Grey Days

I really miss the snow! At the moment it's ankle-deep muck that ends up halfway up my jeans, and I slide around in it, and the horses' feet make obscene sucking sounds in it. And yesterday was all grey and dreary. The thought that it's going to be a month before the stuff goes away was really depressing me.

In other news (not news if you follow me on Facebook), on the way home from the farm a week ago today, I found two pups dumped on the side of the road. The first one went home the next day, but this one's still here. He's doing pretty well with crate training but I definitely forgot how much work puppies are. (if I had a nickel for every time I've said "Now what do you have?!" this week!) He's a sweet guy though - smart, playful and cuddly. Pretty much everything you could want in a pup (seriously, that's not a hard sell - he's a very good boy). I don't know what he is - definitely some sort of terrier in there but I'm not sure what it's mixed with. Hoping he finds a good home soon because my old pups and all my cats but one are NOT impressed with his antics. Let me know if you're close by and you can take him home :)

Finally, A Nice Day!

This was the first nice day we've really had when Russ was off work and we could both spend some time at the farm. So we gave the girls a MUCH needed 'do (read: rubbed off some mud and attempted to find the white that's supposed to be under there - Storm was even dirtier than in the photo above). Storm reminded me of the cost of that long pretty Arab mane: she had three or four huge knots in it. Fortunately, I sort of enjoy untangling manes by hand. Plus, it gave us some much-needed bonding time. She brought back fond memories of my favorite horse as a kid by attempting repeatedly to rub her head on me (I used to let Specks; I don't let her. I've since learned better than to let horses knock me around with their heads).

The day after my last post Midnight turned up lame - I think she's starting to feel better now that she's on good feed and kind of rushed it too much running around with the herd, and hurt herself. She's getting a bit better now; Thursday she wouldn't even put weight on it, and though she's still hobbling some she's at least able to get around.

After the spa session (ha) Russ and I took Abbey and Storm for a walk in hand to where the farm overlooks the Calfkiller river. I'm sorry I didn't have my camera - actually I did, but I left it in the van! It was really a beautiful day, though. When we set off Abbey and Russ were behind us, and Abbey repeatedly put the brakes on and refused to go - Ms. Boss Mare was NOT going to bring up the rear! Once she was in front she was fine. Guess we know who will be leading the trail rides! We even did a little jogging up the valley - you heard right, I ran!

Even though the "point" of horses is usually thought to be riding, I really enjoy walking them. I hope I don't forget to do it now and then once we're riding them regularly.

Moo.

It's cold. I bet where you are you're saying the same thing. It wasn't the best time to buy a new horse! It's depressing not to get to hang out with her. She was pretty shy the first few days, but despite the fact I haven't been able to spend much time at the farm, Storm followed me all over the farm yesterday (and Abbey's letting her!). Apparently the source of apples and cookies and neck rubs can't be all bad.

However, we had a little break in the cold on Monday, and as a result, Brandon and I spent two hours at the farm with Bennett. That's his pretty paint mare, Jewel, in the picture. She's obviously very intelligent but she has very little respect for space, either horses or people. We don't know anything about her training history, but we did a little friendly game with a bareback pad with her on Monday, and she did pretty well with all of it, until it was on her and he went to put the cinch on (not tighten it). She wasn't bad but I think if you tightened the cinch all at once and her feelings weren't respected she'd be one of those that nips when you tighten. I do think she'd enjoy some work to do, though.

Midnight, his other mare, has been abused and neglected, and when she came to the farm she was the champion evader. She wouldn't come near anyone, and you couldn't get near her either, except if she had her nose in a feed bucket. One day when my son Brandon came to the farm she decided she liked him, and they've been sort of bonding ever since. When we got to spend some time there Monday, I was really struck by the transformation in her over the past three months or so, especially when Bran's around. She actively comes over looking for cookies and attention (especially scratches, which she likes more than the cookies, if you stop she'll lean back into your hand), with her ears pricked and an expression on her face, where before her expression was just dull all the time and she wouldn't look at you. She's filling back out, too. Bran can't wait to ride her.

Oh, and since we couldn't keep the horses from shoving the cows out of their feed and stealing it, I've taken on new responsibilities - after the horses are fed and locked in the back pasture I'm feeding the cattle. Not something I've ever done before! When I let the horses out Monday after the cows were done eating, Abbey went over and spent half an hour licking an ice block in their trough that was covered with corn, and when she was done Jewel ate it :)

Moo.

Snowponies!

Buy a print of this gorgeous "Up Close and Personal" photo
by Kellya on Etsy

There's something a little magical about horses in the snow. The soft blanket damps everything down in a blanket of quietness, and the hoofbeats that bring chills down my spine when they come running up to me to say hi are muffled. Steam curls from their nostrils like a steed in a fairy tale, and they always seem to be frisky when snow is new fallen. Storm came prancing and shaking her head with her tail bannered behind her today, and Abbey came running for the warm food they get when it's frigid outside. Keeping horses in winter can be a pain - chopping holes in the layer of ice over the pond, hauling water when that doesn't work, making sure their coats are curried so that they can insulate well enough (beats messing with blankets), and just keeping my own nose and toes warm.

When I was a kid I kept riding all winter long, and I loved it, even though I couldn't feel my toes when I was done. It was magic. Here in Tennessee we don't get that much snow, which makes it all the more mystical. Having a quartet of horses gallop through the swirling flakes to see ME, though, and knowing two of them are mine.... that's the stuff of fantasy. A lifetime's worth.

New Kid on the Block

I have a new horse :) Storm is a six-year-old purebred Arabian, although her papers have been lost along the way. She's done some barrel racing, endurance riding, and elementary jumping. She's SUPER sensitive; a phase 2 pressure on her barrel causes her to step over with no Parelli training at all. I'm anxious to play with her but she's a shy girl (her previous owner warned me that she would be for a couple of months). She lets me come up to her, sometimes, but too much pressure, and she leaves. We'll go slowly. I also have the problem of Abbey being extremely jealous of her, so if no one's around to distract her she gets between me and Storm and drives her off. If I can get a halter on her this week (it's been ridiculously cold for doing anything serious), I hope to take her into the back field and close the gate, and then do some basic undemanding time to see where we are. Ab's going to need some extra attention, too.