Seems our little boy, Sami, is growing up. When he came to us two years ago he was a mistreated five-year-old stallion. Now that he is a big boy and gelding of seven, his school days have started in earnest. September seems to be the month for the start of new challenges for children going back to school. Sami is no different; he’s starting kindergarten, a little late I know, but he needed time to adjust to his new surroundings. And he has in a big way; he’s the most obnoxious youngster I’ve ever seen in our paddocks. There is never an end to his antics and they aren’t the least bit endearing to us or the other herd members. The constant play fighting is causing a lot of physical damage to Grady, who is the only one who will participate in Sami’s games. For a little guy, 14.2 hands, he rears and kicks and bites and has managed to do a lot of damage to Grady who is 18 hands. It would be easier if we could separate them, but the paddocks are configured in a way that it’s virtually impossible to do that efficiently. Every one in the herd has to go out together and get along.
We’re hoping that perhaps with a program of training and consistent work he may stop acting as if he’s still a little stallion and vying for the position “king of the hill”. We’ve hired a trainer to come in and put him on a regular program. I know we could do it ourselves but with a farm to run and other commitments, it’s a hard proposition. My daughter has a full time job, traveling 3 hours a day. In addition, I’ve got grandchildren who require babysitting a few days a week, making our free time a bit sketchy. Another consideration is that my daughter feels she is too tall to ride him. At 5’10” her feet would practically be dragging on the ground and there is no way I am throwing a leg over an untrained horse at this stage of the game. We just don’t have the hours to devote to full time training of this little hellion. He has had basic groundwork with saddle and bridle but he does need someone to sit on him and finish what was started. Also, on a selfish note, we’d like to ride the two horses that are actually functional now that the weather is getting cooler. So Sami will be going to school, starting yesterday.
On a fun note Sami has found a new friend. Our neighbor’s young daughter recently lost her pony and has been coming over to groom Sami and hand graze him. This girl and Sami seem to get along with each other famously. He enjoys the attention and is very well behaved with his new friend, grooming her and falling asleep with his head resting on her chest.
I’ll be posting periodic updates on how kindergarten is going and whether or not he’s getting gold stars or time outs.
Until next time
Quote for Today
What the colt learns in youth he continues in old age.
- French Proverb
There is some sad news to report today. Our Arabian mare Sweetie is no longer with us. She has been failing for the past few months and it was time to ease her suffering and let her go. Sweetie could hardly walk anymore; her legs were crippled by her DSLD disease and she was very uncomfortable to the point where she did not want to go out with the herd anymore. So, we’ve been leaving her loose around the barn, she had access to any stall she so chose to go into for hay and water or lie down for a nap, which she did quite often. There was also access to grass for grazing. It was the best we could do for her given the circumstances.
Our vet was out to check on some of our other horses and we asked him directly to let us know when he thought it might be Sweetie’s time, as we were afraid we couldn’t be objective about such a difficult decision. He told us it was past time and we should consider making arrangements as soon as possible. Even though we did not want our time with her to end, it was the best choice for her.
Princess Nibar, aka “Sweetie,” came to us two years ago from a bad situation; she was 25 years old and in desperate need of good care. If we had left her where she was, she would have been put down. When she nickered to us to come back and not forget about her, we had to take her home with us.
It has been two years of getting to know and care for a very charming, smart, sensible and classy mare, and it would be impossible not to love her. She made us smile every day we knew her and she taught us so much about the impressive Arabian breed. Sweetie was one of a kind and our lives have been enriched for having known this gentle soul. She has shown us through her indomitable spirit that no matter how dire the circumstances, one should never give up on life.
We have heard that in her younger years as Princess Nibar she was a National English Pleasure champion, and I do not doubt it. When she was 10 years old she was sold to a breeder and this woman bred her quite a lot. So, suffice it to say, I do not think she had a very happy life. We are content that for the last two plus years of her life she got to be a horse and spend time with the herd grazing and grooming each day. Sweetie was very appreciative to us, her human friends, for the care and love she received and deserved. We do think she thoroughly enjoyed herself.
