Oh, Dusty!

My daughter had quite an amusing Monday morning (to me anyway).  As usual 6 a.m. arrived, she rolled out of bed and made her way in the dark to the feed shed to get breakfast for the horses.  Flipping the aisle lights on she didn’t wait for them to warm up, but proceeded to dump the grain into each bucket down the line. On her way back down the aisle she noticed Dusty wasn’t eating but standing with her cute little ears perked forward and nickering for her breakfast.  Second-guessing herself, she wondered if she had forgotten to feed this cutie pie; after all, it was early and she was still a bit groggy. Checking Dusty’s bucket she could make out that there was indeed feed in there but, on these cold mornings the feed tends to clump and her morning supplements hadn’t mixed in.  She surmised that perhaps Dusty wasn’t eating because she had taken exception to the layer of white powdered magnesium supplement lying on top.

So, trying to help this poor starved mare out, she stuck her hand in the bucket, and gave the clump of feed a squeeze to break it up and mix in the supplements... squish, squish… eeewww.  

Those weren’t feed clumps!  Apparently, the reason Miss Dusty wasn’t eating her feed was not because of the supplement but because she had turned her feed tub into a toilet the night before!

So, after she ran gagging into the tack room to disinfect her hand she cleaned out and disinfected the bucket.  Dusty did eventually get her breakfast in another bucket and my daughter took her shower before heading off for work.  Talk about a crappy way to start the day.

Until next time

Quote for Today

You never get the pleasure of owning a horse, you only have the pleasure of being it's slave.

Our Weekend Rides

 Getting to ride again after two weeks off was a nice experience for both Dusty and myself.  After the initial meet and greet and “where’s my treat?” we had a nice weekend together.  Our first ride was basically a return to softening and bending to reestablish what she already knows and make her feel good about herself.  Dusty’s winter coat is coming in and even though the weather was on the cool side she did work up a sweat after only twenty minutes or so.  We did a little trot in both directions, some figure eights, some lateral work at the walk and called it quits, ending on a good note for our first day.

Our second day was a little more interesting and we accomplished more than the previous day.  We worked all the same things from the day before, doing patterns at the trot etc.  It was also a day to work on my position. Although I know what I’m supposed to be doing I sometimes slip back into old habits. This is why it’s so helpful to have a knowledgeable person on the ground.  One of my bad habits is stiffening my arms and back and losing the bend at my elbow. I was trying not to let the reins get slack and loopy like a piece of spaghetti, but while following her mouth with my hands it was difficult to keep my arms from stiffening up.  The best fix for this is to loosen up by not having your thumbs turned up to the sky in a fisted hand but bent in at about a 45-degree angle with the reins held more gently. Once I changed my hand position it loosened my whole upper body and made following her head much easier.  Dusty has such a lot of movement with her head it’s very hard to not fix the rein to try and control her bobbing head. The whole idea is to follow the movement even if you feel like you’re whole body is moving too much. It didn’t take long to get back to the right way of going with a little practice.

After all of our basic fixes, hers and mine, we decided to try a canter in each direction.  I always like to start off with her worst direction, which is to the left.  We got the bend and I asked for the left lead, of course she got the wrong lead right off.  As we continued on for a few steps she popped up on the straight line and did a flying lead change, woo hoo!  Unfortunately, she was still cross cantering behind. This is really uncomfortable; I felt like a jack-in-the-box on a pogo stick and asked her to whoa, which she did immediately.  I was proud of her for stopping on cue; in the past she might have kept on going.  She still gets very excited at the canter but with more practice and balance I’m sure she’ll be fine.  The canter to the right started with a perfect step off and a nice pace. Dusty still has this little tea cup canter that she must have learned way back when she had western lessons before she was mine.  Someday she will have the longer ground-covering canter that I want but for now this is fine.  I remember when we started the trot exercises she had the little western jog trot and now she’s really tracking up and her paces are adjustable.  She’s come a long way and I’m proud of her for being such a willing and smart student.

All horses need time, time and more time to learn and adjust to the way of going that is correct for what you, the rider, want them to do for their particular discipline.  There’s no way around taking the time and having the patience to do it right.  She may never be perfect because of her conformation but at least she will be going as well as she can for her body type and her muscles will be developed correctly. We’ve already seen a lot of improvement in her muscles and have been surprised by how well she can now track up from behind into her front hoof prints; we didn’t think she had it in her, but this is what happens with a supple horse whose frame is relaxed and rounded and as it should be.

