. But I will take one day at a time.

Meanwhile, we do have the ball to play with.

Oh, yes. Here is one more picture. This is Peppercorn, the barn kitty who now lets me pet him when he is eating and upon occasion elsewhere.  He is a well fed little critter.

Having a Ball

What's That?

I bought a big play ball for the horses today. The saddle shop had a pretty good price compared to what I have seen advertised on the Internet.  And, it turned out the only one in stock was already inflated and covered, so it was even better for me not to have to assemble it all.

We did have to let a little air out to stuff it into my car, but we managed and home I came.

Reactions from the Boys were mixed, but curiosity won out in the end--except for Toby who never did quite manage to touch the ball. To my surprise, the boldest moves were made by Tucker. Chance, though, did not seem at all concerned about the ball when I pushed it into him, so he gets good scores for the "scare" factor.

Tucker, though, was really interested.  Several times he pushed the ball across the arena and later, when the other two Boys had left, he pushed it around a little on his own.  There was no real play interaction going on yet, just inquisitive tests of what the ball would do if approached and touched.  I decided to leave it out for a while longer and bring it in later tonight.  The weather has taken a turn to the warm side again, and I am hoping to ride a little tomorrow. So having the ball out there will be a good diversion to keep the Boys occupied and maybe even a little exercised.

Here are some pictures of the introduction to the ball:

 Chance checks it out.

 Tucker takes a look from a distance.

 Tucker approaches.

 Contact!

 Toby watches from a safe distance, just in case the ball attacks.

 Tucker's not so sure as Chance takes charge.

 But once again, it's Tucker's turn.

 And later, all on his own, Tucker pushes the ball across the arena.

I think this is first introduction again, but you can see that Chance is not at all intimidated.

The colorful array of pink and orange is kind of dramatic. *LOL*  They had two covers for sale. The other one was blue and red. I might have gone for that, but the ball was already "dressed" in the pink cover, so I was quite content to get it.

Now we have a toy. All I need to do is figure out some fun games to play.

Training Thoughts on a Cold Winter Night

 My Brain Does Work Even When I'm Shivering

Cold here in New Jersey. I put winter blankets on the Boys for the night. Hopefully they will be comfortable.  

But, on to the topic of the post.......

Interesting comment from Muriel on my last post about the western riders and flying changes.  She noted that they do not worry about collection and such for training or teaching the exercise.

I am in total agreement. In fact, aside from a few of the upper level dressage movements that might require collection to be done properly—piaffe and passage, in particular—most of the “tricks” of dressage do not require the horse to even be on the bit.

Now, hardcore dressage riders/trainers may scoff at that. There is a certain mystery to teaching the horse according to the “training scale” and at each level of expertise, there are specific exercises that should be mastered.  According to their theory, a horse cannot master, for example, a walk/canter transition when it first begins its training.

But, horses walk/canter in the field all the time. They do flying changes, as Muriel noted, and some of them even passage across the pasture. They are certainly not “on the bit” and the only collection they offer is whatever their bodies need to do to maneuver. Why should it really be any different under saddle once the horse is comfortable about the idea of how to carry a rider on its back?

I remember being taught and reading about how to get a horse to take the correct lead at the canter. It’s a rather complex process according to some experts. The cue to canter must be given as the off hind leg strikes off to encourage the inside hind to take a larger stride. The horse must be positioned “just so,” with a proper half halt to gain balance for the depart. You support with your inside leg and cue the lead with the outside leg (some people do use other cues, by the way) and if you do everything just right, you will get the lead you want.

Out in the field, horses take the correct lead for turns all the time, and if they change their minds about direction, most often will fly the change to make the new turn. Why not? They want to be in balance on their own and would much rather do it right than do it wrong.

Yet, we get in the saddle, and suddenly, we can’t canter on the correct lead at all.  In all my serious riding experience, I can only recall two horses that posed a problem for me about taking their leads. One was my friend’s horse that turned out to have a permanently injured stifle, so he was actually too lame to take the lead, and the other was my very on PJ, who had apparently broken a bone in his front hoof at some point and had developed the habit of never taking that lead.  I overcame PJ’s issues with lots of training, but other riders who rode him often could not get the right lead for “love or money.”  Otherwise, I have never found getting the correct lead to be a big issue. Sometimes, it might require a little mental work to find the right exercise to encourage the correct lead, but that’s about it.