It is never easy to make this kind of decision but it is a necessary evil of being a horse’s caretaker. Last night she spent her time outside with Sami, her son, under the night stars. She had access to the paddocks and could rest in the shed when she needed to. We led her through the barn this morning to say her goodbyes to the rest of the herd and then let her meander slowly with us to the back field. Sweetie snacked on carrots, apples and her personal favorite ‘Stud Muffins’.
Sweetie will always be with us as she is on our property resting peacefully on the hilltop overlooking the farm under a grove of shady trees. We gave her the best end we could and she left us with the dignity that she has exhibited while she was with us for the last two years.
Although this is a sad time, we would like to think of Sweetie not in pain any longer, but whole again, running through green meadows, tail flagged up in the air and feeling like a young filly once more. There is a picture in my mind of her drinking from a crystal mountain stream, occasionally lifting her head, ears alert and perhaps meeting horse friends from her past that she can forever roam green pastures with again.
Goodbye little mare, we will miss you; it was an honor and a privilege to have know you, if only for a short time. We will always remember your sweetness and your spirit forever.
Until next time
Quote for Today
There is something about the sight of a fallen horse that strikes one's heart in such a way, even for those who are not particularly a horse lover...the significance of something so sacred, powerful, beautiful, intoxicating as the horse...when a fallen horse is seen overcome by life's obstacles, fallen tears and a jolt to the heart and soul can never be prevented... - Stephanie M Thorn
Lately, I’ve been working very hard around the farm and, even though all the jobs that need to be done aren’t going as quickly as they could (I’d like for it to all be done yesterday), I’m making a dent in the chores. While doing the drudgery work like weeding, general clean-ups, sanding and painting various chairs and jumps, planting flowers, sowing grass seed, dragging rings etc. I’ve had a lot of time to think. Okay, it’s more like whining to myself that I have no time for my horses and myself. Sure I manage to get one or two rides in a week, but that’s not really enough to have consistent training for either the horses or myself.
I’ve been asking myself when are we going to start having some fun around here and just be able to ride. Don’t get me wrong, I realize how lucky I am to have a farm at all, but we bought the farm so we could care for our horses the way we see fit and train the same way. The thought has occurred to me during some of my more backbreaking moments that perhaps we have too many horses and that’s part of the problem. So I’ve been reevaluating the situation and I think that paring down would be a sensible solution to lessen some of the work around here.
As I look out over the herd I’m forced to think, how will I ever find the time to give these horses the attention they deserve and need? Am I being selfish for holding on to them all when some of them might be happier somewhere else? Sami in particular is not likely to get the kind of attention the rest of the horses get because he won't ever be ridden by any of us; at 14.1 hands and six years old, I don’t think he’ll ever be more than a large pony. He’s obviously too small for my daughter or I to ride and my grandkids are either to young or too far away to give him consistent work. He’s the youngest, healthiest horse in the herd so, sadly, he doesn’t receive the same priority the more needy horses are used to. When time is short, we have to take care of the ones who need it most first. So maybe it's not fair to keep him here, when he loves attention and learning. There may be a small adult or kid out there who would love him and give him the attention he deserves that we know he just isn't going to get here with us, with so many horses and so much to do. On the other hand he is Mellon’s mini-me and keeps him company and I think keeps him young by forcing him to play a little now and again.
Sami is a wonderful, sweet and caring little guy, and to be fair I think he needs a job and a small adult or child to fuss over him because he is an attention seeker and loves to be loved. So my instinct says it would be best to try and find a loving home for him with someone who will give him all the love and attention he craves.
That’s really all I have to say about Sami for now except for the fact that, even though I am thinking about this, it will probably never happen. In the past we’ve been really bad about finding homes for horses because no one meets our standards of training and care. So I guess I’m just blowing off steam because I’m sure he’s staying and we’ll simply have to find something useful for him to do. He does need a job to occupy his mind and body and we’ll need to make time for some sort of training. Any ideas out there, other than driving? We don’t have the equipment and I’m not into that sort of discipline.