Until next time

Quote for Today 
Just knowing we have both learned something when I have finished riding is enough for me!

 

Acting Out

 

This past weekend while I was away my daughter had her hands full between watching my two dogs Maggie and Murphy and her own dog Molly.  Add to that the seven horses that needed to be taken care of and general farm chores.  She does all this everyday anyway but add my two run- into- the -road numbskulls and it becomes an exasperating responsibility.

Seeing as there aren’t too many of our horses that can currently be ridden because of one circumstance or another, I thought it might be nice to offer her Dusty for a trail ride or whatever she wanted to do with her. She’s an excellent trainer and I thought this would be a good time for her to saddle up and see how far Dusty has come and if she could spot anything I’ve been doing wrong or needed correcting, etc…

Except it seems Dusty was acting out this weekend and wanted nothing to do with her. I don’t know if it was because I didn’t show up with her carrots/treats (not that they aren’t offered when I’m not there) but still, she wasn’t being spoiled rotten.  In her mind I suppose she wasn’t being treated the way she thinks she so richly deserves.

On one fine morning she was on her way out to the paddock.  My daughter had her ¾ of the way through the gate and, when Dusty heard the lead rope unsnap went from zero to sixty backward, spun around and got loose outside the paddock, which of course riled up Mellon and all the other horses.  She took some time to be caught, refusing to come even for her favorite treats.  And the rest of the herd was too wound up to be ridden….

Later that day she had other ideas.  Usually if I call her at dinnertime she will come to the gate.  Not so this weekend.  Dusty decided she didn’t care if she ate or not and ignored any effort to get her attention.  She was adamant about not coming in, so she got to stay out with Mellon for the night.  

The next night she decided to come in and grace everyone with her presence; to show her gratitude at having her stall back for the night, after dinner she completely demolished her hay net.  By this I mean she tore a hole in it, dismantled the system of dowels and snaps it hangs on and left it lying in a heap on the stall floor trashed. Oh, and she threw most of her hay out her window; either she didn’t enjoy this particular batch or was simply commenting on the service - the equine equivalent of sending your dinner back to the kitchen, I guess?  There were many more little things she did but you’d have to see her to know she was sulking.

So I’m wondering if anyone else has had a horse that acted out when they were missing in action for a few days and couldn’t interact with them.  Or if Dusty is just acting like the VIP (very important pony) she thinks she is who doesn’t like her apple cart upset?

Until next time

Quote for Today

An owner about her Mare - "She will do everything and anything I ask her as long as she thinks it is okay!"     - Mary Ann Holan

Dusty's Most Excellent Weekend

' Dusty '

Dusty and I added some new training movements to her repertoire this weekend and I can only say she was in excellent form.  Where to begin?  Well, the first thing we’ve got to clear up:“will the real Dusty please stand up and identify herself ?”  The new and improved Dusty that was most likely hatched from an alien pod sometime Friday night has been absolutely brilliant this weekend. It could be her new shoes, the new sand footing with no rocks, the stupendous training she’s been receiving or perhaps a combination of all three. Whatever the reason, I’ll take it.

As usual we always start with walking, softening and bending.  We’ve added serpentines and leg yields to her warm up to mix it up and get her focused.  In my opinion, all the softening and bending work we did for months at the walk has really helped her and I think all horses can benefit from this type of work. It takes a long time but the end result it well worth the effort.

Instead of starting with her fast choppy jog-trot she has decided that a longer frame with an even pace is the way to go for her comfort (I’m sure she’s not worrying about mine.)  For the past two weekends she has been softening, tracking up and coming softly onto the bit of her own accord. She feels like an entirely different horse when she’s like this, and I’m told she looks as graceful as a carousel horse.

This weekend we worked on her canter, which is not one of her best natural gaits just yet. I’m happy to report that she got the correct lead in both directions, a big accomplishment for her, especially to the left.

