Mr. Blue

Mr. Blue

I had also planned to ride Blue this weekend but decided against it.  Did you ever have a horse look you straight in the eye and right then you knew it wasn’t going to be a good day for either of you?   Well, if you have, you know what I mean.  Blue seemed really tired and not into it so I let it be.  After we had this shared psychic communication we decided on a thorough grooming session instead.

After de-burring his forelock, mane and tail I went to work with the currycomb. Poor Blue is covered in scabs under his jaw and chest and up high on his inner back legs.  He has always had terrible reactions to ticks and we’ve had a thriving tick population lately.  I’m attributing it to the warmer temperatures.  I’ve been picking those blood-bloated bodies off all the horses lately, but they like Blue the best for some reason. 

I’m happy that I have horses that like to be groomed.  Mr. Blue loves to be groomed and could stand for hours soaking up the attention.  After his brushing I went to work on him with the vacuum.  I’ve never seen a horse practically fall asleep on the cross ties while being vacuumed but then again we’re talking about Blue here.  He’s definitely different.  Blue could hardly keep his eyes opened and I’d venture a guess he was a little disappointed when I turned the vacuum off and he was done.  The only saving grace was his apple reward afterwards. 

For anyone thinking of getting a vacuum I would recommend it and go so far as to say it’s one of the best investments we ever made.  Especially, with the winter months approaching and limited bathing opportunities.  We have the Electro Groom. 

Until next time

Quote for Today

On the first day god said let there be horses ... on the second day he painted them!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Recently I’ve been wondering if it’s possible for our horses to mirror their human counterparts’ personalities, traits and even their physical situations.  Is it possible for animals to become like their humans, do we choose our animal friends because we see something in them that is familiar to us, or are we just good at projecting human traits and aspects of ourselves onto our animals?  

I think it’s possible that perhaps our horses pick up on our traits and emulate us to some degree.  Then again, most horses come to us with their personalities already formed, so this might be a stretch of imagination.  My daughter and I tend to be calm and quiet around our animals and I think this definitely influences their behavior.  We seem to have a quiet, calm and happy herd.

In my mirror, mirror on the wall experiment, I’m going to use Dusty as an example of why I think some of our horses can be a kind of mirror image of us.  Dusty and I share July as a birthday month and if one is to believe in astronomical charts, we have similar personality traits because the stars aligned to make us who we are.  For good or ill here’s the list of similar personality traits:

·      Neither one of us likes to be told what to do. 

·      We’re lacking in patience and aren’t able to stand/sit around doing nothing for long periods of time; in other words, we tend to keep moving to work the energy off.

·      Problem solving and being what I like to refer to as “freethinkers” is another similarity.  You won’t find us following the crowd.

·      Learning new things is a must to keep life interesting.

·      Neither one of us can tolerate stupidity from others--she from the herd, me from people.  

·      One of my most unfortunate personality flaws might be that I tend to require respect and agreement from everyone around me, and like to think that my way is the better way.  In other words (my husband’s) I’m always right. Dusty has the same flaw, except to hers we could add a need for adulation from the masses as well.  I’d like to say that we’re working on this but in reality we’re both probably too old to change.

·      We’re both calm and pretty unflappable no matter if the sky is falling around us.

·      We both have a good work ethic and don’t mind working hard if there’s a good reason for it.

The reason these thoughts occurred… one day as I was standing in front of Dusty it seemed we were a mirror image of one another.  Not only are our personalities similar but also on the medical front I realized (lightning bolt to the brain) that we have many of the same health issues.  She was diagnosed with a slow thyroid; I’ve had the same diagnosis since I was a thirty-something.  I have TMJ in my left jaw, she in her right jaw.  My right knee/leg is not the best considering arthritis and a knee replacement, her left leg/hoof is coming back from an injury to her coffin bone and she has a touch of arthritis too.  I’ve had cataract surgery in both eyes and she has developed a very tiny cataract that isn’t a problem for her yet. 

That’s what got me thinking there are many similarities between us that can’t be ignored.  With the way we mirror each other and sort of balance one another’s issues, I wonder if in some way my medical conditions were transmitted to her, or if it’s all just a strange coincidence?  If so I apologize to her, but it seems unrealistic once you actually put it down on paper. Still, I find it odd that we would have all the same ailments going on, especially since she had none when I started riding her two years ago.  As for her personality, I think she just came that way and I picked her because I like her attitude and style.  We may have our differences of opinion because of our similar quirks, but I think it also makes it easier for us to relate to and respect one another, and at the end of the day, that’s what makes a great team, right?

Until next time

Quote for Today

Closness, friendship, affection: keeping your own horse means all these things.
    - Bertrand Leclair

The Horse Gene

Not everyone is born with the “horse gene,” but I’d like to see a study done on why some of us have it and some of us don’t.  It seems to be more prevalent in the female of the species. Is that because we tend to be empathetic and can relate to the inner psyche of the horse; are we more sensitive to their thoughts and feelings; do we think they are sensitive to ours?  Do we think horses have a deeper awareness of our surroundings, making us want to identify with and embrace their perceptiveness?

The horse-human partnership has survived in the wilderness of time for millennia and yet we can barely glimpse the complete magnificence that is the horse. When they gallop at liberty they look as if they are dancing to music in their heads or playing with the wind. Do we simply appreciate the beauty and grace all horses seem to exhibit? Or is it something deeper?  The question always remains, why are some born with the horse gene that loves horses intrinsically and unconditionally?  Where does it come from?  Could it be a primeval characteristic left over from our ancient past? Is it learned or perhaps taught in our youth?  Or does the horse somehow speak to something so deep within us we will never understand?  Wherever it comes from, those who possess the gene know that, even if science has yet to locate it, it exists in our hearts and minds. If you were unlucky enough to be born without this horse gene, don’t despair; many have been able to acquire it one way or another.

Those of us who are born with or who have acquired the horse gene are at times distraught when we see horses exhibiting out-of-the-ordinary behaviors. This leads us to ask critical questions about the nature of some professed horse gene carriers. Can a person born with the horse gene ever fully comprehend why some riders would find it acceptable to blatantly mistreat a horse?  Watching many of the disciplines at the WEG, I have come to the conclusion that not all the horses are mistreated but there are many more who are certainly not living a quality equine life.

Perhaps we all must ask ourselves the most important question of all: Why do I ride?  And once we have honestly examined our motivations, each and every rider in competition must ask:  Should I continue if I find it necessary to climb to the top on the back of a mistreated horse?  Sadly, for too many the answer is:  Why shouldn’t I?

Do we find their beauty and power so captivating that we must appropriate it for ourselves and compel them to do our bidding because, on some level, we feel inadequate in our personal lives?  It boggles the mind that a rider who professes to love horses and wants to make riding their life’s goal would exploit the horse, subject it to abuse of one kind or another, and still be rewarded for their disdain for and affront to the horses’ beautiful nature.

Having been born with the horse gene, I find the ill treatment of these magnificent animals disturbing to say the least.  Unfortunately, in this day and age, there seems to be no way to stop the insults the horses must endure everyday of their lives.  My hope is that perhaps with some education the younger generation of riders coming up through the ranks will be less selfish and arrogant than so many of our competitive riders today and feel compelled instead to advocate for the horse.  Only then will these extraordinary animals finally be treated with the respect and dignity they so deserve.

Until next time

Quote for Today

... the horse has been, of all animals, man's most constant companion in work and leisure.
    - From Horses