Again, it’s back to basics. The workload has to be cut down so we can interact with the horses on a regular basis. Round and round we go, never coming to a conclusion.
Until next time Quote for Today All horses deserve, at least once in their lives, to be loved by a little girl
Sami has recently been let out of detention. For the past two weeks or so he has been residing in the smaller side paddock with his mama Sweetie. Why you ask? Well, it seems Sami cannot control himself with the rest of the herd. In his youthful exuberance, he constantly annoys the other horses and picks fights with lots of halter pulling, biting, rearing and striking out. He’s not trying to hurt anyone, he simply wants to play all the time and not everyone is interested. To be fair, Grady is sometimes the instigator of a lot of the antics. He’s another horse who has never gotten to play with others because he was a valued show horse. In recent years, before we got him, he shared a small paddock with two old grumpy mares, so he’s never had a chance to play much in turnout. Grady is close to 18 hands and Sami is 14.2, so when they are rearing Grady towers above Sami, one false move and Sami is a pancake. They both come in with various cuts and scrapes and it’s just a matter of time before there is a serious injury. So Sami was sent off to detention with his mother. It’s fair to say that just one “mother” look from her and he scrambles to the other end of the field for cover. She may have a hard time walking now, but I have a hunch in her day she was a no-nonsense mom to be reckoned with, and I’m sure Sami can remember her wrath.
' Sami & Sweetie '
' Grady '
Sami appears to know he’s on probation; he and Sweetie are both back with the herd and things seem to be going smoothly … for now. What is so surprising is that Mellon, aka ‘The Terminator,’ never corrects Sami as he’s done with all the other horses his whole life. As leader of the herd it’s hard to believe he lets Sami get away with so much disruption. Sami is like that annoying kid in school that nobody liked but who was always willing to do anything to try and fit in with the ‘in crowd’.
' Mellon '
The other day, I actually saw Sami and Mellon playing halter tag. Mellon never plays, but I’ve come to believe that Sami is Mellon’s mini –me. Or maybe Mellon never played because the horses were so afraid of his authority they never included him in their games. Sami has no herd etiquette and so he jumps in with all four hooves. However, this morning I witnessed a very cute scene. Sami was up Mellon’s butt as usual and when Mellon decided to roll, Sami did the same. When Mellon got up and rolled on the other side Sami copied. This wasn't the first time they've been caught in a game of “monkey-see, monkey-do,” and it leads me to believe that either Mellon is grooming Sami to be the next leader of the pack or perhaps just having a little fun with our bratty boy making him play follow-the-leader for his own amusement. Either way it’s good to see Mellon playing in his old age and I do believe Sami is keeping him young and helping him get over his deep depression over losing his best friend of 15 years, Erik a while back.
' Sweetie '
We’re waiting for some good weather and the snow to melt completely so Sami can be started in regular work. Sweetie and I feel that when he has a job to do perhaps he won’t be such and unconscionable little monster.
Until next time
Quote for Today
A horse has so docile a nature that he would always rather do right than wrong, if only he could be taught to distinguish one from the other.
Last week I was outside doing a chore around the barn when I noticed Blue was harassing Sweetie. She was able to get away from him as he snaked his neck towards her with his ears flat back and chased her around the paddock. Sweetie doesn’t get around too well because of her age and arthritic legs, but she was holding her own. Nevertheless, my feeling was that she needed to be rescued from Blue the Bully.
When I opened the paddock gate, she trotted over and exited quickly. Sweetie needs no lead rope because she is so intelligent that she knew the routine after being with us for only a week after we brought her home. Once she exits the paddock, she walks into the barn and her own stall every time. We’ve had her for a little over a year now and she is doing much better than when we rescued her. Back to this amusing little story....
Sweetie made her escape, stopped outside the fence and looked meaningfully at Blue. Then she proceeded to march to the barn swinging her haunches and swishing her tail. She stopped at the barn doors for a second and glanced over her shoulder at Blue one more time. Sweetie was on a mission pure and simple. Once in the barn she sashayed directly into Blue’s stall, and let the water-works fly. When she was done she walked over to the window and looked out at Blue again, I swear she had a smirk on her muzzle. Then she walked into her stall and told me, “I’m done for the day; you can get my hay now!”
