Fern showed up one day with her two brothers. Mom was hit by a car on the road along side the farm. They have scared my obnoxious geese away and so they are allowed to stay. This little one follows my daughter and the feed cart around, sits outside the feed shed and runs in the paddocks with the horses, she's actually pretty sweet.
Apparently, during the night they've wandered into the barn and chewed the end of a dressage whip and taken brushes and Sweetie's boots outside to the riding ring for a game of soccer. I'm glad I can provide some toys and amusement for bored little foxes. We couldn't think of a good name for her so we came up with 'Fern Fox' because believe it or not we had a neighbor whose name was Fern Fox years ago. If anyone can think of a better name please feel free to suggest it.
Normally we don’t open the back riding field to our herd but, since we’ve decided to let their pastures rest for a few weeks, they have been allowed access for the time being. We’ve gotten some reports from the neighbors on their activities and found what they said a little hard to believe. Today we decided to check out the allegations of what can only be construed as odd behavior. The neighbors were right; this is one odd herd…
With acres of grass to graze where do you think the best place would be to spend the day if you were a horse? Well, I’d be on the grass… but not this bunch! Their favorite place to hang all day is in the riding arena. Still scratching my head trying to figure that one out. I wonder if they never had a giant playpen as babies and are reliving their childhoods…?
Did I forget to mention that they're also extremely nosy!
' The Playpen'
'Guess which one has been chewing the fence'
' The Odd Bunch'
' There's just gotta be food hidden in here'
' The best grass is always under the mule '
" Whatcha lookin for Grady"
' A chestnut unicorn'?
' Wonder if I could fit in here"
" If we can get this started Donnie,
We could terrorize the herd and be
"The Horses from Hell"
" C'mon boys let's go back in the club house"
Until next time
Quote for Today
You cannot remain unmoved by the gentleness of conformation of a well-bred and well-trained horse. . . more than 1000 pounds of big-boned, well-muscled animal, yet forever a menace with it's innocent power. . .but when it greets you with a nicker and regards you with a large and liquid eye, the question of where you want to be has been answered.
Meet my new doctor! Once again, I had been agonizing over which diet to choose to lose a few pounds. Finding the healthiest and best diet is a hard decision to make and stick with. During my research, I happened upon this doctor and his diet and after much careful consideration; I have decided this is the way to go. Read through it carefully this doctor has it all together and I can’t see why it wouldn’t work … can you?
I love this Doctor!
Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it. Don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO. Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember:
'Life should? NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOOHOO, What a Ride'
AND.....
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks thanAmericans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
Until next time
Quote for Today
One reason why birds and horses are happy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses. - Dale Carnegie, How To Win Friends and Influence People
Autumn is upon us. The hot humid days of summer are a memory. The flies and mosquitoes have mostly disappeared to wherever they hide out in the cooler months. For me this is the best season of the year and the best time for riding. There is nothing as exhilarating as feeling the clear, crisp air smooth the worries from my mind and the gentle breeze ruffling my horse’s mane as brilliant blue skies accompany us on our rides. Autumn is the time of year nature puts on her most dazzling of shows in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors, putting me in high spirits simply to be a small part of this splendid landscape. The horses and I have more energy and it seems time slows down yet more chores are accomplished. Granted the daylight hours fade earlier each day, but I feel this gives us more time to relax and enjoy special moments.
The season brings back childhood memories of picking pumpkins and apples. A first bite into a crunchy, ripe apple of the season is a wonderful mixture of tart and sweet on the tongue, evoking moments of times past, as is the scent of curling smoke from chimneys left dormant in the summer months. Walking on a deserted beach listening to the rolling surf or sitting on the dunes watching a sunset at day’s end brings the promise of new stages being set for the bright days ahead.
Below is one of my much-loved poems, I hope you get as much pleasure from it as I do.
Thoughts
by Jacqueline Bouvier
I love the Autumn,
And yet I cannot say
All the thoughts and things
That make one feel this way.
I love walking on the angry shore,
To watch the angry sea;
Where summer people were before,
But now there's only me.
I love wood fires at night
That have a ruddy glow.
I stare at the flames
And think of long ago.
I love the feeling down inside me
That says to run away
To come and be a gypsy
And laugh the gypsy way.
The tangy taste of apples,
The snowy mist at morn,
The wanderlust inside you
When you hear the huntsman's horn.