I think too many riders—dressage riders especially—make too much of what needs to be done to simply ride. Certainly, creating a beautiful Grand Prix test does demand all the “magic,” but for just plain old riding? 

All it really takes is the proper cue to ask the horse to do what comes naturally. 

Resolutions

Just A Thought

I don't, as a rule, make New Year's resolutions.

I am not a "far into the future" planner and never have been, usually letting life kind of take its course as it comes.

All that being said, when I was competing my horses, I did plan, especially for eventing. I knew then that my horse's fitness was an essential ingredient to both success and safety.  And, back then, even if I were not eventing, I assured my horses' fitness by riding a varied program 5-6 days a week.

I still have to laugh about the time I attended a jumping clinic with a prominent trainer. My horse, PJ, was a bulky Thoroughbred and the trainer began his group clinic with a lecture about how most amateur hunter/jumper riders never really had their horses fit enough for competition. He railed on about that for a moment, then walked over to PJ to poke his shoulder muscle to prove his point, planning to demonstrate just how "soft" my horse was.

He almost broke his finger on PJ's solid, well developed muscle. "Well, I'm not talking about this horse," he said, finally.

That was then. This is now. I have not ridden my Boys since last Spring--except for the ill-fated after surgery week before I took my tumble.  They are far from fit, but do benefit from 24-7 turnout with lots of playtime. (As their sheets and my poor fence prove.)

I plan on riding, of course, so that means I need to give my Boys some basic fitness.

For that, I do need a bit of a plan.  Trouble is, January in New Jersey is not exactly the time or place to start a fitness regimen for horses when you don't have an indoor.

But, I can think a bit about some training goals.  I'm not at all sure about what Tucker can do since he has shown some chronic soreness in his hocks. Still, I would think that we could master flying changes this year. So, once I get him in shape, that's a plan.

Chance just needs a good solid foundation in all the basics. I'd like to have him trainer to at least first level competence, with, perhaps some flying changes as well. The first level competence is not a problem but the changes might be a bit much, depending on how he progresses.

Toby? Hard to say. He deserves his retirement, but I think being ridden now and then is good for him. He's definitely a "take it as it comes," fellow at this point. He can be very obvious about not wanting to get caught sometimes, so I guess I can just let him tell me what he wants to do.

Nothing grand here.  There may be an opportunity for a "despooking" clinic in the Spring that would be decided fun for Chance and there is the outside chance I may decide to show him a little.  I really don't have any ambition in that direction, though.  Shows have gotten super expensive and there don't seem to be too many fun little schooling competitions around any more. We'll see.

So, that's it. No real resolutions, per se, but some goals.  I am hopeful that my new knees might spark some more ideas once they are fully recovered.  And I also hope that new legs will help me get myself more fit and even lose some weight.

Only time will tell.

Fly Update

And More Sheet Work to Do

Spaulding Labs emailed me with an explanation that their billing/order system had gone completely haywire with orders their customers had placed for the fly predators. Apparently, it was a software error that went, as they said, "from bad to worse."  They sent me a corrected copy of my order which was fine and promised to follow up with a standard confirmation.

Good company, and, as far as I'm concerned, they sell a good product. I'm sure from what I heard from other horse stable owners last year, that I had far fewer flies because of those little predators. They are worth the money.

The Boys are enjoying the nice weather we've been having, but what the heck does Tucker do to his clothes?  I finally got my sewing machine's bobbin straightened out so I brought Tuck's turnout sheet in and sewed up the rip. That's fine.  But, when I went out last night for late feed, I saw that his sheet was lopsided on his back. So I straightened it, only to find that the front surcingle was missing.

I don't see a tear in the sheet, but the darn thing is not there.

Fortunately, I had the foresight to rescue some pieces from sheets and blankets I've had to dispose of over the years, so I have an extra surcingle I can put on. That means I have at least one afternoon project.

When it warms up, I'll  go out, take Tucker's sheet off and bring it inside to repair. I'm beginning to think I need a sewing room right out there at the barn.  Come to think of it, if I had the money to build a gorgeous, full service barn, I would. Or at least I'd have a nice, well appointed tack room with a huge washer and dryer as well as a nice sewing station and a heavy duty machine.

Alas. I do not have the money and probably, my Township would wrap the building permits into so much red tape that even if I did have the funds, it would be years before I'd get the darn thing built.

The New Year is creeping up upon us all. Here's hoping it will bring better things for everyone.