You have to love a horse like this.
Until next time
Quote for Today
Be wary of the horse with a sense of humor.
- Pam Brown
It is hard to believe that a year has passed since we first met Sami and his mom Sweetie at their run-down “home” stable. Everyone knows the story by now and how we came to take them home with us. Time flies and so much has happened in the last year with mother and son. They are doing well and have both settled in to the herd nicely.
Since this post is about Sami I can only say that he is one of the sweetest little guys I’ve ever met. He is a smart, sensitive horse who takes everything in stride. Despite his lack of handling before he came to us, he loves human contact, and is always ready to pop his head out of his stall for a scratch under his head or a rub on the neck. There have been many new things he’s had to deal with in the past year, but he is so sensible and never blows up or causes a commotion over things, even if he is very scared or uncomfortable with a situation. Sami is one of those rare horses that can be reasoned with and talked down from the ledge easily. What scary things, you may ask, has he encountered in his year with us? For starters the farrier, who he adores and stands like a little soldier for; of course, this wasn’t always the case, but he’s used to his trims now. He also had to learn to wear a fly mask, and he’s actually better than some of the other horses about getting his on!
We never thought he would be able to get turned out with the herd considering that, when we got him as a stallion, he would run the fence for an hour before we had to bring him in. Apparently, never being let out of a stall for 5 years had a negative effect on him. Can you imagine? He didn’t even know he should eat the grass! Now he can barely wait his turn to get out and he’s turned into quite a Hoover. He’s become such a fat little pony that he practically waddles in by the end of the day and is a candidate for a grazing muzzle (as soon as we find one he can’t take off! We tried one and he had that and his halter both off in record time.) His adjustment to blankets, halters, fly masks, fly spray, baths, tack etc. was easier than we thought it would be; even when he is afraid, he never acts up, but stands stock still and thinks about it as you’re explaining it all to him. He tries so hard to please.
Herd dynamics are interesting to watch as Sami finds his spot in the hierarchy. It would be accurate to say he’s an annoying little pest most of the time. He’ll pick a fight (mostly for play) with any horse in the herd, but his target of choice is usually Nate. Sami thinks it’s a good idea to run right up and rear in Nate’s face (or I should say belly, because that’s as high as all 14.2 hands of him can reach on Nate’s 17.3 hands when he rears back at Sami.) Nate is a good sport about the rearing game and likes to play along, but I shudder to think what could happen if Nate ever came down on him by accident. He’d probably squash him like a bug. Picking a fight with the biggest horse in the herd makes me think maybe he’s got the “short horse” syndrome and is such a little monster I considered changing his name to Napoleon or Bonaparte.
He spends his days mostly eating and trying out his wings, so to speak, by pinning his ears and trying to be boss. He is persistent, but most everyone simply ignores him. Surprisingly, Mellon seems to have taken him under his wing. It’s sort of like Sami is Mellon’s “mini-me.” Normally, the stunts he pulls would get Mellon riled and spurred to action to keep the discipline, but for some reason he puts up with Sami, and has even been caught grooming with him on occasion! Mellon also came from a neglect situation, and I wonder if maybe Mellon looks after him because he can relate to what Sami has been through, or if Mellon just sees a reflection of himself in Sami’s toughness and desire to be top horse... Or maybe he just likes having a sidekick. But if this keeps up, we may have to rename him Mellow Mellon.
The best part of all Sami’s antics may be when he tries to bully his mother. Though she gets no respect from the other members of the herd (and generally tries to avoid them in the field) one pointed look from her has him scurrying for cover. This leads me to believe she must have been one tough motor scooter in her days of mothering and rearing little brats like him. He’s petrified of her, so rough, tough, cream-puff Sami keeps his distance until he forgets himself and annoys her again. Testing…testing. Even though no one else is in the least afraid of her, at least Sami knows his place with her. He’s still on the bottom of the herd totem pole.