Normally with her left lead, when we try to circle, she will spiral into the center of the ring like water going down the drain regardless of proper steering.  It was time to try a different approach; instead of circling I let her go straight down the long side of the arena.  It wasn’t pretty, but there was no spiraling.  Until she balances herself more, I think we may have to accept her head going to the outside, shoulder inside and butt who knows where. I’m trying to counter this effect by opening the outside rein, using an indirect inside rein behind the wither and pressure at the girth with my inside leg. With more practice I think she will find her balance and her muscles will begin to strengthen and conform to the right way of going.

The right lead (her good one) was much more confident, balanced and comfortable. Of course, coming down the long side she was picking up speed and I’m thinking she may have decided a nice gallop was in order. Or she may have been trying to terrorize Molly, our Australian Shepherd, who decided to park herself on the rail and refused to move for the entire lesson.  In any case, after we had a conversation about this she relented and came back to a normal pace. We didn’t over-do the canter, just once around in each direction.

Dusty was also introduced to lengthening her trot today. First we started by having a nice even pace at the working trot. Then by opening the inside rein to take her head gently to the inside, she would soften and relax her neck, lower her frame and come onto the bit; from there I’d simply ask for more trot while allowing her a little more rein and she lengthened beautifully.  After a few steps, I’d use a light half halt on the outside rein and bring her back to the working trot. She got it in both directions.  Smart girl!

My philosophy is:  if you get it mostly right, end on a good note for that exercise. I don’t believe in drilling a horse over and over until I’m satisfied; there’s always tomorrow and I like to reward a good effort right away, leave my horses feeling good about their accomplishments and give them time to think it over.

We ended with that; I dropped the reins and let her meander around the ring. She took herself over to my daughter for a treat and then she circled the arena once, marched over to the mounting block, parked herself there and looked back at me, as if to say, “That’s it, you’re done for the day.  Get off!”

Until next time

Quote for Today

Correction does much for the horse, but encouragement does more.

It's A Mare's World

 

‘It’s A Mare’s World ‘

I’ve been wondering lately about mares.  I’ve never actually had a mare for any length of time and Dusty is the first mare I’ve truly ridden.  All our horses have been geldings, except for Meg—an off-the-track thoroughbred—and she was only with us a short time until we found a good home for her. We boarded at the time and although I would have liked to keep her (she was very sweet) we couldn’t afford all the semi-rescues we were accumulating.

Okay, back to my questions about mares; I know you will all help me out with trying to understand my girl.

Dusty, my darling: quarter horse; palomino; queen bee; princess extraordinaire….  She is most likely the most unaffectionate horse I’ve ever come across. She’s very independent and opinionated about everything from her food to her grooming.  Most times she won’t even make an appearance at the gate to come in and will make one of us tromp through snow or mud to get her.  I guess she wants to see if we really mean it. We do; she’s been left out more than once and not fed dinner and yet she wouldn’t give you the satisfaction of coming in willingly the next time either.  She has the queenly persona of being able to totally ignore you and plays the la-de-la-la ‘I can’t hear you’ game!’  It seems to be one of her favorites.

Dusty puts up a very tough front but she’s no marshmallow underneath; she’s tough as nails.  She can also hold a grudge for what she perceives as the slightest infraction.  It seems if I pet, groom, or pay attention to another horse she gets slightly miffed as if she’s not getting all she’s due. Yet again, if I go over to her she ignores me and turns her butt to me.  I’m not used to having a horse that thoroughly ignores me unless I have a treat, and only then she finds it in her heart to act all cute and knickers and bats her big brown eyes. 

Typical female?  I don’t know if everyone’s mares are like this but I’d like to know if is it just Dusty or are most mares similar?  Sweetie is very different; she likes attention and returns affection when given, which I attribute to her being happy and grateful to be with us. Our little Meg mare was as sweet as could be and loved attention too. So to me Dusty is an enigma wrapped in a mystery.  I’m sure I’ll never have the bond with her I had with Erik but, in my opinion, I think she could be a teeny bit more friendly.

The geldings are all so affectionate and huggable and love to be fussed over.  Typical males? Blue or Donnie will come running if they see me by the fence or I call them. Call Dusty and you get the shrug and cold shoulder.  I’ve even thought that because the mares are still au naturale and the geldings are, well, geldings that might have something to do with her behavior. Then again, we boarded a stallion once at our barn and he loved his mom and was very affectionate to her (then again, he was also a sort of a wussy boy.)  But Sami was a stallion when he came to us and he is also an attention sponge.  So that may throw my au naturale notion out the window with the bath water.