For me. All I need right now is enough thread to sew on that surcingle.

Oopsy! Super Fly.

What in the World?

I ordered my fly predators the other day, taking advantage of the early order form to get the special double shipments twice during the fly season.

For those of you who don't know, fly predators are teeny tiny wasp critters that feed on the stable fly larvae. You get a shipment of little ready to hatch eggs and spread them about the stable areas where it's wet or near the manure pile.  The little bugs hatch and eat, cutting the fly population considerably. They are not a 100% cure for flies, but they surely do help around here.

I just received an email from the company indicating that there had been an error in my order and would I please check it and notify them as to how to remedy.

My goodness!! According to the order on the email. I bought about 10 or more "subscriptions" to fly predators for 2012!  Somehow, my order had multiplied worse than stable flies.

Hopefully, their email shows the company clearly understands this was wrong and it will be easily fixed.

But things like this make me nervous. It's one of those moments when using the Internet as opposed to a face-to-face transaction gets a bit risky.

I do a lot of business and shopping on the Internet myself. As a matter of fact, I find shopping on line a great way to get bargains and save the time of driving all over to find just the right purchase.

And yet, this little incident pulls me up short now and then. It's a good reminder to shop carefully and from reputable sellers all along the way.

Hopefully the Boys and I will not be buried under fly predators this summer. At the size of my erroneous order, we'd have every acre of land covered with them.

Then again, I guess I really would have no flies around here.

'Twas Days After Christmas

And All Through the Farm....

Peace reigns. The Boys are fat and happy and so am I.

Well, not too fat, yet. What is it about the holidays that brings out the appetite? We had my cousin's delicious lasagna Christmas Eve, along with cookies and candy, of course. Then on Christmas Day I went down to my other cousin's house--at Ship Bottom which is on Long Beach Island at the Jersey Shore--for a sumptuous ham dinner. I ate and ate.

But, I also took a three block walk to the beach before dusk.  Not the biggest deal, normally, but with my knee replacements, a potential challenge. Walking in the sand is not the easiest effort for muscles and joints.  New Jersey beach sands tend to be fine so when they are dry, you sink in several inches.  With my own bad knees, it was hard to make it across the top of the beach down to the water. Christmas Day, new knees?  No problem! Again, my knees are still a little stiff and, depending on where the swelling has decided to rest for the day, a little sore, but they are stable and for the first time in years really feel as if they can hold me up just fine.

So, I walked all the way down to the water's edge and dipped my hand in the ocean. Not normally a big deal, but I haven't been down to the ocean in about two years, so it was an "event," for my fingers. I was rather surprised that the water didn't feel a lot colder. It might be that it is salt water, of course, but it was not a feeling of "instant freeze" even though the air was rather chilly--not icy cold, mind you, but hovering around 40F or a bit below with a breeze.

I'm not a big shore goer, even though it's one of "the things" to do in New Jersey. I get sunburned easily and getting thrashed about by waves was kind of hard on my knees. But perhaps this summer I will go down at least once to my cousins' house to take a dip. I much prefer the pool for real swimming, but the ocean does have a unique allure and with new legs, I will probably enjoy it.

Meantime, the Boys have reaped the benefit of the season as well with apples in their feed and the traditional carrots with green tops--I think I noted that before. I did finally manage to stitch the rip in Tucker's sheet so he doesn't quite look like a ragged orphan any more as well.

My friend Stacie was supposed to bring her lovely little mustang mare, Rosie up here to the mustang trainer who lives on the next road over. Stacie has only done the basics with Rosie who is now coming four years old, so it's time to start working on getting her under saddle.

This is Rosie. She was adopted and handled at Rutgers University in their equine program as a baby. They auction the horses off at the and of the school year.  She was two in these pictures and the handler is the student who was her caretaker.

So, back to the story. Around 9AM or so, Stacie called me from the emergency room. She had been sick all night and in pain.  Turned out she is OK--drink plenty of fluids and just wait it out--but the call gave me quite a scare. I was afraid something had happened when she was loading Rosie for the trip up. Whew!!

I just spoke to her on the phone a few minutes ago, and she is doing much better and was even able to do the barn chores this morning. Of course, as we all know too well, that horsewomen, in particular, do not "know the meaning of pain" when it comes to taking care of our horses. I know that I, for one, have dragged myself out to the barn despite a fever, nausea, weakness, and even a non-supporting knee more than once to see to the Boys' care. But, I'll take Stacie at her word and accept that she really is feeling better.