Nostalgia - that's the Autumn,
Dreaming through September
Just a million lovely things I always will remember.
-1943
Until next time
Quote for Today
As the wind swept over the saddle, it turned to a mixture of bright colors and painted the world. - Ronan Warriors
The Pryor Mountain round up has finally ended and I'm sure most hearts are gladdened by this. Cloud was released minus many members of his family and is on his way back up the mountain. Fifty-seven horses and three foals at their mother's sides were not so lucky and are imprisoned in the BLM pens instead of roaming free as they always have on their own lands. While we’ve breathed a sigh of relief let’s not forget there is still work to be done to insure safety to the other members of these herds. Please don't stop calling and e-mailing whoever it takes to have the arrogance of the BLM investigated and work to free the older horses.
Grumpy Grulla a mare who is 20 and Conquistador who is 19 and other older horses who will most certainly not be adopted but slaughtered must be released. In their own words the BLM Herd Management Plan dated May 2009, states no horse over the age of 20 is to be removed. Guess they don't even read their own laws. Please don't stop working to have the older horses returned to their mountain.
The horse symbolizes the primeval forces of chaos, intense desire, swiftness and determination. It recalls the freedom of the wind and the fury of the seas. It was the noble animal sought after by kings, knights and gods.
Please visit Baba Yaga's Mirrortoday for more information and a possible hidden agenda behind this decimation of the Pryor Mountain mustangs.
Day 6 of the Roundup has left at least one foal lame.
Below I have copied and pasted the most recent information from the cloud foundation blog which is updated daily, I hope they don't mind but they say it better than anyone can.
Take Action: Please call President Obama now: 202-456-1111 (or 202-456-9000)
Ask that the older horses slated for removal be released Ask that this herd be not taken below 150 adult animals to maintain their genetic viability
Ask for increased scrutiny of the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. Our wild horses and burros need immediate change and an end to their mismanagement.
Apparently the round up has begun in 90 degree temperatures, babies and senior horses along with the mares and stallions are being trapped and taken. Even though the BLM will put these horses up for adoption we all know most of them are going to slaughter, especially the old mares and stallions. What a shame to be ripped from the only life you've ever known to be crammed in a trailer and then slaughtered inhumanely. They should all be very proud of themselves as human beings to inflict this on helpless animals. Way to go you great big macho men.
Perhaps if we all keep calling our representatives and making them aware of the situation we can be of some help to the herds. There is also a petition that can be signed. Thanks for any interest and help in trying to stop this removal.
Until next time
Quote for Today
The symbol of wide open spaces and freedom, synonymous with nature in a mechanized world, the horse ... feeds our imagination. - Bertrand Leclair
LOVELL, WYOMING - SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 - A Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) request by The Cloud Foundation and Front Range Equine Rescue was denied today in Federal District Court. The TRO was filed to stop the round up of the Pryor Mountain horses, an action unprecedented in size and scope. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has contracted with the federally-indicted Dave Cattoor to round up America’s most famous wild horse herd beginning September 3, 2009. Download Complete PDF Here
Until next time
Quote for Today
A horse's magnificence is in his strength of heart.
Please visit Baba Yaga's Mirror and Wild Horse Warriors today for more information. It's important to understand what is happening to our wild horses in this country. We can and should do all we can to prevent this travesty from taking place. Putting aside the selfish political and economic motives, it becomes clear that this is a moral crisis. These historic herds - these living, breathing horses - deserve better than this and we must be their advocates, as they are helpless pawns caught in the path of a cold and calculating beef industry dictating its will to an uncaring government. Worse, they are the victims of unsympathetic humans who allow this to happen.
Or, perhaps, we are the victims, because we stand by and allow special interests to dictate to us; we allow others to rob us of our heritage, destroy our natural world and act against our moral instinct. Upon their ancestors' backs, our ancestors founded this nation; native peoples of this land made their homes on horseback, and cultivated the roots of our great American breeds from these horses. Our history is in their DNA. They deserve better than to have their existence wiped from the landscape and from history by our hands, with such cruelty and shame, for the sake of our greed.
On another note, today is the scheduled roundup for Cloud's herd in the Pryor Mountains. For more information please visit the Angels for Cloud site for extra information.
You might also want to view this You Tube video:
Until next time
Quote for Today
“The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the sense we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.”