One quick, funny story about stallion mama/owner. At a dressage clinic we attended, she asked the clinician (a big name trainer) if maybe his trouble engaging his hindquarters was because his (you know) were too big.  My daughter was so embarrassed by this asinine question she almost fell through the arena floor.  I thought it was funny.  Do they make jock straps for horses?  But I digress….

Back to Diva Dusty. By the way, I tried to change her name because Dusty was so common for a palomino, but she would have none of it so “Dusty” she has remained.  She knows her name but chooses not to listen when called, sort of like when my kids were teenagers.

Now on to listing her good points, because I don’t want to seem like I don’t appreciate her, I do.

·         She is one of the safest horses we have in the barn. 

·         She loves to work and learn new things. 

·         Great on trails. 

·         Loves an adventure anywhere. 

·         Never spooks. 

Does this sound like a sale ad?  It’s not.  Dusty’s mine until the end; I just wonder how many other mares out there share this star persona. I wonder if part of her personality is because she is smaller than all the other horses we have except for Sami. Maybe she feels she has to be tough to prove herself in the herd. Regardless of why she acts like she does, Dusty is a dynamite package, all 15’1 hands of her.  She’s a real character and I do like her, but she is frustrating.

Until next time

Quote for Today

An owner about her (Appaloosa) Mare - "She will do everything and anything I ask her as long as she thinks it is okay!"
    - Mary Ann Holan

Dusty's Not So Excellent Adventures

Dusty’s Not So Excellent Adventures

Dusty’s saga started on Wednesday morning when I noticed she hadn’t finished her grain.. Figuring she was simply in a hurry to get out with the herd or perhaps didn’t like her new supplements I took her feed bucket away, groomed and tacked her up for a ride. We rode for a while in the arena and she was definitely not into the lesson. Again, I cleverly deduced she was having a typical ‘Dusty Day’. We ended on a good note and I gave her a treat. Dusty is a treat monster and she took the treat but spit it out.  My radar kicked in; Dusty has never refused a treat in her life.

Wednesday was an uncommonly warm and humid day and when I untacked her, I noticed she was sweating under her saddle more than the light workout warranted.  I put her cooler on, checked her mouth, and found something odd.  Dusty had a canine tooth, which is rare in mares. It was very small and  her gums were slightly red around it.  Could she be teething at age 13 or had I never noticed this particular tooth in the past?  We checked the geldings and they had canine teeth, and then checked Sweetie and she had none. Mystery solved, apparently, her tooth was irritating her, or so I thought.  Dusty is a stoic little mare who never complains, which makes it doubly hard to decipher when she is not feeling well.  I resolved to call the vet and find out if she should have the canine removed.

After some hand grazing I turned her out and Mellon gave her a hearty kick in the side.  Mellon is a neurotic herd leader and since she did not come when he called to her, she was unjustly punished. Dusty finds him dreadfully annoying but puts up with his neurotic nonsense because she has no choice in the matter. So began Dusty’s less than excellent adventures this week. 

I did a little internet research and found the following:

Between 4 and 5 canine teeth (tushes, tusks) between the molars and incisors. Generally, all male horses have four canines. However, few female horses (less than 28%) have canines, and those that do usually have only one or two, which many times are only partially erupted.

The canine teeth of the horse developed phylogenically from the simple, pointed, short-rooted tooth form of the leaf eating, in pairs living, Eocene horse Hyracotherium and served up to the Oligocene as a means of defense (self preservation). In the Miocene the living conditions of the Merychippus changed and they took to eating grass and adopted as a new behavior the life in a herd. The canine teeth possibly played an important role in fights for social ranking; they changed from a crown form to knife-like shape. In the Pliohippus the canine tooth usually remained in male horses and since the Pliocene, it contributed to the fights between stallions, to ensure that the offspring only came from the strongest animals (preservation of the species). Form and construction of the canine tooth are described and discussed in detail under the above-mentioned phylogenic and ethologic aspects. [need citation here]

 

One site stated that mares with canines are usually alpha mares that have a fair amount of testosterone. Dusty is definitely an opinionated alpha mare. The vet did come out and the tooth is not the cause of her problems, it does not have to be removed since it does not interfere with the bit.  She also seems to have another one under the gum on the opposite side that has not erupted.