We haven’t done much training with Sami yet, but in just a few short sessions he has learned how to walk and trot on the lunge for short periods, is getting attuned to voice commands and soon may start long lining. He’s too small for us to ride but, when the time is right for a rider, I’m sure we’ll figure out something. For now he’s just learning to behave himself and have some manners. I find with him, because he’s so sensitive, you must take it slow and easy and not insist on too many things too fast. He has plenty of time to learn and once he gets it all together I am sure he is going to be a super-star and very safe for anyone to ride. In the meantime he’s a cute, sweet little guy to have around. We do love him and are happy to see him coming into his own.
Until next time
Quote for Today
By reason of his elegance, he resembles an image painted in a palace, though he is as majestic as the palace itself. - Emir Abd-el-Kader
Once there was an Arabian pony named Sami, and he lived his whole life in a stall that was very dark and dank. He was born into a cruel world where horses never left their stalls, except to be run out occasionally into a small metal pen where the bright sunlight hurt their eyes and the world seemed huge and frightening. Because of his sheltered life, Sami did not know what it meant to have friends or to go outside and play. Most of all, he had no idea what it meant to be loved and cared for by a human friend.
Sami’s mom Sweetie lived across the aisle in her own dark stall. In her earlier years, Sweetie had been a much-loved show horse named Princess, she knew all about the world outside her box and what it meant to be special—to be loved. Her poor little Sami knew nothing of the wonders beyond his dank stall. His mama told him stories about her life before coming to live at this barn, and he could not even imagine what riding in a trailer, eating green grass, being groomed or having a rider on his back would be like, but to him it sounded wonderful compared to what he had now. Sami did not have much of a life to show for his five short years. At night, he dreamed of galloping in a meadow, though he had neither galloped nor seen a pasture in his whole life. Mama assured him someday he would find the perfect human to love and take care of him, but his experience with human contact was limited to being fed and pushed to one side or the other in his stall by the man who cleaned up. Sami had little or no hope of his situation ever getting better. He was indeed a sad little pony.
One day he heard a lot of commotion around the barn. Trucks were pulling in with trailers attached. People were walking up and down the aisle looking in the boxes. Sami pushed his nose up to the metal bars and tried to see over the partition. What was happening? The strange people were taking the horses out of their stalls and leading them away; but where they were going when they left, no one knew. Sami asked his mama if they were going to new homes. She told him yes, though she wasn’t so sure. There was another place unwanted horses like them usually went. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to scare him. She would rather he learned to have hope.
“Mama, there is no one else left here! I guess there are no homes for us.”
“My Sami, you mustn’t think that way. There is always hope. I want you to promise me that you’ll be good and not let yourself be afraid or sad just because you don’t know the future. You are young and you have plenty of time left for a good life. Someone will come for you. You’ll see.”
“But what about you mama? I don’t want to leave you!”
This made her heart break. She knew no one would want her now that she was crippled and old and could no longer provide foals. It was too late for her. But he still had a chance. She wanted to prepare him for the worst.
“Sami, I am old and I’ve had a full life; I’ll be happy to stay here. You mustn’t be sad if I can’t come with you. I’ll be alright. But I want you to go to the very best home, so you have to be brave. Can you do that for me?”
“I… I will, Mama,” Sami said with tears in his eyes, “but I’ll miss you so much.”
Hours passed and no one else came. But then, just when they had given up hope of anyone else coming back for them, another trailer pulled up in front of the barn and two strangers got out. They walked through the barn and looked briefly at the two horses, and then they began to walk out. Sweetie, who knew this, might be the last chance—the only hope left for her little Sami to have a real life, and maybe even a possibility for her. Desperately she began calling and whinnying to the strangers not to go. They returned, with halters in their hands! Two halters! Sweetie was worried, but she chose to hope for the best. She let the strangers put a halter on her and lead her away.
Sami was frightened of the strangers, but he saw how calm his mama was, and how quietly she followed them to the trailer, even though her feet hurt her and she could barely walk; he did his best to be a brave pony and followed her onto the trailer. Soon enough he and his mama were on their way to a new home.