I am ever hopeful that the New Year will bring better things for us all, particularly my friends who've not had the best 2011.

In the meantime, I am doing all I can to enjoy the rest of the holiday season, even if it means a few extra pounds. With my new knees, I should be able to work them off anyhow. *lol*

Merry Christmas To All

'Tis the Season

I have carrots with tops for the Boys as well as apples for their Christmas feed. I got each one a new flysheet--for the summer, of course--and a new halter.

I plan on doing a little extra barn cleaning to make the manger suitable for the Christ Child and have some extra special wood shavings on store for bedding.

My family presents will be wrapped and ready for Christmas Eve and my outdoor lights will be shining brightly.

So, to all, a very Merry Christmas from all of us here at Follywoods--kitties, horses, and me!

Merry Christmas To All

Rituals and Routines

Just How Do Animals Tell Time?

It was just about 8:30 this morning, the time I've been feeding the horses.  I had just rolled out of bed and was headed towards the kitchen when I looked out the window to see Peppercorn, the barn kitty, heading for the house.  This was not a random stroll, but a direct walk with a mission--to meet me at the door as I was coming out to feed.

The house is too far away for him to have heard me roll out of bed and I hadn't turned on any lights or made any kind of noise he could have heard. And yet, he knew it "WAS TIME" and I would be on my way.  Some internal clock had struck "breakfast" in his brain and he was acting on it.

Feeding the Boys is a routine, of course, but when I see those faces waiting for me to appear, I begin to wonder where the routine ends and the magic begins.

I enter the barn with hay first, open Toby's stall door, put his hay in the corner and go into Tucker's stall from the outside door to put his hay in as well.  Toby is always fed first, in deference to his alpha horse standing in the herd. Then I cross the aisle to put Chance's hay in his stall.

Each horse, in turn has to pee. I'm not at all sure what that is all about, but it's part of the routine--or the ritual.  Sometimes one, or all three will go out to the paddock to do this duty, or stand just inside the stall door looking out as they do.  Wet spots are almost always in exactly the same place in each stall when I muck out, so that too is part of the whole scenario.

If I leave Toby's inside stall door open as I often do, part of his routine/ritual is to come out into the aisle and stand at the feed room door, watching me dole out the feed.  It's apparently important to him to both be out, in charge, and supervising my work.  One quiet reminder "Back in your stall," is enough to send him back in where I dump the feed in his bucket, then Tucker's and finally Chance's.  Same order, every feed time.

Toby a long time cribber, gets caught in another habitual behavior as he eats, stopping after a bunch of bites to windsuck on his stall wall.  If I don't catch him Tucker takes that as his cue to sneak into Toby's stall from outside to grab a few bites of Toby's grain while Toby is lost in the euphoria of his vice.  Most of the time, I see the sneaky Bay Boy and once again, "Own stall," is enough to send him back home unless Toby rouses himself and chases him out with snaky ears and an alpha horse warning.

It's the same every feeding. A routine we all share like clockwork.

And most of the time, Peppercorn joins in, insisting--as cats are wont to do--that I feed him first of all.  Alpha cat--only cat.  He lets me pet him as he eats now and is thinking perhaps it might feel good to get some stroking at other times, although he's not quite sure yet.  

He led the ritual this morning, but was clever enough to wait under the shed roof, nestled in the leftover hay in the wheelbarrow as the rain drizzled down this evening.

Apparently, ritual can be dependent upon the weather here at Follywoods.

Diversions

How To Waste Time

I am playing computer games again. I haven't done this with any kind of dedication for years.  Most of the games I've played have been mere diversions, not obsessions.

But, "back when" I played the Sierra adventure games with a serious vengeance--for hours and hours at a time.  These were not "shoot 'em up" arcade games, but legitimate adventure games where your character moved about in a virtual world and had to solve puzzles to move the story along. The avatar would need to find objects along the way to use in various places, interact with various characters, and actually move through life as his/her story unfolded. Sure, there was combat at times, but nothing that I--somewhat "speed challenged" on the mouse or cursor--couldn't handle. I didn't need a game controller or quick fingers. All I really needed was my brain. The games?  Hero's Quest, King's Quest, the old Leisure Suit Larry, and Space Quest.  

Then "adventure" games moved to arcade mode. I had to shoot fast at targets, kill, maim, destroy, all requiring physical skills I just didn't have.  My fine motor skills just don't suit that kind of action.