Thursday morning found Dusty pawing and biting at her sides which were rippling with spasms.  Oh no, COLIC for sure.  Dusty has never colicked and this behavior was definitely unusual for her. The vet was on his way. In the meantime, we administered Banamine and her temperature registered 103.8. The high temperature made colic seem less likely.  The good news is that she was not colicking; the bad news is that she has contracted Ehrlichia or Ehrlichiosis, (for more info check out these sites) which is a tick borne disease. Her current treatment is three days of intravenous tetracycline and then a week of doxycycline. Dusty is showing great improvement and feeling much better.

It bears mentioning that two years ago she contracted leptospirosis  (also check out Leptospirosis Introduction ). This particular disease is caused by a spirochete similar to Lyme disease and can cause moon blindness/ uveitis.  Luckily, even though her eyes were full of puss (identified by the cloudy green visible behind her corneas) we caught it in time and avoided any damage to her eyes. Leptospirosis is generally passed on through the urine of wildlife. Possibly the opossums infected her.

Dusty has also had Lyme or Lyme disease (check out these two sites for more info), which is a tick borne disease. The entire herd has been infected at one time or another and been treated.  Since Lyme can rarely be completely cured, it remains an ongoing detection process to determine when they need to be treated repeatedly.

Have I mentioned that I detest ticks!

Until next time

Quote for Today

Gypsy gold does not chink and glitter. It gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark.     - Saying of the Gladdagh Gypsies of Galway

Life on the Merry-Go-Round

Life on the Merry-Go-Round

 I checked back to see when I actually started riding Dusty and the date was June 10. (This blog is great for giving access to my horse-diary of events).  When I realized we have been riding for only four months, and intermittently at that, I’ve got to say I was secretly impressed by how well she is doing and how much she’s changed over the years.

Even though Dusty was thirteen in July, she’s still as green as grass.  How is it possible that a horse of that age be so green?  Circumstances;  I bought her when she was five, returned her 6 months later because of dangerous behavior, took her back at the request of the seller two years later, decided to have my daughter train her in the basics and resell her. Her dangerous mounting block behavior was eliminated and there were no more incidents of flipping herself over. Oh, and did I mention that she had a fracture of her leg that required stall rest for a time.  Dusty told anyone who would listen, “I broke my leg you know!”  Of course, she didn’t tell anyone that she injured herself by kicking the daylights out of her stall wall because she is a witchy little mare and the occupant of the adjoining stall was simply annoying her to distraction. During this time we had a small business operation and she became our advanced riders’ project, under the supervision of my daughter, who is a wonderful trainer.

Running a demanding boarding/lesson business left her training sporadic at times. I didn’t have the time to ride her, as I had my horse Erik to ride and, in the back of my mind, thought that she would someday be sold.  Subsequently, I didn’t want to get attached to her as it would be harder for me to let her go when the time came.  This is how she comes to the dance: still green with a slightly confused attitude about why she is my star pupil all of a sudden.. I should mention that I rode in fits and starts for the year prior to my knee replacement surgery, partly because of the pain in my knee and also due to the fact that my horse Erik had died unexpectedly from colic.  Most of that time, I really didn’t feel like riding. Thankfully, all that has changed now due to the surgery and healing that time brings with it.

Dusty and I have been living life on the circle.  Since starting to train her, we have done so many circle exercises I’m sure she thinks she’s a carousel horse.  In Dusty’s case, circle work is so important to teach her how to bend and balance herself.  Our work on the circle, usually 20 meters, subject to change depending on her behavior, has made her more flexible and relaxed.  She still has a slight problem with stopping when asked, but we’re working on that too.  Being eager to go at the drop of a carrot, she’s always ever-ready and jumps into the canter with the slightest touch of pressure from my leg.  Of course, I rarely ask for the canter because she is so unbalanced and crooked. Dusty is not ready for canter work. As a treat I recently let her canter and she couldn’t hold it together. It’s hard to explain just how uncomfortable her canter is, but it seems like I’m riding a bicycle with a square tire!