***
After a few months had passed in his new home, Sami was no longer a scared little pony in a dark box. Sweetie, his mama, was also happier now that she and her little boy had gotten some proper care. During the daytime, Sami played with his new friends; having discovered the joy of running, he would test how fast his uncertain legs could carry him; then he would graze contentedly in the huge paddocks, all under the watchful eye of his mama. He seemed so happy when he was out with the rest of the herd, yet at night, he sighed and still seemed like a little lost soul.
“What’s the matter, Sami?” Mama asked.
“Oh, mama, I love our new home and all my new friends. And these people are really nice and they take good care of us. But when will I have my own person to love me and brush me and ride me?” he asked woefully. “I’ve heard all your stories about special people, but there is no one for me. Am I too small? Or not handsome enough? Is that why nobody wants me?”
“Sami, you must be patient. Someday a very special someone will come and want you to be their very own pony, but these things take time. I’m sure right now someone is looking for a pony exactly like you; you just have to wait for them to find you.”
So, Sami searched out his window every night and wished on the twinkling stars for the special person who would come for him. The weather was getting colder each day and snow fell gently on the paddocks. Sami still played hard all day with his new friends and wished on the stars at night. Nothing changed. Sami was losing hope.
A lot of hustle and bustle around the barn lately had Sami wondering what all the fuss was about. Mama and the other horses told him that soon Santa Claus would be arriving in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer to fill the stockings that hung on their stalls with special treats, and sometimes he would even bring special gifts for the ponies that had been extra good! Sami’s eyes bulged wide, could that be real? Flying reindeer? Gifts? Mama assured him it was true; “the best part of Christmas Eve, Sami, is that you get to ask Santa to make one wish come true for you.” Sami bobbed his head up and down; “I know just what to ask for!”
The clock struck midnight on Christmas Eve and sleigh bells jingled in the distance. With a whoosh of runners on snow and a hearty ho-ho-ho, Santa landed his sleigh outside the barn. Little Sami could not believe his ears or eyes at this magical sight! Santa appeared in the barn with a bag slung over his shoulder. He went to each stall filling each stocking with tasty treats. Then he asked each horse what he or she wanted for Christmas, and they all made a secret wish. Since it was midnight on Christmas Eve, all the horses could speak human according to myth. Sami was awestruck into a wide-eyed spell of wonderment as he watched Santa pass out their special treats
“Sami, you’ve been a good pony. What do you want for Christmas this year?” Santa asked. Sami whispered his wish into Santa’s ear. Santa smiled, patted his neck, ruffled his mane, and told him he would see what he could do. Then off they all flew into the starry night.
Christmas morning arrived with no change in Sami’s circumstances. He was given extra treats and turned out with the rest of the herd as usual.
In the afternoon, he was brought in and groomed. Sami loved being groomed and fussed over and, even if Santa couldn’t grant his wish, he knew he had a lot to be grateful for. He was having a happy Christmas after all. Sami was put in his stall with some sweet-smelling hay. He didn’t mind being inside, but thought it was odd no one else was brought in.
He munched his hay quietly, a little bewildered, when suddenly the barn doors opened and there stood a little girl. She marched right over to Sami and petted his inquisitive, wiggly nose. Her small hands held treats and carrots for him. Sami played with her hat and pulled it off, which made her giggle. Then he nuzzled her hair. She laughed and petted him some more. They were both having such a good time with each other.
“Grandma is he really mine?” she asked, rubbing his face with her mittened hand.
“Yes, he is, honey.”
“I love him! And I think he loves me, too.” She kissed him on his velvety nose.
“You’re my pony now and I’m going to love you forever,” she whispered to him.
Sami nuzzled her cheek and shook his mane. He wanted to jump up and down, and run and buck and whinny to tell the whole world how happy he was. Sami couldn’t believe that this little girl loved him, and he sure loved her back.
Santa kept his promise and found Sami the perfect little girl to love him as her very own, and he would love her and take care of her too. What Sami didn’t know is that Santa had also granted Sweetie’s request that day too. As she looked on from her pasture she saw how happy her little colt was, and she thought to herself, “Some Christmas wishes really do come true….”