Time passed. I played FreeCell, a lot. There were a few little short adventure games--mostly Scooby Doo--online.  Then, I discovered Angry Birds and a number of other "physics based" games online.  Basically, you shoot some kind of object--birds, rocks, etc.--to break or move obstacles which then supposedly react as they would in the real world to collapse or knock things about in order to reach a goal.

Fun stuff. I found and played Zombie Drop, All We Need is Brain, and, of course, the Angry Birds series.  I have since spent hours happily smashing zombies or leading them to their deaths and crunching green pigs.

Then, I discovered some more old fashioned adventure games from Big Fish Games.  These are not the "find the hidden object" games with time restraints, but the kind of games where you wander about solving puzzles in order to reach an objective.  I spent a good part of the day finishing up Spirits of Mystery: The Amber Maiden, and have already spent hours working out the puzzles in the Drawn series.

I am sure I could be spending my time more productively. I'm still not quite ready to ride again, so that's out for the time being.  The outside chores beckon to some degree, but the colder weather has put me off a bit. I did do the laundry and I have to wrap my presents.  There is some house cleaning calling to me again--as it so often does--but I'm having fun.

Sometimes there's really nothing wrong with that.

I do need to go shopping to get the Boys their traditional carrots with tops for Christmas. The rest of my shopping is done.

I guess I have a little extra time to waste.

Picture Perfect--Well, Not

Introducing....

My friend Christina has a new Border Collie puppy, Jake. I visited them today at the barn and also met, RC, the new barn kitty. RC was "making moves" to play with Jake and the pair were adorable. So, enjoy a few moments with the cutie pies.

RC batting at Jake.  

 Jake eating his carrot.

Jake, crashed as only a puppy can crash!  He took a nice long nap.

 JC planning his next move.

And, for those of you who need some bad Christmas lights pictures, here is one of my house and one of the barn.

It is almost impossible for me to get good focus on these, but at least you get the idea.

I put up all the lights and garlands. The front fence is done as is the back porch. So, I have completed my decorating once again.

And I wore myself out. I still have feed to unload from the truck, so that will exercise me tomorrow. It is supposed to rain at some point, so I don't have any other big plans for the day.

I guess Christmas has come to Follywoods.

Partially Lit

No Deed Ever Goes Smoothly

What is is about jobs around the house and barn that always makes them filled with drama?

I put the lights up on the front porch--lighted garlands around the pillars, a green spot light, and a lighted wreath on the door. Plugged everything in and...nothing. Checked the switch inside--on. Checked the fuse box in the basement--OK. Something has gone wrong with the outside outlet on the porch.

I will not try to fix electrical stuff.  I can rewire a lamp and do the wiring on my horse trailer, but house wiring repairs--Nope. My Dad was an electrical engineer and did all the electrical work around the house as easy as anything. He did the plumbing work and carpentry work too. I cannot aspire to his heights, although I am willing to tackle a few tasks.

But electrical? Nope!

So, what to do? There is an electrical outlet in the basement by the basement window at the side of the house. I already had the window fixed to things could be pulled through it. So, I hooked up an extension cord from the basement to the front porch where I put a surge protector so I could connect several cords.

That left how to turn the lights on and off. Needless to say, I didn't want to have to hike up and down the basement stairs to unplug things. Nor was I too keen on having to go out to the porch to trip the surge protector all the time. And, while an automatic timer was an option, I'm not too keen on losing control of when the lights go on, especially since I sometimes like them to stay on longer or shorter depending on what's going on here.

Enter the remote control device. I had one here already, but there was another good brand on sale at Target when I visited today--in search of red bows.  I've hooked it up and even from the living room upstairs it seems to work a treat. So I can now turn the outside lights on and off with the touch of a button! Too cool for words.

Tomorrow is going to be another nice day weatherwise, so I hope to finish up the garlands and bows along the fence--probably add the lights, decorate the barn, and put some more lights on my little tree. Then I am all set.

For ideas about wrapping presents. I have, for the second time, come up with what I think's a really good one. I am using the fabric reusable shopping bags they sell in the markets. I had to do a bit of searching, but I found some very pretty green ones and some lovely red ones that don't have huge advertising images on them. instead they have nice, attractive trees.  I simply put the unwrapped present inside, add a bit of tissue paper, some ribbon, and the tag.  They look pretty, they're practical, they save a lot of work wrapping, and they save all that wrapping paper.