Although it may seem boring, living life on the circle is so important for her right now. She’s learning to bend, balance and listen more than if I simply let her gain "downhill" momentum on a straight line or zig-zag and trot all over the arena. Even though most of our work is at the walk and sometimes the trot, there are so many different exercises we do together. She is learning to leg yield a few steps across the arena, turn on the  haunches and forehand, halt and back etc.  These exercises are also good for any horse that needs a refresher course, may be coming back to work after an injury, or if you want to save the wear and tear of constant schooling and drilling.  We try to mix it up a little so she doesn’t get too bored or anticipate what’s coming.

I’m proud to say she is very enthusiastic and it’s very encouraging to watch her “get it.” Even though she is the consummate alpha mare, she loves praise and support when she tries to do the right thing.  Dusty is a complicated mare and not easy to ride but we’re both trying to understand each other; she, by figuring out my signals and complying, and me, by figuring out what is the best way to work with her to make her understand the signals. We have a long slow road ahead of us, but working together in a partnership with respect for each other can only mean good things are on the horizon. 

In the meantime, we are living on the merry-go-round. Circling, Circling, Circling….

Until next time

Quote for Today

In training horses, one trains himself.
    - Antoine De Pluvinet

Dusty - In Trouble Again

Dusty

In Trouble Again

It seems my little palomino mare, Dusty, is indeed in trouble again. The scenario lately has been that she refuses to come in at night. Everyone else has no problem with these arrangements and looks forward to a peaceful night's sleep in their stalls. Not little Ms. Annoying, though; she won’t be caught, but just stands by a feed bucket on the fence as if to say, “I’ll be over here for my dinner, girls”.  Of course, this incites Mellon to madness - if she’s out side while he's inside - so the game of musical stalls is set in motion. Mellon has to go out with her, which in turn sets Sami off, since he is Mellon’s "mini-me" and won’t be separated from his hero. It is an exasperating situation and the entire barn is disrupted. Then again, during night check sometimes she’ll be ready to be taken in for the night.  "Whoo Hoo, I’m over here dearie; come and get me!”  She is an exasperating mare. She’s also been left out trying to teach her a lesson: if you don’t come in with everyone else, you’re out for the night, like it or not.

Our barn has six permanent stalls and we now have the grooming stall set up for Sweetie. That makes lucky number seven. When we got the new horse, O’Grady, we had to devise a stall for Sami. So he stays in the aisle by Mellon’s end stall.  We’ve got a makeshift stall complete with rubber mats, shavings, water bucket, feed tub and hay bag, all enclosed by a long nylon '"aisle guard" (like a stall guard that goes across the whole aisle) on the aisle side and a smaller stall guard strung between the outside barn doors, which remain partially open for air circulation. 

The scene is now set: Dusty came in late one night and was directed to Sami’s temporary stall because all of the others were already taken, including hers. Harrumph! Apparently, this wasn’t the sort of accommodation the princess is accustomed to, being spoiled rotten. We found her in the morning wandering around outside the barn grazing. Naturally, Mellon was beside himself with anxiety. It seems she figured out how to pull the one barn door into the space where the stall guard was, leaving a nice opening on the opposite side, through which she squeezed her ample butt and got loose.

You might think that’s the end of her story, but you’d be wrong.  A few nights later Dusty decided to stay out again and we tried putting Mellon in her stall on the opposite side of the barn, hoping that, if he couldn't see her out his window, he wouldn't get upset.  Sami had been put in Mellon’s stall.  Well, Ms. Trickster decided she's like to come in later that night and, being one of the last ones in again, we thought it easier just to swap Sami into the aisle stall and put Dusty next-door in Mellon's stall (confused yet?)  Learning our lesson from the first time, Dusty was given a proper, secure stall and Sami was in his usual temporary aisle stall in front of the barn doors.  It appears that Sami must have been inconveniencing her and her delicate sensibilities. She proceeded to spend the night working on the barn door from her stall and pulled the door nearest her, which pulled the stall guard and the other door aside enough to let him out in the same place she had escaped a few nights earlier.   He was found grazing around the barn in the morning.  Naturally, all the horses were riled up over this turn of events. In the process of being the jailer with the key to freedom, she broke the window in the door and splintered the frame.  No one was hurt, but now we need to get a completely new frame and window.  Thank you Ms.Dusty!