Meanwhile, the Boys are just hanging out. I did get a good buy on bagged apples yesterday, so each horse got one for dinner.  When I shop, I count how many apples are in a 5 pound bag and usually it's only 11. Since I have 3 horses, that never divides evenly. However, these apples were a bit smaller and there were more than a dozen in each bag. So, it still might not divide perfectly, but I do get at least three sets of treats out of each bag before I have to start cutting something up to share.

I am a bit obsessive, I fear, about making sure that the treats are always given equally to each horse. Sometimes Toby does get the biggest carrot, but never two if everyone else has only one.  I guess even if my Boys are not altruistic or fair with each other, I can set a good example.

After all, isn't that what a "parent" is supposed to do?

To Light or Not To Light

How Holiday Should I Be?

OK, the horses are settled all snug in their beds as visions of carrot tops danced in their heads. (I always buy each Boy a bunch of carrots with the green tops still on. Most of the time we get carrots here with the tops trimmed off, so tops on ones are special.)

I am just back from the annual choir Christmas party which began after church this morning--actually about 1 PM. My church has changed the annual tradition of an evening musical vespers service to a morning service of "lessons in carols."  All the musical groups of the church participate, singing and playing songs to illustrate a reading of the Biblical Christmas story.  I do miss the beauty of the evening service with the candles, but this was nice.  And our chorale/choir held an after service brunch/party afterwards.  I hung out longer than the others to chat with our host and hostess--we are good friends--so I was later coming home.

On the drive, I passed dozens of houses all lit up for the holiday.  Colored lights were everywhere.

My house, as I pulled in, was dark and dreary.  I do have my little tree in the bay window, but it was not lit, so there was no sign of holiday spirit anywhere.

So, do I light up or not?  The decorations are in the basement, waiting. I am certainly capable of climbing up and down the stairs to drag them up. But then I need to go outside and put them up.  Once again, I am physically capable, but do I have the will and energy?

I could do a partial version and only put up the basics, but I know myself too well for that. Once I start, I will have to string the garland along the fence, add the red bows and then the lights after I've decorated the front porch with garlands and lights.

And then, how can I leave out the star, garland and lights on the barn? Or the garland and lights on the back porch?

I fear it's another one of those jobs I cannot do half way.

So, to light or not to light, that is the question.

Then again....it's supposed to be a nice day tomorrow.........

Quiet Days at Follywoods

No Snow, Though

We had heavy rain over the last two days and despite predictions that it might change to snow overnight, it didn't. Of that, I am glad.  Snow, in moderation, is OK, although I am not fond of it, but over top of all the water that was already lying about, it's just a mess.  This scenario would have been rather dreadful.

I am, obviously, not yet riding again. My knees are nearly back to how they were before the famous fall, but I think the colder weather is making them a bit more sore than they might be if it were warmer. Not bad, however, so I am not complaining. And most of the time, when I get up to do something, I don't really think much about how I am going to walk. I just walk.

I think the Boys were grateful for their rainsheets the other day. As noted, it was pretty miserable out there and more than once I saw them all gathered under the run in shed. Well, sort of. Chance usually ends out being half in while the other two Boys hog the better part of the protection. There is plenty of room on both sides of the barn for three horses to fit, but it always seems that it's "third man out," and Chance is at the bottom of the pecking order.

It is kind of curious to me as to why that happens. There is no physical reason why the two older horses cannot move a bit further under to let him fit comfortably under the roof.  But herd protocol seems to be that the alpha horses get all the benefits and the omegas must be reminded of their lower status.  You'd think there'd be an urge to support the common welfare.  It's not as if the three of them are not good friends.

When I went out to feed on Monday morning, all three were romping and frolicking in the front paddocks. Tucker was galloping around while Chance and Toby played horse volleyball--or whatever--over the paddock fence. They were rearing and biting at each other, having a grand old time. Once again, my camera was in the house, but I probably wouldn't have gotten any good pictures anyhow. Either they would have been blurry, empty as the horse galloped off just as I pressed the shutter, or I would have ended up with close ups of horse noses which is usually what happens when they see me with the camera. *lol*

If I want good horse pics, I have to sneak around like one of those paparazzi hiding in the bushes to catch shots of celebrities.

Maybe I'll go out later today, since the sun is shining, and try to get a few pictures of my little herd in the orange sheets. Everyone is rather dirty from rolling about in the mud, but they certainly are happy.