So the new plan is she either stays out all night or comes in to her own stall.  She’s a genius escape artist and has always known how to open and close her door. Which she does regularly when she puts on her Garbo act of “I vant to be alone.”  Until, of course, she hears the feed cart or treats coming, then the door whips open in a flash and she puts on her "cute face." 

It’s a good thing I find her amusing…most of the time.

Until next time

Quote for Today

You never get the pleasure of owning a horse; you only have the pleasure of being its slave.

The Queen Is In

The Queen Is In

As this is our royal birthday, we started the day with a spa treatment. Bathing, clipping, mane and tail pulling and although the grooms tried they came up short when they realized there was no sparkle hoof polish to be found in my lady’s bathing area. Off with their heads ! Harrumph!

Her Royal Highness ‘Moon’s Stardust’ will be holding court all day, therefore her loyal subjects may come bearing gifts and treats as is befitting a Queen of her stature.

Queen Stardust has decreed that her wish-list will include all precious gems, which will be taken to the royal saddle maker and inlayed into her bridle’s brow band. Rubies would be best, after all it is her birthstone; then again, diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Such hard decisions… had better just bring both. Any new clothing would be appreciated (preferably trimmed in ermine or mink) grooming tools , new fly masks, tiaras, etc… Of course, it is understood, no toiling in the fields or arenas today anywhere in the realm. A serene enchanted day in which all subjects can properly worship the ground she walks on shall be trumpeted throughout the entire kingdom.

Official adoration is set to begin after breakfast and continue until the stroke of midnight when the festivities and butt kissing will end. Any subject wishing to partake of the buffet of unlimited grass, hay and their dinner grain, carrots and treats are welcome to attend. If no one chooses to acknowledge Her Majesty’s birthday with the proper adulation well then - let them eat cake - carrot cake!

Thank goodness her birthday only comes once a year; Dusty can be an unbearable tyrant!

Until next time

Quote for Today

An owner about her Appaloosa Mare - "She will do everything and anything I ask her as long as she thinks it is okay!" (It seems this also applies to my palomino mare, Dusty)!
- Mary Ann Holan

Dusty's Antics

Dusty’s Antics

Everyone who visits here knows about my palomino mare Dusty. I do not want anyone to assume she is a bad girl, because she is not – most of the time. I would, however, like to know whether or not you have had a mare that exhibits this one particular behavior. Last night, we were running low on hay (until the delivery today), so we decided to give some soaked alfalfa cubes at night check to supplement the meager flakes they got for dinner. We feed out of round rubber feed tubs that go on the floor by their doors, and each horse had theirs filled about half way with soaked cubes.

In the past Dusty has let it be known, in her own subtle way, that she is not fond of alfalfa cubes. Put them in her feed tub with her grain and she will pick around them or pick them out one at a time and throw them in the aisle. Last night was no exception, except for the fact that she took it up a notch on the obnoxious scale.

We had a feeling she wasn’t going to eat her alfalfa, but didn’t want to exclude her, just in case. But I guess she thinks we can’t take a hint. This morning, as I was skipping through the barn like Red Riding Hood collecting feed tubs, Dusty’s bucket, not surprisingly, had all the untouched hay cubes still in it. However, as icing on the cake, she had carefully backed up over the feed tub and deposited a load of manure exactly in the center of the tub. Good aim, Dusty! Way to go!

Most would not find this an endearing quality, but since I can’t control this particular part of her behavior, I’ve decided to find it amusing....

This isn’t the first time she’s used this particular form of protest. She’s even been known to use it as a form of warfare. When we first got her at five years old and turned her out with all the geldings, she marched over to the biggest horse in the pasture and double-barrel kicked him in the side. She then proceeded to sashay to the flake he was eating, back up to it, and carefully deposit a load right on top. She proceeded to do this to all the horses’ hay, except for one clean flake that she reserved for herself to enjoy.

So my question is: do any of you have a mare with such discriminating tastes she feels compelled to “poo poo” the barn menu?

Until next time

Quote for Today

Nothing moves me more than when on the way to fetching my mare in the morning than the sound of her neighing to me as I open the gate.