Chores and the Escape

Taking Advantage of the Weather

Nice day today, so I decided to get some outside work done.  The big task was getting the big tree branch off the lawn and out to the woods. For this, I needed the tractor. And the tractor needed to get through the gate into the paddock with the branch dragged behind.  And that meant the gate had to be opened for a little bit with me in the tractor seat instead of in control of the gate.

Of course, the Boys thought this was all great entertainment. They were all hanging out in the front paddock, watching my every move. This time it was Toby who took advantage and made for the gate as it was swinging shut after tractor and tree were through.  It was almost closed all the way when my clever boy shoved it with his nose and made his great escape out onto the back lawn. Tucker and Chance were quite miffed about that as there is at least a little nice green grass out there and Toby immediately dropped his head to graze.

Since I do have the gates across the driveway and Toby still respects them--as long as Chance is not taking the lead, I left him to enjoy himself while I dragged the branch out to the field and rolled it into the woods.  At that point, Tucker and Chance galloped out to the front paddock where I'd put some flakes of hay and settled themselves down to eat and keep an eye on Toby.

That left me to make another trip back and forth to get the rest of the tree limbs out to the woods without worrying too much about the gate.  Once I finished that, I cleaned the loose and wet hay out from under the run in shed--only one tractor bucketful and pondered my next move.

I decided to cut it short--stacking the manure pile was one option--and go back out to the lawn to pull the arena drag back into its proper parking spot where the tree branch had been lying.

I was about to park the tractor back under the roof area by the tack room when I realized that the hay had piled up there pretty badly and the whole area needed a cleaning.  Once again, I discovered that baling twine reproduces like rabbits.  Nearly every forkful of old hay had some twine in it, even though I had been putting the twine I'd pulled off the baled I'd fed the horses into the garbage can. I am quite convinced that two strings of twine have a litter of about ten as soon as you allow them to lie about instead of being properly contained.

At any rate, the garbage can is now full of twine, the  hay is pretty much cleaned up, and the tractor is once again parked where it belongs.

Toby was quite willing to come back into the barn for his dinner and all's well with the world.

I have a feeling my knees are going to complain about all this work, but so be it. They need to earn their living too.

Taking Small Steps

Impatience Doesn't Always Pay Off

I am not a patient person about most things. I like to get a job done and I don't like to wait for things to be done. I often take my time starting a task, spending a lot of time thinking and planning on how to tackle it and that often leaves a lot of work never even started. But once I begin, I am driven to "get 'er done, " ASAP.

Riding and training horses has taught me a lot about taking things a bit at a time. But I must admit, through a lot of my training, I would battle out an exercise with my horse in order to accomplish it--often pushing both of us beyond our emotional and sometimes physical limits.  As long as the exercise was something we were both capable of, it was OK, but I'm not sure it was always the best approach.

Over time, I learned from my horses that taking things more slowly and breaking down larger goals into smaller, more easily accomplished steps worked a lot better.  Half pass is considered an upper level exercise at the trot and canter. It's really hard to teach a horse to half pass at first effort if he does not understand first how to move sideways off the leg.  Moving sideways off the leg requires that the horse understand to move away from pressure in the first place and that is an even more basic concept.  Then too, a horse that cannot balance itself well at the trot is going to have trouble balancing sideways, so  that is an even more elementary skill.

That idea is where all the steps on various training scales have developed over the years. While I don't necessarily follow one set pattern of training my horses, I have learned that nearly every goal needs to be reached through a series of steps designed to prepare the horse both physically and mentally.  I'm not always great at it, but at least I've learned.

So, now, I am trying to apply the same thinking to my own life/recovery.  Need a bale of hay?  If you can't carry a full one, open up the bale and carry a few flakes at a time. Cleaning the stalls? Don't fill the wheelbarrow to maximum weight capacity. Better to make two trips you can manage than struggle to push too many pounds through the mud. Fifty pound bags of  grain?  Open the bag, empty a bucket or two out and then dump the much lighter bag into the feed bin.

And then theire's the big tree branch still lying in the back yard. I've been sawing off the limbs a little at a time. Saw until you're tired, put the saw away and save the rest for another day. I am pleased to say the limb is at last ready to be dragged off by the tractor.  The too wide limbs are off, and I should be able to move it out to the woods as soon as I get around to it.

No hurry. I'm just taking this job one step at a time.